It’s time for another frugal Friday tip.

Our car/automobile tyres serve many purposes. They function as the interface between your car and the road when you are driving, and they also function as shock absorbers.

Properly inflated car tyres can bring you some petrol savings and improve your driving experience. I will give you a simple ‘How To’ guide to inflate your car tires at the petrol station at the end of this post.

Last weekend, I noticed that my Proton Wii-ra’s tires were slightly deflated. After a quick stop at the petrol station, I noticed a few remarkable differences:

1. Acceleration was smoother. I didn’t need to press the pedal as much to get the car moving.
2. Handling was better, the car didn’t feel so sluggish turning around corners
3. I didn’t feel so shaken when I went over the hundreds of bumps and holes on the (typical Malaysian) road.

Some have claimed that they can save between 0.5% to 3.0% in petrol costs just by keeping their car tyres properly inflated.

Properly inflated tyres will wear down evenly, which means you save money by prolonging the life of your tyres.

How Do You Inflate Your Car Tyres at the Petrol Station?

1. Find out the correct air pressure for your tyres. It will usually be indicated on a sticker at the side of the driver door frame, or the car manual.
2. At the petrol station, drive up close to the air pump. Stop your car with the pump at the middle of your car’s body if possible. Some petrol station air pumps have a short air hose.
3. Set the desired air pressure. In Malaysia most pumps use the pounds per square inch (psi) metric, some have both a psi and kg/cm2 metric.
4. In older air pumps, you set the desired air pressure by turning a knob. Newer pumps let you set your desired air pressure by pressing + and - buttons.
5. Press the ‘Start’ button (usually the third button beside the + and - buttons)
6. The pump will start pumping air. Don’t panic. Go to your tyre and unscrew the tyre’s air valve cap. I usually use a tissue to keep my hands grease free.
7. Push the pump on to your tyre’s air valve, and the pump will do its work. There’s only one way the pump is going to fit on the tyre, you can probably figure that out.
8. Wait for the pump to issue a series of beeps, and you’re done.
9. Screw back your tyre’s air valve cap.
10. Repeat steps 5-9 for your other tyres.

Make sure your tyres are not over-inflated. If the sides of the tyre aren’t touching the road, your tyres will not function efficiently. The tyre will wear down unevenly, and it may even be dangerous in wet weather.

Bonus tip: You can achieve better mileage for your car if you keep it free from clutter. Every extra pound of junk that you carry in your car means more energy to get your car moving. It means more braking is used to stop your car.

Read Other Frugal Friday Tips:
How to Save Money at Coffee Shops

Do you have any petrol-saving ideas? Share your wisdom in the comments below!

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