Riding on Air Critical Safety and Environmental Information for You and Your Tires
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Critical safety and environmental information for you and your tires Riding on Air Critical safety and environmental information for you and your tires Your vehicle’s tires are engineered When was the to perform safely, day in and day out. But to do their job right, tires last time you need regular maintenance. This checked your pamphlet provides the information tires? you need to maintain your tires properly. Tires are often the most neglected Proper tire maintenance is part of a vehicle. They should be not only critical to the safe checked regularly – at least once operation of your vehicle, but a month. Tires are your only con- will also: tact with the pavement. Without good tires that are properly inflat- • Improve fuel economy; ed, your vehicle won’t accelerate, • Extend tire life; brake or steer properly. Other safety • Provide better vehicle handling; devices such as antilock braking • Help to prevent avoidable systems, traction control systems breakdowns and collisions; and and stability control systems may • Reduce exhaust emissions that not function correctly with tires that contribute to environmental, are not properly inflated. By follow- health and climate change ing a few simple steps, you will problems. increase your own safety. You will also improve on fuel economy and prolong the life of your tires, both Without proper mainte- of which will help to save energy nance, such as correct and therefore reduce your vehicle’s inflation pressure, tires impact on climate change and could suddenly fail, the environment. causing you to lose control of your vehicle. It’s up to you! lnflating your tires The tire and rim assembly is an air chamber that, when inflated to the proper pressure, supports the weight of the vehicle. Since the air pressure supports 95% of the weight, inflation is a critical part of a tire’s ability to perform. You can’t tell if your tires have enough air just by looking at them. Even though they may look fine, they may be underinflated by as much as 20%. According to a recent study, about 70% of the vehicles on Underinflation is the the road in Canada have at least number one enemy of a one tire that is either over or under- tire. Operating an under- inflated by more than 10%. In fact, inflated or overloaded 23% of all vehicles surveyed had at tire at highway speeds least one tire underinflated by 20%. on a warm summer day This represents a real safety issue. is a recipe for tire failure. Underinflation increases rolling • Be sure to measure the resistance, which reduces tread life inflation pressure of and increases fuel consumption. your tires, including It can also lead to sudden tire fail- your spare, at least ure. Without enough air, the sides of once a month. While a tire bend and flex too much. This doing so, take a moment builds up heat, which can cause to ensure that the tire serious damage. Operating a vehicle is securely fastened to with just one tire underinflated by the vehicle. 56 kPa (8 psi) can reduce the life of the tire by 15,000 km and can • Don’t overload increase the vehicle’s fuel your vehicle. consumption by 4%. • Find the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended pressures for Warning: Avoid driving on a your front, rear and spare tires. seriously underinflated tire for The recommended pressures your own safety and to prevent are printed on the vehicle’s damage to the tire. tire information label, which is usually attached to the edge • Remember that tires lose pres- of the driver’s door, the door sure when the air temperature post, the glove box or the fuel gets colder (about 7 kPa or door. If you can’t find the label, 1 psi for every 5°C drop in check your owner’s manual. temperature). Tires may also lose a certain amount of pressure • Use a good-quality gauge to due to their permeability (about measure the pressure of each 14 kPa or 2 psi per month). tire. The pocket gauges sold by automotive supply stores are • Overinflation can be a problem generally more accurate than too. An overinflated tire rides on those on gas station air pumps. just the centre portion of the tread. The smaller contact area • Measure the pressure when your means reduced grip on the road, tires are cold, and don’t forget leading to a harsh ride, handling the spare. Tires will be cold if the issues (such as steering and vehicle has been stationary for stopping problems) and at least three hours or has not increased wear on tires and been driven more than 2 km. suspension components. Be sure to add air to your tires during the winter months. Make certain that both the air pump hose valve and the tire valve are free of snow and other debris that could cause a leak in the tire valve. Don’t forget to put the cap back on the tire valve when you’re done. The tire information label is usually located on the driver’s door or inside the driver’s door frame. Tire pressure gauges sold by automotive supply stores are generally more accurate than those on gas station air pumps. Tires with deep cuts, Inspecting tires for slits, cracks, blisters or bulges are potentially damage and wear dangerous and should Inspect your tires regularly for be replaced. Tires with damage and for signs of exces- treads worn down to sive or uneven wear. Catching the same level as the a problem early could save you tread wear indicator money and prevent a sudden tire 2 (1.5 mm or /32 of failure. Check for embedded stones, an inch in depth) glass or other foreign objects that must be replaced. could work into the tread and cause a leak. Wheel alignment and balancing It’s a good idea to have your wheel alignment checked once a year or if you notice uneven or rapid wear on Uneven tread wear can be caused by improper the inside or outside edges of the wheel alignment or a tire imbalance. tire. If the wheels are misaligned, they may drag instead of rolling freely. This could increase fuel consumption, reduce tire life and cause problems with the vehicle’s handling and ride. Wheels should also be balanced. A tire must be replaced when the tread wears even with the tread wear indicator. If they are out of balance, you may feel a pounding or shaking through the steering wheel or your seat. This pounding could shorten the life of suspension components, lead to uneven tire wear (bald spots) and increase fuel consumption. Tires with cuts, cracks or bulges in the sidewall If you suspect any problem with or tread should be replaced. your tires, have them inspected by an expert who can recommend the best corrective action. Rotating Replacing tires your tires As a tire wears, traction is reduced. Front and back tires usually wear A tire must be replaced when the differently, especially on front wheel tread has worn even with the drive vehicles. They’ll last longer if tread wear indicator. The tread wear you rotate them. indicator is a small raised bar that runs across the grooves of the tire • Rotate your tires according tread, marking the minimum allow- to the vehicle manufacturer’s able tread depth. Normally, there recommendation, found in the are six tread wear indicators spaced owner’s manual. Or talk to your evenly around the tire. For optimum tire professional to find out how traction in wet or snow conditions, – and how often – the tires on replace your tires before they reach your vehicle should be rotated. the minimum tread depth. Common practice is to rotate • New tires should be the same tires approximately every size, and have the same load 10,000 km. capacity and speed rating as the original tires, which will • When mounting the wheels have this information printed on your vehicle, make sure the on them. The size also appears wheel nuts are tightened to the on the tire information label, manufacturer’s specifications. which is usually located on The correct wheel nut tightness the driver’s door or inside the can be found in your owner’s driver’s door frame. manual. • To ensure proper vehicle handling, install the same type of tire on all four wheels. The tread wear indicator • Getting the best value and is a small raised bar performance from new tires that runs across the depends on clearly understand- grooves of the tire tread, ing your vehicle and your own marking the minimum driving needs and being able to allowable tread depth. communicate your needs to a tire professional who can assist with the final decision. Automotive publications and manufacturers’ Web sites provide consumer information that may be useful. You can also visit the Buying Tires section of the Be Tire Smart Web site at www.betiresmart.ca. Register your tires! When you buy new tires, ask your dealer for a copy of the tire registration form. Fill it out and send it in. If there is a recall, the manufac- turer will be able to contact you directly. There are usually six tread wear indicators spaced evenly around the tire Winter tires Look for the peaked mountain with snowflake symbol when shopping for winter tires. Tires marked with this symbol meet specific snow traction performance requirements and have been designed specifically for use in severe snow conditions. The Transport Canada Web site (www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety) contains a list of tires that display the symbol.