A tire valve stem is a small, typically metal component found in a vehicle’s tire. It’s responsible for maintaining the correct tire pressure by allowing inflation and deflation. When a valve stem goes bad, it can lead to consistent air pressure loss, ultimately leading to poor tire performance or even failure.

Unbalanced tires might sound like a problem only a car mechanic needs to worry about, but actually, they affect us all. Sure, it may look like all four of your car’s tires are touching the road, but even the slight imbalance can lead to huge problems down the road.

The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) continuously check the ‘health’ of your tires, making sure they have enough air pressure to keep you safe on the road. If anything seems off, they quickly alert you on your car’s dashboard. As reliable as they are, they are prone to a wide array of problems.

For a full-size spare, the pressure should match your regular tires’ recommendation, found on the driver’s side door jamb or in your owner’s manual. The recommended pressure is usually higher due to air loss while in storage for a compact or temporary spare (a.k.a. “donut”).