Can You Drive with 1.3 Tire Pressure?
3 Answers
Tire pressure of 1.3 bar is not safe for driving. Vehicles are equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system, which typically triggers an alert when the tire pressure falls below 1.5 bar. Hazards of Low Tire Pressure: Increased friction coefficient with the road surface, leading to higher fuel consumption; Heavier steering wheel and tendency to veer, compromising driving safety; Excessive movement of tire components, causing abnormal heat due to over-compression; Reduced functionality of cords and rubber, leading to delamination or cord breakage, excessive friction with the rim, and damage to the bead area, resulting in abnormal wear; Exponentially increased friction between the tire and the ground, rapid rise in tire temperature, softening of the tire, and a sharp decline in strength. High-speed driving may cause a blowout; Increased tire body deformation, prone to sidewall cracks, and flexing movements, leading to excessive heat, rubber aging, fatigue in the cord layers, cord breakage, and increased tire contact area, accelerating shoulder wear. Solutions for Insufficient Tire Pressure: If no visible damage is found, inflate the tire to normal pressure and reset the tire pressure system; If a puncture is detected, promptly drive to a tire shop for repair and reinflation; If the tire pressure warning reappears after inflation without any puncture, it may be due to air leakage caused by a deformed rim. It is recommended to inspect and replace the rim if necessary.
Last time when my tire pressure was only 1.3, the car obviously didn't feel right. The steering wheel became extremely heavy, the body swayed from side to side, and even the braking distance increased. The mechanic said driving with such low tire pressure is extremely dangerous—the tire sidewalls were already deformed from compression, and driving a few dozen kilometers would ruin the tires, with bad luck leading directly to a blowout. He advised pulling over immediately and calling a tow truck for safety; if a tow truck couldn't be found right away, at least use the portable air pump to inflate the tire to above 2.0 before slowly moving to a repair shop. The key is also to check the other three tires thoroughly, as sometimes more than one might have a nail puncture.
A tire pressure of only 1.3 is definitely unacceptable. It's equivalent to the tire being completely flat, and there's a high risk of a blowout at any moment while driving. Once in winter, my tire pressure dropped to 1.5, and the car's front end felt unstable, with fuel consumption increasing by 20%. It's best to stop immediately and check for punctures like a nail. Use a tire repair strip for emergency fixes and then inflate with an air pump. It's even more dangerous on highways, as high temperatures can cause rapid aging of the tire rubber. I always keep an electronic tire pressure gauge and a mini air pump in the trunk, and I address any pressure below 1.8 right away. Checking tire pressure while washing the car is a great habit to maintain.
