MOT Advisory Notice question

Wig

pendulum wrote: »

The definition is 1.6mm across the central 3/4 and "around the entire outer circumference" - I always took this to mean you need tread around the extreme edges as well?.

No that just means the central 3/4 has to be 1.6 around the tyre

Wig

Hammyman wrote: »

Your tyres are the only thing keeping you on the road. What does common sense tell you?

Common sense tells me to drive until they are almost illegal

I change mine at 2mm at the worst. I don't let them get down to the minimum because you get a drop off in braking and cornering in the wet below 3mm increasing with severity as you get down to the legal limit.

Slow down in the wet then.

DCFC79

Id get them replaced asap,

Nilrem

Another thing to watch with the tyres - whilst they can be below the legal limit at the edges, any cord visible, or damage to the tyre also makes it illegal.

We replace ours at about 2.5mm, especially if it's coming into winter as I'd rather replace them early knowing that I'm going into the bad weather with good tyres, than to leave them until they are almost at the limit. I changed our fronts in December (the dealership did a good price on one of the brands*), and I noticed a difference in the handling in the wet/ice.
I can't quite understand leaving them until the last minute to change, as the cost isn't that much on most cars and they are one of those things you want to know are good in the event of an emergency.

*Less I think than the last time I had them done independently.

Hammyman

Wig wrote: »

Common sense tells me to drive until they are almost illegal

Oh. Dear

Slow down in the wet then.

You don't need to be speeding. It also affects braking distance.

Still its nice to know I'm sharing the road with tw@s like you who don't give a toss.

Flyboy152

PHYTHIAN wrote: »

They should also have told you how much tread you have left. You'll probably be Ok for a month or two but tbh is it worth the risk of going below the limit and getting fined (up to £1k per tyre), I'd get them done ASAP.

How in the heck do you know that?

The OP has done seventy-eight thousand miles in six years, that's over a thousand miles a month. If the tyres have one point seven millimeters of tread left, how do you know that will last two months?

Flyboy152

colino wrote: »

An abuse of the advisory system, did the MOT station sell tyres too?

So, the easiest thing for a car owner to check, is dodgy? Seeing as well that you can get tyres anywhere and still return to the station for a free re-test.

Flyboy152

Wig wrote: »

Common sense tells me to drive until they are almost illegal

Slow down in the wet then.

I think you misunderstand the concept of "Common sense."

B00st

Wig wrote: »

Slow down in the wet then.

That may be difficult, as the risk of aquaplaning and stopping distances in general are massively increased in the wet with a tread depth of 2mm let alone the legal limit of 1.6mm.

cyclonebri1

Without offence to the op, what really worries me about this is why the question needed to be asked in the 1st place, surely this is dinged into every motorist time and time again.
And to "rely" on an anual MOT inspection to determine the state of a cars tyres is only just short of criminal.:(

My local MOT guy told me he has at least 2 cars fail every week on one or more bald tyres, now that is truly criminal:mad: