The Christmas season is always associated with horrendous traffic due to last minute shopping and parties. It is a nightmare to drive in the busy streets and get stuck in them. Here are some tips to make driving stress free.

Try your best to avoid the rush. Travel during off peak hours if you can. You will not only avoid traffic but reduce it too. Fewer motorists on the road can make a difference.

Plan your itinerary. Make a list of your destinations and think of the most efficient ways to get there. It helps to write them down.

Take an alternate route. Avoid roads that most drivers take. It may be a little farther but it will be worth it.

Check traffic updates before you leave or if you have a GPS, some actually detect traffic and give alternatives.

More tips to keep you sane when stuck in traffic include listening to Christmas songs, soothing music or anything that pleases you to while away time or extend your patience. You can also purchase a Bluetooth headset, so you can make calls safely while on the road.

Lastly, don’t drink and drive. Reduce traffic caused by accidents and keep yourself safe. Assign a designated driver or if you plan to have some booze, take a cab or other means of public transportation instead.

No one wants to be amidst holiday traffic. Following these simple tips can help you avoid or alleviate the pains of the holiday rush. Less time on the road means more time for rest or quality time celebrating with your family and friends.

Image from  Imeallach

Written by Anna on December 21, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Photo Courtesy Of:  Marcin Wichary

One of the worst things that can happen to anyone is for their car to break down at the worst time –during a storm, in a remote area or simply when you have an appointment. As doctors always say, prevention is better than cure, so here are a few tips that you can do to keep your car in tip top shape.

Get to know your car

If your car is brand new it most likely came with a manual, so read and understand it well. It is just like a new gadget. It will perform better if you know all the knobs, lights, settings and other nooks and crannies.  If you bought it from someone else and it did not come with a manual, don’t fret. Google is always there to help you out.

Go to a service center that you trust

The service center is like a hospital, while the service crew serves as doctors. Find a person who you think best explains and troubleshoots your car problems for you. Ask questions and probe to see if your mechanic actually knows what he is doing. This will educate you about car troubles too. It is just like going to a medical specialist, you wouldn’t get an operation from just anyone right? So do not bring your car to just any shop because this may cause more problems instead of fixing them.

Get regular maintenance checks

Cars have regular maintenance checks depending on its mileage, so that its oil can be changed and tune ups can be performed. Try to take note of each service that was done so that you have a record of them. If you are not the type who checks the car before you leave, you may drop by the nearest gasoline station and ask attendants to help you make sure that all things are in order especially if you are going on a long drive.

Simply follow these simple tips to ensure that your car stays in good condition in order to avoid accidents or hassles along the way.

Written by Anna on October 18, 2011 | Leave a Comment

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the weather has been crazy these past few months. Where it is supposed to be summer, they are getting storms. Where it is supposed to be cold, the temperatures are way up. In case you find yourself driving in the rain, here are some tips that will help you stay safe.

Pay extra attention when it suddenly rains after a long dry spell.
This may seem common sense but sometimes, people overlook like. The fact is that during dry spells, engine oil and grease build up on the road surface. When it suddenly rains and the road gets wet, the grease and oil mix, making more dangerous than usual.

Brake sooner and with less force.
Slippery roads make for dangerous times when you brake. As such, when driving in the rain, do brake sooner than you normal would. Also, do not press on the brakes with as much force as you normally would. This would not only give you more distance between your car and the car in front of you but it would also give the driver behind know enough time to hit the brakes himself.

Do NOT use cruise control.
Cruise control was invented for a reason but it was never meant to be used in bad weather. Do not feel lazy when driving in rainy weather but instead be alert as you possibly can.

These are some of the most simple tips that can help you in bad weather. More to follow in the next post.

Written by Marcel on August 10, 2011 | 2 Comments

Most of us probably take gasoline for granted in the sense that apart from the concern we show over its price, we do not really think about its impact on the environment. Sure, we may have a certain degree of concern over the effect of our exhaust on the air quality; but have you really put any thought of the effect filling up has on the environment?

Yes, the mere act of buying gasoline and putting it in your car may have an effect on your surroundings. The effects may be minute but adding up all those tiny little things can eventually make a considerable change. So here are some things to look at.

Don’t use higher octane fuels unless your car really needs it.
You see, not all cars are meant to perform better just because you use high octane fuels. The truth is that most cars will function with the same efficiency whether you use regular fuel or its higher octane cousins. In these cases, the only difference between high octane fuels and regular fuels is the price; and you will end up on the losing end.

Don’t overfill the gas tank.
You know how you just love to try and get a tad bit more than you pay for at the gas pump? Well don’t. The gasoline will merely spill or evaporate. Either way, you will not gain anything PLUS you may contribute to the pollution of groundwater, as the spilt gas may leak below the ground, and smog formation.

Look for gas stations that have vapor catching nozzles.
Gasoline evaporates quickly and contributes to air pollution. There are gas stations however, which make use of these nifty nozzles which catch the vapor so it does not get released into the atmosphere.

Written by Marcel on June 9, 2011 | 2 Comments

Buying a car is not a one time expense – everybody knows that. In fact, it could very well cost you a lot of money years down the road. In these times of financial instability, you need all the help that you can to save money. Here are my top 3 tips to help you do just that!

Buy diesel
Before you get all riled up, hear me out. I know that there are people who do not like diesel. Some hate it for environmental reasons, and I respect that. In this day and age, we need to do all we can to save the environment. But the thinking that diesel is bad for the environment is so outdated. Technology has made progress in this respect, and there are countless “clean diesel” engines available in the market today. Even better, with diesel, you get better mileage at lower costs.

