Low tire pressure?

[GinaC]

I know AK is not VT, I used to be at Blue Seal grain in Jay and go to Jay peak every week... I have it way better in the winter now.

That's debatable if you love to ski as much as I do. Jay Peak is my winter haunt.

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[BRuby]

Yeah would not worry too much about your tire pressure dropping in cold temps. It is normal and will go back up once your tires heat up from driving. Since yours did - you should be ok. We leave ours at 30 with the low tire dash display icon lit up 24/7 since we like 30 cold. Allows the perfect contact patch for even tire wear and better wet grip. So does not bother us at all.

To get rid of it - just inflate to 37 and drive a bit and it will go away. Or buy a device to make the icon not illuminate. For skiing - Jay Peak looks like a nice resort.

We got back from a resort we like to visit. Conditions were fantastic but only a few chairs were open early season.

 

[Terrymo]

This was a good question and I learned something. I was going to suggest you crochet tire cozies, but decided that was childish so I won’t do that. Living on the west coast I didn’t know there could that much variance in tire pressure in cold temps…maybe I’m the one Kracka was referring to about not paying attention.

 

[Gangplank]

Actually normal. Even here in FL every once in a while we’ll get a cold (ok, cooler) morning and the tire sensors in my wife’s Rubicon will yell at her to inflate to 37. It doesn’t seem to happen as often in my Willys for some reason.

 

[Skeethree]

Hello all, since this is the first winter I've not been able to use my garage, I'm wondering what's going on.

The other evening I went out and it was -4 outside. My tire pressure lights came on, and they were at 20. About ten minutes into the trip they were at 30. I have the stock 33 mud tires that came with my Willys.

This evening it's 24 degrees and they're now at 31. The dash is telling me to inflate them to 37.

Is this normal, and should I inflate them to 37 tomorrow? Am I going to damage something riding around like this?

I have a Sport that I keep in Tinmouth, VT. Usually the first really colder fall day activates the low tire warning, and I then just fill the tires to 37 and typically don't have to touch them until the next fall. You shouldn't see more than a few PSI variation between hot and cold tire pressure, not enough to activate the low TPMS.

 

[SoK66]

The atmosphere is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1% everything else, which includes the devil's own "heat trapping greenhouse gasses"; carbon dioxide, methane, etc.

By volume the largest of the components within the 1% is H20, water vapor. Water vapor expands and contracts with temp changes. That's what causes the pressure fluctuations you see with TPMS. A 100% nitrogen tire fill will cure the fluctuations, but you'll pay stupid money to replace the water vapor in your tires.

 

[FF5Cobra]

You could always replace the air in your tires with nitrogen instead.
being an inert gas with no moisture in it. Pressure will never change regardless of
temp.
many new cars come that way . Tell tale sign is green filler cap.
tire psi will remain more constant

 

[Wbino]

The lady asked a general question and some of you just couldn't resist being smartasses.
As a smartass I know one when I see one.....

 

[au176]

I wouldn't necessarily put 37 lbs in your tires. The higher the pressure, the smaller your contact patch will be, thus reducing traction, especially in snow.

 

[roaniecowpony]

My target pressure is always the "normal operating" pressure.

If I decide that, say 30 psi is where I determined is where the vehicle handles best, wears best, mpg compromise, (or a chalk test is best), etc., that is the target pressure for "normal operation". If the testing showed me 30 psi is what works best all around, I want that pressure when driving all the time. Not cold.

So, most of the time, that's pretty easy around socal in the summer months. I can put ~27 psi in them "cold" and expect about 30-31 psi on the highway, once warmed up. In the socal winter (), I can see maybe 4-5 psi gain from a cold (ha!) morning to freeway hot, maybe more. So, it's pretty predicable with predicable weather and a predicable trip. I just set the pressures about 4-5 psi lower than the target pressure and I'm usually pretty close.

But, since I'm retired, I often go weeks driving just a couple miles and back on surface streets. During that time, pressures will only rise 1-2 psi on the trip. So, my cold pressure has to be raised when I'm in that routine to get the average "normal operating" pressure reasonably close to my tested target pressure. Otherwise, I'm driving most of the time around town at 25-26 psi and the handling feels squirmy.

 

[Sportacus]

Call the local dealer and ask if they have nitrogen package they can sell you.




I kid i kid.

 

[Sportacus]

Someone didn't pay attention in high school...

Welcome to Murica!

 

[GinaC]

So I did go fill them up to 37 today.

What a PITA. I had to visit three gas stations to find one that had a digital reading, and it cost $1.50 for 4 minutes. And of course the hose wasn't long enough to do all four tires. And it read my phone and took the first Google Pay payment, then stopped working. Then the woman came out and said it only took quarters, so I had to go inside to get change. (And she ignored me when I said it just processed a payment on my phone but now it won't do another. That lazy witch just didn't want to approve the second purchase.)

I didn't try the other side of town with the newer gas stations, so next time I may have better luck there. If it hadn't been Sunday I wouldn't just stopped at the dealership since they've been so good to me so far.

The driver side now reads 36 and the passenger side 37. I'm guessing this isn't an issue.

And my new 2026 is in production now! \o/ The dealership says ship date of 12/15, and the pizza tracker says delivery 1/20. I'm hoping that the delivery date is as accurate as it was in 2024 (about a month overshot).

 

[roaniecowpony]

Most costco stores have a free air station in the parking lot near the tire garage. No entry to the store so no membership required.

 

[3TV]

So I did go fill them up to 37 today.

What a PITA. I had to visit three gas stations to find one that had a digital reading, and it cost $1.50 for 4 minutes. And of course the hose wasn't long enough to do all four tires. And it read my phone and took the first Google Pay payment, then stopped working. Then the woman came out and said it only took quarters, so I had to go inside to get change. (And she ignored me when I said it just processed a payment on my phone but now it won't do another. That lazy witch just didn't want to approve the second purchase.)

I didn't try the other side of town with the newer gas stations, so next time I may have better luck there. If it hadn't been Sunday I wouldn't just stopped at the dealership since they've been so good to me so far.

The driver side now reads 36 and the passenger side 37. I'm guessing this isn't an issue.

And my new 2026 is in production now! \o/ The dealership says ship date of 12/15, and the pizza tracker says delivery 1/20. I'm hoping that the delivery date is as accurate as it was in 2024 (about a month overshot).

Might be a good case for buying a small VIAIR compressor of your own.

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