During the winter having good tires and working wiper blades is crucial. Without these, you could be in big trouble. Read up on these two important things that keep your tires working their best and when to replace your windshield wipers.
Tire Pressure
Having the correct tire pressure is extremely important for getting good gas mileage and the most life out of your tires. Unfortunately, Colorado’s cold weather tends to decrease your tire pressure, 1 PSI (pounds per square inch) for every 10 degrees the temperature drops, to be exact. If your Tire Pressure Monitoring System light keeps coming on this winter, make sure you know the correct level of tire pressure your car’s tires need. On newer cars, the recommended tire pressure is most commonly listed on a sticker inside the driver’s door. If there’s no sticker on the door, you can usually find the specs in the owner’s manual. Most passenger cars will recommend 32 psi to 35 psi in the tires when they’re cold.
Tire Tread
The tread on your tires is an imperative piece of driving safety and performance. They give the tire the ability to grip the road, accelerate, brake, and even help maximize fuel economy. As the rubber on the tread wears away, so does the tire’s effectiveness. read depth is a vertical measurement from the top of the tire’s rubber to the bottom of the tire’s deepest grooves. Keeping an eye on your tire’s tread depth is a vital part of routine vehicle maintenance. New tires typically start with a tread depth of 10/32″ to 12/32″. If your tread depth reaches 4/32” you should look at getting new tires to remain safe on the road.
Wiper Blades
If the rain, snow, or slush that comes with Colorado winter leaves streaks all over your windshield, you should look into getting new wiper blades. Luckily, these are typically inexpensive and easy to install. If you are unsure if you need new wiper blades, we recommend changing them every six to twelve months, just to be safe. If you have a back windshield wiper, don’t forget to replace it as well!
Whether you need your tires retreaded, new windshield wipers, or new tires all together Houska is here to help you with all of your car service needs.
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