Tyre pressures for cold weather

[thewilly]

Should they be kept to manufacturers recommendations? Or higher to compensate for the coldness?

Also, while I'm on the topic of tyre pressure why are all the petrol station's inflators out of order? (Tried 7 stations so far)

[flemke]

You compensate for the cold by keeping them at recommended level, which requires adding air as the temp declines.

eta: the reason that the tyre inflaters don't work is that this is Britain, where retail operators don't give a flying fu<k whether you live or die, so long as they've extracted money off you. How many service stations even have a tyre inflater? When was the last time you saw a British service station with a mere bucket of water and squeegee for cleaning a windscreen?
Go to a continental country such as Germany to see these things done properly.

Edited by flemke on Thursday 23 December 11:22

[CraigyMc]

thewilly said:

Should they be kept to manufacturers recommendations? Or higher to compensate for the coldness?

Also, while I'm on the topic of tyre pressure why are all the petrol station's inflators out of order? (Tried 7 stations so far)

Manufacturer's recommendations.

Compressors tend to ice up when left outside in freezing conditions, that's likely why the ones you've visited are faulty.

C

[Starfighter]

CraigyMc said:

thewilly said:

Should they be kept to manufacturers recommendations? Or higher to compensate for the coldness?

Also, while I'm on the topic of tyre pressure why are all the petrol station's inflators out of order? (Tried 7 stations so far)

Manufacturer's recommendations.

Compressors tend to ice up when left outside in freezing conditions, that's likely why the ones you've visited are faulty.

C

It's not the compressor that ices up, its the regulator valve on the outlet side that ices up when the pressure drops in the feed line.

[thewilly]

Ah of course, pressure rises and drops with temperature. Right?

flemke said:

You compensate for the cold by keeping them at recommended level, which requires adding air as the temp declines.

eta: the reason that the tyre inflaters don't work is that this is Britain, where retail operators don't give a flying fu<k whether you live or die, so long as they've extracted money off you. How many service stations even have a tyre inflater?

Edited by flemke on Thursday 23 December 11:22

Nearly all of them I thought!

[flemke]

thewilly said:

Ah of course, pressure rises and drops with temperature. Right?

flemke said:

You compensate for the cold by keeping them at recommended level, which requires adding air as the temp declines.

eta: the reason that the tyre inflaters don't work is that this is Britain, where retail operators don't give a flying fu<k whether you live or die, so long as they've extracted money off you. How many service stations even have a tyre inflater?

Edited by flemke on Thursday 23 December 11:22

Nearly all of them I thought!

Yes, air pressure is positively correlated w temperature.

Nearly all of them? I must go to the wrong stations.