What tire pressure?

[Hurricane434]

What tire pressure does everyone recommend on a 2009 Maxima Sport? I usually aired the tires on my previous 1996 Maxima to around 36. Now that I have these huge 19" rims just wondering what the difference will be and what everyone would recommend? I noticed the maximum psi on the tire shows 51 psi.

Thanks,

[f550maranello2]

does the door sticker not say what psi they need to be at?

DO NOT INFLATE to 50 psi..

[Chio]

I have not checked mine yet but that is a good ????.. on my Audi S4 with 19' i would run 41 street and if i would track my 18's would be about 3psi more

[lightonthehill]

The pressure given on the sidewall of the tire has NO BEARING on proper inflation for any particular vehicle; that is simply the maximum pressure the tire can hold if used in a situation where it is to carry an absolute maximum load (for instance, if used on the back of a truck carrying a heavy cargo).

Actually inflating tires to that level on a Maxima will give a very hard ride, will inflict punishment on the suspension it is not designed to handle, will cause the car to bounce over road irregularities instead of 'track', which can cause loss of control if cornering on an irregular surface, will wear the tread out in the middle of the tire while the shoulder areas still have deep tread, will give a very small 'footprint' (total area of tire in contact with the road), which reduces such things as braking ability, will reduce the tire's ability to flex and absorb sharp blows, such as potholes, and will leave the tire operating in a condition of higher stress at all times.

The tire pressure recommended by Nissan engineeers for best overall performance with the Maxima is posted inside the lid of the center console. The only other places I have ever seen it are on the placard inside the jamb of the driver's door and inside the glove compartment door, but the Maxima uses only the console lid for this info.

I haven't looked inside the console lid on the '09 yet, but would bet it recommends a pressure around 32 or 33 psi. Even this recommended pressure is simply a 'starting point'. Some folks find their 'optimum ride' at pressures below this. One poster here on the ORG (from Texas) found his best ride was at 28 psi. I personally think it would be better to go higher, giving less rolling resistance (slightly better MPG) and better cornering. Many folks feel a higher pressure such as 35 or 36 gives them a feeling of more instant steering response, and slightly better control.

I currently carry 37 all around in my '04, but carefully measure the tread depth across the tread face every few months. If the tread begins wearing out in the middle sooner than at the edges of the tire, then that shortens overall tread life. That is exactly what was happening when I carried 38 psi a year or so ago.

Tire diameter is not related to tire pressure. Optimum psi for a tire is determined by tire profile and design, by the vehicle it is being used on, and how that vehicle is being used. In general, higher presure is slightly better for an aggressive driving style, while lower pressure is slightly better for a comfortable ride.

If I were asked by a friend what would be the best overall psi for use on their Maxima (any year, any generation, any tire size), I would probably recommend 35. If I knew them to be an aggressive driver, I might say 36. I would strongly recommend against anything under 30 or over 38, although some exceptionally aggressive drivers who are not interested in tire life or normal highway performance may go a few pounds higher.

But then we know us Maxima drivers are a very special and very opinionated clique, and nobody can tell us anything.

[jcalabria]

Just downloaded a copy of the '09 Owner's Manual - it shows 33 psi front and rear for all tire sizes and does not list a "high speed" recommendation.

33 psi seems a bit low, especially for the fronts... I have never run any front heavy FWD vehicle with less than 35 in the front and have been running 36 in my '07. I can feel the tire response getting mushy if the pressure drops to 32... way before the TPMS lights up. I also worry about pothole wheel damage running lower pressures with these low-profile tires.

[Chio]

I am running around 38 and it seems to be just right on the sidewalls when pushed i am not rolling over the tire. also the ride is still comfortable

[Hurricane434]

Thanks, I have typically run 36 psi but I will check the inside sticker on the car to see what it recommends.

[MAXIMAK99]

Originally Posted by lightonthehill

The pressure given on the sidewall of the tire has NO BEARING on proper inflation for any particular vehicle; that is simply the maximum pressure the tire can hold if used in a situation where it is to carry an absolute maximum load (for instance, if used on the back of a truck carrying a heavy cargo).

Actually inflating tires to that level on a Maxima will give a very hard ride, will inflict punishment on the suspension it is not designed to handle, will cause the car to bounce over road irregularities instead of 'track', which can cause loss of control if cornering on an irregular surface, will wear the tread out in the middle of the tire while the shoulder areas still have deep tread, will give a very small 'footprint' (total area of tire in contact with the road), which reduces such things as braking ability, will reduce the tire's ability to flex and absorb sharp blows, such as potholes, and will leave the tire operating in a condition of higher stress at all times.

