Why are Good Tires so Important?

Tires are the shoes of the automobile and the wheels are the legs, having great legs is important but ask any woman shoes can change the world. On average a person will spend more on shoes for their feet than on tires for the car they drive. The C/V axles, the ABS control module, the control arms…literally every system in the car relies on the tires to keep everything in check. Ever seen one of those worlds wildest police videos what happens when the cops shoot out the tires? Does anyone ever get far without tires? No, they have to book it on foot.

In the day to day grind we all see thousands of cars, one day take a min and look at the average tire on a car. More than a third of the people out there are riding around on tires that are bald or dry-rotted. Worn out tires are a huge safety risk in many ways, not only will there be less traction but they are more likely to suffer a blow-out. When a tire is referred to as bald it means that all the tread is worn off to a point where the grip will begin to lack and the side walls of the tire begin to suffer too. With low grip a car will slide during steering even at low speed and the braking distance will be come much greater. Metal bands run throughout tires and serve as a basic structure for the unit but they are also held together by the rubber. The less rubber the less structurally stable that the tire will be, at which point the small cracks that develop in the tire can quickly expand causing the loss of air pressure internally.

Dry rot is the next major issue that may people are completely oblivious to, this is the drying of the rubber in the unit. Rubber in a tire is just like the rubber in a seal, if it is not lubricated it will begin to crumble. When the rubber falls apart it will lead to holes and loss of stability, not to mention loss of grip. The physical characteristics of rubber change once dry rot happens and the only solution is to replace the units. Tires that are in bad condition can make your driving experience as dangerous as driving drunk. You may get away with it but in the end you are endangering yourself and everyone around you, When is the last time you checked your tires?

How Do Auto AC Systems Work

In the days of ole, the wind was the best way to keep a hot day from being too much to bear but the modern age calls for a modern solution. AC systems are designed to cool off air and keep the environment cool, well the indoor environment that is. Ever stood near the outside of an AC system, that heat has got to go somewhere. AC parts such as an A/C compressor and evaporator work together not to eliminate heat but to move heat to a different location.  The Idea of the ac system is simple, capture heat on a medium and use fluid to move said heat to another location. In the case of an auto ac system the heat is captured from the evaporator inside the car, usually under the dash. The captured heat is transferred to the condenser at the front of the vehicle and released. 

 A car, unlike a home relies more on moving air than fans to pull the heat off the condenser at the front of the vehicle. Auto AC is also a much more compact version of what a home ac system is…unless you feel like strapping a window unit into your car. When a car is in movement, air is blowing across the condenser which is basically a radiator that uses coolant and a cooling fan.  Just like the engine cooling system that keeps the car from over-heating the ac system keeps the passenger from overheating.

Components in the AC system play vital roles, each doing something that will specifically change the way the system works. The compressor being most important part, as it pushes the fluid through the system so that each of the other components can do their job. There is also a filter in the system that is often called a Accumulator/Drier which is designed to remove dirt and debris from the system. Then the fluid is passed through the condenser to be cool and yep you guessed it condensed. Once the Oil/Freon mix is cooled than it is passed through the expansion device where the fluid is allowed to expand into larger tubing. This process will further cool the fluid and then it is pushed into the evaporator which is a device where the fluid will be spread out even more onto what is like a radiator but works in reverse. Once the fluid travels across the evaporator a fan pushes air across it and the heat in the air is removed by the super-cooled liquid. Finally the heat soaked liquid is pulled back through the system and it all starts again. Ac systems are designed to make life more comfortable and cooler for all of us even if a failing system may make us a bit hot headed.  

Some Common Brake Issues

Almost all the vehicles on the market today are equipped with disk brakes. The only models that can be found today without front disk brakes are mainly small utility vehicles or models. Brakes are not like a power steering pumps or turbochargers, they will act different under every condition. Brake can fade and squeal or even crack depending on the way they are handled. So how can we know when we need to pay attention to the brakes on our cars?

Failing brakes have many signs that most people will pass off as nothing but shouldn’t be ignored.  Other signs people will pay attention but are actually not an issue at all, other signs could be both.

When the steering wheel shakes under braking, it is a classic brake failure due to warped disks on the braking system. Uneven deceleration due to warped disks can be down-right dangerous and make a car very difficult to control. If the issue is resolved early the brake rotors can be turned (sanded smooth) but if the issue is ignored, the rotors will become so warped they will be completely destroyed. Brake fade is an issue that won’t face drivers outside of a race track but it happens when the brakes are used hard for a long period. Brake fade happens because the brake fluid becomes super-heated and cannot cause the proper force in the calipers.

Brake noise is a common issue that many drivers have, most brake noise is just from super dense brake pads. When brake squeal can be heard it is a good idea to inspect the brake system to be sure there are no issues. Brake squeal can also be the “brake alarm” which is a small piece of metal that is on the pad to make a squeal to alert the driver that it is time for new brake pads. 

