car care

Tire Safety: What You Must Know

November 24, 2017 by admin 3 Comments

Indisputably, you have a lot riding on your tires. Indeed, many of today’s vehicles weigh at least two tons with some larger trucks and SUVs tipping the scales above three tons. With all that weight riding on rubber you might think tire safety would be foremost on every driver’s mind. Yet, tire management is often neglected as underinflated or worn out tires present a real and present hazard, areas of automotive safety you must not ignore.

Tire Safety 101

Your vehicle’s tires affect not just handling and braking, but also impact fuel economy. Consequently, the tires outfitted on your new car have been carefully chosen by the original equipment manufacturer.

Tire warranties, however, are backed by the tire manufacturer, not the automaker. A copy of your tire warranty is typically bundled with your other important documents and usually reside in your glove box or other storage compartment.

Adequate Tire Inflation

Bridgestone DriveGuard tire safety — All tires, including this Bridgestone DriveGuard product, should be checked monthly for proper inflation.

If you want to ensure long tire life, adequate handling and safe braking, your tires should stay inflated in accordance with the car manufacturer’s guidelines. In particular, that information is usually found on a placard affixed to the inside jamb of the driver’s door. In some vehicles the placard or sticker is located on the inside cover of the glove box.

Auto Trends reached out to Will Robbins, Product Manager for Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, for seasonal tips about tire care, especially the impact extreme temperatures can have.

Explained Robbins, “Proper tire pressure is critical to tire safety. Drivers should check their tire inflation pressure at least once each month, and that becomes even more critical during the cold, winter season. In general, tires lose one psi (pound per square inch) of pressure for every 10-degree Fahrenheit drop in ambient temperature. The opposite is true for warm weather conditions, with tire inflation pressure increasing one psi for every 10-degree Fahrenheit increase in ambient temperature.”

Thus, a sudden drop in temperature overnight can leave your tires underinflated. As a result, control can become compromised, especially when you need it most as in when driving on snow and ice.

Load Limits and Speed Ratings

Two additional factors also affect tire safety: load limits and speed. Likewise, every tire has its limitations. Specifically, the amount of weight you carry in the car (payload) in addition to the vehicle’s weight itself (gross vehicle weight) will influence tire safety for better or for worse.

There are three ways you can determine load limits.

First, return to the placard that lists PSI information. You may see a statement such as, “The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed 400kg or 882 pounds.”

Second, look on the tire sidewall itself, information found nearest the wheel. This isn’t easy to spot as the notation surrounding the wheel is stamped in small letters. Typically, you’ll find a statement such as “maximum load carrying capacity at maximum cold inflation pressure (single and dual load).”

Third, open your owner’s manual. If all else fails, turn to the section of the owner’s manual describing tire information.

You may not own the tools required to gauge your vehicle’s weight and carrying capacity (such as a scale), but through keen observation, you should see if your car is sinking under a heavy load. If it is, you must remove excess weight.

Tires are also safety rated for speed. Most drivers adhere to road speed limits, but if you like to take your car to the track, you should understand that the letter ratings on the sidewall represent its speed ratings. Those ratings range from “L” for 75 mph to “(Y)” for speeds above 186 mph.

Tire Rotation and Balancing

Tire rotation is important for two related reasons:

1), for the even distribution of tread wear, and

2), for safe handling.

Your owner’s manual will spell out rotation timelines and swap patterns, typically ranging from 6,000 to 8,000 miles.

The swap pattern for rotating tires depends on whether you have directional or symmetric (or asymmetric) tires and the type of vehicle you drive. Do not cross your set of directional tires to the other side of the car without having them dismounted from the rim, turned over and remounted. With this in mind, performance models — especially sports cars — are much more likely to feature directional tires.

Different tire rotation patterns exist for front-, rear- and all-wheel-drive vehicles. Your owner’s manual will list those options.

When to Replace Your Tires

Exactly when should you replace your tires? The industry rule of thumb is when the tread wears down to 1/16 inch. Otherwise, you can rely on wear indicators or bars located between the tread pattern in modern tires to assist you in making a determination. Specifically, these indicators appear when tires have 2/32 (1/16) inch tread remaining.

Relying on tread depth alone to determine tire replacement is not enough. A tire’s age is another factor as tires gradually begin to crack and separate over time. Some car manufacturers recommend replacing tires every six years, regardless of wear, while other tire manufacturers say that tires can last as long as 10 years, according to Edmunds.com.

Tire Safety: To Ensure a Safe Ride

Tire safety is only one ingredient in ensuring a safe drive. So, when you rotate your tires, have your brakes checked too. Furthermore, you should have your tires balanced every other time you rotate your tires or whenever you detect a recurring vibration coursing through the steering wheel while driving.

See Also — Higher Education: Winter Driving School

Photo copyright Bridgestone Tires of the Americas.

7 Signs of Transmission Troubles

August 8, 2017 by admin 1 Comment

Transmission replacement can damage your budget.

Car trouble can cost you dearly, especially if you ignore problems or put off repairs. Your car’s transmission transfers power from the engine to the wheels. When it fails, you might face thousands of dollars in repair costs, an expense you could have avoided by identifying and responding to problems quickly.

1. Check Engine Light

A lit check engine light can suggest any number of problems, including a loose gas gap. It can also serve as the first signal from your car’s computer that something is wrong with the transmission. Use your onboard diagnostics tool to determine the problem. If you do not have this tool, then take your car to your mechanic for an evaluation.

See: Forbes: What That Dreaded Check Engine Repair Will Cost You

2. Slippage and Shifting

automatic transmission Your car’s transmission should shift effortlessly, moving from gear to gear smoothly. Transmission problems are apparent when you first place your car in drive or in reverse and hesitation is present. A low fluid level might be the cause or the transmission belt may need adjustment or replacement.

3. Lack of Engagement

You turn your ignition, the engine roars to life, and you begin to shift your car into gear. That shifting may require great effort or it may not happen at all. For a manual transmission, a clutch may have worn out. For an automatic transmission, the problem may be as simple as not having enough fluid or it could point to a much more serious matter. Check the transmission fluid first, replenish or replace as needed, then try engaging your transmission again. If the problem persists, see a mechanic.

4. Clunking, Whining, and Chattering

Odd noises that seem to be coming from your transmission such as clunking, whining and chattering point to potentially serious problems. Such noises may or may not occur in conjunction with slippage and shifting problems, and could point to other problems such as with your differential or CV joints. Have your mechanic identify the source of the problem and fix it immediately.

See: CarsDirect.com: 4 Most Common Transmission Problems

5. Burning Odor

Your transmission fluid should be clear and smell clean with virtually no odor detected. Traditionally, transmission fluids were always red or pink, but today’s car manufacturers may use fluids that are green, blue or yellow. An important trouble indicator is a burning odor, one sign that your transmission may be overheating. Usually, dirty or insufficient fluid is the reason for the burning smell, a problem often resolved by changing the transmission fluid.

6. Rock and Roll

Transmission problems may become apparent when operating your vehicle at highway speeds. Rocking, rolling and shaking may occur suddenly, indicating pending transmission failure. It might also point to other problems such as with the engine or suspension system. Take your car to a mechanic for an accurate diagnosis.

7. Fluid Leak

At any time you notice fluid dripping from underneath your car, you should examine where it is coming from. Quite often, it is water from your air conditioner’s condenser, thus the liquid will be clear. In cases where the liquid has a color, you need to rule out engine oil, power steering, and then brake fluid first. This is easier to do if the fluid on the ground matches the color of your transmission fluid, enabling you to correctly identify the problem.

See: CarTalk: Service Your Car

Reference Your Owner’s Manual

Check your car’s service manual for prescribed transmission maintenance intervals. Just as motor oil greases your engine, transmission fluid lubricates your transmission. Change both the fluid and the filter when servicing your transmission.

Photo attribution — “Automatic Transmission” by Vestman is licensed under CC BY 2.0

My Car Maintenance Schedule: Normal or Severe?

July 14, 2017 by admin 2 Comments

A Valvoline expert weighs in with advice on maintenance schedules, motor oil & lubricants.

Macy's New York — Urban drivers face much stop-and-go traffic and should follow
the manufacturer’s “severe” maintenance schedule.

The owner’s manual is your car’s bible, an authoritative document carefully assembled by the automaker. Manuals are specific to each model, offering details about the car that the manufacturer understands best.