The tire pressure recommended by Nissan engineeers for best overall performance with the Maxima is posted inside the lid of the center console. The only other places I have ever seen it are on the placard inside the jamb of the driver's door and inside the glove compartment door, but the Maxima uses only the console lid for this info.

I haven't looked inside the console lid on the '09 yet, but would bet it recommends a pressure around 32 or 33 psi. Even this recommended pressure is simply a 'starting point'. Some folks find their 'optimum ride' at pressures below this. One poster here on the ORG (from Texas) found his best ride was at 28 psi. I personally think it would be better to go higher, giving less rolling resistance (slightly better MPG) and better cornering. Many folks feel a higher pressure such as 35 or 36 gives them a feeling of more instant steering response, and slightly better control.

I currently carry 37 all around in my '04, but carefully measure the tread depth across the tread face every few months. If the tread begins wearing out in the middle sooner than at the edges of the tire, then that shortens overall tread life. That is exactly what was happening when I carried 38 psi a year or so ago.

Tire diameter is not related to tire pressure. Optimum psi for a tire is determined by tire profile and design, by the vehicle it is being used on, and how that vehicle is being used. In general, higher presure is slightly better for an aggressive driving style, while lower pressure is slightly better for a comfortable ride.

If I were asked by a friend what would be the best overall psi for use on their Maxima (any year, any generation, any tire size), I would probably recommend 35. If I knew them to be an aggressive driver, I might say 36. I would strongly recommend against anything under 30 or over 38, although some exceptionally aggressive drivers who are not interested in tire life or normal highway performance may go a few pounds higher.

But then we know us Maxima drivers are a very special and very opinionated clique, and nobody can tell us anything.

I am really confused now. I currently drive a 4th gen 99, and the plate under the center arm rest recommends 32 PSI for the front and 29 PSI for the rear OEM tires. I no longer have the OEM 16's and am currently running 18's. I have the current ones set to 32 in the front and 30 in the rear, but according to what everyone here has theirs set to it seems I am currently under inflated. Every time my tires have been inflated to anything over 32 PSI my ride feels to bouncy. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[jcalabria]

Originally Posted by MAXIMAK99

I am really confused now. I currently drive a 4th gen 99, and the plate under the center arm rest recommends 32 PSI for the front and 29 PSI for the rear OEM tires. I no longer have the OEM 16's and am currently running 18's. I have the current ones set to 32 in the front and 30 in the rear, but according to what everyone here has theirs set to it seems I am currently under inflated. Every time my tires have been inflated to anything over 32 PSI my ride feels to bouncy. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

I always ran my 4th gen SE's (w/ stock 15" wheels/tires) at 35/33. Anything less and they felt unresponsive and began to wear on the outside edges faster. Handling was always taken priority over ride for me, but I honestly never felt much difference in ride characteristics, only in tire responsiveness (but they were relatively tall 60 series tires). What you are running is not dangerously low or anything like that - your own experience and preferences should tell whether you should bump them up a bit. Definitely would improve mileage and handling, but possibly at the expense of ride comfort if you are hyper-sensitive to it.

Assuming you have some low-profile tires on your 18"s, some added pressure would help protect the wheels as well - there's not much tire there between the tread and the bead/rim and a little extra sidewall stiffness can prevent a bent rim. Personally I would be uncomfortable with less than 36psi, particularly in the front, w/ 50 series or lower profile tires.

[maximadave]

36 is what I've always ran especially in a fwd car with low profile tires

[reb]

TP set at 33 psi on both my FWD cars. FWD Mini van is set at 35 psi.

[lightonthehill]

Originally Posted by MAXIMAK99

I am really confused now. I currently drive a 4th gen 99, and the plate under the center arm rest recommends 32 PSI for the front and 29 PSI for the rear OEM tires. I no longer have the OEM 16's and am currently running 18's. I have the current ones set to 32 in the front and 30 in the rear, but according to what everyone here has theirs set to it seems I am currently under inflated. Every time my tires have been inflated to anything over 32 PSI my ride feels to bouncy. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

MAXIMAK99 - I didn't mean to muddy things for you.

jcalabria's response triggered my 'memory button'. I get the feeling he and I have gone through pretty much similar evolvement when it comes to tires and psi. I seem to recall that I ran 35 front and 33 rear in my '04 (hard to remember sometimes). I do remember running 36 front and 34 rear in my 2000 SE. I am currently running 37 all around on my '04 SL, but probably should lower the rear to 35, as the lighter weight in the rear will not push the tire down to its best running profile at 37 psi, and the tread will wear more in the middle and not on the edges.

