Winter Tire Pressure ? Should it be different ?

[Seaz]

Hello all.

Im brand new to the forums, just got myself a black on black a4 b7 2006 3.2.

Quick question from a newbie car owner. I just put my winter rubber on (Bridgestone Blizzak LM-60) 17inch.

Do you leave your tire pressure at 35 like you would in the summer or do you use a different setting? (maybe higher)

[Stubek]

little bit higher, but do not exceed the tire specs. remember also, the care will not handle as well on winter tires.

[Kolyan2k]

Hello all.

Im brand new to the forums, just got myself a black on black a4 b7 2006 3.2.

Quick question from a newbie car owner. I just put my winter rubber on (Bridgestone Blizzak LM-60) 17inch.

Do you leave your tire pressure at 35 like you would in the summer or do you use a different setting? (maybe higher)

for winter people tend to use lower tire pressure. this helps the traction on ice and snow. I would used 2-3psi more in summer and whatever is on the sticker in winter.

[akaEsCo01]

for winter people tend to use lower tire pressure. this helps the traction on ice and snow. I would used 2-3psi more in summer and whatever is on the sticker in winter.

It's actually the exact opposite

[Seaz]

So i should run my tires at 37-38 in the winter ?

[Stubek]

you want higher psi, this gives you a smaller contact patch with the ground which means you get more weight onto the ice and snow. The only time you would want to go to lower pressure is if you were in really deep snow, then you want to under inflate as if you were driving a jeep on a beach where having high pressure will make you sink up to the axles.
Really, if it is that deep that having high pressure will sink your Audi to the axles, stay home or sleep under your desk at the office.

[Seaz]

I was also wondering in term of regular dry road driving. The winters in Montreal then to be very cold.

[ABanT]

Just go with the sticker. I've been through winters with the stock conti all seasons and dedicated snow tires and have been fine. I'm in Toronto.

[elwigglero]

Inflate to the door sticker. Coordinate your choice of tire with the season, but always inflate to specs, or they won't wear evenly.

[MisterQuattro]

put them a little higher but like the other member said up top do not exceed the recommended pressure from your owner manual.

And welcome to the forum

[Seaz]

Thanks guys !

[KNaudi]

for winter people tend to use lower tire pressure. this helps the traction on ice and snow. I would used 2-3psi more in summer and whatever is on the sticker in winter.

no they don't and no it doesn't. Smaller contact patch associated with higher pressure leads to the same amount of weight from the car being distributed over the smaller area and, therefore, leads to the tires "digging" in more, exactly the kind of conditions you want for snow/slush.

[Kolyan2k]

no they don't and no it doesn't. Smaller contact patch associated with higher pressure leads to the same amount of weight from the car being distributed over the smaller area and, therefore, leads to the tires "digging" in more, exactly the kind of conditions you want for snow/slush.

might wanna google a bit. its been know for years. and had been done by almost every citizen of my country..which is Russia

"deflate your tires slightly to increase the tire's footprint and provide better traction"

[Kolyan2k]

It's actually the exact opposite

actually its not

[KNaudi]

being Russian gives you credibility?

the only reason you would decrease tire pressure is if you are driving basically on TOP of very deep snow which is not what you do when you are driving on roads. You want to dig through the snow and get down to the pavement.

Maybe in the former USSR, you are driving across the Siberian tundra and there are no roads to speak of, you might need to deflate the tires to ride on top of the snow. But for 99.999% of snow driving in normal life (aka snow on top of a road), you want over inflated tires.

hence why popular advice from every tire manufacturer is "get the narrowest snow tire your rims allow"

[Kolyan2k]

thats a quote. and thats exactly what i said. and its exactly correct.

"Every car has the recommended tire pressures posted on a label, usually
on one of the door posts. This is the pressure you should set the tires
at when they are COLD.

Increasing pressure slightly may sharpen response and make the ride a bit
harsher. Increasing pressure too much will cause the handling to become
'twitchy', and can lead to a loss of control.

Decreasing pressure can lead to a loss of handling. That said, the one
time you might want to decrease pressure is if you are driving in very
deep snow (or soft sand). This can allow the car to float on top of the
snow instead of sinking into it. It is risky because you could damage
the tires or wheels if you continue to drive on low pressure after getting
out of the deep snow. However, if the snow is so deep that you keep
getting stuck, it can be a good emergency measure.
"

[Kolyan2k]

being Russian gives you credibility?

the only reason you would decrease tire pressure is if you are driving basically on TOP of very deep snow which is not what you do when you are driving on roads. You want to dig through the snow and get down to the pavement.

