Repair Tips

New driver in the family? Parents, You’re in for a whole new ride.

When my eldest daughter Devan got her driver’s license, I learned a major parenting lesson. Even though she may have completed her formal driving education, I still had a major role to play in the learning process. It wasn’t about teaching her to become an auto mechanic or anything like that, but educating her on how to maintain a car was essential to her gaining confidence as she became a better driver.

I believe 100% that changing a flat should always be included on a parent’s list of things to consider when handing the keys over. At some point, new drivers will make a mistake that ends up in a flat tire – they should know how to change it themselves. If you’re doubtful, trust me when I say that it’s absolutely safe to change a flat on your own with the right tools – that’s why they’re included with your car! (link to Tools You Need)

Let’s ensure your new driver is on track to a lifetime of safe driving. Read on to learn four reasons why it’s so important for new (and experienced) drivers to know how to change a tire:

1. You’re teaching independence

Getting a driver’s license is a rite of passage in our society, a clear sign that a young adult is growing toward independence. Raising your new driver’s confidence level is one of the best things you can do for them. I taught Devan how to pump gas, refill windshield wiper fluid, know what each dashboard warning light means, check tire pressure, and how to change a flat tire.

2. Consider the alternatives

You could pay for roadside assistance, or you could be on-call as “parent-side assistance” – but realistically, you can’t always be there to change a flat for your new driver. For me, it really hit home when Devan went off to university. I pictured her stuck on her commute, late at night, unable to do anything until someone else arrived. Once I taught her how to change a tire, I felt confident that she can jump straight into action when she gets a flat, and arrive home safe – instead of worrying that something might happen while she was waiting for help.

3. Be ready for anything

Help won’t always be there – if you got a flat in an area without cell signal, you wouldn’t even be able to call for assistance. At some point, your new driver might go on a road trip and travel through remote areas. The likelihood of getting stuck somewhere isn’t as far-fetched as you’d think – navigation apps have led to drivers getting stuck in the strangest places!

It’s always a good idea to be prepared. Before you head out, especially on a long trip, pack an emergency kit in your trunk. Items such as a flashlight, jumper cables, and first-aid kit are helpful to have just in case. We created our own safety kit with essential products you need to stay safe on the road in the event of a car crash or flat tire.

4. Stop others from being stranded

Teaching your daughter or son how to change a flat doesn’t just help them when they’re driving – it empowers them to help their friends if they’re a passenger on their ride, or even help others they encounter on their travels. This story of a good samaritan helping an 80-year-old father with a flat tire is a heart-warming example.

As with driving, practice makes perfect

Be confident that your new driver can tackle a flat tire, by practicing how to change a tire at home – before they get into a situation when they’re on their own. Run them through the process a few times until they get the hang of it.

The truth is, changing a flat is a necessary skill for all drivers – are you setting a good example? If you don’t know how to change tires yourself, now’s the perfect time to learn! Follow our our step-by-step illustrated guide on how to change a tire. Try it once, and you can do it for life!

The lifespan of a tire depends on a number of factors: its design, the climate, your driving habits, the road conditions you’re driving on, and how well you care for your tires. While there’s no way to tell exactly how long a tire will last when you buy it, here are three questions you can ask yourself that will help you determine if they need replacing.

1. How old are your tires?

Some tires actually come with a recommended “best before” date from their manufacturers. Even if the treads appear to be in good condition, the rubber components can still break down. This rule also applies to spare tires. If you’re missing your owner’s manual, or you feel you put a lot more wear on your tires than the average driver, here are some guidelines to consider:

Are your tires over five years old? Once your tires have been in use on the road for five years or more, they may be in fine shape, but they may need replacing. You should have them inspected by a professional at least once per year.

Are your tires over (or approaching) ten years old? As a precaution, most tire manufacturers recommend that you replace tires ten years after the manufacture date. At this point, it’s better to replace your tires so you aren’t compromising your safety on the road.

2. How hard are you working your tires?

If something seems “off” while you’re driving – If you’re sliding while breaking on a rainy day, if you lose traction when accelerating if you hear strange noises or feel a pull on the wheel, if you feel a shake – it could be your ball joints or tie-rod ends, or it could just be that your tires are worn or out of balance.

By checking your tires for signs of damage, you’ll have a better idea if they need replacing, before you end up with a flat and find yourself changing tires on the side of the road. If your ride feels rough, and if you notice vibrations in your car, you should reduce your speed, drive extra carefully, and pull over in a safe spot to stop and inspect your tires.

Once a month and before you go on long road trips, check your tires for these signs of damage:

• Cracks
• Bulges
• Small stones, nails, and other troublesome objects
• Damaged valve caps
• Uneven tread wear
• Shallow tread

Your tires’ treads are the points of contact between your car and the road. You don’t want to drive on worn tire treads because the shallow grooves reduce your car’s grip on the road, which affects your car’s responsiveness in poor weather conditions.

