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Why Are Yellow and Red Dots on My Tires?
When you purchase a new set of tires, you may notice a small red or yellow painted dots on the sidewall near the letters and numbers on your tire. What do these yellow and red markings mean? Can you wash these dots off? What if they are in different places on all four of your tires? Or, what if there are multiple dots on your tires?
This is part of a series of articles from Tire Agent to help you decode the information on new tires:
First, yellow and red dots are nothing to worry about. They don’t mean your tires are bad or defective — yellow and red dots are put on there by the manufacturer to help the tire installer mount the tire on your vehicle correctly. In this article, we’ll be explaining what these yellow and red dots mean for you, what you need to know about them, and if you should wash them off.
Yellow and red dots relate to balancing your tires. As you take your vehicle out for a drive, the tire will spin around thousands, if not tens of thousands, of times. This repeated wheel rotation will slowly wear down your tires. However, if your tire is mounted and balanced correctly, the tire will rotate evenly on the road so that one specific part of the tire doesn’t have more contact with the road than another. If the tire isn’t mounted correctly, besides producing an annoying vibration noise, it can also wear down your tire unevenly. Tire balancing makes your tires last longer and prevents unnecessary wear in one specific area.
Yellow and red dots are purposely painted on by manufacturers to help tire installers with their job of mounting the tire on your car. It’s very difficult to mass-produce tires to be perfectly balanced, and having your tires balanced is a normal part of the tire installation process. Let’s explore what these yellow and red marks mean!
What Does a Yellow Dot on a Tire Mean?
A yellow dot is painted on the tire by the manufacturer to identify the lightest point of the tire. When balancing the tire, this is the area that the tire installer may need to add weight to ensure that the tire is rolling evenly on the road. The yellow dot’s main purpose is to align with the heaviest point of the wheel, which is usually the valve stem.
A tire installer may put weight around the yellow dot, but this will depend on the results of testing the balance of the wheel and tire using a tire balancing tool.
What Does a Red Dot on a Tire Mean?
On the other hand, the red dot is painted on by the manufacturer to identify the maximum radial force variation (RFV), which is the stiffest part of the tire. This is usually near the valve stem, which is the nozzle that you use to fill your tire with air. Because of the extra metal and material used in the valve stem, this is most often the heaviest point of the tire. The red not isn’t used to determine where wheel weights are placed, however. Red dots serve as guides for initial alignment during installation.
The installer may put weight opposite of the red dot, but it will depend on the readings they have from their wheel and tire balancing instruments.
What if My Tire Has Both Dots?
If your tire has both marks, they’re usually directly across from each other. But, sometimes this isn’t the case. Having both red and yellow dots may make the tire installers’ job a bit harder if they aren’t aligned. The installer will prioritize accounting for the red dot over the yellow dot, but this will also depend on your driving habits.
Some installers will prioritize the yellow dot if you’re an everyday commuter and the red dot if you’re using the tire for high-speed performance. Other installers will ignore the yellow and red dots and use their tire balancing tools to distribute weight. Generally, though, prioritization of the dots is based on the tire design and manufacturer’s guidelines.
Regardless of whether you’re using the yellow or red dots, it’s still important to have your tires balanced during the installation process for them to perform correctly.
Can I Make the Dots on My Tires Go Away?
Yes. The yellow and red dots on your tires should be painted on with a very light paint that should naturally wear away as you drive. They’re only intended to be used during the first installation when your tires are being balanced.
If you want to get rid of the yellow and red dots, you may try washing them off with simple soapy water and a rag after you’ve had your tires installed. Just make sure your tires are mounted beforehand so you don’t lose track of where the dots are!
How Do I Tell if My Tires Haven’t Been Balanced?
We cover this more in our article about tire balancing and alignment, but the ultimate result is a poorer driving experience and potentially a shorter lifespan of your tires. Improperly balanced tires will make extra road noise and vibrate strangely, resulting in it feeling like your car is off-center. This is because the weight isn’t being distributed evenly across the face of your tire.
Additionally, the tire will have its road contact centered in one specific area, which is bad for the tire. It will shorten the tire’s lifespan and potentially even lead to tire damage if not addressed. Unbalanced tires strain other components of the tire as well, which can cause more expensive repairs to your vehicle’s suspension, shocks and wheel bearings.
