If you’ve ever traveled with children, then you know that it can sometimes be a very trying situation. This is especially true if you’re driving, as there’s almost nothing more distracting than a backseat heckler: “Are we there yet?! Why is this taking so long?! I’m bored!!” Save your sanity (and avoid an accident) with these tips for how to prepare for a long car ride with children.
Sleep schedule. If possible, plan your departure and arrival times with the kids’ sleep schedules in mind. If you know that you must be on the road for a majority of the day, then it is a good time to get up at the crack of dawn and pack those little ones in the car, along with pillows and blankets, so that that they can sleep through several hours of the ride. Read the rest of this entry »
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.
There is a reason why you use the brighter lights when you drive. Normally the people with poor vision find it useful but not all drivers should be doing that considering that it is a form of disrespect when you are passing other vehicles with glaring headlights.
Normally, these headlights are only flashed in instances like:
1. Making a turn to warn incoming vehicles
2. Overtaking a car in front
3. Warning cars in an intersection that you will be passing
4. Other warnings such as car trouble or perhaps emergencies
In most of these cases, the use of the bright option is justifiable but some just don’t know it. It does make the road brighter especially at night but unless you are driving all by your lonesome on the road, it would be best not to use them unless really necessary.
If you will notice, some drivers modify the type of lights, depending on their need. Some use the higher watt lights, sometimes over 90/100 while others go as far as changing the color from traditional incandescent colors to amber lights that are good when you are in foggy roads.
There are some states that forbid the use of amber or yellow lights due to the strain it can have on opposing cars in the opposite lanes. It can even cause accidents if not used properly and hence has become a reason why some countries ban them.
Use your car headlights wisely. It can make a difference between road courtesy and disaster.
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.
Now, to the maintenance part for as you have seen there are actually many parts that form the whole brake system which is imperative that you keep in tip top shape as possible for safety’s sake. Any fluid leak should be inspected or at least have it looked at by a mechanic to ensure they are not a danger. Worn out hoses and brake lines can suddenly burst (the pressures are immense if you were only able to see the small brake pads in how they stop your vehicle) leading to sudden loss of pressure preventing them from functioning. There is however a safety feature on brake systems which is now standard which is a dual line system which divides the wheels into two brake circuits. The driver’s side wheel is linked to the one at the rear of the passenger’s side and the other way around. This allows braking even if one of the brake systems fails and as last resort, there is still the mechanical parking brake (check out the post on how to stop without power assisted brakes for if not done properly you could lock the wheels and totally loose control).
The brake disks and drums also have to be inspected for they eventually develop deep grooves that have to be re-milled in a process called re-facing wherein the rotor/disk and drums are machined to make the surfaces flat removing the deep grooves that occur naturally. The break pads are replaced even if they are new so as to avoid making new grooves on the newly re-faced parts. Wheel cylinders get stuck or springs leak (which usually happens if they get submerged in water, say in a flood) causing them to bind which leads to smoking wheels for the brakes don’t release and the wheels have a hard time turning. Some problems can be repaired and some may have to be replaced but with proper maintenance and care you should be able to have brake trouble free use of your vehicle providing for your transportation needs for times to come.
The brake system of your car is one of the most vital safety features that without which driving would be impossible. There are many things that can go wrong with your brakes and as preventive maintenance and regular inspection, it would be best to check on a few parts so you don’t get caught without brakes on the road.
Under the hood of any vehicle there is a container or reservoir as it is called that contains brake fluid and to most drivers, is the most known part of the brake system. Don’t keep this only topped off but make sure you use the right type of brake fluid (DOT 3 is the most common brake fluid grade used). The metal thing this reservoir sits on is called the Master cylinder which contains the pistons that forces the fluid from the reservoir into the brake lines (more on the other parts as we go on) to the wheel cylinders. Directly behind that is a metal drum like thing that is the brake booster which has a rubber gasket inside which multiplies the amount of force exerted by your foot on the pedal into immense pressures to stop your car. The brake fluid then goes through the brake lines to each wheel which are actually metal pipes with some rubber hoses in tight corners and moving areas to the wheel cylinders. The wheels all have individual cylinders or pistons that push the brake pads or drums to close and stop the vehicle. The parts the pads come in contact with are the rotors for disk brakes and drums for drum brakes.
More on the next post regarding maintenance and troubleshooting of the brake system.
This has become the case with many cars whether they be green (alternative fueled) or newer generations of classics that still use petroleum-based products but are so efficient with respect to their emission controls that they have little or no emissions at all. Catalytic converters have long been a mainstay of the auto industry since they became mandatory by law way back in the late 70’s and early 80’s but unbeknownst to all, these devices though considered to be quite rugged can and do get their fair share of problems. Leaks, cracked pipes and elements are just some of them. They are also quite expensive for the reactive compounds use exotic metals such as platinum and silver.
Catalytic converters refine the exhaust of your vehicle via chemical reaction converting harmful/highly toxic gasses to less toxic ones. The trend nowadays is to produce a more efficient emission control device that would strip most if not totally eliminate the waste products of internal combustion engines. There are currently vehicles that are powered both by alternative fuel and gas that have the best emission control systems on earth but as the blog states, not all American states have them as part of their inventory. As it turns out, green cars are only available in those states that have the highest pollution control penalties.
So even if you do want to go green and got the cash to shell out for the extra they charge for these green machines, they might just not be available in your state, yet. Till all the states and eventually the world places enough laws to allow them or make them mandatory, you might have to wait a few more years for you to get one parked into your car as we all try to lower our carbon footprints in the future.
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.
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.
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.
