What Are the Causes of Overinflated Tire Pressure?
3 Answers
Reasons for overinflated tire pressure in vehicles: 1. Excessive tire inflation leading to high tire pressure readings; 2. Imbalanced tire dynamics with excessive deflection, causing increased tire wear temperature and elevated tire pressure; 3. Inaccurate wheel alignment (four-wheel alignment) of a particular wheel, resulting in uneven tire wear, higher temperature, and increased tire pressure; 4. Aging and wear of suspension components connected to the wheels, leading to misalignment, increased uneven wear temperature, and higher tire pressure. Hazards of overinflated tire pressure: 1. Overinflated tires reduce friction and adhesion, impairing braking effectiveness and shortening tire lifespan. 2. Overinflation decreases puncture resistance, increasing the risk of tire blowouts. 3. Accelerates localized wear of the central tread pattern, reducing tire life, increasing vehicle vibration, and indirectly affecting the lifespan of other components. 4. Overinflation causes excessive stretching deformation of tire cords, reducing tire elasticity and increasing the load borne by the vehicle during driving, thereby decreasing resistance to rolling. 5. When encountering sharp objects like nails or glass on the road, tires are more prone to punctures, leading to internal cracks and blowouts upon impact.
As someone with ten years of auto repair experience, I've seen too many cases of overinflated tires. The most common scenario is owners inflating their tires too much when cold, not accounting for heat expansion while driving. The pressure spike is especially noticeable during hot summer days or after long trips. Another cause is using outdated tire pressure gauges that give inaccurate readings, leading to overinflation. Also, be mindful of sudden increases in vehicle load, like not adjusting pressure when fully loaded with luggage. Aging tires with poor air retention can also cause issues. In such cases, I recommend immediately deflating to the manual's recommended PSI to avoid high-speed blowout risks, and regularly checking with a digital gauge for added safety.
As someone who drives to work every day, high tire pressure is really a headache. Last time I almost lost control because the pump at the gas station was inaccurate when inflating, and it overinflated the tires. With big temperature changes in hot weather, tire pressure rises as the temperature increases, especially after driving on the highway for a long time. Aging tires with poor airtightness can also be a cause—for example, my old car's tires had uneven leaks in the seams. Increased load, like when the whole family goes on a trip with uneven weight distribution, can also push the pressure higher. For safety, I've made it a habit to check the tire pressure every two weeks when the tires are cold. Buying a reliable gauge and checking it myself is much better than relying on the shop.
