Question: I checked my tire pressure the other day and it was 26 PSI. Is that too low? How long can I drive with the pressure that low?
Answer: Some auto manufacturers allow tires to lose up to 25% of their pressure before activating the warning light. That means that if your tires are meant to be inflated to 35 PSI, they could drop to 26 PSI before you see the warning. But reaching that level isn’t ideal; it’s best to check your tire pressure regularly and avoid triggering the warning. And if you see it, it’s best to fix the problem before going for a drive.
I remember getting a nail in my tire and thinking, “I’ll just drive it to the mechanic.” When I got there, the mechanic told me that my tire pressure had dropped too low, and I ruined the sidewall. The tire was not repairable, and I had to replace it.
From that day on, whenever I get a flat, I change to my spare and bring the wheel to the mechanic. That way, I can keep driving while my tire gets fixed.
Run-flat tires are the only tires that can be used while low or flat. You can drive them for 50 miles at 50 miles per hour in a deflated condition.
But typically, you should keep your tires inflated, or you risk the following outcomes:
- Tires with insufficient air pressure wear out more quickly.
- Low tire pressure makes your vehicle less fuel efficient.
- Underinflated tires negatively impact your vehicle’s handling and braking performance because they don’t have the ideal contact with the road.
- Prolonged driving on low-pressure tires can cause them to overheat, leading to blowouts or other forms of tire failure.
Your tire pressure might drop because of damage—like being punctured by a nail—or for other reasons. For example, if you drive your car from a very hot area to a cooler area, you might experience a loss of pressure. Your tires could be OK in Los Angeles, where it’s 90F, but underinflated after a night in Yosemite, where it’s 50F. For every 10 degree drop in temperature, you lose about 1 PSI.
If your tires are in good operating condition, you have a few options for inflating them:
Head to a gas station’s pumps
Gas stations generally have tire gauges and air compressors that you can use to fill your tires.
Buy a portable air compressor
You can buy a portable air compressor that plugs into the 12-volt power socket in your car. If your car comes with a tire repair kit in lieu of a spare, you might already have a compressor. However, this air compressor will likely be slower than one at a gas station.
On the other hand, if you have a leak, or your tire is damaged, you’ll have to:
Get the tire repaired
Assuming a tire is repairable, you can:
- Go to an auto parts store and buy a DIY kit.
- Ask if your tire seller has a free repair service.
- Visit a mechanic or a tire specialist and ask them to fix the tire.
Some damage cannot be repaired, for example, if a sidewall is damaged. In that case, you’ll have to replace the tire.
Xuyun Zeng is a content strategist with a wide-ranging content background including tech, journalism, cars and health care. After graduating with highest honors in journalism, Xuyun led a newspaper to win eight awards, helped start an award-winning film industry podcast and has written over a hundred articles about cars repair, state laws and insurance. Prior to joining Jerry, Xuyun worked as a freelance SEO consultant with a mission to create the best content that will help readers and grow organic traffic.
Alice Holbrook is an editor with more than a decade of experience covering personal finance, including car insurance. She\’s passionate about creating easy-to-understand content that demystifies intimidating topics for readers. Previously, she worked for NerdWallet, and her work has been featured by Newsweek, The Washington Post and the Associated Press, among others.
