If your car has been standing for a while, it's worth checking the tyres to make sure you can get going again safely. There are some checks you can carry out by yourself, but others are best done by a tyre specialist. Pirelli has come out with a few tyre checks that you can perform yourself before you resume driving once again. There's no doubt that cars/bikes have been parked for a long time and your tyres could have developed certain defects due to the extended lockdown.
Pirelli's experts recommend in particular:
1. Checking tyres visually to see if there are any lumps or deformations caused by the car standing still for a long time, or by the weather conditions. Check also for damage, cuts, abrasions and the tyre bulging - and ensure that the valve caps are tight.
2. Checking tyre pressures, also the spare tyre, ideally at a tyre dealer with professional monitoring equipment. This helps guarantee optimal performance and safety, as well as the correct rolling resistance to enhance fuel economy.
3. Tyre wear to be above the legal limit of 1.6 millimetres tread depth. This can be checked using the tread depth indicator on the tyre itself: which is a 1.6 millimetre-high ridge of rubber within one of the main tyre grooves - just above the TWI (Tread Wear Indicator) marking in six points on the extreme part of the sidewall. If that rubber ridge is at the same level as the groove itself, then the tyre is down to the legal minimum.
Also See: Maxxis Gives Tyre Maintenance Tips For The Lockdown
4. Take the car for a small test drive and look closely for any vibrations on the steering wheel. If these don't go away after the first few kilometres, get the car looked at by professionals as soon as possible.
5. Switching to summer tyres if the car is still on winters by the time you use it again. However, the law allows you to keep using winter tyres even in summer as long as the speed rating matches what is shown on the car's documents. If the speed rating for the winter tyres is lower, they must be swapped before May 15.
Pirelli is not the only company to offer such tips. Just last week, Maxxis India had also provided a few valuable tips on avoiding flat spots on tyres in order to help people understand how they can keep their tyres healthy during the lockdown.
