Sensible car maintenance advice?

[Pale Rider]

My car was in a main dealer today for its annual service and MoT test.

Good news is it passed, and nothing extra needed doing in the service.

The garage reported - correctly - the front tyres were at 2.9mm tread depth, and advised 'changing them today'.

The legal limit is 1.6mm, and my policy is not to wear them that low, so I agreed and added two new Conti tyres to the bill.

I wonder if the replacement advice was a bit previous, although presumably I wouldn't have been able to get more than a couple of thousand miles out of the old tyres given that I'd want them changed at 2mm or so.

 

[derrick]

Without seeing them we will never know.

 

[subaqua]

Just an advisory . I would have changed them on mine though. Mainly because of research done by TRL ( I think) on the differences in adhesion between 3mm and 1.6mm limit. Evidence is king

 

[Drago]

Bin the tyres - the legal limit is 1.6, but the safe limit is indeed 3.0. Below that they lose their ability to disperse water, something to do with the reduced volume of the tread and water incompressibility.

My old employer used to change the tyres on the police cars at 3mm.

http://www.rospa.com/road-safety/advice/vehicles/tyre-safety-technology/tread-depth-wet-weather/

 

[AndyRM]

Stick some Conti Gatorksins on there, sorted.

 

[Pale Rider]

Bin the tyres - the legal limit is 1.6, but the safe limit is indeed 3.0. Below that they lose their ability to disperse water, something to do with the reduced volume of the tread and water incompressibility.

My old employer used to change the tyres on the police cars at 3mm.

http://www.rospa.com/road-safety/advice/vehicles/tyre-safety-technology/tread-depth-wet-weather/

Tyres binned - or sent to the recycling facility - new Contis fitted, although I don't think they are called Gatorskins.

I wish Schwalbe made car tyres, the Marathon Pluses I have look like they will last forever.

 

[biggs682]

Stick some Conti Gatorksins on there, sorted.

i bet they were not much more expensive

i would have used them for another 1000 miles personally

 

[jonny jeez]

My car was in a main dealer today for its annual service and MoT test.

Good news is it passed, and nothing extra needed doing in the service.

The garage reported - correctly - the front tyres were at 2.9mm tread depth, and advised 'changing them today'.

The legal limit is 1.6mm, and my policy is not to wear them that low, so I agreed and added two new Conti tyres to the bill.

I wonder if the replacement advice was a bit previous, although presumably I wouldn't have been able to get more than a couple of thousand miles out of the old tyres given that I'd want them changed at 2mm or so.

I doubt there was much margin to be made from selling you new tyres, so they were probably genuine in their comments.

 

[KneesUp]

I doubt there was much margin to be made from selling you new tyres, so they were probably genuine in their comments.

There was a labour charge though, presumably. I buy my tyres online and get a local garage to fit them as Kwik Fit et am always seem quite expensive to me.

 

[doog]

Depends on your mileage..2.9mm on the car would probably do me 12 months.

Do you check your tyres ...that 2.9 may well have been more ..

 

[Freds Dad]

I find the tyres I need online then speak to the local tyre fitting shop who will price match.

 

[Paul139]

I would have run them right down to the legal limit. Probably get 2-4 thousand miles on them. If you know they're worn drive accordingly. Slow down a bit In the rain so you don't aquaplane, leave a bigger gap to the vehicle in front, etc,etc
Every penny counts these days.

 

[jonny jeez]

I would have run them right down to the legal limit. Probably get 2-4 thousand miles on them. If you know they're worn drive accordingly. Slow down a bit In the rain so you don't aquaplane, leave a bigger gap to the vehicle in front, etc,etc
Every penny counts these days.

so does every meter of stopping distance.

 

[Paul139]

so does every meter of stopping distance.

Hence I would drive accordingly.

 

[jonny jeez]

Hence I would drive accordingly.

Yebbut surprises can happen that you simply cannot plan for, or drive accordingly for. To me, saving a few quid on rubber isn't worth the risk. Its not a dig at you, just the thought process.

My tracking was out on an old motor of mine and without me knowing, my offside front tyre had worn almost bald. I was driving along a very quiet road at about 20MPH (seriously I had just pulled away) and a cat ran out from under a car. I nearly hit the parked car as the nearside wheel gripped and the offside just slid me in an arc towards the curb.

I was shocked at how little the bald tyre gripped at such slow stopping speeds.