AN expert from Kwik-Fit has revealed the secret code that shows how old your tyres are and when you need to change them.
Nick Gilbert explained how motorists can stay safe on the road and save hundreds in the process.
Even if your rubber still has a legal tread depth, there are all sorts of other issues that can crop up as it ages.
Nick told The Sun Online: “Older tyres which still have legal levels of tread may have cracks in the sidewalls which weaken them.
“If a car isn’t driven much, the rubber can degrade more quickly, cracks appear and flat spots develop where the vehicle has been sat.”
“Drivers can tell how old a tyre is from its ‘dotcode’ on the side wall – this is a four-digit number which represents the week (first two digits) and year (last two digits) in which the tyre was manufactured.”
For example, if your tyre’s code reads 1511 that means it was manufactured in the 15th week (early April) of 2011, while 4514 would be the 45th week (late October) of 2014.
As Nick mentioned, the code is located on the side wall of the tyre but if you are struggling to find it you can always check your owner’s manual or ask a local mechanic.
The tyre specialists also revealed exactly when you should thing about changing your tyres even if they are not displaying any issues.
He added: “Although for passenger cars there is no legal ‘use-by’ date, our advice is that if tyres are 7-10 years old drivers should monitor their condition closely.”
This could save you hundreds in the long run as tyre degradation can cause your vehicle to fail its MOT, meaning you have to pay for the replacement anyway on top of the cost of re-booking the test.
Likewise, Nick warned against buying tyres second-hand, calling it a “false economy”.
He explained: “Although used tyres may be cheaper in the first instance, it’s often a false economy when you look at the price per millimetre of usable tread.
“There is also the uncertainty of not knowing where the tyre has come from – there is always a reason why a second-hand tyre has been taken off another vehicle, but the buyer won’t know why.
“So you have to consider whether it is worth taking the risk.”
