Understanding Tire Date Codes January 28, 2021, 01:00:45 pm Went out to check the tire date codes and found the following: Left front tire is 3316 and right front is 3616, so late summer of 2016. However, the outside rear tires show the following DOT codes. How do you interpret them?
Re: Understanding Tire Date Codes Reply #1 – January 28, 2021, 01:07:54 pm Hi Greg. Thirty third week of 2016. Late July. 4 and a half years. 00YX date code might apply to the warantee recall that Michelin did. Or maybe the date is on the inside of the tire? RonB
Re: Understanding Tire Date Codes Reply #2 – January 28, 2021, 01:13:41 pm Crawl under the rig with a strong flashlight and look for the date code on the inner side of the inside dual. When you replace the tires, make sure that the installer mounts the tires on the wheels with the date codes facing out. (Ideally, all 6 new tires should have the same date code.) 1 Likes
Re: Understanding Tire Date Codes Reply #3 – January 28, 2021, 01:40:36 pm The B3JH indicates the plant where the tire was made. The 00YX is the production run, if I recall correctly. Light truck sidewall readings are different from "P" (passenger) tires, but the date codes are the same.I think that most people know this, but the date code numbers are read this way:Example date code on LT tire sidewall: 2418"24" is the week of manufacture. "18" is the year. The example tire was manufactured during the 24th week of 2018. The sidewalls of tires used on motorhomes are subject to a great deal of flex and stress, and are likely to crack, check, weather, etc. long before the tread wears. (Unless there's a problem with alignment or the tread has been damaged.) Overloading and underinflation are serious tire killers; if at all possible a four-corner weight of the motorhome, loaded and ready for travel, should be done to determine the optimum tire pressures.
Re: Understanding Tire Date Codes Reply #4 – January 28, 2021, 01:50:57 pm Thanks Joan, Ron. The tires have 35K miles on them and are 4 1/2 years old but still have some decent tread but I'm thinking I might replace them before this summer when we hope to do a longer trip. If I recall, the recommended interval is six years.My understanding is that the Michelin LTX tires are no longer available so what are folks replacing them with these days? I'd like to stay with Michelin, if possible.Also, Discount (America's) Tire is the preferred place to go, correct?
Re: Understanding Tire Date Codes Reply #5 – January 28, 2021, 01:56:59 pm https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Agilis+CrossClimate&partnum=275R6ACCV2&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yesI have a very good independent tire shop, but that's hardly convenient for you. You might want to get suggestions from owners who have had positive experiences with shops local to you. Personally, I have never had a good tire buy/installation experience with a chain tire shop, but YMMV.
Re: Understanding Tire Date Codes Reply #6 – January 28, 2021, 02:10:23 pm "...still have some decent tread.."----What do the sidewalls look like? Any weathering, cracking, blistering, checking, splits, fading, little chunks missing around the rim? Did the previous owner use a tire dressing with petroleum distillate, e.g., Armor All? Did the previous owner inflate the tires to the proper pressures and run well within the GVWR? Have you checked the condition of the inside dual sidewall for any evidence of excessive heat?It's not always possible to tell if a tire is sound, but without knowing how the tires were treated by the previous owner, I'd suggest very close examination. Also, it's advisable to check the tread on the front tires for wear patterns that indicate out-of-alignment conditions.Again, as always, YMMV!
Re: Understanding Tire Date Codes Reply #7 – January 28, 2021, 02:41:42 pm Quote from: Joan - January 28, 2021, 02:10:23 pmWhat do the sidewalls look like? Any weathering, cracking, blistering, checking, splits, fading, little chunks missing around the rim? Did the previous owner use a tire dressing with petroleum distillate, e.g., Armor All? Did the previous owner inflate the tires to the proper pressures and run well within the GVWR? Have you checked the condition of the inside dual sidewall for any evidence of excessive heat?It's not always possible to tell if a tire is sound, but without knowing how the tires were treated by the previous owner, I'd suggest very close examination. Also, it's advisable to check the tread on the front tires for wear patterns that indicate out-of-alignment conditions.I need to inspect them closer but all the unknown answers to the questions you ask is the reason I'm leaning towards replacing them sooner, rather than later.
Re: Understanding Tire Date Codes Reply #8 – January 28, 2021, 03:00:32 pm Tire shops - I have had nothing but good experiences with the Les Schwab chain. Several years ago, replacing my Goodyears, I wanted the same, but they were $400 each and though the shop could get them, they could not guarantee that the tires, when they came in, would be less than 6 months old. Their recommendation was a Bridgestone tire, but my second choice were Michelins. They got the Michelins for me, one month old, for $250 each. The tires were dynamically balanced, something that Chuck The Tire Man did NOT do, and my alignment was checked before they sent me on my way. They inflated to my specs, using my gauge. That was August 1, 2016. This summer, I will have 5 years on them and am considering replacement. I had Les Schwab folks look at them last summer, and they said they looked OK, but the tread was getting toward thin.As Joan said, it can be difficult to spot tire damage. When my first set, Michelins, were 3 years old, I stopped in at Chuck The Tire Man for a tire check. He looked at them, then took a wet rag and wiped the side walls, then dried them. What was left was a checkerboard of fine lines that he said were sidewall cracks. (I have since heard that that run of Michelin tires tended to develop sidewall cracks.) He unmounted the tire, then, with his BARE HANDS he folded the sidewall in as I watched. (I was impressed at the hand strength displayed.) With the edge folded in, the cracks opened. Need I add that I replaced the tires?My point is, I have had nothing but good experiences with the Les Schwab folks, and have dealt with them in Rigby, ID, Sisters, OR, and Springfield, OR.Ken F in NM 1 Likes
Re: Understanding Tire Date Codes Reply #9 – January 28, 2021, 03:36:47 pm I have heard good reports of Les Schwab, and indeed have a good experience with a tire repair on a friend’s LD in Idaho. But, Les Schwab locations are very scarce in California, and there are none near me.
Re: Understanding Tire Date Codes Reply #10 – January 28, 2021, 04:08:42 pm I’ve had excellent service (luck?) twice at Costco, but not all locations will deal with RVs. You have to check with the shop manager. — Jon
Re: Understanding Tire Date Codes Reply #11 – January 28, 2021, 04:35:43 pm Quote from: Joan - January 28, 2021, 03:36:47 pmI have heard good reports of Les Schwab, and indeed have a good experience with a tire repair on a friend’s LD in Idaho. But, Les Schwab locations are very scarce in California, and there are none near me.Me, too. Not tires, but service. Oil change. After the oil change, the tech showed me that the previous oil changer (a Valvoline drive through) used the wrong filter and that my oil filler cap was malfunctioning. Very courteous help and clean facility. (Erie, CO)Chris
Re: Understanding Tire Date Codes Reply #12 – January 28, 2021, 05:07:24 pm Find Tire Stores Near You | Nearby Tire Shop - Les SchwabThere are more Schwab locations now in CA, but, as one can see from the map, they're "clumped" in just a few areas of CA.
Re: Understanding Tire Date Codes Reply #13 – January 28, 2021, 06:37:01 pm It looks as tho Les Schwab may have been sold recently. Lets hope they continue with good service. Les Schwab sold to California investment firm | Local&State | bendbulletin.comRich
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