If your tire indicator light comes on, your car is trying to tell you that the air in your tire is too low. You might simply need to have some more air added to your tire, and you can easily do this by heading to a nearby gas station. However, if your tires need air often, this could be a sign of a more serious underlying problem, especially for your tread.
Don't Let Your Tread Wear Out
Your tires come with bumps and grooves. These are very important features that make sure that your tires have good traction so they don't slide. If your tires are worn down, you might notice that they just don't have enough grip. However, if your tread is often worn down, not only does this mean that your tires won't have enough traction, but it's also a sign that there might be another problem with your car.
Common Causes of Low Tire Tread
Low tire tread sometimes occurs when your tires are not inflated adequately enough. Flat tires cause the tread to wear out more rapidly. With tire tread, the deeper the better. But when the tire tread wears out past a certain point, your tires will need to be replaced.
Warning Signs of a Serious Problem
You might experience low tire tread when your tires are not aligned well enough. This can occur when your vehicle has recently been involved in an accident and the wheels have been knocked out of alignment.
Low tire tread can also simply be a sign that your tires are damaged. This can not only lead to your tire tread wearing out, but it can also lead to uneven wear. You might notice that the inside or outside shoulder of your tires have more wear. Make sure that your suspension components are not worn out and make sure that you do not have loose steering parts.
One issue you might notice is feathering. This is a problem in which the outside shoulder has more wear than the center tread section and it will have a very odd shape.
How to Protect Your Tires
It's sometimes hard to tell if your tires just need to be reinflated, if the tires are simply worn out a little bit, or if your tires need to be repaired or replaced. Even with the best care, a tire eventually needs to be replaced with a new one, and it's important to not let your tires wear out so much that it's no longer safe to drive your car.
For more information about tire repair, reach out to a local service.
Have you ever noticed how similar with words "car" and "care" are before? This could just be a coincidence, but it is also helpful. The similarity of the two words serves to remind you that your car requires care. You should take it to the auto service shop regularly for oil changes, to have the tires rotated, and to have the brakes serviced. Neglect this care, and your car may not keep working very long, and it may not even be safe to drive. We invite you to read more about auto service and auto care on this blog, where we delve into such topics in more detail.