How to check tire pressure and tread
Check tire pressure once a month with the tires cold, using a gauge and the number on the sticker inside the driver's door, not the maximum printed on the tire. Then check tread depth with a gauge or the wear bars molded into the grooves. Five minutes at a gas station air pump covers all four tires and the spare.
About 10 minutes to learnEveryday skill
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How to do it
- Look up the pressure your car needs on the placard in the driver's door jamb or in the owner's manual; front and rear can differ.
- Check in the morning or after the car has sat for three hours, because driving warms the air and raises the reading.
- Unscrew the valve cap, press the gauge straight onto the valve stem, and read the number.
- Add air in short bursts and recheck until you reach the sticker number; press the valve pin briefly to let air out if you overshoot.
- Put every valve cap back on, then check the spare the same way.
- Push a tread depth gauge into the shallowest groove across the tire, or look for wear bars sitting flush with the tread.
- Look along each sidewall for bulges, cuts or cracks, and across the tread for nails or uneven wear.
Common mistakes
- Filling to the maximum pressure printed on the sidewall, which is a limit, not the target.
- Checking right after a long drive and letting air out of warm tires.
- Trusting the dashboard warning light alone; it often comes on only when a tire is well under.
- Forgetting the spare until the day you need it.
Quick self-check
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Teach: How to check tire pressure and tread
What to say
Check tire pressure once a month with the tires cold, using a gauge and the number on the sticker inside the driver's door, not the maximum printed on the tire. Then check tread depth with a gauge or the wear bars molded into the grooves. Five minutes at a gas station air pump covers all four tires and the spare.
What to show, in order
- Look up the pressure your car needs on the placard in the driver's door jamb or in the owner's manual; front and rear can differ.
- Check in the morning or after the car has sat for three hours, because driving warms the air and raises the reading.
- Unscrew the valve cap, press the gauge straight onto the valve stem, and read the number.
- Add air in short bursts and recheck until you reach the sticker number; press the valve pin briefly to let air out if you overshoot.
- Put every valve cap back on, then check the spare the same way.
- Push a tread depth gauge into the shallowest groove across the tire, or look for wear bars sitting flush with the tread.
- Look along each sidewall for bulges, cuts or cracks, and across the tread for nails or uneven wear.
The check question
Ask: Which pressure should you fill to?
Related skills
- How to change a flat tire
- What dashboard warning lights mean
- What to keep in your car emergency kit
- Every skill in Car and Road
Words on this page
Sources
- Your vehicle's owner's manual, for your model year. Checked September 28, 2026.
- National tire safety guidance for drivers, current edition. Checked September 28, 2026.
Last reviewed . First published .