Tire Safety and Maintenance Tips
Filed under: Car Repair
Good tires are tasked with handling environmental road conditions ranging from soaking wet to parched dry surfaces, freezing cold to blistering hot temperatures, and paved asphalt to gravel and dirt roadways. To maximize your safety as well as the useful life of your tires, it is important to check your tires regularly for correct air pressure, tread depth, and wear, balance, rotation, and alignment. We suggest checking your tires on a monthly basis, and more often if driving conditions require it. Here are a few tips to help you do just that:
Problems to Look For When Driving
Is there an odd vibration or thumping noise while driving? These problems may indicate an out of balance tire, a tread flat spot, or a separated belt in tire carcass. If the car pulls to one side, then it could be an underinflated tire, damage, a possible brake problem, or poor wheel alignment.
Inspecting Tread Depth and Wear Patterns
Tires with less than 4/32” of tread depth should be replaced. To inspect your tires’ tread depth, you can use the quarter test. Take a quarter in hand and with Washington’s head facing down, insert the quarter into the tread groove of your tire. If the very top of Washington’s head is visible, you have insufficient tread left on the tire, and you need to replace them. Do this measurement across the tread at the outer edge, center, and inner edge of the tire.
Inspecting Inflation
At least once a month, check the air pressure in your car tires using a quality air gauge measuring in psi (pounds per square inch). Recommended psi for your car’s tires may be found in the owner’s manual, in the decal in the driver door jamb, or in the glove box. Always measure air pressure “cold”, when the car has cooled to ambient temperature after its last use.
Tire rotation
Rotate tires regularly by manufacturer’s instructions. Rotations should occur every 5,000 to 7,000 miles. To promote even wear between front and rear tires, choose a mileage interval and consistently rotate when that interval is met.
If you need professional help with your car maintenance, feel free to contact us at European Autowerks at (951) 225-1131.
