Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Sign up or log in to customize your list. Here's how it works: Anybody can ask a question The best answers are voted up and rise to the top Update: I actually don't even have the car anymore. But I did immediately change this tire at the time. It's my rear right tire. It has a significant bulge in the sidewall. Here are two pictures of the bulge (original URL): Do I need to replace it before I ever drive on it again? Should I put on the spare to go buy the new tire? Or is it fine to even go a little bit on the highway for a few days before I replace it? Or is it fine to even go a little bit on the highway for a few days before I replace it?Please don't drive on that tire. You are seeing a large scale deformation in a portion of the tire that's not designed for point stresses like that. There's pretty clearly a thin layer of rubber standing between the marginally acceptable and explosively decompressive states.
And, just so we're clear, please don't drive for a couple of days on the temporary spare, either. It's not rated for that kind of workload. Personally I wouldn't drive on that tire - if it delaminates while you're driving you're risking a blowout. You get bulges like that if the rubber basically separates from the various reinforcement plys in the tire and as the air in the tire heats up from driving, it'll slowly expand. All it takes then is something that pokes/cuts the bulge to turn your car into a three wheeler. I'd slap on the spare tire and take this one down to your local tire place of least distrust. In the trunk, not on the car... In some jurisdictions (including my own), driving with a tyre looking like that is illegal. There is a question about it on the driving test, and all such academic questions on the test are about things you must do, lest you be found to be in charge of a dangerous vehicle. For your safety and others . Please change the tire. I had the same size bump on my run flats .
Tires with less than 1k . Don't risk the lives of others to save a few bucks. It will cost you more down the road ... Your Tire has suffered internal failure of the layers that make up your tire. Can you drive it to your Tire store? But maintain low speed and avoid potholes. Thank you for your interest in this question. Because it has attracted low-quality or spam answers that had to be removed, posting an answer now requires 10 reputation on this site (the association bonus does not count). Would you like to answer one of these unanswered questions instead? Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged tires or ask your own question.YOU ARE HERE: LAT HomeCollections Question: I often see people swerving sharply to avoid broken glass in the road. I wonder whether broken glass can really cause a tire to go flat? Is it worth the bother to avoid glass?--B.M.Answer: Very seldom, if ever, can broken glass puncture a steel-belted radial tire or cause a blowout, but certain kinds of broken glass can damage a tire and cause it to fail prematurely.
Steel-belted radial tires have been a blessing for all motorists, not only because they have vastly improved the mileage between tire replacements, but also because they are tremendously resistant to punctures and leaks.Experts estimate that steel-belted radials are 75% less likely to experience a flat or blowout than older radial ply tires.Nonetheless, if glass is very sharp, it can cut into the rubber tread of the tire. If it penetrates to the steel belt, it can cause a wound that will allow dirt and moisture to accumulate.Eventually, corrosion and contamination will cause the belt to separate from the tread, ruining the tire. This can occur anywhere from 5,000 to 15,000 miles later, long after you ran over the glass.The most common glass in the roadway is from broken headlights and windshields at accident sites. The glass often shatters, throwing off tiny square blocks of glass. This tends not to be a great hazard to tires, because the glass has few sharp edges. The much greater threat to car tires is from broken bottles in parking lots, which can have long, sharp spikes that penetrate rubber easily.
The likelihood of damaging a tire is actually greater in summer when the pavement is hot. As rubber heats up, it becomes softer and more vulnerable to damage by foreign objects.Q: I have been using 10W-40 oil in my car, because it is often on sale. But I wonder if I get adequate lubrication at the 10W viscosity. Maybe in warmer climates or in summer the weight is too thin. Would it be better to use 20W-40 in these cases?--D.H.F.A: The majority of engine wear occurs in the first few seconds of starting a car, particularly when it is cold. To curtail engine wear, it is important for oil to begin flowing as quickly as possible. Thicker oil resists moving through the tiny passages in an engine until it reaches a higher pressure or temperature than thinner oil.Most car manufacturers are now recommending that motorists use what historically has been very lightweight oil, such as 5W-30. You probably don't want to use an oil thinner recommended by your owner's manual, but you can safely use the thinnest oil it suggests.
The newest top-rated oil, which is designated SG by the American Petroleum Institute, contains a richer additive package than older oils and provides all the lubrication necessary at lower viscosities.Q: In this day and age, why can't auto manufacturers design an instant car heater?--G.D.A: Car heaters use hot engine coolant to warm a car's interior, but the engine must be fairly hot for the system to work. The new smaller engines actually heat up more quickly than V-8s of the past.The only other heat source for a car would be electrical energy, but that would require far more current than most automobile generating systems can produce.An electrical heating system is possible, but the cost in weight, fuel economy and hardware would be so severe that few motorists would want to pay for. Some luxury cars have had electrically heated seats, but for general heating, almost all cars use excess engine heat. Seizure Led to FloJo's DeathHis 104 scores make his caseRestaurant review: South Beverly GrillBrutal Murder by Teen-Age Girls Adds to Britons' ShockComaneci Confirms Suicide Attempt, Magazine Says