With Thanksgiving travel right around the corner, Continental Tire the Americas to take simple steps to ensure their vehicles are "ready for the road trip to grandma’s house."
In cold-weather climates, Continental recommends drivers switch to winter tires on all wheel positions when the temperature dips below 45 degrees. Colder weather brings on a whole new set of driving challenges – slush, ice and hard-packed snow – and once the temperature drops below that 45-degree mark, an all-season tire’s ability to grip the road is reduced.
Winter tires are designed to deliver safety and control in snow, ice, and cold weather conditions, because they are specially engineered to deliver a substantial increase of traction over all-season radials – by as much as a 25% to 50%.
Additional tire care tips, based on the RMA’s “PART” campaign, include:
Pressure: Underinflation results in unnecessary tire stress, irregular wear, loss of control and accidents. The correct tire pressure can be found in the car’s owner manual, on the gas tank lid; on the driver’s side door edge; and on the door post.
Alignment: A bad jolt from hitting a curb or pothole can throw the front end out of alignment and damage tires. Misalignment of wheels in the front or rear can cause uneven and rapid treadwear.
Rotation: Regularly rotating a vehicle’s tires will help achieve more uniform wear. Unless the owner’s manual has a specific recommendation, the guideline for tire rotation is approximately every 6,000-8,000 miles.
Tread: To prevent hydroplaning and skidding, tires must have proper tread depth. The minimum tread depth is 2/32nds of an inch.
Continental also offered the following general car care tips:
Radiator: Add a dose of antifreeze to the coolant
Shocks: Should be checked. Defective shock absorbers increase braking distance and shorten the lifetime of tires
Wiper fluid: Add a dose of frost protector
Battery: Check the acid level for optimum performance
Spark plugs: check for wear and replace if necessary
Connectors: Examine for corrosion
Lights: Check and align properly for maximum efficiency
Door seals: Silicon or WD-40 should be rubbed on each seal.
Door locks: Be sure to lubricate and grease
Be sure to include the following equipment in your trunk: a set of jumper cables, a snow brush/ice scraper and a de-icing spray
Winter tires: Set the pressure 2.9 psi higher than what is recommended for summer tires
Winter sports: Consider snow chains – they may even be required in certain areas
