Tyres

[hc4361]

How can I get an honest opinion of the state of my car tyres? They look fine to me, good tread, no cracks, splits or bulges as far as I can see but at the MOT today I was advised they are perishing.

I feel that wherever I take the car they will know about the MOT advisory before they even speak to me because it is very quick to check online so will be in a good position to tell me I need new tyres.

Any advice?

[bhg481]

Perhaps they are going by the construction date of the tyres. This appears as a code on the tyre wall (4-digit, week no, year). I think the recommended maximum age for tyres is about 10 years but it may be less. Maybe the garage is just warning you that the expiry date is approaching and that, whilst the tyres look OK they may be perishing inside.
Have a look here:
http://www.blackcircles.com/helpcentre

[EDDIE51]

Ah advisory is just about things that may need doing before the next MOT .
I had an advisory that my brake pipes were rusting, but I knew they were stainless steel which does not rust. I ignored it and the next year the car passed with no advisory and the mechanic said the brake pipes were fine.
In my experience advisory's are just the garage 'fishing' for more business.

[EDDIE51]

Is there a government run MOT center near you? There are centers that only do MOT's and do not do repairs. They are run by the local authority or the government transport authority. If you can find one they are much more fair as they do not need the repair work.

[bhg481]

Sorry, bad link above (I was in a hurry). Try this one:

https://www.kwik-fit.com/tyres/information/tyre-age

[EDDIE51]

^ Good information but I would not trust 'Quikfit' to give me an unbiased opinion that my tyres were too old and needed replacing.
Was it Quikfit that did your MOT hc?

[hc4361]

Main agent, Eddie

[TWR]

Hi HC, you can purchase a decent tyre depth Gauge from the likes of Halfords, they are very easy to use, the things you have to be aware of with your tyres, running out of Track, Cracks, ( as you have said) over / under inflated signs on the body of the tyre.

[bhg481]

How closely have you checked your tyres hc? Have you taken the wheels off and examined them all carefully? I'm fussy about my tyres and I was horrified once when the car went in for service for the garage to tell me there was damage to the inside wall of one of my front tyres that I was completely unaware of.

[hc4361]

TWR, thanks but the tread is absolutely fine.
I've taken one off, bhg, and had a good look. No sign of any deterioration at all, all the MOT says under 'advisory' is 'all tyres perishing'.
The car is 7 years old and has done under 20k miles.

[bhg481]

The link I gave earlier was to a KwiKFit website, which automatically makes people sceptical. The following link is to a RoSPA site:
http://www.rospa.com/road-safety/advice/vehicles/tyre-safety-technology/information/#aging
I also found a quote after Googling "tyre aging" - Carmakers such as Nissan and Mercedes-Benz tell consumers to replace tires six years after their production date, regardless of tread life. Tire manufacturers such as Continental and Michelin say a tire can last up to 10 years, provided you get annual tire inspections after the fifth year.
It's certainly worth checking the manufacture date on your tyres since they will certainly be older than your car, maybe by over a year.
There's only your brakes, tyres and steering between you and the undertaker.

[hc4361]

Okay, will get them checked out.