One important section is the maintenance schedule (occasionally presented as a separate maintenance booklet) and typically divided into two sections based on your driving habits: normal and severe. Indeed, the differences between the two are often compared to night and day — with much tighter maintenance intervals for severe driving.

So, which schedule should most drivers follow? If you answered “normal” you are in for a surprise. With this in mind, let’s examine the schedule types and why following a “severe” schedule may be the best choice for most drivers, including you.

Deciphering Maintenance Schedules

Car manufacturers set the parameters for what constitutes “normal” and “severe” duty schedules. Fortunately, there are only small differences between how manufacturers define each. In any event, we’ll cover the generalities — avoiding most specifics, as in down to particular miles driven and time intervals.

For professional input, Auto Trends reached out to Valvoline and spoke with Fran Lockwood, Ph.D., the company’s chief technology officer. Dr. Lockwood is a chemical engineer possessing decades of experience in lubricants research and development.

Chevrolet Truck — Old truck? Yes, there is a motor oil for that.

Generally speaking, our discussion centered on what constitutes severe driving, including:

1. Hot weather driving in an urban setting.

Dr. Lockwood noted that a combination of high heat and stop-and-go traffic conspire to wear out cars faster. Specifically, lubricants found within motor oil break down rapidly under these conditions. As a result, adhering to a normal schedule will only wear out your engine quicker.

2. Short trips of under five miles.

If you live in an urban area, stop-and-go traffic isn’t the only condition that can take its toll on your vehicle. For instance, short trips to work, the grocery store, school, entertainment venues and other nearby locations may not involve much traffic. That said, each trip of no more than five miles creates an accumulation of water vapor, diluting the motor oil and reducing efficacy. Further, several other parts suffer as well — you’ll find yourself replacing your muffler more frequently, for example.

3. Regular towing, including a boat, trailer or camper.

The added pulling power required to tow something behind your vehicle puts more stress on a car, truck or an SUV. Not only is the engine pressured to work harder, but the protecting lubricants break down faster. Some other car parts affected include the brakes, tires, transmission, coolant and exhaust systems.

4. Consistently driving on non-pavement surfaces — dirt, gravel and off-road.

Regular travel on unpaved roads and surfaces can clog the air filter, which keeps dirt from entering the engine. Indeed, the harsher the surface, the harder your vehicle must work to take you where you’re heading. Additionally, dirt-covered or sandy surfaces as well as rocky or muddy roads take a toll on the suspension, brakes, tires, and paint.

Some of the other conditions that may adversely impact your car include temperature extremes and mountainous driving. In particular, operating a vehicle in temperatures regularly below 0º F or above 90º F is hard on your car. Moreover, hot temperatures accompanied by high humidity will break down the oil faster and drain the car’s battery. Even if the battery makes it through the summer, it could be dead come winter.

VW TSI Engine — Every manufacturer has guidelines specific to the model and engine.

A Matter of Synthetic Motor Oils

Car manufacturers are increasingly turning to synthetic lubricants in an effort to improve fuel economy and to meet ever increasing government-mandated mileage thresholds. Where vehicles once commonly used 10W-40 or 5W-30 motor oils, today 5W-20 and 0W-20 oils are more prevalent. Indeed, such lower-viscosity motor oils have the advantage of flowing through the engine with less resistance, thereby improving fuel efficiency.

Synthetics stretch out maintenance intervals as car manufacturers have long since moved away from the old 3,000-mile or 3-month standard, whichever comes first. Non-synthetic oils may now offer a 5,000-mile interval, while synthetics routinely deliver 10,000 miles (Toyota) or 15,000 miles (Jaguar). Thus, synthetics are more forgiving to people who are no longer in the habit of regularly checking their oil levels.

Choosing a synthetic oil keeps “the whole engine cleaner and improves fuel economy,” explained Dr. Lockwood. That said, she noted motorists should also keep tabs on the fueling system, given its propensity to attract dirt. For example, a 16-ounce bottle of Valvoline Syn Power fuel treatment cleans dirty fuel injectors, intake valves, and combustion chambers by removing accumulating deposits. When added to the fuel tank, this particular product improves cold start, reduces emissions, and restores fuel efficiency.

The Bottom Line

Although synthetic oils last longer and perform well under severe conditions, you need to regularly check your oil level as you do your other fluids. Ultimately, your owner’s manual offers the best guidance on car care — when followed, you’ll avoid costly repairs and extend the life of your vehicle.

