It is common knowledge that maintaining proper tire inflation pressure results in longer tire life, vehicle safety, improved fuel efficiency, and lower operating costs. So, what happens if a vehicle has uneven tire pressures? And how do you fix it?

When one or more of a vehicle’s tires are over or under-inflated, it affects handling, cornering, and stopping. The tire(s) will also begin to wear quickly, with various parts of the tread scraping away in an irregular pattern. Fortunately, correcting uneven tire pressure is a simple matter of adjusting the tire to the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure.

Signs of Uneven Tire Pressure

If you notice any of the following signs, you should immediately check your tire pressure or take your car to a mechanic to have it checked:

Steering Issues

Uneven tire pressure can delay the steering wheel’s response time, making smooth steering more difficult.

You may also notice that your car is taking longer to turn, swaying into corners, or that its maneuverability feels strange. Accidents that could have been avoided may occur if you cannot steer your car smoothly in a given direction.

Faulty Electronic Systems

Most of your car’s electronic stability control systems are designed to function only when the tires are properly inflated.

If your tires are underinflated, you will notice that systems such as the ABS (anti-lock braking system) will begin to pick up erroneous signals from the tires and cause driving discomfort.

Vibrations and Driving Discomfort

In contrast to properly inflated tires, which will largely absorb the shock, stiffer tires will make you feel even the slightest bump in the road. This is usually the case if you’re driving on overinflated tires.

Your car’s cabin may continually vibrate due to the tire imbalance. The steering wheel will vibrate noticeably if a tire’s prescribed pressure is off by just half an ounce.

Poor Fuel Economy

Unbalanced tires place additional strain on your car’s engine, forcing the engine to labor harder to keep the car moving, resulting in high fuel consumption.

If you notice that you are consuming fuel faster than usual, check your tires. The fuel economy rating of your car was derived under the presumption that you are driving on properly inflated tires.

TPMS Alert

The TPMS system(Tire Pressure Monitoring System) is designed to alert you if one or more of your tires’ pressures are excessively low, creating hazardous driving conditions. The TPMS light is a yellow horseshoe-shaped sign with an exclamation point that sits on your dashboard. If it illuminates, check the pressure in each tire and fix the pressure loss in the affected tires. Visit a tire shop or an auto repair shop if the light does not go out after inspecting the tire pressure.

Uneven Tire Wear

Uneven tire pressure will result in uneven tire wear in all areas of the tread. The center of the tread will be more worn out than the two sides of the tire if it is over-inflated, while the opposite happens if the tire is under-inflated.

Uneven tire wear makes it more likely that a tire blowout may result in an accident. You should run routine visual inspections to ensure your tires are not excessively worn out.

Can I Drive with Uneven Tire Pressure?

Yes! but I don’t recommend driving with uneven tire pressure because the state of your tires would affect your driving. Proper tire inflation evenly distributes the vehicle’s weight across the tire tread, optimizing the dispersion of acceleration, braking, and cornering forces in the tire tread. The tire tread will not be optimized to do its job if the tire pressure is insufficient or too high.

An under-inflated tire will have a slower response than a properly inflated tire. It will also flex more when stopping or cornering, generating excessive heat that will slowly damage the tire.

Since excess air pressure deforms the tire’s shape, an over-inflated tire is more prone to losing traction. The tire will have less contact with the road and be stiffer, causing the car to react more slowly to road hazards such as speed bumps and potholes.

Driving a car with uneven tire pressure is risky. Numerous problems can result in a tire blowout, which can cause you to lose control of your car and endanger you and others on the road.

Most car manufacturers recommend different tire pressures for the front and rear tires.

How To Fix Uneven Tire Pressure?

Following the steps below will help you fix uneven tire pressure:

• Check your vehicle’s driver’s side door jamb for the recommended tire pressure and write it down.
• Let your tires cool down for at least three hours.
• Take the cap off your tire valve.
• Insert your pressure gauge into the valve stem and record the reading.
• Compare your results to the recommended tire pressure.
• If the pressure is too high, use a screwdriver to release the excess air by pressing the metal pin in the center of the valve stem.
• Check the tire pressure again with your gauge and make any necessary adjustments until the tire is properly inflated.
• If the pressure is too low, fill the tire to the recommended pressure with an air compressor.
• Check the tires again and adjust if you overfilled them by mistake.
• Change the valve cap.

Conclusion

Driving with uneven tires is not a good idea, but checking your tire pressure at least once a month can reduce any potential danger while driving.

Simply paying attention to tire pressure balance details can help extend the life of your tires and keep your vehicle in good working order.