Vehicle care and safety tips

Summer Safety Tips For Your Vehicle.

Summer is worrisome not only for us, the humans but also for cars and other vehicles. During this time, cars need an extra bit of care and servicing, but for which they start throwing tantrums that become quite unmanageable at times. So, in order to keep your car cool glowing in pink of its health, follow a few simple car care tips for summer.

Excessive summer heat increases tire pressure. And you know that overinflated tires make hydroplaning more likely when it rains (since, untimely rains are so common with the tropical summers). So, get the tire pressure checked before taking your car far. Do not forget to test your spare tire as well, because you never know when you need them.

Check the fuel tank, or for that matter, the oil after running the car engine for a while. It should appear clean on the testing stick and be at a sufficient level. Check your car’s hose connections more frequently in summer for possible leaks and damages. Sweating while sitting inside a car during hot summer days even if for a few seconds sounds like a pathetic idea. So, keep a watch on your car’s air conditioning system. If you see cold vapors coming out of its outlets, then get it checked by a mechanic – that may be indicative of low refrigerant levels.

Get a new pair of windshield-wiper blades, because thunderstorms cropping up without any warning is common thing in summer. And if the wiper blades are comparatively new, clean them properly with a good quality washer solvent.

Making a service stop also improves your car’s fuel economy, at least by 4 to 12 per cent. So, do schedule a trip to the nearest car workshop before it turns too hot. Keep you car clean. An extra 100 pounds of burden on your vehicle could reduce its gas mileage by up to 2%. Keep your bare necessities ready with you in your car emergency kit.

Give your car a wash in every alternate day. This will help your car keep to its cool during summer. A good waxing also helps to protect the exterior paint of a vehicle. Park your car in a shady place, as the summer heat causes car gas to evaporate at a much faster rate. Investing in a good windshield shade is also a good idea for summer driving.

Finally, the speed limit. Keep a check on your speed while driving. Summer or no summer, driving at excessively high speed affects your car’s gas mileage quite significantly.

 

Repair 101: Dealing With Today’s Rolling Computers

 

 

Check Engine Light On?

Microprocessors. Sensors. Circuits. Stored data. Typical computer jargon, right?  Surprisingly, these are also typical topics for today’s automotive technicians.
Vehicles have grown more sophisticated over the past two decades.  The wonderful options and systems we love – electronic seats, climate control, anti-lock braking systems, remote door unlock – require computer processing and monitoring.  In order to meet changing customer expectations, automakers now must design sophisticated vehicles that are run by small but powerful computers.  In fact, new vehicles have computing power sufficient to fly a 747 airplane.
And it’s not just this year’s models.  Any vehicle manufactured since the 80’s has computerized components.  Even “basic” models, without many options or extras, rely on computer circuits to operate efficiently.
An advantage to this new technology and engineering is that many of the maintenance and repair intervals have been extended.  Increased quality and better-designed engine systems combined with refined oils and lubricants have reduced the recommended replacement schedule for engine coolant, transmission fluid, and engine oil.  However, exceeding these intervals can result in premature failure and damage to very expensive parts, so it’s more important than ever to follow the recommendations in your vehicle owner’s manual.
However, the savings – money and time – of less frequent maintenance and repairs is offset by the cost of individual repairs.  Automotive diagnosis, parts, and repair are now more costly.  The old-fashioned diagnosis techniques are now supplemented by computer reports that alert the technician to engineering improvements and upgrades recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.  Additionally, a vehicle’s on-board computer stores information concerning sensor and component failure in the form of trouble codes.  Replacing parts is now more complex and time-consuming.  Plus, as college graduates with additional investments in certification testing and specialized training, the small population that becomes vehicle technicians can command higher salaries.
So, how can you manage the costs and care for your rolling computer?
Check technician certifications.  With all of this high-tech equipment under the hood, make sure you’re working with a technician who is trained for today’s vehicles.  The two most common forms of technician certification comes from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), which offers certification on 46 different automotive repairs.  Technicians must re-certify every five years.  Facilities usually post their technicians’ ASE credentials, though it’s always appropriate to ask if the shop is ASE-certified in your particular repair need.  Car manufacturers also have extensive training programs to certify technicians in specific years, makes, models, and vehicle systems.
Know the habits of your vehicle.  Think of your vehicle’s problem as a mystery: what is wrong is the puzzle you and your technician must solve.  You must piece together the details of when the problem occurred, if it is ongoing and under what circumstances, and any sounds, smells, and handling changes.  Before you get to the repair facility, jot down everything you can think of to help the technician solve the problem.  You may not think a small detail is relevant, but it could shave an hour off the diagnosis time by pointing the technician in the right direction.

