Tyre pressure checking
The one check that everyone knows to perform is to check the pressure of their tyres, but a visual inspection is not enough. Clearly you can spot something really obvious this way, such as if a tyre is flat just by looking, but in general looking is not enough to assess the tyres.
Rather you should find out from the handbook that comes with you rcar what the pressure the front and rear tyres should be in the conditions and then use a proper pressure gauge to ensure that the pressures match.
When checking tyre pressure, you should always do it when the tyre is cold to ensure accuracy because this is the assumed condition that the manual will refer to and when you drive the pressure changes as the tyre heats up.
Whilst most think that only too low a pressure is a problem, too much pressure can also be a bad thing and give rise to problems such as light steering and reducing grip. Of course too little grip and the car gets heavier to handle and is less stable.
To ensure that your tyres last well and to increase their longevity, you need to treat them well. You should ensure the air pressure is correct as outlined above and in the manual that will come with your car, and also you should try to avoid anything that causes extra wear (heavy braking, strong acceleration etc). Try to drive more slowly on poor road surfaces and better still avoid them completely.
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