Your tires greatly influence your vehicle’s functionality and safety. Maintaining your tires properly is essential for avoiding flats, increasing road safety, and increasing gas mileage. One of the most frequently asked questions regarding tire maintenance is; why do my tires always seem to go flat in the winter?
In this article, we will answer this question for you. Additionally, we will walk you through other related topics.
Why Do Tires Always Seem To Go Flat in the Winter?
There are two main explanations for tires going flat during the winter:
Tires Contract When Exposed to the Cold Temperatures
The rubber of the tires contract when exposed to cold. This is especially true if you are not utilizing winter tires. The contraction of the rubber creates a gap between your tires and the rim, causing air to leak out.
Cold Weather Causes the Pressure Inside the Tires to Decrease
Cold temperatures not only cause the rubber of your tires to contract, but it also causes the air inside it to condense. The low temperatures also cause the air to move more slowly. These two factors lead to reduced air pressure causing your tires to appear as if they are flat.
Is it Typical for Tires to Appear to be Flat?
For several reasons, your tires may appear flat even though they are correctly inflated. Below are some explanations as to why your tires might appear flat even when well-inflated:
Your Tires are Radial
Different tire designs exist. Some tires will flex far more than others. As a result, even though the tire maintains a totally acceptable pressure level, it seems flat. Radial tires are an excellent example of these tires. They will appear to be flat when a car is at rest.
The Weight of the Engine
The majority of automobiles will have an engine in the front. The front tires can, therefore, appear to be flat as a result. Tires, however, are made to withstand this amount of pressure.
Heavy Cargo
Heavy cargo may also cause your tires to appear as if they are flat. The rear tires are the most affected in this case since cargo is primarily stored in the trunk or the space between the second and third rows.
However, this should not cause panic since your car tires are designed to withstand this weight.
The Car Has Remained Idle for Quite Some Time
It should be noted that if a tire is left unattended for more than a few weeks, it will eventually flatten.
It is advised that you drive your car for a brief period each week if you have to let it rest for an extended period to keep the tires in good condition.
Braking On a Snow-Covered Road Graph
Why Do Radial Tires Look Flat All the Time?
Radial tires are tires with cord piles set at a 90-degree angle to the direction of travel. They are among the oldest tires on cars. The first radial tire was released in 1914.
One unique thing about these tires is that even when they are well inflated, they tend to seem flat at the bottom than on the rest of the parts. This is so since radial tires are designed to flex slightly. The tire will therefore appear to be flat even though it is not.
However, if you have doubts about the appearance of your radial tires, it is best to use a pressure gauge to confirm the tire pressure. You can also check the TPMS display screen to see if there are any blinking lights.
Why Do My Front Tires Look Flat All The Time?
If you are kin, you might have observed that many of the vehicles will have what appear to be flat front tires. The weight of the engine and other under-the-hood parts of the car is the primary cause of the front tires appearing flat.
Most vehicles have engines close to the front axle, as you are undoubtedly already aware. This puts a lot of strain on your car’s front tires.
You shouldn’t worry, though.
Most tires are made to withstand the pressure the engine and other car parts put on them.
You should be aware, though, that if your car is inactive for longer than a week, your front tires will get flat. Therefore, even if you don’t plan to use your car every day, you should still get behind the wheel occasionally.
How Does a Tire That is Correctly Inflated Look Like?
Knowing what a well-inflated tire looks like is a good thing.
No matter what tire you have on your car, once it has been properly inflated, the tire should look round.
However, as stated earlier in this article, this might be affected by several factors, such as the tire’s construction, the weight of the car’s engine, and heavy cargo, among other things.
You should, therefore, check the pressure level of your tires if you can’t tell whether they are flat just by looking at them.
The recommended inflation level for most tires is between 30 and 35 psi.
FLAT TIRE AGAIN!! Why Every Winter you have Flat Tires
Why Do Low Profile Tires Appear Flat?
If you have a sports car or a high-performance car, there is a chance that the tires are low-profile tires.
Low-profile tires are tires with a thinner sidewall. This thin sidewall makes them appear “thin” on the rim. To be more precise, a low-profile tire is typically defined as one with an aspect ratio of less than 50.
The sidewall of these tires typically forms a perfect round shape on the rim of a car when the tires are well-inflated. However, since some sports car come with big V8 engines, the weight of these engines can cause the low-profile tires to appear as if they are flat.
However, this should not cause you any worries since the tires are designed to withstand the weight of the engines.
Final Take
We hope this article has answered your question: Why do my tires always seem to go flat in the winter? Cold air causes the rubber to contract, creating a gap between the rim and the tires that causes air to leak. Also, cold air condenses the air inside the tire, lowering its pressure against the tire wall.
