What tyre pressure for Mk 3 Avensis

henke

Hi,

Just got new tyres on Avensis. Size 215/55 17. Now my old tyres were worn and worn worse on the outside on the front tyres. The sticker on the inside of the door says 34/35 but also says 40/41? I had always put them around 34/35. Tyre shop says this wear happens to these Avensis and put them up to 40 or so all around and says they set them as this on these cars. My mechanic reckons this a bit high and does sound high to any car I have ever owned. These are a common car and just curious what to other owners are typically set them as? Could be my imagination but I think the car handles better since setting them to 40.

Thanks.

BlakeS94

I would estimate that the lower number 34/35 is the tyre pressure for an unladen weight, and the higher number 40/41 is for vehicle with laden weight.

I inflate my car tyres to 38psi or so, my vehicles manufacturer recommends 35 for my car, slightly on the higher side of inflation but I do so to reduce rolling resistance and improve MPG, however slight that improvement should be, grossly overinflated tyres will cause uneven treadwear, have a bad effect on handling and can be damaged by impact from stones etc more easily. I think a PSI of 40 while a little high for unladen vehicle, will be fine for you.

As a side note, always check and change your tyre pressure when the car has been sitting for a few hours and the tyres are cold, first thing in the morning is ideal. If you drive to a petrol station to do it the tyres are warm and you'll get a false reading, if you can only do it that way, when your tyres are warm you should inflate them to 3 or 4 PSI above what you usually would as warm tyres will show higher PSI. i.e if you check your tyre pressure after a drive and it shows as 34psi, your cold tyre pressure will be about 30psi, so if you wanted your tyres to be 34psi when cold, you would inflate to 38psi when warm, hope that makes sense.

You can also buy a cheap foot pedal tyre inflator. Does the job and you'll build up your leg muscle in the process. Win,win

henke

Thanks now that is interesting alright. Now I am only 5 mins from the fuel station where I have put the air in before so I dont know how much driving would qualify them as warm. I would guess then maybe when I inflated them to 34/35 before they might actually have been a few psi when lower which might explain the tyre wear consistent with underinflated tyres.

I might take your advice and look for a cheap foot pedal inflator and maybe meet in the middle and set them to 36/37 when cold. Would that be a reasonable idea.

BlakeS94

That's exactly it, 5 minutes is enough for a tyre to get warm, they're being pushed into the ground by the weight of the car as you're driving, creates a lot of surface friction. I picked up a dual cylinder tyre inflator from screwfix for good value a while back, worth checking out

https://www.screwfix.ie/p/maypole-double-barrel-foot-pump/354fy

henke

Thanks for the info that is good to know. Yeah will definitely get a pump and check them in morning time.

■Effects of incorrect tire inflation pressure

Driving with incorrect tire inflation pressure may result in the following:

●Reduced fuel economy

●Reduced driving comfort and poor handling

●Reduced tire life due to wear

●Reduced safety

●Damage to the drive train

If a tire needs frequent inflating, have it checked by any authorized Toyota

dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional.

■Instructions for checking tire inflation pressure

When checking tire inflation pressure, observe the following:

●Check only when the tires are cold.

If your vehicle has been parked for at least 3 hours and has not been driven

for more than 1.5 km or 1 mile, you will get an accurate cold tire inflation

pressure reading.

●Always use a tire pressure gauge.

It is difficult to judge if a tire is properly inflated based only on its appear-

ance.

●It is normal for the tire inflation pressure to be higher after driving as heat is

generated in the tire. Do not reduce tire inflation pressure after driving.

●Passengers and luggage weight should be placed so that the vehicle is bal-

anced.

WARNING

■Proper inflation is critical to save tire performance

Keep your tires properly inflated.

If the tires are not properly inflated, the following conditions may occur

which could lead to an accident resulting in death or serious injury:

●Excessive wear

●Uneven wear

●Poor handling

●Possibility of blowouts resulting from overheated tires

●Air leaking from between tire and wheel

●Wheel deformation and/or tire damage

●Greater possibility of tire damage while driving (due to road hazards,

expansion joints, sharp edges in the road, etc.)

NOTICE

■When inspecting and adjusting tire inflation pressure

Be sure to put the tire valve caps back on.

If a valve cap is not installed, dirt or moisture may get into the valve and

cause an air leak, resulting in decreased tire inflation pressure.