Wear

DESCRIPTION
Irregular and premature tire wear has many causes, three of the most common being incorrect tire inflation pressure, incorrect wheel alignment, and lack of tire rotation. These conditions can often be diagnosed by visually inspecting the tire tread for the following telltale symptoms:





INCORRECT TIRE INFLATION PRESSURE
- Tread wear at center of tire (over-inflation).





- Tread wear on edges of tire (under-inflation).





INCORRECT WHEEL ALIGNMENT
- Tread is worn on one side of the tire more than the other.
- Tread blocks have scuffed, feathered or cupped appearance.
LACK OF TIRE ROTATION
- Front tires worn more than rear tires.






The original equipment tires specified for Saturn vehicles have built in tread wear indicators to warn when tires need replacement. These indicators are wide bands located beneath the tread surface at the maximum tread wear depth. Tires are determined to be worn when the indicator band appears across two or more tread grooves at three locations about the circumference of the tire.