Vehicles

Winter driving can be hazardous and stressful. Wind, snow, ice and blizzard conditions increase the normal dangers of driving. There is a lot you can do before the winter driving season and during a storm to protect yourself and your family.

Before winter arrives, have your car inspected to be sure it is ready for the road conditions. You can do this yourself or take it to a qualified mechanic. Check the battery, wipers and fluid, thermostat, brakes, ignition system, antifreeze, exhaust system, lights, oil level, heater and defrosters. Make sure everything is in good working order to keep you safe throughout the cold weather.

Check your tires to be sure they are road ready. Install tires that are appropriate for the driving conditions. In moderate amounts of snow, all weather radials will do the job nicely. If you live in a climate where you experience a lot of snow, consider snow tires. These have better tread to deal with snow and ice.

Prepare an emergency kit to keep in the back of your car. This will ensure that you are prepared in the event that you get stuck in the snow. Things to include in the kit:

Ice scraper
Small broom
Small shovel
Kitty litter or a bag of sand (to give traction if you get stuck in snow or ice)
Blankets or a sleeping bag
Flashlight with batteries
Flares or warning triangles
Plastic bags
First aid kit
Tool kit
Jumper cables
Bright cloth to use as a flag
Help sign for back window
Extra hat and gloves
Food and water to sustain you if you get stuck
A book, Bible or Prayer Cards to keep you busy and calm in the event you get stuck.
Charged cell phone (always carry this, especially in the winter)

Keep your gas tank at least half full at all times. This adds weight to the car and will ensure that you wont run out of gas in the event you get stuck.

Driving in the Snow

Pay attention to the weather forecasts and road conditions in the winter months. If the weather is bad, stay home if at all possible. If you must venture out, travel in the daylight. You are more likely to find help if you get stuck during the day. Never warm up your vehicle in the garage. This releases carbon monoxide, which is toxic and can kill you.

When driving, always wear your seatbelt. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the glare of the sun reflecting off the snow. Know your car and how it handles in the snow. Features like traction control and antilock brakes can be useful in bad weather conditions. Know how these work and if your car is new, practice driving it in a snow covered parking lot before venturing out on the road.

Take it slow, especially in icy conditions. Dont tailgate and be sure to allow a safe distance between vehicles. Do everything slowly, stopping, accelerating and turning. Leave plenty of time and space to maneuver. Sliding and skidding usually happen when turning, stopping or accelerating. Going extra slow will ensure your safety.

If the visibility is low, slow down even more. Consider getting off highways and driving even slower. This will take you out of the path of large trucks that can cause accidents. Use only your low beams, as your high beams will reflect back off the snow and wont increase your visibility. Turn on your hazard lights to be sure other drivers see you.

In the event your car gets stuck, dont get out. Put up the hood and tie your cloth to the antennae. This will make you more visible to emergency vehicles and other drivers. Keep the windows, air grill and tail pipe clear of snow. Wrap up in blankets and huddle up with passengers to stay warm. Run the heat for fifteen minutes each hour to keep from freezing. Move your body around to stay warm.

Keeping your car clean throughout the winter is important. Salt on the roads is important for safety, but will wreak havoc on the finish. If left on for long periods, it can cause rusting. Wash your vehicle weekly to remove salt and wax to protect the paint. Salt also leaves a coating on your headlights that can impair their operation. This will make you less visible to other vehicles. New Lite Headlight Cleaner and Restorer will return the lights to like new condition.

You hear about automotive recalls all the time in the newspaper, on the Internet, as well as on the nightly news. Amazingly, one in 12 cars traveling the roads today were recalled for one reason or another in 2003. However, even more amazing is the fact that only one third of the owners of the recalled vehicles chose to take their car in for the needed repairs. The car manufacturers are required to send out letters informing owners of these vehicles of the recall, regardless of whether it is a major or minor event. Also, the information regarding the recall is delivered to consumers in so many different mediums it is almost impossible that owners of the affected vehicles do not learn of the problems. However, people seem to think that if they are not experiencing any problems at the moment then the recall affects all of the other vehicles instead of theirs and end up ignoring the recall. This is negligence and simply asking for the problem with the car to crop up. However, if this happens after the recall then it is the owners fault because they were given the information and allowed to fix the problem free of charge yet they simply ignored it. As long as car manufactures report the recall and inform owners of the vehicles as they are required to do by law, it is up to the consumer to take advantage of the recall and have their automobile fixed. If not, then the owner is taking the risk. If you have not heard anything about car recalls or just bought a used vehicle and want to find out if the manufacturer issued any recalls then you should check out www.nhtsa.gov or www.autorecalls.org to see if your car is listed.

