How Long Do Tires Last?

Tires are important. They are your car’s connection to the road, and it’s crucial that tires stay in good shape to keep your car running smoothly. But how long do tires really last? This article from Cars.com will tell you how:

We would expect at least 50,000 miles from the tires that come with any new vehicle, but tire life depends on so many factors that it's impossible to give anything other than broad guidelines.

Among the factors are the quality of the tire, the treadwear rating, whether it is a performance summer tire or an all-season tire, the type of vehicle it is mounted on and how it is driven. Performance tires may grip like leeches on dry pavement, but they tend to wear out faster than tires with less rolling resistance. If you drive your vehicle like you just stole it that also will wear tires faster. The Tires 101 information in the Cars.com Advice section, found here, will help you sort out the different types of tires and which is best for your driving style.

Driving for extended periods on underinflated tires shortens their lifespan, as will driving a vehicle whose wheels are out of alignment. If you never or seldom have your tires rotated, that also can accelerate wear, especially the tires mounted in front on a front-wheel-drive vehicle. They not only carry most of the vehicle's weight but also carry most of the load in braking, cornering and jackrabbit starts.

Though we would expect at least 50,000 miles from original-equipment (and quality replacement) tires, the reality can be quite different. Owners of late-model Honda CR-Vs have complained to us, for example, that they had to replace all four tires around 20,000 miles. We also hear complaints from people who bought replacement tires that were supposed to last 50,000 miles or more but were good for only 30,000 miles. In other words, there are no promises.

Here are some additional guidelines: You don't have to spend lavishly on tires, but don't automatically buy the cheapest ones either. Tires are the only part of your vehicle that are supposed to touch the ground, so make sure they're up to the task. Choose tires that have high treadwear and traction ratings, and bear in mind that performance tires with higher speed ratings may not last long. A balanced combination of wet traction, ride comfort, low noise levels and a high treadwear rating will probably be your best bet.

 Article courtesy of: http://bit.ly/13x3aNS

Common Car Maintenance Mistakes

A part of owning a car is coming to terms with the fact that things are going to go wrong. Parts are going to fail, bulbs will burn out, engine lights will come on, and belts will need to be replaced. Maintenance is inevitable whether you choose to do it yourself or take your car to a professional. There are a number of big mistakes do-it-your-selfers and sometimes even professional mechanics can make when “fixing” vehicle. This article (http://auto.howstuffworks.com/under-the-hood/vehicle-maintenance/10-serious-mistakes-car-maintenance.htm#page=0) tells you some of the most common mistakes to watch for. Here are some of the highlights:

·         Roaming around with burned out lights – Headlights and high beams are easy to spot when they burn out, but tail lights, brake lights, and running lights burn out too. This is one of the cheapest and easiest car maintenance tasks, so don’t put it off!

·         Attempting a jump start without really knowing how – Sending electricity to places it isn’t supposed to be can fry your car…or you! Don’t let that happen. Learn how to jump start a car before you actually have to do it.

·         Assuming bald tires will last a bit longer – Tires give a car the proper contact with road it needs to drive safely. If your tires are bald the car’s contact with the road isn’t so good anymore. Get a new set when the tires go bald, even if the tread looks decent.

·         Forgetting to torque the lug nuts – After changing or rotating wheels you need to make sure there is a proper amount of force applied to the lug nuts. If there’s not, eventually the pressure of driving will force the lug nuts off, which could cause your tire to leave your car while driving. No one wants that.

·         Forgetting to replace drained fluids – Gasoline isn’t the only important fluid in your car. Oil and transmission fluid keep your engine running smoothly. Brake fluid helps maintain proper pressure in your brakes. Coolant keeps things from getting too hot or too cold. These things are all important in keeping your car from having serious issues, so always triple-check that the fluids have been refilled after being drained.

·         Ignoring warning lights – Warning lights come on for one reason only, something isn’t functioning right. The longer you let it go, the more serious the issue can become. Even if you think it’s something simple like your gas cap not being tight enough, get those warning lights checked!

Read all ten maintenance mistakes here: http://bit.ly/18YoBa2.

How to Remove a Sticker from Your Car

Regretting that bumper sticker you put on your car a few years ago? Learn how to get it off clean and simple with this blog post!

