Driving with under-inflated tyres is dangerous and may result in sudden tyre destruction caused by the excessive heat built-up. For replacement tyres, your retailer should provide you with the proper inflation pressure.
Otherwise, follow the air pressure recommendation found in your vehicle’s manual or tyre placard. If your replacement tyre size is different from the original, ask your tyre retailer for an air pressure recommendation guide in order to adequately support your vehicle’s gross vehicle weight rating.
Check the cold inflation pressure in all of your tyres including the spare tyre at least once a week and always prior to long distant trips. Failure to maintain the proper air inflation pressure may result in rapid and irregular tyre wear, reduction in durability, loss of vehicle control or sudden tyre failure that may lead to property damage, serious personal injury or death.
Use an accurate tyre gauge to check tyre air pressure. Always maintain the proper recommended air inflation pressure in all tyres. If there is an indication that one of your tyres has lost four or more pounds of air pressure, immediately look for signs of penetration, valve leaks or wheel damage that could have caused the air loss. You should also have your tyres inspected by a tyre retailer immediately.
Air pressure should always be checked when the tyres are cold (before the vehicle has been driven) and ideally in the early morning. Driving, regardless of the distance, causes tyres to heat up as well as increasing air pressure.
- Never exceed the maximum inflation pressure for the tyre.
- Never bleed air from hot tyres as this may result in under-inflation.
- Inspect your tyres daily. If you notice any damage replace them with a spare and immediately visit a tyre retailer for advice. Driving over potholes, curbs, wood debris, metal, etc., can cause damage to the tyres and should be avoided to ensure safety. Contact with such hazards requires an immediate and thorough tyre inspection by your tyre retailer.
- When checking your tyres you need to look out for penetrations, bulges, cracks, cuts and abnormal wear particularly at the tyre edges – which may be caused by vehicle misalignment or tyre under-inflation. Failure to properly control a vehicle if one or more tyres are under-inflated and this may result in an accident. Use of a damaged tyres may also result in rapid air loss including sudden tyre failure.
- An explosion of the tyre may occur because of improper mounting. Only specially trained people should mount tyres.
- Failure to store tyres in accordance with the following recommendations may also result in damage, reduction in durability or sudden failure.
- Tyres should always be stored in a cool, dry, clean, indoor environment. Tyres contain waxes and emollients to protect their outer surfaces from the ozone and weather cracking. As the tyre rolls and flexes, the waxes and emollients continually migrate to the surface, to replenish this protection throughout its proper use. However, when tyres sit outdoors and are unused for an extended period of time, the surface becomes dry and the tyre may be susceptible to the ozone and weather cracking as well as flat spotting.
- Surfaces on which tyres are stored must be free from grease, gasoline and other substances that could deteriorate the rubber.
- A qualified technician should check all tyres if the damage is not obvious.
- Do not overload your tyres. Driving on an overloaded tyre is extremely dangerous and may result in an accident.
- The maximum load rating marked on the sidewall of a tyre is based on the maximum speed of operation. Tyres that are loaded beyond their maximum load rating will generate increased and excessive heat that may cause sudden tyre failure which may lead to an accident.