Can I Really Install This Part in My Driveway

There are millions of shade tree mechanics out there working on their own cars and their friends cars on the weekends. It’s a nice thought buy that new power steering box or power steering rack get a six pack of beer and do it all yourself. No mechanic charging you ridiculous labor rates and padding the bill with parts of services you don’t need. No waiting around hoping your car will be done while not being sure it is done right but sometimes doing it yourself can cause some huge headaches.

First off not all repairs are as straight forward as they seem on paper, before setting off on the adventure that is car repair it is a good idea to find out what can go wrong. When any car repair is started we all think about the end result, thinking the only steps we will have to take are the ones that are described in the installation. This as we all know is not true, many auto repairs take hours longer than anticipated due to unforeseen complications. Anyone who does their own work on cars will tell you, one stuck bolt can keep a job stuck for hours. One bent pin can mean a trip to the parts store and one spun steering rack boot can mean no more warranty.

So how does one keep the repairs from going wrong? First take the time to study a job before you start it and know how to do all procedures before you start them. If the car being worked on is your only car be sure you have a friend available to take you to get any tools you may end up needing. Next know your level of install ability, you have done your own oil change and feel like now you can conquer anything. While this simple procedure has gone off without a hitch it may not be your time to jump into a turbo install. It may sound like an expensive alternative but if you are not sure how to do a job, taking the car to a mechanic is your best option. We can all save money by doing it ourselves but towing a car that is all in pieces will cost more than the install would have in the first place. 

Proper Driving Techniques

Every day there are more and more people on the road driving, each person with increasing distractions in their car. Every one of us out on the roads is testing the parts of our cars every day from the power steering rack to the navigation unit.  There are many rules on the road that are just common sense that seem to have fallen by the waste side. Simple and easy driving rules that 15 year olds learn and follow in driver’s education.

Driving is not as safe of an activity as some of us feel, a car is a 3000 pound hunk of metal and glass, at 70 mph it can do some serious damage. With a cell phone in one hand, electric razor in the other and a coffee in between our legs is really not the best idea. Not only is distracted driving not a good idea it is illegal too. Would it really be so tuff to wake up 5 minutes earlier to get a shave or to buy a hands-free head set to talk while you drive. Nowadays most cars can hook a cell phone into the stereo so you can chat away like the person is in the car with you. The bottom line is while your car may be safer than a tank it’s the car that you hit which will suffer. Consider what will happen to the drive of a car that you don’t see before you jump on the phone.

Now that we have covered distracted driving how bout some basic rules that people don’t seem to follow any more. First there are these flashy lights on the corners of your car and years ago they were used to tell other drivers what direction you intended to go. Amazing inventions that seems to be completely ignored nowadays…yes I am talking about turn signals, use them! Checking your mirrors before changing lanes is another practice that seems to have vanished. Not all of us drive huge SUVs some of us are low to the road and you won’t see us if you don’t look. Highway driving is some of the most dangerous that can be done, not because of curvy roads but the speed and sheer number of cars make for one hectic environment. On the highway the biggest threat on the highway is panic braking, people tend to use the brakes too much on the highway. Highways flow like water so the ripple effect that is cause by braking can cause a traffic jam later down the road. To wrap it all up what can be said, if we all just think a little more about what we do behind the wheel we can have safe roads all over the world. 

Driving Tips for Saving Gas

Driving today can cost a lot of money, not just the cost of insurance and buying a car but gas itself has become a huge cost too. We are all searching for ways to save gas from a tune up changing the fuel injectors and a new fuel pump to changing out the air filter but how else can we save gas. There are a number of techniques to employ when trying to pinch at the pump. There are also a ton of urban myths that come into play about how to save gas.

Making the most of the fuel in your tank is easier than most people think but it does take a little planning. The main enemy of gas mileage is drag and weight, the more a motor has to haul around the more it has to work. Fancy body kits and spoilers may look cool but they kill mileage and aerodynamics that the car is built around.  Weight is a huge factor and many of us carry around many lbs of extra weight in the car. No I don’t mean we all need to lose weight in order to get better gas mileage but maybe take items that are not needed out of the car. Every one of us has a friend who has a trunk full of stuff and there is a good chance that they are paying for a lot more gas then they need to.

Another myth that people believe is accelerating slowly will save gas, this is not always true. Rapid acceleration will lower mileage but medium acceleration will get the car to the optimum fuel saving range faster and in most cases will allow for more fuel savings. The main enemy in the fight to save fuel is braking, when the brakes are applied they basically turn fuel into heat. To avoid this, try coasting to stop or in a manual car down shift to slow the car, the engine will cut the fuel to the motor and save a lot of fuel. With modern cars taking the vehicle out if gear will almost always result in more fuel being used over just coasting in gear.

