Passenger Car Tire Care

Get the most mileage out of each gallon of gas by following these simple fuel saving tips. 

1. Proper Tire Pressure

When comparing tires that bear the same load, insufficient tire pressure causes high deflection and increases fuel consumption. 

Connection between Tire Pressure and Fuel Consumption:

2. Optimize Octane

Most drivers mistake premium fuel as the best choice for the vehicle. Check the owner’s manual for the correct octane level for your engine. Around 20% of drivers purchase premium fuel, but only less than 5% of cars on the road have engines designed for high octane fuel. If your engine was not, then pumping premium will only cost you more. (source: American Automobile Association www.aaa.com) 

3. Save More by Slowing Down

Gas mileage can be improved by 15% just by decreasing your highway speed from 100 kph to 88 kph. Try to maintain a constant speed and gradually increase or decrease speed when needed to achieve better gas mileage. Slow down on highways and use cruise control whenever possible. Avoid drastic accelerations or sudden braking which uses up more fuel. (source: Consumer Federation of America) 

4. Empty Your Trunk of Junk

A vehicle consumes about 700 liters of gasoline each year. Each additional 45 kg of goods increases fuel consumption by 1 liter. Avoid carrying unnecessary items as extra loads put more strain on the vehicle and leads to higher fuel consumption. 

5. Use the Recommended Grade of Motor Oil

Follow the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil to improve gas mileage by 1-2%. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower the gas mileage by 1-2% while using 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower gas mileage by 1-1.5%. Also, look for “Energy Conserving” on the API performance symbol to make sure it contains friction-reducing additives. (source: www.fueleconomy.org) 

Check your fuel cap to make sure it is secure and not damaged. 556 million liters of gas vaporize annually due to missing or problematic caps. (source: Car Care Council www.carcare.org) 

6. Drive Sensibly

Smooth and Steady Start Fuel consumption is usually the highest during the initial vehicle startup. Many drivers love to hit the throttle and accelerate to be a step ahead. However, this actually consumes 2-3 times more fuel. From startup to 60 kph, heavy throttle only puts you ahead by 10-20 seconds. 2-3 times the fuel consumption or 10 seconds lead? Make the right choice! 

Avoid Braking Abruptly Fuel consumption is usually the highest during the initial vehicle startup. Many drivers love to hit the throttle and accelerate to be a step ahead. However, this actually consumes 2-3 times more fuel. From startup to 60 kph, heavy throttle only puts you ahead by 10-20 seconds. 2-3 times the fuel consumption or 10 seconds lead? Make the right choice! 

7. Plan Before You Drive

Before heading out, you should do your homework to find the best route.
Best Route ≠ Shortest Route
Distance is just a factor in deciding the best route. Congestion (too much traffic lights or intersections) should also be considered otherwise the shortest route may turn into the longest route and use up more fuel

8. Keep Your Vehicle in Shape

Regular maintenance and tune-ups are one of the best ways to improve fuel economy and vehicle performance. Recommended maintenance schedule can be found in the owner’s manual. Dragging brakes, dirty oil filters, worn spark plugs, low transmission fluid, or transmission going into high gear can all reduce fuel efficiency. 

9. Proper Wheel Alignment

For every degree the positive camber is off by, the tire will be dragged sideways 5 m for each km traveled. The driver’s natural reaction is to straighten the driving direction which subjects the tires to additional force and deformation that ultimately increases fuel consumption.

Positive camber is extremely important for wheel alignment!

10. Low Rolling Resistance Tires

Tire rubber not only has flexibility but also viscidity. When tires are rolling, they will be compressed and stretched which consumes energy. Tire rolling resistance occurs when the energy loss is converted into heat and increases the tire temperature.

Choose low rolling resistance tires for better fuel efficiency!

Shallow Thread

Bald tires will skid on the road and be damaged by potholes. Groove depth should be at least 1.6 mm otherwise the tires must be replaced. 

Tread Problems

Tread Wear Indicator (TWI) is a raised section molded into the grooves of a tire. When the tread is leveled with the TWI, the tires need to be replaced immediately. 

