How To Check Your Tyres

Added: 22 May 2017

The number of motorists who fail to take good care of their vehicle is on the rise, with many not knowing how to complete basic car maintenance. Your tyres should be checked regularly, they’re the one component of your car that is in constant contact with the road therefore it’s vital you keep them in good condition. Here are our top tyre tips!

Tyre Inspection

There are several things you need to look for when checking your tyres. Firstly looking out for any obvious anomalies such as cuts or bulges, or sharp objects stuck in them such as nails or other items of road debris!

You should also check your tyre pressure is correct, under or over inflated tyres are not only dangerous but also affect fuel consumption. Your vehicle handbook should contain all the information you need to know about what the pressure should be for your tyres, if you aren’t sure speak to your local garage.

Finally you should inspect the tyre tread. Over time the tread on your tyres will wear down, gradually making your tyres less effective on the road. The legal tread limit is 1.6mm, any lower than this could land you in trouble with the police, not to mention the safety aspect! A recent report has suggested that a lot of drivers change their tyres too early, fearing that they’ll go below the legal limit. This is not only expensive but is also bad for the environment. So check your tyre tread regularly to make sure you change them at the right time!

The 20p Test

A quick way to check your tyre tread simply requires a 20p coin. Place the coin in the tread and if you can see the outer band of the coin you know it’s time to change your tyres. This will only give an estimation of the wear on your tyres so be sure to take your car to garage to have the tyres properly inspected.

Pothole Damage

Even the best drivers can get caught out by potholes in the road, and with breakdown callouts associated with these pesky road problems up 63% compared to 2016 we thought it would be a good idea to share with you our top tips on dealing with the damage. Hitting a pothole can cause damage to your tyres, as well as suspension, shock absorbers and steering and even you can’t see any obvious damage it’s best to head straight to the garage to get your vehicle checked over.

Give our aftersales team a call today to book your car in for a service.