Winnipeg gas stations busy with low and leaking tires

WINNIPEG – It’s a terrible job, when the wind chill is hovering around -30C.

“This is the second time I’ve had to get my spare out here,” Randall Mowat, who had to change his flat tires in the middle of the day.

With temperatures dropping, tires are losing pressure, sinking, leaking and causing problems for drivers all over the city.

“When it hits 30 plus below, it’s going to wreak havoc on your tires,” said Michael Birch, who had to get three tires fixed at the gas station Wednesday. “When you’ve got fancy rims and mags like this, obviously the cold weather is going to cause leakage.”

Gas stations are extremely busy with people filling up low tires and fixing leaks, non stop.

“If you’ve got a low tire on the road, it’s not safe,” said Esso assistant manager Ian Milroy. “It’s going to pull you to one side of the road and if it blows out, you could crash into another car.”

While heating up your car in morning, tire experts suggest you take a few extra minutes to walk around your vehicle and check for sinking tires. Leaving enough time for a quick fill up if needed.

And there are also warning signs you can watch for, such as differences in the sidewall height and flashing indicators.

“For a consumer to come in just once a month to have their tires looked at, the tread condition, the air pressure, we do that all without charge,” said Kal Tire manager Glen Finnie. “It’s way better to have a professional look at it than to guess yourself.”

So you don’t find yourself changing your tires in a biting wind chill.