Your gauge makes the decision
- Get your car's pressure from the door-pillar sticker or the owner's guide. The number on the tire sidewall isn't it.
- Check each tire with your own gauge, then add air from the station hose in short bursts and recheck as you go.
- Already driven there? If a tire reads low even warm, add air to 0.3 bar (4.35 PSI) over the sticker number, then recheck once it's cold.
- Never let air out of a warm tire.
You're at the air pump, and it has its own pressure display. We'd still take every reading with your own gauge and use the station only for the air, because pump gauges aren't always calibrated and can give inconsistent readings.
A simple dial or digital gauge from an auto parts store does the job. Check the tire with it, inflate from the station hose, then check again with your gauge to confirm. If you don't have a gauge, have a professional check the pressure.
Find the number for your vehicle
Your target pressure comes from the car's maker, not the tire. Look for a sticker on the driver's door pillar or on the back of the fuel filler flap, or check the owner's guide, which is generally kept in the glove compartment.
On Chevrolets, the Tire Information Label on the inside of the doorframe lists the recommended cold tire pressure. Skip the tire sidewall when you're looking for your target, because the recommended pressure isn't printed there. You can use our guide to read your doorframe label and check every tire.
Gauges read in bars or PSI, so match the unit to your sticker before you compare. If the sticker's missing or hard to read, check the owner's guide for the recommended pressure.
Let the tires cool before the final adjustment
Driving heats the air inside a tire and raises the pressure, and the number on your sticker is a cold pressure. A reading taken right after a drive isn't directly comparable.
Check before driving or after the car has sat for at least three hours. We'd use three hours because it covers the two-to-three-hour cold-tire wait in tire guidance and the three-hour wait in vehicle guidance. A drive of less than a mile at low speed still counts as cold.
Take a reading before adding air
Unscrew the valve cap and press your gauge firmly onto the valve stem. Read the number and compare it with your sticker. Now you know whether this tire needs air, is already right, or (if it's cold) has too much.
Go by the gauge, not your eyes. Tires can look fine even when they're low.
While you're down by each wheel, look for anything stuck in the tread. If you find something, have a tire shop look at it soon, because it can work deeper into the tire and cause air loss. Tell them the gauge reading and what you found.
If you've already driven to the station
You can still check warm tires. If a tire reads below the sticker number even while it's warm, it's clearly low, so add air now.
Don't fill a warm tire to just the sticker number, though. The air contracts as it cools, and the tire ends up underinflated.
For a warm tire, add 0.3 bar (4.35 PSI) to the manufacturer's recommended pressure. That 4.35 PSI goes on top of the sticker figure, not on top of whatever your gauge reads right now.
Once the tires are cold, check again and readjust. A warm top-up gets a low tire back in range, but it isn't a reliable baseline for a precise setting.
Connect the hose and fill in short bursts
Getting the number right matters. A tire driven underinflated builds up excessive heat that can weaken it to the point of failure, and a tire that deflates rapidly at high speed can cause loss of control. Overinflation brings uneven wear, a harsh ride and hazardous handling, especially on wet roads, while incorrect pressure can cause premature wear and raise fuel consumption.
- Press the station inflator's mouthpiece onto the valve. If it won't stay seated, remove it and press it on again. If it still won't seat, have the pressure checked by a tire professional.
- If the tire needs air, add a short burst, then take the mouthpiece off and check with your own gauge. If the reading hasn't risen, reseat the mouthpiece and try one more burst. If it still won't rise, stop and have a tire professional check it.
- Keep going in short bursts until your gauge shows the target for this tire, either the sticker number or the warm-tire figure, then stop. If a cold reading goes too high, press the small pin in the valve stem to release air. If the tire is warm, wait for a cold reading before letting air out.
If the tire reaches the target but loses pressure on a repeat check, stop filling it and have a tire professional inspect it. Tell them the readings and whether you found anything in the tread.
If the pump display and your gauge disagree, go with your gauge.
When the reading is too high
If a cold tire reads too high, press the small pin in the center of the valve stem to let air out. Recheck with your gauge and repeat until you're at the recommended pressure.
Set the pressure cold and then see a higher number after a drive? That's normal heat expansion, not overinflation. Let the tire cool and check again, and the reading will be back at the right level.
Confirm the result and replace the caps
Give each tire one last check with your own gauge. A cold reading at the sticker number means that tire is done. If you topped up while warm, it still needs that cold check later.
Screw the valve caps back on. The cap keeps dust from clogging the valve and helps it seal, so use good-quality caps.
How often to check your tires
Aim for once a month, plus before a long trip. Tires slowly lose air every month, so a set that was right last time can drift low.
Do the monthly check cold, and keep up that routine in fall and early winter, when falling temperatures pull the pressure down.
If the tire pressure light came on
A warning light is a good reason to stop at the pump, but it isn't a gauge. On Chevrolet vehicles, the system warns you when a tire is 25 percent or more below the recommended cold pressure, so a tire can be low without setting it off.
On a Chevrolet, a solid light with a Check Tire Pressure, Low Tire Pressure or Add Air To Tire message means you should check and adjust all the tires to the recommended pressure, then drive so the light turns off. A yellow light that blinks for more than a minute and then stays solid means the system needs diagnostic service. Until it's fixed, it can't warn you about a low tire.
If that happens on a Chevrolet, you can bring it to Certified Service (opens in a new tab) for help. On other cars, our guide on why a tire pressure light comes on explains what the warning can mean.
Check the tread for uneven wear
While you're at each tire, look at how the tread is wearing. Irregular wear patterns may mean the car needs adjustment or repair, and wrong pressure in either direction can cause uneven wear.
If you see wear like that, talk to a service advisor. Nissan owners can book a complimentary tire inspection (opens in a new tab) at a Nissan dealer.
Common questions at the air pump
Can I top up nitrogen-filled tires with regular air?
In most cases, yes. Most tires can be inflated with air or nitrogen as long as you stick to the car maker's recommended pressure, and the two mix fine when you're adding pressure.
What's the hiss when I connect the hose?
That's air escaping from the tire. It shouldn't seriously affect the pressure, so go by your gauge reading.
Why are my tires low when the weather turns cold?
Air contracts as it cools, so tires can lose pressure in cold weather. Chevrolet's rule of thumb is about 1 psi of change for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit, lower as it gets colder and higher as it warms up.
Do I need to check the spare?
Yes, if your car has one. Tires naturally lose air, and Nissan and Chevrolet both include the spare in every check.
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