Save Money on Fuel by Checking Your Tyre Pressures!

Did you know that having under-inflated tyres affects the handling and grip of your vehicle which can cause it to behave in an irregular or unpredictable way? Furthermore it means that you have a much higher chance of suffering a dangerous blowout, especially on long distance high speed journeys. The tread on your tyres will also wear unevenly if it is over or under inflated and you will need to have them replaced more often.

 By keeping your tyres at the correct pressure your running costs will be reduced as you will save money on fuel. Under inflated tyres require more force to make them turn, and therefore… more fuel.

So… Where do you find the correct tyre pressure for your vehicle? Well there are a number of places to check this. Your vehicle user manual is usually a good place to start as this should also provide information on how much extra pressure you need if you are carrying a heavy load/trailer or if you are going to be travelling at a high speed for a long time.

 Other places it may be are on a label on the front door posts of your car, or on the back of the fuel cap cover. You can also check online at www.tyresafe.org/tyre-safety/tyre-pressure-check.

Now that you know the right pressure for your tyres you need to check that they are correct. To do this you will need some form of tyre pressure gauge like a foot pump or a digital pressure reader (all available at your local car parts store). Remove the dust cover on your valve and attach the gauge.

If your tyres are over inflated…

·         Let some air out by pressing the core of the valve in using a match (or something similar).

·         Deflate the tyre in short bursts and check regularly to ensure you don’t let too much out.

If your tyres are under inflated…

·         Ideally you should inflate your tyres when they are cold as a warm tyre can increase in pressure by 2psi (pounds per square inch).

·         Use a foot pump, plug in a 12v inflator, or use your local fuel stations tyre pressure inflator (these should have charts with all vehicle tyre pressures on them).

Make sure you check all of your tyres, including the spare! Once your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure, put the dust cap back on and you should be ready to go!

At all of our Merityre branches we offer Nitrogen Inflation. By filling your tyres with Nitrogen, they will maintain their correct pressure for longer as Nitrogen doesn’t leak through the tyre’s structure. Normal compressed air consists of mostly oxygen and water vapour, both of which permeate through the tyre casing. By filling your tyres with Nitrogen you will get:

·         Better road holding

·         Longer tread life – up to 25% increase

·         Reduced fuel consumption – Up to 5% reduction

·         No corrosion to the inside of the wheel.

 

You should check your tyre pressures at least once a month, before you go on long journeys, or whenever your vehicle is carrying heavy loads. If you are unsure of anything or would like help, bring your vehicle to your local Merityre branch http://www.merityre.co.uk/find_a_centre.htm and we’ll be happy to do it for you, completely free of charge. 

Checking your tyres… what.. why.. when.. and how…??

WHAT…

So.. How many of you actually know what you’re looking for when you check your tyres? I’ll be the first to admit that before I started working at Merityre I had no idea that the tread on your tyre could wear unevenly, or that you could actually repair a puncture rather than having to buy a brand new tyre. Well in this entry I will try to explain exactly what to look for when you check your tyres.

WHY…

It should go without saying that your tyres are a fundamental part of your vehicle as they are the only parts which have contact with the road (hopefully)!! It is therefore incredibly important that your tyres are in a safe and working condition when driving yourself/friends/family or anyone else around. You never know how many times your tyres may have saved you and your vehicle from serious accidents or damage already.

Did you know that WORN TYRES:

·         Are unsafe

·         Do not give you the adhesion to stay safe on the road

·         Can be illegal… Penalty points here we come

·         Can burst, leading to serious accidents

·         Increase fuel consumption!

·         Pick up foreign objects more easily which can lead to punctures

·         Can lead to other more serious problems with your car

·         Can increase the possibility of prosecution after an accident and increase insurance premiums.

·         Will give you an uncomfortable ride

WHEN…

So firstly, when should you check your tyres? Well there isn’t really a set amount of time between when you should do checks, but we would recommend every week, and before undertaking any long journeys. This means that if you do have any problems, you will spot them quickly and hopefully avoid driving around on potentially dangerous tyres.

