Palmiero Toyota Auto Repair Service

Tire Misinformation Can Hurt You!

What you don't know about your tires can definitely hurt you in the wallet and in the safety category as well. You're probably telling yourself that tires are pretty much the same they were 10-20 years ago, but in actuality, they've changed in many ways, including their construction and stability overall.

At Palmiero Toyota Auto Repair Service, we always want to share useful information that can help motorists in Meadville, PA. So, here are some intriguing factoids about your tires that will hopefully help you as you travel along the roads and highways of this country.

All Vehicles Do Not Have Spare Tires

Soare tires used to be the norm, but no longer. Carmakers are looking to save space and improve fuel efficiency and that is why only 33% of all cars made today don’t have a spare tire in their trunk. Instead, what you’ll end up getting is a “temporary mobility kit” that contains a tire sealant and a tire inflator or run-flat tires in place of them. It sounds weird, but that is the reality today and the way carmakers want it. The idea is that when your tire is punctured, simply apply the sealant through the valve stem then use the inflator to re-inflate the tire. The problem is that if the damage is more serious than a small hole (nail size), your mobility kit likely isn’t going to cut it and you’ll have probably end up being towed.  

The Preferred Tire Pressure Is Not Listed On The Tire Sidewall

Fifty percent of all the drivers in this country truly believe that their tire's sidewall is where they should look to locate the optimum tire inflation pressure number for their tires. But these digits on that tire don't have that information. In fact, they tell you only what size and type of tire you have and the maximum cold inflation PSI that the tire is rated for. That data is in fact listed on a label just inside your vehicle’s driver-side door or in your owner’s manual, so look there and take a deep breath.

A Tire-Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Does Not Ensure That Your Tires Are Always Fully Inflated

A Tire-Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) electronically records and displays tire pressure by using a fairly sophisticated gauge, pictogram display or a warning light illuminated on your car's dashboard. The problem with these devices is that they will fool many drivers into thinking that if the warning signal is off, everything is fine. Since a signal is only prompted when tires lose 25% of their inflation pressure, you could be driving on tires that are not inflated enough to cause unnecessary wear, waste fuel and in some cases, decrease cornering ability while increasing stopping distances. So, check your tire pressure every month manually using an old school tire pressure gauge and you'll be tire safe for many years to come!

Sources: Yahoo, AOL and Google