BRYAN, Texas — Madisonville resident Michael Lee knew something was wrong when his trailer started shaking while driving to a job site.
"I didn't have any choice but to continue on for a few more miles to see if I could get to a tire shop, but that tire had already been destroyed," Lee said.
Lee's tire blew.
The blowout didn't happen in extreme heat, but he knows how common blowouts are in the heat and checks his tire pressure to stay safe.
However, not all customers of Texas Tires in Bryan are like Lee.
Manager William Hass says most people don't know heat can cause car damage.
He has been working for the company since 2019 and says summers at the shop are usually busier than other seasons.
"They don't know that it could be related to heat, right. I know that, but you just had a blowout, so they're just coming to get a new tire," Hass said.
Tire pressure can increase, cause the tire to swell and then blow, but heat can also breakdown batteries and evaporate coolant causing engines to overheat.
Hass advises drivers to regularly maintenance their vehicles and tells drivers to pay attention to warning signs like maintenance lights in vehicles and monitor tire pressure to prevent damage.
He says new tires can cost at least $95, and it can often set drivers back since the cost is unexpected.
However, drivers can buy inexpensive tire pressure gauges at auto shops to check each tire before traveling.
"Keeping an eye on the tire pressure monitoring system, that will tell you if you’re beyond that threshold or it’s going too high," Hass said.
"[With] some tires, you can physically see a swelling of the tire.”
Lee didn't visit the shop for a tire repair this time, but got tires for a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air that he's restoring.
He says he will make sure to check those tires, too.
"We just got a good quality tire, a good quality wheel, to make sure that's taken care of," Lee said.
Hass recommends that drivers monitor the tire pressure system in their vehicles, and check for other indicators of vehicle malfunctions before driving — especially if you drive an older vehicle or have older tires.
