car maintenance – Traffic School Online

Skidding, sliding, hydroplaning…. Cold and wet weather brings a whole host of scary driving possibilities! In conditions like these, you’ll want your tires to have the best possible grip on the road.

In addition to checking your tire pressure, here are five more tips to help you make sure your tires are ready for fall and winter driving!

1. Check Your Tire Tread Depth

To function safely in the variety of weather conditions your car will encounter, your tire tread must be in good condition. In wet conditions, tread grooves help to channel water out from under your tire and off to the sides, allowing your tire to maintain contact with the road. When these grooves become too shallow, water cannot drain fast enough, and the tire can lose its grip on the road, causing you to hydroplane. Shallow tread can also contribute to skids in dry conditions.

How to Measure Tread Depth

In most states, tires are legally considered “worn out” and must be replaced once the tread is worn down to 2/32 of an inch.

Depth gauges are available, but you can also use the penny test to check for legal tire tread depth. Place a penny into a tread groove, with Lincoln’s head facing down into the groove. If part of his head is covered by the tread, you’re good to go – but if you can see all of his head, it’s time to replace the tire.

Most tires also have built-in treadwear indicators or “wear bars.” When your tires have worn down to 2/32”, the indicators will look like narrow strips of smooth rubber across the tread. If you can see these, your tires are worn out and need to be replaced.

Legal Tread Depth May Still Be Unsafe

Recent performance tests of stopping distances and road grip conducted by Tire Rack, an independent tire testing group, revealed that the legal minimum requirement is significantly less safe than just 2/32” tread depth.

As this video shows, the test vehicle equipped with tires at 2/32” tread depth was still traveling at 44 MPH at the point where the vehicle with 4/32” tread depth had come to a complete stop.

As a result, the American Automobile Association now recommends using a quarter instead of a penny to check that your tread is at least 4/32 of an inch, the distance from the edge of the quarter to the top of Washington’s head.

Also keep in mind that drivers expecting to encounter snowy conditions will need more tread depth to “bite” into snow-covered roads. Tire Rack recommends replacing tires when they reach 6/32” if you are anticipating snowy weather.

2. Examine Tread Wear Patterns

Check your tread depth at the outer edge of the tire, the center, and the inside edge. If the measurements aren’t the same, your tires are wearing unevenly.

Uneven tire wear can indicate that tires are over or under-inflated, that the wheels are out of alignment, or that suspension components are worn. AAA provides a guide to Tires and Wheels with more information.

3. Determine the Age of Your Tires

Like any rubber, tires break down over time. As they age, tires lose integrity and become more prone to failure. According to the NHTSA, tire aging is a factor in 90 traffic deaths and 3,200 injuries per year.

Some tire companies recommend replacing tires after 6 to 10 years, but exposure to the elements and how well you take care of your tires will determine how long your tires are safe to drive on.

You can look at the information printed on the tire sidewall to find out their age. The last two digits of the seven-digit Tire Identification Number will tell you the year it was manufactured.

Make sure to also check tires on cars that aren’t driven very often, and don’t neglect your spare tire! Tires age whether or not they are driven on regularly, so in these situations, the rubber in your tires could deteriorate to an unsafe level even before your tire tread wears down. You can ask your automotive repair professional to examine the tires at your next service.

4. Be Prepared with Snow Chains

If you’re heading to a snowy area, make sure you have tire chains stored in your trunk! Not only are they an important safety measure, but they’re required by many state departments of transportation in snowy conditions. If you decide to skip them, you’re taking the risk of having to buy chains at steep prices when you reach the point where they’re required, if they’re even available, or turn around and head home.

To purchase snow chains, you’ll need to know the size of your tires, which can be found on the Tire Identification Number. Your owner’s manual will also tell you whether your car can be equipped with chains, and what types are recommended.

It’s also a good idea to familiarize yourself with installing and removing the chains before you’re forced to do so in poor weather conditions!

5. Understand Professional Maintenance Procedures

Uneven tire wear, unusual vibrations or noises, or a pull to one side, as you drive, can indicate problems that require special skills and tools to fix.

Most drivers will want to leave these tasks to professionals, but understanding the basics will help you make sense of what your mechanic tells you! Refer to your owner’s manual for your vehicle’s recommended maintenance schedule, but if you notice a problem, it’s best to get it fixed as soon as you can.

Tire Rotation

Tires on the front and rear of your vehicle perform different steering and braking functions, causing the tires to wear differently. Rotating your tires, or moving them to different wheels, helps to even out tire wear.

