QuestionI have a 1999 Accord with the original Michelin Radial XSE tires on it, but only about 23,000 miles total. Should I change out the tires due to age? How long will they safely last? One tire recently went flat, apparently due to a slow leak that may be seal or air tube related. Does it make any sense to just get the tires re-mounted so seals and tubes are new?
AnswerWayne,
This is really a "risk assesment" - and the only person who can reasonably make that assessment is you. All I can do is guide you.
The latest information is that tires can fail simply because the rubber has deteriorated due to age. Even unused tires can be unsafe. Some folks have said that 10 years is the limit and some have said 6 years. My take is that 6 years is the limit for hot locales - AZ, CA, NM, NV, or FL - and 10 years for cold locales - MN, ME, MI, ND, or WI - and places in between are....ah.....in between.
But this implies that the tires were properly cared for - monthly pressure checks, no speeds over 70 mph, no exposure to ozone and the like. This means the worse the maintenance, the more rapid the aging - and the less the life expectancy.
BTW, passenger car tires do not have tubes. The air sealing is done by a layer of rubber on the inside of the tire - the same type used in tubes.
It makes no sense to install tubes - air sealing is not the worst thing that will happen. The rubber in the tire itself degrades and may delaminate - simply due to age. This could cause damage to your vehicle - and perhaps worse if you overreact to the situation.
The fact that you think you had a slow leak seems to imply a certain degree of maintenance - ie low - so I think the 9 year old tires need to be replaced.
