Tyre Safety = Your Safety. How to care for your Tyres

kdp95 · 27th August 2013, 13:54

As I mentioned in my previous posts, we are touring South India in our Fiesta Classic 1.4 Sxi. We were comcerned with the car's GC since her underbody and suspension arms were scraping on almost every speed bump/pothole. To add to our worries, we were greeted with a new problem yesterday.

Checking out from the hotel in Trichur in the morning, I just went to have a quick look over the tyres. To my shock, I saw metal threads i.e. the tyre cord coming out of the left rear tyre sidewall. Initially my brother dismissed it as something that we picked up while driving on the rough sections but he too agreed that this was something serious when he couldn't pull 'em out. A quick call to Kairali Ford and they set up a walk-in appointment. Upon inspection, even they admitted that it's the first time that they've seen a new tyre show such abnormalities. Since we were supposed to go to Kochi and Bengaluru and then back to Mumbai, they advised me to drive using the spare (which being a steel one looks out of place) and claim warranty directly with Goodyear.

What I wanted to know is how can a tyre which has done just over 22k kms and still has its tread intact have its cord thrown out this way? I mean I've seen tyre cords being exposed on the tyre surface when they go bald but on the sidewall? Any explanations guys?

abirnale · 27th August 2013, 15:29

Did you pick up any sidewall damage while negotiating extremely rough patches (or potholes) on the road? Probably scrapping against a rough stone or something very sharp cutting through the sidewall? If there was no bulging out symptoms, the sidewall damage due to external force/ obstacle, it might very well be the manufacturing defect. Any pics folks here can see and give more accurate suggestions?

kdp95 · 28th August 2013, 13:41

Sorry for the late reply.

I don't think the sidewall picked any damage cuz there are no such signs of tyre bulge or rubbing whatsoever on the sidewall. We took a few potholes heavily but if that was the case, it should've affected the other tyres too in some way.

Forgot to carry my laptop to transfer pics from my camera. Had to resort to phone camera.

abirnale · 28th August 2013, 14:27

Doesn't look like you got it damaged while handling those patchy roads. You must see your dealer and show them this. Those wires coming out of first two pics and the small cracks on the last one makes me think that the tyre could be defective.

And now they should give a damn good explanation why only one tyre is in this condition. Although you can reach GoodYear for claims etc, but shouldn't this be your regular dealer who takes care of all your servicing needs?

aditya_rao · 28th August 2013, 15:47

In the first post it is mentioned that the lesser worn tires should be at the rear axle. But when the tyres are rotated, then the front tyres are moved back (either in a straight or diagonally opposite directions) and the rear ones are moved ahead. This means that the lesser worn out ones are going ahead actually. Isn't this a contradiction? What would be the best approach?

abirnale · 28th August 2013, 16:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by aditya_rao

In the first post it is mentioned that the lesser worn tires should be at the rear axle. But when the tyres are rotated, then the front tyres are moved back (either in a straight or diagonally opposite directions) and the rear ones are moved ahead. This means that the lesser worn out ones are going ahead actually. Isn't this a contradiction? What would be the best approach?

Good question Aditya. Same thing came to my mind but I think that is more applicable to when you get new ones - only two. Many people prefer to change only one pair sighting that the others are still good. So comparison is between these new two and old two. If that is true, I am not sure what to do when next rotation is due. My guess is that - swap the new ones - just change sides and do the same for old ones too? Newer ones and older ones don't get paired until you find them to be in "same" usage category?

kdp95 · 28th August 2013, 16:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by abirnale

Doesn't look like you got it damaged while handling those patchy roads. You must see your dealer and show them this. Those wires coming out of first two pics and the small cracks on the last one makes me think that the tyre could be defective.

And now they should give a damn good explanation why only one tyre is in this condition. Although you can reach GoodYear for claims etc, but shouldn't this be your regular dealer who takes care of all your servicing needs?

That's what makes us wonder too. There doesn't seem to be another explanation than this being a manufacturing defect. We asked Kairali Ford about the warranty claim and they told that you'll have to take it up with Goodyear itself. Just to reconfirm, we'll be checking her in at my local Ford dealer once we get back.

kdp95 · 7th September 2013, 15:21

Just got the tyre inspected by the Goodyear guy at our local Ford dealership. To our disappointment, it won't be covered under warranty as he says it's not a manufacturing defect. He showed us some deep cuts on the tyre which had gone well upto the tyre belt causing water to seep through it and oxidise the adhesive holding the steel cord. Hence they got dislodged and projected themselves outwards from the tyre shoulder. He also went on to say the tyre had been worn out by 57% i.e. just had about 3.5mm of tread left compared to 8mm of a new one.

Can someone attest the explanation that he's given? Cuz in his report he summarized that it can't be adjusted as neglected tyre cuts have led to tyre belt distortion and we can't claim warranty on these grounds. My concern is even if his explanation holds truth, why is it limited to just one tyre when the other three have covered the same distance, on the same roads, on the same car? How come just one tyre has those cuts? He said as time passes the other tyres too will suffer in the same way.

