Wartburg · 312 · Rear
Wartburg 312 rear tyres: 32-35 psi / 2.2-2.4 bar
- Drivetrain
- front-wheel drive
- Body
- passenger car
- PSI F / R
- 32-35 / 32-35
- Bar F / R
- 2.2-2.4 / 2.2-2.4
psi rear
34
2.31 bar · 231 kPa at the rear axle
32-35 psi F · 32-35 psi R · 2.2-2.4 / 2.2-2.4 bar · 231/231 kPa
Loaded 312 rears often need the sticker’s second column, not a copy of the front 32-35 psi figure. Under-inflation cooks the shoulders of a 312; over-inflation wears the centre rib and bangs every cat’s eye.
Wartburg 312 placard versus sidewall
The tyre-information placard on a Wartburg 312 sits on the driver’s door pillar (sometimes the fuel-filler flap). Catalogue figures here are a general band: 32-35 / 32-35 psi.
Estimated pressure by tyre size (245/40R18 and others)
Planning cold pressures for sizes often seen on a passenger car. This 312 sample opens with 245/40R18, then 215/55R16 and 195/65R15.
| Tyre size | Front PSI | Rear PSI | Front bar | Rear bar | Front kPa | Rear kPa | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 245/40R18 | — | 36 | — | 2.48 | — | 248 | Wide touring 18-inch |
| 215/55R16 | — | 35 | — | 2.41 | — | 241 | Slightly wider 16-inch |
| 195/65R15 | — | 34 | — | 2.34 | — | 234 | Very common compact |
| 225/45R17 | — | 35 | — | 2.41 | — | 241 | Sport 17-inch |
| 215/50R17 | — | 35 | — | 2.41 | — | 241 | Plus-size 17-inch |
| 205/55R16 | — | 34 | — | 2.34 | — | 234 | Typical mid-compact OEM |
| 185/65R15 | — | 33 | — | 2.28 | — | 228 | Small / older car |
| 225/50R17 | — | 35 | — | 2.41 | — | 241 | Touring 17-inch |
Pressure against load
Load moves the rear of a passenger car first. If the factory placard already has a “laden” column, use that instead of these sketches.
| Condition | Front (est.) | Rear (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Driver only | 34 psi / 2.34 bar | 34 psi / 2.34 bar |
| Full occupancy | 35 psi / 2.41 bar | 36 psi / 2.48 bar |
| Motorway + luggage | 36 psi / 2.48 bar | 38 psi / 2.62 bar |
A family passenger car with a boot full of luggage should use the laden rear figure if Ford, VW or Mercedes printed one. Otherwise the modest steps in the load table are only a sketch for this 312.
How to set the 312
- Park the Wartburg 312 for at least three hours (cold tyres).
- Use a calibrated gauge, not the only meter on a forecourt hose.
- Set the placard for that axle — about 32-35 psi / 2.2-2.4 bar front and 32-35 psi / 2.2-2.4 bar rear on this catalogue row.
- Recheck all four. A 2 psi miss on a front-wheel drive 312 is enough to feel a pull.
- Refit valve caps and reset TPMS if the handbook asks for a relearn.
PSI, bar and kPa
PSI-led conversions for the Wartburg 312 band (32-35 / 32-35).
| PSI | Bar | kPa |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 2.07 | 207 |
| 32 | 2.21 | 221 |
| 33 | 2.28 | 228 |
| 33.5 | 2.31 | 231 |
| 35 | 2.41 | 241 |
| 36 | 2.48 | 248 |
| 38 | 2.62 | 262 |
| 40 | 2.76 | 276 |
| 44 | 3.03 | 303 |
| 50 | 3.45 | 345 |
| 60 | 4.14 | 414 |
Temperature drift
Roughly 1 psi per 5–6 °C. The table uses 34 psi as a 20 °C baseline for this 312.
| Ambient | Gauge (front mid) | Bar | kPa | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| −5 °C (hard frost) | 31 psi | 2.14 bar | 214 kPa | Gauge reads low; do not overfill once warm |
| 0 °C | 32 psi | 2.21 bar | 221 kPa | Gauge reads low; do not overfill once warm |
| 8 °C (UK winter morning) | 33 psi | 2.28 bar | 228 kPa | Gauge reads low; do not overfill once warm |
| 20 °C (set cold here) | 34 psi | 2.34 bar | 234 kPa | Baseline |
| 30 °C | 36 psi | 2.48 bar | 248 kPa | Do not bleed a hot tyre |
| 38 °C (heatwave tarmac) | 37 psi | 2.55 bar | 255 kPa | Do not bleed a hot tyre |
Wartburg notes
No special Wartburg exception: the 312 uses the door-pillar placard. Size estimates on this page only help if you have left the original load index behind.
Spare and inflator kit
A matching full-size spare on the Wartburg 312 usually follows the higher axle (often the rear, near 32-35 psi). A space-saver is commonly 60 psi / 4.1 bar — read that tyre’s own sidewall. An inflator kit is not a spare; check the sealant date.
If the Wartburg sticker and this page disagree, the sticker wins.
Other Wartburg models
Questions about this 312
Front versus rear on the Wartburg 312?
This row is 32-35 F / 32-35 R. Even when they match, a laden rear can justify a higher number if the sticker prints one.
What is that in bar and kPa for the 312?
Mid-points are about 2.31 bar (231 kPa) front and 2.31 bar (231 kPa) rear.
When does TPMS warn on a Wartburg 312?
Direct TPMS typically flags about 25% below placard — near 25 psi on this row. Fill to the sticker, not to the lamp.
Is the sidewall number correct on a Wartburg 312?
No. Sidewall PSI is a maximum. The 312 placard is the operating target, near 32-35/32-35 psi.
What PSI if I plus-size toward 195/65R15?
Keep load index at or above OEM. Low-profile sizes usually stay at or slightly above the placard. Use 245/40R18, 215/55R16 and 195/65R15 as a planning band.
Handbook: placard · bar vs PSI · front vs rear · cold inflation