4 March 2010
After all the gritting and salting to roads to keep traffic moving during this winter’s unprecedented bad weather, the wheel arches and undersides of UK vehicles are now caked in corrosive debris. Whilst every effort should be made to clean it off, motorists may be causing unseen but terminal damage to their car’s tyres by using pressure washers incorrectly. In a bid to limit the possibility of damage, mytyres.co.uk, part of Europe’s largest web-based tyre retailer, is advising motorists of the dangers pressure washers can pose to the sidewall of a tyre.

According to the respected German safety and testing organisation, DEKRA, if a pressure washer nozzle is held too close to the sidewall of a tyre at high pressure, serious damage can result in as little as five seconds! Even tyres that appear to be unaffected after being exposed to a pressure washer may have microscopic perforations which can weaken the tyre sidewall and cause deflation, leading to a possible blow-out.

Other factors, says mytyres.co.uk, that may cause deterioration or damage to tyres include some soaps and detergents. These can remove protective chemicals that are embedded in the sidewall – they can sometimes be identified visually on the tyre as brown watermarks –resulting in a significant reduction in durability.

mytyres.co.uk advises motorists considering using a pressure washer on their cars to adhere to the following tips:

• Ideally, use a light to medium duty pressure washer (110 bar or less)
• Keep the washer nozzle at least 20cm from the tyre surface
• Always use a fan nozzle to clean tyres, rather than a circular nozzle
• Avoid prolonged jet washing of any one area of the tyre
• Avoid aiming the water jet at the join between the tyre and wheel rim

Maintenance after Water-crossings So once you have successfully crossed to the other side and are on your way home, you don't need to give the water crossing a second thought, right? Wrong! Any crossing at axle depth or deeper necessitates a checking of the diff oil for water contamination. Having an extended diff breather is not a 100% guarantee of waterproofness and any crossing above your axles without extended diff breathers should mean a mandatory inspection. Checking your diffs for water contamination is very easy. Since water is heavier than oil, it will collect at the lowest point in the diff, right where the drain plug is located. After allowing time for your 4x4 to cool, just loosen the drain bolt and run a small amount (~20mls) of the diff oil into a glass. If you're unlucky enough to have water present, the diff oil should be drained. It is best to flush the diff several times to ensure all traces of water are removed. Milky colored oil also indicates water is present and should also be changed.