I am no expert on the mechanics of a car, but my 2010 Fit had the low tire pressure light come on the day after I bought it! I did what I was taught to do. I looked at the PSI recommendation on the tires and filled them all up to that number with my tire inflator. Well, it says 51 PSI on the tires, but the other day I saw a sticker on the door that says to inflate to 33 PSI. So, my tires have been at 50 PSI for 2 weeks now. Is that bad? Anyone know what my tires should be inflated to? They also had Nitrogen in them, but obviously they now have regular air also.

 

Regular air is mostly nitrogen anyway. Unless you deal with extreme conditions (by extreme, I mean indy car driving condition, landing/flying a plane, etc) N is just a ripoff.

The 50 PSI is the maximum pressure the tires can withstand before being damaged. The number on the door sill is correct (33 psi). That said, many people prefer to run slightly over (35-37 psi). 50 is way too high though. You'll lose grip because the tire swells.

As a side note, you should check tire pressure more often. The light on the dash goes on at ~25 psi, which is way too low. Monthly or so is a good idea.

 

check your door jam on the driver side, there is a sticker that shows you what pressure to use.

on my GE Fits i use anywhere from 33-35psi cold. i use higher pressure in the fall as temps drop and so does pressure inside the tire. i like to use a tad higher pressure than recommended as the recommendation by Honda is more gear towards comfort.

1psi change per 10F ambient temperature change.

measure your tires in the morning while they are cold.

 

Are you positive that it is really the low tire pressure indicator and not the TPMS indicator. The reason I ask is because I had a very similar experience when I purchased my 2012 Fit. If the proper PDI procedure is not followed, then the light will come on after about 20 miles. The procedure calls for lowering the tire pressure at least 3 PSI within 15 seconds. In my case, after the light went on, I checked my tire pressures and they were a little over 50 PSI. After lowering the tire pressure quickly myself to 33 PSI, the light went off shortly after starting my car the next trip. Here's a link to the PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection). In my case, I called my dealer and got a free oil change because of it.

 

For us it depends on driving style and road condition. Bumpy roads = less pressure but watch out for potholes that can damage tires and keep the speeds down. Smooth=37lbs. for enhanced flickability, eaiser rolling and a all around stable feeling at the wheel.

 

The tire pressure inscribed in the side of the tire is the MAXIMUM inflation for the tire to carry the maximum amount of weight which is also inscribed on the tire.

Use the inflation shown on your door sticker. This value is the amount of air required to carry the weight of that specific vehicle.

Note: This is COLD inflation air pressure should be checked after the car has been parked of 3 to 6 hours. Your best bet is to check it after sitting overnight. If you check it after driving, the pressure will read higher due to warmer tires and the warmer air inside.

 

The recommended tire pressure from the manufacturer for a 2012 Fit is 33 PSI.

This is the optimal tire pressure that provides a balance between safety of operation, performance and durability of parts namely your suspension components. Your tires will last longer at 33 PSI. So will your shocks.

As well your tires are balanced at the recommended pressure. When you significantly raise the tire pressure above 33 PSI your tires can become out of balance and cause vibrations you can feel.

Having said this...

There are a number of very valid reasons for running 35-40PSI.

1- Lower rolling resistance = better fuel economy.

2- Better performance.

Running anything above 40 PSI in my opinion is foolish.

I check my pressure ever two weeks when I fill up my car with gas.

Tip #1

When you purchase a pressure gauge make sure it is the right one for your tires. A tire gauge that is rated 0-40 PSI is NOT the right one. A tire gauge that is rated 0-120 PSI is no good either. Aim for one that is rated 0-60 PSI.

You should purchase a tire gauge where your target PSI is roughly halfway on the gauge rating. This is to ensure the best possible reading.

Pressure gauges that are rated 0-120 are almost always +/- 5 PSI in error. They are meant for heavy trucks and cost a lot more.

Tip #2

In the Winter time when you go to get your car serviced the ambient temperature in the service bay is roughly 65 F or 18C. The mechanic is going to fill the tires to 33PSI.

When you leave the dealership and go outside in lets say 20 F or -5C your tires will now be under inflated by 5 PSI. Because of the colder air your tire pressure will have dropped by 5 PSI. Every bump or drop of 10F or 5C will affect your tire pressure by 1 PSI.

Tip #3

Honda dealerships generally have a calibration machine by which the Technicians can verify if their pressure gauges are accurate.

You can take your pressure gauge in and see if it is reading correctly and if not at least you know just how many PSI it is off.

Tip #4

Nitrogen in your tires: I think it is a waste of money but Popular Mechanics disagrees. Article below.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars...stions/4302788

 

As it happens this morning I tested the tire pressures in my 2 week old Fit for the first time, as I thought they were soft. They were...all 4 about 27psi straight from the dealer. Even though the door jam said 32 or maybe 33 psi, I inflated all to about 36.

It's been recommended to run a bit on the high side for decades, for 2 reasons I can think of: 1 is decreased rolling resistence and therefor slightly better fuel economy. 2 is by slightly overinflating, if checking them becomes an infrequent event, it's that much more cushion before your tires get dangerously low.

More general info: Running low causes tires to heat up more from the increased flexing wth each revolution...in extreme cases in hot weather this can increase the danger of a blowout. Also low pressures will tend to wear the outer edges of tires more than the centers. If your tires are worn more on the outer edges (checking with a penny in the treads or a tread gauge) you should increase your regular pressures.

Running too high: Tends to wear out the center treads. Can cause slippage in certain situations. Extreme overpressure can also lead to tire failures. But running slightly over car recommendations is usually safe and can help increase gas mileage, as long as you do NOT exceed sidewall cold maximums.

NEVER bleed your tires when they are hot (driven more than a mile or two) and you take a reading and it's high. The pressures under discussion are for COLD readings! On the other hand if they are hot and still read low, I'd add some air and then fine tune the pressure when you remeasure before driving the next morning.

And for ultimate purists or racers: Get yourself a remote thermometer...one of the "gun" type that you can aim at something and get an instant reading. Drive your car a bit, then stop and take temp readings at the center of the treads and the tread edges. If all 3 temps are about the same you are running the right pressure for those driving conditions. If the center reading is higher, decrease the pressure somewhat. If the outer treads are higher, increase the pressure somewhat. Note this method does not actually measure or rely on PSI at all...just how the tires are performing for the type driving you had just been doing.

And finally: in dirt or sand: dropping tire pressures GREATLY increase you being able to drive out of a stuck condition. I have done this dozens of times when hard core 4 wheeling in highly modified 4x4s I used to build. On one car I had heavy duty LT (light truck) mud tires on a car lighter than a Fit...a Suzuki Samauri. When hard core rock crawling I would decrease to just 5 PSI and go almost anywhere...then air back up to about 32-35 when I returned to pavement and higher driving speeds. (I loved outperforming modified jeeps and pickups.)

 

Thanks for all the replies. I lowered the pressure in my tires to 35 PSI. The light that came on was the ! in a horseshoe. It says that is the low pressure light and all my tires were between 20 and 30 I think. I have only had the car for 2 weeks and the light came on on my way to work the day after I bought it. Anyway, this information is helpful. Thanks. I love this forum!

 

Good choice! If you find you are feeling the road too much (bumps / potholes / etc) bring her back down to 33psi. Sometimes ride comfort outweighs a modest gain in performance. My 0.02

 

This is going to sound like a "Dickish" remark but it's meant in the best of intentions. read the manual. There is tons of information that will allow you to find the best parts of this car and allow you to understand things as they occur. You aren't going to remember all of the information you read but chances are, when something happens, you'll be able to say: "damn, that's familiar... I'm sure I read it in the manual" and you'll be able to quickly reference the info (especially when you are on the road - which is where most things occur... when you are far away from home).

Glad you got the pressure thing worked out. I run 36psi myself for a balance of performance and ride comfort. We have temps that fluctuate greatly.

~SB

 

CLASSIC NOOB ERROR!!! :P

No, just kidding. The door sticker vs tire label is confusing and unfair to the consumer. At least that's my opinion. In any case, the sticker is what the manufacturer developed and tested the car with, and it's what you should follow unless you believe differently.

The tires can safely be inflated to 50psi. Note that I do not say they can safely be DRIVEN ON at 50psi. Prior to shipping the tires are inflated to some high pressure, and are lowered to 33psi during the PDI at the dealer. Why? Simple once you know why - the high pressure reveals any damaged tires/wheels; if the car shows up at PDI with 3 tires at 48psi and one at 25, there's a problem to be fixed.

You should not drive at 50psi. The tires are rounded and have a tiny contact patch. People run them at 40 and seem OK, I personally have had SUVs where 33 was "rock hard" in the past and so I don't go past 35 on this car (as a general rule I try to stay within 3 PSI of the recommended).

I had a guy at a service station once ask me - while I was filling my tires - what tire pressure I used. I asked why he cared and he said he wanted to know what to put his van's tires at. Previously he'd been randomly running at some PSI based on, as far as I could tell, no thought at all. His car weighed twice mine; I pointed him to his door sticker. Lesson: don't feel bad. Now you know how to set your car up safer and that's something you should feel GOOD about! Other lesson: the appropriate way to learn the right tire inflation for your car is NOT from the random guy filling his CRV tires at the filling station.

 

just browsed the thread.... could have been answered already.

i have had the tpms pressure light come on from overinflation.
as mentioned, drop them down to 35psi...the light should go off after a little driving

FYI, there is a seperate light for a tpms error with the system, lights up with the letters TPMS, so the balloon looking tire only comes on when ther eis a pressure issue, not a broken sensor.

 

+1. I tried running mine around 40psi for a few days which seemed to bump up mpg by 1 or 2, and it may have been just in my head, but the ride seemed noticably harsher. I ended up just backing them down to the 33psi that the door sticker says.

-Dustin

 

high psi can potentially cause the tire to burst when it hits a big enough pot hole. these aren't high performance tires to begin with... probably like H-rating or something.

i say keep the tires around 33-35psi cold.

 

Anyone have a reccomendation on a good tire pressure gage? Thanks.

 

i use this one on all my cars. mine's from Griot'sGarage, but it's the same thing as the amazon one, I think.


Racing Tire Gauge With Bleeder Valve - Air Tools - Tools - Griot's Garage

 

You don't need a good one. Not a performance application. I use some brookstone digital gauge. Works fine.

 

as long as it's caliberated it's fine.

but dont go cheap on tools especially when we're talking something that costs less than $100 which can potentially save your car and your life and others.

 

true that. I've been putting off this purchase for way too long.