Weather Change Causing Tire Warning

Upper Cumberland residents starting to see tire warning lights come on in cars, a local tire expert said the recent weather change could be the reason.

Local Tire Technician Shannon Moore has been changing tires for 26 years. Moore said with temperatures dropping the air pressure in tires is also dropping.

“Whenever it gets cold out there the moisture sucks air out of the tire,” Moore said. “And if you get heat then heat will gain air in your tire like whenever you are running down the road it would gain a pound. If you just get cold air the moisture sucks the air and it takes a pound of air.”

Moore said if a tire has low air best thing to do is take the car straight to a tire shop. Moore said both new and used tires are vulnerable to losing air from cold weather.

Moore said most time people forget to check the air in their spare tire. Moore said it’s a good idea especially this time of year to routinely check the air in all of the tires. Take a couple of minutes to check your tires, it could save you from having a flat day.

“Used ones and new ones are going to lose air sometimes whenever it gets cold,” Moore said. “It doesn’t matter, as long as you don’t have a hole in your tire it won’t lose air.”

The average person might think tire shops have more business during the cold months due to tires losing air. Moore said that is always the case and sometimes can hurt the industry.

“Sometimes if it gets cold and can pick up,” Moore said. “But no most of the older folks stay inside, so it does hurt tire shops whenever it gets snowing and really cold.”