When do I need to mount Winter tires on Car

Transportation, Travel and Trips
41
DOT code + 6years

42
Care to point to a Swiss law for that?

43
Advisory, like on your cheese packaging. Police look at it, MFK also, both told me so.

44
Strange. When some car manufactures say that a tire with a manufacturing date less than 4 years old can be sold as "new".

Additionally you will not find anything specific in this regard in any Swiss law, legislation or accompanying guidelines like from ASTRA or ASA.

The best you can find is a reference to ETRTO Standards Manual or then pointing to manufactures recommendation. As long as the tire meets all other regulations (thread depth, no cracks or other damages) it should be good even if 8 years old.

Which is also what TCS says: https://www.tcs.ch/de/testberichte-r...reifenkauf.php

If you mention cheese packaging then we have to look at manufacturer recommendations, lets consult one of them.

https://www.michelin.co.uk/content/p...y_Guide_UK.pdf

same info on the Swiss Michelin site btw: http://m.michelin.ch/de/autoreifen/w...echseln-sollte

45
But it isn't legislated.

It isn't much of a problem for daily drivers, most people manage to put enough kms on their car within a decently short period of time.

Oldtimers, otoh... The MFK inspector will mention it, but he'll have to find some other reason to fail the MFK (which is relatively easy for them to do in most cases).

With very little wear, always stored away from UV, and dressed with the usual expensive elixers a tire can look new after 30 years (That's the worst case I've ever seen). I always check the date code and suggest that the tires need to be changed if they are 5 years or older. Most owners who get the point also notice that the car seems like the suspension has been rebuilt after new rubber is fitted.

And those 30 year old tires? They crumbled when we put them on the tire machine to get the old ones off.

46
Engine braking or normal? Because with engine braking it is less a problem of locking up than spinning freely.

A complete separate issues is that some people think that AWD is a substitute for winter treys.

47
Just saw that the law in Germany has changed in this regard.

From 30. September 2024 you will also need the Snowflake and Mountain symbol! Additionally, any tyre manufactured after 31. December 2017 must also have the Snowflake and Mountain symbol to be considered as a winter tyre!

§ 2 StVO https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/stvo_2013/__2.html

and § 36 StVZO.

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/stvzo_2012/__36.html

48
On a similar note, when is the best time to buy a winter tire if I consider only price and availability?

My thinking is, Oct-Nov is high season so no worries about availability but then prices would be at their peak. At the other end, Mar-Apr, whatever is left (if any) will go for peanuts.

I tried reifendirekt.ch, but they don't seem to have any price trend indicators available online, or maybe I didn't look hard enough.

49
Correct assumption for German summer tyres according to this article (from 2013) (in German). I see no reason to think the same doesn't apply to Switzerland or to winter tyres.

However, the study appears to be based on "ordinary" prices so if you get a deal with 20% rebate, say, you're probably better off taking that than waiting until off season. And the best time to get a deal is during high season.

50
OK, The weather is starting to get a bit "less Cold" and I'm considering replacing my winter tires for summer tires. HOWEVER I do have a trip planned and I'm wondering if anyone knows (from past experience) if I should just leave them on for a bit longer.

I'm headed to the following places in April:

* France (early April)

* Belgium (Mid April)

* Netherlands (Mid April)

* Germany (end of April)

* Denmark (end of April)

I know it all depends on the weather - however, would YOU change back to summer tires before this trip or leave on the winter tires?

Thanks

51

Up to you probably, depending on the weather forecasts for those countries nearer your travel time. We’re off to the UK early April and if the weather looks good enough will probably change the tyres over before we go. That said, if it turns cold and nasty we’ll wait until we get back.

52
I always change in May-June.

Tom

53
If France is not the Grand Route des Alpes but mostly straight north to Belgium in the low lands: Summer tires.

54
Leave them on. I changed mine last year a bit early and had to change them back to winter ones a week later.

55
Stupid question : is there any reason why I would not keep winter tires year-round ? We seldom use our car, so fuel consumption is not a big concern.

56
What do you mean by "seldom", and when you do use it, what kind of use is it?

Winter tires will wear faster during the summer, adhesion isn't as good, and they're noisier.

But if you drive 15 min/week@50km/h to go shopping, then you wouldn't really notice the difference.

57
I would say less than 250 km/month (50% highway).

Never noticed noise and wear still doesn't seem like a problem. When you say adhesion is not as good, what do you mean exactly ?

58
You have less grip with winter tires.

I would change if any of the use is above 60, but I tend to be rather cautious.

250/month is a fair amount of use.

59
A lot of people that I know do that.

We have one car that is on winters year round, one on summers, one with two sets of rims, and the other that I have yet to decide as the old summers went in the trash when I had the winters put on.

Tom

60
I leave them on during summer when they won't be good enough for an other winter.

As it can still snow in April, I change to summer-tires end of April.