Determining the production date of a car tire is an important point that determines how long the product can be used without risk to road users. You can find out the year of manufacture of rubber by special markings on the side parts of the product. This indicator should influence the final choice of the consumer when purchasing tires, and the country of manufacture is also taken into account. 80% of retail outlets, when asked whether the age of a tire matters, answer that it does not. However, this is 100% deception. According to research by manufacturers Hankook, Continental and other global brands, a tire can be stored in proper conditions for up to 5 years from the date of production. Therefore, when asked: is this index important, the correct answer is yes.
There are differences in the service life and storage of different models. For example, Bridgestone-Blizak or Ice Cruiser 7000 tires, when properly stored, retain their properties for up to 5 years, and summer models can be stored for no more than 120 months.
By purchasing a fresh product, the motorist guarantees himself the necessary supply of time during which the rubber will retain optimal elasticity, strength and tenacity. If a tire is 3-4 years old or more, the likelihood of cracking increases critically and traction is lost. Winter options may completely lose their properties and become rough, which can increase the braking distance significantly.
Tire size
Dimension is a mystery for many. It seems that there are no problems in everyday life: what numbers are indicated on the sidewall of a standard tire, with these you need to buy a winter or summer one to replace the worn one. But what exactly do they mean? For example, let's take the index 225/50 R17 98 N on a Continental tire.
Continental PremiumContact 6
Continental PremiumContact 6
- 225
— tread width in millimeters.
Where is the year of manufacture indicated on the tires?
The marking on the wheel, which determines how long ago the product was produced, is located on the side surface in the form of a special designation - an oval-shaped stamp with internal numbers.
Important. According to the instructions of the Department of Transport, which certifies tires, this mark must be present on each product. It must be applied with clearly defined contours. This is a mandatory condition that must be met by car tire manufacturers targeting the North American market with mandatory DOT certification. Therefore, manufacturers of high-quality car wheel models adhere to this rule regardless of geographical location.
Additional designations
Additional letters may be added to the tire model name. For example, SUV means focus on crossovers and SUVs (reinforced sidewall, high load capacity), C - on commercial vehicles (from the English cargo, “cargo”). It happens that a tire is welded specifically for a particular automaker and is intended for initial assembly on an assembly line or for sale through its official dealers. Thus, the Continental company reserves the indices A0 and R01 for Audi, J for Jaguar, N0, N1, N2 for Porsche, M0, M01 for Mercedes.
How to determine the direction of rotation of a Dunlop tire?
Tire installation
Beginners often when buying tires
from cannot
determine directions
. Everything is extremely simple, the company indicates on the side the outer side with the word “Outside”, and the inner side with the word “Inside”.
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Date of manufacture
One of the key parameters is the tire release date. You need to look at it when buying a new set, not to mention a used one. It is not recommended to drive on tires for more than five to six years from the date of issue, although it is not prohibited either by law or by the manufacturers themselves. The date of manufacture is indicated by four digits in an oval. The first two are a week, the second two are a year. For example, 3119 represents the "cooking" of the 31st week of 2022.
Tires manufactured before 2000
We've already touched lightly on the topic of coding differences between tires manufactured before the early 2000s, but let's look at this topic in a little more detail. The encoding in the 20th century was three-digit, so it might look something like this: “248” or “*248*”. In this case, the first two digits will always indicate the week of release, and the third - the year.
But what specific year are we talking about: 98 or 88? Wheels produced in 1998 are marked with asterisks. Sometimes they are replaced with a triangle or a space. Tires created in 1988 are identified only by numbers, without spaces or special characters.
And this applies to the entire time period before 1990. It is unlikely that you will be able to find rubber made in the 70s, but in terms of markings it is no different from a product made in the 80s.
This shortcoming is due to the fact that previously the wheels were used for much less than ten years; there was simply no need for additional designation.
Wear indicators
The locations of critical tread wear marks on Continental tires are indicated by the letters TWI. On summer models they are supplemented with indicators with cross and drop marks. They signal that the tires have not yet reached the minimum tread height, but it is no longer enough to feel confident in the rain.
There are also VAI indicators on the tread. They are applied symmetrically in the left and right shoulder areas. If the wheels are installed correctly, they change exactly the same as the tires wear out. Discrepancies are a reason to visit the wheel alignment stand. So far, the technology is used only on truck tires.
How to make your choice correctly?
It is worth paying attention to the tire manufacturer. Big companies spend a lot of effort doing a lot of research into tire wear and service life. A company like Bridgestone owns a large number of research and development centers around the world.
If we are talking about buying a used product, then you should pay attention to the wear of the protectors and appearance. Check for cracks.
Well, the last point is to check the tire for signs of repair, abrasions and irregularities at the base of the rim. This way you can check how it was used before you and how it was stored in warehouses.
New marking
In Russia, mandatory tire labeling is being introduced in order to combat “gray” supplies. The unique Data Matrix code is highly secure and can be read through several layers of packaging. It is declared that it cannot be falsified or copied, and the information embedded in it can be read even if partially damaged. The code can be deciphered by every buyer. To do this, you need to scan it with a special mobile application “Honest Sign”. After which, information about the manufacturer and importer, product characteristics, and the date of introduction into circulation in Russia will be displayed on the gadget’s screen.
Mandatory labeling will be introduced from November 1, 2022. From this day forward, the production, import into Russia, and purchase from manufacturers and importers of rubber without standard markings is prohibited. From December 15, all circulation of unmarked tires will be prohibited. Warehouse balances are allowed to be tagged until March 1, 2022.
