Should you really check your tyre pressure with warm or cold tyres?

The difference between 5C and 30C could make somewhere in the region of 10% difference according to my calculations!

Whats the textbook answer?

Jono

Cold I believe, there again Cold in Winter is a lot colder than cold in the middle of summer so I guess someone somewhere will know what air temp is deemed cold!

The biggest problem I have noticed is the vast variation in gauges in Garages. I tend to try & use the same Garage & keep an eye on tyre wear/grip & adjust accordingly. The answer probably is to buy your own tyre gauge & carry it with you but thats all a bit too specific for me.

Stuart (must do some work)

Always cold plus I always carry two accurate gauges. I'm slightly obsessed with tyre pressures. :new_silly

Only when cold. There is more tyre info from Dunlop on that site for those who are interested in learning more.

How warm are tyres likely to get on a trip down to the garage?

Jono

How warm are tyres likely to get on a trip down to the garage?

Negligibly. Just don't check tyres after the car has been parked all day in the hot sun or after a long fast drive, especially when the car is laden.

Always check tyre pressures cold.

I've noticed, using a modern digital pressure gauge, that "cold" tyre pressures can vary with ambient temperature. The variation is enough to make one or (occasionally) two digits difference to the reading; it's also visible on an old-fashioned "pencil" gauge, though nowhere near as obvious.