Importance of Tire Maintenance 

Your Cadillac comes with an abundance of state-of-the-art safety and driver assist features, including Front Pedestrian Braking, Night Vision and Super Cruise. Nevertheless, your tires remain the most important safety feature on your vehicle and for good reason. How you take care of your tires affects how your Cadillac performs under a wide variety of driving conditions, which makes it all the more important to keep them in great shape.

How Tire Maintenance Affects Performance
Handling and tire health go hand-in-hand, especially for performance-oriented Cadillacs like the V Series. After all, your tires provide the tenacious grip needed for lightning-quick acceleration, impressive roadholding and quick, hard stops. Even if you have a more relaxed Cadillac model, a good set of tires can provide ample handling and ride quality.

Keeping your tires in great shape ensures that you get the best possible performance out of them. Otherwise, you could find yourself losing control on sharp corners or lacking the traction needed to drive safely in the rain or on snowy roads.

How Tire Maintenance Affects Safety
Simply put, your tires are the only part of your vehicle that directly interacts with the road below. That alone puts a premium on tire maintenance. Your Cadillac’s brakes, stability system and other safety systems rely on your tires being in excellent shape to perform just as flawlessly.

Poor tire maintenance can eventually lead to a blowout, where a tire suffers immediate, catastrophic failure. Such a failure can also be extraordinarily dangerous for drivers, as the sudden loss of vehicle control not only endangers drivers, but also others in the vehicle and on the roadway. Common causes of a blowout can range from incorrect tire pressures to damage from curbs, potholes or punctures.

Tire Maintenance Tips
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, at least 11,000 annual traffic crashes can be attributed to worn or damaged tires. Here are a few great tips to help you stay on top of your Cadillac’s tire maintenance:

Check tire pressures regularly – Whether they’re underinflated or overinflated, tires with the wrong pressures will wear out faster and compromise both safety and performance. Keeping a close eye on tire pressures helps you stay on top of tire wear while improving your overall driving experience.

Stay on top of tread depths – Not only do tire treads grip the road surface, but they also help channel water away from the tire. The less tread you have, the less likely your vehicle will perform safely and to spec. Use a tread depth gauge to accurately check your tire’s remaining tread. If your tire has less than 3/32-inches of tread left, then plan on a replacement soon.

Invest in a vehicle alignment – Your Cadillac’s camber, toe and caster settings can fall out of spec over time, resulting in increased tire wear and handling issues. An alignment not only keeps your vehicle’s steering and handling crisp and accurate, but it also eliminates abnormal tire wear.

Keep up with tire rotations – Each tire on your Cadillac wears a bit differently, which means you’ll need to rotate them on a regular basis to ensure uniform tread wear. Our service department at Jessup Cadillac can perform this service at minimal cost to you.

Know when to replace your tires – Tires don’t last forever, contrary to popular belief. Even if you don’t drive that often, factors like UV exposure can weaken tires over time, making them more dangerous to drive on. Most experts recommend replacing your tires after six years of service regardless of remaining tread depth. Use the 4-digit DOT date code located on the tire’s sidewall to verify the dates.

Change your driving behavior – If you’re a leadfoot behind the wheel, then consider taking it a bit easier on your Cadillac. Gunning it at green lights, taking curves aggressively and braking hard at the last minute can all take a toll on your tires. Practicing smoother, gentler driving habits can help your tires last longer.

Watch out for defects – Internal and external tire defects can also put drivers and passengers alike in danger. Check your tires regularly and make sure they’re not included in potential recalls.
Don’t forget that the certified experts at Jessup Cadillac can take care of your tire maintenance needs, whether you need a simple and fast tire rotation or a brand-new set of summer, all-season or winter tires. Stop by today or set up an appointment for your next visit.

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