The bottom line when you are trying to save fuel is all about efficiency, the more efficient you are the more gas you’ll save. Just remember car companies spend millions to make a car as efficient as possible so trust that engineering and it won’t let you down. 

The Drier in Your AC System is Very Important

The AC Accumulator/Drier in an AC system is a very important part, it keep the system clean and free of moisture.  When doing any work on an AC system it is important to remember to change this part out for a new one any time there is AC system work done. In an AC system moisture and debris can be detrimental to the functionality of the AC compressor and indeed the whole system. Debris in the system can travel through the system under pressure and tear up the seals from the inside.  Moisture in the system can also cause issues, inside an AC system the oil and Freon have specific characteristics that they both follow. AC systems are designed to work with the specific movement of the oil and Freon, water and air act different under pressure.  The AC system is a very intricate system and must be maintained properly.

When doing AC work on a car it is important that the Drier be changed any time the system I opened up. Why is it so important? The drier is the piece in the AC system that will capture debris and moisture in the system. When an AC system is opened debris and moisture can enter the system and must be captured by the drier. The old drier holds all the debris that it captures and if the pressure is released in the system then the system is recharged it can force debris out of the drier into the system. The debris released from the old drier can be as dangerous to the system as anything that may have entered the system.

Remember that even if you changed the drier on your car 3 days ago it is still important to change it again if you have to open the system today. Debris can destroy the internal workings of an AC compressor even if it is only 1 day old.  So save yourself the headache and the calls to the parts suppliers about a bad compressor and keep the system working properly with a new drier. A new drier will protect the system and will keep your warranty active with most companies since in most cases, no drier, no warranty. 

Your Cars Air Filter, The Most Ignored Part In the Car

Many of us take our cars for granted, they work flawlessly for thousands of miles but we get made when a tire goes flat. Modern auto mobiles have sensor units for everything from oxygen sensors to the mass air flow sensor and will tell you when something is going to go wrong long before it does. All we really have to do is pay attention to the warning lights on the dash. The most overlooked and underappreciated part on a car is the air filter, working as a mechanic I can tell you it is really important.

Imagine trying to breathe through a cocktail straw, it would be impossible and you may feel a bit lightheaded. Well when a cars air filter is clogged up it is the same thing for the car.  A number of times customers would come in with a complaint that the car just doesn’t seem as fast as it was. Only to have us open up the air box and find a squirrel had made a nest in there. When debris builds up in this filter it can cause the car to have reduced power and a rough idle.

Air filters come on many types from cone filters to flat screen filters, the material that a filter is made of is also very important. Most OEM filters are paper based and should be changed every 30K miles, though most people go close to 70K between changing. Cloth based filters are much better and will flow air more freely, they can also be recharged by being cleaned and sprayed with oil. A good air filter is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to make your car more efficient. Better gas mileage and a bit more horse power can be expected with an air filter upgrade. Just remember a car is just like a living creature if it can’t breathe it won’t work.

The Oil Change – It’s Simple but Here is How it Goes

I know many of us out there know all about working on cars but not everyone has had the experiences with cars that some of us have had. Changing the oil in a car or truck may not be near as difficult as changing a turbo or supercharger but if you don’t know how, you can’t do it right. Oil is like the life blood of a car it keeps all the parts of the engine lubricated. Without proper lubrication an internal combustion engine would tear itself apart in a matter of minutes.

The first step to a successful oil change is to determine the correct oil for the application, and the amount that will be needed. Next locating the correct oil filter is essential, you never want to leave the old oil filter in the system.  Now make sure you have an oil catch and a location to properly dispose of the oil.

Once you have all of the items for the change the car will need to be placed either on a lift or a jack. Slide under the car only once you have place jack stands if you are using a standard jack. Never get under a car held up by a simple hand jack, they can fail and trap you. Now locate the oil bolt and remove it letting the oil drain into the oil catch can. The oil cap can be removed to speed up the flow of oil. With the oil draining remove the oil filter and place in the catch can, the filter will have a good amount of oil inside.

Putting the system back together is simple and quick but can be done wrong. With the new oil filter rub some oil on the rubber seal to be sure a proper connection is made when installing the new filter. Before installing the filter be sure the old rubber seal came off the old filter, if it is still there it will cause a bad seal on the filter and oil will leak out. Install the filter and tighten to spec, do not crush the filter when installing. Now replace the oil bolt (drain plug) and tighten to spec as well, be sure the washer is still on the plug. With everything tightened fill the engine from the oil cap by adding the recommended amount of oil. Then check the dipstick to see the level.

Start the car and allow to run, watching for leaks or any other issues that may arise. Now lower the car and check the oil level once more, if everything looks good then you are done. Clean up the mess you may have made and recycle the oil, now your car is good to go for another 3 – 5000 miles.