Car Maintenance

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Keep Your Car Tires Inflated

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

Have you been making more trips to the gas station every month? Do you notice that your car isn’t taking turns as crisply as it once did? Maybe you even notice that your tires squeal every time you need to take a sharp turn. If so, you may have under-inflated tires. If this is the case, it’s time for you to learn exactly why you should keep your car tires inflated.

Properly inflated tires aren’t just a luxury. They are necessary for safe driving. If you don’t inflate your cars to their proper levels, you greatly increase your chances for an accident. That’s because tires are more likely to suddenly go flat if you don’t inflate them to their proper air pressure.

And that’s just one reason why you need to keep your car tires inflated at all times. Keeping them inflated also saves you money, and leaves you with a car that simply performs and handles better.

You should not consider keeping your tires filled to be a major chore. Many gas stations still allow you to fill your tires at no charge. Even those that do charge, usually levy fees that total no more than $1 to $5 for the average car. Filling tires doesn’t take long, either; you can usually fill all four tires in less than 10 minutes.

So why do so many motorists drive with tires that are severely under-inflated? Maybe they don’t understand the true benefits of keeping their tires filled to the proper level of pressure.

For instance, there’s gas mileage. In today’s dismal economy, consumers are looking to save money however they can. One way to do this is to spend less time at the gas pump. You can do this by keeping your car’s tires properly filled. It’s true: Cars get fewer miles-to-the-gallon when their tires are under-inflated. When they are filled properly, though? Their mileage dramatically improves.

Properly filled tires also result in a car that handles better. When your tires are full, you’ll better be able to navigate quick, sharp turns. You won’t hear the annoying sounds of tires squealing on the pavement as you negotiate a quick turn. In short, your ride will be far more enjoyable.

Don’t ignore your tires. When you don’t inflate your tires to their proper levels, not only do you put yourself at risk of a flat tire, you’ll also spend more time pumping gas into your car’s tank.

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Why Changing Your Oil Is Important

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

You hear the pitch constantly from lube shops and quick-oil-change places: You need to change your oil every 3,000 miles. You want to keep your car running as smoothly as possible, so you listen, dutifully driving your auto to the nearest oil-change shop every time your odometer cracks the 3,000-mile mark. But you can’t help but wonder why changing your oil is important. What, exactly, does oil do for your car?

The key fact to understand about oil is that it is a lubricant. Run it between your fingers. You’ll see that it’s extremely slippery. This is important for your car’s engine. Remember, car engines are pretty violent places. Small explosions, flashing pieces of metal and plenty of moving parts all combine to propel your car down your city’s streets.

Without oil, these moving parts would constantly be rubbing against one another hard enough to create fission. And fission is one thing you don’t want in a car engine. It heats your engine to unsustainable levels. If you skip the oil change for a long enough period of time, smoke will belch from your vehicle’s front hood as you drive down the street. You’ll also severely damage your car’s engine. That’s an expensive repair.

An oil change accomplishes two things: First, it will ensure that there is enough oil in your car to keep your engine fully lubricated. Secondly, it will replace dirty, old oil with fresh and clean oil.

Dirty oil forms clumps that get caught in your engine. You may hear mechanics refer to these clumps as gunk. Gunk gets hot when your engine is firing. When its stuck to the sides and tops of your engine, this hot gunk can increase the heat of your entire engine, leading, again, to serious problems.

If you haven’t had your regular oil change, then, make sure to stop by your local lube shop. Yes, it will cost you money – anywhere from $15 to $60 or so, depending on your lube place – and it will take time out of your day. But isn’t the relatively small charge of an oil change, plus the 15 minutes or so it costs you, fair prices to pay to make sure that your car is running as smoothly as possible?

Don’t ignore the call of an oil change. Now that you know why an oil change is so important for your car, you have no excuse for skipping your regularly scheduled one.

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Do You Need New Brakes?

Saturday, September 12th, 2009

Few car parts are as important to your safety as are your auto’s brakes. Yet most of us ignore them. Brakes that aren’t functioning properly can lead to serious car accidents; you don’t want yours to fail when you turn a sharp corner to see a stalled car just feet from the front of your vehicle. The question, then, is this: How do you know when you need new brakes?

The best way to determine if it’s time to replace your car’s brake pads is to rely on your ears. Many vehicles today come with a warning signal that tells you exactly when it’s time to take your car into the shop for a brake job. It’s a signal that’s hard to misplace for anything else.

Generally, when your brakes need replacing, you’ll hear a high-pitched whining sound while you’re driving. You won’t hear this sound when you’re applying pressure to your brakes, just as your vehicle is moving. Credit this to a handy little device known as an indicator. Car manufacturers insert them in their vehicles as a way to alert drivers to brake problems.

You should be able to hear this sound even with your car windows rolled up. Don’t crank up the radio and ignore it. It’s warning you of a serious repair job that should not be tackled as soon as possible.

You should also listen to a grinding sign when you brake your car. This is a good way to tell that brakes need some repair, especially if your vehicle doesn’t come with a built-in indicator to warn you. Again, grinding brakes are an indication of serious problem with your brakes. Don’t ignore the sound; your brakes aren’t going to magically fix themselves.

Brake jobs usually aren’t cheap. In today’s economy, no one wants to spend large sums of money on car repairs. Owning a car, what with higher gas and insurance prices, is expensive enough. But replacing old brake pads simply shouldn’t be put off. If you do, you can put not only yourself at risk, but your passengers, too.

Maintaining your car’s brakes is one sign that you are a responsible vehicle owner. As soon as you hear a high-pitched whining or a grinding sound, take your vehicle to the nearest mechanic. Then, when you drive out with new brake pads, you can drive down your city’s streets confident that you have put safety first.

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