Follow these simple inspection tips to help you maintain your car tyres in good condition and ensure safety on the road.
Did you know that tyre wear as a result of improper maintenance and driving habits can shorten a tyre’s lifespan and be quite hazardous in an emergency? To get the most out of your tyres’ performance, we recommend following this quick and simple inspection to identify common wear characteristics.
Regularly check to ensure your tyres have the correct air pressure.
First, check your tyres for damage by looking out for any cuts, cracks or bulges and remove any stones or foreign objects that are lodged in the grooves. Uneven tyre wear happens quite often , especially on bad roads, and if not taken care of, could lead to slow punctures or blowouts.
You will know your tyres need replacement when the tread wear indicator is exposed. To check how far your tyre is worn, use a 20 sen coin and put it in the treads over the surface. If you cannot see the word “sen”, the tyre is okay. If you can, you should replace the tyre immediately.
Use the tread wear indicator to check how worn your tyres are.
While driving, feel for wobbling or vibrations at certain speeds caused by unbalanced rims. This typically leads to premature tyre wear or causes driver fatigue. If you feel your car start to vibrate, get your service centre to check the wheels on a balancing machine.
You can also check tyre pressures weekly and ensure that you are inflating the tyres with the correct air pressure as recommended in your vehicle handbook. The right amount of air pressure will not only give you better fuel mileage but also enhances vehicle handling. Note that new tyres tend to expand during the initial period, decreasing its inner pressure. Frequent checking will help you keep your tyres properly inflated.
Finally, do bear in mind that wheel alignment and balancing should be done whenever a tyre show signs of irregular or excessive wear, or at every 10,000 kms travelled. You will know that your car is out of alignment when the car pulls away from a straight line and into another lane.
Use the tread wear indicator to check how worn your tyres are.