Solutions

1. If your car has a spare tire, please replace the damaged tire with the spare tire and take your car to the nearest Giti Professional Service Center.
2. Tread puncture diameter 6 mm or below can be repaired. Tread or sidewall puncture diameter greater than 6 mm and tread wear less than 1.6 mm cannot be repaired and are safety hazards. 

Check Tire Appearance: Are there bulges on the tire casing?

Main Reasons:
On unpaved roads, tires may bounce over deep holes or be impacted by foreign objects which leads to tire and rim deformation, causing a break in the sidewall ply. When combined with internal pressure, the break forms a bulge. Additionally, driving up a curb or parking results in the tire rubbing against objects which cause sidewall bulges. 
Impact on Tires:
Safety hazard 
Solutions: 1. For your safety, replace tires immediately 
2. Tire bulge or air bubbles cannot be repaired

Minor Problem:

Check if the tread has been pierced by small stones, glass, metal, or other foreign objects and carefully clean the affected area. If you let these objects get embedded deeper, it may cause serious problems. 

Visual Tire Inspection: Are there cuts or penetration on the tire casing?

Main Reason: tread is pierced by sharp objects or nails
Impact on Tire: safety hazard 

If tire casing is damaged, replace tires. 

Slow Air Leak: Tires will lose a small amount of air pressure every month.
If tires need to be inflated every few days, please check the tires, rims, and valve. If necessary, go to a professional service center to repair or replace tires.
Valve Cap: The valve cap prevents moisture and dust from entering into the tire. Please use them.
If you replace tires, make sure to fit a new valve cap.

Using damaged tires is extremely dangerous! 

Suspicious Conditions: Please visit a professional service center for inspection. If tires appear to be damaged, do not use. 

Improper Driving Leads to Tire Damage or Excessive Wear: If vibration or other problems occur when driving and you suspect there is tire or vehicle damage, please slow down, drive carefully, leave the main road, park, and check the tire. 

Tire Damage: If you cannot see the tire damage, please visit a professional service center for inspection. 

Tire pressure, including the spare tire, should be checked at least once a month or before driving long distance.

The pressure should be checked after the tire cools down (at least 3 hours after stopping).

Use a tire pressure gauge to check the tire pressure.

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The recommended tire pressure for each vehicle is set by the car manufacturer and can be found in various areas of the vehicle such as: car owner’s manual, driver’s side door, and fuel filler door. 

Proper tire pressure helps maintain normal fuel consumption and tire wear, optimizes tire life and performance, and effectively improves safety. 

What Is the Appropriate Tire Pressure for My Car?

 The recommended tire pressure for each vehicle is set by the car manufacturer and can be found in various areas of the vehicle such as: car owner’s manual, driver’s side door,fuel filler door, and etc. Vehicle load and tire pressure is interrelated.For larger loads,please increase the tire pressure. 

Please check the tire pressure when the tire is cooled to obtain a more accurate measurement. In other words, when the vehicle has been traveling for less than 2 km or parked for at least 3 hours. 

Never try to mount your own tires. Visit a Giti Professional Service Center when you need to mount tires.

If you attempt to mount tires, you run the risk of seriously injuring yourself as well as damaging the tires and rims.

Proper tire rotation on a regular basis will uniformly wear the tire, extend tire life, and improve safety.

After traveling for 8,000-10,000 km, we recommend rotating tires at a service center. When rotating tires please keep in mind “4 Consistency” – same brand, size, pattern, and size because some vehicles have different front and rear specifications. 

Tire Rotation Samples:

Tires will undergo frequency and speed adjustments at different intervals to keep the tire and vehicle rotation running straight and the load bearing direction perpendicular to the ground. Vehicle manufacturers designed different angles to handle a variety of road conditions and enhance vehicle performance. Overtime, these angles will suffer wear which leads to deformation while replacing suspension parts will cause a deviation from the set values, resulting in poor vehicle and tire performance. Therefore, proper wheel alignment can help correct and prevent these problems.

