Driving in winter is NOT a fun thing to do, as many of you will attest to. One danger is skidding. You may be driving at a reasonable speed and being as careful as you can be, but a stray patch of ice just might throw you out of control. YOU may know how to control a skid, but do your (driving) family members know how to handle it? Here is some information that you can share with them, especially your teenagers.

What do you do when the rear wheels lose traction?

First, keep your eyes on the road. Don’t panic and look elsewhere, and continue to take the direction you were originally taking. Remember to turn the wheel towards the path that you want to go.

Second, do NOT hit the brakes! This is probably going to be the initial reaction of an inexperienced driver, but train yourself not to do it. Hitting the brakes will only make you lose control of the car more.

Third and last, do not stop steering in the direction you need to go. This will help avoid the rear wheels skidding in the other direction.

Now what if the front wheels skid?

You basically have to maintain the same presence of mind as well as follow the steps above. The important thing to remember is that you wait for the wheels to regain their grip on the road and not to brake or accelerate while doing so. Bottom line: be in control of yourself and the situation.

Written by Marcel on January 29, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Texting and driving has been an issue for the longest time. Ever since using the mobile phone for more than making voice calls became a common thing, texting behind the wheel has proven to be a serious problem. I suppose one factor is that many people do not see texting while driving as deadly as drinking and driving. It just seems to be “safe” and not really dangerous – at least to those who have not really thought about it or to those who have not had a bad experience.

In Great Britain, though, they are taking this very very seriously. There is this Texting While Driving PSA that is currently airing in the country, and it is quite graphic! It can be quite disturbing, actually. Here, take a look for yourself.

I hadn’t gotten through halfway of the video and I already felt as if there were a huge thing crushing my chest. The sound of metal on metal, the girl’s screams, the blood…this is only a video but it really had an effect on me. Other viewers feel pretty much the same way. As a matter of fact, I read that there are some people who have been complaining about the graphic nature of the clip; that it is way too much for the general public. I think that it should be shown to anyone who can drive. If that means showing the video to a 16-year-old, then so be it! If a person can take the responsibility of driving and potentially placing his life (and the life of others) at risk, then he can take this video. What do you think?

Written by Marcel on September 9, 2009 | 1 Comment

Traveling to foreign destinations has never been easier than it is today. Worldwide tourism has experienced a boost in the recent years and more and more people are finding it commonplace to visit a country outside of their home country. One of the best ways to discover a strange land is to get a vehicle of your own and drive around the city streets or country roads. Yet one thing is important – you have to know what the requirements of the country are with regard to driving permits or licenses.

More often than not, the common perception is that once you hold an international driving license, you are good to drive anywhere in the world. This is normally true, but in some cases, the local government might as for some additional paperwork.

Case in point: Michael Elliott of Cleveland, Tennessee bought an International Driving Permit from AAA for $15 for a trip to Grenada. He got there, confident that he had everything he needed to drive in the country. However, the local government required him to buy a Grenadian driving permit.

According to Christopher Elliot, the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveller, this case is not uncommon. In fact, many foreign destinations have their own particular rules when it comes to visitors driving in their locale. As such, the responsibility lies in the motorists’ hands – you have to do research of your own to determine what you need to do in order to be able to drive. A little work to get the right information will save you a lot of trouble.

Written by Marcel on January 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment

At times when you are on the road, you are bound to see police cars, ambulances or VIPs flashing blinkers and sirens meaning they are in a hurry. Well, they are always in a hurry to reach their point of destination and as a sign of courtesy, private and public vehicles know for a fact that they have to give way or clear the road to let them pass.

That is a common practice that is done anywhere in the world today and for sure, no one wants to get into trouble or be ticketed as an obstruction for refusing to give way. As a rational driver, emergency or not it would be wise to allow them to pass since you never know what could happen and may be held accountable in the end if the emergencies fail to reach their actual point of destination.

As far as having blinkers and sirens is concerned, there are some people who install them without licenses or permits. By doing so, you are placing yourself in a lot of trouble. In most countries, unless you are licensed or authorized to have such things installed on your car, it would be best to keep that thought clear.

