How to determine tire wear on your vehicle
Driving with worn tires can compromise your safety and lead to costly replacements. Knowing how to assess your tires’ condition helps you make an informed decision about when to replace them. In this blog post, your OCTO Auto Service Plus family mechanic shares proven methods for assessing tire wear.
Visual inspection
Start by carefully examining your tires. Look for signs of uneven wear, cracks or embedded objects. Irregular wear can indicate issues with alignment or tire pressure.
Tread depth gauge
For an accurate measurement, you can use a tread depth gauge. This small, easy-to-use tool is available at most auto parts stores. Simply insert the device into the tread grooves to get an accurate depth reading.
The manufacture date
The age of your tires can also affect their performance. After five years, the materials may start to degrade. You can find out when your tires were manufactured by locating the Department of Transportation (DOT) code on the sidewall. The last four digits of this code indicate the week and year of manufacture. For example, the code 2619 means the tire was produced during the 26th week of 2019.
The quarter test
Legally, your tire tread must be at least 1.6 millimetres (2/32”). However, CAA-Québec advises against driving on tires with less than 4.8 millimetres (6/32”) of tread, as they may lose traction in certain conditions.
A simple way to check whether the tread depth is safe is to use a quarter:
1. Hold the quarter between your fingers with the caribou’s snout pointing downward
2. Insert the quarter into several tread grooves
3. If you can see most or all of the caribou’s snout, your tread depth is below the 1.6-millimetre (2/32”) legal limit
OCTO Auto Service Plus: your resource for driving with compliant tires
Do you have any concerns about the condition of your tires? Talk to a trusted mechanic as soon as possible. If you need a professional evaluation or personalized advice on purchasing new, high-quality tires book an appointment at an OCTO Auto Service Plus repair shop in your area.