Show me, tell me question - tyre pressures

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"Tell me where you would find the information for the recommended tyre pressures for this car and how tyre pressures should be checked."

Just explain this to the examiner.

The tyre pressures should be checked once a week and before long journeys.

Check the pressures before you drive, when the tyres are cold. This means buying a gauge, and a footpump.

When you drive, friction heats the tyres up, and the air in the tyre expands. This will raise the pressure, giving a false reading.

The tyre pressures quoted by the car maker are cold tyre pressures. Never let air out of a hot tyre. There are no average tyre pressures, each make and model of car is different.

Look for tyre pressures in the car handbook. Many cars also have a sticker, often inside the door. This car has the information inside the fuel filler cover:

This is a typical pressure gauge:

Look for the valve on the tyre (arrowed). Remove the dust cap.

Press the gauge onto the valve. Note the reading. In this case the pressure is 2.2 bar (a metric unit) or 32 psi (pounds per square inch - a good old fashioned unit). Your manual will probably list both units.

If the pressure is low, attach the footpump the the valve, and pump it up.

• Remember to check the spare tyre - there's no point carrying a flat tyre around with you. You do not have to carry a spare, but if you do, it must be properly inflated - by law.
• If a tyre seems to have lost a lot of air compared to the others, check for punctures. You might have a nail in your tyre.

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