What Causes High Tire Pressure?
2 Answers
Tire pressure can be high due to the following reasons: 1. Over-inflation of the tire; 2. Hot weather causing gas expansion, leading to high tire pressure; 3. Prolonged driving generating heat through friction, resulting in increased tire pressure. The hazards of excessive tire pressure include: 1. Reduced friction and adhesion of the tire, affecting braking performance and shortening tire lifespan; 2. Increased susceptibility to punctures and higher risk of tire blowouts; 3. Accelerated wear of the central tread pattern, further reducing tire lifespan; 4. Excessive stretching and deformation of tire cords, decreasing tire elasticity and increasing the load on the vehicle during driving; 5. Greater vulnerability to punctures from sharp objects like nails or glass on the road, potentially causing internal cracks or blowouts upon impact.
I've been driving for over a decade and have encountered high tire pressure several times. The most common situation is overinflation when filling air, especially at gas stations with free air pumps where it's easy to exceed the limit if you don't watch the gauge carefully. Another frequent occurrence is during summer when temperatures soar - leaving the car parked in direct sunlight for two hours can cause tire pressure to rise rapidly. Mechanics sometimes take shortcuts during tire changes too, inflating new tires to old specifications even when the new tires require different pressures. Long highway trips are silent culprits as well - after two hours of driving, you can feel the tires burning hot when braking, causing immediate pressure spikes. I've learned this the hard way - excessive pressure wore my tire treads flat in the center and made the suspension as stiff as a cart. Now I've wised up - I keep a tire pressure gauge in my car, checking twice a month and adjusting to the recommended cold pressure values listed on the door jamb sticker.