Tip: how to check for shallow tread

You don’t need fancy equipment to check if your tires’ treads are in working condition – a quarter will do the trick. Follow this simple test from Michelin to see how (using a Canadian quarter as an example):

3. Are you making these mistakes?

All these mistakes will wear down your tires, meaning you’ll need to replace them sooner:

Don’t: Use your summer or “all-season” tires on snow and ice
Don’t: Mix summer or all-season tire types on your car
Don’t: Use tires on damaged rims
Don’t: Use tire and rim sizes that are not compatible
Don’t: Use tires that have a speed capability and load index lower than recommended by your car manufacturer (check your car’s owner’s manual)
Don’t: Re-inflate a tire that has been run flat or seriously under inflated for an extended period of time
Don’t: Use a spare tire of a different size at speeds higher than 80 km/hour

Do: Check out our 6 upkeep tips for longer-lasting tires here!

Extend the life of your new set of tires

If you enjoyed this article, check out our introductory guide to tire maintenance and learn about all the things you can do increase the lifespan of your tires, so you won’t need to replace them as often.

As a new driver, proper tire maintenance is something you should absolutely know about – your tires are the four points of contact between your car and the road, so it’s crucial that they’re always in good working condition.

While regular inspection plays a big role in maintaining your tires, so does safer driving. Going over the speed limit, jerky steering, hitting curbs, and hard acceleration and braking all put stress on your tires, making them wear down faster.

The following six tips are all things you can do regularly so you won’t need to replace your tires as often. Not only will you save money, but you’ll improve your driving performance and fuel efficiency too – which helps you save on gas and insurance!

1. Rotate your tires regularly.
Tires experience different amounts of stress when in contact with the ground. Left, right, front and rear tires all wear down differently (even on all-wheel-drive cars). Tire rotation means changing where the individual tire is mounted on the car. It’s recommended you rotate your tires once every 10,000 to 12,000 km or 6 months.

2. Get a wheel alignment.
Another way to avoid uneven tread wear on your tires is to align your wheels every year or
20,000 km (15,000 miles). Any form of impact to your wheels, such as road accidents or even driving over uneven surfaces (like hitting curbs or potholes) can displace your tires. You’ll know it’s definitely time to get your wheels aligned if your steering wheel isn’t centered, you feel vibration when steering, or your car drifts to one side while driving.

3. Make sure your tires are balanced.
Every time you change or rotate your tires, you should make sure your tires are balanced to prevent premature tread wear. This is a task you’ll need a mechanic’s help with, as it involves using a balancing machine to equalize the weight of the combined tire and wheel assembly so that it spins smoothly at high speed.

4. Check your tire pressure.
Keeping your tires properly inflated ensures that your car is steering, accelerating, and braking as it should be. As a general rule, tires can lose up to 1 PSI (pounds per square inch) every month, so it’s important to check all tires (including the spare) regularly.

Tip: When the temperature drops, so does tire pressure, so your winter tires should be 3-5 PSI higher than the pressure recommended for all-season tires.

This is a task you can easily learn yourself. Purchase a tire pressure gauge, and check when tires are “cold” (before you head out for a drive). Follow the directions in your gauge’s owner’s manual, and compare the measured PSI to the PSI in your car’s owner’s manual. If your PSI is above the recommended number, let some air out of your tire until it matches. If your PSI is too low, then drive to your local gas station to add air, then check if you’ve reached the proper number.

5. Change your tires according to the season.
As discussed in our previous blog post on using the right tires for the season, the increased safety far outweighs the extra effort involved in owning two sets. The benefit to owning two sets of tires will mean they should last twice as long as one set of all-season tires.

6. Store your tires properly.
So you changed your tires, now what? Proper storage keeps your off-season tires in working condition when they aren’t being used. Follow our step-by-step guide to learn how to store your tires at home and save yourself some cash.

When is it time to replace your tires?

It depends on a number of factors, some of which are completely out of your control (such as weather conditions). Check with your tire manufacturer if they have a recommended “best before” date.

Your tires will need replacing eventually, so once a month and before you go on long road trips, check your tires for these signs of damage:

• Cracks
• Bulges
• Small stones, nails, and other troublesome objects
• Damaged valve caps
• Uneven tread wear
• Shallow tread

Tip: Don’t mix and match tires. While it may seem more cost effective to replace one or two tires at a time, having mismatched tires can lead to rapid and uneven tread wear, or even mechanical issues.

In the end, it doesn’t cost any more to equip yourself with the right tires, and the right tools will help get more life out of your tires and performance out of your car. When it’s time to change your tires, learn how to do it yourself with our step-by-step illustrated guide.