Simhi · 2nd July 2014, 08:27

Caring for Spare Wheel for low running car

Mine is a case wherein running of the car is very less - covered 12000kms in 4 years.
I have done wheel rotation once around 8000kms. Luckily no punctures till now.
The only care I am taking for spare wheel is to check and top it once in 3 months or when going for occasional long distance trip.
Is this sufficient?

deetjohn · 2nd July 2014, 08:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simhi

The only care I am taking for spare wheel is to check and top it once in 3 months or when going for occasional long distance trip.
Is this sufficient?

Since your running is quite low, I would suggest rotating all 5 tyres. A four year old tyre which has not been used thus far is also not very safe.

What is the drop in pressure that you see with the spare tyre? What I do is check every 2 months and fill up 5 to 6 PSI more than the recommended pressure.

commonman · 2nd July 2014, 10:26

I changed my tyres for my Ritz which had run close to 50K Kms and 4.5 years old.The catch here was the spare tyre which was untouched.I tried exchanging it when the tyre change was happening. The dealer was insisting that the spare tyre need not be changed as it looks new. I did not change it till now. 4 new tyres are Bridgestone B290 and 1 spare is of Yoko A Drive .All sizes are 185/70 R14. Should I change the spare tyre?

deetjohn · 2nd July 2014, 11:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by commonman

Should I change the spare tyre?

I would recommend swapping the spare for a new one as its 4.5 years old and not used at all. Tyres with good tread and popular sizes fetch good resale. Here at Kochi, I think you should get approx. 2k in exchange for 185/70 R14. Please check with the dealer where you got the tyres.

KK_HakunaMatata · 1st January 2017, 16:45

I have a query.

I suspected a puncture on a tire and went to get it checked. While checking there were two small nails but there was no puncture. In the process the guy topped up air resulting in mixture of air with nitrogen, which was previously filled.

Now I guess there is 95% nitrogen and balance air. Is there an issue and should I get the tire emptied and fill nitrogen again?

KK

batterylow · 1st January 2017, 17:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by KK_HakunaMatata

I have a query.

Now I guess there is 95% nitrogen and balance air. Is there an issue and should I get the tire emptied and fill nitrogen again?

KK

Dry air consists of 78% Nitrogen, so you should be OK with the same.

Sparky · 6th January 2017, 19:35

I would like to put my experience of filling nitrogen air. Recently, I filled the nitrogen air in both my car, Corolla and Celerio. The nitrogen air was filled by completely deflating the tyre first, filling some nitrogen and deflating again, finally filling the tyre with nitrogen air.

I drove the Corolla for 300 kms same day, and I could feel the difference. The drive felt smooth, like the wheels are gliding smoothly and evenly. Even the drive was little less jerky compared to past drives with normal air. Next day, when tryes of Celerio was filled with nitrogen, I could feel the same difference. The drive became smooth and less jerky.

I made sure that the air gauge shows same pressure for normal air and nitrogen air. The pressure was checked before filling the nitrogen, and after also, just to be sure.
So is it just my perception, or does nitrogen air really make difference?

27th August 2013, 13:54	#16
kdp95 BHPian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Navi Mumbai Posts: 52 Thanked: 35 Times	Abnormal tyre issue on Fiesta As I mentioned in my previous posts, we are touring South India in our Fiesta Classic 1.4 Sxi. We were comcerned with the car's GC since her underbody and suspension arms were scraping on almost every speed bump/pothole. To add to our worries, we were greeted with a new problem yesterday. Checking out from the hotel in Trichur in the morning, I just went to have a quick look over the tyres. To my shock, I saw metal threads i.e. the tyre cord coming out of the left rear tyre sidewall. Initially my brother dismissed it as something that we picked up while driving on the rough sections but he too agreed that this was something serious when he couldn't pull 'em out. A quick call to Kairali Ford and they set up a walk-in appointment. Upon inspection, even they admitted that it's the first time that they've seen a new tyre show such abnormalities. Since we were supposed to go to Kochi and Bengaluru and then back to Mumbai, they advised me to drive using the spare (which being a steel one looks out of place) and claim warranty directly with Goodyear. What I wanted to know is how can a tyre which has done just over 22k kms and still has its tread intact have its cord thrown out this way? I mean I've seen tyre cords being exposed on the tyre surface when they go bald but on the sidewall? Any explanations guys?
	() Thanks

27th August 2013, 15:29	#17
abirnale Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2013 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 1,799 Thanked: 7,819 Times View My Garage	Re: Abnormal tyre issue on Fiesta Did you pick up any sidewall damage while negotiating extremely rough patches (or potholes) on the road? Probably scrapping against a rough stone or something very sharp cutting through the sidewall? If there was no bulging out symptoms, the sidewall damage due to external force/ obstacle, it might very well be the manufacturing defect. Any pics folks here can see and give more accurate suggestions?
	() Thanks

