Tyres

[Dave Mann]

When did they start putting date stamps on tyres? I've been to check over a very nice Ruby which has been stored in a dry garage for 5 years and pumped up the flat tyres, non had a date stamp and one had cracks in the sidewall. the battery was flat and dry, the radiator had been drained and I couldn't turn the engine. The car is local to me and the lady owner lives in Plymouth.

[Chris KC]

Even if there's a 3-digit date code present they are old enough to have grown up, gone to college and had children.

[Reckless Rat]

I would think there should be something on the tyre sidewalls, even tyres made in the 1970s has serial numbers from which date of manufacture can be gleaned.

[Chris KC]

According to the internet the 3-digit date code was introduced in 1971, but I suspect it may have been a little later than that in practice, late 70's or early 80's (I'm ready to be corrected).

The code was increased to four digits in 2000.

It's generally considered inadvisable (illegal for certain classes of vehicle) to use a tyre more than 10 years old, however sound it might look, and it might well be held against you in the unfortunate event of an accident.

[Tony Griffiths]

Might these markings - from one of four identical Avon sidecar tyres - show that it was made in the 1970s?

[Chris KC]

Tony, the date code is week (2 digits) then year (2 digits).

Before 2000 it was week (2 digits) then the final digit of the year (- fairly obvious why they changed to 4 digits).

[Tony Griffiths]

So, that would make it the 7th week of 1970 - which, if correct, would be when I fitted them.

[Old Dave]

Chris KC, Your advice re tyre age and insurance judgement is worth consideration and armed with the info on this thread I shall investigate the Avons on my car. They could be as old as my children and they older than half the government ministers we now have.

[Andy Bennett]

Tony
I think yours are 7th week of 2000

[andrew34ruby]

I believe that the MOT test does not include checking date stamps, so how anyone can condemn tyres where the date stamp indicates the tyres are past a certain age is difficult to understand. If they pass the MOT then they can be used, no? The insurance inspector was not concerned by my 14 year old tyres when inspected in March following a collision. I now have 4 new tyres, but that was nothing to do with the age of the tyres.