Effects of Improper Wheel Alignment:

•  Affects Safety: poor high-speed stability and high-speed cornering ability causes displacement of gravity leading to vehicle skids 
• Increases Component Wear: vibration and shakes leads to vehicle component wear while incorrect angles causes rapid irregular tire wear 
• Poor Handling: steering is too heavy or too light
• Driving Fatigue: vibration and shakes will decrease comfort level while constantly correcting the direction of the steering wheel increases driving fatigue 
• Increases Fuel Consumption: unsmooth driving causes large energy loss 

In the Following Situations, Wheel Alignment Needs To Be Corrected:

• Steering wheel is not centered when driving straight
• Vehicle pulls to the left or right when you take hands off of the steering wheel (test on open road)
• Intense irregular wear
• Unstable suspension
• Steering wheel sways from side to side when driving straight
• Vehicle tends to deviate when driving
• Vehicle noise or strange sounds develop
• After replacing suspension component
• Recommend performing regular wheel alignment checks every 10,000 km
• After vehicle collision or impact with the road

When tire and rim assemblies are unbalanced, it will cause wheel shimmy (wheel shakes from side to side) or wheel tramp (wheel hops up and down). Therefore, it is important to achieve static and dynamic balance. 

Steps to Balancing:

• Match tire reference dots with rim marks or valve cap 
• Use professional balancing equipment to balance tires
• If balancing weight exceeds the limit, reposition the tire and rim by adjusting 180° or 90 ° 
• If balancing weight still exceeds the limit, check if there is a rim deformation

Benefits of Balancing:

• Prevents tire vibration and tire shimmy
• Does not affect comfort level
•  Avoid irregular tire wear
• Avoid irregular vehicle suspension system wear 

Under normal circumstances, tires can meet the vehicle’s designed mileage but a number of factors impact tire mileage such as: vehicle applications, tire maintenance, road conditions, weather conditions, driving habits, and etc. 

Avoid used tires. You never know what damages the tire suffered. If you use a damaged tire, it may cause accidents.

Yes.

Tips That Help Increase Tire Life:

• Do not speed. High speeds will generate excessive heat, which increases the rate of tire wear.
• Avoid fast turns on curves and corners.
• Avoid quick starts and panic stops.
• Do not ride on the edge of the pavement or drive over curbs, potholes, or other obstructions

Main Causes:

Many factors such as the engine, steering system, suspension system, and tire may cause the vehicle to shake. We recommend you go to a professional service station for inspection. 

Impact on Tires:

Causes improper tire wear and affects tire life. 

Causes:

Poor braking system, positioning, suspension system, transmission, tires, and etc. 

Impact on Tires:

Causes improper tire wear and affects tire life. 

Solution:

Visit a professional service center for inspection. 

When freeing a vehicle from sand, mud, snow, gravel, ice, snow, or wet surfaces, excessive wheel spin can result in tire failure and cause personal injury or vehicle damage.

Do not exceed 55 km/h, as indicated on the speedometer. 

Never stand near or behind a vehicle that is attempting to free itself from a ditch because the tires will be spinning at a high speed.

What Causes Rapid Shoulder Wear on One Side? h

Causes:

Incorrect camber angle or toe

In order to achieve maximum tire life, please check the suspension system and perform proper wheel alignment.

Causes:

Under inflated tires or overloading
Frequent braking or sharp turns
Tire and rim do not match or rim is too wide

Impact on Tires:

Inner and outer shoulder wears quickly, reducing tire life
Leads to higher tire temperature, reduces tire durability, and causes accidents
Increases rolling resistance and fuel consumption 

Under inflated tires – tire shoulder bears most of the load.

Solutions:

 Inflating to the proper tire pressure (measured with a tire pressure gauge). The recommended tire pressure can be found in various areas of the vehicle such as: car owner’s manual, driver’s side door, and fuel filler door.
Make sure tire and rim fit each other
Good driving habits, avoid abrupt stops and acceleration

The pressure should be checked after the tire cools down (at least 3 hours after stopping or traveling within 2 km).

What Causes Irregular Tread Wear?