Drive a stick
Do you know how to drive a stick shift? If you do, then you’re better off than a huge number of Americans today. Automatic cars are all the rave but the fact is that these cars consume more fuel. They also cost more as well. So learn how to drive a manual.

Buy hybrid
Even better than diesel, hybrid cars will save you more money down the road. The initial cost may be a bit higher than “normal” cars but the long term savings are worth it. Another thing, I foresee cheaper hybrids in the near future as this seems to be the trend. So really, there will soon be no excuse for not buying hybrid.

Photo via smemon87

Written by Marcel on May 8, 2011 | Leave a Comment

When it comes to improving a car’s performance, installing a lowered spring set is one of the most underappreciated upgrades – it can give you so many benefits for a relatively low cost, that you have simply no excuse for not getting a good kit installed in your car! And if you want to make sure you’re shopping for the brand that’s right for you, you should definitely try an Eibach lowering kit – with so many people talking about these beauties lately, they really have some products you should check out!

Eibach offer various products useful for lowering your car’s suspension – apart from the regular springs themselves, you can get complete Eibach lowering kits, which include shackles and coil springs, as well as leaf springs which can further make use of the vertical space beneath your car as efficiently as possible!

It’s important to pick the ones that are right for you when browsing through Eibach’s selection though – the company has developed a vast range of products so that they can suit mostly everyone’s needs, but this can also make shopping for them a complicated task for those who’re not experienced enough. Examine your car carefully so that you know what kinds of springs you need, and how much you’ll be able to take off its height through a new set.

Also, don’t forget the aspect of installation itself – even though Eibach make some stunning products, installing them will still be up to you – so you better know someone skilled you trust highly to do the job for you, otherwise you’re risking quite a lot.

Written by dave on February 14, 2011 | Leave a Comment

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.

Written by Marcel on December 30, 2010 | Leave a Comment

So you got yourself an automatic huh? I know a lot of people these days who prefer to drive an automatic car in the city, for everyday use. Of course, there are still a lot who prefer to drive the stick for better control, but for those who have automatic drives, here are some ways you can wreck the transmission of your car. Of course, I do not have to explain the sarcasm behind these words, eh?

Shift into reverse or park while the car is still moving forward.
The newer cars have a safety feature to guard against this – the park and reverse are locked if the car is still in forward motion. But if your car doesn’t have this feature, then make sure you grab that knob and shift to reverse or park. Doing this over and over again will ensure a wrecked transmission one of these days.

Rev your engine instead of using the parking brake.
You know how you have to keep your car still when waiting for traffic to move while you’re on an incline? Well, you do have a parking brake which you can use, but why do that when you can rev your engine? It is more fun, it sounds fun, and it wrecks your transmission in the long run as well!

Don’t change the transmission gear oil on schedule.
That schedule is merely a suggestion. If you’re a little short on money, save it for later. The car will still work anyway.

Written by Marcel on December 27, 2010 | Leave a Comment

So you’re going to Europe, and you want to explore behind the wheel. This is not at all uncommon, as hitting the road can get you places which are out of the usual tourist paths (of course we know that this is the best way to explore). Before you get into the driver’s seat, however, make sure that you know exactly what you are getting into. The European Union may have united many of the countries in the continent, but that does not mean that the laws of the road are the same in each country. Take a look at these tips before you travel.

Whether you’re driving your own car, borrowing a friend’s car, or renting one, you should always have three things with you:

1. Driving license
2. Insurance papers
3. Vehicle registration papers.

Plan, plan, plan. While adventure is fun, it is also practical to have some idea of your route. You know, just to have a fallback in case you find yourself lost in the middle of nowhere. Oh, and bring your GPS with you – it just might save your life.

Make sure you have headlamp beam deflector strips and warning triangles. Also know that in some European countries, the law requires you to dip your headlights during the day. Some of these countries are Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Iceland.

Know the blood alcohol limits in each country you plan to visit. While drinking and driving is a NO NO, we know that you might find yourself behind the wheel after having a glass of wine with dinner. Just make sure that you know exactly what is legal and safe.

Written by Marcel on December 23, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Many people have dreamed of getting an RV when they get older, and going around the country at a leisurely pace. In this day and age, when hopping on a plane to get from one destination to another is the norm, driving a good old RV is not that common anymore. But anyone who has had the experience of traveling on one will tell you that there is nothing like it. Of course, you have to pay attention to the details and know how to drive safely in that oversized van. Here are some tips to stay safe on the road in an RV.

Take your time. An RV is not meant to go fast. It is the ride of choice for those who want to take it slow and take in the scenery. Going up a hill, you cannot expect to do it the same way as you would if you were driving, say, a Mustang. Don’t rush it!

Never drive down a road/street if you’re not sure there is an exit. Have you ever tried having to bust a U in a small space, or maybe back out of an alley in an RV? If so, then you would know that this piece of advice is perhaps the best that you can ever have. Before you turn into a side street, make sure that you have a way out.

Trust those side mirrors like anything. If you’re used to looking at your rear view mirrors, you better get the hang of relying almost solely on RV’s side mirrors. You will not be able to see much from the rear view mirrors (except your bed maybe) and you’ll need those side mirrors more than anything else in an RV.

Written by Marcel on December 20, 2010 | Leave a Comment