Issue link: https://adspolicy.uberflip.com/i/1436445
www.aarp.org/drive Vehicle Companion Guide 7 TIRES Selecting and properly maintaining your tires will give you the best combination of safety, good fuel mileage, a comfortable ride, and tire longevity. Select the right tire Your owner's manual specifies a tire size that will give you a safe, comfortable ride. Do not mix tire sizes, types, or ages. Select the best tire type for your driving conditions. An all-weather tire is good for driving under average conditions. Consider other types for extreme winter conditions, off-road driving, carrying unusually heavy loads, towing, or high-performance use. Buy newly manufactured tires Every tire has coding on the side of the tire that begins with the letters DOT (Department of Transportation). The last four numbers in this code indicate the year the tire was manufactured and the week within that year. week year Keep the pressure correct The vehicle manufacturer's recommended tire pressure will provide a combination of safety, comfort, and good mileage. Check your owner's manual or the placard on the door post beside the driver's seat. Set when the tires have not been heated up by driving. A good rule of thumb is to adjust pressures monthly, quarterly, or seasonally. Remember that tire pressure changes: X OVER TIME: Tires commonly lose one to three pounds of pressure each month. X WITH TEMPERATURES: Tire pressures will go up or down about one pound for every 10-degree change in outside temperature. Do not depend on the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) to help you know when to add air. The TPMS allows up to a 25% loss of air pressure before it is triggered. You do not want to drive regularly with pressure this low because it will cause damage to the tire and may result in tire failure. If your vehicle is equipped with a TPMS, the tire pressure symbol appears on your dashboard when you turn on your ignition. If the TPMS symbol stays on, the pressure in one or more tires is too low. Check and inflate all your tires to the appropriate level as indicated in your owner's manual. Once the tires have been properly inflated, the symbol will disappear the next time you drive your vehicle. Replace when worn out The tread on your tire allows the tire to push water out of the way and keep contact with the road. As the tread on your tire wears down, the tire becomes less efficient both in the dry and in rainy, snowy, or other slippery conditions and you lose the ability to move water. Skidding and hydroplaning become more likely. Monitor the tread depth and replace your tires when you feel they have worn more than you are comfortable with or when they are no longer legal. Wear bars molded into the tire are bars or raised ridges running across the wide grooves that go around the tire. When the tread wears down to the point it is level with the wear bar, you need to replace the tire. In many states, it is illegal to use tires worn down to the wear bars. worn wear bars Replace when too old As soon as the tire is manufactured, the rubber compound begins to harden and, over time, will become hard enough not to provide enough grip for safe use. Experts generally agree that most tires are safe for only six to seven years from the day they are manufactured.