Both of these websites have all the information about recalls over the past years so you can search through the year, make, and model of a vehicle to see if yours is listed. It is very likely you will see your car listed on one of these website because more than 31 million cars were recalled in 2004. That is almost unbelievable considering the amount of technology used in developing cars as well as the fact that cars are safer than they have ever been. However, it is true that mistakes are still taking places and consumers are buying vehicles with basic problems like fuses or major problems with gas lines, tires, and seats buckling in crashes. Regardless of whether or not you believe you are driving a safe car you need to check out the websites stated above every few months just to make sure your vehicle has not ended up on the list. If it has, dont fall into the two thirds of individuals who never respond to the recall. Instead, head to the nearest dealership or authorized mechanic who can make the free repairs to your vehicle. Why so many people dont have time for free repairs is beyond me, but knowing your vehicle has a problem that could be potentially fatal for you and your family and that a free repair is available should be enough to motivate you to have the repair taken care of.

Another thing to keep in mind is that simple problems with your vehicle that result in a visit to the mechanic may not be a problem you are required to pay for. Millions of Americans each year take their cars to the mechanic for a basic repair, or even a major one, assuming something went wrong and they simply need to fix it. Unfortunately, many of these individuals never check to see if the problem was due to a recall and end up paying for a repair that might be free or discounted by the automobile manufacturer. So, armed with this knowledge the next time your vehicle has even the slightest problem make sure you check and see if the car has been recalled for similar problems and if you can get free repairs or discounted ones at the least. It is certainly worth checking out and could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Who Issues Recalls?

In general, the reason so many people dont respond to recalls is because they simply dont understand the recall process. The NHTSA , National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, is responsible for investigating consumer complaints regarding specific vehicles and problems associated with them. After several consumers have reported the same or similar problem to the NHTSA for the same model vehicle an investigation is launched. The point of the NHTSA investigation is to determine whether the consumer caused the problem or malfunction in some way or if the manufacturer of the vehicle is at fault. If the manufacturer is determined to be at fault then the owners of affected models will receive information in the mail regarding the recall of the vehicle with information included on how they can have the problem corrected free of charge. However, the NHTSA is not always the one who issues a recall.

Occasionally, the manufacturer realizes a problem exists in a certain model vehicle and will voluntarily issue a recall. Of course, the NHTSA is informed as well, and the same letter is sent to owners of the vehicle letting them know the problem with the vehicle and how to correct it. Many times, however, a recall does not affect all models of a particular year. For example, if a recall is issued on 2005 Ford Explorers more than likely it will only affect a certain batch of these vehicles and not all of them. However, if you own a vehicle of that make and year then you can take it to the dealership and the service department will run the VIN, or vehicle identification number, to determine if in fact your vehicle is affected by the recall. If so, then you can have the repairs made at no cost. If not, then you can head home knowing your vehicle is safe and sound.

Just keep in mind, however, each year millions of cars are recalled for various reasons and you should always take your car in if you suspect the recall might apply to your vehicle or if you receive a recall letter. Dont take your safety for granted, especially if the repair for the recalled vehicle is free.

Analysts say the rates for six months of comparable auto insurance coverage from different providers can vary by more than $500. That’s why it can pay to do a little shopping before settling on an insurance company.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways to make shopping for and buying insurance easier. For instance, Forrester Research reports that 86 percent of consumers shop for insurance on the Web and 22 percent apply online for auto insurance.

However, finding insurance on the Internet can have some draw- backs if you aren’t careful about what sites you visit. Here’s a closer look:

Look For Full Service

Only 40 percent of sites let consumers complete transactions and buy policies online and most sites only have rates for their own coverage.

Instead, the sites serve as go- betweens for shoppers and agents, meaning your information could be passed on to a number of different salespeople who contact you at a later date. Additionally, some insurance sites only direct you to other insurance Web sites or provide numbers for you to call to get a quote.

Get The Green Light

Your best-and fastest-bet may be to go with a Web site such as www.answercenter.com, which offers a choice of insurance carriers that can typically make attractive offers. The Web site is unique in that users need only provide their information once, either by Web or over the phone. From there, the company delivers actual quotes from six or more A-rated insurance companies. The process can save time and make it easier to comparison shop.

Drive A Smart Bargain

As a final tip, experts say to keep the following in mind: When you do talk to an agent, remember that he or she could be biased towards a certain insurance provider. It’s a good idea to ask what carrier or carriers your agent represents before you start shopping.

So youve tacked a three-foot-high metal bar onto the back of your trunk, spent $200 on clear-colored taillights and another $600 on VTEC stickers, rented The Fast and the Furious three times, and you say your car still doesnt go any faster? Were just as baffled as you, but we have a few pointers that might help.

1. Even if the point is to build your own personal Import Tuner, its critical to start with a decent foundation. All the lowering, stiffening, and boosting doesnt mean half as much on a car that cant put it to good use, and there are plenty of cheap, good platforms out there.

- Whats popular isnt always best. Sure, you could become Slammed Honda Import Car Owner #16,384, and youd be getting a reputable car with one of the worlds most tuner-friendly engines. Youd also have to live with marginal low-end torque (not as easy to upgrade as horsepower), and unless you dip back into the 1990s, wouldnt be getting that cars double-wishbone front suspension, one of the things that made it special. Like most cars, its also front-wheel-drive, capping a low glass ceiling on the usefulness of whatever extra power you squeeze out of that little engine.

