What does DOT on tires mean?

Do tires go bad with age?

How long can a tire last? Most auto manufacturers recommend replacing tires over six years old regardless of tread depth. Some tire manufacturers like Michelin and Continental give a 10-year limit. As rubber compounds age, they deteriorate and become weaker like other rubber and plastic components on your car.

Are old tires dangerous?

Old tires are dangerous, regardless of tread depth. While there’s no federally sanctioned safety guidance on when a tire is too old to be safe, many carmakers recommend replacement at six years from the date of manufacture. Old tires have been the culprit in fatal accidents. Here are just two examples:

Is it safe to replace a tire that’s 6 years old?

A tire that’s 6 years old or older isn’t safe and should be replaced, regardless of wear. People usually rely on a tire’s tread depth to determine when to replace it. But tire age is critical, too.

How long is a tire safe to use?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and official manufacturers suggest a tire is only 100% safe to use until it turns 5-6 years old. However, some admit that a tire can be operable up to 10 years if you check it for issues annually after the 5th year.

When do tires age?

That’s when the real ageing process starts, when it’s exposed to high speeds, sudden braking, difference surfaces, extreme temperatures, and heavy loads. And mind you, tires also degrade even when the vehicle is not used. So, what does Michelin recommend?

What are the 2 dots on a tyre?

If your tires are new or recently installed, you may have noticed a couple of red and yellow paint dots. If you think you’re just seeing spots, don’t worry – that’s completely normal. The spots on the sidewall of your tires were specifically placed by the manufacturer to guide the tire installation process.

What does the red dot on a tyre mean?

The red dot indicates the tyre’s high point. Most of the time a wheel will also have a dot—either a drilled dot or a sticker to indicate its low point; if you have these marks, you should align the red dot with the mark on the wheel and ignore the yellow dot. By doing this you minimise the vibration caused by the high point of the tyre

Where do you put a yellow dot on a tyre?

When tyres are made, they are almost never perfectly balanced, and most manufacturers will place a yellow dot on the section of the tyre where there is least weight. When fitting a tyre, you should line up this yellow dot with the valve stem as this is the heaviest point of the wheel.

Do all tyres have a white dot?

Not all tyres have a white dot (circle, triangle) on the sidewall. In its meaning, this point is opposite to the red point, that is, this is the place with the minimum radial force variation (RFV), the softest part of the tyre.

What are the dots on a tire?

These dots are placed on the tire by the manufacturer to help guide the proper placement when mounting on the wheel. Most tires are mounted by a skilled technician who can use specialized processes and machinery to ensure that they are as balanced as possible.

What does yellow tires mean?

The Yellow Dot When tyres are made, they are almost never perfectly balanced, and most manufacturers will place a yellow dot on the section of the tyre where there is least weight.

What does a yellow dot on a tire mean?

The yellow dots identify where a tire weighs the least — the lightest point on a tire. The yellow dot should be lined up and directly next to the valve stem, which is the wheel’s heaviest point. The red dots identify where the tire is flattest — the lowest point on a tire.

How do I know if my tyres are red or yellow?

If both red and yellow dots are visible on your tyre and you don’t have any dots or marks on your wheel, red takes precedence over yellow and you should align the red dot with the valve stem. Cancelling out the high point takes precedence over the lightest point of the tyre, which can be addressed with wheel weights.

Where do the yellow dots come in?

The yellow dots can help minimize the amount of weight needed to balance a tire and wheel assembly by mounting the tire so that its lightest point is already matched up with the wheel’s heaviest point. The yellow dot indicates where the manufacturer has identified the lightest spot on the tire.

How do you know if a tire is flat?

The yellow dot should be lined up and directly next to the valve stem, which is the wheel’s heaviest point. The red dots identify where the tire is flattest — the lowest point on a tire. The red dot should be directly across from the highest point of the wheel, which is usually indicated by a colored dot or a notch on the wheel.

What is the yellow dot on car?

Placing a Yellow Dot decal in your vehicle’s rear window alerts first responders to check your glove compartment for vital information to ensure you receive the medical attention you need.

What are yellow dots on my car?

They are, indeed, bee poops, bird poops, or other bugs on your vehicle. These stains not only impair your buddy’s shiny look but also eat the paint off the car. Now, you don’t have to wonder where yellow dots on my car come from. These are certainly hard to get rid of. Before finding out how to deal with them, let’s see what they are.

What does a yellow dot mean on a tire balancing guide?

The yellow dot marks the lightest part of the tire, while the red dot marks the highest point. When used correctly, these guides can help lower the overall cost of your tire balancing. Typically, they are only temporary and wear off with time. Keep reading to learn exactly how these dots are used and how you can remove them after installation.

How do you read a tire code?

How to read your tires codes

1. “215” represents the width of the tire from sidewall to sidewall. The larger the number, the wider the tire.
2. “60” is the aspect ratio. This is the official sidewall height shown as a percentage of section width.
3. “R” is the radial construction.

Do all Tyres have a dot code?

Each tyre has an imprinted DOT code on the sidewall. DOT stands for the Department of Transportation and the code is made of numbers and letters – they indicate the place and date of the tyre’s manufacture. Read on to find out how to check the tyre’s date and place of manufacture and why the age of a tyre matters.

How do you know if a tire has a dot code?

Every tire sold in the United States has a DOT code stamped on the side. A complete tire DOT code will begin with the letters DOT and is followed by 10-12 letters and numbers. Some tires have a partial DOT code on one side and a full DOT code on the opposite side. A complete DOT code will always end in four numbers.