Tire Balancing

Wheels and tires often aren’t precisely round, so mechanics balance tires by adding small weights to even out the weight distribution of the wheel and tire around the axle.

Wheel Alignment

Normal wear and tear or an impact with a pothole or curb can cause your vehicle to get “out of alignment.” You might notice uneven wear patterns on your tires, or notice the car pulling to one side. When correcting the wheel alignment, mechanics adjust a variety of suspension components to meet the car manufacturer’s specifications.

Looking for more information about tire safety? Check out Tire Rack’s Tire Tech and Winter Tire Tech articles!

One of the most frustrating experiences you can have as a car owner is having to take your car to an auto repair shop for repairs. Unfortunately, many people feel intimidated when talking to auto repair mechanics. As a result, their vehicles may not be repaired properly, or they wind up paying for services that they don’t even need. If you feel overwhelmed when dealing with auto mechanics, here are some important tips for dealing with an auto repair shop effectively.

Communication Tips

Good communication is especially critical when it comes to effectively dealing with auto mechanics. Once a mechanic knows the symptoms of a vehicle and what’s wrong, it’s much easier for the problem to be repaired.

Before taking in your car, make a list of abnormalities. For example, does your vehicle smell different or sound strange? Is it leaking, or does it feel different when you drive it? Also, determine the frequency at which these conditions occur.
Be able to describe how your vehicle was working just before it started having the problem.
Be prepared to tell a mechanic when you last brought your vehicle into an auto repair shop, and if the issue could possibly be related to when it was last repaired or serviced.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you don’t understand what a mechanic is telling you regarding your vehicle’s problem and how it should be fixed, ask for a simple explanation.

Secure Several Written Estimates and Then Negotiate

Don’t settle for the first estimate, especially if it seems too high. It’s best to get at least four or five written estimates for what the repairs will cost. Then, once you have your estimates, be ready to negotiate.

In other words, go to an auto shop that gives you a higher estimate and show the owner a lower estimate for the same repair job from another shop. You have nothing to lose if you’re turned down.

Tips for Detecting a Dishonest Mechanic

If a mechanic is dishonest, he or she probably will probably hesitate to use simple layman’s words when asked for an explanation.
Recognize when a mechanic is trying to test your knowledge of cars. The best way that a shady mechanic can access how much you know about your car is by asking basic questions, such as the number of cylinders your car’s engine has.
Another setup question is quizzing you about the oil weight that your vehicle can take.
If you appear ignorant, you can easily be duped into believing that your vehicle may need unnecessary services

Additional Tips and Warnings

Study your car owner’s manual. Besides appearing more knowledgeable about your vehicle, you’ll also may be able to solve simple problems just by knowing more about the basic controls of your car, meaning you may not even have to take it into a shop.
Clean your car before dropping it off because a filthy, cluttered car can compromise repair quality. If a mechanic has to first remove heavy items before working on your car, you may not receive the best service. What’s more, the excess weight of too much clutter in a car can cause a car to perform poorly.

Sometimes, vehicles need to be repaired because they’ve been involved in traffic accidents. Besides having to worry about costly repairs, many drivers also have the problem of increased insurance rates due to additional points on their driving records. In many cases, judges let drivers, who have to make court appearances, attend traffic schools so that their points are reduced.

If you’re facing additional points on your auto insurance policy because of a traffic accident and don’t have time to attend a brick-and-mortar traffic school, consider attending trafficschoolonline-dev.plume.co.uk/. In addition to providing an online traffic school, we also offer courses in defensive driving for reducing insurance costs and dismissing traffic citations.

In this age of fluctuating gas prices, it is useful to improve your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Thankfully, there are several basic car maintenance procedures that you can perform that will immediately increase your fuel efficiency. Alone, they may not save you a lot of money, but combined, you may be able to save several dollars per tank of gas.

Get Your Car Regularly Tuned Up

If you haven’t gotten your car tuned up in the last year, you’re doing great damage to your fuel efficiency. Tuning a car engine helps it fire more efficiently and eliminates dangerous emission problems. Just how much it will help depends on how poorly your car was tuned before the repairs.

Generally speaking, a good tune-up should improve your mileage by about 4% or $0.09 per gallon. However, in severe cases, an improvement of up to 40% is possible. That kind of huge improvement will be noticeable immediately.

Inflate Your Tires Perfectly

Obviously, under-inflating your tires will eliminate fuel efficiency by decreasing the surface area that touches the road. However, people who overcompensate by over-inflating their tires are also doing themselves a disservice. Too much pressure may give you a slight increase in efficiency, but also puts your tires under a higher strain and increases their chances of blowing.

