Wednesday, May 29, 2013

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

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

How to Prepare for a Road Trip


Are you planning a road trip for the summer? Don’t you wish you could just hop in the car and go without a plan? Unfortunately that might not be the best idea if you want to make the most out of your trip. Tom and Ray Maliozzi from Cars.com have come up with a list of top 10 tips for road trips (http://bit.ly/Ka9Iqi). These are some of our favorites:

·         Get Your Car Checked Out – You don’t want to risk your car not working in unfamiliar territory because of something that could have been prevented. Plan to have your vehicle thoroughly serviced before your road trip.
·         Build in Rest Days – You’re going on a road trip to have fun, not wear yourself out! When planning your itinerary add a few extra rest days in between driving.  That also means you’ll be easier on your car, which makes it less likely to break down.
·         Bring a Basic Repair Kit – Have a repair kit ready for little things you can fix yourself. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy, a few different sizes of regular and Phillips-head screwdrivers, vice grips, etc.
·         Join a travel club – Joining a travel club like AAA will save you a lot of hassle if you do break down or blow a tire. Also check with Better World Club or an auto club offered by your car’s manufacturer.
·         Check the Air Pressure, Including the Spare – A car has 5 tires, not 4! Before you leave for your trip, check the pressure on your 4 main tires, but on your spare tire as well
·         Don’t forget to have fun! – No matter how much you prepare, unexpected things can still happen. Don’t sweat it too much though. Remember, you’re on vacation!

Read all 10 road trip tips here: http://bit.ly/Ka9Iqi

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

What Your Check Engine Light is Trying to Tell You


A check engine light coming on in your car is never something a driver wants to deal with. The light could mean a vehicle needs expensive repairs, or it could be something as simple as a gas cap not being screwed on tight enough. But not matter what it is, the matter of the fact is you’re going to have to get your engine checked.

In 2010 CarMD published a list of the five most common check engine light codes. Here they are in order or frequency.

·         O2 Sensor (part of the emissions system monitoring and helping adjust the air-fuel mixture)

·         Loose gas cap

·         Catalytic converter

·         Mass air flow sensor (monitoring the amount of air mixed in the fuel injection system)

·         Spark plug wires

To read the entire artcile click here :  http://edmu.in/im4vWF

Thursday, May 9, 2013

The History of the Garage: An Infographic



Car garages. We don’t really think about them, do we? Garages are one of the things we take for granted; they protect our cars from the elements, are great storage centers - and are everywhere. No, really: the U.S. alone has 82 million homes with a garage; that’s enough to store every car made in the world last year.

Don’t forget: in the beginning, drivers didn’t have actual, personal garages; they used converted carriage houses that once held horses. Nowadays, the garage is so common we don’t even think twice about it.

Check out Autoblog’s full-length infographic to see even more cool facts about these underappreciated buildings!

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Can You Identify Cars By Their Sound?



When dealing with cars, most of us recognize a car by a number of physical characteristics. We recognize basic exterior designs, brand symbols, and so forth.

Some people, though, can actually recognize a car by its sound. That’s right: just based on the sound of a revving engine, some people know exactly what car is coming up behind them as they walk along a sidewalk near a busy road.



In an article on jalopnik.com, the editors write that for car enthusiasts, “there's a whole world of exhaust sound. It's a game you can play to see if you can recognize a car with your eyes closed. There's very little as satisfying as picking out a big block muscle car before it even turns onto your block.

I could argue that car noises are under threat today. High-performance luxury cars are playing to a more comfort-oriented audience, and the new BMW M5 is so quiet, the engineers make up engine noise that pipes in through the speakers. The current 'car of the future,' the Tesla Model S is electric. All you hear on the street is tire noise.

But there are still plenty of fantastic exhausts to pick out. Can you ID all of these cars without looking?”

What do you think? Can you identify cars based on sound alone? Click here and head to the main article to watch all 10 videos and find out!

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