Maybe in the former USSR, you are driving across the Siberian tundra and there are no roads to speak of, you might need to deflate the tires to ride on top of the snow. But for 99.999% of snow driving in normal life (aka snow on top of a road), you want over inflated tires.

hence why popular advice from every tire manufacturer is "get the narrowest snow tire your rims allow"

First time i hear that you need to over inflate tires in snow......(dont know yet if its true).....Everywhere I read years ago and everyone in BMW forum suggested over inflating in summer by a few psi. Thats what I have been doing for past 10 years. And I dont recommend deflating tires, I recommended running "normal" psi in winter vs summer (over inflated)

[JRMSLINEA4]

It's actually the exact opposite

+1 a skinner tire will go through snow better.

[JRMSLINEA4]

actually its not

KOLYAN2K.. you may now retire from this thread. Straight from Tire Rack.


Higher Tire Pressures for Winter Driving
Several vehicle manufacturer's owner's manuals recommend operating winter tires several psi (typically 3-5) higher than their recommended pressures for summer and all-season tires. While none of them actually provide the reason why, there are several scenarios that would support the practice.

First and foremost is that winter tires feature more aggressive tread designs, softer tread compounds and are often molded with deeper beginning tread depths than summer or all-season tires. While the combination of these design elements allows winter tires to remain more pliable in sub-freezing temperatures to provide more traction in snow and on ice, it often results in tires that have somewhat reduced responsiveness to driver input. The 3-5 psi higher recommended inflation pressures increase tire stability and help offset the reduction in responsiveness.

Additionally ambient air temperatures in winter typically range 40- to 50-degrees Fahrenheit colder than typical summer temperatures for the same location. The lower ambient temperatures allow tires to be more efficient at radiating heat and the tires will run cooler, building up less hot tire pressure. In this case, the 3-5 psi higher recommended inflation pressure increase helps offset the reduced hot tire pressures resulting from less heat buildup.

And finally, all tire pressures are intended to be measured cold, which means when the tires are at the same temperature as the air outside. Unfortunately, unless you park your vehicle outside or in an unheated, detached garage, and measure its tire pressures first thing on dark, cold mornings, the influence of attached garages or higher ambient air temperatures later in the day often means that drivers are actually measuring tires that are not completely cold. In this case the 3-5 psi higher recommended inflation pressure increase helps offset the reduced tire pressures associated with the conditions in which the tire pressures are typically measured.

http://www.tirerack.com/winter/tech/...urrentpage=120

[KNaudi]

but, but, but..... he's from Russia

[Kolyan2k]

but, but, but..... he's from Russia

^ dont really know what that supposed to mean......??????

but i did say that i might be wrong to begin with.......i suppose my theory is base on extreme winter conditions.

[Sprode]

I saw a news article on this last winter in Buffalo.

If you are driving on really thick, ie not plowed roads in heavy snow, you are supposed to deflate your tires so you don't sink in and use them sort of like a paddleboat uses its back wheels.

If you are having traction problems on something like an icy road, you want inflated tires so you can get as much pressure as possible.

[supamannn99]

some helpful videos from tirerack

http://www.tirerack.com/videos/index...=23&tab=winter

[Kolyan2k]

some helpful videos from tirerack

http://www.tirerack.com/videos/index...=23&tab=winter

All-Season vs Winter is pretty clear.......i would be more interested to see Studless Winter tires vs High Performance Winter tires.

ex. Dunlop DS-2/3 vs Dunlop M3

[supamannn99]

All-Season vs Winter is pretty clear.......i would be more interested to see Studless Winter tires vs High Performance Winter tires.

ex. Dunlop DS-2/3 vs Dunlop M3

So what's the difference between studless and performance winter tires? I live in SOCAL so I wouldn't know. But i'm curious.

[Kolyan2k]

So what's the difference between studless and performance winter tires? I live in SOCAL so I wouldn't know. But i'm curious.

studless snow/ice tires are made for snow and ice but fall behind on dry or wet road and steering responds. Performance Winter tires are made with snow and ice in mind, but also provide great dry/wet performance, of course its ability to handle ice and snow is not as good. How big the real difference is, I was unable to find on web. Most performance car owners buy Performance winter tires. I previously has Studless Dunlops DS1 or DS2 on my BMW M3 and was pretty impressed driving in snow.

ps. now i have Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 which are performance winter tires, but no snow to run any test yet. and A4 is AWD vs BMW RWD.