Instead, look at the sticker on your door jamb to find the proper tire pressure and inflate to that. Never inflate to the maximum pressure! Keeping your tires properly inflated can increase efficiency by 3%, which is about $0.07 per gallon of gas.

Always Properly Change Your Oil

The wonderful thing about motor oil is that it has become so efficient that it can last far beyond the three-month or 3,000-mile change time suggested by mechanics. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean it stays efficient: beyond that change date, old motor oil gets increasingly thick, and murky, and can decrease your fuel efficiency drastically.

Just how does old oil interfere with your engine’s efficiency? It starts by causing more friction in the engine, which creates more heat. With more heat, your fuel burns at a higher level. This means that more fuel will burn with each stroke of your engine. Getting your oil changed (with the proper suggested brand) can increase efficiency by 4% or $0.08 per gallon.

Clean Out Your Air Filter

When you’re getting your oil changed, make sure to always get your air filter changed. Why? A clean one is necessary for eliminating pollutants that can otherwise damage your engine. Dirty air filters no longer filter efficiency and all sorts of damaging items can get into your engine and decrease its efficiency.

However, this is only true of vehicles with carbureted engines: Installing a new air filter can increase its efficiency by as much as 14%. Newer vehicles with computer-controlled engines don’t really get an efficiency benefit, as such. That said, it will still increase the life of your engine and make it run more smoothly.

Don’t Max Out Your Speed

The temptation to drive as fast as you’re legally allowed is understandable psychologically, but aerodynamically, it is seriously impacting your fuel mileage. There is as a delicate balance between speed and efficiency: up to about 60 miles per hour, your vehicle generally burns less gas as it drives quicker.

However, as your car’s speed increases beyond about 50 miles per hour, the drag on your vehicle starts to force your vehicle to burn more gas. Generally speaking, your vehicle will start to lose fuel efficiency. Often, this can be as high as $0.25 cents per gallon of gas for every 5 miles per hour you drive.

Now that you know how to improve your fuel efficiency with these simple maintenance tips, you should implement them as soon as you can. Shaving off an extra $0.05-$0.10 per procedure will add up quickly.

If each of these procedures eliminated $0.10 per gallon, you’d be saving $0.50 per gallon. In a 15-gallon tank, that is $7.50 per tank. Over time, that can add up to real savings!

If you’re new to driving, the idea of maintaining a car can seem a bit overwhelming. After all, vehicles have thousands of moving parts, so there’s a lot that can go wrong if you’re not mindful of some car maintenance basics. Fortunately, with a little bit of foresight, you can take all the steps necessary to keep your car running safely and efficiently for many miles to come.

Oil Changes

One of the most basic aspects of maintaining a car is having its oil changed regularly. After all, your car’s engine (which contains many moving parts) needs to be well-lubricated in order to run smoothly. Over time, the oil becomes dirty and sludgy, which can cause damage to your engine.

You’ll want to check out your vehicle owner’s manual to determine how long your car should go between oil changes, but most newer vehicles can go anywhere from 5,000 to 9,000 miles between oil changes. Your oil change shop or dealership might tell you to come back for another oil change in 3,000 miles or three months, but due to higher quality oils used these days, that practice is no longer necessary.

Modern vehicles have a dashboard light that will come on when it’s time for your next oil change. Even more advanced cars will come equipped with an onboard computer that will provide you with a digital read-out of your remaining oil life. Even if your car doesn’t come with these technologies, you can always test your oil by pulling out the dipstick from your engine; a dark, sludgy appearance indicates the need for an oil change, whereas a smooth, lighter color is usually a sign of clean oil.

Tire Maintenance

You’ll also want to take measures to ensure that your tires are in safe operation. This means taking the time to check your air pressure every few weeks (especially during times of fluctuating temperatures) and inflating/deflating as needed.

Approximately every 7,500 miles, you’ll also want to have your tires rotated. You can do this at the same place you get your oil changed (a quick service shop or your dealership); rotating your tires helps to ensure that they’re evenly worn, which will prolong the life of your tires and make your car safer to drive. Just be sure to replace your tires when the tread becomes too worn; usually, if you can place an upside-down penny in your tire tread and see the top of Abraham Lincoln’s head, this is a sure sign that your tires are too worn and in need of replacement.

Brake Maintenance

Last but not least, you’ll need to be proactive about caring for your brakes. Every 30,000 miles or so, your brake pads will likely need replacing (of course, this will vary based on how much freeway versus city driving you do). Failure to replace your brake pads as needed can ultimately lead to your brake rotors and/or calipers becoming warped, which will be much more expensive and labor-intensive to replace or repair.