In my earlier post above, I gave an 'all around' pressure, not realizing there are other fastidious types like me (and jcalabria) who go to the trouble of having different psi between front and rear, which means adjusting psi all around every time the tires are rotated.

There is nothing wrong with carrying the psi Nissan specifies, but I found their psi gave me less-crisp maneuverability and resulted in the tires wearing out on the shoulder while there was still good tread in the middle. But driving style enters into this, and I do drive rather spiritedly. Just check ocassionally and make sure your tread depth is staying the same acrosss the width of the tire face. Excessive middle wear means you need less air. Excessive shoulder wear means you need more air.

[g35er]

35psi gives me the best feeling of handling for everyday

[spoolin51]

my 09 sport 19" wheels are at 37 psi. Thats what dealer reccommended. They are also now for sale. anyone interested pm me

[STARR]

My 06 is set to 32psi all around, I guess with my aggressive driving when I had them at 35-37 I had more center tread wear and I was not able to push my car around exit/on ramps as hard as I wanted I prefer the softer ride at 32 but I routinely check my tires after a short drive and the hot pressure is up to 35-38

[ronan_zj]

33/32 PSi is the tire pressure at cold condition, like u measure the tire pressure in the morning if u park the car outside, or park the car in the garage over a long time. when u start driving the car, the tire pressure will raise to 35 or 36 because the tire temperature is increased, so I personally consider the required pressure from OM is the choice.

Originally Posted by jcalabria

Just downloaded a copy of the '09 Owner's Manual - it shows 33 psi front and rear for all tire sizes and does not list a "high speed" recommendation.

33 psi seems a bit low, especially for the fronts... I have never run any front heavy FWD vehicle with less than 35 in the front and have been running 36 in my '07. I can feel the tire response getting mushy if the pressure drops to 32... way before the TPMS lights up. I also worry about pothole wheel damage running lower pressures with these low-profile tires.

[lightonthehill]

Originally Posted by ronan_zj

33/32 PSi is the tire pressure at cold condition, like u measure the tire pressure in the morning if u park the car outside, or park the car in the garage over a long time. when u start driving the car, the tire pressure will raise to 35 or 36 because the tire temperature is increased, so I personally consider the required pressure from OM is the choice.

Yes, the console sticker for the 6th gen SE lists 32 psi all around, and for the 6th gen SL lists 33 all around, and the psi goes up while driving. But from 24 years of owning nothing but Maximas, I found carrying the typical Nissan-recommended psi left my car feeling soft and uncertain in sharp corners, and also left the tires wearing out on the shoulders before the middle.

I measure the tread depth in each groove across the face of each tire every few months (and record it), and adjust the pressure as necessary to give even tread wear. For me, this always results in carrying more than the Nissan-recommended pressure. That could be different with someone else's driving style. I am currently at 37psi front and 35 psi rear, but may reduce that by 1 psi all around at my next measuring..

As cold weather arrives, the big drop in ambient temperature will result in tire psi dropping noticably, sometimes as much as three to five pounds. I try to catch this early-on, and bring the psi back to what seems to be my optimum pressure.

A higher psi also improves MPG slightly, but having either a too high or too low psi makes the tires more vulnerable to road damage and uneven tread wear, as well as affecting car handling.

This might be a good place to remind folks that the world's largest valve-stem purveyor (Dill) has recalled millions of valve stems (made under contract in China) that were installed in cars during the last few years. They tend to crack and eventually allow the air to escape. Several wrecks and a fatality have already been attributed to these stems. My Discount Tire dealer replaced mine a few days ago (free of course), and this was a good time to get my free rotation and balance. At least check your stems for any sign of a crack.

[jcalabria]

Originally Posted by ronan_zj

33/32 PSi is the tire pressure at cold condition, like u measure the tire pressure in the morning if u park the car outside, or park the car in the garage over a long time. when u start driving the car, the tire pressure will raise to 35 or 36 because the tire temperature is increased, so I personally consider the required pressure from OM is the choice.

Yes, I am fully aware that it is the cold pressure. 32psi is still too low for any type of decent responsiveness from the tires. I typically stay near the high speed/high load recommendations for all around driving. That's why I found it curious that there was no high-speed recommendation for the 7g.

