Maintenance Services | Maintenance Period |
---|---|
Measure and Adjust Tire Pressure | 2 months or abnormalities |
Every tire has a Tread Wear Indicator (TWI), which form a triangle located on the sidewall. TWI is an indicator of tire wear and is also a benchmark to you to check if your tire is worn out. Tires should be changed immediately when the tire tread has surpassed the indicators.
When comparing tires that bear the same load, insufficient tire pressure causes high deflection and increases fuel consumption.
Low Tire Pressure | Increase Fuel Consumption | Reduce Tire Life |
---|---|---|
10% | 2% | 15% |
20% | 4.5% | 28% |
30% | 6.25% | 37% |
Most drivers mistake premium fuel as the best choice for the vehicle. Check the owner’s manual for the correct octane level for your engine. Around 20% of drivers purchase premium fuel, but only less than 5% of cars on the road have engines designed for high octane fuel. If your engine was not, then pumping premium will only cost you more.
Gas mileage can be improved by 15% just by decreasing your highway speed from 100 kph to 88 kph. Try to maintain a constant speed and gradually increase or decrease speed when needed to achieve better gas mileage. Slow down on highways and use cruise control whenever possible. Avoid drastic accelerations or sudden braking which uses up more fuel.
A vehicle consumes about 700 liters of gasoline each year. Each additional 45 kg of goods increases fuel consumption by 1 liter. Avoid carrying unnecessary items as extra loads put more strain on the vehicle and leads to higher fuel consumption.
Follow the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil to improve gas mileage by 1-2%. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower the gas mileage by 1-2% while using 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower gas mileage by 1-1.5%. Also, look for “Energy Conserving” on the API performance symbol to make sure it contains friction-reducing additives. Check your fuel cap to make sure it is secure and not damaged. 556 million liters of gas vaporize annually due to missing or problematic caps.
Smooth and Steady Start
Fuel consumption is usually the highest during the initial vehicle startup. Many drivers love to hit the throttle and accelerate to be a step ahead. However, this actually consumes 2-3 times more fuel. From startup to 60 kph, heavy throttle only puts you ahead by 10-20 seconds. 2-3 times the fuel consumption or 10 seconds lead? Make the right choice!
Avoid Braking Abruptly
Fuel consumption is usually the highest during the initial vehicle startup. Many drivers love to hit the throttle and accelerate to be a step ahead. However, this actually consumes 2-3 times more fuel. From startup to 60 kph, heavy throttle only puts you ahead by 10-20 seconds. 2-3 times the fuel consumption or 10 seconds lead? Make the right choice!
Before heading out, you should do your homework to find the best route. Best Route ? Shortest Route Distance is just a factor in deciding the best route. Congestion (too much traffic lights or intersections) should also be considered otherwise the shortest route may turn into the longest route and use up more fuel.
Regular maintenance and tune-ups are one of the best ways to improve fuel economy and vehicle performance. Recommended maintenance schedule can be found in the owner’s manual. Dragging brakes, dirty oil filters, worn spark plugs, low transmission fluid, or transmission going into high gear can all reduce fuel efficiency.
For every degree the positive camber is off by, the tire will be dragged sideways 5 m for each km traveled. The driver’s natural reaction is to straighten the driving direction which subjects the tires to additional force and deformation that ultimately increases fuel consumption.
Positive camber is extremely important for wheel alignment!
Tire rubber not only has flexibility but also viscidity. When tires are rolling, they will be compressed and stretched which consumes energy. Tire rolling resistance occurs when the energy loss is converted into heat and increases the tire temperature.
Choose low rolling resistance tires for better fuel efficiency!
The recommended tire pressure for each vehicle is set by the car manufacturer and can be found in various areas of the vehicle such as: car owner’s manual, driver’s side door,fuel filler door, and etc. Vehicle load and tire pressure is interrelated.For larger loads,please increase the tire pressure.
