Just been for an MOT and had an advisory that my tyres are starting to perish, had a look at them & there are hairline cracks all around the groves in the tread pattern, not in the sidewall. The cracks go around the entire circumference & are probably less than a mm deep.
How old are these tyres - 18 months - tread depth about 5mm
Is this normal are are they duff & need replacing now.?
Instinct is to get rid of them now but should I also complain to manufacturer or just accept as as a thats life.
Oh, that are a top brand, no cheapies
Ta
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Looking at the last 4 digits of the mark beginning "DOT ..." on the tyre wall will give you the week and year of manufacture. Been on the rack awhile?
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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Not Pirellis by any chance?
659.
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last 4 digits are 3004 - I guess 04 is 2004, but what is 30.
I bought these in june 05
probably can't say who made them - not pirelli, but they are made in france on the continent
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>last 4 digits are 3004 - I guess 04 is 2004, but what is 30.
Week 30, so July 2004?
FWIW, caravanners are advised to change tyres at 5 years old as they are deemed to be deteriorating unacceptably after that point (they never actually wear out). From a load point of view, caravan tyres don't have it especially easy - most are operating close to the rated loading as the weight is shared across 2 tyres rather than 4.
Two and a bit years old sounds young for perishing and cracking.
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Many years ago I read a report (Premier manufacturer) claiming that cracks in the sidewall were due to exposure to UV light, and that tyres should be stored in darkness.
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30 means week 30.
Lack of use or gentle slow speed driving can cause the tyres to perish, as the continous flexing of the tyre in use makes the rubber oleums secrete at the surface keeping it supple and water repellent.
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You can say who make them. It's no different to asking why a rubber hose is split on your nearly new Vectra/Mondeo/Avensis etc...
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Adam
I think we can take "made in France, on the continent" (there's another one?) as a hint. Hint 2. Bibendum.
JH
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Common problem according to my tyre dealer & more likely the more upmarket & or higher performance.
My Porker Conti's were well cracked, nowt dangerous according to my tyre dealer. I might add that this is cracking in the grooves of the treads NOT in the sidewalls which is what caravan ones do.
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I've just had to replace a pair of Michelin Pilot Primacy after 3+ years and less than 20k miles, which surprised me, as I was expecting to get more life out of them. The tread was at 4mm but there were too many cracks for comfort. However, I do believe that the deterioration was worse on the side that gets more sunshine when the car is parked, so perhaps that is part of the explanation.
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I had always thought that those drivers who protected their tyres from the sun with a sheet of suitably sized hardboard / plywood fitted under the whel arch were ...well,... shall we say a bit...obsessive. Now I'm not quite so sure.
Maybe this global warming thingy really is touching our lives in so many ways now.
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Maybe this global warming thingy really is touching our lives in so many ways now.
The sun's always been there though!
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