I have a 2012 fit sport not and i am not sure what the tire pressure should be for the car? The wheels say max 51 but the door jam says 33 ? any idea?

 

51 is a max from the tire manufacturer. if you go above it and it blows, the company will claim it's not their fault. so, it's about liability.

33 psi is the recommended from Honda. this is Honda's decision on best "balance" of handling and comfort... more on comfort.

I have mine at about 35-38 psi. and so do a number other folks.

you should find the level that you are most comfortable with, by that i mean actual comfort and handling. too high and it'll feel harsh, too low and while it might feel better, it might feel squirmy.

 

33 is the recommended rate just follow it

 

I always run my tire pressure 2 PSI higher than recommended.

I could care less what the tire pressure is in my tires, but many cars are real sensitive now to even small changes in the weather. I find that at 2 PSI more, I am not really affecting anything, and I don't have to fill the tires as often.

So I would run your tires at 35 PSI to prevent the idiot light for the TPMS from lighting up.

There are always variances in pumps, gauges, etc, so you may as well stack the odds in your favor...

 

I run mine at 36psi now to adjust for temperature changes. Two days ago it was over 75 degrees F for a couple of days in a row. Right now the thermometer says it's 33F.

The Tire Max on the sidewall is what the tire itself could handle and potentially what should be used when placed on the right vehicle. (Remember, this tire could be used on any number of different cars with different wheel widths, totally different vehicle weights, etc...) Honda knows much better what is best for the car as a whole, the tire manufacturer has to allow for huge variances in conditions (Like mentioned above)

~SB

 

This is one of the reasons I run mine at 35 PSI.

Also, the ride is fine with the tires 2-3 PSI over Honda's recommended pressure. I feel no difference.

 

The TPMS light comes on if any tire is less than 28 psi. Keep in mind that every change of 10 degrees Fahrenheit in ambient temperature reduces tire pressure by about 1 psi. That all being said, setting the tire pressures at around 33-34 psi is a good idea, and perhaps a pound or two higher if set during warm Summer weather.

 

Cant anybody do a little research on their own before starting a thread?

 

Apparently the TPMS light also comes on if the pressure's too high. Someone filled my 2013 base automatic Fit's tires to the listed 40 psi on the tire before I picked it up new. The TPMS light was staying on. I took it in to service the next day where all they apparently did (quickly!) was drop the pressure to the listed 32 psi on the doorjamb label. When I attended the new owners' meeting the next week the service manager said that's probably all they had to do.

P.S. There appears to be a big mpg advantage to raising the tire pressure a few psi higher than recommended on the label in the door jamb. I learned that after reading a number of posts then seeing it on my car, but I don't have enough data yet to confirm it. After averaging just 28.4 mpg (gas pump & odometer readings, about 50% city driving) my first 996 miles (I just got the car in January), I raised my tire pressure to 36 psi (all tires, measured with a digital pressure gauge) from 32 psi. The tires were cold after sitting overnight and the temperature about 45F. The highest mpg reading (on the display) for any short trip I measured was never more than 34.5 mpg. At 36 psi, I took a 13 mile drive to a relative's home over fairly level ground and got 38.9 mpg on the outbound leg of the trip! On the way back, I made a side trip to Wendy's then worked my way through several miles of heavy red-light-every-few-blocks traffic. I still had 33.6 mpg for the entire 27 miles.

 

Like RTFM?

 

Not true.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Yeah that's strange, my 2010 doesn't do that, i've filled up to 40 before. Don't do it daily though.

Maybe a new "feature" for 2013?

 

The question is... was it the "( ! )" or "TPMS" light?

Because, I think the TPMS is in "sleep" mode when its shipped to the dealer and needs to be activated by the dealer. And part of the activation is a rapid drop and then reinflate.

Plus, I've also had my PSI at 42 even (once). Not gonna do that again, anytime soon. Owww.