Posted by Yoli/CA on 7/11/12 6:01pm
Msg #426448

Tire hazard --- warning

I take my car in for service every 5,000 miles. Part of that service is tire rotation. No problem had ever been noticed.

In the past couple of months, my car had been giving me the low tire pressure warning light. I'd go in, get it checked, they'd add air to whatever needed it. Well, took car in for service a couple of weeks ago. Asked them to check tires for nail or whatever might be causing a slow leak. No nail.

Turns out tires were beginning to separate. We've all seen pieces of tire tread on the road. Well, that's one of the reasons. Tire blowouts can cause an accident.

I now have all new tires.

As mobile notaries, we're constantly on the road. Do yourself and your loved ones a favor and get your tires checked. Avoid a possible tragedy.

Reply by MikeC/TX on 7/11/12 6:16pm
Msg #426451

How many miles did you have on your tires?? You should be able to get at least 50K out of a set of tires, unless they were damaged by "road hazards" or consistently running with low air pressure.

Reply by Yoli/CA on 7/11/12 6:55pm
Msg #426459

Mike: Don't know how many miles on tires.

However, the separation is deemed a defect and I did get $56 warranty credit on each tire. This was at America's Tire -- even though that's not where I got the defective tires, they are an authorized dealer and credit was issued immediately at time of sale (didn't have to wait for check in the mail). The credit amount was prorated and based on remaining tread.

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 7/11/12 6:23pm
Msg #426452

I just repalced all 4 tires a couple weeks ago.

My car is a 2011 model. They told me that tires on new cars are often the least expensive the dealer can get and are made to last only 25000-30000 miles. We can't take a chance. I had one tire that was picking up nails and screws all over the place. Discount tire said that I should have the pressure checked every month and not wait for the light to come on.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 7/11/12 6:27pm
Msg #426453

Yeah, but tire rotation and pressure checks are

usually SOP in a 3-5K check...at least it has been in my experience.

Dealership rotated our tires end of March - didn't balance them or align the front end - I noticed a vibration and noise but we didn't get the car back in - kids in from out of town, illness and just life, we never did it - very expensive lesson - the insides of the front tires were chewed up from being driven out of alignment - and it's too late to look to the dealership for compensation.

Should always keep checking tires.

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 7/11/12 6:38pm
Msg #426455

Re: Yeah, but tire rotation and pressure checks are

Neither alignment nor balancing is included in the servicing that was included for the first 25000 miles.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 7/11/12 6:45pm
Msg #426457

We bought an extended service contract on the car

paid for routine maintenance checks, oil changes, tire rotations, etc etc every 3000 miles for 3 years...

Too bad they waited til the end of the 3 years to mess up our tire rotation..

And it's my understanding that ANY time they mess with the tires they're supposed to balance and align...that's just SOP for safety reasons..if they don't they're sending an unsafe car back out onto the road.

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 7/11/12 6:53pm
Msg #426458

Re: We bought an extended service contract on the car

Service every 5000 miles for 2 years or 25000 miles was included. If it's not in writing, it doesn't exist. I checked every reciept and I never saw balance or alignment on any of them.

Reply by KODI/CA on 7/11/12 6:57pm
Msg #426460

Tire maintenance

I spent over 30 years in automotive service management.

I change my oil every 7500 miles. With the oils developed in the last 10-12 years changing sooner is only a waste of money.

I get my tires rotated and aligned every other oil change and I personally check my air pressure monthly. I get 60k to 75k out of my tires.

Automotive dealers are in the business to make money, therefore, they always want to get you back into their dealerships. The manufacturer's support this with excessive recommendations in their owners manuals.

That has been my experience.

Reply by ikando on 7/11/12 7:11pm
Msg #426461

Re: Tire maintenance

On a former vehicle, I kept having flat tires while my car was parked in the driveway. By the time the third replacement was made, I asked why the relatively new tires were having the same issue--valve stem replacement.

Seems the manufacturer had placed a recall on the tires to replace them, but the nationwide store where I bought them chose not to let their customers know about it because "Then we'd have too many people coming in for replacements."

I now routinely check for manufacturer recalls on vehicle and other expensive items that may create issues for me.

Reply by MikeC/TX on 7/12/12 4:55pm
Msg #426548

There's an app for that

I think it's only available for Android phones, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission has an app that allows you to search for product recalls. More info and a video about how it works here:

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscwap.html

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 7/11/12 7:55pm
Msg #426469

Re: Tire maintenance

Re: Changing oil every 7500 miles: does that apply to the extreme conditions in AZ? So you actually have an alignment every 1500 miles? For me that's the cost of one tire! Or Do you mean balanced?

