How to Check the Expiration Date of a Car Tire in Nigeria

This is a detailed guide on how to check the expiration date of a car tire in Nigeria, read to the end to gain more insight.

Tires are very important for the functionality of cars; they support the weight of cars, keep cars from sliding when it rains, help prevent accidents, and help cars change direction.

However, it is important for all car users to pay good attention to the tires fixed to their vehicles so as to know when they are expired and need replacement.

While some Nigerian car owners do not know how to check the expiration date of their car tires, it is rather unfortunate that some Nigerian car users do not bother to know or check the expiration date of their car tires.

No matter the category you belong to, it is important to check the expiry date of your car tires to avoid being a victim of an unfortunate incident on the road.

The Importance Of Checking The Expiration Date Of A Car Tire In Nigeria

It is worth knowing the expiration date of your car tire to avoid being a victim of ugly circumstances or sending innocent people to their early graves.

However, to learn more about the importance of checking the expiration date of a car tire in Nigeria, read  below.

1. It helps prevent sudden accidents on the road.

2. It gives the driver information on when to replace the old tire with a new one

3. It keeps the driver and road users free from unexpected harm caused by tire explosions on the road

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4. It helps the driver from having his/her vehicle impounded by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC)

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How To Check The Expiration Date Of A Car Tire In Nigeria

Purchasing a new tire from a tire shop does not make it new altogether, like many other goods you purchased after checking their expiry dates, it is mandatory to check that of tires too, they are dangerous when expired.

However, many car tire sellers and users do not know that tires have expiration dates, an ignorant car owner might think he or she is purchasing new tires when in reality, the tires expired two or four years ago.

Furthermore, the average life span of a tire from the manufacturing date is four years, and most automobile manufacturers warn drivers to replace vehicle tires after four years.

As a car owner, to protect yourself and other innocent people, it is advisable to look for a tire’s manufacture date when purchasing your tire because the life span of a tire is calculated from the manufacture date.

The manufacture date is the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) code of 10 or 11 characters written on the inside of every tire.

However, for new tires, the code is always 11 characters, but tires manufactured before the year, 2000 have a 10-character code.

The expiration dates for tires manufactured before 2000 were granted a 10-year scale because the expected lifespan of tires was 10 years.

Currently, the new guide warns that tires should be expected to last a maximum of only four years. However, below are the ways you can check the expiration date of a car tire in Nigeria.

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1. Before you take the tire out of the tire shop, locate the long DOT code written on the sides of the tire.

2. When you locate the DOT code on the sides of the tire, check for the last three or four digits. The last three or four figures show the date the tire was manufactured. Tires made before the year 2000 have a three-digit tire manufacture code while tires made after the year 2000 have a  four-digit manufacture code.

3. If you see four digits manufacture code, the two digits beginning the code indicate the week the tire was manufactured, and the last two digits show the year of production. For example, if the code is  1114, it means the tire was made on the eleventh week of the year 2013 and will expire in the 11 week (around March) of the year 2018.

However, if the tire you went to buy has three digits manufacture code, the first two figures indicate the week the tire was manufactured while the last digit indicates the production year.

For example, if the code written on the tire is 127, it means that the tire was produced in the 12th week of the year 1997, and it will expire on the 12th week of the year 2001.

How To Maintain Your Car Tires

It is not guaranteed that your car tires will not get damaged before the expiration date, how you handle your car and where you drive it too will determine the long-lastingness of your car tires.

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Car tires are like every other valuable thing you purchase, you need to handle them with care. However, below are tips on how to maintain your car tires.

1. Make sure your vehicle is appropriately inflated.

2. Get a wheel alignment when necessary.

3. Replace your car tire with the appropriate one for your car when necessary.

4. Examine your tires regularly, especially when going on long trips.

5. It is advised to rotate your tires every 6,000-8,000 miles.

6. Balance your tires and wheels when required.

Conclusion

Tires are made of rubber and rubber devalues with age and temperature whether used or not. Apart from checking the expiry date of your car tire, it is very important to maintain proper tire pressure, observe tire and vehicle load limits, and examine tires for cuts, slashes, and other abnormalities to avoid tire failures, such as tread separation or blowout and flat tires.

That’s all on how to check the expiration date of a car tire in Nigeria, I hope it helps you check yours to avoid problems.

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