Merityre Article Archive

Driving carefully by not over accelerating, braking hard and sharp corning is the best way to extend the life of your car tyres. This article has five other tips to keep your car tyres in good condition:

1. Correct Tyre Pressure

Regularly check your car tyres are not under or over inflated.

Under inflation causes greater flexing of the rubber, increasing the operating temperature and reducing the tyre’s lifespan.  The wear on the edge or shoulder of the tyre is increased and damage can be caused to the vehicle’s suspension when driving over a pothole.

Under inflation also results in poor fuel economy. Increased rolling resistance makes a car engine work harder and uses more fuel.

Over inflation is equally bad by increasing the wear in the centre of a car tyre’s tread; an area important for protecting the tyre against impact damage.

To find the recommended tyre pressure check the owner’s manual or look for a plaque on the inside of the fuel flap.

2. Balance and Alignment

Whenever your car tyres are repaired or replaced make sure they are correctly balanced when remounted on your car. If not this will cause vibrations, increasing tyre wear, damaging suspension and leading to driver fatigue.

Correct alignment is necessary to have the steering, suspension, wheel components and car tyres all working in harmony to achieve the optimum performance from your vehicle.

It doesn’t cost much for your local garage or car tyre specialist to check the vehicle’s balance or alignment.  Without it the resulting cost of repair will be far greater.

3. Inspection

A visual inspection once a month does not take long and is important to maintain your car tyres in a safe condition.

Check the tread depth. Most tyres have a tread wear indicator built into them. Look for a horizontal bar of rubber located between the tread patterns, at a depth of 2mm.  When the height of the tread wears down to the height of this bar it is time to replace your car tyres.

Check the car tyres for any unusual bulges or lumps as these are often a sign of internal damage. Inspect the tread and sidewall rubber for any signs of cracking. If found change the tyre as soon as possible as cracking can cause a blow-out.

Remove any stones and other objects stuck in a car tyre’s tread. If a nail is found embedded in the rubber, do not remove as the tyre will rapidly deflate. Instead take the tyre to a specialist who may be able to repair the puncture.

4. Repairs

Don’t risk driving on a car tyre that is losing pressure. Take it to a specialist who will give the tyre a complete inspection and make the decision whether it can be repaired or replaced.

Driving on a flat tyre for even a short distance will damage it beyond repair.

Never try repairing a car tyre yourself. This should be handled by a trained professional.

5. Tyre Rotation

The weight of a vehicle is not evenly distributed on all of the car tyres. By regularly rotating the tyres their lifespan is extended and uneven car tyre wear is avoided.

Visit a car tyre specialist for further advice and to check the condition of your current car tyres.

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Car tyres inflated to their correct tyre pressure can save the motorists up to 10% on their fuel bill. But a survey by TyreSafe reveals many are ignoring this advice.

The survey coincides with the start of Tyre Safety Month; a campaign to highlight the dangers of driving without the correct tyre pressures.

Maintaining the car manufacturer’s recommended tyre pressure can:

1) Increase safety by improving the vehicle’s braking, steering and accelerating performance.

2) Prolongs the life of a car tyre.

3) Save money by reducing fuel consumption. Under inflated tyres have a larger contact patch with the road surface, which increases drag and causes the car engine to work harder.

4) Have a positive environmental impact by reducing the number of tyres that need to be disposed of and reduce harmful gas emissions from the car engine.

TyreSafe’s advice is to check air pressures at least once a month and always before a long journey. Motorists should use the manufacturer’s recommended tyre pressure. This can be found in the vehicle’s handbook or on a plate inside the fuel filler flap.

While checking air pressure conduct a visual inspection of the car tyre to ensure it is in good condition. Look for cracks or unusual bulges. Stones lodged in the tyre tread should be removed. If in any doubt about the tyre’s condition consult a specialist such as Merityre for a free car tyre check.

It’s a legal requirement to maintain a tread depth of a minimum 1.6mm in a continuous band throughout the central three-quarters of the tread width and over the whole circumference of the tyre. Most tyres have a tread wear indicator. Look for a horizontal bar of rubber located between the tread patterns, at a depth of 2mm. When the height of the tread wears down to the height of this bar it is time to replace the car tyres.

Other tips suggested by TyreSafe include:

1) Check the pressures when the car tyres are cold.

2) Adjust the car tyres pressure when travelling with increased weight from passengers or a heavy load. Towing a trailer or caravan will also require the pressures to be increased. The vehicle’s handbook will advise on the correct tyre pressure required.

3) Don’t forget to check the pressure of the spare tyre.

4) Ensure the pressure gauge used is reliable and accurate.

5) Always replace the dirt free valve cap.

Rob Beddis, TyreSafe chairman, says; ‘By taking just a few minutes every month to check the pressure of each tyre and adjust it to the recommended level, significant improvements to road safety will be made and motorists could also save money through reducing fuel consumption.’

For more information about the TyreSafe campaign visit their website at www.tyresafe.org.

As oil prices continue to rise motorists need to find new ways to reduce fuel consumption. By spending an extra 5 minutes at the petrol station, checking car tyres are inflated to the manufacturer’s recommended pressure, fuel economy can be improved by 10%. This means a saving of £10 a week based on a weekly fuel spend of £100. In a year this adds up to a saving of £520, just by having correct car tyre pressures.

Incorrect car tyres pressure causes higher fuel use in two ways:

• Soft tyres increase rolling resistance on the road.
• If one tyre is a different pressure to the rest then there is an imbalance creating increased tyre resistance.

Both reasons make the car engine work harder and use more fuel.

Car tyre pressure should be checked weekly. Merityre Car Tyres has a useful video, providing tips and guidance on inflating your car tyres correctly.

By maintaining correct car tyre pressures money is also saved by:

• Increasing the life of the car tyre. Soft tyres wear faster and their sidewalls are damaged.
• Improving a car’s performance, especially braking and road handling.
• Avoiding a £2,500 fine per car tyre if they are deemed not roadworthy.

Five other suggestions by the AA for saving fuel consumption are:

1. Keep to the speed limit on motorways. Driving 15mph above the 70 mph speed limit increases fuel consumption by 20-25%.
2. Check the best route for your destination before departing. Listen to radio for updates on traffic jams and road closures.
3. Keep a safe distance from the car ahead. Tailgating causes excessive braking and acceleration, which uses more fuel.
4. Don’t drive with a roof rack as this can add up to 10% on fuel consumption. An open window can also disrupt air flow adding an extra 3-6%.
5. Use air conditioning only when really necessary. It can increase fuel consumption by 11%.

These suggestions and correct car tyre pressures will contribute to a small but significant reduction in fuel costs, benefiting the environment and helping to reduce our carbon footprint.