| 1. Can my driving affect the
life of my tires? Yes it can. These
three thing can result in long tire life:
- Don't drive too fast!: excessive heat is
generated when driving at high speeds. This
heat increases the rate of tire wear and reduces
the tire's life.
- Avoid making fast turns, fast cornering,
panic stops and quick starts.
- Avoid riding on the edge of the pavement,
drive over curbs, potholes.
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2. Do new tires
require any special treatment?
You will need to drive carefully as you become
familiar with your new tires. Take it easy when
accelerating, braking, cornering, or when driving
in the rain, because this is when the differences
will be most noticeable.
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3. How will I know when
I need new tires?
Many tires have tread wear indicator bars molded
into the tread. It is time to replace the tire
when, the tread is worn down to where you can
see a solid bar of rubber across the width of
the tread. Here's another test you can perform
to measure tread depth on your tires. Place a
penny into a tread groove with Lincoln's head
upside down and facing you. If you can see the
top of Lincoln's head, it's time to get a new
tire.
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4. How long should
my tires last on my new vehicle?
It is difficult to provide specific mileage
expectancy, due to the variety of styles, construction
features, trend compounds, vehicle applications,
geographical conditions and driving habits .
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5. How much air
should I put in my tires?
Proper inflation is the single most important
part of tire care. Check or adjust inflation every
few weeks and always use the inflation recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer. You can find this
information in your owner's manual, posted on
the edge of the driver's door, on a door post,
in the center console, or on the inside of the
glovebox door. Be sure to check inflation when
tires are COLD: when the vehicle has been driven
less than a mile or one hour or more after driving.
Use a good quality tire gauge. And don't forget
to check the spare!
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6. Is it safe
to repair a flat tire?
If a tire loses all or most of its air pressure,
it must be removed from the wheel for a complete
internal inspection to be sure it's not damaged.
Tires that are run even short distances while
flat are often damaged beyond repair. Most punctures,
nail holes, or cuts up to 1/4 inch -- confined
to the tread -- may be satisfactorily repaired
by trained personnel using industry-approved methods.
Don't repair tires with tread punctures larger
than 1/4 inch, or with any sidewall puncture.
Also, never repair tires that are worn below 1/16
inch tread depth.
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7. Is it easy to mount
a tire on a wheel? Can I do it myself?
Never mount your own tires, if you try to do
it yourself, you run the risk of serious injury
to yourself as well as possible damage to the
tire and rim. Tire mounting should be done by
people who have the proper equipment experience
and training.
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8. Do I have to replace
my present tires with the same size tires?
Tires should always be replaced with the same
size designation or approved options. Never choose
a smaller size than those that came with the car.
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9. What could cause my
tire to go flat?
Here are some common causes of slow or sudden
air loss:
- Road hazard injuries (punctures, cuts, impact
damage to the liner, ply material or sidewall
rubber).
- Valve stem or valve core leakage (damaged
or aged rubber stem or a loose or damaged valve
core).
- Leaking from the bead seating area (corrosive
buildup on the wheels which prevents a proper
seal between the wheel flange and the tire beads,
bead seating area damage from accidental mounting
or dismounting injury, foreign material between
the rim flange area and the tire bead seating
area, bent rim flange).
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10. Can I "mix" tire
types on my car?
It is recommended that all tires be the same
size, construction (radial,non-radial) and speed
rating. If tires of different speed ratings are
mounted on the vehicle, it is important to place
the same size, type and speed ratings on the same
axle, . Tires of different size designations,
constructions, and stages of wear can affect the
vehicles handling and stability.
Never mix radial and bias-ply tires on the same
axle.
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11. Should I
rotate my tires?
The main purpose of regularly rotating tires
is to achieve more uniform wear for all tires
on the vehicle. It is recommended thay you rotate
your tires at least every 6,000 miles or uneven
wear may develop. When purchased from Spartan,
you receive free Nitrogen fill, free rotations,
free flat repairs (when repairable), free rebalancing,
when needed due to tire vibration.
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12. What is alignment?
When a vehicle is properly aligned all suspension
and steering components are sound and the tire
and wheel assemblies are running straight and
true. Wheel alignment provides safe, predictable
vehicle control as well as a smooth and comfortable
ride -- free of pulling or vibration.
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13. How important is
wheel alignment?
It is very important! Having your wheels aligned
helps in prolonging the life of your tires.
Research indicates that the average car is driven
about 12,000 miles per year. A car with toe alignment
just 0.34 degrees (Just 0.17 inches) out of specification
has dragged its tires sideways for more than 68
miles by the end of the year!
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14. What are the "symptoms"
of a car that's out of alignment?
Have your car checked if you notice:
- Excessive or uneven tire wear.
- Steering wheel pulls to the left or right.
- Steering wheel vibration.
- Steering wheel is not centered when car is
moving straight ahead.
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15. How often should
I have my car aligned?
It is important that you follow the vehicle
manufacturer's recommendation noted in your owner's
manual. But, as a general rule, have your vehicle's
tires checked at least once a year or every 10,000
miles.
