Maintaining Tire Pressures
Maintaining Tire Pressures
WARNING: Tire pressures should be checked using an accurate pressure gauge when COLD. Under-inflation is the most common cause of tire failures and may result in severe tire cracking, tread separation or “blowout”, with unexpected loss of vehicle control and increased risk of injury.
Each tire, should be checked monthly when cold and inflated to the inflation pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different size than the size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label, you should determine the proper tire inflation pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with an Integrated Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure indicator (telltale) when one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated.
In addition to the TPMS indicator, a second warning indicator illuminates, highlighting the affected tire(s) in amber.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure indicators illuminate, you should stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate them to the proper pressure. See Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).
Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also reduces battery range and tire tread life, and may affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver’s responsibility to maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure indicator.
Checking tire pressures
WARNING: Pressure checks should only be carried out when the tires are COLD. A hot tire at or below recommended cold inflation pressure is dangerously under-inflated.
WARNING: If the vehicle has been parked in strong sunlight or used in high ambient temperatures, do not reduce the tire pressures. Move the vehicle into the shade and allow the tires to cool before checking.
WARNING: Do not exceed the maximum pressure stated on the sidewall of the tire. Over-inflation could cause the tire to fail suddenly.
Check the pressures when the tires are COLD.
Note: A COLD tire is defined as one that has not been driven on for at least 3 hours. Air pressure increases in warm tires and it only takes 1 mile(2 km) of driving to warm the tires sufficiently to affect the tire pressures.
If it is necessary to check the tires when they are warm, you should expect the pressures to have increased. Do not let air out of warm tires in an attempt to match the recommended cold tire pressures.
The recommended COLD tire pressures for your vehicle are shown on the Tire & Loading Information Label. See Tire and Loading Information Label.
Always inflate your tires to the pressures recommended by Fisker even if it is different from the maximum inflation pressure information found on the tire itself.
Adjusting the tire pressure
The following procedure should be used to check and adjust tire pressures:
-
Remove the cap from the valve, then firmly press the tire gauge onto the valve and measure the pressure.
-
If required, add air to reach the correct pressure.
-
Check the pressure by removing the tire gauge and then re-attaching it. Failure to remove and re-attach the gauge to the valve could cause the gauge to show an incorrect reading.
-
If the tire pressure is too high, remove the gauge and release air from the tire by pressing on the metal stem in the center of the valve. Refit the gauge to the valve and check the pressure.
-
Repeat the process, adding or removing air as required until the correct tire pressure is reached.
-
Refit the valve cap.
-
If pressure was adjusted in one or more tires, reset the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). See TPMS reset.
Note: It is an offense in certain countries to drive a vehicle with incorrect tire pressures.
Tire valves
Keep the valve caps screwed down firmly to prevent water or dirt entering the valve. Check the valves for leaks when checking the tire pressures.
Flat spots
If the vehicle is stationary for a long period when the ambient temperature is high, the tires may form flat spots. When the vehicle is driven, these flat spots will cause a vibration which will steadily disappear as the tires warm up and regain their original shape.
Tire pressures during long-term storage
To minimize the possibility and effects of flat spots during storage, the tires may be inflated to the maximum pressure indicated on the tire wall.
WARNING: The tire pressures must be reduced to the correct pressure before the vehicle is driven.