Vernon B Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 Thought I'd share this recent experience as it just might save someone's bacon. I've always taken care to check air pressures and tyre conditions regularly and thought I'd still got at least 12 months life left in my set when I parked the 'van up just over 4 weeks ago. When loading up for a few days away last weekend I was therefore very surprised to find that all four tyres were showing serious cracks on the side walls which were certainly not visible a few weeks earlier. It's worth adding that the 'van was serviced by a Fiat main agent in January. Fortunately I was able to get a new set fitted locally pdq but if I'd simply assumed that the tyres were OK because I'd checked them a few weeks earlier I wonder what the consequences might have been. The techies out there might like to know that the Pilote is a 3.85 tonner and was shod with Michelin 215/75R16 Camping Car tyres. The 'van has done 35,000 miles and tread depth was a healthy 5mm at the front and 7mm on the rear. As most will know "age" is more significant than "mileage" in these situations and the 'van is exactly 5 years old. As it happens a recent thread got me contacting Michelin to get advice on tyre pressures and as part of that they informed me that I could expect to get 6 years life from these tyres. BUT HERE'S THE ADDITIONAL "SURPRISE". Kwik-Fit, who supplied the replacements, told me that my old Michelins were actually manufuctured not five years ago but SEVEN years ago. Obviously they had not been used during those initial two years but I wonder if that time on the shelf had contributed to a lower than expected life span. Anyway my purpose here is to encourage you all to check those tyres carefully. I purchased my 'van in May 2003 - it was a bumper year for motorhome sales - I seem to recall that around 8,000 were sold here in the UK - the tyres fiited to those vehicles are coming to the end of their safe working lives - many, like mine, might be prematurely "old" - so bend your backs and take a good look. By the way following a recent thread here I've had the new Michelin Agilis fitted and I'm delighted with them. There's a noticeable improvement in ride quality and thus far, unlike other reports, I've noticed no increase in road noise. Vernon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 A very good point Vernon and I'm glad that you spotted yours before it was too late. I regularly find tyres are up to two years older than the vehicle they're fitted to during habitation inspections and on a couple of occasions I've found tyres up to fourteen years old 8-) 8-) Yes really! A few people have asked me why I check tyres on a habitation inspection and its for exactly the reason that a base vehicle service doesn't check age of tyres that I do it. I'm also going to start checking brake fluid now I have a tester ;-) . D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J9withdogs Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 davenewell@home - 2008-05-04 12:37 PM I've found tyres up to fourteen years old 8-) 8-) Yes really! D. No, really? :$ :$ Joking aside, Dave, you may have saved my life! It was on the spare wheel, but I may just have used it in earnest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 Hi Janine, you're not the only one though, I've seen quite a few spare tyres stretching into their teen years and on one occasion (on a trailer caravan) a tyre that was in use was sixteen years old, and no spare tyre at all! 8-) 8-) . Having seen the damage caused by a high speed blowout I take tyre age very seriously. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 I ask how would a person know how old there tyres were and how long they had sat there before the van was purchsed . Is there a way to know this information ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 That's an easy one to answer Michelle. every tyre manufactured carries a date code as part of the DOT code imprinted on the sidewall (sometimes its on the inside wall so can need a bit of scrabbling round to find it). The date code for tyres made since 2000 is a four digit code where the first two digits indicate the week of the year and the second two digits indicate the year, for example a date code of 1803 indicates the tyre was made in week 18 of 2003. Here's a useful document that gives more information http://www.tyresafe.org/data/files/TyreSafe%20MOTORCAR.pdf D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin weston Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 Just another aspect on this subject. Rather than leave the spare tyre sitting there for goodness how many years, it makes sense to use it. If your van is front-wheel drive, rotate the spare with your front tyres perhaps every year, as the front tyres will wear more rapidly, and you should end up with five, more or less, evenly worn tyres. This makes sense on several counts: 1. You may choose to change the tyre manufacturer and tread pattern when you eventually renew. 2. The spare tyre will deteriorate to some degree just sitting under your van gathering dirt. 3. Finally, you have paid good money for the spare so you may as well have some use out of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianR Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 Following a disasterous tyre failure on a pair of two year old Continental Vanco tyres, I was advised to run my hands over the sidewalls of the tyres, both inside and outside walls, to feel for any suspicious lumps or wires protruding, every time I checked the pressures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin weston Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 Dave Newell, Whilst I respect your knowledge, I have looked at the Michelins on my 2007 Autocruise and the only markings I can find which seem to make any sense have five numbers. My front tyres are 05607 and the rears are 0??03, Which implies that maybe two of the tyres were 4 years old when fitted. I know that there are only 52 or 53 weeks in a year so do Michelin have a different system? I havn't looked on the inside of the tyre as the outside seemed to include just about everything one could possibly need. Please advise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbanracer Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 Have a look here http://www.pneus-online.co.uk/reading-tyre-markings-advice.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 colin weston - 2008-05-07 8:33 PM Dave Newell, Whilst I respect your knowledge, I have looked at the Michelins on my 2007 Autocruise and the only markings I can find which seem to make any sense have five numbers. My front tyres are 05607 and the rears are 0??03, Which implies that maybe two of the tyres were 4 years old when fitted. I know that there are only 52 or 53 weeks in a year so do Michelin have a different system? I havn't looked on the inside of the tyre as the outside seemed to include just about everything one could possibly need. Please advise. Hi Colin, the date code is at the end of the string of info beginning with DOT and the four digit date code will usually be in a lozenge shaped "frame" (for want of a better term). D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin weston Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Dave Newell & gordonbrown, Thanks for your response. I've found the date code, most of them were on the 'inside' surface of the tyres. Sod's law again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.