Do you know how to check tyre expiry date to know whether it’s time to replace the tyres or not? If you don’t, there’s nothing to worry about. In this article we are going to show how where you can find the expiry date. We’ll also share how long the tyres usually last and how you should inspect them during regular maintenance.
If you ask around, you will notice that not a lot of people are aware that your car tyres have an expiry date. Like all other things, tires don’t last forever and there comes a time when you should think about replacing them.
When tires are manufactured, they get their date of birth when they leave the manufacturing plant. They also get an expiry date which is about six years after they have been manufactured.
It’s important to know these dates as you don’t want to purchase tires which were manufactured a while ago. Imagine purchasing brand new tires that have been sitting in the garage for almost 4 years. Even though they’re brand-new you don’t want them because they’re almost near their expiry date.
A lot of people are not aware of the expiry date of the tires. I have come across tire shops that were not aware of this date either. So it is something that is missed quite easily.
Most tire manufacturers recommend replacing your tires every six years. You should not just consider the tread on the tires to replace them. If a tire is almost six years old, even though it has a good thread, you should consider replacing it.
How to find out when tyre was manufactured
Knowing the age of your vehicle’s tires is important. Based on this information you can determine if it is time to replace the tires or not. but how exactly do you find this information?
Each tire is stamped with the manufacturing date as the 10-11 characters DOT (Department of Transportation) code.
Although this code is 10-11 digits long, you only need to look at the last four digits to determine the manufacture date. In the last four digits, the last two digits represent the year and the first two digits represent the week the tire was manufactured.
For example, if the last four digits of a DOT code were 0121, this means the tire manufactured during the first week of the year 2021. Reviewing the DOT code for small vehicles is not a common practice, but these are used regularly for large vehicles such as the trucks and RVs. When the large vehicles are not used for a long time and their tires are getting older, they pose a significant safety risk for everyone on the road.
The Difference Between a 10 vs 11 DOT Code
Wondering what’s the difference between a 10 vs 11 DOT code?
Tires that were manufactured before the year 2000 always had the 10 digit DOT code. For most tires, these codes were stamped on the inside of the tire so it wasn’t always easy to identify.
All or the new tires, those that were manufactured after the year 2000, have the 11 digit DOT code. It’s also interesting to note that the tires before 2000 were built to last around ten years. Whereas now, they are only recommended to be used for a maximum of six years.
When Should You Replace the Tires
When it comes to replacing tires, a lot of people only consider the tread on the tires. If the tread on the tires is low and winter is approaching, people will replace the tires. If the tires have some tread on them, people will generally think that the tires are still good and they don’t replace them.
If you have not driven your car for some time, or you don’t drive it often, the tire tread will not help you make the right decision. Because of the low amount of driving, your tires may still have plenty of tread on them making you think that it’s not yet time to replace them. However, the expiry date of the tires may tell a different story.
If the tires are older than six year, most manufacturers recommend replacing them even if they have good tread on them. Here’s another article explaining what happens to the tires as they age.
When to Replace Tires Based on Tire Tread
If your car gets a lot of kilometers per year and it’s driven daily, chances are high that the tread will wear out before the six year mark. So definitely consider replacing the tires when there’s not much tread left. But how do you decide how much tread requires replacing? How do you know that it’s no time to replace the tires?
If you are in Canada, listed below are the steps you can take at home, using a toonie, to measure the tire tread. It’s very easy.
- Put the toonie into the tire tread. Make sure the bear’s paws are going down into the tires.
- If the tread reaches the bear’s paws, this is an indication that your car tires are almost new. They have plenty of tread and you won’t need to replace them for a while.
- If the tread reaches up until the mark where silver finishes; you have lost 50% of the tire tread.
- If the tire tread reaches only half way into the silver part of the toonie, the tread is worn out. If this is the case then you should consider replacing the tires as soon as possible.
For those of you who are not in Canada, there are many other ways to measure the tire tread. In the United States, you can use a penny to check the tire tread in a similar way. The steps are listed below.
- Place a penny in the tire tread with Lincoln’s head upside down.
- If you can see Lincoln’s head (hair) above the tire surface, the tires are worn out and should replace them.
Accurate Tire Tread Measurement
As stated above, you can easily check the tire tread using various coins. But, they are only estimates and don’t provide an accurate reading.
You measure the tire tread correctly, you can use a tread depth gauge found easily at the automotive stores.They measure in 1/32” United States standard and also provide readings in millimeters.
You want to understand the following gauge measurements and what they mean for your tires.
- 6/32” or more – tire tread is good
- 5/32” – consider changing if you live in winter climate with lots of snow around
- 4/32” – consider changing if you live in area that get a lot of rain
- 3/32” – consider replacing as the tires are almost worn out
- 2/32” – don’t drive with these tires any more and replace immediately
When driving on the road, your safety and of those around you should be your number one priority. Good tires play an important role for a car’s safety and it’s best to make sure they are replaced on time. In this article, I have shown how to check tyre expiry date. As stated earlier, you should replace the tires not just based on the tread but also on the tyre expiry date.