When you own your own vehicle, there are a number of checks that you will regularly need to do to ensure that your car is safe to drive. This will include things such as checking the oil, checking the water, and also checking the tire pressure.
With the correct tools, these tasks are nice and simple. But if you do not have the tools for the job, it can suddenly become a lot trickier.
When it comes to checking your tire pressure, it is recommended that you use a gauge for the job. However, it is incredibly easy to misplace your tire gauge, and this might have you wondering how to check tire pressure without a gauge.
In this guide, we’ll be taking a look at a couple of different methods that you can use to allow you to check your tire pressure without having a gauge to hand. So if you want to find out more, keep on reading!
Can You Check Tire Pressure Without A Gauge?
First things first, let’s quickly establish whether, or not, it is possible to check your tire pressure without using a gauge.
While checking tire pressure using a gauge will always be the easiest way to do this, thankfully, it is possible to check your tire pressure without using a gauge.
Checking your tire pressure without a gauge will not provide results as accurate as if you were using a gauge, nor will it be as easy.
But if you are simply doing a quick spot check, or you find yourself desperately having to check your tire pressure as it seems low, then doing so without a gauge is perfectly okay.
There are actually quite a few different ways that you can check your tire pressure without using a gauge. These methods are super important to learn, just in case you find yourself stuck without a gauge suspecting that your tire pressure is low.
So with no further ado, let’s take a look at how to do this.
How To Check Tire Pressure Without Gauge
As we mentioned earlier, there are a couple of different methods that you can use to check tire pressure without using a gauge. So with no further ado, let’s take a look at them one by one.
Use Your Eyes
If you suspect that your tire pressure is low while you are driving, then the first method that we would recommend is to use your eyes and look at your tires (see also ‘Can You Drive With A Nail In Your Tire?‘).
Once you have been driving for a while, you will be able to notice if something is off about your vehicle simply by the feel of it. Likewise, you will be able to notice if something is off about your tires by looking at them.
Park your vehicle on a flat surface and walk away. From a distance, watch your tires, starting at the front and then working backwards.
Look at your vehicle from both sides, and watch for any lumps or bumps in your tires. If there is any protrusion, then this is a sign that your tire pressure is low.
Use Your Hands
If using your eyes isn’t working for you, then you can also check your tire pressure using your hands. We love both of these methods because they do not require any external tools. All you need for these methods is yourself and your car.
To check your tire pressure using your hands, you should push your hand down on top of your tire. If you meet a lot of resistance, and find that you are unable to push the tire down at all, then your tire is likely overinflated.
Likewise, if you can push down a lot, and find that your tire is incredibly squishy, then it is likely that your tire pressure is low.
The great thing about this method is that it makes resolving the issue super easy. Simply let out some air if your tire feels over-inflated, and add some air if your tire feels low. Then you’re good to go!
Check The PSI
The final method for checking your tire pressure involves checking the PSI of your tires. The PSI stands for pound force for every square inch, and it basically represents how low your PSI should be in order to operate efficiently and safely.
You will usually be able to find the PSI on the inside of the side door on the driver’s side, or in the vehicle’s manual.
With the PSI for your car in hand, you can then check the PSI that your tires are currently at. You will easily be able to do this at most garages. If the PSI of your tires is lower than the PSI outlined in the vehicle’s manual, then your tire pressure is probably low.
Can You Drive With Low Tire Pressure?
Now that we have taken a look at how to check your tire pressure without a gauge, you might be wondering what to do if your tire pressure is low.
After all, if you find this, you will need to add air to your tires, and often this will involve driving to somewhere that has the required equipment.
If your tire pressure is only slightly low, then it is usually safe to drive your vehicle to a garage. That being said, you should keep the drive as short as possible and head to your closest garage, even if it isn’t the garage that you would typically use.
However, if your tire pressure is incredibly low then you shouldn’t do this. Low tire pressure seriously increases the risk of tire failure and this can be incredibly dangerous.
In this scenario, you should either swap your tire for the spare or call out a mechanic to inflate your tire pressure before you drive anywhere.
Summary
In short, there are quite a few ways that you can check your tire pressure without using a gauge. We have taken a look at some of the best methods for this in this guide.
Thank you for reading!