Driving on a Low Pressure Tire

[Finner]

Hey guys,

Quick question. I'm going to be changing from my summers to winters on my Mazda 3 tomorrow manually. I checked the tire pressure of my winters today and one of them is not even registering any pressure but it seems to feel firm. I'm using one of those old school pressure gauges and i imagine it won't even register pressures under a certain level.

Is it okay to drive the 10 blocks on it to add pressure?

Thanks for any help!

[zamler]

No

[Rathji]

Does the tire look flat, even a little bit? If so, then no.

If it doesn't look flat at all, maybe the valve is frozen shut and it isn't showing pressure because no air is coming out.

Btw, buy an electronic tire pressure gauge. I love mine, I won't even let the wife have it for her van.

[Finner]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Does the tire look flat, even a little bit? If so, then no.

If it doesn't look flat at all, maybe the valve is frozen shut and it isn't showing pressure because no air is coming out.

Btw, buy an electronic tire pressure gauge. I love mine, I won't even let the wife have it for her van.

Its not on yet its just sitting in the trunk, but it feels firm. It gives a little when i lean my whole weight on it with my fist, it feels a bit softer then my other winters.

An electric PSI reader would probably be best, i have a feeling the old PSI readers wont work without 15 or 20 PSI.

[Temporary_User]

Fill it up before you put it on?

[Finner]

Thats kind the issue. My summers are just brutal on snow and after nearly killing myself today driving i'd prefer to just put the winters on before i head out and fill up the tire on my way.

Could i run 3 winters and 1 summer for the day and put the one winter on tonight?

Thanks for any help.

[Finner]

Just another note, i had an Acura 1.6 EL that one tire never registered with this particular pressure meter, and i probably drove 30000 KM on it without problem. I'd fill it up once every couple months...the tire never looked flatter then the others, i just assumed it would fall to 15 PSI or something, which is drive-able but lower then what will register.

[Dion]

Check to see if any of your neighbours have one of those portable tire inflaters.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Finner

Thats kind the issue. My summers are just brutal on snow and after nearly killing myself today driving i'd prefer to just put the winters on before i head out and fill up the tire on my way.

Could i run 3 winters and 1 summer for the day and put the one winter on tonight?

Thanks for any help.

I would drive 10 blocks at 10km/h on summer tires before I drove 10 blocks on a tire that could be flat.

Putting 3 winters and 1 summer tire on at once is begging for some strange behaviour, but it is an interesting idea if it would be worse or better than summer tires since at least on summer tires they would all be slipping the same amount.

[DownhillGoat]

Take a cab to the nearest auto parts store, buy a digital pressure gauge and a 12v tire inflator.

Driving 10 blocks on a flat is asking to screw up a rim, or worse.

3 winters and a summer isn't a horrible idea just to get to a gas station to fill up. Personally, if you're mixing and matching, I'd put the winters on the front (I assume the Mazda is a FWD) and leave both rears summer tires until you can fill up. A 3/1 mix might be a bit odd.

Or, 3 winters and the spare tire. Assuming it's a doughnut and not a full size.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Temporary_User

Fill it up before you put it on?

[zamler]

Don't be a puss, tuck that sucker under your arm and walk to the air station.

[Torture]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

3 winters and a summer isn't a horrible idea just to get to a gas station to fill up. Personally, if you're mixing and matching, I'd put the winters on the front (I assume the Mazda is a FWD) and leave both rears summer tires until you can fill up. A 3/1 mix might be a bit odd.

Not a good idea.

If it's RWD you can get away with only 2 winter tires, FWD not so much.

[GreatWhiteEbola]

Put the winters on the front, just drive cautiously. For 20 blocks, you'll be fine.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by Torture

Not a good idea.

If it's RWD you can get away with only 2 winter tires, FWD not so much.

IMO it would be the opposite. A FWD car is all about the front wheels. A RWD car is front heavy so you need good front tires for braking, and good back tires for traction.

[REDVAN]

For a second I thought this was Pinner and not Finner, and I was going to go on a rant.

Since it's Finner, carry on good sir.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by zamler

IMO it would be the opposite. A FWD car is all about the front wheels. A RWD car is front heavy so you need good front tires for braking, and good back tires for traction.

not so. having only 2 winter tires on a FWD car will have you going squirrly in no time, the front having grip with the rear not will cause the ass end to swing out extremely easily, you'd be pretty much screwed on any curved ramp in the snow. and for a RWD car, if you only had 2 winter tires you'd want them on the front as well, with the rear wheels applying torque you might actually have a bit more control than a FWD in the same situation

[ricosuave]

No, thats how you damage a tire (the sidewall, which cant be repaired) and then you will be screwed.

Ask me how I know this...

[Hanni]

How much is not have any weight on the tire going to affect? I know it will make a difference, just not sure how much.

[Ozy_Flame]

Some tires are designed to go flat but still be drivable, at least for a few kilometers (<30 km). See what kind of tires you have and look them up on the 'net. Or call Mazda.