Generally, you can tell when your brakes need to be serviced by listening for abnormal noises or vibrations coming from the brakes or steering wheel when you press the brake pedal. Specifically, be on the lookout for a squealing noise that doesn’t go away, or a grinding noise.

These are just a few of the basics you’ll need to be aware of when it comes to car maintenance. If you’re ever in doubt, you can always refer to your car owner’s manual for further information on the maintenance your car needs at various mileage intervals. For more information on staying safe behind the wheel, consider taking an online driving safety course.

Your vehicle’s tires play a crucial role in ensuring a safe and comfortable driving experience. However, they often go unnoticed until something goes wrong. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, tire-related issues contribute to about 80,000 accidents annually. Regular tire inspections can help you avoid becoming part of this statistic. Here are five signs that your tires need attention or replacement:

1. Worn Tread

Tire tread is essential for maintaining traction and preventing hydroplaning. Check the tread depth by inserting a quarter into the grooves with Washington’s head facing down. If the top of his head is visible, your tire tread is worn, and it’s time to invest in new tires. Additionally, watch for built-in wear indicators (solid lines of rubber across the treads); if these are visible, it’s also time for a replacement.

2. Uneven Wear

Uneven tire wear may indicate misaligned wheels, worn ball joints, or suspension issues. Inspect your tires for uneven wear patterns, particularly on the inner edges. If you notice white cords showing through worn areas, replace your tires immediately. To prevent uneven wear, consider investing in a quality set of all-weather General Tires from TireBuyer.com.

3. Cracking Sidewalls

Cracking or crazing on the sidewalls of your tires can indicate rot. This issue typically occurs when a vehicle is rarely used or left stationary for extended periods. If you notice sidewall damage, replace your tires as soon as possible to prevent a blowout. To protect your tires, use a tire protectant like Armor-All.

4. Tread Separation

Tread separation occurs when the tire tread detaches from the tire body. This issue is commonly seen on highways as discarded tire husks. While most prevalent in transfer trucks or vehicles with retread tires, it can happen to any tire. If you notice a split between the tread and the tire, replace your tires immediately to prevent a blowout.

5. Air Leak

Air leaks are often caused by a damaged or weak seal between the tire and the rim. If left unchecked, a significant air leak can result in a tire blowout at the rim and a loss of vehicle control. If a tire continually loses air and remedies like Fix-A-Flat or remounting the tire don’t resolve the issue, it’s time for a replacement.

If your vehicle’s handling changes suddenly or after hitting a deep pothole, have a professional inspect your tires and alignment. Address any identified damage promptly to ensure even tire wear and proper suspension system function.

Your tires are your lifeline on the road—regular maintenance and timely replacements help ensure a safe driving experience.

As the seasons change and the road gets slippery with fallen leaves, rain, and ice, you won’t want to be left wondering whether your tires are in good condition. Fortunately, it’s easy to check the condition of your tires yourself.

Checking and adjusting your tire pressure is key to keeping tires in good condition and avoiding a disastrous tire failure, but many of us overlook it. Here are some tips to help you get familiar with maintaining the proper tire pressure, and how to incorporate it into your car care routine.

Why Does Proper Tire Pressure Matter?

The pressure of the air in your tires changes the way they contact the road. Overinflation makes tires rigid, preventing the whole tire tread from touching the road. This also causes the center of your tire tread to wear down faster and makes the ride feel rougher.

Underinflated tires can cause imprecise handling and premature wear on the tread at the edges of your tires. Underinflated tires may even overheat and fail at highway speeds. According to AAA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, under-inflated tires contribute to more than 600 fatalities and 33,000 injuries every year.

Proper tire pressure can also save you money at the gas pump. The decrease in fuel economy caused by underinflated tires results in more than one billion gallons of wasted gasoline annually in the U.S. alone.

How to Maintain Your Tire Pressure

Find the Correct Pressure

Before you add or remove any air, you’ll need to look up the correct tire pressure for your car. This can be found on a tire and loading information label affixed to your driver’s side door edge, door post, or the inside of your glove compartment. You can also find it in your owner’s manual.

The tire pressure printed on the sidewall of your tires is the maximum air pressure that the tire can take, and probably isn’t the same as the correct pressure for your specific vehicle model. so always rely on the recommendation from your vehicle manufacturer.

Check Your Current Tire Pressure

There are several types of tire pressure gauges available: stick, dial, and digital. Each kind has its own advantages and disadvantages, but most are operated in the same way. Unscrew your tire valve cap, line up the gauge with the valve, and press the gauge down onto the valve to get a reading.

