Watched an interesting clip on a video sharing site of a US news show feature which investigated the age of tyres being supplied as new, and how to tell when your tyre was manufactured. I won't post the link here because it's on a site with some strong content amongst its clips and many employers block it!
The gist of the feature, though, was that some tyres being sold were in unworn, new condition as far as tread went, but could be years old and at risk of the tread separating from the rest of the tyre due to loss of moisture content in the rubber.
This alternative YouTube clip shows how to tell the age of your tyre:
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ITpyCdIdkW8
On the back of that, I checked the tyres on my 05-plate 108k mile car which I bought a few months ago, and found I had three 2007 tyres and one mysterious 2004 one, which surely couldn't have been original to the car at that mileage?
Food for thought, though - how old are your tyres? Would you trust an older one even where it has no visible signs of ageing?
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A few years ago a bloke died because he bought an original 1980 MGB. It was garage stored and in prestine condition. Sadly the tyres were also original and although looked new the rubber had aged badly. He was apparantly doing about 70mph, one burst and killed him.
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Just to make you think, I put into service recently the original (1989) unused spare P600 on my 205 GTi - with some trepidation, I must admit. Looks as new because it has spent all its life in the dark, and probably much of that in a garage. I asked my regular indie what he thought, and he didn't say nay. No reason yet to switch it back.
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how old are your tyres?
Would you trust an older one even where it has no visible signs of ageing?
A) 0->3 YEARS.
b) Yes, within reason. Up to six or so, according to guidelines, fine. Over 6, possibly, depending on past/expected use, and results of examination of the thing.
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My 05 Golf still has one of its original back tyres with >3mm at 114k...
Cannot use the spare in my case as it is a smaller size (though not a space saver), but could your 04 tyre have been the spare?
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> could your 04 tyre have been the spare?
It's possible, but the wheels are alloys and the spare is a steel wheel, which looked unused when I last looked at it - would seem a bit of effort to go to in terms of rotation, especially if you were placing a new tyre on the spare, but who knows!
Never checked the date on the spare, though, but it can wait till morning!
I'm guessing maybe the odd tyre had been damaged or worn, and it's been replaced with a part-worn example for sale purposes at some point.
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I wonder when something will be done to bring spare tyre inspection into the MoT test ?
There are three cars in the family and all have 9 /10 year old space saver spares that have never been used.
I would never drive at 50+ mph on the space saver ( unlike some idiot who passed me on the M3 when he was doing in excess of 80 with a space saver on the back of his E class MB).
I am starting to think about " should I scrap an unused tyre that has been kept in the dark all these years?"
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Space savers - my favourite!
Get stuck in the middle of nowhere on a sunday afternoon, with no chance of gettinga puncture fixed, and you're looking at a 3-400km journey at 80...
Lovely.
Lots of talk this side about it, but the argument for the manufacturers is that the well is designed to take a space saver, and a full-sized wheel ... maybe at a push.
Lots of guys I know have opeted for a full-sizer, and a have used polystyrene blocks to bring the boot floor covering up a few inches to level it out when the wheel is in the well.
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I wonder when something will be done to bring spare tyre inspection into the MoT test ?
Well it would have to be mandatory to be carrying a spare first. Things would have to change a bit for that to happen. There seems to be a trend for manufacturers not fitting any spare at all at the moment - not even a space saver - to save weight and shave a few points off CO2 emissions.
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I wonder when something will be done to bring spare tyre inspection into the MoT test ?
I'm against this as it would mean that the tester has to remove covers, carpets or trim, and it also represents extra work, making the MOT take longer and cost more, with little real benefit.
In my opinion, the MOT checks on the roadwheels are OK, and the penalties for being caught using bald tyres are sufficient to concenrtrate people's minds.
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NC I accept your points re MoT costs etc.
>>In my opinion, the MOT checks on the roadwheels are OK, and the penalties for being caught using bald tyres are sufficient to concentrate people's minds.
IMO I do not think MOT checks are good enough on tyres.
Last week my sons Focus did NOT fail even though there was a 3cm screw right through the shoulder of a front tyre.
I was shown on the MoT computer that it was NOT a failure. The tyre although almost unworn was immediately scrapped and a new one fitted.
The MB in front of me had a nail in the shoulder of a tyre and about 10 PSI but yet again NOT a failure.
I am certain most thinking people would consider this situation is very odd.
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If the tyres of the MB were obviously under-inflated, the car should not have been roller brake tested, and the test should have been stopped rather than a pass certificate issued. The MOT station got that one wrong.
Cuts or tears in the outer rubber layer which are deep enough to reach the re-inforcing cords are OK if less than about an inch in length. The rules say nothing about checking for penetrations. However, if there were a lump or bump signifying a ply seperation then, that would constitute a fail.
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If the tyres of the MB were obviously under-inflated the car should not have been roller brake tested
>>and the test should have been stopped rather than a pass certificate issued.The MOT station got that one wrong.
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The tyre was inflated, for the elderly gentlema, before being roller tested.
(The MB also failed on a rear side light bulb which the MoT lads would normally have changed but the MB also had a bust spring )
My long established MoT station ( no connection with any garage and a big sign "We do not do repairs") are always hepful.
>>The rules say nothing about checking for penetrations.
I am still surprised and very disappointed at this.
I understand the complications in defining the situation.
Is it just a screw head or a screw ? Is it a small bit of glass or a long shard etc.
In both the MoT cases there was obvious loss of air and both cases a tyre that could not be legally repaired.
They did show me all the screen notes on this.
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a tyre that could not be legally repaired
I am not aware that it's actually illegal to repair a tyre, no matter where the puncture.
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>>I am still surprised and very disappointed at this.
I don't think it's too inconsistent.
