1. The standard equipment of the vehicles discussed in this Manual includes wheels equipped with special indicator strips, which are about 13 mm wide and appear on the tread pattern when the latter is worn to the permissible limit. The minimum permissible tread depth is 1.5 mm. The degree of tread wear can be assessed using a special inexpensive device (refer to the accompanying illustration) – ask in car accessories stores.
2. Pay attention to any signs of uneven tread wear. Local defects such as cupping, flattening, etc. usually result from incorrect front wheel alignment or wheel balancing. To identify and eliminate the faults, the car should be taken to a specialized auto repair shop or service station.
3. Carefully inspect the tires of all wheels for cuts, punctures, and foreign objects stuck in the grooves of the tread pattern. Sometimes a punctured wheel continues to hold air inside for some time because the object that punctured the tire continues to remain stuck in it. A slow deflation of the tire may be caused by a defective tire inflation valve nipple; check the condition of the nipple. Carefully inspect the tread for signs of a leak in the seal of the repair "plugs" used to repair small tire punctures. It is quite easy to verify the presence of a puncture - just wet the suspected area of the tire surface with a solution of soapy water - if a puncture occurs, the solution will begin to bubble. Small punctures are usually easily repaired in tire repair shops.
4. Carefully inspect the inner walls of the tires of all four wheels for any signs of brake fluid leakage. If any are found, immediately check the condition of the corresponding brake mechanisms and the hydraulic lines connected to them.
5. Maintaining the required tire inflation pressure will significantly extend the service life of the wheels, and will also provide maximum comfort when driving and will not reduce the car's controllability. Remember that it is almost impossible to correctly determine the tire pressure by eye, especially when it comes to radial tires. It is necessary to always have a suitable pressure gauge at hand - the provision of compressor inflation gauges at gas stations and service stations should not be trusted.
6. Check the tire inflation pressure when the wheels are cold, meaning that the car has driven no more than one mile in the last three hours. Remember that an increase in pressure by 0.3 – 0.6 kgf/cm² as a result of the wheel warming up is a completely natural phenomenon.
7. Remove the protective cap from the tire inflation valve and press the pressure gauge nozzle tightly to the valve outlet, squeezing the nipple stem. Read the reading and compare it with the standard data; adjust the pressure if necessary.
8. Don't forget to screw the valve cap back on to prevent moisture and dirt from getting into the valve. Check the pressure in all wheels, including the spare.
Note: The inflation pressure of a compact type spare tire is usually significantly higher than that of a regular tire.