Don’t forget to check your spare tire too! Many spare tires have higher pressure recommendations than regular tires, so make sure to check your owner’s manual or the tire information label.

It’s best to check your tire pressure and add or remove air only when the tires are cold – this means that they have not been driven on for at least three hours. As you drive, the air in your tires heats up, and the pressure rises. Even driving as little as a mile can make a big difference.

Add or Remove Air

If the pressure reading is higher than the recommended level, let out some air. Some tire gauges have a small metal peg, often on the reverse side of the gauge attachment, which you can press into the air valve to let some air out. Alternatively, you can use a fingernail or the tip of a pen. Don’t release or “bleed” air when your tires are warm! You may release too much air, causing your tires to be underinflated.

If the pressure reading is lower than the recommended level, you’ll need to add some air to your tires. In California and Connecticut, gas stations are required to provide free compressed air. In other states, you may encounter coin-operated machines.

If you must drive to access compressed air, check and record your tire pressure first, and note how many pounds of air pressure you need to add to reach the recommended level. When you are ready to add air, check the pressure again, and add the missing pounds on top of that reading. When your tires cool down again, they should read the correct pressure.

After adjusting, recheck your tire pressure again to make sure it’s at the recommended level.

Don’t Rely on Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems

All cars manufactured since 2008 have a tire pressure monitoring system that activates an indicator light on the dashboard when at least one tire is more than 25% underinflated, a severe level of underinflation. This is particularly useful to warn of a rapid loss of pressure due to a puncture or an active leak.

However, many motorists treat this system as a replacement for regularly checking their tire pressure. In a 2007 survey by the Rubber Manufacturers Association, 40% of drivers reported that they wouldn’t check their tire pressure unless their tire pressure indicator light came on – an extremely risky habit.

Tires typically lose one pound of pressure per month just through normal seepage, so it’s best to check your tire pressure monthly and add more air as needed.

Tread Wear, Aging, Alignment, Rotation, Balance….

Proper tire pressure isn’t the only component of good tire care! Look for more tips in our next post.

Good tires are the foundation of safe driving. If that sounds hyperbolic, it’s not. Tires with weak tread are more likely to skid due to the lack of traction, and if you can’t reliably steer your car with any degree of precision, then it doesn’t really matter what sort of condition the rest of the car is in. Tires worn thin can blow out in the middle of traffic and, if that happens, then clean oil and new spark plugs can’t do much to prevent an accident.

If you want to drive safely, then two things are of the utmost importance. You need to learn how to detect when tires are wearing thin and extend the life of your tires.

Luckily, taking care of your tires is one of the easier tasks involved in keeping your car in shape. Follow these points for a safer driving experience:

Learn to Read the Wear

Inspect the treads of your tires regularly to assess their condition. Pay attention to any uneven wear patterns, as this may indicate issues with tire inflation or alignment. Familiarizing yourself with different types of tire wear can help you identify bad habits when it comes to inflating and caring for your tires. You can even spot other issues with your car, such as worn suspension parts identified by cupped wear on the tire itself.

Check Your Pressure Regularly

Check your tire pressure about once a month. Adjusting is easy enough: let air out when it’s over-inflated, and pump some more when it’s low. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) points to under-inflation as a leading cause of car accidents. Make sure to check the pressure right after inflation. Don’t let improper inflation let the air out of your new Continental tires.

Don’t Neglect Tire Rotation

If you don’t have your driver’s manual to tell you how often to have your tires rotated, start with once every 6,000 miles. This will let your tires wear evenly to ensure you don’t have four tires at four different points in their life cycle. An even tread means better traction and a lower risk of accidents.

Know Your Maximum Weight Load

Tires are only designed to support up to a certain weight. You don’t want to use your compact car to transport tons of steel and cement, obviously, but the weight recommendations are especially important for trucks and SUVs. You’ll find the recommended load listed on the same part of the sidewall where you’ll find the recommended tire pressure.

Replace Your Tires When You See the Bars

Most tires feature built-in wear indicator bars that are exposed when the tires have been worn down past a certain point. When this happens, your next trip should be to the garage in order to replace them. Every trip you take on worn tires is another chance to experience a blowout.

Caring for your tires doesn’t really take all that much time and effort — just a quick pressure check once a month and regular maintenance, and you shouldn’t have to worry about your tires any more than you do your oil filter, coolant levels, or any other aspect of car maintenance.

◉ 5 Tips to Get Your Tires Ready for Winter