HOW…

The first step is to turn on your engine (with the handbrake on and out of gear), and turn the steering wheel so it locks on one side, then turn the engine off again (this will depend if your vehicle has power steering). This allows you to see the full breadth of the tread on your front tyres which is important as it allows you to notice if there is any uneven wear across the tyre.

(Many modern vehicle tyres are very wide and the innermost edge of these can wear right down while the outside edge can appear faultless. This can also occur on tyres if the steering and suspension alignment is out on the vehicle. It is very important to check the full width of the tread!)

LOOK FOR…

·         Now you check your tread depth. The easiest way to do this is using a tread depth gauge, but if you don’t have one of these you can use the tread wear indicators which are located within the grooves of the treaded part of the tyre. These are small raised blocks about 10mm in length and 2mm in height which are situated all around the tyre (so you should be able to find them). The legal limit for tread depth is 1.6mm and the indicators are raised to 1.6mm to 2mm. Therefore if any part of the tread area is running flush with the indicators, your tyre has worn to its lowest level and needs replacing.

 

·         You need to make sure that you check as much of the circumference of the tyre as possible as sometimes one section of the tread will be fine, and another section will be worn. This may mean that the tyre is distorted. You need to check for any material degradation in the tyre, for example cracking and perishing.  At the same time look for any deep or long cuts and any foreign objects. Your car drives over lots of different surfaces so you may see bits of stones here and there, but any object which does not come out easily may have penetrated the tyre and be causing pressure loss (puncture).

 

·         Now have a look at the side walls of the tyres. The side walls are prone to damage from impacts, chafing against curbs, under inflation and tearing. You will be looking for cuts, abrasions or missing rubber. When a tyre has a puncture or has been run under inflated for a while it can cause pinching between the wheel and the road surface (run flat damage). This can be seen as an abrasion mark running the entire circumference and worn letters and numbers on the side walls. When this occurs your tyre will need replacing.

 

·         Bulges can be detected by running the flat of your hand over the entire surface of your sidewall. A bulge represents serious damage to the structural integrity of the tyre.

 

·         In the outer rim of the wheel you will find the valve. Check this carefully for any deterioration of the material. Ensure caps are fitted. By moving the valve stem from side to side, look for cracking of the rubber around the base.

Repeat all of these processes for each tyre and don’t forget the spare!

So, for a quick recap:

Your tyres need attention if they have:

·         Low tread depth

·         Deterioration of the rubber (cracking or perishing)

·         Uneven tread wear (distortion of tyre)

·         Deep cuts or sections of tread missing

·         Embedded foreign objects

·         Side wall damage and bulges

·         Damaged or worn valves

So.. Now you know why it is so important to check your tyres, and not just the tread depth, but the whole tyre. If you find this all a bit too much, then just bring your car to your local Merityre Branch www.merityre.co.uk/find_a_centre.htm and we’ll do it for you absolutely free. We will also give you advice on when you may need new tyres and give you a Merityre Tyre Check Report on their condition. You can also have a FREE Wheel Alignment check which will show up any problems and help to prevent your tyres from wearing unevenly.

For information about our Club Card Plus, go to our website at www.merityre.co.uk or ask at your local branch.

The next entry will explain how to check tyre pressures.

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Top Ten Car Tyre Tips

Car tyres don't generally ask too much of you. However, neglecting them can prove expensive and, in some circumstances, dangerous. These ten tips will enhance car tyre life, reduce your spending and perhaps save your life.

1. The wrong car tyre pressure is costly. Running on overinflated tyres accelerates wear and reduces both grip and ride comfort. Underinflated tyres also wear more quickly, and can worsen fuel economy by as much as ten percent. Check your tyre pressures regularly.

2. Cuts in car tyres are obvious. Lumps or bulges may be less so but they tend to indicate damage inside the car tyre's carcass. Check for any such damage while correcting tyre pressures. If in any doubt, avoid the risk of a blowout by having a tyre specialist examine the damage.

3. A spare wheel with a flat tyre is worse than useless. Check the spare tyre pressure regularly, unless you have run flat tyres or an onboard tyre pump and repair kit. Remember that space saver spare tyres generally have speed and distance restrictions.

