How Often Should You Change Your Tires?
How Often Should You Be Changing My Tires?
Driving around with worn out tires is extremely dangerous. Did you know that approximately 35% of auto accidents in the United States are caused by tire problems? That’s around 15,000 auto accidents per year. That’s why it’s extremely important that you get your tires checked regularly, particularly during harsh weather seasons.
A general rule of thumb is that you should replace a tire once it reaches 50,000 miles or six years of use, whichever comes first. Each type of tire is different and how well you take care of your tires will make the difference in how much time you’re able to get out of them.
How Long Does It Take to Change a Tire?
A trained professional at Perfection Automotive can change a set of four tires in about an hour. That’s around 15 minutes per tire.
Tire Tips
There are a number of things that car owners should do to keep up the maintenance of their tires and extend their life spans including checking tire pressure, rotating tires, and changing tires when necessary.
Tire Pressure
For starters, you should regularly check the air pressure in your tires. Checking them at least once a month is recommended, and many gas stations have tire pressure stations that allow you to check and fill your tires with air.
The tire pressure warning light will alert you if your tire pressure has gotten too low. Tire pressure often gets low during cold weather months when the air from your tire can drain quicker. A nail or other kind of puncture in your tire can also cause this light to go off, which would require a visit to Perfection Automotive to fix.
What Does Rotating Tires Do?
Rotating your tires is a great way to slow down the wear down of your individual tires. That’s because the weight of your car is more distributed towards your front tires than your rear tires. In a front wheel drive vehicle, your front tires are doing a lot more of the work as well. Regular tire rotations regularly prevent uneven tread wear and help each one last longer.
How Often Should You Rotate Your Tires?
You should be getting regular tire servicing and rotation every 5,000 to 7,500 miles or every six months, whichever occurs first. Generally, it’s smart to get your tires rotated during your regular oil changes since the timelines for those two regular services are quite similar.
Perfection Automotive offers free tire rotations every time you purchase a set of tires through our shop.
How Long Can You Drive On a Spare Tire?
Keeping a spare tire with you will give you peace of mind and ensure that a flat tire won’t require an expensive tow trip to Perfection Automotive.
You should be careful not to go too far on a spare tire. We recommend not driving more than 50 miles on a spare tire and also to drive under 50 miles per hour if you’re using a spare tire. In other words, make sure that your first and only trip on a spare tire is to our auto repair shop so we can properly outfit your car.
Changing Your Tires in Sterling, Virginia
For any help with your car’s tires or any other service request, give the experts at Perfection Automotive a call. Our family-owned operation has a half century of experience serving car owners from all across Northern Virginia.