if you got advice from an quick-stop oil change place, I would advise you to go to a mechanic to have your tires checked.
if you got that advice from a mechanic, then you should check your tires yourself or ask them to show you what they are talking about.
the grooves that are in tires are called treads. those treads are made so the tires can grip the road, otherwise your car won't have a lot of traction. at a certain point, (10,000-60,000 miles or so. the more miles a tire is rated for the more expensive it is) the treads will wear down...(just think of it like a pencil eraser wearing down the more you use it.)
I would get another mechanic's opinion on your tires. if you do get them replaced, make sure you replace them in pairs, either 2 in the front or 2 in the rear or all 4....you want balance the tread wear on your tires, if you replace only 1 or only 3 tires, your car won't be riding even
go to YT and put in %26quot;tire tread wear%26quot;
this is just one video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9iwL7ZNFWhat does it mean when you need to replace your tire tread?hell!
if you own a car you should know what that means its serious!
you should be able to change oil yourself too.. save a bit of money and learn how to maintain your car to keep it running sweet.
look on your tyres. somewhere on them there with be a small gauge. if the tread on your tyre in flush with that, then your tyres are illegal but you should still have them replaced long before this. take it to a garage, based on your car they might be expensiveWhat does it mean when you need to replace your tire tread?the easies explanation would be, you wheels sit at an angle like this / \ ok. with the weight of your car ,it sits level l l like this ok. so when you drive, the wheels wear to their normal position at an angle. which in turn will affect your steering, (wobble at high speeds). to combat this garages check and adjust tracking arms connected to your wheels to re level them. it is cheap to have done however all tyres wear out with use , best option would be to buy new tyres, have them balanced and check the tracking, you also cannot replace your tyre tread unless you drive a lorry they can have them re cut because they are so thick, but not on cars. you need to replace the tyre. hope this helpsWhat does it mean when you need to replace your tire tread?You need your tires replaced. Low tread causes lack of vehicle control in wet weather and rain, snow, mud, dirt, etc. Buy new tires it is the most important maintenance item on a car.What does it mean when you need to replace your tire tread?Tire tread is what gives tires grip on the road. Ovetime it wears down from driving. If your tires aren't bald (smooth on the part that touches the road) you should be ok. To help prevent uneven tread ware you should have you tires rotated everytime you get an oil change. This just means moving the tires around so they all get a chance at a different spot. 2/32nds is pretty low so I would get tires soon. Replace them all at the sametime so that they wear evenly and don't forget rotation! Good luck.What does it mean when you need to replace your tire tread?2/32%26quot; remaining tread depth is in most states the legal minimum tread depth, the depth at which tires by law need to be replaced. Brand new most passenger tires come with 10 or 11/32%26quot; tread depth. The reason why you need tread depth is that those grooves in the tread remove water from the tire so that the tire does not lose traction when driving on wet roads. Since water can not be compressed the more tread depth you have, the more water can be removed from the tire so it has better contact with the road.
www.tirerack.com did a test last year which was broadcast by ABC news where they did a wet braking test using the same car and identical tires except that one set was brand new, one set was worn to 4/32%26quot; remaining tread and a third set of tires were worn to the legal minumum of 2/32%26quot;. The results were especially fun to watch on TV where they split the screen 3 ways and you could watch the one with 2/32%26quot; tires zoom off the screen still doing 45mph long after the other 2 cars had stopped. The second link is the video, watch especially from about 1:45.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/test
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/vide
Long story short, your tires are overdue for replacement and since they are the most important piece of safety equipment on the vehicle it would be prudent to have that taken care of immediately.
