While most drivers are concerned about how fast they can go, it would be wise to also check how well they can stop. Running out of gas and finding ways to conserve to get to places is one thing but if for some reason you overlook your brakes, you may find yourself on the way to the hospital if you are not careful.
Most people are often told that driving a car also includes maintaining it. Sure you will only be concerned on how well your car may run but at times, you need the usual car maintenance practices as well. This includes tune-ups, oil changes, and brake or clutch lining checks.
Normally, male drivers know this as they are more inclined to make sure that the car they are driving are safe. In fact, a good reason here is how men are enthusiastic about having their own car. This goes as far as making sure that they have the best car to drive so that they will get noticed.
Brakes normally have a longer time to be serviced. But this would depend on how frequent you use your car. While others may not care as long as they function properly, it would be best to have them checked and avoid them from malfunctioning especially if you are in high speed or on the road. That inconvenience may lead as far as claiming lives, a fact that many have already experienced and continue to regret for driving carelessly.
Motorist safety is not simply about driving properly while on the road. As a matter of fact, motorist safety actually starts in your garage even before you hit the road. And since we’ve been on the topic of bad weather, let me go over some tips that will help you ensure that your car is in shape to handle those slippery roads.
Check your tires.
How are they? Make sure that your tires are always in good condition, and that they have enough track. Actually, even if you’re not driving on wet roads, the condition of your tires may very well keep you safe. On wet roads, however, it is even more important. Bald tires will offer little or no resistance to hydroplaning, and that could be the death of you – literally.
Check your wipers.
How often do you replace your wipers? I know some people who do not replace their wipers on a regular basis. Car safety experts suggest, however, that you change your wipers at least once a year. If you are not convinced, try to remember when you had a faulty wiper and it suddenly rained. The chances are that the wiper didn’t help much in clearing the water from the windshield. In all probability, it just made smudges that made seeing clearly a remote possibility. And of course, you have to see clearly to drive safely. So, make sure that you have those wipers in tip top shape all the time.
Check your defroster.
For reasons similar to what I explained above, you have to be sure that your defroster is working properly. Come rain or snow, you will be sure that your windows and windshield will be clear to see through.
Just in case you have not noticed yet, the weather has been totally crazy this year. It has been going bonkers for quite some time now, but this year, weirdness of the weather has gone up to a whole new level. While your driving habits aren’t the only reason for the degradation of the environment, you know very well that your own little contribution can add up to the little contribution of others to make a huge impact on the planet. Here are some green driving tips that you can follow.
Buy fuel efficient tires.
Fuel efficient tires? Do those things really exist? Yes they do, but do they actually help save fuel? The good news is that there are tires that do help in saving fuel. One manufacturer, Firestone, has created a range of tires that are aimed to do exactly that. Just ask your local tire store for the details. If it is time for you to change tires, why not go for the ones that will save you money and help the environment in the long run?
Buy green batteries.
It should be pretty obvious that I am not talking about batteries that are color green. There are many chemicals found in the conventional batteries that are harmful to the environment. The good news is that there are batteries that are eco-friendly. Take a look at your options and go for the green ones.
Buy eco-friendly car polish.
If there is one thing that turns me off, it is a dirty car. A lot of people think the same way, and they go to great lengths to keep their cars clean and shiny. But car polish products can be harmful to the environment. Why not look for products that are safe in this regard?
Remember, every little bit goes a long long way.
We are at an age where most cars come with special features. One thing that is bound to get our nod as far as preference is the all-power features that include power locks, power windows and power steering. Of the three, the power steering is what captures the attention of modern drivers since unlike the conventional vehicles of yesteryears, they don’t have to worry about hard steering that some may call as a reason for developing muscles while driving.
But while power steering does make it easier for people to steer and drive, it also means you have to be careful as far as preventive maintenance. The more advanced features that come with your car means that you also have to address small issues and avoid them from getting out of hand.
Some people care less. Leaks or weird sounds in the steering wheel area can worsen over time if not addressed immediately. The last thing you would want is to get a completely busted steering wheel mechanism which can cost a lot and hard to repair.
This is one waterloo if you are not paying much attention to car maintenance. Do not allow small issues to get out of hand. Bring your car to the car garage and have it fixed. You save a lot more money that way and prolong the durability and reliability of your car in the process.
Have you ever considered counting the number of dents and scratches you have on your car? Apparently you can use these marks as features in determining just how good of a driver you really are. Of course, scratches and dents can be accidents caused when your car is parked but for sure, you will know which ones were done by you due to your driving.
This is not to say that the perfect driver is free from such minor accidents. The fact remains that to measure how well defensive and well-schooled drivers are can be seen from the vehicle that they drive. Some dents occur from reckless driving such as backing or parking in tight situations while others occur when you are on the road when you are driving too close for comfort.
In reality, no driver wants to be seen in a car full of dents and scratches. But these are marks that will haunt you, regardless if you are driving a brand new car or not. The number of times you have to bring your car to the shop will likewise vary as normally, these would become a habit if you don’t do something to improve your driving skills.
A good driver is a disciplined driver. He or she knows how to avoid even the minor accidents. If dents and scratches can be fixed then the same goes for bad driving skills. If a driver is willing, he can really improve on it if he chooses to do so.
While drivers are not expected to act as mechanics, tools that are normally placed on standby in cases of emergency would be best placed at the trunk of cars. There will be times that a screwdriver or a pair of pliers would come in handy and you just never know when you would need them.
Mechanical troubleshooting is not a requirement for drivers. But as far as roaming mechanics are concerned, you would be surprised that at times they would need some tools. This is not to say that they don’t have tools when you ask for their help. It is just best that you have the basic tools for such cases such as perhaps tightening a bolt or screw.
