AhaBulbStuff Everyone Should Know
AhaBulb: Stuff Everyone Should Know · ahabulb.com/tires

How much air goes in your tires?

Not the number on the tire. That's the maximum. Yours is on the sticker in the driver's door jamb.

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The Just Right card

Too littleSquishy tires, worn edges, wasted gas
Too muchPumped to the sidewall max, worn center, less grip
Just rightDoor sticker number, checked cold, once a month

Huh, didn't know that: Tires lose about 1 PSI for every 10°F drop, and the tire light doesn't come on until you're about 25% low.

The dad joke
I told my tires to stop being so dramatic. They said they're under a lot of pressure.
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AhaBulb card: How much air goes in your tires?

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References

Answer: The number on the sticker in the driver's door jamb. The number on the tire is the maximum it can hold. Your carmaker's number is on the door jamb sticker. Check it cold, once a month.

  1. NHTSA summer driving tire guidance www.nhtsa.gov/summer-driving-tips
    Do not inflate your tires to the pressure listed on the tire itself
    Checked 2026-10-09.
  2. NHTSA TireWise pressure guidance www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle-safety/tires
    Newer vehicles have Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems, but these only activate a warning when a tire is significantly underinflated.
    Checked 2026-10-09.
  3. Michelin cold weather tire pressure guidance www.michelinman.com/auto/auto-tips-and-advice/winter-driving/prepare-car-winter
    On average, tires lose about 1 PSI for every 10°F drop in temperature.
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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That's stuff everyone should know.