If you're like me, over the past few days you've been adding air to your tires. Heck, I had one go completely flat on me, but there was absolutely nothing wrong with it. Chances are your tires are fine, it's just the recent turn in colder temperatures. Why does this happen? There's a very simple explanation.

Air expands when it heats up. Conversely, it also shrinks when it gets cold, thus causing the air pressure in your tires to drop. Air pressure inside tires drops one to two pounds for every 10 degrees of outside temperature, according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association.

OK, technically the air doesn't "shrink", the colder temperatures just cause the molecules to slow down, causing the drop in tire pressure. When heated, the molecules bounce around, creating higher pressure in your tire.

So what can you do? Nothing really, other than having a stack of quarters handy. However, make sure you don't lose too much air because it can break the seal between the tire and the rim and you'll have to get it professionally re-sealed.

 

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