Causes:

Vehicle anti-lock braking system (ABS) fails
Brake or tire lock
Loose bearings or components
Improper wheel balancing
Deformed or off centered rims
Chemical contamination 

Impact on Tires:

Affects Tire Life

Solutions:

1. Please perform tire balancing and wheel alignment checks
2. Please perform suspension or steering system checks 

Main Causes:

Poor vehicle suspension system will cause the tire surface to appear uneven and rough. In severe cases, the tread pattern will appear feathery. 

Common Causes:

Incorrect toe in
Poor vehicle suspension system 

Solutions:

1. Please perform tire balancing and wheel alignment checks
2. Please perform suspension or steering system checks 

Results in Rapid Wear on Front Axle Tires:

Large positive camber will cause feathering and outer shoulder wear
Large negative camber will cause feathering and inner shoulder wear 

Impact on Tires:

Affects tire life.

Solutions:

Vehicle needs to perform wheel alignment and suspension system checks.

Factors That Affect Tire Life:

Driving habits and styles
Tires paired with correct vehicle model
Different road surfaces
Vehicle and tire maintenance
Improper wheel alignment
Braking system error 

Impact on Tires:

Affects tire life. 

Solution:

To achieve maximum tire life, please check the suspension system and perform proper wheel alignment. 

Causes:

 Driving with insufficient air pressure for long periods
Tread cuts, punctures, or improper repairs

When tread separation occurs, replace tires immediately.

What Is the Appropriate Tire Pressure for My Car?

 The recommended tire pressure for each vehicle is set by the car manufacturer and can be found in various areas of the vehicle such as: car owner’s manual, driver’s side door,fuel filler door, and etc.

Vehicle load and tire pressure is interrelated.For larger loads,please increase the tire pressure. 

Please check the tire pressure when the tire is cooled to obtain a more accurate measurement. In other words, when the vehicle has been traveling for less than 2 km or parked for at least 3 hours. 

When the tire crown exposes steel cords, the tires should be replaced immediately. 

Causes:

Internal tire structural damage.

When driving, the tire shoulder or sidewall is impacted by foreign objects (e.g. potholes and curbs) which causes the tire casing cord to break. The internal tire pressure combined with the weakness in the sidewall causes bulges to form at the area of weakness.

How to Prevent Tire Bulges:

When mounting tires, visit a professional tire shop that uses professional equipment and procedures
Avoid driving on poor road conditions for long periods and reduce speed on poor roads to help minimize the impact of foreign objects (e.g. potholes)
Try not to hit obstacles when going on the curb or parking
Develop good tire maintenance practices such as performing regular tire pressure checks to make sure proper pressure is used

Causes:

Scratched by sharp objects (curb, stones, metal fragments, and etc.)

Solutions:

Avoid road obstructions
Go to the nearest service center to repair tire scratches and avoid further damage

Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, high temperature, heat, and generators will deteriorate tires. At the same time, oil, gasoline, and other substances will also cause deterioration.

Parking the vehicle outside for long periods, hinders anti-aging properties from being released. 

Causes:

When traveling on the road, sharp objects impact the tire crown and cause the steel belt to break and corrode leading to a deformed tire casing and abnormal tread wear.

When the tire crown exposes steel cords, the tires should be replaced immediately.

Directional Tread Pattern:

Usually has a V-shaped pattern and sidewalls are marked with tire rotation direction
Must be mounted in the same rotation direction marked on the sidewalls
If all four tires are the same size, directional tires can only be rotated vertically (front-back) 

Symmetrical Tread Pattern:

Usually has a continuous rib or block design with the same features on both inner and outer tread
Wavy pattern
If all four tires are the same size, symmetrical tires can be rotated diagonally, horizontally, or vertically 

Asymmetric Tread Pattern:

Have unique patterns on both sides of the tread. Outer tread usually has larger grooves for better water dispersion and increased wet handling while inner tread usually has smaller grooves to increase contact area and improve grip
Sidewall markings identifying inner and outer side of tire
If all four tires are the same size, asymmetric tires can be rotated the same way as symmetrical tires with care given to the inner and outer tire markings 

Causes:

Tire reaches wear limit and must be replaced when the tread depth is 1.6 mm or leveled with the TWI (Tread Wear Indicator).