Summer Daze: Tips for Keeping Your Car Running During Hot Weather

June 24, 2016 by admin 2 Comments

Temperature extremes can wreak havoc on your car, increasing the likelihood of a problem leading to a breakdown. Indeed, sub-zero weather may keep your car from starting, while a heatwave can cause it to overheat.

Summer weather is here and with it comes extreme temperatures. No, the Fahrenheit does not need to top 90 degrees to cause mischief. However, a combination of poor maintenance habits and heat can conspire to suddenly disable your car, forcing you to call for assistance.

Here’s how to keep your car running during hot weather.

Examine Your Owner’s Manual

The best way to avoid a breakdown is to keep your car properly maintained. And that maintenance is outlined in your owner’s manual, typically tucked away in your glove box, gathering dust.

Pull out the owner’s manual and familiarize yourself with it. Learn what maintenance due items are coming up and complete them, especially if you are planning a long trip. Look back as well — you may have missed something.

Consider Severe Duty Car Care

As you examine your owner’s manual, you will typically find two levels of car care — standard and severe service. Severe duty may pertain only to a few things, such as changing the oil and fluids.

Standard care routinely covers vehicles where owners drive to work or use their cars for personal use. On the other hand, severe service should be applied to vehicles operated in dusty conditions or for vehicles used to regularly tow, operate in sandy areas, or aren’t driven enough.

Adopt the severe schedule if you live in a southern state or wherever high temperatures are constant for several months during the summer. Older vehicles or models with 75,000 or miles on the odometer should also adhere to the more rigorous severe duty schedule, covering oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid, and radiator coolant changes. Include your filter changes — oil, air, and fuel — and replace your cabin filter too.

Under the Hood

Beyond fluids, there are other things to examine while you’re looking under the hood. Start with your car’s battery to ensure the connection points are clean and secure. If your battery is old, check it with a voltmeter. If the battery voltage comes in less than 12.45 volts, it should be recharged with a battery charger. If the battery will not accept and hold a charge, then it should be replaced.

Belts and hoses are two other areas that must be checked. For belts, look for signs of wear and tear, sliding your fingers across the belt to pinpoint cracking, fraying, and missing sections. Check tension by pushing down on the belt. If it gives more than a half-inch, then change it.

As for hoses, check only when the engine has cooled. A hose is sufficient if it feels firm to the touch. On the other hand, you’ll want to replace it if has soft or mushy areas. Cracks and fraying are two other problems — both can lead to leaks.

Don’t Forget Your Tires

The only things separating two tons of car from the road are your tires. Thus, it is very important your tires are in top shape, especially for your next trip.

When properly inflated, tires offer sufficient grip on road surfaces. Oppositely, under-inflated tires can affect fuel economy, handling, and hasten tire wear. Tires with tread wear indicators showing should be replaced.

Adequately inflate your tires to the level outlined on the placard located on the driver’s door jamb. Don’t follow the number listed on the tires. Your spare tire should be in excellent shape and fully inflated. But know this: if your car is equipped with an air inflator kit, it won’t do you any good if you have a blowout. Therefore, consider bringing a full-size spare with you.

Getting it Done

There are a few more areas of your car to examine before you take to the road this summer.

Replace your worn wiper blades, check the air conditioning for sufficient cooling, replace burnt out lights, and test your brakes. Blades and bulb replacement you can handle yourself; coolant systems and brake care may require the assistance of an automotive technician.

Finally, you handle most problems en route if your car is equipped with basic tools, a flashlight and replacement batteries, duct tape, and a spare belt and hoses. An emergency kit contains many of these same items and can be assembled on your own or purchased.

Vehicle Breakdown Tips and Tricks

December 8, 2015 by admin 1 Comment

From Thanksgiving through Christmas and on through the new year, motorists will be taking to the road to visit family and friends in great numbers. Unlike the summer’s heat, your car will encounter some of the coldest conditions of the year, what can put strain on even the best cared for car.

We’ve already looked at how you can care for your car this winter. Now we’ll take a look at what to do when faced with a predicament, such as a flat tire, a broken timing chain, a leaking coolant system or other breakdown problem.

flat tire

Your roadside assistance club can change your flat tire.

