Relationships July 17, 2017
Get into gear.
It’s absurd that women aren’t expected to know about and take care of cars. While car-talk is intimidating at first, so many driving and auto-care habits are incredibly easy to learn and adjust to.
So here are seven simple tips to help your tires last longer, help you get more miles per gallon and save money, so you can avoid taking your car into the shop as long as possible — oh, and so you can feel like a total badass doing it all for yourself.
If your tires are under-inflated, it wears them out and uses more of your gas. Especially in the summer heat, your tires can lose pressure quickly.
You can check your tire pressure, preferably when they are cold, by using a tire pressure gauge.
You should be able to (haha) gauge the right pounds per square inch (PSI) for your tires by checking your car’s manual.
Be sure to not over-inflate your tires by going over your PSI, either. It will also wear out your tires and is more likely cause a blowout.
Let’s take street racing out of the equation (that’s a no-brainer, don’t do it). Let’s say you’re stuck in mud, or the snow and you’re trying to get out: Don’t keep revving your engine and spinning your tires if you know you’re not going anywhere. It’s wasting time and destroying the wheels.
On a similar note, let’s say you’re at a stoplight, about to U-turn: Don’t turn your wheels all the way to the left as far as they can go. It puts unnecessary pressure on your tires and steering.
It’ll also, as my mom says about cars and backs, “jack up your alignment.” Which, by the way, is something else you should be aware of. Make sure your alignment is checked at least once a year.
Trust me, I know how fun it is to race down an empty highway. But sticking to speed limits is essential for extending the life of your tires. Overheated, overworked tires will burn out and wear out so much sooner than they should.
And bonus: you won’t get ticketed for speeding.
This is a simple practice, but every once in a while, when you get home from work, check out your tires. Seriously, just look at them, make sure there’s nothing stuck in there. Sometimes small nails and other sharp objects can be puncturing tires, but aren’t unnoticeable.
They will cause bigger problems later. It’s best to patch the hole before it causes real damage, like snagging and blowing out your tire altogether.
And if you notice that your tires are almost completely worn out, it’s best to take it in to get a new tire before you’re stuck in an emergency with a popped tire.
It’s weird to think about, because we perceive cars to be heavy-duty and resilient, but when the car is extra heavy, the tires are paying the price. Don’t put too much heavy stuff (like filling your entire floor with bowling balls and bricks) in your car. It won’t squish your tires down, so they won’t get under-inflated later.
You should be getting your tires rotated about every six months, or about 6,000 miles, just like an oil change. It just makes sure the tire wear is even all around. Often the front and the back tires wear out differently, so it’s just helps you get the most out of your full set of tires.
Any abrupt dip in the road and scratch on the tire could cause a blowout. And after rubbing against curbs over and over while parallel parking, your tires will wear down. Obviously, try to not hit things and drive smoothly.
You can read more here on how to change your own tire to become above-and-beyond car-savvy.
Stay smart and drive safely!
