Choosing the Right Castor Wheels

Nails in the Rubber: Checking Your Auto Tyres For Damage

21 November 2017

Erika Matthews

If you want to keep your car in excellent condition, you should carry out regular inspections on it. One area you should always pay attention to is your tyres. Because the tyres are the one part of your car which is in constant use even when the car isn't moving, and the engine isn't running, they can take a lot of wear and tear. Below is a guide to inspecting your car tyres.

Jack up the car

You should use your car jack to raise the part of the car closest to the tyre you wish to inspect. However, you should be aware that you cannot place the jack anywhere you like. You should look for the reinforced bars which run underneath your vehicle. These strong points can hold the weight of the car when it is lifted by the jack. If you attempt to use a jack elsewhere on the car, you will cause serious damage to the bodywork and frame. Jacking up the car allows you to spin the tyre so you can see every bit of the surface. When inspecting the tyre, you should keep an eye out for any debris which is stuck into the surface of the rubber such as a nail. If you spot a nail, you should mark the area using a piece of chalk.

Check the tyre pressure

While it may be tempting to immediately remove the nail from the surface of the tyre, doing so could cause more damage. First, you should establish if the nail has caused a slow puncture. A slow puncture occurs when the rubber membrane has been compromised resulting in air escaping very slowly. Slow punctures can cause a gradual loss of tyre pressure over many days or even weeks. Because the deflation occurs at such a slow pace, it is easy to miss it. This can result in you driving your car with a dangerously under-inflated tyre. By checking the tyre pressure, you can establish if any air is being lost.

Take the tyre to an auto repair shop

If the tyre has lost pressure, you should pump it back up until it is the correct reading again. You can then lower the car and remove the jack before driving to an auto repair shop. The mechanic will inspect the tyre and will then either remove the nail and repair the rubber, or they will replace the damaged tyre with a new one.

For more information, contact a local car service.

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