Mandatory labeling will be introduced from November 1, 2022. From this day forward, the production, import into Russia, and purchase from manufacturers and importers of rubber without standard markings is prohibited. From December 15, all circulation of unmarked tires will be prohibited. Warehouse balances are allowed to be tagged until March 1, 2022.
The Continental concern was at the forefront of testing the technology in Russia and is fully ready for its implementation. During 2019, he, along with hundreds of other companies from different industries in our country, generated thousands of codes while refining the system. Moreover, on a global scale, the company has already prepared solutions for integrating electronic chips into tires, allowing them to monitor their condition, including the degree of wear.
What is the service life of tires?
Everyone must find out for themselves when exactly it is time to change it. We must not forget that a tire is a mixture of various chemical elements, which can be influenced by factors of various types. From driving speed and driving style to climate. The loads can be completely different, so their duration can vary and it is impossible to predict it.
It is necessary to regularly inspect the wheels, both independently and with the help of specialists at tire centers, or seek help directly from the supplier, who will be able to accurately point out faults, if any. This rule applies to both passenger car tires and truck and public tires. Don't forget about the spare tire either.
After 5 years of operation, tire diagnostics should be carried out at least once a year.
It is very important to pay attention to any changes in the car such as:
- tire appearance
- loss of tire pressure
- unusual behavior, extraneous noises
Diagnostics by professionals will help you decide on the condition of your tires and whether they should be repaired or replaced altogether.
We can say with absolute certainty that it is impossible to predict the end of a tire’s service life just using a calendar, since they do not have an exact expiration date. But the fact remains unchanged that the older the tire, the more it deteriorates, defects and changes appear that affect its condition.
If you have doubts about the quality of a tire after a certain period of use, the best solution would be to replace the entire set along with the spare wheel. On the latter, it is worth paying as much attention as possible. Due to prolonged uselessness and not always proper storage, it may become covered with cracks, which is the first sign
Load Index
| Load Index | Tire load, kg | Load Index | Tire load, kg | Load Index | Tire load, kg |
| 76 | 400 | 86 | 530 | 96 | 710 |
| 77 | 412 | 87 | 545 | 97 | 730 |
| 78 | 425 | 88 | 560 | 98 | 750 |
| 79 | 437 | 89 | 580 | 99 | 775 |
| 80 | 450 | 90 | 600 | 100 | 800 |
| 81 | 462 | 91 | 615 | 101 | 825 |
| 82 | 475 | 92 | 630 | 102 | 850 |
| 83 | 487 | 93 | 650 | 103 | 875 |
| 84 | 500 | 94 | 670 | 104 | 900 |
| 85 | 515 | 95 | 690 |
Summary
As it becomes clear, there are quite a few ways to find out the age of Michelin car tires. The most important thing is to try to determine the age as approximately as possible, since the exact age is very, very difficult to determine, especially if the car tires have already been used by some driver before.
The most important thing to pay attention to when determining age is determining the tread height of Michelin tires. To do this, it is enough to measure this value as accurately as possible and compare it with the standard value. If the difference between these values is relatively small, then the age of such tires will also be small. As this value increases, the age of car tires will correspondingly increase.
The most important thing for drivers is to try to maintain the quality of the Michelin tires they use for as long as possible. To do this, it is enough to treat rubber products as carefully and carefully as possible.
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Speed index
| Speed index | Q | R | S | T | H | V | W | Y | VR | ZR | ZR(Y) |
| Speed, km/h | 160 | 170 | 180 | 190 | 210 | 240 | 270 | 300 | >210 | >240 | >300 |
- What does a tire say about car problems? find out here.
Photo: Continental
Icons and letters on tires: deciphering all the symbols!
Manufacturer's Warranties and Mileage Standards
We found out where the year of manufacture is indicated on the tires and whether it is worth buying stale tires. It's time to talk in more detail about the manufacturer's warranty regarding wear and tear. After all, many car enthusiasts buy tires that have already been used.
Performance standards are set by the certifying body and depend on the type of vehicle the wheels are installed on. According to them, on cars, trucks and minibuses whose weight does not exceed two tons, the maximum mileage is 45 thousand kilometers.
If a heavy vehicle weighs from two to four tons, its critical mileage is set at 60 thousand kilometers, and for road trains with a large weight - up to 70 thousand. After this, the tires must be disposed of, because their further use is not safe.
How to keep Michelin tires in good condition for a long time
Despite the fact that Michelin car tires have a fairly significant margin of safety, it is still necessary to take care of this advantage of your tires in order to use them for as long as possible. In fact, in order to ensure that Michelin tires remain in excellent condition for a long period of time, you just need to follow a few rules.
Firstly, you need to move as carefully as possible. This is a rather abstract concept, since each driver has his own driving style, which is very difficult to deviate from in favor of anything. You just need to try to drive on a flat surface, and also ensure a driving style in which you will have a minimum of sudden maneuvers - turns, starts, braking, drifting, etc. It is these factors that can have a serious impact on the final quality of your Michelin tires.
Secondly, when the season for using your tires ends, you need to store them in a strictly defined place under certain conditions. It is well known that rubber products tend to contract and expand, and this can ultimately reduce the strength characteristics of Michelin car tires precisely during a long period of storage in inappropriate conditions - even despite the fact that Michelin car tires have excellent rubber quality.
Third, when changing sets at the start of a new season, be careful when removing tires. Even such strong and dense tires, such as car tires from the French manufacturer Michelin, are sensitive to strong deformations and external influences, therefore, also exercise maximum caution and be extremely careful.