Solution:

Take your vehicle to the nearest Giti Professional Service Center for a tread depth inspection.

Winter tires are designed using a special rubber compound formula and pattern. These tires optimize safety on winter roads and ensure grip capabilities are still effective at temperatures below 7°C. 

Solution:

Take your vehicle to the nearest Giti Professional Service Center for a tread depth inspection.

Winter Tire Mistakes

Mistake 1

I mainly drive in urban areas that barely snow so I do not need winter tires.

Fact:

Generally speaking, when the temperature drops below 7°C, summer tires’ performance is weakened resulting in longer braking distance and poor handling.

During the winter, after it rains a thin invisible ice layer will form on the road surface which weakens summer tire performance, causing handling malfunctions and longer braking distance.

Mistake 2

If you buy only two winter tires, they should be mounted on the driving wheel to ensure sufficient driving power is produced (e.g. for front-wheel drive vehicles, tires should be mounted on the front wheels).

Fact:

All four winter tires need to be replaced at the same time to ensure superior braking performance on winter roads. If you only mount two tires, they may cause uneven gripping which leads to vehicle spins.

Mistake 3

When stopping on icy or snowy roads, lots of pressure should be applied on the brakes.

Fact:

Firstly, you will need to know if your car is equipped with an anti-lock braking system (ABS). You can check the vehicle owner’s manual for vehicle related information.

Under proper usage, the advantages of having an ABS are particularly evident when driving on wet roads because it helps prevent hydroplaning. With an ABS, gently applying equal pressure on the brake pedal will effectively reach normal braking function and avoid wheel lockup.

If your vehicle is not equipped with ABS, you must press the brakes all the way when breaking on wet roads. Do not gently step on the brakes as this will lead to wheel lockup.

Winter road safety requires proper equipment, experienced skills, and rational approaches such as keeping a slow and steady speed (sometimes even below the minimum speed limit) 

Winter tires are created using a special rubber tread formula that improves grip, traction, and braking performance at low temperatures to enhance the safety on icy and snowy roads. The tread compound can be compared to chewing gum. At temperatures below 7°C, the tread will start to harden.

Winter road safety requires proper equipment, experienced skills, and rational approaches such as keeping a slow and steady speed (sometimes even below the minimum speed limit) 

Winter tire sidewall is marked with a snowflake inside a mountian and an M+S (mud and snow) symbol. These symbols denote that the tires are meant for driving in snow and provide greater traction.

Winter road safety requires proper equipment, experienced skills, and rational approaches such as keeping a slow and steady speed (sometimes even below the minimum speed limit) 

Winter tires can be mounted on four-wheel drive vehicles and the rear axle of a rear wheel drive vehicle to enhance stability.

If winter tires are only mounted on the front axle, handling capabilities may be reduced.

At any given speed, winter tires are safer than summer tires on wet and cold roads.

 Using winter tires with a lower speed rating than the original equipment tire is common practice and permitted.

If a lower speed rating is selected, the maximum vehicle speed is limited to the lower speed rating. 

 here is no legal obligation to mount 4 tires of the same brand on a given vehicle.

However, in order to optimize tire performance, we recommend mounting 4 identical tires (same brand, tire model, load index, and speed index) on a vehicle. 

No.

Winter tire tread compounds are as durable as the ones used in summer tires. Winter tires are specifically designed to achieve maximum efficiency in winter conditions 

No.

If the winter and summer tires are the same size, it is not necessary to replace the rims. 

Yes.

On winter roads, ordinary tires have a longer braking distance.

No.

Tire pressure is essential for safety, performance, tire life, tread wear, handling, fuel consumption, and etc.

Underinflated tires increase friction causing a rise in tire temperature which leads to potential accidents.

Overinflated tires are firmer making them prone to damage from potholes and other road hazards.

 Remember: Tires are your only contact with the road! 

When winter tire tread depth is worn half way, it is time to replace the tire.

Unlike ordinary tires that need to be replaced when the tread depth is 1.6 mm.