Improperly inflated tires can have all sorts of undesirable effects on your vehicle, including lengthened braking distances, reduced fuel economy, increased treadwear, ride and handling problems — and even tire failure. So when we say it's important to regularly ensure that your tires are at the proper pressure, we're not just blowing hot air. Many places that have air pumps, however, charge money to use them, and, let's face it: It sort of sucks to pay for air. So how can you take care of your tires without incurring the cost of inflation?
Related: How To Properly Check and Fill Tires
FreeAirPump.com may be just the breath of fresh air you need. The site has a searchable map of locations across the U.S. and Canada that offer free air for cars and bicycles. The data is user-generated, so the site notes that the map isn't definitive, but it still can be a useful guide for finding free air wherever you happen to be. States like Connecticut and California have laws requiring tire air to be provided for free, at least during business hours or for paying customers, so only bicycle sites are listed for those states.
Locations are searchable by address, city or ZIP code. We tested it to find out how many would come up, and found surprisingly few near Cars.com's headquarters in downtown Chicago. There was only one within a mile of our offices, one more within anything resembling a reasonable driving distance several miles away and about 10 more spread out across nearby suburbs.
You can try it out for yourself here. For our expert advice on car tire maintenance, go here.
Cars.com photo by Evan Sears
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