Please check the tire pressure when the tire is cooled to obtain a more accurate measurement. In other words, when the vehicle has been traveling for less than 2 km or parked for at least 3 hours.
Bald tires will skid on the road and be damaged by potholes. Groove depth should be at least 1.6 mm otherwise the tires must be replaced.
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI) is a raised section molded into the grooves of a tire. When the tread is leveled with the TWI, the tires need to be replaced immediately.
Check if the tread has been pierced by small stones, glass, metal, or other foreign objects and carefully clean the affected area. If you let these objects get embedded deeper, it may cause serious problems.
Main Reason: tread is pierced by sharp objects or nails Impact on Tire: safety hazard
On unpaved roads, tires may bounce over deep holes or be impacted by foreign objects which leads to tire and rim deformation, causing a break in the sidewall ply. When combined with internal pressure, the break forms a bulge. Additionally, driving up a curb or parking results in the tire rubbing against objects which cause sidewall bulges.
Safety hazard
Solutions:
**Slow Air Leak:**Tires will lose a small amount of air pressure every month. If tires need to be inflated every few days, please check the tires, rims, and valve. If necessary, go to a professional service center to repair or replace tires.
Valve Cap: The valve cap prevents moisture and dust from entering into the tire. Please use them. If you replace tires, make sure to fit a new valve cap.
Suspicious Conditions: Please visit a professional service center for inspection. If tires appear to be damaged, do not use.
Improper Driving Leads to Tire Damage or Excessive Wear: If vibration or other problems occur when driving and you suspect there is tire or vehicle damage, please slow down, drive carefully, leave the main road, park, and check the tire.
Tire Damage: If you cannot see the tire damage, please visit a professional service center for inspection.
Tire pressure, including the spare tire, should be checked at least once a month or before driving long distance.
The pressure should be checked after the tire cools down (at least 3 hours after stopping).
Use a tire pressure gauge to check the tire pressure.
The recommended tire pressure for each vehicle is set by the car manufacturer and can be found in various areas of the vehicle such as: car owner’s manual, driver’s side door, and fuel filler door.
Proper tire pressure helps maintain normal fuel consumption and tire wear, optimizes tire life and performance, and effectively improves safety.
The recommended tire pressure for each vehicle is set by the car manufacturer and can be found in various areas of the vehicle such as: car owner’s manual, driver’s side door,fuel filler door, and etc.
Vehicle load and tire pressure is interrelated.For larger loads,please increase the tire pressure.
Please check the tire pressure when the tire is cooled to obtain a more accurate measurement. In other words, when the vehicle has been traveling for less than 2 km or parked for at least 3 hours.
Never try to mount your own tires. Visit a Giti Professional Service Center when you need to mount tires.
If you attempt to mount tires, you run the risk of seriously injuring yourself as well as damaging the tires and rims.
Proper tire rotation on a regular basis will uniformly wear the tire, extend tire life, and improve safety.
After traveling for 8,000-10,000 km, we recommend rotating tires at a service center. When rotating tires please keep in mind “4 Consistency” – same brand, size, pattern, and size because some vehicles have different front and rear specifications.
Tires will undergo frequency and speed adjustments at different intervals to keep the tire and vehicle rotation running straight and the load bearing direction perpendicular to the ground. Vehicle manufacturers designed different angles to handle a variety of road conditions and enhance vehicle performance. Overtime, these angles will suffer wear which leads to deformation while replacing suspension parts will cause a deviation from the set values, resulting in poor vehicle and tire performance. Therefore, proper wheel alignment can help correct and prevent these problems.
When tire and rim assemblies are unbalanced, it will cause wheel shimmy (wheel shakes from side to side) or wheel tramp (wheel hops up and down). Therefore, it is important to achieve static and dynamic balance.
Under normal circumstances, tires can meet the vehicle’s designed mileage but a number of factors impact tire mileage such as: vehicle applications, tire maintenance, road conditions, weather conditions, driving habits, and etc.
