Tyres

[MetManMark]

Morning all

Our car had it's 7 year service (intermediate). It has done ~45k miles if I remember correctly. Everything was OK apart from they recommended that I replace all the tyres (see report attached).  They were really keen that I replaced them but I declined as our MOT is due in December and I wanted to think about it first.

If I understand correctly, in the UK the legal limit is 1.6mm across 75% of the tyre. So does this really seem URGENT given that we only do around 6k miles a year? 

I am also slightly dubious about the accuracy of their tyre depth readings as three years ago the tyre depth actually increased between our services :). Same delaership.

All the tyres on the car have already been replaced so we have gone through 2 pairs in 45k miles. That doesn't seem terribly good to me. Do you concur?  

If we were to replace them, what would you propose changing them to? We do a mix of motorway driving, city driving, country lanes, typically ~6-8k a year.

 

Thanks in advance!

Mark

[Bernard Foy]

Reading your service report it appears they said worn on edges which would suggest under inflation across all the tyres. It’s very important that tyres are checked at the very least monthly with an accurate gauge and kept manufacturers recommended pressures. Assuming that you’re a normal moderate driver properly inflated tyres should last 25000 miles. As regards to choosing your new tyres, a rule of thumb is “you pays your money and makes your choice”. I usually have a chat with my local tyres supplier and then choose.

[MetManMark]

Thanks @Bernard. I try to keep them at around 36psi. A couple of years ago I had the tracking done as the last set wore in an odd fashion :(.

I asked a mate of mine re tyres - he is a bit of a frustrated touring car driver with a Focus ST Mountune. He uses  Yokohama's as they give good grip but doesn't get more than 10k out of them :). My search continues...

M 

[TonyHSD]

Hi, 

you can get some pictures of your tyres and share with us, although at this tread depth they are on they end of life if correctly measured. Also tyres even with good tread left can be an mot failure due to a cracks on side walls or excessive cracks between the treads. If you drive in winter on roads with salt tyres life is significantly shortened, perhaps 3-4 years max no matter mileage, the salt eats the tyres and everything made from rubber or metal. We have discussed this problem few times in different posts, here one of them: 

As Bernanrd says more often checks for correct pressure is crucial. 
There are some good deals currently online, ats euro masters does £64 off of Goodyear tyres, great deal 👍
Regards 

[Bernard Foy]

41 minutes ago, MetManMark said:

Thanks @Bernard. I try to keep them at around 36psi. A couple of years ago I had the tracking done as the last set wore in an odd fashion :(.

I asked a mate of mine re tyres - he is a bit of a frustrated touring car driver with a Focus ST Mountune. He uses  Yokohama's as they give good grip but doesn't get more than 10k out of them :). My search continues...

M 

I think if you check the recommended unladen tyre pressures are for your Yaris is 33psi front and 32psi rears.

[Eddiefh]

There legal and will be legal when you get it mot’d unless you up your driving before hand ,, it’s called up selling , there worn but not worn out 

[MetManMark]

Thanks for the comments so far. We have an Auris TS. Below is a photo of the tyre pressure guide that I try to stick to by keeping the pressures ~36psi. We live in Devon so there is definitely salt on the road at some times of year, but not nearly as often as when I lived in Scotland!

[Bernard Foy]

3 hours ago, MetManMark said:

Thanks for the comments so far. We have an Auris TS. Below is a photo of the tyre pressure guide that I try to stick to by keeping the pressures ~36psi. We live in Devon so there is definitely salt on the road at some times of year, but not nearly as often as when I lived in Scotland!

Sorry Mark, my bad, thought you had a Yaris.

[Steven83]

Just had my 7 year intermediate done.

they found a piece of metal in one tyre and said it cannot be repaired as it has gone through the wiring.

seemed odd to me considering the angle and location of the metal shard.

 

took the car to a tyre specialist nearby and they pulled the piece of metal out with a second of me pulling up, squirted some soapy water on the cut, no bubbles no air sound.. the guy looked at me and said ‘it isn’t even popped, nothing to worry about there’ 

 

Toyota were dead certain it was an mot fail…

my advice it go to a tyre place and get a second opinion. 

[Steven83]

[Steven83]

[Mooly]

8 hours ago, MetManMark said:

They were really keen that I replaced them but I declined as our MOT is due in December and I wanted to think about it first.

Those figures show they are pretty worn to me, legal yes but worn.

How long are you keeping the car? It's pointless hanging on to the last minute and then changing them because you have to only to sell the car soon after. You may as well get the benefit of new rubber, not a new owner.