4. If, at car tyre checking time, you find a stone embedded in a tyre tread, you can lever it out before it causes damage. However, if you find a nail in a tyre, leave it alone. The nail will be temporarily keeping the air in – have a tyre specialist take a look. He may be able to repair the tyre.

5. While using the tyre inflator at a garage, or a tyre pump at home, look after the tyre valve dust caps. They keep dirt and grit away from the delicate valves, and are a line of defence against tyre pressure loss. Always put them back carefully.

6. Potholes can damage more than your car tyres. Hit a large one hard enough and you could be facing a bill for the repair or replacement of one or more wheels. Should you be unlucky enough to encounter a big pothole and suspect damage has occurred, stop and examine the affected wheel(s) and tyre(s).

7. Never straddle a speed bump. Instead, let the wheels on one side of your car pass over the bump. This will prevent damage to your car's tyres, steering and suspension. When negotiating speed bumps and road-width speed pads, slow down or face the cost of repairs.

8. When you're manoeuvering, curb your enthusiasm so you don't kerb your car tyres. Kerb impacts can wreck not only tyres, they can scratch, chip and even dent your car's wheels. Steering misalignment can also result from kerbing.

9. Keep your car in a garage, if you can. Car tyres suffer from prolonged exposure to ultra violet light. This leads to cracking and crazing of the car tyre sidewalls' structure.

10. When the time to buy replacement tyres rolls around, think about replacing all four. Should this be too costly, always have new tyres fitted in pairs. It's accepted that the new tyres should be fitted to the rear wheels.

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Merityre.co.uk are one of the leading UK independent suppliers of car tyres. Why not visit their website for an online tyre quote or contact your nearest fitting centre.

The Car Tyre Deal Of The Decade?

In these grim financial times, making a good deal is practically compulsory. Here is news of a deal which can save your car tyres, save you money and perhaps even save your life. That this can be done with the aid of just twenty pence may seem too good to be true. That you needn't actually spend the twenty pence is downright unbelievable. Or is it…?

The law relating to car tyres in the UK couldn't be clearer. Your tyres must have a minimum of 1.6 millimetres of tread all round the central three quarters of their circumference. If they have less than this, you are breaking the law. That you are also in greater danger of being involved in an accident should be taken as red. Perhaps it isn't but, as money talks, let's look at what else breaking the law can cost you.

If you have less than the abovementioned amount of tread on your car tyres, you are risking a fine of up to £2,500, and three penalty points on your driving licence. This applies not to all of your tyres but to each individual illegal tyre. Apart from the obvious cost, there would be a less evident one. Insurance companies don't like lawbreakers. There are no prizes for guessing where your insurance company will hit you when you tell them about your brush with the authorities.

How can you avoid such unfortunate outcomes for twenty pence? It just so happens that TyreSafe, the organisation running Tyre Safety Month, has come up with a neat and simple test. Have you got a twenty pence piece? Take a look at it. You'll see that there is a broad rim around the edge on each side of the coin. If you were to put the edge of the coin into one of your car tyre's treads, you shouldn't be able to see the coin's outer rim. If you can't see it, your tread depth is fine. If, on the other hand, if you can see the outer rim, the tread depth is questionable; you need your car tyres looked at by a pro.

In this instance, you probably have a readily available, simple tyre tread depth gauge in your pocket. Though it's a coin of the realm, there is no need to spend it…and your car tyres' fitness for their purpose will have been verified.

There is a further use for twenty pence, though you have to spend it this time. Getting up close and personal with your tyres may not be the most alluring task but neglecting it can have dire consequences. Most garage tyre pressure machines will give time enough to check all four tyres – and probably the spare – for a mere twenty pence. Get into the habit of checking your car's tyre pressures once a month, and before each long journey. You never know, you might be lucky enough to come across a free air supply.

So, thanks to TyreSafe for reminding us that our tyres need nurturing. Remember that although October is Tyre Safety Month, the need to look after your car tyres is ongoing.


