Friday, November 19, 2010

How much do you know about your car's tyre? Is it safe???

My dream car...


I came across a car magazine and it talks about some very important facts and tips of maintaining the tyres. Shockingly, there are more than 200 people in Britain were killed or seriously injured in year 2009 in crashes where illegal, defective or under0inflated tyres were judged to be a contributory factor in the accidents.


1. Tyres can lose 7 to 14 kpa (1-2 psi) on average per month through natural permeation of air through the tyre.
2. About 90% of vehicles have at least one under-inflated tyre.

3. An under-inflated tyre can reduce tyre life by 50%, reduce braking by 20% and increase fuel consumption by 5%.
4. Drivers should regularly check tyre pressure, at least once a month or once every couple of days when driving for long distances.

5. Remember to use the correct tyres because fitting the wrong tyres on your car would lead to loss of vehicle performance and your speedometer might shown incorrect speed.
6. Wheel alignment- make sure tread wear is even by giving your car a wheel alignment at least every 6 months or 10,000km. ( But, if you feel your steering isnt straight or your car pulls to one side, you should have the wheel alignment checked asap)

7. Pot holes, road irregularities, speed bumps and others may knock your wheels out of alignment. Poor wheel alignment can make the car pull to one side and increase the rate of tyre wear.
8. Rotate your car's tyres regularly ( perhaps every 5000 to 8000km) for better handling, performance and prolonged tyre life. Anyway, this task is best left to your local service centre.

9. Dont forget to check your spare tyre and you may need it one day.
10. Always use tyre valve caps as they assit in maintaining air pressure and keep dirt and moisture out of the valve core. ( oh~ Now only I know their importance, but I think I have lost them and I thought it is easier without them because it is easier for me to inflate my tyres )


Those are some of the facts that I got from the magazine, but for more accurate and suitable car maintainance ways, we should always consult our car service centres.
Safe tyres = safe journey
Take care ......
:P