How to Inspect Tires in a Honda Prelude

The Honda Prelude is a two door sports coupe. It's very important that you check the tires in your Honda Prelude every month or so to prevent skidding, slipping and other accidents. Checking the tire pressure at the same time can also help prevent accidents and improve gas mileage.

Things You'll Need

• Tire pressure gauge

Instructions

1. Examine the tread of the tires. Check for tire wear bars--bars in the tires across the treads. If you see these, the tread has worn down and tire needs replacing.

2. Look at the tires for nails embedded in the tires. If you see any cracking or other damage, consider replacing the tire.

3. Check the tires for uneven wear. If you notice feathering or odd uneven wear along the edges the tires may need replacement and realignment. Wear on the edges of the tires indicates under inflation, while wear in the middle of the tires indicates over inflation. If you notice wear in the exact same spot on all the tires, the tires probably need rotating.

4. Verify the tire pressure (PSI) of your tires using a tire pressure gauge. Check the PSI when it's colder outside and you haven't used the car for a few hours. Insert the tire pressure gauge into the tire's valve stem (the nozzle on the side of the tire) and press the gauge down until you don't hear a hiss of air. Note the reading. Find the sticker on the driver's side door to find out what the maximum PSI should be. Newer models of the Prelude will let you know with a warning on your driver's side dash if the PSI gets too low. Add or subtract air to your tires as needed.

5. Replace any tires with the correct size tires onto your Honda Prelude. Correct tire sizes include the 205/50R16, 185/70R14 or 205/55R15 depending on the year of your Honda Prelude.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you check the PSI and tread of all four tires, including the spare.

• Checking the tread is a good way to check for wear; if the tread is different in different areas, the tire's not wearing correctly and may need replacing.

• If you're not certain whether you can see the tire wear bars check the tread with a penny. Insert it into the tire groove with Lincoln's head upside-down. If you see all of Lincoln's head, the tire's too worn and needs replacing.

• Do not look on the wall of the tire for the correct PSI. Always go with your vehicle owner manual's recommendations.