Many people don’t often think about their Michelin tires when it comes to car maintenance. However, proper tire care and proper inflation can greatly improve your car’s performance. Michelin is a tire brand known for its good performance and longevity, but by appropriately caring for and inflating your Michelin tires, they, as well as your car, will last much longer and perform much better.
Check Air Pressure Once a Month
A typical passenger car tire, properly inflated to 35 psi (pounds per square inch), can lose up to 1 psi per month under normal driving conditions, according to Michelinman.com. Therefore, you should check your tire’s pressure cold, or before you’ve driven for the day, at least once every month. According to Edmunds.com, when a tire is under-inflated, it affects both performance and safety, in addition to worsening the handling of the vehicle. Also make sure your spare tire is properly inflated.
Know the Proper PSI
Page 1 of 2 - Tyre sidewall many hairline crack - posted in Tyres and Rims: When I was cleaning my rims just now, I notice one of my Michelin Energy Saver tyre had similar cracks on the sidewall as shown in the picture. (Photo was extracted online) But mine was not as deep. It's not very visible yet. Anyone can advice if I need a replacement or the cracks are normal due to exposure to bad. Just Say No to Tire Cracking; Surface cracked tires are no longer the plague of RV owners and Classic cars. Tires today can last to the 80-100 thousandth mile. When exposed to sunlight and the elements they can develop those small cracks often referred to as weather checking, ozone cracking, or just plain sidewall cracking.
Each vehicle has a recommended psi for tire pressure. Therefore, you won’t find the recommended psi on your tire. You have to look in either your car’s manual, on the door jamb, inside the fuel hatch flap, or the glove compartment door to find your vehicle’s recommended tire psi.
Cracking on the side of your tyre should never be ignored and unsafe tyres are illegal. Continental Tyres recommends you replace tyres over 10 years old to ensure your tyres don't age and dry out. Typical AT/2 behavior. The dealer replaced my brother's Michelins under warranty at 17,000 miles because of the cracking. I drove my tires an additional 30,000 miles after I first noticed the cracks and about 5,000 miles of that was towing heavy fifth wheel and gooseneck trailers that put over 3,000 lbs on the truck. Michelin latitude tour all season tires had significant cracking all the way around the circumference of the tire on the sidewall near the tread. Tires were 2 years old. Some superficial cracks others were deep and wide. 65,000 mile warranty, only 25,000 miles on the tires. Size p245/65r17 105t orwl. All four tires had significant damage.
Use an Accurate Gauge
Interestingly enough, when sun exposure or excessive cleaning is the cause of the small cracks, the sidewall of the tire facing outward will show damage, while the sidewall facing inward is rarely affected. The anti-aging chemicals used in the rubber compounds are more effective when the tire is 'exercised' on a frequent basis. 2 MICHELIN® RV Tires TABLE OF CONTENTS MICHELIN® tires and tubes are subject to a continuous development program. Michelin North America, Inc. Reserves the right to change product specifications at any time without notice or obligation.
Make sure you have an adequate air pressure gauge. Many of the gauges you find in gas stations are not very reliable. Your local Michelin store will have pressure gauges suitable for their products and can check them for accuracy.
Have Good Valve Caps
Good valve caps are important to containing the tire’s pressure. Over time, the rubber can degrade and air can slowly leak out. Each time you replace your tires, make sure you replace the tire cap as well.
Rotate Regularly
According to Michelinman.com, Michelin tires should be rotated by a Michelin shop or local mechanic once every 6,000 to 8,000 miles. This involves switching the wheels on which the tires are placed so that the tires wear evenly over time. Regular rotation extends the life of your tires, saving you money and time.
Michelin Tires Dry Rot Cracking
Check Alignment
Michelin Sidewall Cracking Chart Calculator
If you notice that your car veers to the left or right when you let your hands off the wheel for a second while on a flat road, you need to take your vehicle in to a Michelin shop or mechanic to check your alignment. Alignment checks involve adjusting the front and rear suspension parts. If your car is not properly aligned, it can cause abnormal wearing of the tires.
Check Tire Balance
When one area of the tire is heavier than the other after being mounted to the wheel assembly, the tire is out of balance. Balancing the tire compensates for this irregularity and helps protect your tire from abnormal tread wear. Tire balancing can be done by your local Michelin shop or mechanic.
- line of tires image by ashotoflife from Fotolia.com