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Merityre.co.uk are one of the leading UK independent suppliers of car tyres. Why not visit their website for an online tyre quote or contact your nearest fitting centre.

Worst Case Scenario – How To Cope With a Blowout

'Blowout'. It's a funny word. Unarguably a noun, it means…

1a. A sudden rupture or bursting, as of car tyre.
1b. The hole made by such a rupture.
2. A sudden escape of a confined gas or liquid, as from a well.
3. Slang A large party or other social affair.
4. Informal A lopsided victory or thorough defeat.

Here, we are concerned with part 1a of the definition. Blowouts are less common than they used to be but the usual suspects cause them. These are under inflation, overloading, impact damage, structural damage or a big puncture.

You'll notice that these factors have one thing in common. All cause or lead to a sudden loss of air pressure in the car tyre. The common denominator in any blowout is that it happens suddenly. The cause matters in that by taking care of your tyres means you can often avoid the risk of a blowout. Here, 'taking care' means keeping your tyres correctly inflated, and inspecting them frequently to look for cuts, bulges and other significant damage. Remember that a careful inspection should follow any known or suspected impact, such as with a kerb, road debris or a pothole.

Should the worst happen and one of your car tyres deflates quickly, your response can make the difference between a safe, controlled stop and a one-way trip into a ditch or worse.

Picture the scene. You're driving along, minding your own business. Suddenly, you hear a tyre letting go. BANG…hiss…flap…flap…flap! Your natural reaction will probably be to hit the brakes and try to wrestle with the steering wheel, which will be suddenly pulling to one side. WRONG!…and it makes no difference whether your driving a sports coupe or a big luxury car. Your natural reaction is…well, natural but it can be very dangerous.

The trick is to first of all follow the well-known advice of Corporal Jones in 'Dad's Army'. Instead of panicking, briefly dab the accelerator, or at least don't lift off it. Maintaining the car's momentum will let you keep in the lane in which you were travelling when the blowout happened. You'll have to apply counter steering to fight the car's natural tendency to veer off line but you'll find that you can still follow a reasonably straight track and keep the car stable. Then, gently ease off the accelerator and let the car slow down gently.

At this point, it's a great idea to activate your car's hazard lights. Your car should still be under control but you'll have to stop pretty soon and the hazards will tell other drivers that not all is well. Ignore the noise and debris emanating from your wrecked car tyre. You can then pull over to the side of the road as soon as you find a safe place to stop. Under the circumstances, it's OK to drive on for a short distance; the failed car tyre will be history anyway.

Finally, it's no good heaving a sigh of relief at having survived a blowout, only to be killed by a passing truck while trying to replace the wrecked car tyre. Never attempt to change a tyre on a busy road. Call out your breakdown provider if you can't reach a safe, quiet place to fit the spare wheel.

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Merityre.co.uk are one of the leading UK independent suppliers of car tyres. Why not visit their website for an online tyre quote or contact your nearest fitting centre.

Under Pressure: UK Motorists' Shortcomings Revealed

According to research carried out in May 2011 it's official. What's official? That we don't all maintain our car tyres properly and this is proving costly in more ways than one. For their study, statisticians checked out 2,700 car tyres across the UK and uncovered some disturbing statistics.

