Tire care – maintenance and safety practices

● Check on a daily basis that the tires are free from serious damage, nails, and stones. At the same time, check the tires for abnormal wear.

● Inspect the tire tread regularly and replace the tires before their tread wear indicators become visible. When a tire’s tread wear indicator becomes visible, the tire is worn beyond the acceptable limit and must be replaced immediately. With a tire in this condition, driving at even low speeds in wet weather can cause the vehicle to hydroplane. Possible resulting loss of vehicle control can lead to an accident.

● To maximize the life of each tire and ensure that the tires wear uniformly, it is best to rotate the tires every 7,500 miles (12,000 km). Rotating the tires involves switching the front and rear tires on the right-hand side of the vehicle and similarly switching the front and rear tires on the left-hand side of the vehicle. (Each tire must be kept on its original side of the vehicle.) Replace any damaged or unevenly worn tire at the time of rotation. After tire rotation, adjust the tire pressures and make sure the wheel nuts are correctly tightened. For information about the tightening torque and tightening sequence for the wheel nuts, refer to “Flat tires” F9-6.

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