Ideally your tyres have to be replaced after 5 – 6 years of use, irrespective of the number of kilometres they have travelled. Tyres are subjected to harsh weather conditions, strains from your foot and excessive friction and wear down after years of usage. Rubber gets hard and will reduce the braking efficiency of the tyres. Even well maintained tyres will have to be replaced, since treads are likely to wear out after a certain period of time.
Now using a worn out tyre could be very dangerous as it offers no traction and minimal friction. So irrespective of the life on the tyres, here are 5 warning signs that say replace your tyres immediately.
1. Over Heating
As the tyre wears down, there is less space for the air to flow between the grooves of the tread to cool the tyres. This leads to the tyre heating up and degrades the rubber faster. Excessive heat could lead to a tyre burst, which is a life threatening situation.
2. Puncture
A worn tyre is less puncture resistant. It is easier for sharp particles like broken glass, nails, metal to puncture the tyre. A thick tyre tread protects the tyre from causing a puncture. Frequent punctures on your tyre should be a warning sign for changing your tyres.
3. Aquaplaning
If you ignored our advice to change worn out tyres before the monsoons, it could lead to aquaplaning in rains. Deep treads bite into the water to keep you planted on the road, however with worn out tyres, the car will slide on water while you steer vigorously to regain control of the car.
4. Air Leakage
Frequent loss of pressure could be the result of worn out tyres. Loss of air leads to under inflation which in turn is the cause for low fuel economy. A set of new tyres will be less expensive in the long run compared to fuel price.
Check your tyre pressure every 15 days, it needs to be properly inflated at all times. Make sure you replace tyres after 5 years or 40,000 kms. It is also necessary that you change all the four tyres on the car. Do check the condition of spare tyre, replace if necessary. Look out for terrain specific tyres for the new set to ensure optimum performance and life on tyres. You can choose from Michelin, Dunlop, Pirelli and Yokohama from the international brands or Indian brands like Apollo, JK Tyre, MRF, when replacing your tyres. You can also choose to have your tyres checked by a professional, if you are unsure of the life of the tyres.