Safe Driving Tips

Underinflation:

• Reduces tread life through increased treadwear on the outside edges (or shoulders) of the tire

• Generates excessive heat, which reduces tire durability and can lead to tire failure

• Reduces fuel economy through increased rolling resistance (soft tires make your vehicle work harder)

Solution:

Add air to your tire until it reaches the proper air pressure (psi, as measured by an air pressure gauge). To find the proper air pressure, consult your vehicle’s owner’s manual or find your recommended psi on the sticker on your door jamb

Uneven Wear

Poor Alignment

You need an alignment when you notice:

• Uneven front or rear tire wear
• Changes in your vehicle's handling or steering response (e.g., pulling to one side)

Solution:

Many vehicles today are equipped with rear suspensions that can be adjusted for alignment. If this is the case, your vehicle may need a "front end" alignment or a "four wheel" alignment, depending on the symptoms you are experiencing.

Scalloped

Poor Alignment

You need an alignment when you notice:

• Uneven front or rear tire wear
• Changes in your vehicle's handling or steering response (e.g., pulling to one side)

Solution

Many vehicles today are equipped with rear suspensions that can be adjusted for alignment. If this is the case, your vehicle may need a "front end" alignment or a "four wheel" alignment, depending on the symptoms you are experiencing. See your local Michelin authorized tire dealer for service and inspection.

Overinflation issues:

• On an overinflated tire, the center of the tread bears most of the load and wears out faster than the outside edges.
• To prevent overinflation, always check tires when they’re cold or before they’ve been driven.
• Or, check tires at least three hours after they have been driven.

Solution:

Take air out of your tire, using a tire pressure gauge, until your air pressure reading matches your vehicle manufacturer’s recommended psi. To find the proper air pressure, consult your vehicle’s owner’s manual or find your recommended psi on the sticker on your door jam.

Sawtooth or Feathered Edges

Misalignment

Misalignment issues:

• If a vehicle is misaligned, the edges of the tread have a sawtooth or feathered appearance.
• This is caused by erratic scrubbing against the road.

Solution:

Your car most likely needs a toe-in or toe-out alignment correction. (For more information on toe-in and toe-out alignment, see your local authorized Michelin tire dealer for helpful service.)

Wear in Center and Excessive Wear

Overinflation issues:

• On an overinflated tire, the center of the tread bears most of the load and wears out faster than the outside edges.
• To prevent overinflation, always check tires when they’re cold or before they’ve been driven.
• Or, check tires at least three hours after they have been driven.

Solution:

Take air out of your tire, using a tire pressure gauge, until your air pressure reading matches your vehicle manufacturer’s recommended psi. To find the proper air pressure, consult your vehicle’s owner’s manual or find your recommended psi on the sticker on your door jam.

Dips

Worn Parts

Worn parts issues:

• Cupping (also called dipping or scalloping) is most common on front tires.
• Rear tires can cup, however, as well.

Solution:

Worn parts may be a sign that wheels are out of balance or that suspension or steering system parts need service or replacement. Please see your local authorized Michelin retailer for helpful service and inspection.

Damage

Damage That Requires Repair

Tire Damage Issues:

• Most punctures nail holes, or cuts up to ¼" confined to the tread may be repaired by trained personnel using industry-approved procedures.
• An on-the-wheel plug-only repair is not reliable and is dangerous because the inside of a tire must be inspected after a puncture.

Solution:

If your vehicle is equipped with one of the several types of temporary spares, replace your damaged tire with the spare, but be sure to first check the spare tire's sidewall for the correct inflation pressure, speed, and mileage limitations. Take your vehicle into an authorized Michelin retailer for an inspection as soon as possible.

The proper repair of a radial tire includes the placing of a rubber patch on the inner liner of the tire and a rubber filling of the hole by a professional. Do not attempt to have repaired tires with tread punctures larger than ¼" or any sidewall puncture. Also, do not have tires repaired that are worn below 2/32" tread depth.

Cups

Worn Parts

Tire Damage Issues:

• Cupping (also called dipping or scalloping) is most common on front tires.
• Rear tires can cup, however, as well.

Solution:

Worn parts may be a sign that wheels are out of balance or that suspension or steering system parts need service or replacement. Please see your local authorized Michelin retailer for helpful service and inspection.

Worn-Out Tire

Worn-Out Tire Issues:

• All tires have treadwear indicator bars at 2/32" of remaining tread.
• When the tread is worn down to 2/32" or when you can see the treadwear indicator bars on any section of the tire, the tire is worn out and should be replaced.

Solution:

Take your vehicle into an authorized Michelin retailer for an inspection and have a professional measure the remaining tread with a tread depth gauge.

How to check tire pressure

Tires have been known to lose up to 1psi (pounds per square inch) every month, so check all tires, including your spare, once a month (or before a long trip). It’s easy. Here’s how:

1. Purchase a trusted tire pressure gauge.
2. Check your tires “cold” – before you’ve driven or at least three hours after you’ve driven.
3. Insert tire pressure gauge into the valve stem on your tire. (If you are using a digital tire gauge like the one pictured, the gauge should begin reading the air pressure immediately. Refer to your air pressure gauge owners manual for correct usage instructions. If using a "pencil" style tire gauge, the gauge will “pop” out and show a measured number. When you hear a “pssst” sound, that’s air escaping the tire. The escaping air shouldn’t affect pressure substantially, unless you hold down the air pressure gauge too long.)
4. Compare the measured psi to the psi found on the sticker inside the driver’s door of your vehicle or in owner’s manual. DO NOT compare to the psi on your tire’s sidewall.
5. If your psi is above the number, let air out until it matches. If below, add air (or have a Michelin retailer help you) until it reaches the proper number.

Nitrogen versus compressed air

Low pressure can lead to tire damage. See the inflation difference:

Most tires are filled with compressed air. But some tire retailers have started to put nitrogen into their customers’ tires. (Nitrogen is simply dry air with the oxygen removed. Air contains nearly 79% nitrogen already.) Because nitrogen replaces oxygen, less air can escape your tires, and your inflation pressure stays higher longer. Unfortunately, there are other possible sources of leaks (tire/rim interface, valve, valve/rim interface and the wheel), which prevent the guarantee of pressure maintenance for individuals using air or nitrogen inflation.

Nitrogen and compressed air CAN be mixed, if needed. Tires manufactured by Michelin are designed to deliver their expected performance when inflated with air or nitrogen, as long as the user respects the pressures recommended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle’s placard or by the tire manufacturer.

Mixing in new tires with worn tires?

When replacing two new tires instead of four, be sure that your new tires are the same size and tire type as your current tires, and that your dealer always installs the new tires on the rear axle of your vehicle.

For continued optimized vehicle performance, it is recommended that all tires be replaced at the same time with identical MSPN.

Deeper tread tires on the rear axle provide better handling, wet grip, and evacuate water, thereby helping to avoid oversteer and loss of vehicle stability on wet surfaces. Deeper tread tires on the front axle can improve wet straight line braking and stopping distance. If only two tires are being replaced, Michelin generally recommends they be installed on the rear axle in the absence of a tire service professional's recommendation or consumer's preference to the contrary.

Replacing a single tire on a vehicle can have an adverse effect on suspension systems, gear ratios, transmissions, and tire treadwear. If a single tire replacement is unavoidable, it is recommended that the single new tire be paired with the deepest tread tire from the vehicle (including the full size spare) and both be placed as a pair according to the recommendations in the paragraph immediately above.

Once every month, or before you embark upon long road trips, check your tires for wear and damage problems. One easy way to check for wear is by using the penny test. All you have to do is grab an Abraham Lincoln penny and follow 3 easy steps.

• Take a penny and hold Abe's body between your thumb and forefinger.
• Select a point on your tire where tread appears the lowest and place Lincoln's head into one of the grooves.
• If any part of Abe Lincoln's head is covered by the tread, you're driving with the legal and safe amount of tread. If your tread gets below that (approximately 2/32 of an inch), your car's ability to grip the road in adverse conditions is greatly reduced.

For more serious problems, we’ve created an easy-to-use online tire inspection tool below to help you identify issues and learn how to fix them.

To make sure your car's tread is road ready, watch the video below to see the Penny Test in action