Taking care of your vehicles' tyres

Tyre pressure. Check the pressure in your tyres at least once a month to make certain they are inflated to the recommended levels outlined in the vehicle’s handbook or as instructed by the dealership. Correct tyre pressure reduces the risk of losing control of the vehicle and protects your tyres from premature wear and irreversible damage. Maintaining the correct tyre pressure can even improve fuel efficiency.

Tread depth. Make sure to regularly check the tread depth of your tyres and replace tyres when they are worn. It’s the tread grooves that provide traction and grip, and disperse water from underneath the tyre, helping to maintain control.

Wheel balance and alignment. Balancing and alignment help prevent uneven and rapid tread wear. Balanced tyres eliminate vibration as well as protect the suspension, steering system and bearings of your vehicle. Alignment is one of the key maintenance factors in getting the most wear and performance from your tyres. In addition, wheel alignment provides safe, predictable vehicle control as well as a smooth and comfortable ride free of pulling or vibration, and improved gas mileage. If your tyre has potentially been damaged from things like driving into a curb or pothole, or you have noticed uneven wear on your tyres, you should go to a qualified service technician to have it inspected.

Rim inspection. Check your rims periodically for any signs of damage and try to keep them clean and rust free.

Tyre repair. When a tyre needs repairing, it’s essential to have a qualified service technician remove the tyre from the wheel to inspect it because internal damage is not visible while the tyre is mounted. A  technician will ensure compliance with procedures for assembly, disassembly, balancing and inflation of the tyre, and the replacement of the valve. A technician will make sure the tyre is refitted correctly, optimising handling and comfort.

Tyre replacement. A tyre is composed of various materials and rubber compounds that affect its performance.

Its performance also depends on many other factors such as weather, storage conditions and type of use.

That's why we strongly encourage drivers to regularly inspect their tyres to identify anything that indicates that the tyre needs to be replaced.

The best thing you can do to preserve your tyres is to be a safe driver. Remember that hard acceleration and braking contribute to excessive tyre wear as well as increase fuel consumption. If you learn to drive safely with gentle acceleration and even breaking, you will not only be saving money but lengthening the life of your tyres as well.

For more information on tyres and tyre maintenance, contact Krishna King at Bermuda Motors: 292-0893 or [email protected]. Website: www.bermudamotors.bm.