The study showed that more than two thirds of cars in the UK are being driven with tyre pressures at least 3 psi below the manufacturer's recommendation. According the study, the average amount of under inflation is 5.75psi, a staggering 18 per cent below the recommended figure. It is estimated that UK motorists are wasting £993 million on additional fuel to compensate for the drag caused by under inflated car tyres. Under inflation can also cause poor braking and handling, and can lead to tread damage and even blowouts. The study also found that nearly ten per cent of cars had a difference of 10 psi or more between tyres on the the same axle. If you've ever driven a car with such a prssure mismatch, you'll know how unstable it felt.
Over inflation of car tyres also reared its ugly head. The study revealed that one in seven cars are tottering around with at least one tyre that has 3 psi or more pressure in it than the manufacturer recommends. This can quickly cause irregular tread wear and may lead to bulging of the tyre's sidewalls.
The car tyre that's usually out of sight and therefore out of mind was also found to be lacking, specifically in terms of air pressure. On average, the spare tyre was under inflated by a whopping 18 psi, 44 per cent lower than the recommended average pressure of 44 psi. So, many a driver needing to use the spare tyre could be in for a nasty shock. Fitting the spare wheel and carrying on regardless on a soft tyre may not be grounds for an immediate accident but it remains potentially disastrous. It's worth noting that space saver spare tyres generally have to be inflated to a much higher pressure. This, probably up to 60 psi, is almost twice the pressure used in a conventional car tyre.
Should a car tyre prove incapable of holding its pressure, this could be down to a puncture or slow leak at the valve. Such problems are usually cheaply and easily fixed at a good tyre bay. For those concerned about the pressure in their spare tyre, there's the option of having it inflated with nitrogen. The molecules in nitrogen are both bigger and drier than those in normal compressed air, so the tyre will maintain its correct pressure for longer.
So, in among these sobering statistics, is there an encouraging figure? In short, is anybody getting it right? There is but it hardly makes for any degree of self-congratulation. According to the study, there are motorists driving around with all four car tyres inflated to the recommended pressure. However, haloes are thin on the ground…only four per cent of the motorists surveyed could boast that they were travelling on correctly inflated tyres.


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Merityre.co.uk are one of the leading UK independent suppliers of car tyres. Why not visit their website for an online tyre quote or contact your nearest fitting centre.

Car Tyre Tips From Drive & Survive

The Insitute of Advanced Motorists' Drive and Survive is billed as a leading occupational driver risk management provider. The IAM is itself a leading road safety charity which has the sole aim of improving road safety for everyone. This week's motoring tips, from IAM Drive and Survive's head of training, Simon Elstow, involve car tyres.
Simon recommends regularly checking your car tyres, not least because the portion of each that is keeping you on the road is only the size of a footprint. Even though a car has four contact patches of this size available for use, it is important to be certain that the tyres are working optimally.
An under inflated tyre, Simon points out, will wear far more quickly than one at the correct pressure. Industry experts claim that a 20 percent reduction in pressure can rob a car tyre of up to 30 percent of its useable life. Moreover, ensuring that your tyres are inflated according to the recommendations in the car's handbook can reduce fuel consumption by up to five percent, as compared to the cost in fuel of under inflation.
Simon Elstow also says, “Check tyre pressures when the tyres are cold, at least once a month – and weekly is far better. And don’t be tempted to over-inflate them. This causes poor vehicle handling, reduced stability during braking and cornering, and reduced grip.”
IAM Drive & Survive also recommends checking your car tyres for evidence of wear and damage. Picking up a nail while driving doesn't necessarily mean the tyre is fit only for the scrapheap. Often, a puncture of this kind can be professionally repaired. However, damage caused to a car tyre's sidewalls or its carcass is often a death sentence for the tyre. This is reason enough to drive carefully, avoiding potholes and kerbs. It is also a good reason for carefully inspecting your car tyres. Cuts, lumps and bulges can be a dead giveaway of further, hidden damage. It's better to find out about such damage at pressure-checking time with the car at rest, than it is to suffer tyre failure at speed on a motorway.
The 'tyre-kickers' of this world are best advised to be accurate when checking tyre pressures. Why, for example, do the tyres need to be checked when cold? Because tyre pressure increases with temperature so if the tyres are warm, the pressure readings will be falsely high. So when the tyres cool down, they wind up under inflated.
Is the tyre pressure gauge at your favourite garage accurate? Generally, garage gauges are accurate but it pays to invest in your own gauge too. Why? Because under inflated tyres aren't always easy to spot, unless the pressure in them is way too low. The two minutes it takes to check tyre pressures at home can tell if you'll need to put coins in the garage's tyre machine. What's more, with your own pressure gauge, there's no longer the need to wonder if that at the garage is accurate. Just check it against your trusted pressure gauge.

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Merityre.co.uk are one of the leading UK independent suppliers of car tyres. Why not visit their website for an online tyre quote or contact your nearest fitting centre.