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16. What should I do
if I notice a vibration?
Vibration is an indication that your car has
a problem.You should have your tires, steering
system and suspension system checked to help determine
the cause and correction of the vibration. If
the problem is not corrected, the vibration could
cause excessive tire and suspension wear.
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17. When buying just
two new tires, should they be put on the front
or rear?
We recommend you put them on the rear axle.
A single new tire should be paired on the rear
axle with the tire having the most tread depth
of the other three. Never mix radial and bias-ply
tires on the same axle.
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18. Why do my tires need
to be balanced?
Unbalanced tires can cause vibration, resulting
in premature tire wear and unnecessary wear to
your vehicle's suspension.
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19. Can I drive normally
on my spare tire?
Many newer vehicles come equipped with a temporary
spare. These tires are usually much smaller than
the other tires on your car. It is important to
realize that these spares have far more limitations
than a typical tire, including speed and recommended
driving distance. No more than 50mph and no longer
than 50 miles per trip.
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20. What is an all-season
tire?
All-Season tires are designed to provide good
traction in a variety of road conditions, including
wet, dry, mud and snow.
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21.
What are the consequences of postponing maintenance?
Many parts on your vehicle are interrelated. Ignoring
maintenance can lead to trouble: specific parts
- or an entire system - can fail. Neglecting even
simple routine maintenance, such as changing the
oil or checking the coolant, can lead to poor
fuel economy, unreliability, or costly breakdowns.
It also may invalidate your warranty. Properly
maintaining your vehicle = less expensive repairs
from neglagence.
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22.
I see a fluid leak under my car, what is it?
You can identify fluids by their color and consistency:
-
Yellowish green, pastel blue or florescent orange
colors indicate an overheated engine or an antifreeze
leak caused by a bad hose, water pump or leaking
radiator.
-
A dark brown or black oily fluid means the engine
is leaking oil. A bad seal or gasket could cause
the leak.
-
A red oily spot indicates a transmission or
power-steering fluid leak.
A puddle of clear water usually is no problem.
It may be normal condensation from your vehicle's
air conditioner.
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23.
I smell something in /around my
car, what could it be?
-
The smell of burned toast - a light, sharp odor
- often signals an electrical short and burning
insulation. To be safe, try not to drive the
vehicle until the problem is diagnosed.
-
The smell of rotten eggs - a continuous burning-sulphur
smell - usually indicates a problem in the catalytic
converter or other emission control devices.
Don't delay diagnosis and repair.
-
A thick acrid odor usually means burning oil.
Look for sign of a leak.
-
The smell of gasoline vapors after a failed
start may mean you have flooded the engine.
Wait a few minutes before trying again. If the
odor persists, chances are there's a leak in
the fuel system - a potentially dangerous problem
that needs immediate attention.
-
Burning resin or an acrid chemical odor may
signal overheated brakes or clutch. Check the
parking brake. stop. Allow the brakes to cool
after repeated hard braking on mountain roads.
Light smoke coming from a wheel indicates a
stuck brake. The vehicle should be towed for
repair.
A sweet, steamy odor indicates a coolant leak.
If the temperature gauge or warning light does
not indicate overheating, drive carefully to
the nearest service station, keeping an eye
on your gauges. If the odor is accompanied by
a hot, metallic scent and steam from under the
hood, your engine has overheated. Pull over
immediately. Continued driving could cause severe
engine damage. The vehicle should be towed for
repair.
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24.
My car is making a terrible sound, what
information will help?
Squeaks, squeals, rattles, rumbles, and other
sounds provide valuable clues about problems and
maintenance needs. Here are some common noises
and their definitions.
Squeal - A shrill, sharp noise,
usually related to engine speed.
Click
-
A
slight sharp noise, related to either engine speed
or vehicle speed.
Screech - A high-pitched, piercing
metallic sound; usually occurs while the vehicle
is in motion.
Rumble - a low-pitched rhythmic
sound.
Ping - A high-pitched metallic
tapping sound, related to engine speed.
Heavy Knock - A rhythmic pounding
sound..
Clunk - A random thumping sound.
The more details
you can provide us, the better chance of locating
the problem quickly. Does the noise occur
when the engine is cold or warm? Hot or
cold outside, rainy or dry? Does the noise
occur while driving or only when parked?
These clues help the technician diagnose your
problems faster, saving you time and money!
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25.
How often should I change my oil?
Most car manufacturers say to change your oil
every 7,500 miles unless you drive in
severe conditions. Severe conditions are
defined as dirty or dusty roads, extremely hot
or cold climates, a lot of stop and go driving,
taking short trips or if you tow a trailer. If
you live anywhere near Spartan Tire,
your vehicle falls into the severe conditions
category, or the 3,000 mile oil change interval.
We recommend every 3,000 miles
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26. What are
the benefits to Nitrogen
filled tires?
Your tires often will give you signs of problems
in plenty of time to have them corrected. If you
learn to "read" these warning signs you can prevent
many wear problems that shorten tire life by thousands
of miles.
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