cosquare

The low tire pressure warning indicator on my '05 vette came on recently when I started the car after it had been sitting ouside for about a week. Outside temp was in the low 30s. After driving for about a mile the indictor went out on its own. Indictated pressure in the tires was in the 23-25 psi range. I understand that pressure drops with temp, and I am not about to add more air to the tires, but I am posting this note to see if others in colder climates have had the same experience. It certainly was a suprising occurance since this is my first experience with TPM on any vehicle.

LJD51

I had the same thing happen last week; I was suprised when it happened...

ccdv-christian

Yes, that has happened to me.
fyi: Someone told me that the average drop in tire pressure is about one psi for every ten degrees drop.

carpe dm

If the temps will remain low, at air! Keep it at 32 lbs psi.

Vette_DD

But you should add more air to the tires if the temps are going to be anywhere near that temp for awhile.

I'd be reluctant to drive more than a few days on any tires that start out cold below 27-28 lbs.

I have to add 2-3 lbs every 3-4 weeks as the temps drop here to stay. I usually add 7-8 lbs before the winter is over.

gilly6993

....that's normal for them to drop that much....just add some air on a cold day when the tires are cold and you'll be good for the winter....

mcwire

Happens to me in N.E. Pa. Guess we'll have to add a little air, during the winter, if we intend to drive, once in a while.

johnodrake

Or perhaps the recommended 30psig cold.

PaBlueCoupe

Definitely keep the pressure at the recommended cold temperature...30#. Low to mid twenties is not safe.

Some suggest increasing the pressure to 34#/35# for an unheated, garaged car during the winter months to keep the tires from flat-spotting.

I try to drive the BlueCoupe at least weekly, and I really work on heating up the rear tires in particular. No flat spots yet!

burtonbl103

Aat that temp and psi is unsafe

thats why i put mine away for the winter

Ozone

dgrant3830

Not only do they drop in pressure from temperature changes, but altitude changes can raise or lower pressures as well.

Sven

You don't have a lot of volume in those tires, so when cold weather arrives, pressures will plummet. Prepare yourself for spring when you'll experience the opposite effect.

talon90

Why? Your tires are low, why wouldn't you add air?

Tire pressure is not a set it and forget it item. You will need to adjust each time temps rise and fall in extreme. You will lose or gain pressure at a rate of approximately 1 pound for each 10 degree change in temperature. You should adjust to 30 psi when it changes.

AO-08

Just added 4 psi to each tire about 2 days ago. They were all at 28 psi and I figured it's only getting colder so set all to 32.

Probably add some more in a couple weeks too. It's not a coincidence that all 4 are low at the same time...

trivette

Happens here in MN by late October, depending on the temps. I always add several pounds at the first sign of them dropping and then fill them with 40# for storage. The car becomes a handful to drive on cold tires also-can get you in trouble if not careful.

Patman

Because I drive my C5 everyday, even in the winter, I get to see the pressure change a lot from winter to summer. I have driven mine is as cold as -10F and as hot as 105F. What I do is check the tire pressure on the DIC first thing in the morning (once I've driven a few hundred feet that is) and make sure that all the pressures are at 30psi. So once it gets colder out, I end up having to add more pressure obviously, and once spring arrives, I end up taking out pressure every few weeks until it gets to the hottest part of the summer. When I'm aiming for 30psi, I keep in mind if the temperature at that point in time is roughly around the average for that time of year. I've gotten nice even tread wear by aiming for 30psi on my DIC, so whether or not that PSI is 100% accurate doesn't matter to me, as I know that this practice has served me well.

Tonylmiller

Do you use Chevy air, or will just any air meet the specs? What about synthetic air? Does it last longer?

AORoads

I haven't read the entire thread, but I certainly hope you've changed your mind on the underlined section. Either that, or you are an accident that WILL happen with tires that underinflated.

In case you think that everyone who's posted above with their recommendation to inflate your tires before you start out, and to at least the recommended tire pressure is wrong, ask TireRack. It's a free call, they're unbiased (if anything, they'd sell more tires if your tires wear out faster, which they will if you leave them underinflated----but then again, they won't sell more tires because you won't be around to buy any), and they will explain it to you.

Let me repeat, if you drive with tires severely under- or over-inflated, you will have a bad experience. And that will, at the very least, take out your car. At the worst, it will take one of us out, as well as yourself. If you don't worry about yourself, consider the rest of us, and do us the favor of inflating your tires, and watching them carefully, like once a week.

Thanks.

Wayne88

I went to the Chevy dealership and bought a bucket of GM air,
it should last the winter.