At Arty’s Auto Service we value the safety of our customers above all else.
Our team of skilled technicians undergoes regular training to ensure we’re equipped with the knowledge and experience to solve any issue with your vehicle’s tires.
We want to ensure that you get to where you’re going every time with a reliable and safe vehicle.
To help keep your tires in top condition, we offer regular tire rotations, balancing, and alignment services at Arty’s Auto Service.
A major problem area for the cars and trucks that come into Arty’s Auto Service, are tires.
Over time, tire treads wear out due to friction with the road surface, and that’s why regular tire inspections are important.
Your tires are your connection to the road, and without them doing their job properly, all the handling development and safety testing that went into your car may not keep you safe.
Below are some signs that your tires may need replacement or repair:
Here is some basic information on your tires and how to know when the time has come for replacements.
- Uneven tire wear
- Cracks or bulges in the sidewall
- Tread that has worn down to the wear bar
- Punctures, cuts, or damage to the tire’s surface
- Constantly losing air pressure
Why are old or bad tires dangerous?
As stated above, your tires are an extremely important component of your car or truck.
When a tire fails, it is often sudden and catastrophic, rather than a slow decline of performance.
If you’ve ever been out of control in a vehicle, you’ll know how scary being a powerless passenger inside a two ton metal box can be.
It’s not just your safety at risk – having a tire blowout at highway speeds can be a danger to other drivers, too.
Driving on tires that are too old, improperly inflated, out of balance, or not suited to weather conditions can spell disaster for your safe journey.
Even with regular maintenance, all tires eventually wear out and need replacement.
Your tires were designed with a very specific task in mind.
Your vehicle’s manufacturer will usually have recommendations for how often you should get new tires, but it’s also important to pay attention to the signs that your tires are wearing down.
Using them improperly can have sudden and catastrophic consequences.
Don’t wait until it’s too late to replace your tires – our team at Arty’s Auto Service can help you choose the right tires for your vehicle and get them installed quickly and safely.
Signs your tires need air
This issue can be fairly simple to spot.
If you notice that your tires look saggy or flat, it’s worth checking their air pressure.
If your tire seems to be wider at the part which contacts the road, they probably need to be topped up with air.
A simple tire pressure gauge can tell you if your tires need more air.
Driving on under-inflated tires wears them out faster due to uneven pressure on the sidewall and can lead to full-on flats and even end up shredding the tire off the wheel! Low tire pressure ruins your vehicle’s fuel economy.
In addition to the safety concerns, driving on under-inflated tires can also cost you more money in the long run due to reduced fuel efficiency.
If you’ve ever ridden a bicycle with under-inflated tires you know how much extra effort you have to put in to get moving and stay rolling.
Properly inflated tires will give you better gas mileage and a smoother, more comfortable ride.
On the flip side of this, driving with too much air in your tires is also unsafe.
Over-inflated tires can also be a problem, as they make your vehicle more susceptible to damage from potholes and other road hazards.
While it’s unlikely that hitting a large pothole would cause the tire to burst (remember they’re built to last for thousands of miles) having too much air pressure in a tire reduces the size of the contact patch, or the area where rubber meets road.
If you’re not sure what the correct tire pressure is for your vehicle, we can help you find out at Arty’s Auto Service.
This can lead to less grip and control over your vehicle.
It’s always better to err on the side of slightly under-inflated tires rather than over-inflated ones.
Every tire manufacturer prints the correct tire pressure on the side of their tires, so it’s easy to find out the perfect pressure for your ride.
By keeping your tires properly inflated, you’ll be doing your part to ensure your safety on the road.
Signs your tires are out of tread
As with having over-inflated tires, a lack of tread can lead to less control and worse handling for your car or truck.
In addition to keeping an eye on your tires’ air pressure, it’s important to pay attention to their tread depth.
Your tires’ tread patterns help them to hold the road as well as channeling mud and water away from the areas that need to do the gripping.
As tires wear down over time, their ability to grip the road surface decreases, especially in wet or slippery conditions.
Without enough tread depth, your car can ride up on top of water on the road and cause you a complete loss of control.
In some cases, bald tires can even hydroplane on a wet road, meaning that the tire loses contact with the road and you lose control of the vehicle.
There are a few common methods of measuring tread depth, such as using a penny to gauge whether or not it’s time to replace your tires, but we recommend coming into Arty’s Auto Service in Coatesville, PA for a professional opinion on the matter.
At Arty’s Auto Service, our technicians can use precise instruments to measure your tire’s tread depth and help you determine if it’s time for replacement.
Not all tires are created equal and must be replaced at different times.
Even if a tire’s tread depth hasn’t worn down to the legal limit, it may still be time for replacement due to factors like age, weather exposure, or the type of driving you do.
Signs your tires are damaged
Signs that your tires are damaged can come from a few sources.
Besides under-inflation and worn treads, damage is the other major factor that can impact your tire’s performance.
A visual inspection can catch potential problems before they become major issues such as nails or rocks embedded in the tread grooves.
If you spot any debris or punctures in the tire, it’s important to have it inspected by a professional right away.
Always remember that there’s a great deal of pressure contained within your tires.
The pressure in a tire can also cause it to fail, so any visible damage to the sidewall or bulging should be taken seriously.
If you see any gashes, bubbles or hear the hiss of air escaping it’s best to stay away from that tire and enlist the help of a professional.
At Arty’s Auto Service, we use specialized equipment to inspect your tires for hidden damage that may not be visible to the naked eye.
Believe us, you don’t want a tire exploding anywhere near you.
It’s always better to replace a damaged tire than to risk a catastrophic failure at high speeds.
You can sometimes feel tire damage while driving.
If your car starts vibrating or pulling to one side while you’re driving, it could be a sign that one or more of your tires is damaged or out of balance.
If your car begins to make strange noises as it goes down the road or the handling suddenly becomes worse you should pull over as soon as it’s safe.
Trying to tough it out and continue driving on a damaged tire is never worth the risk.
Driving on a flat is a bad idea, and can often lead to more severe damage to your vehicle.
Not only could it cause further damage to your car, but it could also put you and your passengers in danger.
What can and cannot be repaired
Tires are expensive and we take any opportunity we can to repair them safely and save you money.
If you’re unsure whether your tire can be repaired or if it needs to be replaced, our technicians can provide an expert opinion.
Small punctures can often be plugged and patched (it should always be both!) but sometimes the tire’s day is done.
However, we never compromise on safety, so if a tire is too damaged to be repaired safely, we’ll recommend a replacement.
If the puncture is on the outer edge of the tire (outside the tread) it’s probably unsafe to repair.
Tires that are punctured on the sidewall or driven on while flat are generally not repairable.
The same goes for a tire that’s been driven on while flat.
In these cases, the structural integrity of the tire has been compromised, and it’s not safe to continue using it.
In this case the sidewall has become weakened and the tire is no longer safe.
Our team at Arty’s Auto Service can help you choose the right replacement tire for your vehicle and driving needs.
As with recommended pressures, each manufacturer has guides for what can and what can’t be repaired.
We’ll always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines when it comes to tire repair or replacement recommendations.
At Arty’s Auto Service, customer safety is our number one priority.
With a little bit of knowledge and care, you can keep your tires in great condition and cruise safely down the road.
We hope you’ll be a little safer with this information.
If you’re due for a tire inspection or replacement, give Arty’s Auto Service a call at 610-383-4698 or schedule your appointment online today!
If you’d like to talk about whether your tires may need inspection or replacement, call us at 610-383-4698 or visit us at 180 Airport Rd in Coatesville, PA.
