What is the Correct Tire Pressure for my Car?

“What is the Correct Tire Pressure for My Car?” Welcome to Mercie J Auto Care, Where Compassion and Craftsmanship Come Together. I'm Rick Smith, ASE Certified Master Technician. First of all, today I am only talking about tires that are identical or similar to what came on the vehicle new. If the considerable different in size or design, then that’s another topic. Next, the tire pressure on the side of the tire is NOT the recommended pressure. That is the maximum pressure with the maximum weight on the tire. Our cars are almost never loaded down that heavy. The place to look is the sticker in the door jamb. You will notice that the number says cold psi. What that means is during the overnight low with a vehicle that has not been driven. We rarely check tire pressure under that condition though. Toyota has an incredibly accurate and in-depth calculation for setting tire pressure. It’s great, but a little above my pay grade. Nissan has said that their studies show the average car in the service bay is about 4psi above the sticker. So I typically set my tires to 3 or 4 psi above the sticker. At this pressure the car will handle well, ride smooth, wear the tires properly and give good fuel economy.