These gadgets are normally restricted to the proper people commissioned to do them. It goes in hand with their work. Some use them for status symbol while others just want to feel powerful. They are used for a purpose. Do not install one unless you have the right to have them.

Written by Marcel on December 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment

The hazard lights of our car would normally be turned on only if your are driving in emergencies. But the thing is, how do you classify emergencies?

There are various types of emergencies, the most common of which is health-related. But lately, thanks to some weird weather, rains often pour at will and may reach a point where you no longer see what is in front and behind you. Turning on your headlights and park lights would be great but the thing is, it may not be enough to warn other cars and drivers on the road.

Hazard lights would be of great use in this area. Just its blinking is often a good sign for warning for you and people who have a hard time seeing the road and the cars at the back and in front of you. While many are fine with park lights, drivers today who find themselves in the middle of the road would do well to turn on their hazard light before they continue or even park when the weather is totally non-cooperative.

Accidents during storms can be higher in frequency. In fact, sometimes you cannot blame others for running into you. But the best you can do is forewarn them that there are other drivers and cars around and if accidents cannot be avoided, at least damages can be held to a minimum such as scratches or slight dents. As far as the driver is concerned, just pray that he has buckled up in cases of impact.

Written by Marcel on December 20, 2008 | 1 Comment

Car owners can never be too sure on when their car would suddenly experience dead batteries due to length of use. The usual way to start your car can be classified into two categories since cars can either be manual or automatic. Here are some tips on how to properly jack start your car when the need arises.

For Manual Transmission Cars:
1. Place the ignition key towards the power on
2. Place the shift knob to 2 or Reverse, depending on the direction that offers more space for pushing
3. Have someone help you in pushing the car forward or backward
4. Step on the clutch and the gas pedal
5. Wait for the car to gain momentum usually in a consistent speed like 10 KMH
6. Instantly release the clutch and step on the gas
7. Once that car starts, step on the clutch again to cut the momentum and step on the brakes.

For Automatic Transmission Cars
1. Place the ignition power to on
2. Get jumper cables and connect the positive to the positive poles of the other car battery and negative on the negative.
3. Once connected, make sure that the main source of the battery where you will get power from is holding a consistent rev to avoid wrecking the other battery.
4. Start the car that has been jumpered and allow to run for some minutes before taking out the jumper cables. Make sure no accessories are turned on so that the alternator will charge up the electricity to the car.

At times, this is just a temporary solution. Eventually you have to trace the key areas of your car such as:
1. Alternator
2. Starter
3. Battery

It does not always follow that the battery is the problem. Have a certified electrician look at it and he will tell you the real cause for your car not starting upon ignition.

Written by Marcel on December 4, 2008 | Leave a Comment

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.

Written by Marcel on October 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment

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.

Written by Marcel on September 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment

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.

Written by Marcel on September 30, 2008 | 1 Comment

Here is a good tip for people who have to worry about the level of their gas these days. Apparently, it is now rare that we see people filling up their cars to the hilt, considering that the current oil price and economic crisis have become totally outrageous. Normally, people can manage the by the gallon fuel for their car but today, the price per gallon is no longer comfortable as before.

At times, you may even forget to fill up your car with gas and while many wait until they use up all the fuel of their car to the max, when your car flashes that gas pump light, chances are you will be panicking and looking for the nearest gas station to fill ‘er up.

While you gauge may be on the borderline E of your driver panel, don’t worry about it. There are occasions wherein gas stations may not be within sight. Usually, when you car fuel gauge is on the E line, you still have around 4 kilometers to spare. But rather than risk it, it would be best to try and do some adjustments just in case the next gas station is still far:

1. Avoid stepping longer on the accelerator and go with the flow.
2. Turn of air-conditioning for the meantime.
3. Try to drive at a conservative space. No sense in wasting gas if you are running low.

Just don’t panic when you see that blinking light on your dashboard. It is merely telling you that you forgot to put gas in your car!

Written by Marcel on September 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment