32, 36, 34, 35

That's the average for my car but my problem is the 32 reading. That tire always goes from 30-32. I took it to the dealership for air and ever since then my gauge reads that. Is that normal?
2012 With 3100 miles.

 

sounds like you need to put a little more air in that tire. its normal for them to fluctuate slightly depending on temperature but they should all be around the same as each other

 

On the drivers door jam the tag will tell you what to use, i think it is 35psi, i have nitrogen in mine and it goes between oil changes with out adding anything to it. The dealer will add some when they do the oil chg but i have not done anything to the tires myself since i had the car, 20,000 miles on it now.

 

Temperature affects tire pressure a lot so try to set/check pressure when the weather is coldest and the car has been sitting at least 3 hours. First thing in the morning is a good time. It's normal for the pressure to rise on a hot day if you set them on a cold day and when driving above 40 or 50 MPH. Or use nitrogen and they won't fluctuate.

 

Please tell me which physical property of Nitrogen accounts for this behavior.

 

Are you meaning that each of your tires reads a different PSI? It is extremely important that the two front tires on a FWD vehicle read exactly the same PSI, and fairly important that the two rear tires on a FWD vehicle read the same PSI. I can list the reasons here if you ask.

The PSI posted in these Maximas by Nissan suggests 33 PSI. For my type of driving, I have found that I get the best handling, longest life and most even tire wear with either 36 or 37 in the front tires and 35 in the rear tires. That is because I do a tremendous amount of turning. If I did mostly freeway or highway driving, I would try 35 PSI in front and 33 or 34 in the rear.

The PSI will read higher in warm weather and/or after the car has been driven far enough to warm the tires. One thing to remember is that when the temperature takes a sudden drop with the first cold wave of late fall, the PSI readings in all four tires will suddenly drop by several degrees. That often sets off the TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) alert.

But any rise or fall in PSI due to heat or cooling should be the same on all four tires. If it isn't, you may have a slow leak in either a tire or in its TPMS valve stem.

I measure the tread depth in each groove across the face of each tire every three months. If the tires are wearing faster in the middle, I let out a pound or two of air. If they are wearing faster on the edges, I add a pound or two of air. I still have almost half the tread left at 32,000 miles on my OEM RS-As, and they are wearing very evenly.

 

What are the effects of using pure nitrogen to inflate tires?

Nitrogen is a gas and is still affected by changes in ambient temperature (about one psi for every 10° Fahrenheit). Nitrogen filled tires will require pressure be added during the fall/winter months as ambient temperatures and tire pressures drop. Nitrogen is good but can't change the laws of physics.

Nitrogen reduces the loss of tire pressure due to permeation through rubber over time by about 1/3. This helps maintain the vehicle's required tire pressures a little longer, but doesn’t eliminate the need for monthly tire pressure checks. This is good for people who don’t maintain their vehicles well.

Nitrogen is non-corrosive and will reduce oxidation and rust due to the absence of oxygen and moisture. This will help minimize wheel corrosion to promote better bead sealing. Tires that are used routinely will be replaced long before any life benefit would be received by using Nitrogen. This is most beneficial for drivers who drive their vehicles infrequently (car collectors, track drivers, snow tire users, motor home owners, etc).

Nitrogen is a dry gas and will not support moisture that could contribute to corrosion of the tire’s steel components (bead, sidewall reinforcement and belts) due to the absence of moisture over extended periods of time. However it’s important to remember that atmospheric pressure is constantly pushing oxygen and moisture into the rubber from the outside of the tire. This is especially good for low mileage drivers who don't wear out their tires quickly or those that run average annual mileages but use long wearing radial (60K and 80K warranted) tires.

Nitrogen assures more consistent pressure increases due to increases in operating temperatures in a racing environment because of the absence of moisture. This is especially good for participants in track days, high-performance drivers education schools and road racing.

Drivers should use standard air if pressure adjustments are required when a local source of nitrogen can’t be found during a trip. While this reduces the benefit of higher nitrogen content, it is far better than running the tires underinflated in search of a source. Often the original nitrogen provider will refill the tires for free or a nominal cost when the driver returns to his hometown.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...jsp?techid=191

 

Car Addict - That was the best treatise on the positives and negatives of using nitrogen that I have seen. I would not disagree with anything in that explanation.

I have considered using nitrogen for over a decade, but every time I look into the use of nitrogen, I find that, FOR MY SITUATION, the disadvantages far outweigh any benefits.

If I had a vehicle which spent most of the time just sitting in place, or that would take eight or more years to wear thru the tread of the tires I am using, or that was often being used on tracks, or that was not being very well maintained, I would opt for nitrogen.

But I have none of those situations, and am constantly checking my psi (which, as the article said, must still be done, even if the tires are filled with nitrogen). I make frequent little adjustments in psi in order to keep my tires wearing evenly and my handling at optimum level, and use my air compressor in my garage when adding air. Also, I live sort of out in the country with no nitrogen outlets at the half dozen or so service stations nearest me.

So nitrogen would be a very poor choice for me.

But my sister (an artist), who lives in a large city (Greensboro NC), has zero mechanical aptitude, never checks her psi, and drives very low miles on high mileage Michelins which should last her eight to ten years. I strongly recommended nitrogen for her.