My wife has a Micra (petrol) which does quite low mileage, but it is used every week for a few hours. Last year we had an advisory on the MOT to say that 3 tyres had cracking; an AA man who recently attended to change a punctured tyre commented that there was dangerous cracking on the one he removed and then looked at the others - two other 'dangerous' were found. He advised no fast driving until they were replaced. The spare he put on had no cracking but is hardly ever used! So how can this be avoided on a low-mileage car? I shall be replacing all 3 remaining dodgy ones this week as the MOT is looming next month. (I got a new one after the puncture before you ask!)
Tyres will fail MOT
- Thread starter Vicario
- Start date
Simple answer is you can’t. Although low mileage, they will still deteriorate over time. Just a combination of age and weathering caused by sunlight. You could take them all off and put them in the boot though……
Pretty sure they can’t fail a tyre for cracking. It’s an advise only!
It's very subjective; some will say dangerous and others will say ok for another year. If you're putting it in for MOT then it won't make much difference. If it passes with advisories then take it somewhere to get them changed. If it fails, then get the MOTer to put new ones on, and ask for a budget tyre. Some will order them in and do it, whilst others will sub out to a tyre fitter
As has been said, it's ultraviolet, temperature and ozone mainly, I think. The tyre's rubber loses elasticity with time. Garaging the car , if possible, is a more practical measure.
1. Minimise exposure to sunlight;
2. Try not to park where the car will be subject to extremes of temperature;
3. Don't run them soft (the more the sidewall flexes, the faster they will crack).
4. Buy high quality tyres with the best rubber compounds. (Although it might be cheaper to buy cheap ones and replace them more often).
1. Minimise exposure to sunlight;
2. Try not to park where the car will be subject to extremes of temperature;
3. Don't run them soft (the more the sidewall flexes, the faster they will crack).
4. Buy high quality tyres with the best rubber compounds. (Although it might be cheaper to buy cheap ones and replace them more often).
How old are the tyres?
Do you know how to check the DOT code on the sidewalls to give you that info?
Tyre brands vary when it comes to their resistance to cracking, I had a set of Michelins that (prior to my understanding of the DOT code) were 21 years old & the only indication of an aging problem was lack of grip in heavy rain .. needless to say I replaced them shortly after.
Spare tyres on those older cars that actually have a full size spare can last for decades if unused because they are never exposed to daylight, though my guess is that a degree of rubber hardening still takes place over time.
Do you know how to check the DOT code on the sidewalls to give you that info?
Tyre brands vary when it comes to their resistance to cracking, I had a set of Michelins that (prior to my understanding of the DOT code) were 21 years old & the only indication of an aging problem was lack of grip in heavy rain .. needless to say I replaced them shortly after.
Spare tyres on those older cars that actually have a full size spare can last for decades if unused because they are never exposed to daylight, though my guess is that a degree of rubber hardening still takes place over time.
It definitely does! My car was 30 years old when I bought it and the seller was very proud of the fact that the spare had never been fitted. That creates an interesting dilemma. The rim was pristine, never been exposed to brake dust. The tyre still had its moulding knobbles on it. However, it was a long-obsolete Pirelli, which would never match anything that I could buy at the time. So... what to do? Leave it for 50 years in case I need it? Start driving on it now to get some use out of it?
I decided on the latter. MAN it was awful! Like driving on bakelite! Absolutely no grip - particularly in the wet. To be fair, I don't know what it would have been like when new, but I think it would have been better than the no-name tyres (Sumitomo) that were on it at the time.
Quite often, when we had occasion to fit the spare wheel onto the car during a service (back in the days when the spares were the same as the original wheels) it would squeal like a stuck pig on the road test as the tyre had hardened/glazed while sitting in the bootwell for Christ knows how long.
Thanks for that, I'll probably renew all four tyres after this coming winter & will replace the spare at the same time.
Thanks for all the replies. All four tyres are now 2026 vintage, so if it passes the MOT (should do!) I'm off to WEBUYANYWRECK.com to see what I can get. The new electric Micra looks good, but I really do like hybrids - our main car is a Yaris Cross and it's awesome. I need a solar panel though to stop the 12v battery from dying - Which? has a few articles about this, I see, and Toyota are coming round to the idea of fitting a higher capacity battery.
'Oh I would love that, an emergency perhaps in winter & at the dead of night .. my electric car unusable due to a discharged battery
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My 72 plate Yaris Cross had similar issues......after a fortnight there wasn't enough juice to allow the car to start. Sometimes it was sooner than this.
Toyota have an upgraded battery now which has been fitted - nearly up to 4A/H from below 3A/H (yes really) - cost me just under £200 if I recall.
It's been fine since but I have a spare new motorbike battery that I keep standing by so at least I can get the thing going in an emergency.......you can enter the car with the mechanical key, pop the bonnet and access the fuse box where the jump start terminals are.
The tiny 12v battery actually operates some contactors somewhere - there isn't a starter motor fitted.
I'd recommend anyone to purchase one of those small jump start packs and keep it in the car if the vehicle is parked up for any length of time.
John
Toyota have an upgraded battery now which has been fitted - nearly up to 4A/H from below 3A/H (yes really) - cost me just under £200 if I recall.
It's been fine since but I have a spare new motorbike battery that I keep standing by so at least I can get the thing going in an emergency.......you can enter the car with the mechanical key, pop the bonnet and access the fuse box where the jump start terminals are.
The tiny 12v battery actually operates some contactors somewhere - there isn't a starter motor fitted.
I'd recommend anyone to purchase one of those small jump start packs and keep it in the car if the vehicle is parked up for any length of time.
John
Not had a flat battery on the Tucson yet but it has the ability to jump start itself! There’s a 12v reset button so that in the event that the start battery discharges after standing for some time, you just press the 12v reset button and you have 15 seconds to start the vehicle from the Hybrid battery.
Yes, I keep my NOCO jump pack in the car, not the boot for obvious reasons. I really do recommend the Optimate solar panel which I plug into my OBD port under the steering wheel. Car was left for 9 days unused over Christmas and it started perfectly. The Yaris Cross stores the 12v under the rear seats and I've actually only seen it once when I thought I'd better have a go - not easy at all. I've heard about some hybrids being able to start from the main battery in an emergency - sounds like a good idea. Burnerman - did you see the Yaris Cross battery problem mentioned a couple of times in recent Which? magazines? Toyota's comment was that they are 'aware of the issue'. (Does the alarm sound if you use the mechanical key and how do you then stop it?)
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