Bzz Agent Report/ Giveaway: Michelin Tire Check Guide

**THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED ** 

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With everybody on the road this weekend, we think about drunk drivers and lower cost of fuel, but what we frequently forget is to check our tires! Did you know that under-inflated tires can ADD rolling resistance to your car, making it work harder and using more gas? Proper tire inflation can save you at least TWO WEEKS worth of gas PER YEAR. At $2,78 a gallon- that's alot of savings!

With having an older (ahem, over TEN years old) suv, keeping proper tire pressure has allowed me to only have to have 2 sets of tired in that time (knock on wood!). The main thing we did within 2 years of getting it was to switch out to a better all-terrain tire- frequently the tires placed by manufacturers on vehicles are aimed at better mileage versus stability. When we switched, the handling of the suv got at least 50% better!

Whenever we take the suv on a trip longer than 3 hours, we always do a thorough tire tread and psi check. Not only does it save us gas mileage, it ensures that the likelyhood of a blowout is minimum. When you have kids in the car, it makes a huge difference- blow outs can be scary to kids and make them leery of getting back in the vehicle!

Checking PSI is crucial- I have a slightly bent rim one one tire, so we're having a problem keeping proper tire pressure on that tire, so I'm checking it every few days. This is one of the things that my dad taught me when I was very young- it is SO simple to check and add air, but alot of women don't know how! Michelin has a great how-to guide on their site! Important tings to remember are:

• if you CHANGE the type of tire from what the manufacturer put on your vehicle, as we did, your tire pressure will NOT necessarily be what is on the door frame-check when you purchase your tires so you know what is the proper inflation for THAT tire! 
• Remember the PSI listed ON your tire is the MAXIMUM if your vehicle is at MAXIMUM weight- do NOT use it as your norm PSI!
• don't depend on the tire gauge at the air pump- get your own and keep it in your glove compartment! i personally like the battery type that give me a digital readout- more accurate for me. BUT I keep a spare regular type in the glove compartment, in case battery one dies!
• check your tires MONTHLY- it's normal to loose up to 1 PSI per month per tire, especially in the South!
• you should ALWAYS check your tires when they're cold- ie driven less than a mile, or car has been sitting for over 3 hours. if possible inflate them in the am, so keep heat from affecting the tire!

 As part of the Bzz Agent Michelin Campaign, I was sent some Tire Tread Check cards! I hadn't checked my tread in awhile, so it was a great thing! Sorry for the bad pix- used cell phone and humidity was not cooperative with the lens!)

As you can see the tires are at about 5.5/32 of tread (card moved when I stepped back to take a pix, naturally). When I checked my unused spare, it was at 10/32- the tires I have were not the super high profile of 18/32 when we got them, more like 14/32, so this is pretty good! Tires need to be replaced when you get down to 2/32. SO phew- looks like we've got another year on these at least! Yippee!

For more tips on how to make YOUR tires last longer- check out the Michelin Tire-Saving Page! 

GIVEAWAY:

Michelin was kind enough to send along a Michelin tire gauge for me to use. But as we have plenty of them, i decided to share it with one of you, to make sure YOU have one in YOUR car. Plus you will get a tire tread checker card as well!

AND as I believe in sharing the love- THREE others of you will get tire tread checker cards!

That's right- 1 grand prize and 3 second place winners! Now doesn't that seem like a great holiday giveaway!

ENTRIES:

Make sure I have an email address, with your comment, so I can contact you, if you win!   
If I don't have a way to contact you, you will forfeit your win!

USA only, no PO Boxes (Doubleday rules)
 

3 day winner's rule : Winner has 3 days to acknowledge they won prize,
and confirm address, if no contact, then new winner will be picked in their place. 

 
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BONUS:   Enter this post link in a Giveaway Linky on another site (5 entries)** MUST provide link to the Giveaway Linky!

Contest will end on July 18th, at midnight. Winner will be picked by Random Number (random.org) on July 19th, and emailed. As soon as winner's info is received, Doubleday will be advise and mail them their books directly.

Disclosure: I received these items, free of charge, for review and promotional purposes, as part of the Michelin Tires Campaign for Bzz Agent. By participating and posting about Michelin tires and tire safety, I qualify for a Michelin giveaway contest for all Bzz Agents in the campaign.