1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Is this tire goner?

Discussion in 'Prime Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Salamander_King, Nov 13, 2021.

  1. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,985
    8,886
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    This is not for my PP. I just swapped to winter tires on my son's Honda. When I removed the summer tire, the inner wall had this bulge. No uneven wear and still has 5/32" tread left. If it is unsafe to use, then I will tell him to start looking for new tires, probably a new set of 4 since they are all down to ~5/32".

    upload_2021-11-13_20-54-10.png
     
    #1 Salamander_King, Nov 13, 2021
  2. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,257
    15,491
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Sidewall bulges are never good:(.

    I'd replace it(y).
     
    #2 Raytheeagle, Nov 13, 2021
    tchan2700, jerrymildred, Merkey and 2 others like this.
  3. zeng

    zeng Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2021
    45
    10
    0
    Location:
    Kuala Lumpur
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Yep, it is time to look up for new tyre(s).
     
    #3 zeng, Nov 14, 2021
    jerrymildred, Raytheeagle and Salamander_King like this.
  4. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    7,430
    6,913
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    Oh yeah, that's a busted belt, get it off the road pronto.
     
    #4 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Nov 14, 2021
    jerrymildred, Raytheeagle and Salamander_King like this.
  5. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,985
    8,886
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Thanks. If I had this tire changed at a tire shop, then the sales guy would be sure to make me buy a new tire. But I wanted to know if that is from a genuine safety concern or just marketing.

    I thought it would be a goner too, but was not 100% certain. I will tell my son to start saving money for a new set of tires before next spring. The winter tires I just put on his car were all in good condition.

    BTW, I used a new dial-type tread depth gauge purchased recently. It works very well and is much easier to read the number on my aging eyes. The combination digital pressure/depth gauge (left on the photo below) is my go-to tool, but often in cold temp, the battery dies. I think I am going to keep the dial-type one in the glove box.

    upload_2021-11-14_7-43-48.png
     
    #5 Salamander_King, Nov 14, 2021
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2021
    zeng, Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Mendel Leisk and 2 others like this.
  6. privilege

    privilege Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 17, 2021
    659
    169
    0
    Location:
    Birmingham
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    yes it's garbage.

    I thought I had a bad brake rotor, until one of ours blew at 75mph. upon inspection 2 others had the sidewall budge similar to yours. it's probably a belt separation, it similar internal failure. it'll be fine, unless heat gets into it from low pressure or high speed, then it go boom.
     
    #6 privilege, Nov 14, 2021
    Salamander_King likes this.
  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    56,673
    39,222
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    The old-school gauge (in the middle) is so durable, nothing can break, no batteries. Appreciate they can be harder to read though; my myopia actually comes in handy lol.
     
    #7 Mendel Leisk, Nov 14, 2021
    Salamander_King likes this.
  8. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,985
    8,886
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    My myopia is no better with my age, but my presbyopia has gotten so bad now I can't see things near any more than I can see things far away. Corrective lenses do help with my myopia, but so far I am not having any luck with over-the-counter reading glasses or Rx glasses, single vision, bifocal, or progressive, for my age-related farsightedness. I was thinking when my age-related farsightedness started it would cancel out my myopia and have 20/20 vision for the first time in my life. No such luck. I still can't see far, in addition to not being able to see near now. :(
     
    #8 Salamander_King, Nov 14, 2021
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    56,673
    39,222
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Guess I'm lucky: without my glasses I've got very good vision, about 4" out.
     
    #9 Mendel Leisk, Nov 14, 2021
    Salamander_King likes this.
  10. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2016
    6,404
    6,062
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, SC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Does anyone just use the wear indicators that are molded into the tire grooves? I've never measured them to see what their actual height is, but I typically don't worry about tread depth until they start getting close to the indicators. I also don't have to deal with much unfriendly weather.
     
    #10 TMR-JWAP, Nov 14, 2021
  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    56,673
    39,222
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    I'd guesstimate 2/32", or whatever the legal minimum is. Of interest: Michelin X-Ice have regular wear bars, and a second set that stick up more (distinguished with a rib pattern); I suspect the latter would be 6/32" the guideline for minimum snow tire tread depth.
     
    #11 Mendel Leisk, Nov 14, 2021
    zeng likes this.
  12. zeng

    zeng Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2021
    45
    10
    0
    Location:
    Kuala Lumpur
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    That tyre wear indicator height of 1.6 mm (or 1/16 ") in kind of international 'standards' adopted across the world.
     
    #12 zeng, Nov 14, 2021
  13. PosauneGuy

    PosauneGuy Member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2011
    117
    88
    0
    Location:
    California, here I come...
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    You might check to see if there's still any warranty on your tires; if they're failing prematurely, you can sometimes get the prorated value of what's left on the tire to offset the cost of new tires.
     
    #13 PosauneGuy, Nov 15, 2021
    tchan2700 and Salamander_King like this.
  14. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,985
    8,886
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Thanks. The tire came with the used car when it was purchased ~3years ago. I believe the tires were new or almost new at that point. But since we did not buy the tires, there is no receipt. It is Goodyear Eagle Sport All-Season 195/55R16 87 V Tire. The thing about tire warranty is that it is prorated price reduction from the MSRP for replacing with the same tire. The price is often cheaper just by buying the tire on sale than applying the prorated reduction to the MSRP. Even if I don't find it cheaper on sale, the reduction amount to only $30-40. Too much work to get the warranty coverage.
     
    #14 Salamander_King, Nov 15, 2021
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)