Tires

Beyond Black & Round - Demystifying Your Tires

Taking Care of Your Tires

The key to prolonging the life of your tires is properly maintaining them. This means knowing when and how to look for problems.
Regular tire inspection is the best way to prolong the life of your tires, increase your vehicle's fuel efficiency, reduce harmful emissions, save money and most importantly, make your vehicle safer.

Regular tire inspections are also easy, here's how:

1. Check your tire pressure at least once a month with a good tire gauge. Scroll down for step by step instructions on how to do this.
2. If there is unusual tire wear, vehicle pull or vibration is noticed, have alignment and wheel balance checked.
3. Rotate your tires regularly.
4. Monitor treadwear and replace worn tires.
5. Visually scan tires whenever possible for foreign matter in the tread, or other objects that could cause leaks.

Tire Pressure: How to Check and Adjust Air Pressure

Step ONE: Find the recommended inflation pressure for your tires on the vehicle information placard. For most vehicles the tire inflation placard will be found on the driver's door or centre pillar near the door latch. Check your owner's manual for its exact location.
Step TWO: Tire pressure should always be measured when tires are cold. This means your vehicle should be stationary for at least three hours or has not been driven more than 2 km.
Step THREE: Remove valve cap from tire, press tire gauge onto valve and take pressure reading.
Step FOUR: Add or remove air to achieve recommended air pressure. If you need to reduce pressure, release air by depressing the metal stem at the centre of the valve  and re-measure. If more air is needed, take note of the pressure reading, take a second reading and then add air.
Step FIVE: Replace valve cap and repeat for remaining tires, including your spare.

Under-Inflation

Too little air can cause problems such as:

• Too much flexing
• Overheating
• Tire overload
• Unusual wear
• Reduced handling
• Reduced fuel economy

Tire Tip!
Tires will lose pressure when the temperature gets colder. The general rule provided by tire manufacturers is 7kpa or 1psi drop for every 5 degree Celsius or Fahrenheit change, so measuring tire pressures year-round is vital.