Auto Care Tips - Tire Safety

Greetings, and may God bless you!


This month's tips are on Tire Safety. Don't let this very important part of your vehicle go overlooked! Properly checking and maintaing your tires can save you money on gas, save your tires from unnecessary wear and tear, and can help to save your life.

Follow these 10 Tire Safety Mesaures:

1. Check your tire pressure monthly. Under-inflated tires are the leading cause of tire damage and failure, and they cost you money on gas - up to five cents per gallon.
2. You can't tell the tire's pressure by just looking at it - you must use the tire pressure guage. The correct amount of tire pressure for your car is listed in your owner's manual, and on the sticker on the door jamb.
3. Check tire pressure when the car hasn't been driven for at least a few hours and the tires are "cold". When you drive your car, the tires will heat up and you will get an inaccurate reading.
4. Don't carry a heavier load in your vehicle than necessary. The extra weight will cause your tires to wear out faster.
5. Rotate your tires every 5,000 - 8,000 miles. Front wheel drives will rotate Front Left to Back Left and Front Right to Back Right, but will criss-cross for Back Left to Front Right and Back Right to Front Left. Rear wheel drives will rotate Back Left to Front Left and Back Right to Front Right and will criss-cross Front Left to Back Right and Front Right to Back Left. Directional Tread Tires are different - they are designed to perform in the direction noted on the sidewall, and are always rotated front to rear only, with no criss-cross, without regard to front - or rear - wheel drive.
6. Check your tire's treads. Take a penny, and insert it in between the treads (with Lincoln's head toward the tire). If you can see the very top of Lincoln's head, the tread is worn down too far, and your tire needs to be replaced. Also, be sure to check for signs of uneven wear - if your tire is more worn in the center or on the edge, please have a professional check to see if it needs to be replaced.
7. When it is time to replace tires, check the owner's manual or the sticker on the door jamb for the correct recommendations (tire size and type, etc.) for your vehicle. Different sizes and types of tires work differently, so for maximum safety and performance, you need the correct kind for your vehicle.
8. When driving in wet weather - slow down. Even with properly maintained tires, your car may still hydroplane if you go through deep enough water that's puddled on the road.
9. If you feel your car start to hydroplane, don't hit the brakes - just take your foot off the accelerator. For manual transmission, you may need to press the clutch pedal and reduce gear, then re-engage clutch after you regain control of the vehicle.
10. Keep a safe distance from other drivers - especially when stopping on wet roads. They may not have properly maintained tires, and may not be able to stop as well as needed.

You can visit tiresafety.com for lots more information on tires. Following the above tips, being aware of the other drivers on the road and not following too closely to the car in front of you, along with watching out for unexpected road conditions will help you to be safer on your journeys.

Send us your questions about auto repair of a mechanical nature, and we'll work to answer them on future blogs! Be safe, and watch out for your neighbors on the road. We love you! And if you're in North Texas and want us to check your vehicle, visit our website (varela.intuitwebsites.com) and send us an e-mail message with your name and phone number and we'll get in touch with you!