HELP! Need tire pressure info on Continentals

[BigBore]

I just bought an EXCELLENT condition 2001 Ford Crown Vic LX that has Continental's ContiEcoContact 2 P225/55R17's on them. Great looking tires, and they're basically new. However, there is NO info on required tire pressure for these tires ANYWHERE on the tires! As they were purchased by the previous owner, there's no bill/brochure or anything with the car's manual or paperwork. I've Googled the heck out of everything I can think of, with no luck at all.

Can any tire experts out there give me Conti's recommended tire pressure settings for these (or similar) tires?

The tires look low on the right side, so I need some info ASAP.

Thanks!

[CapriRacer]

First, the proper inflation pressure for your tires is determine by the vehicle manufacturer and is written on a placard that is usually located on a doorpost or in the glove box.

The tire will have written on it somewhere the MAXIMUM pressure, which is not the value you should use unless the placard says so.

But to answer your question: My book say a 2001 Ford Corwn Vic with P235/55R17's ought to be inflated to 35 psi. Find your placard and see if these 2 values match.

BTW, it wouldn't hurt to add 3 to 5 psi to get better fuel economy and better steering response.

[BigBore]

Thanks for the info.

I did find the tire label (finally!) in the passenger side, rear door jamb, an odd place for it compared to every other automobile I've ever owned. It was a little tough to read, but I did see my wheel size - 35 psi.

May I ask, why 3-5 psi? I was always told never to exceed recommended pressure specs on tires, due to:

when they heat up, the pressure could be too much and cause a blowout (it's happened to me, and I don't recommend anyone else going through that - I almost got killed - I was lucky)
it could cause excessive tire wear in the center of the tread, prematurely wearing out the tires

I am curious why a slight overinflation would be recommended. I'm all for better fuel economy with my honkin' V8, and a little better steering response is never a bad thing.

Please elaborate? Thanks.

[CapriRacer]

Originally Posted by BigBore

....May I ask, why 3-5 psi? I was always told never to exceed recommended pressure specs on tires.....

I am hoping you mean the maximum pressure written on the sidewall of the tire and not what the spec is written on the vehicle placard.

If you meant the vehicle placard pressure, I have never heard anyone say that, and it just doesn't make sense.

If you meant what is written on the sidewall of the tire, then that is good general advice, but there are a few exceptions, and having a vehicle with a 35 psi spec and 35 psi max on the tire sidewall would be one of those exceptions.

Originally Posted by BigBore

....due to:

when they heat up, the pressure could be too much and cause a blowout....

No, the tire would have to be greatly overinflated for there to be that kind of cause / effect.

Originally Posted by BigBore

....(it's happened to me, and I don't recommend anyone else going through that - I almost got killed - I was lucky).....

Not to discount your experience, but it is possible to cut even an underinflated tire in such a way that the tire would blowout (lose air rapidly).

Originally Posted by BigBore

....it could cause excessive tire wear in the center of the tread, prematurely wearing out the tires.

I am curious why a slight overinflation would be recommended. I'm all for better fuel economy with my honkin' V8, and a little better steering response is never a bad thing.

Please elaborate? Thanks.

The tread shape of radial tires are relatively insensitive to small pressure changes, due to the stiffness of the belt package. It's been my experience that the sidewall stiffens up much faster that the tread gets round and that imrpoves tire wear. The net effect is that you get more miles even if the tire was unevenly across the tread face.

Hope this helps.