Winter can be hard on our vehicles but so can spring. We talk about potholes, floods and spring cleaning with our vehicle maintenance expert, Jim Ward. We also talk about hybrid cars.
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What Hitting Potholes Does To Your Vehicle
Along with the crocuses and daffodils, Wisconsin produces a good crop of potholes each spring. Did you ever wonder what hitting those potholes does to your vehicle?
“Most of the time if doesn’t do anything,” said vehicle maintenance expert Jim Ward. “Cars are designed to go over bumps, often nothing at all happens.”
If damage does occur, he said, it will most likely be to a tire or to the alignment of the vehicle.
There may be a tire blowout right away or in some cases, hitting the hole may cause a bulge in the tire — leading to a blowout later.
“If you do hit a big bump, you want to have the car inspected as quickly as possible afterwards,” Ward said. “If you have a steering shimmy or the steering pulls one way or another, that’s a good indication there is a tire alignment problem.”
The time of year you hit the pothole can also make a difference, he said. Although you see more potholes in the spring, hitting one in the winter is much worse because the vehicle’s suspension will be stiff and brittle and more likely to be damaged.
According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, potholes begin forming after snow or rain seeps into the soil below the surface of the road. When temperatures drop, the moisture freezes, causing the ground to expand and push the pavement up.
When the temperature goes back above freezing, the ground returns to normal but the pavement often remains raised. This creates a gap and when a vehicle drives over the gap, the pavement surface cracks and falls into the hollow space — leading to the birth of another pothole.
Episode Credits
- Jill Nadeau Host
- Jill Nadeau Producer
- Jim Ward Guest
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