No car part undergoes as much wear and tear as the tires. It’s best to keep a close eye on the condition of your tires and have them replaced before they put you at risk of a skid or blowout. Here are five indications that a tire is on its last legs and you’ll need new tires. If you’re in any doubt, you can always ask for a second opinion at your local Lexus dealer in Greenwich, CT.
Losing Too Much Air
It’s recommended that every driver checks their tire pressure once or twice a month. Optimal tire pressure for Lexus vehicles is usually between 32 and 36 pounds per square inch. But this figure depends on your model, so check your owner’s manual to be sure.
While periodically checking your tire pressure, you’ll notice any loss of air. If one tire persistently loses more air than the others, it might point to a hidden puncture. This makes it unsafe to drive on.
Inflate Tires at Your Local Lexus Dealer
If you don’t have an inflation kit at home, you can use the compressed air dispenser at your nearest dealership. All gas stations also have an air dispenser, which you can sometimes use for free.
Embedded Objects
Tires can sometimes pick up objects from the road, such as screws, nails, and pieces of broken glass. If you find such an object embedded in your tire, remove it at once. Any hiss of escaping air or subsequent pressure loss means the object went deep enough to create a puncture.
Blistering Rubber
It might not be obvious, but a blister in the rubber often also indicates a hidden puncture. In this case, bumping over a curb, rock, or pothole has damaged the inner tubing of the tire.
Air has escaped the punctured tubing, becoming trapped under the outer rubber layer, causing the blister to form. A tire damaged like this might blow out while you’re driving and should be replaced.
Deep Cuts or Cracks
Tiny hairline cracks or cuts in the treads or sidewalls of a tire are usually harmless. But if you find a cut or crack that’s over an inch in length and also deep enough to see the layer beneath, then the structural integrity of that tire is compromised.
Low Tread Depth
Tread depth naturally wears down over time. You can slow the excessive tread depth wear of any one tire with periodical tire rotation. But eventually, all well-used tires reach dangerously shallow tread depth.
Once a tire has a tread depth of 2/32 of an inch, it must be replaced by law. A tire this worn no longer has sufficient traction on most road surfaces. If you’re driving on winter roads, it’s unwise to drive with tires under 5/32 of an inch.
Schedule a service today to have your tires inspected, rotated, or replaced at DARCARS Lexus of Greenwich. We strive to offer all our customers a buying and servicing experience as luxurious as our vehicles.
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