Checking the Tires is one of the most important steps when buying a used vehicle.
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Now it's time to check the tires. This will provide
you with much needed information about the previous
owner's driving habits as well as their attention to
maintaining the vehicle. The first thing to inspect is the air
pressure. Use your tire pressure gauge on each of the tires
and compare it to both the maximum pressure as written
on the side wall of the tire itself as well as the
recommended air pressure as stated in the owners manual.
You can also open the driver's side door and look for the
tire information tag (Figure 2-1). It can also somtimes be
located on the door itself or in the gas cap. This will tell you
the manufacturer's original tire size as well as the cold tire
pressure. Be sure to log this information on your check
list. Typically, all 4 tires will carry near the same amount of
pressure so if one is considerably lower than the others,
this will show you if a tire possibly has a slow leak which is
not usually visible. A difference of 5 psi or more would be considered low.
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Figure 2-1 |
Figure 2-2
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It is a good idea to make sure the tires on the vehicle are the correct size as suggested by the manufacturer.
Figure 2-2 shows you where to look on the tire itself to see what size it is. If the tires are a different size, it
could possibly make the speedometer read incorrectly.
Figure 2-3
Here is where you will log the tire information. |
When a vehicle is properly maintained, the tires should wear evenly without any 'bald' rings. An
example of good tire wear is Figure 2-4. The tread is even and defined all the way around the tire. Figures 2-6
and 2-7 demonstrate examples of a bad tire. This particular vehicle seems to have an alignment problem
which causes the tread to wear out faster on the inside. This means that not only will the vehicle need new
tires, but it will need front end work as well. Under inflated tires will wear out faster on the outsides of the
tire, while Over inflated tires tend to wear out the center of a tire, so pay close attention to the tread wear.
Figure 2-4 This is an ideal tire. Good tread with no dry rotting or wear rings. |
Figure 2-5 The maximum pressure is written on the tire as PSI (Pounds per Square Inch)
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Figure 2-6 |
Figure 2-7
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Here are two different angles of uneven tire wear. This is a very dangerous situation and if you purchase
such a vehicle, be aware that not only will the car need new tires, it may need front end work as well.
The final thing you will want to notice is the amount of tread left on each tire. There are 2 ways to
check the tread depth. The first is to use a tread depth gauge, which is available at most auto parts stores. The
second and most common method, is to use a coin, usually a penny. Place the penny into the tread of the tire
with the head facing you in at least 4 different locations. As long as part of Lincoln's head is touching tread
at the lowest point, then you have at least 2/32" of tread left. Once the tire's tread wears further, the vehicle
will have a higher likelihood of hydroplaning on wet surfaces as well as minimal traction, specially in muddy or snowy conditions.
Figure 2-8
This tire has pleanty of tread life left and is an example of an excellent tire.
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Below are two inspection results of the exact same tire. Figure 2-9 shows that the tire's
tread has no bald spots, nor is it wearing unevenly. Figure 2-10 however, shows us that even though at a
glance the tire looks great, when we do the penny test, we find that the tread has worn down to a point
where they will need to be replaced soon. This would not be a good tire to drive in snowy or icy conditions.
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Figure 2-9
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Figure 2-10
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This tire is worn and will need to be replaced in the very near future.
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©2003-2008 Mistar Enterprises, LLC. |
