Do Tires Expire?

 

Do tires expire is a question that our customers often ask. For years many motorists have relied only on tread depth to know when it is time to replace them. Unfortunately, the age of your tires is also a factor.

Over time, tires can dry out and crack. Excessive heat and sunlight contribute to this and can cause tire to unexpectedly fail, even when there is plenty of tread remaining on the tire.

Tire manufacturers offer different opinions regarding how long tires will last, but the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NTHSA) recommends that you replace tires after six years.

How do you know how old your tires are? The best way to know the age of your tires is to check the Department of Transportation (DOT) code. The manufacturer stamped it in the sidewall of your tire.

DOT numbers identify the manufacturer and the make of tires, but they also tell you when the tires were made. The last four digits of your tires’ DOT code tell the month and year of manufacture. For example, if the DOT code is “2716.” This indicates that the tires were manufactured in the 27th month of 2016.

If you are considering buying used a used car or used tires, Remember to consider the age of your tires.
Location: 8720 Watson Rd, St. Louis, MO 63119, USA

Comments

New comments are not allowed.

Popular posts from this blog

What is a Belt Tune Up?

Image
A Serpentine Belt is the rubber Drive Belt that causes the pullies on your car's Alternator, Air Conditioning Compressor, Water Pump, and Power Steering Pump to rotate and to create electrical and mechanical power. Rotation of the alternator creates your car's electrical power. Gas powered vehicles have one or more Drive Belts, at least one Belt Tensioner, and they may have one or more Idler Pulleys. Belt Tensioners insure that the Alternator, A/C Compressor, Water Pump, and Power Steering Pump continue to spin with the rotation of the engine. Idler Pulleys are simply pulleys that do not drive other components. Idler Pulleys are used to route the Serpentine Belt.  With use, a Serpentine Belt will stretch and wear.  Belt Tensioners and Idler Pulleys also wear, and this will cause additional belt wear. When a Serpentine Belt breaks, the components that it drives will not longer function. Because of this, Sant Automotive recommends that you replace your Serpentine Belt(s), Idler ...
Read more

What Do Spark Plugs Do?

Image
  Spark Plugs are the small electrical parts that provide the power to ignite the fuel in gasoline powered devices. As electricity passes between the Spark Plug's electrodes, gasoline ignites causing an explosion that powers your vehicle. Spark Plugs fire once every two engine rotations. This means that if your engine is running at 800 RPMs, your Spark Plugs will fire 400 times per minute. The heat produced by these explosions causes the Electrodes to wear which increases the gap between the Electrodes. The increased gap causes your vehicle to use more fuel to produce the same amount of power.  Worn Spark Plugs reduce Gas Mileage, and unburnt fuel will damage your car's Oxygen Sensors and its Catalytic Converter. Also, the longer that plugs stay in a vehicle, the more likely they are to become stuck in the engine's cylinder head. If a spark plug breaks, it can be very expensive and time consuming to extract it. For these reasons, Sant Automotive recommends that you change y...
Read more