Checking wheels and tires (Opel Astra J)

You will need: a pressure gauge, a pump, and a caliper.

Recommendations

Check your tire pressure regularly (Table 1). Maintaining the correct tire pressure ensures the best combination of tire durability, vehicle handling, and comfort.



We recommend using a foot pump with a built-in pressure gauge.

Every time you check the air pressure in your tires, carefully inspect them for mechanical damage to the tread and sidewalls, small stones, nails stuck in the tread, signs of severe tread wear. Be especially attentive to the following tire defects:

Original posted on the website [OpelBook]

• local swelling or bulging of the carcass in the tread area or on the sidewalls. A tire with such a defect is subject to replacement;
• cuts, cracks or delamination of the sidewall carcass. Replace the tire if the carcass cord is exposed.

To ensure that the tires wear evenly, rotate the wheels every 10,000 km as shown in Fig. 1.

In addition, balance the wheels and check the front wheel alignment angles every 20,000 km. To do this, contact a specialized workshop.

Table 1. Air pressure in tires, kgf/cm²

Tire size	3 persons in the cabin and cargo (comfort)		3 people in the cabin and cargo (savings)		Full load
	Front wheels	Rear wheels	Front wheels	Rear wheels	Front wheels	Rear wheels
205/60 R16, 215/60 R16, 215/50 R17, 225/45 R18, 235/40 R19	2,2	2,2	2,6	2,4	2,3	2,7
T115/70 R16	4,2	4,2	4,2	4,2	4,2	4,2

Note: There is a sticker on the central pillar of the body in the driver's door opening that indicates the air pressure in the tires for different vehicle loads.

1. Unscrew the cap from the valve.

2. Check the air pressure in the tire. To do this, reset the pressure gauge readings to zero by pressing the special button on the pressure gauge body…



3. …connect the pressure gauge to the valve and press the valve spool with the tip of the pressure gauge.

Note. The air pressure should only be checked on cold tires. The tires can be considered cold if at least three hours have passed since the car was stopped or if you have driven no more than 1 km after a long period of parking. After the car has run for several kilometers, the tires will have time to warm up and the air pressure in them will increase by 30-40 kPa (0.3-0.4 kgf/cm²) compared to the cold state. This is not a sign of a malfunction. Do not reduce the air pressure in warm tires to bring it to the nominal value, which is set for cold tires. Otherwise, the tires will be used with reduced air pressure.

4. If the pressure is less than required, connect the pump hose tip to the valve and pump air, monitoring the pressure on the pressure gauge on the pump.

5. If the pressure is higher than required, press the special protrusion of the pressure gauge on the valve tip and release air from the tire. Measure the pressure with the pressure gauge. Repeat these operations until the pressure reaches the norm.

Note: Remember to check the air pressure in the spare tire at the same time as checking the pressure in the other tires.

6. If you notice that the air pressure in your tires is constantly dropping, try tightening the valve core more tightly using the cap and key.

Note.

This is what the protective cap looks like A with a key for tightening the valve and the valve B wheel valve.

Caution! To avoid contamination of the valve stems, do not operate the vehicle without protective caps. If the caps have been lost, be sure to install new ones.

7. Apply liquid to the valve so that it fills the valve cavity. If bubbles continue to form and the valve cannot be tightened, replace it. If replacement does not help, replace the valve.





8. Measure the remaining tread depth with a caliper. If the tread depth is 1.6 mm or less, replace the tire.



9. If you don't have a caliper at hand, you can check the tread depth visually using the tire wear indicators in the form of solid transverse stripes that appear on the tread when it is at its maximum wear.

Attention! The tires that the car is equipped with are equipped with wear limit indicators molded into the tread. When the tread is significantly worn, smooth transverse stripes about 10 mm wide appear on its surface, located at a certain pitch around the circumference of the tire. Their appearance indicates a decrease in the tread depth to 1.6 mm. Worn tires do not create sufficient traction when driving on wet road surfaces. Therefore, if three wear indicators are visible on the tread (or more than three), the tire must be replaced.

The locations of the indicators are marked on the sidewall of the tire with a triangle or the letters "TWI".



10. Remove the decorative cap…



11. …and check the tightness of the wheel nuts and, if necessary, tighten them to a torque of 90 Nm.