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I'm afraid to put air in my tire (1 Viewer)

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herenow1

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Yes, I know I should hang my head in shame, but I've always had this stuff done for me. How do you know if you're putting too much air in a tire. I have a phobia of the tire blowing up. My car is telling me that my front right tire needs air.
 
Your tire should have a recommended tire pressure embossed on the side. Something like "35 PSI."

Most gas stations around here have gauges included that show you the PSI level. Worst case scenario, buy a tire pressure gauge for $10. It's the size of a pen and a handy tool you should keep in your car anyway.
 
On you drivers-side front doorspace, there should be a few stickers that tell you what pressure your tires need to be at. Most likely you'll see a number saying 30-35 tire pressure.

But usually on all air pumps for tires there is a pressure gauge. when you insert the tube into your tire, the little gauge will move out and where it stops is the pressure your tire is. You will want to fill it up until the thing reads 30-35 PSI....whatever your car is

Now if the air pump does not have a pressure gauge... you can buy one rather cheaply at any auto store or super-market. Then you would just give your tire air for about 3-5 seconds at a time, and then check the gauge after each time until it reads whatever the tire pressure your tire needs to be at.
 
herenow1 said:
Yes, I know I should hang my head in shame, but I've always had this stuff done for me. How do you know if you're putting too much air in a tire. I have a phobia of the tire blowing up. My car is telling me that my front right tire needs air.
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There are gas stations that have coin operated air compressors for tire air. Usually they cost $1 and $2 for a few minutes to fill up your tires and there's often a pressure gauge at the end of the hose. You simply unscrew the tire stems caps and push the tire gauge into the open end, then a slide will pop out showing the pressure amount. The proper tire pressures will be printed on the inside of the door when it's open. Typical pressures vary for tire sizes but average 32-34 PSI. After you've gotten a reading, you press the end against the stem until it snaps on with a lever, then squeeze it until the tire begins to fill with air. Periodically, un-attach the hose and check to see how much the tires air pressure is. It's almost impossible to overfill till it explodes, so I wouldn't worry and you can easily let air out by pushing on the open stem end to let air back out, if it overfills.

If you have a hubby, teenage or older son or any male relative, friend or neighbor, they probably are familiar with how to do it.
 
Aside from what everyone else said it's probably really hard to fill a tire to the point where it might explode, though I've never tried it myself. You'll probably shorten the life of the tire and large imbalances in tire pressure can probably cause handling problems but I don't think you have to worry about being blown to bits along with your tire because you've overfilled it.
 
Gaius46 said:
Aside from what everyone else said it's probably really hard to fill a tire to the point where it might explode, though I've never tried it myself. You'll probably shorten the life of the tire and large imbalances in tire pressure can probably cause handling problems but I don't think you have to worry about being blown to bits along with your tire because you've overfilled it.
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Agreed.

While I've heard of blowing up bicycle tires when filling at the gas station (hell, I've done it to myself when I was a teen), I've never heard of blowing up a car tire at the gas station. Car tires are pretty hardy when it comes to air pressure. Certainly more than what a gas station air compressor can put out, unless, of course, the tire is seriously damaged (so much so you shouldn't be driving on it anyway).

Most certainly the best thing to do is to measure the PSI with a tire gauge, as some have recommend here. A must have for the glove box, essential equipment, IMHO.
 
herenow1 said:
Yes, I know I should hang my head in shame, but I've always had this stuff done for me. How do you know if you're putting too much air in a tire. I have a phobia of the tire blowing up. My car is telling me that my front right tire needs air.
Click to expand...

Buy a tire gauge. You can pick one up in any auto supplier, discount store which sells oil etc, and probably lots of convenience stores/gas stations. They are easy to use, and it's cool to be a woman who isn't completely helpless when it comes to simple automobile maintenance.
 


YouTube, the answer to every question in the universe!
 
herenow1 said:
Yes, I know I should hang my head in shame, but I've always had this stuff done for me. How do you know if you're putting too much air in a tire. I have a phobia of the tire blowing up. My car is telling me that my front right tire needs air.
Click to expand...

Well first of all, your tire will tell you how much PSI it can take and second the air compressor has a gauge on it that tells you what your PSI level is at.... So if you're only at 30 PSI and the gauge tells you that but your tire says 45 PSI, then keep pumping in the air until the air meter tells you you're at 45 and bingo! done.
 
Now just out of curiosity, i wonder how much psi it would take to blow up a tire with a 45 psi???? 80 or 90???
 
