How to Check Air Pressure in a Tire in a Toyota Tacoma

Taking care of your tires improves handling and that all-important gas mileage. Toyota provides the information you need to know to maintain your tires. It's your job to check the tires on your Tacoma.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Tire gauge

1. • 1

     Prepare by purchasing a tire pressure gauge. You can find a tire pressure gauge at an auto parts store.

   • 2

     Know that the recommended tire pressure for your Toyota Tacoma is a minimum pressure of 26 psi and a maximum pressure of 36 psi. You can also install an automatic tire pressure kit to your car that checks your tire pressure for you from the comfort of the cab.

   • 3

     Leave your truck alone for at least several hours. You don't want to test the pressure of your tires when they are hot. The air inside will expand with added temperature and skew the results. Test the tires in the morning before you go anywhere.

   • 4

     Remove and keep careful track of the valve stem caps. If you're new to checking your tires, you don't want to find out the hard way that they're very easy to lose.

   • 5

     Push the air pressure gauge onto the valve stems one at a time. If you hear a hissing sound, it means that air is escaping the tire. Push hard enough and at the right angle to get the proper reading. If you're not confident in your memory, write down the results. Repeat these steps on all four tires and the spare.

   • 6

     Verify your measurements against the manufacturer's recommended pressure. A 2008 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 Double Cab with original equipment, for example, comes with tires rated at P245/75R16 109S. The "245" is the width of the tire in millimeters. The "109S" means that each tire will be able to support 2,271 lbs. or 1,030kg. Going over these weight limits increases the burden on tire air pressure and can cause tires to deflate or fail.

   • 7

     Screw the stem valve caps back on the stem valves.