Avoid used tires. You never know what damages the tire suffered. If you use a damaged tire, it may cause accidents.
Tips That Help Increase Tire Life:
Many factors such as the engine, steering system, suspension system, and tire may cause the vehicle to shake. We recommend you go to a professional service station for inspection.
Causes improper tire wear and affects tire life.
Causes: Poor braking system, positioning, suspension system, transmission, tires, and etc. Impact on Tires: Causes improper tire wear and affects tire life. Solution: Visit a professional service center for inspection.
When freeing a vehicle from sand, mud, snow, gravel, ice, snow, or wet surfaces, excessive wheel spin can result in tire failure and cause personal injury or vehicle damage. Do not exceed 55 km/h, as indicated on the speedometer. Never stand near or behind a vehicle that is attempting to free itself from a ditch because the tires will be spinning at a high speed.
Causes:
Deflate the Tire: use a tire pressure gauge to deflate the tire until the pressure reaches the recommended level set by the vehicle manufacturer. The recommended tire pressure can be found in various areas of the vehicle such as: car owner’s manual, driver’s side door, and fuel filler door.
The pressure should be checked after the tire cools down (at least 3 hours after stopping or traveling within 2 km).
Causes: Incorrect camber angle or toe In order to achieve maximum tire life, please check the suspension system and perform proper wheel alignment.
Under inflated tires or overloading Frequent braking or sharp turns Tire and rim do not match or rim is too wide
Inner and outer shoulder wears quickly, reducing tire life Leads to higher tire temperature, reduces tire durability, and causes accidents Increases rolling resistance and fuel consumption
Inflating to the proper tire pressure (measured with a tire pressure gauge). The recommended tire pressure can be found in various areas of the vehicle such as: car owner’s manual, driver’s side door, and fuel filler door. Make sure tire and rim fit each other Good driving habits, avoid abrupt stops and acceleration
The pressure should be checked after the tire cools down (at least 3 hours after stopping or traveling within 2 km).
Causes:
Vehicle anti-lock braking system (ABS) fails Brake or tire lock Loose bearings or components Improper wheel balancing Deformed or off centered rims Chemical contamination Impact on Tires:
Affects Tire Life Solutions:
Main Causes:
Poor vehicle suspension system will cause the tire surface to appear uneven and rough. In severe cases, the tread pattern will appear feathery. Common Causes:
Incorrect toe in Poor vehicle suspension system Solutions:
Large positive camber will cause feathering and outer shoulder wear Large negative camber will cause feathering and inner shoulder wear
Impact on Tires: Affects tire life. Solutions: Vehicle needs to perform wheel alignment and suspension system checks.
Factors That Affect Tire Life: Driving habits and styles Tires paired with correct vehicle model Different road surfaces Vehicle and tire maintenance Improper wheel alignment Braking system error. Impact on Tires: Affects tire life. Solution: To achieve maximum tire life, please check the suspension system and perform proper wheel alignment.
Causes: Driving with insufficient air pressure for long periods Tread cuts, punctures, or improper repairs When tread separation occurs, replace tires immediately.
Causes:
Internal tire structural damage.
When driving, the tire shoulder or sidewall is impacted by foreign objects (e.g. potholes and curbs) which causes the tire casing cord to break. The internal tire pressure combined with the weakness in the sidewall causes bulges to form at the area of weakness. How to Prevent Tire Bulges:
Causes: Scratched by sharp objects (curb, stones, metal fragments, and etc.) Solutions:
Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, high temperature, heat, and generators will deteriorate tires. At the same time, oil, gasoline, and other substances will also cause deterioration. Parking the vehicle outside for long periods, hinders anti-aging properties from being released.
Causes: Tire reaches wear limit and must be replaced when the tread depth is 1.6 mm or leveled with the TWI (Tread Wear Indicator). Solution: Take your vehicle to the nearest Giti Professional Service Center for a tread depth inspection.