Good morning. This is まさきん.
I previously wrote about my experience from ordering the Model Y L to delivery.
This time, it’s a follow-up. It’s about something I had to deal with myself after taking delivery: tire pressure.
Noticing low pressure on the car’s screen
One day, I was looking at the car’s touchscreen and noticed something.
All four tires were showing a reading lower than the specified pressure. The numbers were around 2.6 to 2.7 bar.
It wasn’t a puncture, just the slow, natural kind of pressure loss that happens over time. Now that stopping by gas stations is no longer part of my routine, I think it’s gotten a little harder to notice changes like this.
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The manual doesn’t give a specific number
When I went to check the specified tire pressure, I was a little puzzled.
Tesla’s official manual doesn’t list an actual bar value. Instead, it just says to check the label on the driver’s side center door pillar.
- The manual text itself doesn’t include a specific pressure figure
- The actual specified pressure is designed to be checked via the door pillar label or the car’s touchscreen
- Measuring and adjusting should be done while the tires are cold
In the end, the quickest way was checking the touchscreen. Going to Controls, then Service, brings up the recommended cold tire pressure for your specific vehicle. For our Model Y L, that was 2.9 bar.
Topping up with a portable compressor
I went ahead and topped up the tires using a portable electric air compressor.
It’s a compact, rechargeable model that can also run off a 12V cigarette lighter socket. It’s designed to stop automatically once it reaches the pressure you set.
Portable compressors seem to have a tendency to overshoot the pressure you set. When I actually topped up the tires, they ended up with more air than I’d aimed for. Several reviews report the same tendency, so it appears to be a known quirk.
Taking this quirk into account, I settled on a routine of deliberately setting the target slightly lower, then doing a final check on the car’s own screen. Rather than trying to hit the exact number, it seems better to work with a bit of margin for error built in.
Turning it into a monthly self-check
Rather than treating this as a one-time fix, I decided to make it a habit.
Once a month, I check the pressure on the touchscreen and top up with the portable compressor if needed. With fewer stops at gas stations, I’ve realized all over again that I need to go out of my way to check this myself.
Improper tire pressure is said to affect not just ride comfort but also driving range. Since EVs are heavier, it seems tires bear a proportionally greater load too.
Wrap-up
Starting from noticing low pressure on the car’s screen, I’ve now worked through how to check the specified value, the compressor’s quirk, and turning it into a monthly habit.
With a gas-powered car, this was something I used to leave to the gas station staff. Switching to an EV has added one more thing I need to keep an eye on myself.
Product specifications and usability can change over time. If you’re actually using one, I’d recommend checking the official manual for your specific vehicle and the product’s instruction manual.
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