We are only one week away from Halloween and before we know it the jingle bells will be ringing and the snow will be falling. If you haven’t taken the time to service your vehicle for the winter months ahead, then it’s time to get started! As we know the winter weather won’t wait for anyone, so the sooner you service the better! If your vehicle is in need of some well deserved TLC, be sure to schedule a service appointment with us so you can skip the line later! 

This week we want to inform you about some tips and tricks on how to keep up with your tire maintenance. Your tires are extremely important to the way your vehicle drives during the winter months. If your tire’s PSI is low, if your tire’s tread is low, or the condition/age of your tires is bad/older, you could have issues on the road when the snowy and icy weather hit. Making sure that your tires are in tip-top shape for the winter is not only important for your performance, but also for the safety of you and your passengers. So please take a few minutes to look over the checklist below and be sure to give your tires an inspection. If you’re not sure what you’re looking for or how to check you can find that information below or our team could do it for you. Give yourself peace of mind this winter and service your tires today! 

Checking Your Tire Pressure:

• Use a tire pressure gauge to make sure your tires are properly inflated and then fill your tires with air as needed
• Your owners manual will have the proper PSI for your tires 
•  To check your pressure, remove the valve stem cap, press the gauge head evenly onto the valve stem, use firm pressure so that the hissing sound stops
• Remove the gauge and read the pressure adjust as needed 

Checking Your Tire’s Condition & Age:

• Look at the tread and sidewalls for any cuts, scrapes, punctures, bulges, bumps or cracks. If you see anything suspicious, have a tire service professional take a closer look.
• You also want to keep an eye on your tire’s age. Depending on how much you drive, your tire’s tread may last for years but just because the tread is not worn out does not mean that your tires don’t need to be replaced
• To determine your tire’s age just look at the DOT stamping on the sidewall
• At the end of the DOT stamp, there is a four-digit code that will tell you when the tire was manufactured. 
• Example: A code that looks like 4719 means the tire was manufactured in the 47th week of 2019. 

Checking Your Tire Depth:

• Evaluate the tread depth of your tires to make sure you have enough traction to grip the road
• An easy way to check you tire depth is with the Penny Test
• Just place a penny upside down in your tread. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, it may be time for new tires.