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Tire and Car Tips - for more tips please visit www.tiresafety.com or www.rma.org.


Proper tire care and safety is simple and easy. The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) recommends getting in the habit of taking five minutes every month to check your tires, including the spare.

P
Pressure

Underinflation is a tire's #1 Enemy.
It results in unnecessary tire stress, irregular wear, loss of control and accidents. A tire can lose up to half of its air pressure and not appear to be flat!

A
Alignment

Is your vehicle pulling to one side, or shaking?
A bad jolt from hitting a curb or pothole can throw your front end out of alignment and damage your tires. Have a tire dealer check the alignment periodically to ensure that your car is properly aligned.

R
Rotation

Promotes uniform tire wear.
Regularly rotating your vehicle's tires will help you achieve more uniform wear. Unless your vehicle owner's manual has a specific recommendation, the guideline for tire rotation is approximately every 6,000 miles.

T
Tread

Measure it -- and inspect it.
Advanced and unusual wear can reduce the ability of tread to grip the road in adverse conditions. Visually check your tires for uneven wear, looking for high and low areas or unusually smooth areas. Also check for signs of damage.

If you think you may have a tire problem or are unsure of the condition of your tires, consult a tire dealer as soon as possible. Also, check your car's battery for signs of corrosion or cracks. If the battery is the "self-diagnosing" type with an indicator, make sure it is fully charged. An older, weak battery may fail without much warning. If your battery has cracks, the fluid could leak from one or more cells, rendering it too weak to start your car. If you are taking an extended trip, or if your car has not been serviced recently, you should have it checked by a reputable mechanic before leaving. A good mechanic can usually spot the problems in advance, and advise you on how long you can delay a repair and what the consequences of not immediately repairing your car may be.