1. Get off the road.

If you experience any problem requiring you to stop immediately, such as a blown tire or a flashing check engine light, endeavor to pull off the road. If the road has a shoulder, then move your car as far to the right as possible. Otherwise, move your car close to the curb and turn on your emergency flashers.

2. Determine the problem.

What exactly happened? Once your car is off the road, put it in park and keep it running, unless you see smoke coming out from underneath the hood. How you respond next will determine the best course of action for fixing the problem. Before you get involved in making a repair or calling for assistance, do the next step.

3. Warn other motorists.

You may think that other motorists see you when you’re pulled off on the side of the road, but don’t be too sure of it. Your emergency flashers are just one way to alert other drivers of your breakdown. You should also raise your hood, a clear signal that your car has problems. If you have road flares or reflective triangles, set these in place along the side of the road where your car is broken down. Triangles should be placed 10 feet, 100 feet and 200 feet down the road with each triangle placed further out in the road to warn drivers.

vehicle breakdown road flares

Road flares or reflective triangles are ideal
for a vehicle breakdown.

4. Get help.

Regardless of the weather, you and your passengers are safest if you leave the car and move as far away from it as possible. Then, call for assistance, especially if you are not able to handle the problem yourself. If you belong to a roadside assistance club, contact them and explain to them the problem and give them your location, a description of your vehicle, your license plate number, and other required information. If you don’t belong to a club, you will need to call for breakdown service from a towing company. For cars that have been in an accident, the police should be notified.

5. Stay with your vehicle.

You may need to get your passengers to a warm and safe place. Once you do that, then return to your vehicle immediately. An abandoned car might be towed and impounded, causing you extra money. Or, it could present a hazard to other motorists. Regardless, staying with your breakdown will ensure that you receive the help you need and as soon as possible.

When Help Arrives

You should be familiar with what your roadside assistance plan covers and does not cover. Some companies provide fuel, will jump a battery, and change tires. Others add in towing service, particularly if there is no other way to fix your car.

Your car may be towed to a service center or to a garage. In some cases you can have it towed further, such as to your preferred garage, but only if you pay extra for it or have a premium plan.

After the Breakdown: Back on the Road

Any kind of vehicle breakdown is a hassle and can pose a danger. The quicker you tend to the problem, the sooner you’ll be back on the road or your car and your family towed to a safe place. Finally, before you take to the road, ensure that your roadside assistance plan is up to date, your spare tire is ready for action, and your emergency kit is in place and replenished.

How to Get Your Car Ready for Winter

November 27, 2015 by admin 1 Comment

The first very cold weather of the season has arrived and that means winter will soon settle in. Seasonal extremes can take its toll on your car, but if you’re prepared you can avoid the worst that it has to offer. To that end, we’ll take a look at some steps you can take to help get your car ready for winter.

winter plow — Winter is coming. Are you ready?

1. Review your owner’s manual. The first thing you should do is pull out the owner’s manual from your glove box and reacquaint yourself with it. Go to the section for the maintenance schedule and choose the one that mirrors your driving habits. While most people follow the standard level of care, if you drive in the city, take to dusty roads or put a lot of miles on your car each year, then choose the “severe service” schedule. In any case, get those open items done before winter makes its home.

2. Change your oil and oil filter. Chances are your engine oil is due for a change. Today’s cars can usually go upwards of 7,500 miles between changes, but consult the owner’s manual for change interval information. When changing your oil for the winter season, go with 5W30 oil as it is ideal for winter use.

3. Replace your wiper blades and check your washer fluid. Your wiper blades may last as long as a year, but if your summer was particularly hot, they can become brittle and crack. Always change the blades if you notice streaking. Doing this job before winter settles in and again before next summer is a sensible approach. While you are at it, replenish the washer fluid. Choose a solution that has a greater concentration of alcohol to ensure that the line does not freeze during the winter.

4. Check your heating system. Just because the air conditioning was working so well during the summer doesn’t mean that the heating system will perform faithfully in the winter. Take your car on the road, turn the heat on high and determine if it is sufficiently warming the cabin and defrosting the windows. If it isn’t, then you may need to get it serviced. At the very least pop the hood and verify that the hoses are in good condition.

