Weekly Car Tip: Car Tire Maintenance

While car tire maintenance may seem like a no-brainer to most people, many basic tasks are overlooked. You may also be surprised to learn about some benefits of making sure that your car tires are in tip-top condition.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that underinflated tires cause more than 600 fatalities and 33,000 injuries every year. So while you may not normally put much thought into where "the rubber meets the road", but it's obviously very crucial to do so. 

So before we go over ways to ensure that your tires are properly maintained, let's highlight the advantages that it will provide you.

First, as already stated, is safety. Even if you manage to escape a blowout situation personally unscathed, there is a good chance that your car (or another car) will suffer damage in an accident. Another benefit is the better fuel economy you get as a result of well-maintained tires. Tires that are in good shape and properly inflated will create less surface area coming in contact with the road, leading to reduced friction and improved fuel economy. Lastly, taking care of your tires will prolong the lifespan of those tires and your car in general. 

So really you can break these benefits up into two categories: health/safety and money saved.

It really is a no-brainer!

So, here are the steps you can take to ensure that your tires are up to par.

1. Check pressure at least once a month and before long trips. Remember to check your tires when they are cool to the touch, to get an accurate measurement of air pressure.
2. To determine the correct air pressure for your tires (measured in pounds per square inch or PSI) check the sticker on the inside of your driver's side doorframe. You can also check the owner's manual or consult your local tire dealer for the proper inflation information.
3. After you remove the valve cap, firmly press a tire gauge onto the valve.
4. Read the gauge to determine if your tires have the correct amount of inflation. If not, add air to achieve the recommended air pressure.
5. If your tire is above the recommended tire pressure or you accidentally overfill it, release air by pushing on the metal stem in the center of the valve with the tire gauge tool, a fingernail, or the tip of a pen. Recheck the pressure until its right.
6. Replace the valve cap when you’re done.
7. Repeat with each tire, and don’t forget the spare. You’ll be glad you checked the spare if you get a flat tire.
8. While you’re checking the pressure, take a moment to give your tires a good inspection. Listen for leaks, check tread wear, check for nails or other objects embedded in the tires, look for cuts or gouges, uneven wear, bulges, tread separation, and other irregularities. These could be signs of potential danger, so contact your local car care professional.
9. Check your tire tread by inserting a penny upside down. If you can see the top of President Lincoln's head, your tire tread is too low.
10. Rotate Your Tires Regularly. Rotating your tires helps achieve a more uniform wear for all tires on your vehicle. Tires should be rotated approximately every 5,000 – 8,000 miles or sooner if signs of irregular or uneven tire wear appear.
11. Balance Your Tires. An unbalanced wheel and tire assembly may create an annoying vibration when you drive on a smooth road and may result in irregular tread wear.
12. Keep Your Tires Aligned. Misalignment of wheels in the front or rear, bent wheels, worn bushings, and other mechanical problems cause uneven and rapid tread wear and should be corrected by a qualified mechanic. 

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Allen Samuels: Car Care Tip of the Week

There are so many simple things that can be done to prolong the life of your car's mechanical features. As the summer heats up, you may not use your heater much — if at all! That can lead to overall degradation of the working parts of the heating system. As mechanical parts just sit there joints lose their lubrication, seals weaken and things just tend to freeze up.

Now, the heater was just one example. The same is true for say, your windshield wipers if it hasn't rained in awhile; your all-wheel drive if you haven't taken it off the pavement lately; and just about any set of moving parts your vehicle may have. It's important to use those features, even when they're not necessarily needed, to keep everything running smoothly.

So that's it for our weekly car tip! Simple but crucial — and something that the average person might not think about. 

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You don't want to have to resort to this come winter time!