My "check tire pressure" light came on tonight, which has been the coldest night this winter. Its about 6 degrees. Anyway, I looked at the pressures on the driver information center and they say right front 27, left front 28, left rear 27, right rear 28.

i was looking to see what they are supposed to be at and the tire says max pressure 54psi, the inside of the door jamb says 33psi for the 18's (i have a 09 SS). my first question is which pressure should I use?

my second question is do i need to fill the tires to proper psi when they are cold or have been driven on, or will it matter?

 

Always use the tire pressures recommended on the sticker inside the driver's door jamb. These pressures are set by the car manufacturer as the best compromise of ride, handling, and gas mileage. The 54 psi pressure listed on the tire itself is the maximum the tire can withstand, NOT the tire pressure you should inflate it to! I always use the pressures on the sticker as a starting point, then adjust the pressures for a little more oversteer/less understeer. I work part-time for a large rental car company, and as the weather gets colder we get a LOT more TPMS warnings; if the tire pressure is low enough to activate the TPMS sensor, then it needs more air.

 

for every 10 degrees, the tire pressure changes 1 psi. adjust when cold.

 

^ What he said.

 

I dont know about anyone else, but if i have 33 psi in my 09 SS, it looks like the front tires are wayyy too low, which im more than sure will reduce your tread wear. so i try to keep around 38-40 psi in all tires at all times.
I know it says 33 suggested, but thats just for ride comfort. the car already has a stiffer than normal suspension and an extra 7 psi wont change the ride IMO.
i dont need to run 33 for the traction either, because it doesnt snow where i live, and im not trying to do crazy launches with my car. (good tires will run around $200 each on tirerack, i dont get cheapies).
i had some performance 16's on a cavalier i used to own, and they lasted about 65k miles and i ran those at 42 psi all the time. with rotations every 15k miles those tires wore extremely well and even.
i dont get close to the max pressure but i think that if you run a little more than recommended pressure, you will get longer life out of your tires.
Anyone else?

 

What pressure do people run in their winter tires. stock tires are 205 with 35 psi. Winters are 215 wide. I have 34 psi in them right now.