EndOfThis 1 Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 The sticker inside my 2013 Spark says 40PSI, the stock tires themselves say 50PSI. I made the mistake of trusting the dealership to have given me the car at 40PSI. Not wanting to let any of the nitrogen out I hadn't checked my tire pressure until the warning light came on recently. All tires were around 30 PSI! The warning light was telling me that all of my tires were too low on pressure, sure beats having a slow leak mind you and perhaps now I know why I have been getting bunk milage. I bumped them all up to 40. Where do you like to keep your tire pressure at?? Deputy Dawg 1 Link to post Share on other sites
TheDrip 25 Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 My car was delivered at 37psi. on an 95 degree day. I've seen as low as 29psi in 14 degree weather now. Rule of thumb is 1-1.5psi per 10 degree drop. Nitrogen should reduce that, but it still happens. The inflation rating on the tire is max inflation, not suggested inflation. Use the car's suggested pressure. Link to post Share on other sites
WaltK 305 Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 I keep them at 40 psi. Link to post Share on other sites
malibuguy 14 Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I run ours low at 48psi due wifey driving. If it was mine car it'll probably mid 50s. I run my Yaris at 54psi on either the snow tires or the summer stuff. My old xB I used to have I ran 63psi. My tercel I run at 42~ and my Malibu at 38 (crappy tires) Link to post Share on other sites
baby tires 1 Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I run mine at the max pressure printed on the side wall, 36,000 miles and the are wearing even across the face, by increasing pressure I gained about 4 mpg. We have found higher pressure also seems to increase tire life also, currently tires look like I have 60-65% of tread left. Smikster 1 Link to post Share on other sites
sparkboom 0 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Does anyone have a recommendation on what pressure I should keep mine at, living in FL? Link to post Share on other sites
WaltK 305 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Does anyone have a recommendation on what pressure I should keep mine at, living in FL? 40 psi is a good bet. Just make sure your tires are cool when you check the pressure. In other words, don't check them right after driving, let them sit for an hour or so. Link to post Share on other sites
21783mike 17 Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 45 psi rear, 48 front Smikster 1 Link to post Share on other sites
bluer101 241 Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 I'm running 40 but mine are 17's. Link to post Share on other sites
Smikster 10 Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 45 cold Link to post Share on other sites
sparkboom 0 Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 40 psi is a good bet. Just make sure your tires are cool when you check the pressure. In other words, don't check them right after driving, let them sit for an hour or so. Thank you!! I checked a few hours after getting the car from the dealer and they were at 34-36, now they're all at 40! Link to post Share on other sites
Retired old Gearhead 201 Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 (edited) Because the stock tires contain such a low volume of air (7.2"wide at 55% of 7.2" gives us 4"high) the tires easily fluctuate in pressure due to temperature changes. I find myself constantly adjusting the pressure. I now run at 45psi 'cold' so a slight drop would bring them down to spec of 40psi. I also find better mileage at 45psi. Next set of tires will be 195/55R15 on the stock rims. 2" higher with a softer ride but the speedometer and odometer will read 5% lower-eg: 80mph actual will read as 76mph. 30mpg will read as 28.5mpg. Rpm's will also be lower by 5% at actual speed. Not a big deal. •I would actually prefer to put 205/50R15's on the same rims, giving a better ride without the 5% trade off as explained above as the 205/50R15's are about the same height but not sure if the 205's will rub on turns...anyone know about the 195, 205 I'm talking about and whether that will work or anything I have overlooked?...I'm not too familiar with tire stuff. Edited October 19, 2014 by Retired old Gearhead ChevyBeat 1 Link to post Share on other sites
njresler 14 Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Idk the the site but there is a place out there that will give you compatible tire sizes for your stock tire. It might be tire masters website. I found a few years ago when I was shopping for tires for another car. Retired old Gearhead 1 Link to post Share on other sites
gitsum 16 Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I ran the stock tires at 40 lbs front 42 lbs rear for a compromise between fuel mileage and ride quality (tires were still harsh riding). On my 185/60-14" wheels I run 34 lbs front and 36 lbs rear. They are not rock hard fuel efficient tires like the stock tires. Much smoother and better traction. On any all season radial that isn't a rock hard fuel efficient tire, the 2250 pound Spark feels and rides better at tire pressures well under 40 lbs. Link to post Share on other sites
Danny1212 0 Posted December 21, 2017 Share Posted December 21, 2017 Thanks for the info. We just bought a used 2015. The tire pressure light came on while wife was driving home. I was behind her on I95. I set them all to 40 at gas station. Then found this when I got home. Link to post Share on other sites
Lovgun7 75 Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 40 psi riding on low profile tires Link to post Share on other sites
sparkto 6 Posted October 27, 2019 Share Posted October 27, 2019 (edited) I keep my tires at 250kpa or 36psi, roughly speaking. But I don't bother re-airing it if it drips a bit, only if it drops seriously low like below 200kpa. Speaking of air pressure, I've learned a lesson on simple safety. Everyone should always carry two things in their trunk: an air pump/instant compressor and also a tire patch kit with an extra knife (to cut/trim the plug after insertion) and grip/clamp to pull foreign objects from a tire. I had a flat tire in April of this year, the spare came in handy, but I could have spent a few extra minutes doing the fix myself and not even needed the spare had I had the tire patch plugs and a few basic tools. You never know when you will need it, but its handy to have. This is especially true if you have a vehicle without a spare tire, which is unfortunately becoming more common as car makers cut costs. It is just too easy to patch a tire yourself on the side of the road and getting it fixed permanently on the spot, and the tools cost so little to have in storage. Edited October 27, 2019 by sparkto Link to post Share on other sites
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