By Ellen Lalande
With the passing of Memorial Day, this week kicks off the unofficial start to the summer travel season. Because so many of you will be on the roads, we (aided by the Rubber Manufacturers Association) thought it would be the perfect time to give you a quick refresher course in tire care and maintenance to ensure you don’t get stuck on the side of the road when you should be enjoying your adventures. Here are 3 very important fundamentals you should know about your tires:
1. Checking your tire tread takes less than 5 minutes.
The tread on your tires provides traction and grip when turning corners, and is one of the most crucial systems to keeping you safely on the road. It is also one of the easiest things to check, if you know what to look for. You’re probably familiar with the “Penny Test”, but we have an even easier trick you may not be so familiar with: checking the tire wear bar level.
The tire wear indicator bar can be found in between the tire treads, and is a foolproof way to find out how soon you will need new tires. If you can see the wear bar is below the tread level, you're safe; however, if you notice it's even with the tread, it's time to start shopping.
2. Tire pressure is important, even if you just replaced them.
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| Source: www.nhtsa.gov |
Even new tires require maintenance! On average, tires lose about 1 pound per square inch (psi) every month, and lose an additional 1 psi for every 10-degree drop in temperature. Not sure how much air should be in there to be considered “properly inflated”? Check the labels on your vehicle. These are located on the door post, fuel door, glove box, or in the owner’s manual, and will look like the image on the right.
You should take note, the "cold tire inflation pressure" pertains to tires that have not been driven in at least 3 hours. When you drive on your tires, it generates heat and the air inside expands. If you measure air pressure when the air hasn't settled, you run the risk of having under-inflated tires, leading to reduced gas mileage and increased risk of tire failure.
3. Packing lighter may help save your vacation.
Did you know that overloading your vehicle may lead to excessive heat, tire failure, vehicle damage, and/or injury? I can tell you pretty confidently that before writing this entry, I'd never given much thought to how much my bags weighed, unless I was trying to avoid the excess baggage fee on my next flight.
If you're hauling enough clothes/toiletries/etc. for a long vacation (or just to have a few options each night, amirite ladies?), you may want to glance at that vehicle placard mentioned in #2. The manufacturer load recommendations appear right underneath the seating capacity, and a quick calculation will let you know how much of a margin you have to fit that extra suitcase.
At this point, you may be thinking "Who wants to wait 3 hours to measure my tire pressure?" or "These *sound* simple enough, but I have a lot on my plate trying to plan this family vacation." These are fair statements, and we're happy to help take some of that pressure off of you (see what I did there?)
Let us do the prep work with a complimentary vehicle inspection, or schedule an appointment with us to align and balance your tires before you hit the road. Plus, when you take advantage of our parts & service specials, you'll save some extra cash for that hard-earned vacation and peace of mind.
Additional Resources:
- Rubber Manufacturers Association: www.rma.org
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Tire Safety Information: www.nhtsa.gov
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Ellen joined the Phil Meador family in September of 2013 as the Online Community Manager. Prior to that, she tweeted on behalf of Ford Motor Company, where she developed a passion for helping others navigate the process of finding the right vehicle for them and improving dealer/customer relationships. Ellen moved to Idaho in April of 2013 from Central Florida, and enjoys exploring all the West has to offer.
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