What is a dot tyre date code?

The DOT tyre date code is a 7 to 13 character code that is legally required and is usually printed in smaller letters near the bead of the tyre (where the tyre meets the rim). Its first letters are DOT, which stands for “DDepartment of Transportation” and indicates that the government agency has approved the tyre.

How do you know if a tyre has been manufactured?

The first two numbers of the 4-digit DOT date code (which, again, appears at the very end of the string of letters and numbers that start with DOT) indicate the week that the tyre was manufactured. The last two numbers of the date code tell you the year of manufacture.

What is tire coding?

One thing that is necessary for all tire companies that plan to market and sell their products in a variety of world markets is proper coding. These codes are based on specific legal demands that are leveled by any number of governing bodies. In the United States, the code was developed and is governed by the Department of Transportation (DOT).

How do you read a 3 digit tire code?

Reading the DOT code At present, the DOT code begins with three letters: DOT. Those letters are followed by two alphanumeric symbols that represent the Plant code, or where the tire was manufactured. The last three numbers represent the week and the year in which the tire was manufactured.

What is a 3 digit tire date code?

The three digit tire date code is actually pretty simple to read once you know what you’re looking at. The first two numbers are the week of the year that the tire was manufactured, and the last number is the year. So, a tire with a date code of “402” would have been manufactured during the 40th week of 2002.

How do you read a car tire number?

By knowing how to interpret the numbers and letters on a car tire, you can know the speed rating, temperature resistance, load index numbers, as well as the tire’s width and rim diameter. Read the manufacturer and the tire name. These are printed in large letters toward the outside of the tire.

What is a tyre code?

It tells you the range, size and specific characteristics of a given tyre, namely: sidewall height; width; aspect ratio; construction type; load index; and speed rating. Here we provide an example tyre code to help explain what each component means: 205 – the width of the tyre section in millimetres.

What do the last 4 digits of a tire mean?

The final four digits, for any tire made since the year 2000, are the tire date code and represent the date of manufacture. The first two of these digits designates the week of the year the tires were made, and the final two digits are the last two digits of the year of manufacture. (For example, 1319 means the thirteenth week of 2019.)

What does blue dot on tire mean?

If you see any blue, green, purple, white, pink or orange dots, just ignore them. They are “mystery” dots and are there for factory purposes. Once the tire leaves the manufacturing plant, dots of those colors have no use. Some manufacturers do not put any dots on their tires.

Why are there dots on my truck’s sidewall?

Manufacturers of commercial truck radial tires may apply a variety of colored dots on the lower sidewall for customer or factory purposes. Not all tires have markings and even the paint dots on those tires that do are temporary and can be scuffed off during normal shipping, handling and use. That’s why you don’t usually see them on used tires.

What does a dot code on a tire mean?

On the contrary, the DOT symbol by itself simply indicates that the tire is approved by the Department of Transportation to be legally used on the road. The Date Code is when the tire was manufactured (not when it was approved). 2. You might also have heard that you should only buy tires that have a DOT code within the current year.

How do you know if a tire is DOT certified?

The Department of Transportation leaves its mark on tires as well. On the sidewall, you’ll find DOT followed by a series of numbers that indicate such things as manufacturing location and specs. However, the most important numbers are the last four, indicating the week and year the tire was made.

What is DOT code on tires?

The DOT serial number is located on the inside sidewall near the rim. The letters “DOT” are followed by eight to thirteen letters and/or numbers that identify where the tire was manufactured, tire size, and the manufacturer’s code, along with the week and year the tire was manufactured.

Where is the dot code on a Continental Tire?

The DOT serial number is located on the inside sidewall near the rim. The letters “DOT” are followed by eight to thirteen letters and/or numbers that identify where the tire was manufactured, tire size, and the manufacturer’s code, along with the week and year the tire was manufactured. Where is the DOT code located on a Continental Tire?

What is a dot code?

This code is an alphanumeric code that can be seen on the sidewall of every tire. The DOT requires tire manufacturers to stamp the code on each and every tire. The reason for the DOT code is, first and foremost, vehicle safety. For example, the code helps with safety by making it possible to track sales.

What is a tire date code?

Tire Date Codes are often called Tire Identification Numbers (TIN). Typically, the Department of Transportation provides up to 13 characters to advise you of important information about your tire manufacturer. How do you read the DOT tire codes on your tires? The answer is given below.

How long do dot tires last?

Every tire has a birth date—the day it was manufactured—and an expiration date that is six years from that manufacture date. Most automobile manufacturers warn drivers to replace vehicle tires after six years.

How long do tires last?

“Some tire manufacturers offer a warranty as high as 80,000 miles or more, reflecting confidence in that particular product’s longevity based on its engineering, technology, and design. Other tires may be built to provide 30,000 miles of service.”

How old should my tires be?

At Tires Easy, we like to err on the side of caution and only sell tires that are seven years old and under. If you consider that the average driver travels 15,000 miles per year, most tires need to be replaced in 4 years. If your tires were a few years old when purchasing, you would still be well within the accepted tire age range.

How long does a Michelin tyre last?

That’s when your tyre’s tread will have actually reached the wear indicator threshold. All MICHELIN ranges are designed to combine an excellent longevity and an excellent level of performance until the last mile.

How do I know if my tire has a dot code?

Locate your tire’s DOT code. Check the sidewall for “DOT” followed by up to 13 letters and numbers. A tire’s sidewall is the smooth part of the tire outside the rim before the tread starts.