 

 

 

Summer Storms Need Special Driving Skills
Motorists caught in a sudden summer thunderstorm will be safer if they learn and practice wet-weather driving skills, says AAA Pioneer Valley.
Knowing what to do is important because the odds of having a collision increase in wet weather. A hard rain can limit visibility so that a driver can’t see the edges of the road, traffic signs, or other cars.
Whether on vacation or running an errand, a driver who knows how to manage reduced visibility and slick pavement is more likely to stay in control.
AAA offers the following tips to help motorists navigate their way through wet weather:

• Turn on windshield wipers as soon as rain begins to fall.  If intermittent wipers are used, be certain they are set to a speed that will clear the windshield before visibility is compromised.
• If the windows begin to fog, turn on the car’s defroster and air conditioner if equipped.  Use fresh air setting as opposed to recycled, if available.
• Use low-beamed headlights whenever you use your windshield wipers. This will help other drivers see your car and increase visibility.
• Slow down and increase following distances.  Speed limits are set for ideal road conditions.  When it rains, visibility is reduced and braking distances increase.
• If you are forced to stop in traffic due to poor visibility, turn on emergency flashers immediately and pull as far off the road as possible.

Preventative maintenance is also important in reducing wet-weather driving risks.  AAA recommends the following equipment be inspected by a certified technician, especially before starting a long-distance drive: battery, ignition system, lights, brakes, tire pressure and tread wear, heating and cooling system, belts, hoses, defroster blower, windshield wipers and washer fluid reservoir.
Additional information on wet weather driving is available free from AAA Pioneery Valley by asking for the pamphlet “Get A Grip, Wet Weather Driving Techniques.”

As we all know there are a growing amount of recalls out at the moment and they only seem to get worse not better.. but as a consumer you may ask yourself what can you do, if put in the position of an emergency while driving your vehicle?

There are a number of safety tips out there its just a matter of taking the time to research them which most of us don’t have that time..

However the Gene Pankey Motor Co. would like to try to save you some time from researching and pass on to our customers the most important up to date information there is.

Do you have a paticular question on safety? Let us do that research for you and save you once again some more time..

 

 Tips:

 

Spring is here, and we all know what that means Driving in the rain….

I wonder how many people know about this. A 36 year old female had an accident several weeks ago and totaled her car.  A resident of Kilgore, Texas she was traveling between Gladewater & Kilgore.  It was raining, though not excessively, when her car suddenly began to hydro-plane and literally flew
through the air.  She was not seriously injured but very stunned at the sudden occurrence!

When she explained to the highway patrolman what had happened he told her something that every driver should know – NEVER DRIVE IN THE RAIN WITH YOUR CRUISE CONTROL ON.  She thought she was being cautious by setting the cruise control and maintaining a safe consistent speed in the rain.

But the highway patrolman told her that if the cruise control is on when your car begins to hydro-plane and your tires lose contact with the pavement, your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed making you take off like an airplane.  She told the patrolman that was exactly what had occurred.

The patrolman said this warning should be listed, on the driver’s seat sun-visor — NEVER USE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE PAVEMENT IS WET OR ICY, along with the airbag warning.

We tell our teenagers to set the cruise control and drive a safe speed but we don’t tell them to use the cruise control only when the pavement is dry. The only person the accident victim found, who knew this (besides the patrolman), was a man who had had a similar accident, totaled his car and sustained severe injuries.

NOTE: Some vehicles (like the Toyota Sienna Limited XLE) will not allow you to set the cruise control when the windshield wipers are on.