Reply by Glenn Strickler on 7/11/12 8:51pm
Msg #426478

Oil

On a new car, you must follow the schedule in the owners manual or risk voiding the warranty. The conditions you drive in and the change recommendations will be listed in your owners manual.

That being said, I agree that changing any sooner than 7,500 with even todays conventional oils is a waste of money. I have been using full synthetics in my vehicles since my motorcycle racing days in the 1970s. During the last 5 years of employment, I was a Buick an average of 50,000 miles a year. I sold the car with more than 400,000 miles on the originial engine and transmission. I spent most of my time in the Palm Springs area of California where the temps are 115-120 this time of year. Once the warranty was off, I changed engine oil every 10,000 miles. The car is still running with the original engine today with nearly 600,000 k on it. Mobil 1.

Reply by BrendaTx on 7/11/12 9:06pm
Msg #426480

Got 65K on my last set of tires.

Change oil around 7K. Synthetic here, too.

2004 Explorer - 83K; love it. Hope to keep it until 283K.

Reply by Linda Juenger on 7/12/12 12:07am
Msg #426490

Mobil 1 is the absolute best. Nothing comes to close. n/m

Reply by Buddy Young on 7/12/12 4:53pm
Msg #426546

Re: Tire maintenance

I have my tires rotated everytime I change the oil. Every 5000 miles, Toyota recomends.

Also I bought my tires at Les Schwab and they recomend checking your alignment every year. I just had mine done and if it doesn't need it they don't charge. Mine didn't need an allignment. I did have a gash in one of my tires ( curb shot ) and he found a used replacement and didn't charge me a cent. I won't go anywhere elce.

Reply by John/CT on 7/11/12 7:19pm
Msg #426463

Age of the tire plays a major part in failure. After 8 years (and less than 40,000 miles) on my wife's car, their high-end Michelins started to deteriorate to the point we noticed a bulge in the sidewall of one of them. Consequently, four new tires because Michelin no longer offered that particular tire, and we needed matching tread design on all four's because of the all-wheel drive.

Reply by Glenn Strickler on 7/11/12 8:37pm
Msg #426476

Don't rely on just those sensors ....

I buy my tires from an independent tire dealer who has also been my friend for 30 years. He has found that the accuracy of the sensors used in cars from Fords to Mercedes and BMWs to be problematic at best. Tire pressure should be checked physically with a gauge every couple of weeks and we should do a walk around each day before driving. Frequently, when the sensors register low, it's real low, 10psi or more low and you have probably been running on low pressure tire for days or weeks before it registered low. Low pressure generates heat and excess heat will cause the tires to separate. Get familiar with a gauge made from ACME. http://www.acmeautomotive.com/products.asp. Also, try to buy tires made in the USA.

While we are at it, people that rely on sensors to tell them if their oil is low are also playing with fire. Sensors are nice, but there is nothing like a physical check once a month. The sensor could fail to register low oil causing the other sensor that detects bubbles in the oil-pick up to shut down the engine to prevent damage. And it will shut down at the worst time. If it doesn't shut down, then you have to have a new engine at a cost of 3 grand or more ......

Reply by Lee/AR on 7/11/12 9:26pm
Msg #426482

For under $10: set of valve stem caps that show low pressure

Greatest thing since sliced bread, imho. A simple glance at the tires as you get in & out how many times a day will tell you 'pressure is low' before it gets real bad low. Not saying these will replace a routine check with a gauge, but you will catch that nail you picked up before you come out one morning to a flat tire. I love 'em!

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=tire+pressure+valve+caps

Reply by bfnotary on 7/12/12 8:16am
Msg #426508

Re: For under $10: set of valve stem caps that show low pressure

The only thing I know about cars is how to check the oil. That is it, how do i check tire pressure? That is probably why I don't get as long out of my tires. lol. I am very car dumb. (i can drive and check oil).

Reply by jba/fl on 7/12/12 12:10pm
Msg #426516

Re: For under $10: set of valve stem caps that show low pressure

"(i can drive and check oil)."
At the same time?

Reply by Barb25 on 7/12/12 2:37pm
Msg #426529

Re: For under $10: set of valve stem caps that show low pressure

Is that like texting and driving at the same time. I don't think it is legal.