How to read tire pressure gauge?
How to check tire pressure with a gauge? It is a common issue when we want to check the car tires pressure. Reading tire pressure gauges are pretty simple, mainly using a digital tire pressure gauge. Yes, to read tire pressure gauge is depends on your tire pressure gauge type because there are some different types and measurement values.
Each type provide different methods of reading, some gauge is simple, but others are rather difficult. So, you have to pay attention to get an accurate reading on the tire pressure gauge.
Most tire pressure types will provide PSI measurement. PSI means pounds per square inch, and the other measurement units are bar or kPa (Kilopascal). These measurement units generally can be found in the tire pressure gauge but, some tire pressure gauges use one or two units.
So, before we read tire pressure gauge, we have to know what tire pressure gauge types are we use. Then, we can determine how to read the tire pressure gauge number. There are three types of tire pressure gauges that are commonly used to measure tire pressure.
- Pen-type pressure gauges – Have a ruler-like rod that slides in and out of a sleeve to measure air pressure.
- Dial air pressure gauges – Feature a numbered dial with a watch-like hand
- Digital pressure gauges – Display numbers on a digital screen
To read the tire pressure gauge number, you must put the gauge to the valve stem on your car tire. Here's how to check tire pressure with a gauge.
- Make sure you know the manufacturer's recommended pressure value reading reference (better to use the PSI so it can match the value without converting).
- Open the valve stem cap by twisting it in the counterclockwise direction.
- Put the pressure gauge into the valve stem.
- Press down the pressure gauge firmly.
- Let the air fill the gauge so we can measure the air pressure.
So here's how to read the tire pressure gauge number for each model.
I. Pen-type pressure gauges
When using a pen-type pressure gauge, you'll find a ruler-like rod slides out from a sleeve after you put and press the gauge to the valve stem. Please don't touch the rod after it slides out and here's how to check tire pressure with a gauge.
- Make sure you read the PSI measurement unit.
- See at the bottom of the ruler. That's the mark point for reading the value.
- Use and read the strip from the ruler as a pressure value.
From the image above, we can read that the tire gauge shows 29PSI.
2. Dial Air Pressure gauge
Using a dial air pressure gauge is a bit complicated than using the pen type. Dial air pressure gauge using needle pointer, and in some gauge, there is two value with a different colour. So we have to ensure what measurement units are we going to use. Look for the dial type air pressure gauge below.
- Air pressure release valve is used for releasing the air pressure after measurement
- Bar (the inner circle) is the value inside the inner circle which shows the bar value
- PSI (outer circle) is the value outside the circle which shows PSI value.
- The needle pointer is the pointer that shows how much air pressure is inside the tire.
When measuring the air pressure using a dial air pressure gauge, we need to choose the right value to ensure what value we need. For air tire pressure in common, we use the PSI measurement unit.
Read also:Here's how to check tire pressure with a dial air pressure gauge.
- Look only for the PSI (outer circle value)
- See the needle pointer position and read the value
See the example images below
The dial air pressure gauge from the images above shows that the air pressure value is 23PSI or, if we use bar value, is 1.6BAR.
3. Digital pressure gauge.
Digital pressure gauge is the most simple pressure gauge to use as a tire pressure gauge. We just only read the reading value from the screen on the gauge. But always remember to set the measurement unit into PSI after turning on the gauge.
Here is the example reading for using a digital pressure gauge.
From the images above, we can read the air pressure value is 35PSI.