Your tyres are at risk of becoming damaged with every drive you take, thanks to debris on the road that could cause punctures, bad road conditions or just general wear and tear that could run the tyres down. To ensure your vehicle is legal to drive, and safe for yourself and other motorists, we’d recommend you routinely check on the condition of your tyres every two weeks and before every long journey. If you’re not sure what to look for when checking your tyres, not to worry, Citroen-Peugeot Specialists have put together this 3 step checklist to checking your tyres.
Step 1: Tread depth
The minimum legal depth your tyre tread can be is 1.6mm, but this can be hard to gage using just your eyes. If you have a calibrated tread depth gauge, then you’ll be able to check on your tyres regularly, but it’s unlikely that everyone has a gauge at their disposal. If this is the case for you, you can use a 20p coin to check your tread depth in the following way:
- Insert a 20p coin into the tread of your tyre
- The outer band of your coin should be completely covered by the tread of your tyre. If you can see any amount of the outer band, your tyre is too worn down.
- Complete several checks across the entirety of your tyre for a clear indication of how run down your tyres are.
If you can see the outer band of your 20p piece, you will need to take your car to a garage to be checked over by a specialist.
Step 2: Tyre condition
There are many little signs that something is not quite right with your tyres, some of which we’ve listed here:
- Cuts and bulges: Surface cuts and bulges aren’t too much of a problem, but you should check that these issues aren’t deep enough to affect the air pressure of your tyres.
- Stones: Little stones or bits of debris can get caught up in the tyre tread or embedded in the tyre surface. You should remove these, if you can, as the added pressure of a long drive can cause the stones to get too deep into the tyre and potentially cause a puncture.
- Uneven wearing: If your tyres are worn down more in some areas than others, it can be a sign that your tyres aren’t aligned properly. Check your vehicle into your local garage as soon as you can to have them checked over. Citroen-Peugeot Specialists offer full wheel balancing and tracking services with fast turnaround times, so we’ll be happy to help in any way we can.
Step 3: Air pressure
The air pressure of each individual car should be checked against the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendation, which can be found in your vehicle’s handbook. Under or over inflated tyres can result in the tyre tread wearing unevenly and can affect the way your vehicle drives. We’ve got some tips here on checking your car’s air pressure:
- You should check the air pressure of your tyres when the vehicle has been used for less than a two mile journey (or not at all) to ensure they are cold as heat can cause rubber to expand and give an inaccurate reading.
- Increase the air pressure of your vehicle if it is going to be carrying heavy loads. Again, check your manufacturer’s recommendations.
- Check all of your tyres, including the spare.
Air pressure gauges can be found at local petrol stations. To carry out an air pressure check, or to adjust the inflation of your wheels:
- Remove the dustcap from your wheel and attach the end of the pressure gauge to the valve.
- Fully depress the lever and release to get a reading of your tyre’s current level.
- To inflate, hold down the lever for a short while and then release to get an updated reading. Continue until you have the right reading.
- To deflate, half depress the lever. You should hear air escaping. Release after a short period and take a reading. Continue until tyres are correctly deflated.
If your tyres are badly damaged or worn down, you should purchase a new set of wheels as soon as you can to ensure that your vehicle is not only safe to drive, but that it offers a smooth, enjoyable journey.
For high quality tyres in the Finchley, North London area, look no further than Citroen-Peugeot Specialists. With 33 years of industry experience and a wide selection of 4×4, winter, van, branded and all weather and terrain tyres in stock, we can guarantee the right product for you, a quick, efficient service and a perfect fitting. Get in contact today for more information, we’re always happy to help.