28th August 2013, 13:41	#18
kdp95 BHPian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Navi Mumbai Posts: 52 Thanked: 35 Times	Re: Tyre Safety = Your Safety. How to care for your Tyres Sorry for the late reply. I don't think the sidewall picked any damage cuz there are no such signs of tyre bulge or rubbing whatsoever on the sidewall. We took a few potholes heavily but if that was the case, it should've affected the other tyres too in some way. Forgot to carry my laptop to transfer pics from my camera. Had to resort to phone camera. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

28th August 2013, 14:27	#19
abirnale Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2013 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 1,799 Thanked: 7,819 Times View My Garage	Re: Tyre Safety = Your Safety. How to care for your Tyres Doesn't look like you got it damaged while handling those patchy roads. You must see your dealer and show them this. Those wires coming out of first two pics and the small cracks on the last one makes me think that the tyre could be defective. And now they should give a damn good explanation why only one tyre is in this condition. Although you can reach GoodYear for claims etc, but shouldn't this be your regular dealer who takes care of all your servicing needs?
	() Thanks

28th August 2013, 15:47	#20
aditya_rao BHPian Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Pune/NJ/Canada Posts: 152 Thanked: 684 Times	Re: Tyre Safety = Your Safety. How to care for your Tyres In the first post it is mentioned that the lesser worn tires should be at the rear axle. But when the tyres are rotated, then the front tyres are moved back (either in a straight or diagonally opposite directions) and the rear ones are moved ahead. This means that the lesser worn out ones are going ahead actually. Isn't this a contradiction? What would be the best approach?
	() Thanks

7th September 2013, 15:21	#23
kdp95 BHPian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Navi Mumbai Posts: 52 Thanked: 35 Times	Re: Tyre Safety = Your Safety. How to care for your Tyres Just got the tyre inspected by the Goodyear guy at our local Ford dealership. To our disappointment, it won't be covered under warranty as he says it's not a manufacturing defect. He showed us some deep cuts on the tyre which had gone well upto the tyre belt causing water to seep through it and oxidise the adhesive holding the steel cord. Hence they got dislodged and projected themselves outwards from the tyre shoulder. He also went on to say the tyre had been worn out by 57% i.e. just had about 3.5mm of tread left compared to 8mm of a new one. Can someone attest the explanation that he's given? Cuz in his report he summarized that it can't be adjusted as neglected tyre cuts have led to tyre belt distortion and we can't claim warranty on these grounds. My concern is even if his explanation holds truth, why is it limited to just one tyre when the other three have covered the same distance, on the same roads, on the same car? How come just one tyre has those cuts? He said as time passes the other tyres too will suffer in the same way.
	() Thanks

2nd July 2014, 08:27	#24
Simhi BHPian Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Pune Posts: 627 Thanked: 1,303 Times	Re: Tyre Safety = Your Safety. How to care for your Tyres Caring for Spare Wheel for low running car Mine is a case wherein running of the car is very less - covered 12000kms in 4 years. I have done wheel rotation once around 8000kms. Luckily no punctures till now. The only care I am taking for spare wheel is to check and top it once in 3 months or when going for occasional long distance trip. Is this sufficient?
	() Thanks

2nd July 2014, 10:26	#26
commonman BHPian Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Bangalore Posts: 214 Thanked: 261 Times	Re: Tyre Safety = Your Safety. How to care for your Tyres I changed my tyres for my Ritz which had run close to 50K Kms and 4.5 years old.The catch here was the spare tyre which was untouched.I tried exchanging it when the tyre change was happening. The dealer was insisting that the spare tyre need not be changed as it looks new. I did not change it till now. 4 new tyres are Bridgestone B290 and 1 spare is of Yoko A Drive .All sizes are 185/70 R14. Should I change the spare tyre?
	() Thanks

1st January 2017, 16:45	#28
KK_HakunaMatata BHPian Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Bangalore Posts: 719 Thanked: 1,001 Times	Re: Tyre Safety = Your Safety. How to care for your Tyres I have a query. I suspected a puncture on a tire and went to get it checked. While checking there were two small nails but there was no puncture. In the process the guy topped up air resulting in mixture of air with nitrogen, which was previously filled. Now I guess there is 95% nitrogen and balance air. Is there an issue and should I get the tire emptied and fill nitrogen again? KK
	() Thanks

6th January 2017, 19:35	#30
Sparky BHPian Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Rajkot Posts: 54 Thanked: 59 Times	Re: Tyre Safety = Your Safety. How to care for your Tyres I would like to put my experience of filling nitrogen air. Recently, I filled the nitrogen air in both my car, Corolla and Celerio. The nitrogen air was filled by completely deflating the tyre first, filling some nitrogen and deflating again, finally filling the tyre with nitrogen air. I drove the Corolla for 300 kms same day, and I could feel the difference. The drive felt smooth, like the wheels are gliding smoothly and evenly. Even the drive was little less jerky compared to past drives with normal air. Next day, when tryes of Celerio was filled with nitrogen, I could feel the same difference. The drive became smooth and less jerky. I made sure that the air gauge shows same pressure for normal air and nitrogen air. The pressure was checked before filling the nitrogen, and after also, just to be sure. So is it just my perception, or does nitrogen air really make difference?
	() Thanks