Car tools are perhaps one of the overlooked aspects. Especially for drivers that have to travel in longer destinations and spend most of their times moving from one place to another, it would not hurt to make sure that they have stock tools on hand. Even the well-maintained cars are susceptible to anything and apparently one tool can make the difference.
Some would say that they occupy a lot of space but consider that your trunk is quite large and would normally be empty, how can you say that small tool boxes or even packaging can occupy space. With models today out in the open, there are specified compartments for tools since car troubleshooting is normally a need at times. Just keep them there, it may make a difference one day.
One basic thing about cars that some drivers fail to do is on how to handle cars that have suddenly overheated. Normally, cars would overheat due to:
1. Lack of Water
2. Damaged Water Hoses
3. Worn Out Belts (Alternator)
4. Lack of Ventilation
5. Engine Decompression
6. Busted Auxiliary Fans
Normally, a driver would stop the car for fear of breaking down somewhere unknown. But did you know that as much as possible, you should not turn off the engine (as long as it can) manually? If the engine would die normally, then that would be okay. But if you want to put water which is the normal impulse that people would think of, try not to fill up your radiator if you have just shut it down to avoid overheating.
Assuming you have replaced the hose or anything that needs to be fixed that are causes for overheating, try this out.
Cars normally come with a reserve water tank to which reserve water can be placed. If you happen to shut down your engine, it would be best to initially put water there. Once you do, try starting it. If it does, try out these things before turning that radiator cap:
1. Wet a piece of cloth with water and get lots of water.
2. Before you turn the radiator cap, pour water extensively on top of the cap and the radiator. This is to try and bring down the temperature as much as possible.
3. Get the wet cloth and try to place it on the cap first. Wait a couple of seconds and then try to put your weight on it, and slowly loosen the radiator cap. You are bound to feel the pressure from wanting to get out. Do not allow it to do so as extremely hot water is bound to spill all over you.
4. Once you have released the mounting pressure, open the cap and then put water while the engine is running.
Do not turn the engine off (unless you can wait for it to cool down) and place water. The sudden change in water temperature is bad for your engine and may force you to overhaul it if you are not careful.
It is not hard to known when you encounter a flat tire. Normally you would notice a part of your car in a slanted position or perhaps would notice that your steering wheel is hard to maneuver. In some cases, you may even see that you can no longer drive at the usual pace you drive and chances are you have encountered a flat in one of your tires.
The first thing you have to do is to pull over. Assuming that you have the usual tire changing tools such as a tire wrench and the reliable car jack, it would be best to change your tires first before moving on to wherever you may be going.
Here are some tips to change you tire:
1. Prepare the tire changing tools:
a. Tire Wrench
b. Car Jack
c. Spare Tire
2. Take out you spare tire. Make sure you constantly have the tire pressure checked since even if they are not used, they are bound to lose some air while stocked.
3. Loosen the wheel bolts midway so that you will not have a hard time loosening them once you jack up your car.
4. Jack up the car at properly elevated levels. It would be wise to raise it a couple of inches higher than normal so it can be easier to install the spare tire. For safety reasons, it would be advisable to place your spare tire horizontally below the elevated portion of the car in cases where the jack may suddenly give way.
5. Proceed to completely loose the nuts and remove the tire.
6. Place the spare tire and try to tighten the bolts as much as you can. You don’t have tighten them that hard as you can do that once you put the car in its normal stance upon releasing the jack.
7. Tighten the bolts after you have taken out the jack.
8. Place your tire in place of where you got the spare tire and try to have it vulcanized immediately. You don’t want to run forever using that spare tire as it may give way also.
Traditionally, you would think that women would be better off in smaller vehicles mainly because it would be hard to maneuver larger ones like SUVs or vans these days. And we all know for a fact that the strength and the proper mix towards making curves and space allocations have become an issue for women who are not used to driving larger and longer vehicles. But apparently, these are all yesterday’s news.
Today, we can see women driving larger vehicles despite the hardships brought about by the oil price increases. But as far as to their reason for wanting a larger vehicle, it apparently stems from the fact that they look at cars more than being a transport machine. Some may go as far as looking at it like their mobile cabinet or even their home at times. This is particularly true for women who are always on the go or have children as well, so that things that they would need personally or for their kids is just a reach away.
For a man to hear this would really be outrageous. Vehicles are known to serve their purpose but not in this manner. But while many male drivers may be shaking their head in disbelief, it remains that if the female drivers want it and that they can afford to buy such cars, there is nothing anyone can do about it. That is their right and all you can do at the moment is respect them for it.
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Normally, cars will have periodic oil changes. Some may follow a certain mileage while others do it monthly. Whatever the case may be, you should also change the air filter. The oil and the oil filter is normal but to ensure that you get the complete cleaning and maintenance for the said car maintenance, include the air filter element since the exhaust and intake are likewise important to make sure that your engine is given the proper care.
It is also wise to keep track as well on when you last changed your air filter element. Sometimes, depending on your engine, it may not need to be changed always. Normally, some have it cleaned through the use of pressured air since purely dust is present in these cases. But while this is a conservative and cost-saving practice, air filters can be used up to three times of cleaning only.
The exhaust of your car is important. It plays a key role as well as far as overall car performance and fuel consumption as well. Many people disregard air filter elements and no matter what car you may have, it doesn’t really cost that much to change them occasionally.
While others are focused on the oil and the proper tune up of car performance, this is the little thing you have to know about cars. They may not be checked regularly but as long as it is clean as you go, you can be assured of a smoother ride as well as better car life as well.
