How to Check Air Pressure in a Tire in a Chevy Impala

If you want to get better gas mileage and ensure the handling you expect from your Chevy Impala, your tires must be inflated to the proper pressure. This used to be a pain because of the tiny read-outs on old-fashioned gauges. Now you can even check the air pressure in your Impala with modern devices like a talking digital tire gauge.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tire gauge

1. Consider getting a talking tire gauge that will speak you the tire pressure reading.

2. Let your Impala tires cool. If your tires are warm when you check them, the results may be skewed because heat makes the air in your tires expand. Wait until a morning when the sun hasn't heated your tires and you haven't driven around.

3. Take off your valve caps from your tires and keep track of them. These are easy to drop, and they usually bounce and roll to a place where you can't find them. Keep them in your pocket for safekeeping.

4. Push your stick gauge or your talking tire gauge onto each valve stem. If you're doing it wrong, you will hear a hissing sound. This means the air in your tires is escaping. Push hard enough and at the right angle to get the proper connection. Press the "On" button on your talking tire gauge, if that's what you're using.

5. Take note of the results your talking tire gauge gives you. You may want to write the numbers down as you go, labeling each number with the corresponding tire.

6. Ensure your tires are filled to the manufacturer's suggested pressure. This can be found on a sticker on the driver's side door. A 2008 Chevy Impala SS comes with tires rated at P235/50R18 97W, which means that each tire can support 1,609 lbs. Bear in mind that weight distribution matters. If you have heavy objects weighing the rear down, those rear tires will be supporting more weight and need to be checked more frequently.