Can You Drive with Underinflated Car Tires?

[VanElliana]

If your car indicates insufficient tire pressure, you should not continue driving. Low tire pressure means the tire pressure is below the recommended level. When tire pressure is too low, the contact area between the tire and the road increases, leading to higher rolling resistance. This requires more traction while driving, resulting in increased fuel consumption. The normal tire pressure range for most cars is 2.4-2.5 bar. Due to seasonal factors, tire pressure can be slightly increased by 0.2 bar in winter and reduced by 0.1 bar in summer. This data follows the international GBT2978-2008 standard. Tire pressure above 2.8 bar is considered too high, while pressure below 2.0 bar is too low. Under normal circumstances, vehicles do not experience such extreme pressures unless there is a leak causing low pressure or overinflation during refilling. Monitoring the pressure gauge can prevent overinflation. Hazards of overinflated tires: Reduced tire friction and grip, affecting braking performance; causes steering wheel vibration and misalignment, reducing driving comfort; accelerates uneven wear on the central tread, shortening tire lifespan; increases vehicle vibration, indirectly affecting other components; overstretches tire cords, reducing elasticity and increasing load stress during driving. Hazards of underinflated tires: Increased friction with the road, leading to higher fuel consumption; makes steering heavier and prone to misalignment, compromising safety; excessive movement of tire parts causes abnormal heat buildup; weakens cord and rubber functionality, leading to delamination or cord breakage, damaging the tire bead and causing abnormal wear; multiplies friction with the road, rapidly raising tire temperature, softening the tire, and drastically reducing strength. High-speed driving may result in a blowout. If the tire pressure monitoring indicator lights up (a yellow symbol with an irregular circle, no seal, four small spikes below, and an exclamation mark inside), it generally indicates one of three reasons: Abnormal tire pressure: Typically triggers an alarm when pressure is below 1.8 bar or above 3.0 bar. In this case, inspect and adjust tire pressure. Tire pressure monitoring not reset: After inflating the tires, failing to reset the system causes it to display outdated data, lighting the indicator. Simply reset the tire pressure monitoring. Damaged tire pressure sensor: The sensor, installed inside the tire and connected to the inflation valve, monitors tire pressure. If damaged (e.g., by impact), it triggers the warning light. A damaged sensor must be replaced.