Apps are a ubiquitous part of a modern lifestyle. Mobile phone users these days don’t need a diary or a calendar but are able to rely on phone notifications on their mobile phones for reminders on birthdays, doctors’ appointments, dinner dates and more.
In the same way, US firm Tire Rack Inc. has developed an app to help vehicle users to manage their tyres
The Tire Rack Garage app provides users with “built-in reminders right in the palm of your hand.” The app offers reminders to check tyre pressure, including seasonal adjustments, plus tyre rotation, tread depth, balance and alignment. The tyre status icon will change colors and alerts will be shown depending on the health of the tyres.
“Maintaining recommended inflation pressure is the single most important thing you can do to get the most out of your tyres,” Tire Rack says.
A single user can save multiple vehicles in the app, and keep records of the maintenance performed on each tyre, including alignment, balance and rotation dates. The app allows for multiple sets of tyres per vehicle, and users can record the dates of when tyres are replaced or changed for the seasons. Tire Rack will send reminders “when tyre maintenance is due or when it’s time to think about changing your tyres.”
Set up requires a user to provide basic information about the vehicle — the year, make and model, plus the number of miles driven each year, current mileage reading, and the recommended tyre pressure from the original equipment manufacturer. The app then provides a drop-down menu of OE tyre sizes for the vehicle, or lets the user input a “custom size” if one is installed. Users then measure and enter the tread depth and psi of each tyre.
The app also features a tyre tech section, which includes information on everything from general tyre care and air pressure to run-flat tyres. Tire Rack refers to it as “your usual dose of Tire Rack expertise.” The app is available in the Apple App Store.