I don't believe that I have ever run front pressures below 35psi in any car - anything lower and they feel too mushy and insecure. My '07 has mostly been run at 36 up front but I have been playing with 37-38 lately. I think I may drop back to 36 as it seems going that beyond that has not provided any noticeable handling gain and my tire wear was perfectly even before at 36. No noticeable change in fuel mileage, either.

[ronan_zj]

so, today I just tried to pump the pressure to 35psi F&R in the morning, and after 2 hours drive on freeway from San Francisco to Davis( from 2pm to 4pm) I noticed the pressure raised to 40 PSI, so I am scared coz my tire max pressure is 40pis( it says "do not inflate over 40 psi" on it), and I deflated to 38 psi when its hot. So I am really wondering for those people who inflate the pressure to 37psi, what is ur final pressure after a long distance driving?

[irish44j]

Originally Posted by ronan_zj

so, today I just tried to pump the pressure to 35psi F&R in the morning, and after 2 hours drive on freeway from San Francisco to Davis( from 2pm to 4pm) I noticed the pressure raised to 40 PSI, so I am scared coz my tire max pressure is 40pis( it says "do not inflate over 40 psi" on it), and I deflated to 38 psi when its hot. So I am really wondering for those people who inflate the pressure to 37psi, what is ur final pressure after a long distance driving?

as the car drives, the friction of the tire and the road causes heat. The heat causes the air in the tire to expand. It's a natural progression.

The tire pressure in your owners manual (same as printed on the door jamb) is a "cold" measurement - meaning you should inflate to that pressure when the car has not been driven (or driven very far or fast, at least).

Same with the "max pressure" on the tire, which is the max cold pressure.

A tire inflated at, say, 35psi will often go up to around 40ish, especially if you've been driving fast or cornering hard. It's nothing to worry about.

Although the best tire pressure varies depending on what tire you are using, a good general rule is as follows:

For "normal" driving (like your mom would drive) with no cargo or passengers regularly: use pressures in your owner's manual or on door jamb

For "spirited" driving (if you drive fast and corner hard) on a FWD car: go up 3psi in the front and 1psi in the rear. Go up 3psi in the rear if you have a heavy system or carry alot of backseat passengers.

For autocross or track duty: it depends. Consult someone who knows how to use a tire thermometer or shoe polish...

[lightonthehill]

Originally Posted by ronan_zj

so, today I just tried to pump the pressure to 35psi F&R in the morning, and after 2 hours drive on freeway from San Francisco to Davis( from 2pm to 4pm) I noticed the pressure raised to 40 PSI, so I am scared coz my tire max pressure is 40pis( it says "do not inflate over 40 psi" on it), and I deflated to 38 psi when its hot. So I am really wondering for those people who inflate the pressure to 37psi, what is ur final pressure after a long distance driving?

The 'do not inflate' warning on the side of the tire is COLD psi. It is expected that the psi will be rise during driving, and getting to 40 psi when hot for your tires will cause no problem whatsoever.

40 is a little lower than I have seen for a tireside psi. They usually range from around 44 to around 50. After driving at high speeds in hot weather, I have never had my pressure measure over 42 psi (from 37 cold).

But you are fine with 37 psi cold and even a tad over 40 psi when hot. The only thing to watch is to make sure your tires are not wearing faster in the middle of the tread than toward the shoulders, which will happen if your psi is too high for your driving style/conditions.


EDIT - Sorry, Irish; your fine post was not yet up when I began composing my diatribe.

[irish44j]

^^you can never say something too many times around here....

btw, I forgot....for driving in very deep beach sand and mud, deflate by 10-12psi like I did today






(not in the maxima, of course...it couldn't go 2 feet in deep sand!)

[RichG]

Hey All!

New to the forum... but I am also new to the Maxima line of cars. My previous ride was the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder, which was a lease and I just turned that in and got the

2009 Nissan Maxima SV 3.5 in Winter Frost color.

I got the car this past saturday, and I noticed this morning, that the Tire Pressure light came on.

I didn't have time to check the tire pressure because I had to get to work on time today. But why would my light come on already if I've had it on 2 days? I drove it yesterday and it wasn't on. I was wondering if it was because it got cold out over night, and it was really warm here in NY yesterday, if that affected the pressure.

If anyone can help please let me know. I will have to check the pressure later when I get home, but I have a feeling I may have to take this back to the dealership to get this checked out. But then again, i always think the worst of things.

Any information you guys can provide would be great!

Thanks!
-Rich