Tag Archive for tyres

Winter Car Care Guide

Winter Car Care
Oh, hello Abigail. Power cuts, schools closed and ferries cancelled. We think it’s safe to say, that after a good run, winter has finally arrived. And with it comes the need to run through the routine winter checks to ensure you keep motoring safely over the winter months.

Winter Checks

When conducting your winter check, pay attention to:

Tyres: Up to 25% off Selected Tyres

A complete new set of winter tyres (where the rubber is optimized to stay flexible during cold snaps as opposed to regular tyres which turn hard and slippery) might sound expensive. However, in reality, if you spend a lot of time on the road during the winter months it’s a worthwhile investment. And besides, while you’re driving around on the winter tyres, the regular set isn’t being used and worn down. Even if you don’t require winter tyres, it might be worth considering changing your tyres if you haven’t done so for a few years.

Battery: Up to 30% off Batteries

While it’s always advisable to have a professional check your battery, there are a few ways even a novice can carry out a routine check and maintenance. Look out for corrosion on posts and cable connections and scrape away where necessary. Give the surfaces a clean and re-tighten all connections. If you can remove the battery caps check the fluid level monthly. If you haven’t replaced the battery in the last three years, you should consider doing so.

Wiper Blades: Up to 20% off Wiper Blades

Rubber-cladded wiper blades are best suited for scraping ice from the windscreen. In addition to this, ensure you have refilled your windshield washer reservoir with wiper solvent and keep plenty on hand. You can really go through it in large quantities during the winter months.

Replenish Fluid Levels: 

Be rigorous about changing your car’s fluids and filters during the winter months. Your car’s older engine will thank you for it! Remember to change the oil and oil filter every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Use the recommended oil viscosity range for winter. 5W-30 motor oil flows quicker in cold weather than 20W-50. Most vehicle manufacturers recommend 5W-30 oil for year-round protection.

Tyre and Snow Sock Guide


Fitting your snow socks is easy, once you have the correct size. To calculate your snow sock size, you will need the width, profile and diameter of your tyres. On the side of each tyre, you will see a sting of letters and numbers as above. Simply note the width, profile and size.

Our snow socks are sold in four sizes – S, M, L and XL.
S size
M size
L size
XL size

The False Economics of Second Hand Tyres

car tyres

In these frugal times hard-pressed folks are constantly on the lookout for savings and value. However, saving money does not always equate to getting good value.

Some products; the sort that keep you from the cold hard ground for example, should not be skimped on. Shoes and beds for example are important enough to by new. Tyres are arguably even more important in that regard.

And yet a permissive attitude towards second hand tyres prevails in Ireland, one that suggests they somehow represent good value for money. This is patently not true. Not only is this practice a false economy. The attitude that accompanies it is misinformed and dangerous.

car tyres

Second Hand Tyres – Why The Hell Not?

Firstly, we need to understand that the tyre industry in Ireland is so badly regulated that anyone can simply open and trade. No training is required. No knowledge is needed. You can even get a government grant to help you on your way. The result of this barely regulated approach? Vendors of second hand tyres sold in Ireland are not legally bound to test for possible dangers.

Compare this with Germany. Clearly defined and enforced laws, coupled with two contrasting seasons requiring two sets of tyres has created a culture whereby drivers will not accept second hand tyres. These tyres, and others from European countries with similarly strict regulations, are often unloaded onto us Irish due to our permissive attitudes and willingness to but second hand.

The dangers were starkly reflected in a 2012 report which revealed that 51 percent of second-hand tyres were dangerous or deemed not fit for purpose. That same report also revealed that 55 percent would warrant an NCT ‘advisory warning’. The report found that, in most cases, the tyres had been used by central and northern European motorists where conditions are considerably harsher. The Road Safety Authority backed the report and advised motorists against buying second hand tyres.

In October of this year AA Rescue issued a statement which claimed that there has been a surge in callouts for blowouts due to the fact that many motorists were “driving on tyres so worn out that they were bound to burst”. They estimated that as many as one in 10 drivers had experienced a blowout in the past four years, while a survey of 16,000 motorists showed that more than half regularly encounter tyre debris on roads.

 

Minimum Tyre Tread Depth / Worn Tyre Gauge

Most drivers don’t even know the legal limit for minimum tread depth on tyres. While the legal-limit is 1.6mm, the general consensus is that thread depth should be checked frequently once it reaches 3mm, and replaced when it wears below 2mm (especially during autumn and winter months).

In terms of the savings garnered from purchasing second hand tyres, the reality is that they are merely short term. The rapid deterioration of stopping distance after a tyre has reached a minimum tread of 3mm means is stark.

Tyre Tread Depth

A typical part-worn tyre has between 2-3mm of tread remaining, due to the fact that tyres must be legally changed in France and Germany once they reach that minimum. The undisputed fact is that these part-worn tyres won’t last for long – maybe somewhere in the region of 3000-4000 miles – before they are deemed illegal here.

So where does attempting to save a little bit of money leave you? It potentially leaves you with three penalty points on your license. That could be considered getting off lightly, because your chances of crashing on a wet road if you are forced to brake suddenly are increased significantly.

In most of the cases, used car tyres are actually overpriced. If a typical second hand tyre has 3mm depth, that equates to just 1.4mm of usage before it must be legally binned. Now if such a tyre is generally priced between €30 and €40 it would need to outperform a new tyre to be considered good value. However, a €120 euro new tyre with a thread depth of 8mm will last at least four times as long as one with 3mm. And that’s without even factoring in the need to pay for the fitting of four tyres in the case of second hand purchases. In other words, there is no saving to be had.

Stopping Distance For tyres

Consumers buy them believing they are getting a good deal, when in reality they don’t know their usage history and can’t see any internal damage. New car tyres on the other hand are proven to handle significantly better, have passed rigorous and heavily regulated safety checks and let you enjoy a better ride. You’re not only buying new tyres – you’re buying safety and peace of mind.