Sometimes you can suffer a flat tire in the most inconvenient situations. With no vulcanizer nearby and all you have at home is a bike pump, you might be left with no choice than to use it. So can you pump car tire with bike pump?
Yes, you can use a bike pump to inflate your car. However, the weight and size can exert more stress on the bike pump. Additionally, if you have a manual bike pump, the inflating process can take longer.
This article explains all you need to know about pumping your car tires with a bike pump and how to go about it.
How Much Time Does It Take To Inflate a Car Tire With a Bike Pump?
For a standard manual bike pump, you will need approximately 100 to 350 pumps. By maintaining a consistent pumping speed you will be able to stay at the lower end of the estimated pumps.
An electric bike pump is less energy and time-consuming. The process of inflating a car tire with an electric bike pump will take between 5 to 7 minutes.
If you intend to inflate all four tires with a bike pump, the process can take up to 30 mins or less depending on how deflated the tires are.
How to Inflate a Car Tire with a Bike Pump
Inflating your car tire with a bike pump can be a physically exerting and time-consuming task. Hence you need to get the process right to avoid having to go through it again.
These are steps you can follow to inflate a car tire with a bike pump.
Park On A Flat Surface
To begin, you need to park your car on a flat surface where you can move freely. Also, the flat surface will allow you to effectively gauge the tires when pumping them.
Disconnect the Valve Caps
A tire has a valve cap on the sidewalls that keeps the air from going out. The valve cap comes with a screwing connection so you will need a screwdriver to open it.
Valve caps are small and easy to miss, so you should ensure you keep them in a safe place such as a box or plastic bag.
Determine The Optimal Pressure
You need to know the required pressure for your car tire before pumping it. Manufacturers usually measure the optimal pressure for car tires in terms of Per Square Inch (PSI).
You can check the sticker on the driver’s door for the recommended pressure for your car tires. Alternatively, you can find the PSI on the body of your car’s tire.
Knowing the correct PSI for your car tires will help you to avoid overinflation and underinflation.
Check the Current Tire Pressure with a Gauge
After knowing the recommended PSI for your tire, you will need to check the current pressure to know how much air you need to pump inside the tire. You will require a pressure gauge for this.
All you need to do is to press the gauge inside the valve firmly. Keep pressing the pressure gauge until there’s no air coming out of the tire. The Tire pressure gauge contains a slide reader that will indicate the current time pressure.
Attach The Bike Pump To The Valve
After determining the tire gauge, you can know the amount of air to pump inside the tire. You can then attach the bike’s pumping hose to the tires’ valve. You need to ensure the bike pump valve is firmly secured to the tire’s valve.
It’s normal for you to hear the sound of air escaping the tire when you’re attaching the pump valve to the tire valve. However, press down the pump valve till there’s no air escaping the tire.
Position The Car Jack
It’s vital that you use a car jack when pumping a car tire with a bike pump. The importance of the jack is to take some pressure off the bike pump as the tire begins to inflate.
Position the car jack beside the tire and lift the car. This will allow for a faster and easier job. It will also prevent the heat from the tire pressure to destroy the bike pump.
Pump Up The Car Tires
Pump the car tire in a consistent and fast manner to achieve a good result. Also, check the tire pressure at regular intervals to see if it’s at the right PSI. You should ensure that you don’t exceed the recommended PSI by five pressure levels.
Adjust the Car Tires Pressures
Overinflation and underinflation can occur when pumping your car tire with a bike pump. However, you can fix this by checking the tires pressure with the pressure gauge and either reducing the air or pumping in more air.
You should remember that you’re not to fill the tires with equal amounts of air because doing so will cause the tires to wear off faster. Pumping in the same amount of air can also increase the car’s fuel consumption.
Pump The Remaining Tires
If you’re pumping more than one tire, you can repeat the process for the other tires. Remember to position the car jack next to the tire you’re pumping to reduce the pressure on the bike pump.
After pumping the tires you can reattach the valve caps to the valves and you’re all set.
Conclusion
Desperate times call for desperate measures and sometimes a bike pump is all you have to inflate your car tire. When using a bike pump to inflate your car tire ensure you abide by the safety provisions.
Make sure the PSI is at the recommended level and also ensure you don’t pump the same amount of air into all the tires.
At any rate, remember that using a bike pump to inflate your car is only for emergencies and it’s not something you should make a habit of.
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