I've done nearly 88k in my Auris and had only four tyres at around the 43k value. The ones fitted now (Dunlop Blue Response Sports) are wearing well and look good for another 10 to 15k at least. Remarkable really.  

 

[MetManMark]

Thanks Mooly. We plan on keeping the car for as long as possible (at least until our kids leave home 🙂 ). 

 

I'll check out the Dunlop. I have generally been underwhelmed by the lifetime of the Continentals...

[TonyHSD]

11 minutes ago, MetManMark said:

Thanks Mooly. We plan on keeping the car for as long as possible (at least until our kids leave home 🙂 ). 

 

I'll check out the Dunlop. I have generally been underwhelmed by the lifetime of the Continentals...

You can also check Goodyear efficient grip performance 2, they are absolutely great tyres, probably the best premium touring tyres at 205/ 55 16. Grip is amazing in dry and wet, handling is like on a rally car and life longest of all I ever had. I do easy motorway miles but even so I have done already 70k + miles and tread depth remains at 5mm all around, that’s impressive. Only bad thing is they also started to crack on inner side walls, because of the salt during winter, otherwise great long lasting tyres and very comfy and quiet. Will likely be replacing them with vector 4 seasons at beginning of December. 👌

[FROSTYBALLS]

3 hours ago, MetManMark said:

I'll check out the Dunlop.

In Europe, Goodyear own the brand and manufacture the Dunlop branded tyres. .......

[Wooster]

15 hours ago, MetManMark said:

underwhelmed by the lifetime of the Continentals...

I've heard this many, many times and have had experience too.  Continentals are one of the best tyres available. They are relatively soft so provide lots of grip and help promote a quiet cabin.  But, as they're soft, they wear out quickly.  I get twice the mileage out of Michelin's compared to Conti's.

[Gerg]

 

For the OP, with regard to your tyre pressures and tread wear patterns, I think using the ECO pressure suggested by Toyota (from your B-pillar picture), will inevitably cause slightly faster wear on the tyre centre band.  I have experimented similarly and seen this on the Auris and other cars too.

When a thinner tyre was offered on the Auris hybrid, a couple of years before yours was made, that tyre (a 195/65 x 15) had the higher ECO pressure option of 36 psi. But the tyre size you have (205/55 x 16) didn't have that offered at the time.

Curiously, on a Lexus CT200h I had for a couple of days (so a broadly similar car in size, weight and power), with those same size 15" tyres fitted to the Auris we have, Lexus offered an ECO option of 39 psi.  (CT200h owners manual pictured)

I wonder if this ECO pressure option is to do with gaining more flattering official mpg figures?  And that one model needs to have a higher pressure option, so as to allow those pressures to be legitimately used in official mpg tests?

On the question of when to replace worn tyres, there is no doubt that wet weather performance does degrade markedly below around 3mm of tread - a web search can quickly throw up tests to show a graph of tyre wear vs. braking distance.  But, on the official Michelin website, at least when I looked recently, they recommended using the tyre down to the 1.6mm limit for environmental reasons. Hmm.

(For what it's worth, I do sometimes use the ECO pressures, and generally replace the tyres well before the 1.6mm limit.)

In a different vein, 'upselling' on some garage service desks, as I understand it, results in a calculated bonus payment to that member of staff's salary.  A defined upselling target will likely be a dreaded 'KPI' (Key Performance Indicator) for those bigger dealers; to not acheive it will doubtless come up negatively in review meetings, just as if they were actually in a pure sales role, it's obvious, but easy to overlook.

But I don't work in that trade, does someone know differently?

[Wooster]

Gerg - slightly off subject.....  Noticed your handbook says your 12v Aux Battery can be the S44B20R or the S34B20R.  Seems the only physical difference is that the S44 is 41mm longer than the S34.  (The S44 is 42Ah and the S34 is 35Ah)  The page from my user manual doesn't show the Battery type or any options. Can your Auris Hybrid actually take the larger 12v Battery?

[Gerg]

1 hour ago, Wooster said:

Gerg - slightly off subject.....  Noticed your handbook

Ah, that pictured handbook is from the Lexus CT200 loan car.   

I've never seen anyone reporting that they've fitted a bigger Battery in an Auris.  I've never taken our Battery out the car (although it is nine years old now!) - I charge it in situ when I choose/need to do that.  It looks quite a snug fit in our hatchback model.

I'd never noticed the Battery options in that CT manual before today.  But I had seen the default Lexus battery was physically bigger, from when Snow's Lexus in Swindon (https://lexuspartsdirect.co.uk/) had an great offer on the CT batteries a year or so back which I subsequently realised was no use to me, or so I thought.