Fall has come and before we know it, it will be gone. Before that happens, it is important to make sure that your vehicle is in tip-top shape for the winter months ahead. If you haven’t started your fall service there is no better time than now! But where should you start? Great question! It’s your lucky day because this week we are talking about your tires and how you can service them for the winter months. Aka a perfect place to start your fall service! Your tires are an extremely important factor in how your vehicle performs in winter weather. It’s no secret that after the snow falls and temperatures drop low, the road conditions can become very bad. If your tires aren’t in good shape you can find yourself slipping and sliding all over the road. To help keep you and your passengers safe this winter, giving all four of your tires a good inspection is important. There are a couple of things you should be looking for before you give them the A-OK. Below you find all the information you’ll need to ensure your vehicle’s tires are up for the winter weather conditions. Checking Your Tire Depth:
- Evaluate the tread depth of your tires to make sure you have enough traction to grip the road
- An easy way to check you tire depth is with the Penny Test
- Just place a penny upside down in your tread. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, it may be time for new tires.
- Use a tire pressure gauge to make sure your tires are properly inflated and then fill your tires with air as needed
- Your owners manual will have the proper PSI for your tiresÂ
- Â To check your pressure, remove the valve stem cap, press the gauge head evenly onto the valve stem, use firm pressure so that the hissing sound stops
- Remove the gauge and read the pressure adjust as neededÂ
- Look at the tread and sidewalls for any cuts, scrapes, punctures, bulges, bumps or cracks. If you see anything suspicious, have a tire service professional take a closer look.
- You also want to keep an eye on your tire’s age. Depending on how much you drive, your tire’s tread may last for years but just because the tread is not worn out does not mean that your tires don’t need to be replaced
- To determine your tire’s age just look at the DOT stamping on the sidewall
- At the end of the DOT stamp, there is a four-digit code that will tell you when the tire was manufactured.Â
- Example: A code that looks like 4719 means the tire was manufactured in the 47th week of 2019Â
