I searched and checked the FAQs but don't see the answer. According to my owner's manual there should be a sticker on near the A pillar on the driver's side but it's not there.
What is the recommended tire pressure?
Thanks.

 

If I remember right, the sticker on my 03 STR is actually on the passenger side A-pillar near the door hinges. Kinda hard to read.

Here are pics of the sticker. What size tires do you have?

 

hmm, on the RHS, like mine. There are all sorts of labels, on various of the places hidden when doors are closed, and some of the info is even useful!

 

Isn't the sticker for original tires on the vehicle?

For example, say if a set of Goodyears came out of the factory on the vehicle and the tire sidewall called for (example) 45 PSI, the door sticker would call for 45 PSI.

Acouple years later, the Goodyears are replaced with say Michelins, and the sidewalls on the Michelins call for 34PSI, do you still go with the door sticker calling for 45PSI?

In all my years of driving and replacing tires, I have always used the "tire manufacturers" recommended PSI stamped on the sidewall. Going this route and routinely checking tire preasures, I have forgone the tire life expectance.

Have I been wrong all these years?

 

That's only max pressure, isn't it?

 

That's correct; many "hyper milers" or folks who usually own hybrids and get a thrill from getting huge MPG numbers have reported you can even go well above the max pressure without incident...My ex was one of those and we had 10psi over the max for about 15K miles without incident...Handling is greatly affected...

 

I've always gone with the door sticker as the guideline, and not the tire sidewall max pressure indicators (assuming tires are the same size - OEM vs. replacements - even knowing that some tires that have the same aspect ratio etc. do vary slightly in actual measured size).

The PSI requirements on the door sticker I use as a starting point for tweaking PSI to my preferences. I constantly adjust the PSI in my Rover and Jeep depending on the load (towing, camping, etc). That is when the max pressure reading on the tire itself comes into play for me.

Rick, I'm not going to say you are wrong, but you are from Cleveland.

 

What he said ^^^

Manufacture recommends XXlbs based on in most cases giving comfort a considerable amount of consideration. Like The Chris X said, it is my starting point as well. Then I usually ADD a few more pounds based on the (kick the tire) method. lol not really but I just kind of use my calibrated eye ball to see how the tire looks, (foot print, bulge...) then after a few drives I use my calibrated buttocks to adjust final air pressure for ride. (Yes I wait until the tires have cooled first) I never exceed the tire specs though. On my truck and trailer I will bump up the PSI when towing to -2lbs max psi.

The most important thing with tires & air pressures is as long as you are within the specs, min and max, of the tire and they are in line with the weight of the vehicle and its performance limits, is consistency. Check you tire pressures often! Make sure you keep a balance L & R.

We all know too low or too high will ware tires out fast. So the trick is finding what pressure gives you good ride, and longevity.

But really I’m nukeing this… so I’m out.

 

Too late for a 'pile on' but ya, the sidewall is the do-not-exceed pressure, not the car manufacturers recommended pressure. The latter always takes precedence.

 

I've used 35 psi. +- a pound here or there. 38 psi in the STR gives it good steering control.

 

It's actually on the passenger side A pillar- for left hand drive cars. Tire pressure varies according to wheel size. What have you got?

 

Thanks. This is my first British car, forgot where the driver sits in one of these across the pond.
FYI the sticker on mine says 31 PSI front and rear for 4 passengers, 38 if loaded down with cargo.
I have Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 235/50R17 on mine.

 

I've always consulted the sticker on the car rather than what's listed on the tires. I see your point though.

 

This is a bit off subject from the "S Type Tire Preasure", but its the only vehicle that I have here at the moment.

I am running Michelin LTXs on the Escalade AWD, 275s x 55 x 20s. The door sticker states these are the correct tire size from factory. It also only gives me 30 PSI as a mininum PSI only. The max sidewall PSI is 44 PSI.

I did a little test yesterday. I dropped PSI to 30, felt like I was running on flats. Upped them to 35 PSI still felt as if I had flats (not to mention the bloated sidewall look).
Increased PSI by 2 at each gas station, I will admit finally around 41 PSI I did start to get the "feel" that I like but the sidewall still looked bloated. Finally back to the 44 PSI that I run.

This is an interesting test that I have never done before, and I will stick to the the max PSI.

 

By all means Rick - if that is where you like the handling/ride to be, then run whatcha like my friend. My Rover lists 29psi for all 4 wheels on the door sticker, and like your experience it feels like the truck is driving in mud all the time. The General Grabbers on the truck have a Max PSI of 50 - which would result in some pretty bad cupping if I ran them at that pressure, even fully laden. So I'm at 36psi all around for normal driving, a good sweet spot. Perhaps a little high, but this thing gets like 12mpg so I'll give up some ride for a little more rolling efficiency.

For your 'Slade, they probably recommend a fairly low PSI for good ride quality since it is a luxury vehicle - they want you to have that Cadillac ride.

 

Just to add some "Blah Blah Blah" to this thread.

Like others have said, the door sticker (required BTW) is the manufacturer recommended pressure. The pressure rating on the tire sidewall is the max safe inflation. Remember, air pressure increases with heat (friction from driving).

The manufacturer rated pressure is usually lower than what a "performance driver" would like since they tend to be conservative. They not only tune the suspension to that spec but also keep it low enough that increases in heat resulting in increases in pressure will not create a dangerous (liable) situation.

Here is where it get kind of funny... The lower the pressure the greater heat that is generated from friction during driving so the greater pressure variance from cold to hot. Also, the "max inflation" rating is a "cold" rating so the tire will handle greater pressure.

Then the load rating comes into play. A lower load rating number requires more air pressure to have the desired sidewall stiffness that a driver may want. Conversely a higher load rating will have a stiffer sidewall therefore require less pressure to maintain the handling that a driver may expect. This is why I usually purchase a tire of greater load rating than is required by the manufacturer. I also find that they tend to last longer (not working as hard).

So, it is safe to say that you could run anything from the car manufacturer's rated pressure all the way to the tire manufacturer's max rating. The secret is finding the pressure that produces the best balance of ride/handling/wear that you are comfortable with. The other secret is to make sure that you maintain even pressure. One tire over or under inflated can really wreak havoc on many levels (think Ford Explorer and Firestone).

Of coarse I'm spoiled.... I have TPMS on the Chrysler, so checking all four tires is a couple of clicks on the steering wheel buttons.....

 

Excellent "blah blah blah" Jeff, as always!

 

You beat me to the "excellent blah blah blah" this time Chris!

BTW Jeff I have the TPMS, but is not as accurate as the ACCUTIRE, half pounds baby!

 

I typically run 36 psi all around. This gives a bit crisper response in handling and still doesn't unduly jar the occupants. S-Types, at least mine, are not particularly plush but are more of a sports sedan than a cruiser.

 

I'm right around your settings as well carelm - I'm at 36 front, 38 rear right now. Been tweaking a bit to see what works the best for getting the rear meats to hook up.