- Get a rear- or all-wheel-drive car if you plan to go fast. One set of wheels can only do so much, and overpowered front-drivers simply have lower handling skills all around, not to mention feeling slow-witted and less fun even when driven normally. And wouldnt you like to give drifting a try? Some recent RWD cars that sold for less than $30,000: Mazda Miata, Toyota MR2, Ford Mustang, Nissan 350Z, Mazda RX-8, Chevy Camaro, Pontiac Firebird.

- Lighter is better. Mass is the enemy of all vehicle dynamics: acceleration, braking, roadholding, turning, etc. Starting light is its own reward, and makes every future mod count that much more.

2. Now for the upgrades themselves.

- The single most beneficial: a turbocharger seen modified on japanese Import Cars. Assuming your first wish is to go faster (with the same engine), this exhaust gas-recycling device crams extra air into your engine at higher engine speeds, boosting output of both horsepower and torque. Superchargers achieve the same basic effect through less-efficient means (since it relies on the engine for power).

- After fortifying your engine is the time to worry about intake and exhaust mods (better cams, headers, air filters, mufflers, etc.) High-performance / high-strung engines are better equipped to enjoy the benefits of better breathing.

- As far as suspensions and lowering, feel free to go as hard as you can handle. But build properly, making sure your shocks are at least as aggressive as your springs, since the point of the former is to control the motion of the latter and you dont want your suspension constantly hitting its bump stops. And dont cut your springs!

- Bigger wheels benefit handling, but there are drawbacks: harder ride, more unsprung mass, more work for your shocks, and lowered resistance to pothole damage. Depending on how much torque you have on tap, too much traction can also make it hard to provoke wheelspin during launches, damping some fun and delaying the acceleration process. As a rule of thumb, dont fit a street car with any diameter past the teens, or with tires that have an aspect ratio of less than 40.

- Speaking of tires, no one brand is best, and model lines change names all the time. Just stay away from low-performance all-season tires (anything with M+S stamped on it) and try to stay with tires with a speed rating of H (130 MPH) or higher. After H comes V, Z, and Y. Before H comes R, S, and T. Yes, it doesnt make sense.

- As far as brakes go, bigger rotors help, but also only to a point. Braking depends just as much on tire traction as the brakes themselves, and again, going bigger also adds more unsprung mass. Instead, focus on making bum brakes better, i.e. swapping from rear drums to discs (better heat resistance, pedal feel, and stopping ability), or swapping from solid discs to vented ones (better cooling). Brembo is the standard in aftermarket brake brands.

- Fitting a new set of gears and/or a new final-drive ratio can boost torque and make your engine a little more responsive, at the cost of a little gas, more engine noise, and lowered top speeds (since you run into the redline earlier).

- If all you want is more low-speed muscle (like many motorists), all the tiny engine tweaks in the world wont help you. Power and torque are different (though related) commodities; what you need is a car with a bigger engine.

- Unless you have a rear-drive car and drive at triple digits, stay away from spoilers. Specifically, stay away from wings any high-flying bar that isnt 100% attached to the body. At low/medium speeds, their main contribution is drag, and on front-wheel-drive cars, the rear downforce they add is actually counterproductive, causing even more understeer than usual. Spoilers (i.e. the attached-to-the-body kind that you might see on an old Lexus SC400 or V6 Pontiac Firebird), on the other hand, actually improve airflow and are slightly useful.

Electric trolling motors are being found more and more often onboard many fishing boats. Boaters are discovering the many benefits electric motors have to offer. Most notable the fact they operate in silence and that they are environmentally friendly. In addition, their popularity is not hurt by the rise in gas prices. These motors do require care that is different from the average gasoline powered motors.

Electric motors operate differently than gas motors, so it is no surprise that they need different care. Electric motors use batteries to supply them with power. This means they have a whole different way of powering up. Any fisherman that has or is buying an electric trolling motor needs to check out the follow list of tips.

- Charging replaces filling with fuel. It may be extremely simple to pour in a little gas to get the motor running, but with electric motors it does not work that way. Electric motors must be charged. They require a battery charger. This can be an onboard piece or a piece that is kept on shore. That is up to the individual fisherman. The batteries are made to be run down and charged often so there is no concern over ruining them. However, the manufactures directions should be followed to ensure the motor batteries are not ruined.

- Always check the motor out before use. Stray fishing lines can easily tangle in the motor and cause major damage. It only takes a brief moment for the damage to be done, but it also only takes a brief moment to look over the engine to prevent that from happening.

- Do routine maintenance. Like any type of motor an electric motor requires checks and routine maintenance. Parts should be checked to make sure they are secure and in good shape. Fisherman should not assume that electric means no worries. Maintenance is still important.

- The motor should always be monitored when charging. This prevents it from getting turned on accidentally. A motor that is left running can easily overheat and burn out.

- Be friendly to the motor. Electric motors have parts that are kept cool by being under water, so it is important that the fisherman does not run the motor out of the water. It is also important to keep general care in mind by not using the motor is weeds or mud.

These tips offer ways to prolong the life of and protect the electric trolling motor. Fisherman who are using an electric motor will benefit greatly from following these tips and any instructions offered by the manufacturer.