5. Examine the cooling system. If your coolant hasn’t been flushed in a few years, get this job done before winter arrives. Your coolant should be either yellow, blue or green. If it has lost its color, appears rusty or if you notice detritus floating in the fluid, then have it flushed. Verify that the hoses are in good condition and that the clamps are secure too.

6. Consider your tires. If you live in a place where snow is not common, your current tires should be sufficient. Still, you need to examine them to ensure that there is enough tread remaining. Also check your spare tire to determine its condition — you don’t want to have a flat tire on hand when you need a working spare. In places where snow is common, replacing your “all season” tires with snow tires makes sense. In fact, it may be required where you live or at least chains may need to be added. It is always best to put winter (snow) tires on all four wheels.

7. Probe the battery. If your car’s battery dies this winter, you’re not going anywhere. Most car batteries last three years with some models hanging around for five years. No matter, check the connections to ensure that they’re clean and attached. If your battery is pushing its life limit, then replace it. Winter will only cause it to work harder — you might as well invest in a new one. By the way, ensure that your jumper cables are stashed away in your car whether you choose to buy a new car battery or not.

8. Inspect your brakes. Are your brakes ready for winter? New brakes pads and calipers may be in order. If you hear grinding when you apply the brakes, that is a sure sign that brake work is needed. Get this work done before you’re dealing with black ice, snow and frosty road conditions.

Here Comes Winter

What else can you do to prepare for the next winter wallop? If you travel a lot and are prone to head out to remote places, then an emergency kit is a smart idea. Include the usual emergency supplies, but also bring blankets, boots, winter clothing, food, and water. A fully charged cell phone and charger are essentials too, but neither will do you much good if you are out of cell phone range.

Finally, ensure that all lights are working, that you have extra fuses on hand, bring with you duct tape, spare hoses and belts, and inform someone not traveling with you of your route and of your plans. With your car in great shape and you taking the necessary driving precautions, you can handle everything that the season throws your way.

7 Winter Storage Tips For Classic Cars

December 13, 2013 by Tom Bingham 6 Comments

classic car

With storms looming and winter just around the corner, it’s time to store your classic car for the cold months ahead. Classic cars require a little extra care when it comes to winter storage, and while it might be a time-consuming process, the steps are important to help ensure optimal performance come springtime.

A national survey conducted by STA-BIL® Fuel Stabilizer, found that 97 percent of consumers know that properly storing their classic cars in the offseason will help them run their best when they take them out of storage when temperatures rise. However, almost 75 percent of people reported encountering problems when taking their cars out of storage due to incorrect steps taken during storage.

Classic Car Winter Storage Tips

To help owners quickly and effectively prep their classic cars for winter storage, Tom Bingham, STA-BIL’s director of marketing, certified mechanic and power equipment industry expert, has some helpful tips to ensure classic cars are properly prepped and stored. Taking the time now to properly store your car will save time and money in the long run. The following are seven key steps classic car owners should take to store their vehicles during the winter:

1. Clean it inside and out. Give the car a good detailing both inside and out. It’s important to remove as much debris and dirt as possible before storing the car, so that it isn’t exposed to the winter elements without protection. After washing and drying the car, it’s a good idea to also add a coat of wax to all painted and chrome surfaces for an added layer of protection. In addition, protect all rubber areas of the car, so they don’t crack in the cold weather.

classic car

2. Replace the engine oil. When in use, owners should change the oil per their manufacturer’s recommendations, but prior to storage, it’s important to change the oil even if it was recently changed. Old oil contains contaminants, like moisture and acids, which will pit bearings and other engine parts. Before changing the oil, allow the engine to run briefly to warm the oil, as more old oil and contaminants will come off.

3. Lube up joints and bearings. To help keep pivot points and bearings from rusting or seizing up, grease the bearings found on the wheels, the steering components and suspension.

4. Stabilize the fuel. Fuel can deteriorate in as little as 30 days causing gum and varnish build-up in engines, which can result in hard starting engines, poor performance and a reduction in engine life. Add STA-BIL® “Storage” Fuel Stabilizer to fresh fuel to remove water, clean carburetors and fuel injectors, and to keep fuel fresh all winter. Fresh fuel protects the engine from gum, varnish, rust, and corrosion and makes for an easy start come spring.