The MOT is, generally, equal to, or less stringent than the relevant motoring law, and holding an MOT certificate, however fresh the ink, doesn't absolve the driver from the necessity of compliance.
The mistake I think you are making is that you are considering the MOT to be a comprehensive safety check, when in terms of cost and scope it is nowhere near.
>>I understand the complications in defining the situation.
I think that these complications prevent a sensible "reason for rejection" being defined. You can't check to see the depth of the penetration without disturbing the offending item, and, the tester should not be disturbing anything. In most cases, motorists will be horrified by a tyre penetration being pointed out to them, and won't need an MOT failure to motivate them to mend it, or replace the tyre as appropriate.
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The MB in front of me had a nail in the shoulder of a tyre and about 10 PSI but yet again NOT a failure. I am certain most thinking people would consider this situation is very odd.
Nail in the tyre not failing seems odd at first glance but I'm not so sure about under-inflation. Is there any law that says I can't drive around with my tyres at 10 psi if I want to?
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Tyre markings (including date of manufacture) and other information tinyurl.com/5f4a7z
Tyre laws tinyurl.com/5b6cdc
Edited by L'escargot on 26/11/2008 at 05:40
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4yr old / 33K miles factory fit Dunlop SP2000 Sport tyres on rear of daughter's Ibiza were reported as "perished" at last MOT - just and advisory.
MOT tester had gone home when I picked the car up and Service Manager said it was nothing to worry about.
I took the wheels off at home and there was quite an alarming open crack that ran the entire circumference of the tyre at the bottom on one of the tread grooves. The other tyre wasn't as bad, but was heading the same way. I though they should be changed immediately and did so, but even the tyre place was bemused that we were changing them.
My FIL had similar issue with Continental tyres and the tyre place he went to said Conti's are well known for this.
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>An alarming open crack that ran the entire circumference of the tyre at the bottom on one of the tread grooves.
Presumably this is a symptom of incorrect inflation? I am quite sure that many everyday drivers don't know how fast their tyres lose pressure = how often to check them, and quite likely aren't sure of the correct pressure anyway. I often notice cars or vans with spongy-looking tyres on the road.
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>An alarming open crack Presumably this is a symptom of incorrect inflation?
Nope. I keep an eye on the car and it's never been run with underinflated tyres.
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Presumably this is a symptom of incorrect inflation? I am quite sure that many everyday drivers don't know how fast their tyres lose pressure = how often to check them and quite likely aren't sure of the correct pressure anyway.
One wonders how many of the garage air compressor-fed inflation devices are actually way out on the calibration?
I know I had one of my locals do the tyres one morning to 'spec', and it felt that the car was driving on solid cement wheels! Stopped at a local tyre place 2ks down the road, and they immediately checked the tyres with TWO of their their calibrated gauges, and the pressure was 35-40% OVER spec.
Returned to garage, and pointed this out to boss-man, who seemed to not particularly give a monkeys ...
Tyre chaps said that they have their gauges calibrated two-monthly, and after check each fitment with two gauges, to avoid any comeback.
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"Refer to a tyre professional!!!". Is that the skinny school-leaver in the greasy overalls???.Took some wheels into my local tyre place to have some tyres fitted.The owner took a look at them and laughed-said that'll give them something to do-the holes in the middle were too small for the machine and needed tyre-levers to fit.
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"Tyre markings (including date of manufacture) and other information tinyurl.com/5f4a7z"
File won't open.
I've seen HJ advise against using tyres more than five years old. When I revived my 1984 Capri 2.8i from dormancy I looked at the apparently pristine tyres that had been off the car and in the dark for all that time . . . but, nah, not worth the risk for this primary safety-critical component, the opinion of the Kwik-Fit Chief Spanner Controller notwithstanding.
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File won't open.
The age of a tyre is given in a kind of lozenge-shaped box on the sidewall, and consists of either 3 or 4 figures. Some tyres apparently have this only on the wall fitted facing the vehicle - very useful!
A 3 figured code - such as 347 - means it was manufactured in the 1990s. In the case of that example, the 34th week of 1997.
A 4 figure code is the same, but for the 2000s. So 1204 would be the 12th week of 2004.
I've no idea when these became standard, though - presumably sometime in the 90s! Was there a previous system for older tyres?
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>> Was there a previous system for older tyres?
Yes.
The tyres on my 1954 ex-army trailer say "1954".
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"Tyre markings (including date of manufacture) and other information tinyurl.com/5f4a7z" File won't open.
It works for me. I'll do it again. tinyurl.com/5f4a7z
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"Tyre markings (including date of manufacture) and other information tinyurl.com/5f4a7z" File won't open.
Got it -- via Google.
But from your links it still won't open. It's a 2.13Mb file that ends up as 57k on my system after download via the links. Probably Zone Alarm pratting about again. Not to worry.
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Not worth making a new thread as this is on topic. I have checked my tyres again today and they are in good nick thread wise however am I right in thinking this one is splitting and needs replacing?
i167.photobucket.com/albums/u141/amazingtrade/trye...g
It has a good amount of thread but I am worried it might be ilegal.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 27/11/2008 at 18:51
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It has a good amount of thread but I am worried it might be ilegal.
Pretty scuffed from kerbing, but as long as the crazing isn't deep...
How old is this one?
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No idea, as the car was second hand, it is a Michelen Energy and these are quite expensive, the rest of the tyres are cheap stuff I wouldn't put on my car igf I had a choice, as I only do 20-40mph and I am observent I am not too worried about that at these sort of speed.
The entire tyre is in that condition I would suspect it might be quite old.
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Look on the sidewall (photograph any text, especially oval shapes with numbers in them).
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The tyre is getting on for 9 years old according to the date, Feb 2000 according to the DOT code. I will be replacing this ASAP and then will use it as a spare.
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