If you want better gas mileage and proper handling when driving your VW Beetle, you have to check for the proper level of air pressure in your tires. Maintaining the proper gas mileage in your car can improve your gas mileage, increase your level of safety in the vehicle and give you the peace of mind that your tires can properly carry the load.
Procure a tire gauge. A pen or dial tire gauge works perfectly for checking the air pressure in the tires of your VW Beetle.
Leave your Beetle alone for a while. You should never check tires when they're hot. Your tires get hot from friction with the road and even from being left in the sun. This heat will exaggerate the pressure in your tires. Go out in the morning before the heat arrives and before you go anywhere for best results.
Remove the caps from the valve stems. These have a way of rolling away from you, so keep them in a safe place.
Attach the tire gauge to your tire's valve stem. This is where air goes in and out of your tires. You'll hear a lot of hissing, if the gauge is not properly applied.
Push hard and make sure you have the right angle to stop the air from escaping. When you achieve a pressure reading on a pen gauge, the stick pops out showing you the current reading of that tire. When you achieve a pressure reading on a dial gauge, the dial rotates to the current reading of that tire.
Take note of the results and compare them with the recommended pressure levels from VW. For both the standard factory tires (205/55HR16) and the optional (205/55HR17) tires for the New Beetle, the recommended tire pressure for the front and rear tires is 28psi.
Add more air if the reading is too low or remove air if it's too full. Put the caps back on the valve stems.
