Tire Checks

One of the most important maintenance jobs you can carry out is making sure that your tires are in good condition and up to the job. You should check your tires once a week to make sure they are in good condition, and have them rotated every 6,000 miles. Not only is it dangerous to drive on tires that are incorrectly inflated or in poor condition, but it also wastes fuel.

Checking the Tire Tread and Condition

You can check your tire tread by using a tire gauge. Alternatively, take a penny and pinch Lincoln's body between your thumb and forefinger. Place the coin head first into the grooves of the tread at the point on your tire where the tread is the lowest. If any part of Lincoln's head is obscured by the tread, you're driving within the legal guidelines. If you can see above his head where it says "in God we trust" it means you are ready for a new set of tires.

Some tires are fitted with a tread wear indicator; a raised strip of rubber between the tread pattern; when the tire wears down to the level of the strip, it's time to get it changed. Read on to find out how to change a wheel ...

When you check the tire tread, you should also inspect the tire for wear, cracking, cuts, bulging or objects such as glass or nails embedded in the tread. Always remember to check the spare tire at the same time.

Checking the Tire Pressure

There are three major reasons why it is important to ensure that your tires are inflated to the correct pressure:

1. Safety - over-inflated tires may cause poor road handling, while under-inflated tires can overheat.
2. Efficiency - under-inflated tires need more fuel to maintain the same speed, and both under- and over-inflated tires suffer more damage than those with the correct pressure.
3. Wear and Tear - incorrectly inflated tires wear unevenly and prematurely.

The correct tire pressure for your car will be shown in the owner's manual, and may also be found inside of your vehicle's front right hand door or fuel filler cap. The measurement will usually be shown in psi (pounds per square inch) or bars. It is quite normal for the pressure on front and back tires to be different. You should aim to check the pressure of your tryes (including the spare tire) regularly; at least every two weeks, but preferably every week. Air tends to escape from a tire at the rate of up to two pounds of air every month - more in warm weather.

You should always check pressure when the tires are cold; you will get a falsely high reading if you check them after driving for more than a few minutes. This means that if you drive to a gas station to check and fill your tires, you must wait a few minutes for them to cool down before you test them.

If the pressure is low, connect a pump or an air line at a gas station to inflate the tire to its correct pressure. If the pressure is too high, you can reduce it by pressing the pin in the center of the tire valve to let some air out.

Rotating Your Tires

Rotating your car tires (swapping them to different wheel positions on your car) ensures that you get consistent wear from all of the tires. Your owner's manual will specify how often this should be done; in general, most recommend rotating them every six thousand miles.