Stickers on cars can symbolize just about anything under the sun. They can show support for a certain political candidate, identify you as a proud parent of an honor student or the fact that you just love that one special dog breed. Others are required by local laws, like city stickers. Some even come attached to your new car straight from the dealer.

But political campaigns and straight A's end at some point, and those city stickers need to be replaced every year.

While removing stickers isn't as easy as putting them on, we have some advice that should make the job a little less sticky.

What you need:

·         Hair dryer with hot air settings

·         Razor blade or a box cutter (if removing from glass)

·         Sturdy plastic card — could be a library card, credit card, frequent shopper card or ID

·         Two clean rags or detailing towels

·         Glass cleaning solution (if removing from glass)

·         Tree sap remover solution

·         Quick detailing spray

What to do:

1. Ensure that the sticker and the surrounding area are free of dirt. Doing this removal process works best after a car wash.

2. Plug in the hair dryer, turn the heat setting to hot and hold the hair dryer just a few inches above the sticker. Do not place the hair dryer directly on top of the sticker and the car's paint.

3. Keep the hair dryer over the center area for a few seconds, making sure the air coming out is hot and then slowly begin to move it around the rest of the sticker. You want to heat the edges of the sticker last so you can prep for the next step.

4. After you've let the sticker heat up, use the plastic card at an angle to gently scrape up under the sticker. You can also try using your fingertips. If the surface area is hot enough, you will be able to slide the card under the sticker's edge and begin to peel it away.

Repeating steps 2-3 a few more times may make a cumbersome presidential campaign sticker that's been on your bumper since the last time your party won easier to remove. You can also try moving the plastic card or razor blade back and forth while you slide it under the sticker's surface.

If you're removing a sticker from your car's glass, use the box cutter or razor blade at a slight angle. Do not use a box cutter or razor blade on your car's paint; it will cause damage. On glass you will be able to apply a bit heavier pressure, if needed, to remove the sticker.

5. Continue to push the plastic card — or razor blade — underneath the sticker until it completely breaks away from the car's surface. It is completely normal for the sticker to break apart during this removal process.

6. Once the sticker is removed, you can repeat steps 1-4 to remove any sticky residue or remnants. Tree sap remover also works great. Just apply a few drops onto a clean rag or detailing cloth and scrub away. If there’s sticky residue on your car’s glass, use the razor blade to gently scrape it away.

7. When that part of the car is completely clear of any sticker and its residue, polish it off with some glass cleaner or quick detailing spray

Article courtesy of: http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2013/04/how-to-remove-stickers-from-your-car.html

Keep Your Car from Overheating this Summer

Use these easy maintenance tips this summer to avoid breaking down from your car overheating. 

This summer is one of the hottest in recent memory, and is already creating a flurry of awful news stories about people leaving their dogs and even their children in hot cars to overheat, and even die.

While we hope readers are using common sense about dogs and children, we know that car care in extreme heat is not always obvious, even when you consult that phone book in your glove box known as the owner's manual.

So here are some basic things you should know about caring for your car and avoiding unnecessary catastrophes or repairs.

1. If you battery is three years old, consider replacing it as a matter of preventive maintenance. Batteries get stressed in extreme temperatures, and the older they get, the more stressed they get.

2. Have your cooling service checked by a mechanic or the dealer if it has not been looked at in two years. This system is critical to keeping the engine cool and the air conditioning system working right. Let it break for lack of simple maintenance, and it is not cheap to fix or replace.

3. If you are driving, and especially if you are stuck in traffic, and the temperature light goes on and you are in the danger zone, turn off the air conditioner immediately and open the windows. If the light stays on, turn the temperature selector on the system to the hottest setting. This will redirect some of the heat that is trapped in the cooling system. If the light stays on, pull over and call road-side assistance. Stop driving. If the light goes off, you should be okay to drive the car to a mechanic.

4. Make sure you have fresh coolant in your radiator to start the summer, not just water. Have the radiator checked specifically for corrosion.

5. Look at your tires. If you have worn or cracked tires, you are asking for big trouble in very hot weather. Not only could you blow the tires, but a blow-out at high speeds could cause you to crash, rollover and possibly hit another vehicle.

6. If you drive long stretches of road on a summer road trip or business trip, keep a gallon jug of water somewhere in the car. It could come in handy if you have a radiator leak, or you get stuck waiting for help.

Article courtesy of http://aol.it/YZGLnz.