The handbook says 210 kPa / 30 psi, but after getting a WOF I often find the pressure is much higher, though have never found that at a time when I can just phone my garage to check why.
Thought it would be easy to find the correct figure online, but it's not, and have wasted over half an hour trying.
The Energywise website doesn't have the figure when I input my registration number, and fails to allow me to input the tyre size which seems a bit daft. About 12 other websites I've tried searching for "tyre pressure chart nz" and variations, only give me longwinded explanations about how hopeless Kiwis are at maintaining their tyre pressure and/or adverts for tyres and/or pressure gauges.
I'm not hopeless at it, and in recent years have wasted money on about five useless tyre pumps -- the valve attachments have been too tight and difficult to get on and off the valve. Decades ago they always flew off when the lock was undone. I want a sturdy foot-operated pump so it can be used well away from the car on other inflatables.
Is there any one relevant website which will tell me the correct pressure?
Any recommendations for a quality pressure gauge and where it can be bought? The quality American one I bought in 1987 is showing its age and I don't know if all the el-cheapos I've seen are any good. I'm in the Manawatu -- nearest towns are PN and Feilding.
franc123,
Sep 2, 6:35am
It will be on a sticker around your drivers door frame somewhere or else in your handbook if you want specific confirmation. 30-32psi WILL be fine if you can't find it.
dbb,
Sep 2, 9:03am
Thanks. Yes, I said in the first line, "The handbook says 210 kPa / 30 psi", and there's nothing on the door frame, but I want to confirm whether that is still the case, because with a 1980 Corona the tyre pressures did go up a few decades later as tyre-manufacturing methods changed. It's now 21 years since the handbook was written.
kazbanz,
Sep 2, 3:05pm
Dbb--Im sutr Im telling gramma how to suck eggs but you do know theres a variation between cold and hot tyre pressures don't you?
nzdoug,
Sep 2, 3:11pm
Check your tread depth for eveness. Overinflation will wear the middle of the tire faster, under inlation will cause the outer to wear quicker. Even tread wear means your running at a good pressure.
tamarillo,
Sep 2, 3:14pm
Run higher than handbook. Try 36 all round. Car will feel firmer, steer a bit easier and better, and will be much better in extreme should you get caught out and need to rescue it cornering, or doing the moose avoidance test (replace moose with child, old lady, teen on bike, twits). This isn't so high as to cause quicker wear in a car of that weight.
To avoid excess tyre wear, It's really not that simple.
What do you do the most (by a large margin)
Do you do mostly town/city or rural/ open road driving Do you carry a lot of people or gear in your vehicle Do you drive modestly or fast or slow.
With a vehicle of that size & tyres spec's,. I would go with 30psi rear & 34psi front.
NZ's roads & driving habits including loads etc are very different to a lot of other countrys including where the factory tyre pressure spec's come from
mrfxit,
Sep 2, 4:45pm
To be simple, yes 30 or 32psi all round Keeps the tyre companys profits up a bit more each year
Not enough psi in front tyres will chew the edges Too much psi in the back will chew the centers
All this is load, driving style & tyre choice related
franc123,
Sep 2, 5:13pm
Why did you think the information would not be valid? If it is still running the same size and construction spec tyre as per factory it won't have changed.
pandai,
Sep 2, 5:40pm
The OP says:
"but after getting a WOF I often find the pressure is much higher"
and wants to know why they would do that.
I'm thinking the garage topping it up + warmer tires (as Kaz mentioned above) increasing pressure when they get home to check it
dbb,
Sep 3, 8:00am
Yes, I always check and pump up the tyres when cold, never when hot.
dbb,
Sep 3, 8:05am
Fixed that for you. Your = belonging to you. You're = you are.
Yes, I've done that since the 1968. Have always ensured wear is even right across. This is why I can't figure the high pressures I sometimes find in the tyres after getting a WOF -- checked when tyres are cold.
dbb,
Sep 3, 8:24am
When you say chew, do you mean simple smooth wear, or are you talking about visible shredding? Little shreds like thick whiskers sticking out of the tyre. I've seen that on boy-racer's tyres, but don't know if it has anything to do with me. I don't do burnouts.
Ever heard of an Eketahune? It's a rural boy racer. (That one won me a bottle of bubbly from the old Dominion. The rule was, change one letter to get a new definition, or give a new definition for an existing word. So kotanga became car aerial.)
Anyway, thanks for all the replies. I'm surprised there is no website we can go to. Seems very odd.
321mat,
Sep 3, 6:08pm
36psi in the front and 34psi in the rear.
This is to compensate for it being a front wheel drive. I think this will work very well for you.
mrfxit,
Sep 3, 9:23pm
Chew = excessive wear. Anything from mild to major wear thats not normally considered ok for long life.
mrfxit,
Sep 3, 9:36pm
Differences in weight & momentum weight transfer when braking , cornering & accelerating.
FWD = 100% engine/gearbox & differential all at the front of the vehicle. FWD = 70% engine over the front wheels/ gearbox weight at approx 1/3 along the body (from the front) + 100% of the differential at the 1/4 rearward mark on the body
FWD = weight balance at approx 75 F/25 R FWD = weight balance at approx 60 F/ 40 R
A good vehicle to test FWD weight balance on is the Mitsi Galants of just about any age.
They had a selection of the same body with 4 & 6cyl engines available which show how much difference an engine & gearbox can make with vehicle fwd balance
tamarillo,
Sep 4, 1:46am
Op, I suggest they add air as they think it's not enough. Car makers specify very low pressure. Sometimes that's good. But on higher profile tyres like yours it is a safer, better handling and steering car with higher pressure. 36 minimum front. 34 min back, might as well do 36 all round. Try it. Do a few sudden swerves and Sharp corners, safely.
tgray,
Sep 4, 2:02am
36 is too much IMO. You will feel every speed bump and crevice in the road. I would put a maximum of 32 all round.
tgray,
Sep 4, 2:35am
There's your answer.
tamarillo,
Sep 4, 2:47am
Disagree but it's personal. Most defensive driving schools will ask you to use more tyre pressure in older cars with high profiles like this. 36 or more provides much more feedback, and will make or break a moose test.
bill-robinson,
Jul 30, 6:34am
get a lot of moose running round in manawatu
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