Golf GL 1.8: Tyre Pressures

[notquitecornish]

Afternoon everyone!

Quick couple of questions. I've had my Golf only about 8 weeks (first car etc) and I can't find the page in my user manual which lists tyre pressures (there's no sticker anywhere that I can see).

I remember when I was preparing to move a lot of stuff from Penzance to Bangor that VW suggested 30 psi at the front and 28 psi at the rear when fully laden, but now my car's empty (tends to carry just me!) and the tyres could do with a bit more air.

How much?! What do you reckon I should inflate the tyres to? It's a Golf Mk3 1.8 GL, 90bhp.

Secondly, because I keep getting muddled up: if tyre pressures are a little less than they ought to be, would this lead to more sluggish response from the steering and perhaps cause the car to understeer, or is that a symptom of tyre pressure being too high?

Cheers to everyone who reads the post; a virtual pint to anyone who can help.

[Crasher]

There should be a sticker inside the petrol flap or on the driver’s side "B" pillar. Anyway, the pressures are 29 front and 26 rear but do vary slightly according to tyre size.

[ChickPea57]

Secondly, because I keep getting muddled up: if tyre pressures are a little less than they ought to be, would this lead to more sluggish response from the steering and perhaps cause the car to understeer, or is that a symptom of tyre pressure being too high?

Cheers to everyone who reads the post; a virtual pint to anyone who can help.

If you think about it- under-inflation will make the tyres flatter and less stiff; increasing the contact patch area and also the hysteresis of the sidewalls.

Over-inflation will make the tyres stiffer and reduce the effective contact patch.

So under-inflation -> sluggish, over-inflation -> skittish.

Or- remember "Low is Slow".