Top 10 Fuel-Saving Tips

 

Last Summer, gasoline prices surged to record highs, causing Americans to stay at home and rethink their love affair with the automobile.

To help, here are 10 tips you can use to squeeze the most mileage out of every penny spent at the pump. Some involve proper maintenance of your vehicle, but most require a change in behavior. All will help ease the burden on your wallet.

1. Stop driving like a maniac

Changing the way you drive is the most effective way to reduce the amount of fuel your car consumes. Accelerate gradually, drive smoothly and with care, and you could see as much as a 33% gain in fuel economy on the highway and a 5% around town, compared with what you’d get with an aggressive driving style, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That means skipping those jack rabbit starts at stop lights and sudden pedal-to-the-metal maneuvers on the highway.

2.Limit use of the brake pedal

 

Anticipate stops so you avoid sudden braking. In fact, spend as little time on the brakes as possible. “Any time you hit the brake (in a traditional gas-powered vehicle,) you are throwing away energy,” says Eric Kaufman, engineering manager for fuel economy and drive quality at General Motors. Take a long view of the road ahead, coasting safely to an intersection in front of you where you see traffic stopped.

3. Observe posted speed limits

A car or truck moving at 55 mph. can get about 15 percent better fuel economy than the same car going 65 mph. While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional 24 cents per gallon for gas.

4. Use cruise control whenever possible

 

Sure, it’s a luxury convenience. But, when used properly, cruise control can also be a fuel saver. It smooths out driver input, helps maintain an even speed and allows the driver to take a long look at the road, rather than reacting to every little change in the surrounding traffic.

5. Avoid excessive idling

Idling uses more fuel than turning the engine off and restarting it again. So if you are stopped for more than a minute, shut off the car. That means don’t waste fuel by sitting in that drive-thru lane at McDonald’s or Taco Bell; park and go inside instead. And shut off your vehicle while waiting outside the elementary school to pick up your children

6.Turn the AC down

When you’re in slow city traffic, keep the air conditioner off, if possible. Lower the windows and open air vents to keep occupants comfortable. The air conditioner is a burden that uses fuel, and if you’re tooling around town, you can see a slight improvement in gas mileage by keeping it turned off. On the highway, however keep the windows closed and AC on low. Open windows will impede aerodynamics and hurt fuel economy.

7. Pulse and Glide

 

This is a favorite of so-called hypermilers, a unique breed of drivers who go to extraordinary lengths to get as much as they can from each gallon of gasoline. However, it can be done only with hybrid vehicles. The first step is to accelerate the vehicle to around 30 or 40 mph (pulse). Then, ease slightly back on the accelerator until no energy arrows appear on the energy monitor, indicating that the vehicle is neither relying on the engine nor recharging the battery. As a result, the car begins to glide. WHen the vehicle slows to about 30 mph, repeat the whole process again. The pulse-and-glide technique improves fuel economy by minimizing use of the internal combustion engine.

8. Plan Trips Ahead of Time

 

Combine your errands into one trip, rather than striking out multiple times during the day. Organize your stops so they’re near each other and so you don’t retrace your path. You may even be able to park in one central spot and walk between some of your stops, rather than driving and parking at each one. For commutes or events, organize a car pool and plan to travel during less congested times of day. When there’s less traffic, you’re more likely to  drive smoothly. Use navigation aids on the internet or in your vehicle to keep from getting lost – and thus wasting fuel – when you’re headed to a new, unknown location.

9. Keep Up With Maintenance

 

A well maintained vehicle operates at peak efficiency. An inefficient engine – with fouled spark plugs, for example – won’t make optimal use of fuel. Be sure the air filter and the fuel filter are clean. Replace them if they’re not. Even something as simplee as having tires inflated to the automaker’s maximum recommended pressure can improve gas mileage by as much as 6% , while periodic wheel alignments can help improve fuel economy up to 10%, according to the EPA.

