Scorpion All- Season tire pressure when cold

[Purerock105]

The first cold front hit my area about 2 weeks ago after days in the 80's and nights around 60, we finally hit into the 30's & 40's at night.The DSRT was sitting in the heat, then cold. Upon start up the temps on the tires were 25/26. I could only warm them up to 28/29 even AFTER it got back up to the 70's during the day.

I aired them up to 34 at the service station, but the readings still read 33, which is the spec settings. Saturday nite got really cold, into the teens. When I rolled out for my snow excursion, they were at 31.

I'm out again today. 31psi at start up, sunny but high only 34 degrees.

Anyone have psi issues transitioning from warm to cold weather temps?

 

[Jimmy N.]

I don't remember the percentage of psi change relative to temperature, but it can be significant.
Especially if the air in the tires have a fair amount of humidity. Not all unlikely in Florida, right?

Anyway, we often have 50 degree swings between morning and evening, and my girlfriend used to be concerned when the dash lit up. I told her to just drive and the warnings would go away.
Eventually she got used to it.

This time of year I do have to add a bit in most vehicles, as it can be single digits in the morning and not get over 40.

 

[Slowpoke387]

^^^^^ Same here in the Northeast. When the temp starts dipping in late fall most of our vehicles need to be aired up. Normal.

 

[MikeD1]

I used to have similar issues when I lived in Mich, but in FL the temp swings are not as extreme nor does it dip as low, so the tire temps are more stable.
Every 10 deg. can lower/raise tires by 1 - 2 PSI !

 

[jroyk]

I usually adjust mine seasonally. Add in fall and again in winter. Bleed in spring an again in summer. (Michigan)

 

[Magnified]

The first cold front hit my area about 2 weeks ago after days in the 80's and nights around 60, we finally hit into the 30's & 40's at night.The DSRT was sitting in the heat, then cold. Upon start up the temps on the tires were 25/26. I could only warm them up to 28/29 even AFTER it got back up to the 70's during the day.

I aired them up to 34 at the service station, but the readings still read 33, which is the spec settings. Saturday nite got really cold, into the teens. When I rolled out for my snow excursion, they were at 31.

I'm out again today. 31psi at start up, sunny but high only 34 degrees.

Anyone have psi issues transitioning from warm to cold weather temps?

Usually... you'll get differing compression based on cold temps and it does not make sense to me. The math should be a perfectly predictable curve but small leaks, small over pressures, temp effects on sensors can give different tires different results. Go figure.

 

[Lize]

Our tyre shops promote the use of nitrogen filling, its supposed to maintain more even pressure due to not having water content. The problem with it though is the quality of the shop equipment and the purity they actuall put in. I have it in one car the it still fluctuates with temperature but a bit less than air, I guess it would make more difference in a humid climate.

The only time I see pressure drop is when it turns cold and I always have to add extra (in both air and nitrogen cars) but never have to let any out when it warms up again. I've never quite understood that because it never changes when weather is consistently warm.

Our summer say 75, winter down to 30.

 

[Jimmy N.]

I have it in one car the it still fluctuates with temperature but a bit less than air, I guess it would make more difference in a humid climate..

That's because all gasses are subject to Boyles Law, no matter what the people peddling nitrogen tells you.
Which is only one reason I run only 78% nitrogen in my tires.

 

[Lize]

That's because all gasses are subject to Boyles Law, no matter what the people peddling nitrogen tells you.
Which is only one reason I run only 78% nitrogen in my tires.

I've recently given up with it, think its all a con, quicker to spot a bit of air in myself than mess about going to a shop and particularly as the local one I was friendly with and used to do it for free has closed down and we don't have high humidity to worry about.

 

[Jimmy N.]

It is a con, I think.
Besides, if air leaks out faster than nitrogen as they claim, you'll eventually have only nitrogen in the tires whether you want it or not.

 

[Catless]

1 PSI change for every 12 degrees F. Ignore what the pressure is when the tire is heated up. The stated on placard is for a "COLD" tire which means the tire is at the ambient temperature where the tire is. Depending on the season here "COLD" may be 95F or 0F or even greater difference.

 

[Purerock105]

Okie dokie. So far so good. It's been 2 weeks since I aired them up and the DSRT just sits at the WM DC for days at a time. We've had lows in the mid 20's and highs only around 60.

It seems to be that first serious cold freaked them out. Maintaining 32/33.

 

[Purerock105]

Gratuitous DSRT pic...😂 Also had a warehouse guy say "nice truck". That still cracks me up. Truck.

 

[Jimmy N.]

I've heard people refer to S-10s as "trucks", and even Trackhawks.
Must be something in the water.