We have had a warm start to the winter here in Ontario. I have had 2 instances of hydroplaning while cornering, not sure if it's the driver's fault, weather, or tires: 2008 pris with 15 inch Nokia winter tires. (I forget the name....'q' something...they are from 2003, but only have about 25000 km on them and seem to have great tread left. They were stored on rims for a few years and not used. Inflated to 33 lbs. They were great on ice last winter. This is my second winter with them. Last winter was cold....nearly always below 0 C). The first hydroplaning incidence was my fault: too fast (but only about 30 km/h) into a corner...small amount of rain. Wouldn't have happened with my summer tires though. Second incidence was in similar weather but my wife was driving and slipped on an on ramp. I'm not sure of the speed. So a few questions: 1) do old winter tires lose grip on water but maintain it on ice? They really were good last year. 2) Is 33 lbs under inflated? Weather has been so warm it's hard to get inflation right. 3) how easy do people find it to spin their prius? I wonder about the weight of the battery in the back.....except I have never spunout in the summer.
Those are really old tires. Somewhere in the Owner's Manual you'll more-n-likely find a caution that a mechanic should check over any tires older than 5 years. FWIW, our's are coming up on 6 years, and I'm getting a bit nervous. If you're tires were closer to the 5 year mark I'd say look them over very carefully, especially checking for cracks. But 12 year old plus? Just get new. There's a number on the sidewall that'll tell you the year and week of the year that the tires were made: Tire Tech Information - Determining the Age of a Tire
hard to determine from way over here. it's never the weather, but how you adjust to it. i would recommend new tyres and slower driving.
Winter tyres perhaps surprisingly are not so good in wet conditions as some summer tyres. They are however much better on ice, and snow. Also winter tyres are considered worn out with a much greater tread depth left than summer tyres. As "Mendel" above suggests your tyres are very old and as such are more liable to blowouts because of the degradation of both the rubber compound and the tyre casing. Check them very carefully for cracking on the sidewalls especially close to the wheel rims and the area where the tread starts. Tyre compounds have also come a long way in the last 10 years. John
As noted above, those are old tires. It's up to the person. But here's my opinion, take it or leave it. If you are experiencing an increased amount of incidents where you are losing traction and spinning out in situations where you did not before? Then I think that's your tires trying to tell you something. It's a safety issue. So my bottom line with tires is if at any point I start to feel any set is making me insecure driving in common conditions, then it's time to get a new set. Really what's the worst case scenario? You replace tires over a decade old....that still "look" good? VS. Perhaps you save your life because your new tires have superior grip and traction. I don't think I'd put 12+ year old tires on my vehicle even if they looked factory fresh. All compounds degrade with time. Time is an agent of deterioration. I'd invest into good replacements, designed to handle the conditions you are most often driving in for that given set of tires.
I try never to skimp on tyres, for when it comes down to it, your tyres are the most important link between you and the road, so compromise at your own risk!
Barring a worn out tread, my money is on the underinflated tires. Pump them up to 40f/38r and you should be fine.
Well, I'm going to look around for new ones. Any suggestions? 185 65 r15 86s. Is hydroplaning common with new winter tires?
Even the newest and best tire will not prevent hydroplaning Tires are the only thing that keeps you vehicle connected to the road !regular maintenance , inspections, replace within 5 years even with good amount of tread on it , your life may depend on them. and slow down in foul weather!
I agree....but "foul" can sometimes be "fair". It seems to me that roads around here have been slickest lately when it only rains a tiny bit; and when there isn't even any ice.
First bit of moisture causes road surface oils to rise. That's the slipperiest non-ice/snow condition, which then just becomes a wet road when the road oils are washed off by heavier rain.