10. Get Rid of What you Don’t Need

 

Clean out that trunk, cargo area or pick up bed. Take out unneeded items that only add weight to your vehicle. Extra weight decreases gas mileage. According to the EPA, every 100 pounds of unnecessary weight could reduce fuel mileage by up to 2%. Also remove anything that causes additional aerodynamic drag, such as a bug shield,  roof  rack or cargo carrier. These have the same effect as adding weight;  ie., they increase the demand on your engine, causing premature wear and tear and reducing your car’s fuel efficiency.

 Vehicle Maintenance:

Today’s vehicles are much more complex and complicated than the cars of the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s, incorporating more computer electronics, silicon chips, and sophisticated engines. However, the same basic car care still applies to all kinds of vehicles, and can extend the life and durability of your car or truck.

The best part is, basic car care does not require any sophisticated understanding of vehicles or their systems. A few simple steps, some regular checks, and addressing issues promptly can greatly extend the life of your vehicle, making it safer and more dependable for you and your family.

Regular checks

It may seem intimidating, but basic care car is often simply a matter of popping open the hood and taking a look at the engine of your vehicle.

Some basic car care starts with examining the exterior. Check your tires at least every other week to make sure they are inflated properly. This should be an actual check with a tire pressure gauge, but you may also advantage from a visual check to make sure the tires appear equally and properly inflated.

Other visual checks that require almost no vehicle mechanics knowledge include the following:

• body and bumper damage, which should be monitored for insurance purposes

• leaking fluids underneath the vehicle, including oil, power and brake fluid, transmission or other fluid (air-conditioning may cause water to drip under a vehicle)

• smoke in vehicle exhaust, aside from normal diesel emissions or startup fumes

• engine or fluid warning lights, which should be promptly addressed before any further driving

Under the Hood

Of course, much of the day-to-day driving maintenance for your vehicle must occur with the hood opened and up, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a mechanic. The most important things to monitor and check regularly include the following:

• engine oil level and cleanliness

• antifreeze/coolant level (never attempt to remove radiator cap while engine is hot or warm)

• brake and power steering fluid levels

• transmission fluid

• belts

When checking fluid levels, the engine usually has containers and canisters with fill-level lines. Make sure the fluids are above the minimum line, and below the maximum line. You should also keep an eye out for any leaks or worn radiator and other tubes, which should be replaced before pushed to the point of bursting.

Other things to be watchful for in and around the engine include loose electrical or tube connections, worn or exposed wires, and loose or warped belts, which should be promptly replaced. Belt replacement is somewhat difficult for some motorists, but is a relatively simple and inexpensive fix at a service station, so it may be worth the trip to your mechanic to get the right belt installed correctly.

You should also keep an eye on your vehicle’s battery, and be aware of its age. Batteries should be replaced every five years or so, and if your battery is not getting the proper charge to easily start your car, you should have it checked. You can usually have your battery’s charge and water level checked for free at a battery replacement station. Most vehicle batteries come with comprehensive warranties, as well.

Changing the Oil

One of the most important things you can do to maintain your vehicle is to change the oil and oil filter regularly. Some mechanics recommend changing the oil every 2,000-3,000 miles, but you can safely drive further. However, you should be sure to change the oil of your vehicle, or have it changed, at least every 5,000, including a new filter.

Your oil should be relatively clean, but still have a dark color to it once it runs through your engine. You should regularly check your oil level, and maintain it between the minimum and maximum fill lines. This is why it is a good idea to have some motor oil with the vehicle so you will be able to add some if needed.

There are a variety of types of motor oil to choose from. Lighter weight oil, such as 5W-40, is typically better for warm to hot weather, while heavier oil, such as 10W-40, is more suited to colder temperatures and climates. If your vehicle smokes or uses a lot of oil, a heavier weight and synthetic blend motor oil is probably best.

Other Replacements and Maintenance

Other important components and parts of your vehicle and engine that need regular maintenance and infrequent replacement include the following:

• air filter

• headlight, turn signals, and brake lamps

• spark plugs and cables

• engine timing belt

• windshield wipers

Most engine tuneups are either actual motor work, or electrical tuneups consisting of spark plug, cable, and distributor cap replacement.

The biggest thing to remember with ongoing vehicle maintenance is to address issues promptly, including engine knocking or other noises, and do your best to try to understand what may be going on before you visit the mechanic.