The scheduled maintenance of a car is between every few thousand kilometres or once every six months. But there is one thing that you should check and maintain every month—the tyre pressure. Having your own tyre pressure gauge can come handy in these cases.

There are a lot of benefits to driving with a properly inflated tyre. The ride comfort improves, the handling feels better, the braking distance will be less, and the cornering will be right on the money. But the air leaves the tyre as you continue to put on miles. Therefore, it is not possible to keep the tyres at a constant pressure at all times. Rather, you can make sure that the pressure is within an acceptable range. Thus, if you have a tyre pressure gauge, you can avoid going down to a car maintenance shop to check the air pressure every month or so. But before you go shopping for a pressure gauge, knowing a bit more about it will be useful.

All you need to know about tyre pressure gauges

All pressure gauges are not the same even though all they do is to measure how inflated the tyre is. There are a few different types of tyre pressure gauges out there. And knowing more about each type of them and how to use them can help you a lot when you choose which one is right for you. Here is a list of the different types of pressure gauges that you will find in the market. This article will help you decide what type of gauge you should buy for your vehicle. In this article, you will also find some wonderful tips that you can follow while shopping for them.

Stick type gauges

This gauge looks like a large ballpoint pen. You can easily fit one inside your pocket. The working of this gauge is also quite simple. There is a calibrated scale inside it that pops out when you press the mouth of the gauge against the tyre pressure valve. But there are two sides to the gauge though. While one side measures the pressure, the other one will let you let the air out in order to adjust the pressure. So, make sure that you are using the right one. The benefits of this tool are that they are small and easy to carry. They are pretty inexpensive as well. But they are not the best when it comes to accuracy.

Dial gauge

Like the name says it, these gauges come with a dial. The main advantage of having a dial is that it is easy to read the measurement, and also, they are very accurate. Most professional car mechanics prefer this instead of the stick type pressure gauge. But you have to be more careful when you handle them. The calibrated spring that is responsible for the accuracy is also a weak point. The spring can lose its calibration if you knock it against something or if it falls down. One more thing to think about is that they are bulkier than a stick type pressure gauge. You cannot fit it in a trouser pocket.

Digital tyre pressure gauge

These days more and more people, including professional mechanics, are going for digital gauges. There is a strong reason for that. They are sometimes cheaper than a dial type pressure gauge and give the same level of accuracy. There is also one difference in the way it shows the reading. While you have to keep the gauge on the tyre pressure valve to get the reading from a dial type meter, a digital gauge saves the reading even after you have removed it from the valve. This display will show you the reading until you clear it. The backlit screen means you don’t need to shine another light on it to take the reading.

Using tyre pressure gauges

It is normal for tyres to lose pressure over time. Even if you haven’t driven the car, the tyre will lose some of its pressure. But the tyre will lose more pressure, the more you drive it. The main point of air leakage in an undamaged tyre is the rubber sidewall of the tyre. The pressure valve, or inflation valve, only accounts for a fraction of that. The tyre pressure also changes with the outside temperature. But you have to keep the tyre pressure within the optimum range regardless. The best practice is to check the tyre pressure once in a month under normal usage. But if you happen to drive more than usual in a week, it is a good idea to make sure that the pressure is optimal.

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