What Do Valve Caps Do?

Have you ever looked at the valve caps on your vehicle’s tires and wondered what do they really do?  Do they keep air from leaking out of your tire?  Do they protect the tire’s valve, or perhaps are they there just to be pretty?  Maybe you went to put air in your tire and found that the valve cap was missing and wondered, does that matter?  Having the proper caps is one more piece of tire safety that will help keep you and your family safe on the road.  Here are a couple tips to help you understand they purpose of valve caps and why you need them.
1 – The primary use for the cap is to prevent dirt and debris from getting into the tire’s air valve. Caps also help maintain proper tire pressure levels.

2 – Will a Tire Lose Air Without a Cap?
You will not lose pressure unless the tire or valve stem is damaged or already leaking, however, over time a tire without a cap can begin to leak. It’s best to replace a lost cap as soon as possible.

3 – How Do You Replace a Valve Cap?
Generally speaking, caps should be replaced every time you rotate your tires or check your air pressure. You can buy tire caps online, at any automotive repair shop or tire store, and at some big box stores. Most valve caps are one-size-fits-all for cars (if you aren’t sure if yours is a standard cap-check your owners manual).

Tire valve caps are often overlooked in car care, but having them on your tires is essential to ensuring the safety of your vehicle.  For optimum performance, tires must have the correct air pressure, tread depth, balance and the wheels of the vehicle must be properly aligned.  For more information on tire safety see our tire safety and maintenance service page.