– Since you have proper tyres and you have installed them in a professional service – now it's time for the precise pressure and operation. Go to a professional workshop – where they will check that the wheels are still well balanced. If you feel the vibration on the steering wheel – then the suspension system, engine mount and steering feel it even more. If you see that the pressure is dropping more than the weather, then there is either a leak between the tyre and the rim edges, or the valve is damaged or you have a flat tyre. They will check it on the website. The temperature drops so the pressure decreases – be sure to pump up! – says Piotr Sarnecki, General Director of the Polish Tyre Industry Association (PTIA). – The latter, of course, also applies to all of us who replaced winter tyres in October at temperatures of 7-10 degrees Celsius. Now it is 1-3 degrees Celsius, and it will be even colder in a moment. So if you had the correct tyre pressure at +10 degrees Celsius, now it will be too low and you need to pump it up. Otherwise, the braking distance and noise of the tyres will increase and the grip and skid resistance will decrease.
3xP Rules
Tyres can save our lives in a difficult situation on the road. And properly selected, good-quality tyres can shorten the braking distance even from a few to several meters! It is worth remembering the 3xP principle regarding tyres: decent tyres, professional service, precise pressure. Proper tyres – these are unused tyres, at least of good quality, providing adequate traction, braking distance and resistance to aquaplaning. Check the symbols and markings on the labels and remember – the warranty for tyres from reputable manufacturers is valid from the date of purchase, not production! The most important thing, however, is not to buy used tyres – you never know their history and damage to the internal layers, which cannot be seen "by eye". It is not worth risking this for a small savings – after all, the tyres are to serve us for several years.
– If you have all-season tyres, pay attention to the snowflake symbol against the mountain (alpine symbol). It means winter approval, which all good all-season tyres have – confirmation that such tyres can be used in winter in countries where the requirement to drive on winter tyres has been introduced – reminds Piotr Sarnecki.
Precise pressure – check at least once a month!
Precise pressure value provided by the car manufacturer is given in the vehicle manual and very often on the inside lower part of the middle left pillar. Pressure should be measured at least once a month, even if the car has the appropriate sensors – while only 40% of drivers declare that they only check its level occasionally. 2 days of driving with too low pressure is enough, and we will wear the tyres as if for a week with the correct pressure.
– If we do not check the pressure, the tyres will last us 3 times less! Too low tyre pressure causes the temperature of the inner layers to double – and this is a straightforward way to burst tyres while driving. Tyres under-inflated by 0.5 bar are as much as 3dB louder and extend the braking distance by up to 4 meters! – alarms Piotr Sarnecki.
Guarantee
It is worth remembering that reputable tyre manufacturers provide guarantees for new passenger tyres from the date of their purchase, not production. The DOT number is used by tyre manufacturers only to identify the production batch. The date of manufacture is part of this code, which also includes the factory, size and model of the tyre. The code was required by the US Department of Transportation (hence the abbreviation DOT – Department of Transportation) to have an official international marking to identify the tyre – assigning any other meaning or validity to the date of manufacture is simply a mistake. Special anti-aging additives are added to the tyres, so they do not lose their properties if they are on the shelf in a warehouse. In a track test in March this year, technicians from TÜV SÜD confirmed that even tyres that are several years old have the same braking distance as new ones. And the same tyre model was compared with the same tread compound.
Professional service is certified
It is worth choosing a certified service. The Polish Tyre Industry Association together with the independent certification company TÜV SÜD introduced a system of evaluation and awarding professional services based on an independent audit of equipment and qualifications of technical personnel. A map of the workshops that have passed the TÜV SÜD audit and received the Tyre Certificate can be found on the website certyfikatoponiarski.pl.
– We want to support and promote websites that, on the one hand, care for customers, and on the other hand, apply the highest standards of work. The certificate is proof of this. To get it, the service must undergo an audit of equipment and skills as well as customer service, documented with photos. This is where the tyres will not be damaged and the driver will be sure that the work has been done technically correctly – summarizes Piotr Sarnecki.
More info: oponymajamoc.pl, https://oponymajamoc.pl/porzadne-opony/
Source: Polish Tyre Industry Association