If You Pay Your Tires Respect, They Will Last Longer For You; Rotate Yearly

With winter and cold coming upon more than half the nation, many drivers will take their Volkswagens, Audis and Porsches in for service. The service may be a quick oil change or a major safety check (systems check that shows the state of things like the brakes, tires, transmission and fluid and the like) or it may involve something somewhere in between.

Good Time For Winter ChecksTires Need Fighting Chance

To give your tires a fighting chance – and to keep a few more dollars in your wallet – there are three things that you must do. They are:

1. Make sure that you go over the surface of your tire tread, taking any rocks or other items like glass and such out of the tread before it can harm the tire. Use a needle-nosed pliers to take care of stones, twigs and other detritus. If you find a nail may have penetrated the tread, you can have the tire patched, however, be sure that it is done correctly from the inside out.
2. Make sure you inflate the tires to the proper pressure. You can find the pressure on the door frame or the glovebox door panel. You can also find it in your car’s owner manual. Remember to check the tire pressure before you have driven in the morning so that the air hasn’t had a chance to heat up. You can find a good tire gauge in any auto supply department, market or a big box store with an automotive department. The tire gauge should cost around $5.
3. Rotate your car’s tires.According to the Tire and Rim Association, there are three rotation patterns which cover most vehicles. The first being the "Rearward Cross" -- front right to left rear; front left to right rear; right rear to right front; left rear to left front. There's the X-Pattern -- front right to left rear; front left to right rear; rear right to left front; left rrear to right front. And then there's the "Forward Cross" -- Left rear to right front; right rear to left front; left front to left rear; right front to right rear.