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Impact of cold weather on tyre pressure

Cold weather can affect all types of vehicles, including electric cars. One thing that can happen when the temperature falls is that your tyre pressure drops too.

Low air pressure in your tyres creates increased friction and resistance when you’re driving. This can cause the following problems:

  • Reduction in range, meaning you have to charge your battery more often. 
  • Premature wear and tear to your tyres, which can lead to safety issues.

How much can tyre pressure fall in winter?

  • Tyre pressure is measured in PSI (pounds per square inch) or Bar. If you want to convert a value, Which? has provided a handy guide.  
  • In winter you can lose 1 to 2 PSI for every 10°C of temperature drop.
  • This might not sound like a lot, but even the slightest decrease in PSI can affect the performance of your tyres. 

How to spot low tyre pressure

Nowadays all cars are fitted with a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). 

If there’s a drop in the pressure of your tyres, the TPMS will activate a warning symbol on your dashboard.

Some of our cars can also show you the pressure in each individual tyre.

How to fix low tyre pressure 

  1. We recommend you go to a petrol station or garage that has an air pump, and top up the pressure in your tyres. 
  2. You should be able to find the correct PSI for your tyres in the car’s handbook or on the frame of the driver or passenger doors. 
  3. Once you’ve inflated the tyres, the warning symbol on your dashboard might not disappear straight away. 
  4. If the warning symbol is still displaying after 10 to 15 minutes of driving, please call our Driverline on 03450 348 647 and select the option for Tyres.
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