Do you stick to the manufacturer's recommended tyre pressures?

[Kithmo]

As a matter of interest, do you guys stick to the manufacturers recommended tyre pressures of 33 psi ?
Just asking as one of the tricks to get more mpg out of ICE cars was to up the pressures a little, maybe 3 or 4 psi.
Also, how long does it take for the TPMS to settle down, mine is producing some strange readings at the moment, going up and down on a couple of the tyres (I've only done about 30 miles so far) ?

 

[Mark Holmes]

I’ve set mine to 37 front and 38 back cold.

 

[Kithmo]

Checking with a pressure gauge, I have 38 psi in both fronts and rears are 38 left, 37.5 right, which almost ties up with what the TPMS says except the front right is reporting slightly high at 38.7. I'll let it settle for a few days and recheck and adjust if necessary. I usually have less in the back as I'm never loaded up. Might go with leaving the fronts at 38 and dropping the backs to 37.

 

[DangerousDoug]

Ours were set at the dealer to 2.8 BAR, which is 40psi (as reported by the car dashboard). They've stayed exactly the same for nearly 7000 miles. The car does have a tendency to wheelspin if you pull away quickly, which I just put down to the amazing torque of an electric powertrain (eat your heart out, ICE loosers!!) but it may be that I'm getting reduced grip due to overinflation of tyres. They seem to be wearing evenly, though...

 

[Scriv]

When I picked my car up from the dealer, all the tyre pressures were 37 psi - I checked on two different gauges - and I reduced the pressures to 34.5 psi cold. (my manual said 34 psi).
However now the TPMS always shows 36.5 psi which I suppose would be about right for the pressures when the tyres are hot, but the reading does not decrease when the tyres have cooled. I assume that the TPMS records the running pressures of the tyres when hot and does not return to the cold pressures after switch off.

 

[Mark Holmes]

Mine go up and down with the outside temperatures and from cold to hot.

 

[DangerousDoug]

My dealer set my tyres at 2.7bar cold (2.8bar hot) according to the TPMS - that's around 40.6psi. in nearly 7000 miles and 6 months, they haven't budged and I haven't touched them. I'm not sure to what extent tyre pressures effect range and grip (alledgedly higher pressure means lower rolling resistance but lower grip) but I haven't felt the need to change them so far.

 

[octagon]

Why would you want to change the recommended pressures? The manufacturer knows more than we do.

 

[Kithmo]

Manufacturer's settings tend to be a compromise between road holding and comfort. Not always good for even wear and not always good for economy.

 

[KasEV]

I believe the manual gives a range into which type pressure should fit from cold to hot. Somewhere just below middle of this range may be the ideal cold pressure.
Please check manual for exact figures but 37 / 38 psi seems reasonable.

 

[SCB86]

I use 38 PSI

 

[Tango130]

I believe the manual gives a range into which type pressure should fit from cold to hot. Somewhere just below middle of this range may be the ideal cold pressure.
Please check manual for exact figures but 37 / 38 psi seems reasonable.

There isn't a range within the manual just a cold figure of 33psi.

 

[Deleted member 823]

Old thread I know, but I use manufacturer pressures, unless circumstances say otherwise (e.g. temporarily lower pressure if need additional grip to get out of snow). On bikes, I seem to be really sensitive to tyre pressures, and lowering them for track use often felt like something was wrong with the steering until things warmed up a bit This was also useful for road use too - if my bike had been sat for a long time and the tyre pressures dropped a bit, I could usually feel it. Cars? Not so much unless they're near flat! ?

Talking of tyres, I've just watched this...