So before you store, first add the fuel stabilizer (use 1 oz. to every 2.5 gallons of gasoline for STA-BIL® Brand). Then fill the tank 95 percent full of fresh fuel. This allows the fuel stabilizer to mix with the fresh fuel. Make sure to NOT top off the tank because when it gets warm again, the gas may expand, causing spills. Finally, run the engine for a few minutes to make sure the stabilized fuel is pulled into the carburetor and the injectors.

classic car

Caution! There is confusion among some classic car owners who think draining their fuel tank will help protect their engine. However, it’s impossible to fully drain your fuel system. The remaining tiny droplets of fuel are exposed to air, which in turn creates gum and varnish buildup and corrosion on the walls of your system. The build-up can develop in key places that completely inhibit fuel flow or cause fuel leaks and can lead to a variety of engine problems come springtime.

5. Check the coolant. Checking the coolant in the radiator is often forgotten during the storage process. It’s important to ensure that the radiator is filled with the correct mix of coolant and water, or you could end up with ice in your cooling system. If you aren’t sure about the proper mixture, check the coolant label instructions.

6. Remove the battery. Safety first! Always use eye protection when working on a battery! Remove the battery and clean off the terminals with water and baking soda, then rinse them with distilled water. Store the battery in a cool dry place off the ground, and attach a trickle charger to keep it charged over the winter.

7. Store in a safe, dry location. Make sure to store your classic car in a climate-controlled, dry place that has limited or no light exposure. To reduce moisture and odors, place open boxes of baking soda inside the car and trunk area. Keep critters at bay by placing a plastic bag over the air intake inlet and exhaust pipes. Your car is all set to sit for the winter months and will be ready to roar come spring.

classic car

Good luck with the storage process, and feel free to ask questions on our Facebook page if you need more advice.

3 Steps to Replacing a Car Battery

October 19, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

When you least expect it, your car battery fails to turn over, leaving you stranded. If you’re fortunate enough, you’re near a shop, a phone or other public place where help can be quickly summoned and a replacement battery installed. If you’re far from home, on the road or otherwise remotely located, then you have a potential crisis on your hands.

Car batteries typically last 2 to 6 years, sometimes longer and sometimes shorter. A nonworking battery doesn’t alway signal that the battery is dead, something that an electronic battery tester can determine. If you rule out other potential problems such as a worn-out alternator, a loose or frayed battery cable or headlights that were left on and drained the battery, then you can assume that your battery is dead.

Corrosion is a potential killer of a car battery.

1. Remove the dead battery.

Lift the hood of your car and locate the battery. In most cars, the battery is located in the front right or left side of the engine compartment. In some cars, it may be pushed all the way back against the firewall separating the engine compartment and the cabin. In a few instances, the battery will be located behind or underneath the second-row seat. The 2011 Chevrolet Impala is one such example of an oddly placed car battery.

Clean off the top of the old battery, using a mixture of baking soda and water to remove residue. Wipe dry. Using a crescent wrench, disconnect the battery bolt holding the negative clamp, sliding the cable away from the battery. Do this step for the positive clamp. Disconnect the battery from the battery tray if so connected — there may be a supporting bar or clamp on the bottom of the tray. Once fully disconnected, remove the old battery and place it to the side.

2. Install a new battery.

By now, you probably realize that car batteries have varying life spans. Driven under normal conditions, your new battery should last for the 24-, 36-, 48- or 60-months or more it was designed for. Choose a longer life battery especially if you plan to keep your car for several more years. The battery should be the same size as the one being replaced.

Place the new battery on the battery tray and connect the positive battery cable with the positive terminal and the negative battery cable with the negative terminal. Secure the frame. Apply battery lithium grease to prevent corrosion. Tighten the clamps using the crescent wrench. Close the hood, get in the car and start the engine. Reset electronic devices including the clock as needed.

3. Dispose of the battery.

Most retailers will gladly take your old battery off of your hands for a nominal recycling fee. Or, if your town has a recycling center, you may be able to drop it off there for free. In any case, old batteries are an environmental hazard and should be disposed of properly.

Not everyone is keen on handing a simple job as replacing a battery. Some retailers offer free installation too with a battery purchase, a good way to have someone else do the work as well as take the old battery off of your hands.

References

AA1Car.com: Diagnosing a Car Battery That Runs Down

Consumer Reports: Car Battery Installation and Maintenance