Radial tires may look properly inflated even when
they’re underinflated. Check the tire’s inflation
pressure when the tires are cold. Cold means your
vehicle has been sitting for at least three hours
or driven no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Remove the valve cap from the tire valve stem.
Press the tire gage firmly onto the valve to get a
pressure measurement. If the cold tire inflation
pressure matches the recommended pressure on
the tire and loading information label, no further
adjustment is necessary. If the pressure is low,
add air until you reach the recommended amount.
If you overfill the tire, release air by pushing on
the metal stem in the center of the tire valve.
Recheck the tire pressure with the tire gage.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve
stems. They help prevent leaks by keeping out
dirt and moisture.
Dual Tire Operation
When the vehicle is new, or whenever a wheel,
wheel bolt or wheel nut is replaced, check
the wheel nut torque after 100, 1,000 and
6,000 miles (160, 1 600 and 10 000 km) of driving.
For proper wheel nut tightening information, see
“Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the Spare
Tire” later in this section, under Changing a Flat
Tire on page 362. Also see “Wheel Nut Torque”
under Capacities and Specifications on page 394.
The outer tire on a dual wheel setup generally
wears faster than the inner tire. Your tires will
wear more evenly and last longer if you rotate the
tires periodically. See Tire Inspection and
Rotation on page 352. Also see Scheduled
Maintenance (Gasoline Engine) on page 400.
{CAUTION:
If you operate your vehicle with a tire
that is badly underinflated, the tire can
overheat. An overheated tire can lose
air suddenly or catch fire. You or others
could be injured. Be sure all tires
(including the spare) are properly inflated.
See Tires on page 342 and Inflation - Tire Pressure
on page 350 for more information on proper tire
inflation.
351