The most common question I receive related to winter tires is: Can I use my winter tires in the summer?
In Quebec, a surprising number of residents would likely say yes. I’m sure a number of Quebec residents had a few choice words for their government when a law making winter tires mandatory came into place, and then some found their own way to object. Many refused to buy an extra set of tires and decided if they had to have winter tires, they would not buy all-season tires, too, and would use winters all year.
So, while there is no law prohibiting year-round use, here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t. All manufacturers have tested their winter products, and all tend to agree that 7 C is the pivot point where winter tires go from a positive driving experience to a negative, getting worse as the temperature rises. The excessive heat penetrates deeper into the inner structure of the tires, and results in durability and longevity issues with extreme cases seeing premature tire failure. Even though some drivers aren’t necessarily as concerned about premature wear, other factors must be considered, namely safety.
Because of their tread block pattern designs, winter tires require constant steering corrections even when driving straight on heated roadways. Nokian Tires has hot-weather tested and shown that when braking from 80 kilometres per hour, the winter-tire equipped vehicle will still be travelling at 40 kilometres per hour, compared to an all-season-tire-equipped vehicle that will have already come to a full stop. And then there are the warm summer rain results. Emergency braking and collision aversion in general is poorer with winter tires in the summertime, but throw in wet roads and the results become downright nasty.
In my opinion, there is no reason to drive with winter tires in the summer. If you are adamant that you only want one set of tires, plus want an insurance premium break, or live in Quebec, then all-weather tires are for you. While I’m not sold on all-weather tires and prefer a dedicated set of winter and all-season tires myself, I completely understand that everyone has their own needs.
Hi Lou,
About three weeks ago, we brought our Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 to the dealership. The car had 27,000 kilometres on it when we decided to cancel the insurance in April, 2020, to save on insurance.
My husband ran the engine every two weeks for about 15 minutes since the insurance stopped until about three weeks ago when the engine started and then died after few seconds with an oozing sound then being heard from the engine. We got it towed to the dealership and the service mechanic told me the exhaust system was blocked by ice because of the condensation when the car was idle.
After the ice melted, the mechanic said he made a hole to drain the water. This week my husband noticed the holes were not sealed and water was leaking. When I spoke to the mechanic about them making a hole to drain the water, I didn’t ask if it would be sealed.
My husband was furious about it and said that hole would allow salt and other debris to get into the exhaust and cause extensive damage to the system. I was searching for info if this is normal and I have found it could be dangerous to have those holes in the exhaust as carbon monoxide may leak back into the vehicle. I’m so stressed, as we cancelled the insurance to help us with our financial hurdle brought about by this pandemic, but we ended up spending for this repair in addition to the towing.
Thank you kindly, JR
Firstly, as I’m sure you have found out, running your car at idle for 15 minutes every two weeks has zero benefits, so don’t do it. As far as the drilling of holes in your exhaust, this is an old school way of providing a path for water to drain.
You may find this surprising, but often aftermarket mufflers come with a pre-made small hole at the bottom to facilitate water extraction. A hole near the front of the vehicle would be undesirable because of carbon monoxide possibly getting into the cabin, but I’m confident the dealer didn’t drill a hole near the front of the vehicle.
I would be less worried if it was at the very rear of the vehicle in the muffler, which is where I’m assuming your vehicle’s new orifice exists. The dealer should have informed you of what they were doing in greater detail and quite simply, I’m surprised they even offered this as a fix as this is not really a repair commonly done any more. I understand that this is bothersome to you, but it can easily be fixed by the dealer or any muffler shop.
Hello,
I am driving a 2012 Toyota Sienna. I had been out of country for past three months, my battery died, and I gave it a boost and started it. I have not been driving the vehicle recently, hence it died again. Do I have to replace my battery or will it run OK once I start using it daily?
Mayur M.
You can certainly boost it and see what happens, but that path will provide you with nothing more than day-to-day assurances.
You will have the most confidence in your battery if you have it professionally tested. Keep in mind that a battery’s typical life expectancy is five to six years; not that a battery won’t outlive those numbers, but anything past that point is a pure freebie. If you have never replaced the battery, it could very well be the original and definitely needs to be replaced.
Most roadside assistance packages have some sort of battery program where they will send someone out to boost your vehicle, test and possibly replace the battery on the spot, so that might be an option.
Lou Trottier is owner-operator of All About Imports in Mississauga. Have a question about maintenance and repair? E-mail globedrive@globeandmail.com, placing “Lou’s Garage” in the subject line.
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