Managing Your Car's Problems

3 Essential Tips For Proper Auto Tire Maintenance

Do you own or are you leasing a vehicle? Are you still learning everything you need to do to properly maintain this vehicle? Proper maintenance of a car, truck, or SUV isn't difficult, but it can take some time to learn. One of the most important things you need to know about right away is how to properly inspect and deal with your tires. Unfortunately, many people ignore their tires until they fail catastrophically, resulting in sudden and potentially very costly repairs being needed. In order to avoid this possibility, all you need to do is to learn proper tire care. Some things you need to know include:

Right pressure: Modern vehicles frequently come with sensors that let you know when one of your tires is running low and needs to be inflated. What these sensors may not tell you is exactly how much pressure is still in the tire. For this, it's a good idea to invest in a tire gauge. Taking the pressure is as simple as unscrewing the protective cap from the tire and pressing the correct part of the tire gauge over it. The recommended pressure will be printed somewhere on the side of the tire where you can see it, or you can take your vehicle to a tire shop to ask someone there for assistance. 

Right season: If you've grown up in an area of the country with a warmer climate, you might not be aware that there are seasonal tires for a vehicle. These tires have different amounts of traction that are better or worse for certain types of weather. If you now live in a colder area or you're planning to drive to somewhere that could have snow or ice, then you'll want to go to a tire shop and get tires that are suitable for this type of situation.

Right tread depth: In order to have optimal traction and durability, your tires need to have deep enough treads on them. To see if you need to buy new ones at a tire shop, you can get a tread depth gauge at any auto parts store, or you can use a simple penny to check. Put the penny in the space between the treads so that Abraham Lincoln's head is closest to the tire. The more of his head you can see, the sooner you'll need to replace the tires. If you can see his entire head, it's time to replace your tires as soon as possible.

For more information, visit a local tire shop