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.
Source
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.
With fuel prices steadily increasing, the best way to continue driving and manage fuel consumption is to drive wisely. Forget about the usual speed thing. Today, if you want to drive wisely, drive the right way.
These things are normally taught in driving school or from someone with good driving skills. For a car to run, fuel is needed. But the amount of fuel to be used is likewise relevant. The price per liter these days is no walk in the park and for people who want to continue to enjoy that privilege, it is not simply a matter of getting to places in a hurry but also knowing how to get there economically and safely.
Some drivers would turn to car maintenance. Tune-ups and regular oil changes are a good practice as well as making sure your wheels are properly balanced, aligned and threaded. These things are common and while those are basic things in owning a car, the person behind the wheel is another story.
Now for most parts of the world, a lot of people have been looking at alternative fuel to solve the fuel crisis. But as far as actual driving is concerned, a lot has to be changed as well. The manner to which you drive may be relevant as well so it is best to do a self-check as well before waiting for the fuel alternative for convenience in driving.
When it comes to driving, you normally have the options to choose an automatic or manual transmission car. Of the two, automatic transmission cars are no challenge at all. All you have to do is put it to D (drive) and you are on your way. All you have to do from there is use the brakes or place it on P (park) when you are not mobile.
But if you really want to be a good driver, stick shift vehicles is the best way to go. They allow you to adjust accordingly on when to shift and when to determine if the engine is having a hard time. In short, professional drivers are certified better if they can handle these types of cars.
To some, especially the people who can afford luxury automatic cars, there are a lot of issues. To them, these types of cars are like toys since they get them to places at a more convenient fashion. But things to consider here include:
1. High Fuel Consumption
2. Larger Car Maintenance Costs
3. Improbable to use car in high flooded areas
You cannot control the level of gas you will use when you drive automatic cars. The engine does all the mixing as far as power is concerned and when that happens, fuel control is totally absent. So other than driving wrong, you are burning fuel wrong. Maintenance, you better be careful since repairing automatic transmission as well costs a fortune!
When you drive your car, it is easy to step on the gas to accelerate. To stop, there is always the brakes to use but just be sure you don’t burn it.
Especially if you are driving downwards like perhaps from a hill, it would be best to put assistance to the brakes wear and tear by downshifting your gears. But don’t do it instantly.
For example you are already in the 4th gear and are already moving down, shift the gear incrementally from 4th to 3rd and then second. Make sure that the engine can handle the sudden shift in gears. When you step on the brakes, the engine will comply as well as the power is diminishing. With the proper timing of downshifting, you can do your brake lining a big favor by making use of the engine breaks for gradual pressure you always put on them.
There have been recent studies that have shown that Nitrogen gas for use in inflating your car’s tires makes them last longer. Well, there might be a good scientific backing for this for many of the new muscle cars that are coming out onto the market have them in their tires. Nitrogen being an inert gas that prevents the problems associated with regular compressed air which contains a sizeable amount of moisture that causes corrosion in aluminum and steel wheel rims. Oxygen causes oxidation which can eventually weaken wheels whatever type they may be. Nitrogen is also cooler than regular air which can translate to better mileage which may be needed due to ever increasing gas prices. As it turns out, the tires on your car looses air even if it does not have a puncture which translates to 2 psi per month compared to 6 months for nitrogen gas.
Nitrogen also causes less problems with your car’s wheel valves making them last a tad longer than usual. Wheel valves should be replaced everytime you have your tire changed to ensure they are at par with the wheel. They might be slowly leaking air which if added to the leak in the rubber tire can get you in an odd spot when you least expect it. Also, it would be a good idea to make it a ritual to have the tire pressure checked everytime you fill up to ensure your wheels are running as designed. Uneven wear, cupping and other wheel maladies should be taken seriously for they are indicative signs of other problems such as in the suspension. Low tire pressure leads to poor mileage (it also heats up the wheels excessively even causing failure). If you have experienced having to run on a flat tire due to an emergency or unexpected flat the tire would surely be a goner for the plies of the tire tends to separate on the sidewalls for they are not designed to come in contact with the surface of the road. Till next time, keep safe on the road and off guys. Drive safely.
Yeah… I know some people are turning their heads on this one but just give me a chance and I’ll show you the importance of this small compact machine that has been making a comeback in the recent years. Many have found the charm of the Volkswagen Beetle to be irresistable hence as you go around driving around you’ll be sure to see some running. Some restored to original specs, some modified but they all share a similar trait, the good all German engineering product that is no fuss and simple to maintain. No radiator to overheat (the engine is air-cooled), and the pistons are opposite each other arranged two on the left offset the other two on the right.
I just happened to be involved in a
After about 9 months in the body shop the results were very good indeed and the car was again in tip top shape. The engine in all it's simplicity was overhauled in a day and everything else was cheap compared to the other classics on the streets. I'd say that a Bug would be a good car to own and in fact there are many Volkswagen club's out there where people just can't get enough of the BUG's bite.
You’re driving down the road and as you come upon a corner you sudenly realize the brakes aren’t doing any good and the vehicle continues going forward, what do you do?
This is a real-world scenario that causes many accidents year after year and as with many other car troubles, totally avoidable (most of the time that is, there is the 1% in the 99% reliability of your brakes that it can fail without any apparent reason). The key is maintenance, for if there has been sufficient maintenance on the vehicle meaning all safety and vital systems are inspected on a regular basis, there should not be any problems like this. Maintenance gives owners a chance to find problems as they begin as with brakes, yoi can see fluid from the brake system on the pavement or on the wheel rims. Hoses might be cracked or for the unfortunate few, that rock or piece of steel you ran over might have severed a brake line (actually hose) and your car is bleeding vital brake fluid needed to stop safely. Enough of the sermon and back to the point, What do you do?
First, any sign of trouble whe in a car, hit the flasher lights to tell everybody that something is wrong. Check the area in front of you if there are any vehicles in the way, if there are then you have to find spot to go to without hurting anybody else. If you are on open road like the interstate or highway, you can try pumping the brake which might give you some stopping power and use the hand brakes intermittently till you get to a full stop, ideally off the road on the shoulder. Using the handbrake is effective, but do it slowly for pulling hard can cause the rear tires to lock and spin you in many ways than one.
The point is, to keep you calm for panic causes you to loose your objectivity. Most modern cars have dual brake systems where the front driver’s side wheel and the rear pasenger’s side wheel are connected and so are the opposite two. You can brake (but you might have to push a bit harder on the pedal) even with one system down and use the handbrake to augment them. For some more important information check out the NSC fro more details
Keep safe, drive carefully and get home safe.
This guy, probably named Rick, had me amazed of the paint job he did very well on his 1966 Corvair Corsa 140/4. With just three quarts of Rust-Oleum paint thinned with mineral spirits, ordinary foam roller, sand paper, a little patience and true art, he made a miracle to his trashed car.
I was thinking of doing the same while I was reading his article. It was so realistic and besides I want to fix some minor scratches on my 1990 Toyota Corolla, though he still looks good. But then when I landed on the Disclaimer Page, it made me think twice. Now I don’t know if I will still believe the job he done so well.
Despite, I’m still not saying he faked his work. It’s still up to you to believe. Nice read by the way.
