Winter tyre pressure

A dedicated winter tyre is still inflated to the vehicle placard unless the manufacturer issued a second table for that wheel set. The compound is softer. Neither fact is a licence to run 0.3 bar low for snow.

The real winter job in Britain is temperature. A tyre set correctly in October will be low in January if you never check. TPMS lamps in the first frost are often physics, not nails.

Extra-load winter tyres can carry more at a given pressure; they still want the car’s number unless you changed the axle load. Studded tyres (where legal) follow the same placard.

If you swap to a smaller-diameter winter wheel, confirm load index. A 16-inch winter tyre on a car that wore 18s in summer must still carry the axle.

Store summer tyres inflated, away from ozone and sun. When they go back on in April, set them cold to the placard again.