In most passenger cars, 32psi is fine, it's a good average figure that works for most of them. At the gas station, the filler ought to have a gauge attached, just fill to 32psi and your light will go off.
 
I heard a story once a long time ago about it happening. I ended up going g to discount tires and they did it. Thanks though...for next time;)
 
herenow1 said:
I heard a story once a long time ago about it happening. I ended up going g to discount tires and they did it. Thanks though...for next time;)
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Why? why not learn yourself? it will happen again and when it happens you will know how to do it...

Relying on someone else to put air in ones tires is a bit foolish and perhaps "diva-ish."

Of course there will always be someone around to lend a hand but that doesn't mean you shouldn't learn to do it yourself.
 
herenow1 said:
Yes, I know I should hang my head in shame, but I've always had this stuff done for me. How do you know if you're putting too much air in a tire. I have a phobia of the tire blowing up. My car is telling me that my front right tire needs air.
Click to expand...

i have one of these :

$(KGrHqVHJF!FG4TPdjgCBRuM+j88ew~~60_35.JPG

works great.
 
herenow1 said:
Yes, I know I should hang my head in shame, but I've always had this stuff done for me. How do you know if you're putting too much air in a tire. I have a phobia of the tire blowing up. My car is telling me that my front right tire needs air.
Click to expand...

If I can do it for my sister's car you can do it for your own car (I'm 15 XD)
 
herenow1 said:
Yes, I know I should hang my head in shame, but I've always had this stuff done for me. How do you know if you're putting too much air in a tire. I have a phobia of the tire blowing up. My car is telling me that my front right tire needs air.
Click to expand...

I agree with many who've already posted here - I don't think it's at all possible to over inflate a car tire, to the extent it would explode, using a gas station air compressor and hose. Imagine the lawsuits, particularly in the US. There are millions of brain dead people out there and if it was possible, you'd hear about several thousand flying through the air almost daily.

Anecdotally, I've often noticed that when the pressure in your tire starts to get too high, the air hose will, under the increased pressure, push itself off your tire.

Be brave - strike out for women's liberation and independence!!
 
Cephus said:
I've got an 80-gallon compressor that I use in my shop, it's hooked up to a couple of pull-down reels in the ceiling and one will reach out into the driveway if I need it to, but I also have a small pancake compressor that is much easier to use for filling tires and it's portable too.
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Yeah, I have a small one on wheels .... that's real handy.... I was just waving it around "who's the biggest__________________"

You won with one more reel and more hose !
:2razz:

Have a nice eve C

Thom Paine
 
Mr.Nick said:
What do you do? set PSI and then hook it up to the tire until the tire is full?

What does it run on? batteries? electric? cigarette lighter port?
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it runs off of the accessory port. has an onboard pressure meter, which seems to be somewhat accurate. i use it for the bike, and keep it in the Mini, which has run flats and no spare.
 
Thom Paine said:
Oh yeahh, Well mine's bigger! :lamo


http://www.isconline.com/assets/Ima...rtical-Air-Compressor-60gallon-ILA3606056.jpgView attachment 67174148
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I have this cool generator/air compressor that runs on gas... It's petty old and from the 70's or early 80's. I just bought it because I thought it was cool and only cost me 25 bucks and actually works.... Despite the fact the thing was heavy has hell for 25 bucks it was a steal..... I think someone made it in their garage or whatever in the late 70's or early 80's but for all I know it could be a cold war generator for a bunker or something..

I've used it, I have had to replace a few parts but it works fine now... I'll post pictures later - it looks goofy like something "Dr. Brown" from Back to The Future" would build.
 
Thom Paine said:
Yeah, I have a small one on wheels .... that's real handy.... I was just waving it around "who's the biggest__________________"

You won with one more reel and more hose !
Click to expand...

Nah, it's not a competition. With the really big ones, you have to have them bolted down to the concrete or they fall over so they're not remotely portable. That's why I have the smaller one. I think the one earlier in the thread was battery operated, or at least I've seen some like that so you can put it in your trunk and take it with you.
 
Helix said:
it runs off of the accessory port. has an onboard pressure meter, which seems to be somewhat accurate. i use it for the bike, and keep it in the Mini, which has run flats and no spare.
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No I take the nozzle at the air compressor every gas station has - put the head of the nozzle on my tire (which also have tire pressure meters) and fill my tire up to the manufacturers suggestion..

Yeah here in Illinois or "Chicagoland area" gas stations have PSI meters on the air hoses.

Even if they didn't I have a PSI meter in my glove box anyways.

Besides, I drive a work van so I have air compressors in the back that are charged enough to inflate a tire.
 
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