RETIREMENT & AUTO SAFETY
Six Car Care Myths and Mistakes
19/Nov/2007 09:20
Six Car Care Myths and Mistakes
by Peter Valdes-Dapena
Monday, September 24, 2007provided byCNNMoney.com
Myth: Time to 'winterize'
Car maintenance doesn't need to be tied to the seasons. Other than possibly changing to winter tires, modern cars don't require special attention at this time of year the way that your parents' car might have.
"There's really not anything to do anymore," says John Ibbotson, workshop supervisor at Consumer Reports' Connecticut test track. Ibbotson maintains the magazine's fleet of test vehicles.
At least nothing you shouldn't be doing already. In other words, check your owner's manual, not the weather forecast.
Mistake: I don't need a tire gauge
You should regularly check the air pressure in your tires using a tire gauge. That's especially true now, because you're more likely to find them low as winter approaches. The air inside your tires is getting colder too, so it's shrinking. Even if air isn't leaving your tires, the pressure inside is going down because of contraction.
Your tires will lose about one to two pounds of pressure for every ten degrees of outside temperature, says Sinclair.
Myth: Wait, it's still warming up
Some people insist that your car will last longer if you let it idle until the engine reaches normal operating temperature.
It's true that running cold is harder on an engine than running warm. The oil is thicker, and it takes a little time - very little, really - for it to flow to all the parts of the engine that need it.
But letting the car sit while the engine is running doesn't help anything. It just wastes gas and pumps out needless fumes. You might as well get on your way.
Myth: Coolant lasts forever (or not at all)
Some drivers never bother about changing their coolant. Others are probably changing it too often.
You should change your coolant about every four years, Ibbotson advises. Coolant chemicals last longer than they used to, and newer engines aren't going to be damaged by leaving it in long.
Mistake: Honest Abe knows when you need new tires
You may have heard about doing the "penny test" to see when it's time to get new tires. Some experts want to toss that coin test in favor of the quarter.
But now some experts advise a more conservative approach. Instead of Lincoln's head on a penny, use George Washington's head on a quarter. That's about 4/32, or 1/8, of an inch. In track tests conducted by the tire Web site TireRack.com, using a quarter instead of a penny resulted in 24 percent shorter wet-road stopping distances.
If you can see Washington's wig, your tires are as close as you'll want to get to being bald.
Myth: I need to change my oil...a lot
Many people still believe they should change their car's oil every three month or 3,000 miles. But that advice doesn't take into account improvements in engines or oils. Not that changing it more often is bad for your car.
"It doesn't hurt the engine, says AAA's Sinclair. "It might hurt your pocketbook."
Rather than relying on an arbitrary - and outdated - rule of thumb, read your cars owner's manual for the recommended oil change interval. It will usually be longer than three months/3,000 miles. Many cars can go twice that long before needing an oil change, says Sinclair.
New synthetic oils can be left in even longer, sometimes tens of thousands of miles, says Sinclair.
But Consumer Reports' Ibbotson recommends sticking with the car manufacturer's suggested oil change interval regardless of what the lubricant's manufacturer may claim.
Copyrighted, CNNMoney. All Rights Reserved.
by Peter Valdes-Dapena
Monday, September 24, 2007provided byCNNMoney.com
Myth: Time to 'winterize'
Car maintenance doesn't need to be tied to the seasons. Other than possibly changing to winter tires, modern cars don't require special attention at this time of year the way that your parents' car might have.
"There's really not anything to do anymore," says John Ibbotson, workshop supervisor at Consumer Reports' Connecticut test track. Ibbotson maintains the magazine's fleet of test vehicles.
At least nothing you shouldn't be doing already. In other words, check your owner's manual, not the weather forecast.
Mistake: I don't need a tire gauge
You should regularly check the air pressure in your tires using a tire gauge. That's especially true now, because you're more likely to find them low as winter approaches. The air inside your tires is getting colder too, so it's shrinking. Even if air isn't leaving your tires, the pressure inside is going down because of contraction.
Your tires will lose about one to two pounds of pressure for every ten degrees of outside temperature, says Sinclair.
Myth: Wait, it's still warming up
Some people insist that your car will last longer if you let it idle until the engine reaches normal operating temperature.
It's true that running cold is harder on an engine than running warm. The oil is thicker, and it takes a little time - very little, really - for it to flow to all the parts of the engine that need it.
But letting the car sit while the engine is running doesn't help anything. It just wastes gas and pumps out needless fumes. You might as well get on your way.
Myth: Coolant lasts forever (or not at all)
Some drivers never bother about changing their coolant. Others are probably changing it too often.
You should change your coolant about every four years, Ibbotson advises. Coolant chemicals last longer than they used to, and newer engines aren't going to be damaged by leaving it in long.
Mistake: Honest Abe knows when you need new tires
You may have heard about doing the "penny test" to see when it's time to get new tires. Some experts want to toss that coin test in favor of the quarter.
But now some experts advise a more conservative approach. Instead of Lincoln's head on a penny, use George Washington's head on a quarter. That's about 4/32, or 1/8, of an inch. In track tests conducted by the tire Web site TireRack.com, using a quarter instead of a penny resulted in 24 percent shorter wet-road stopping distances.
If you can see Washington's wig, your tires are as close as you'll want to get to being bald.
Myth: I need to change my oil...a lot
Many people still believe they should change their car's oil every three month or 3,000 miles. But that advice doesn't take into account improvements in engines or oils. Not that changing it more often is bad for your car.
"It doesn't hurt the engine, says AAA's Sinclair. "It might hurt your pocketbook."
Rather than relying on an arbitrary - and outdated - rule of thumb, read your cars owner's manual for the recommended oil change interval. It will usually be longer than three months/3,000 miles. Many cars can go twice that long before needing an oil change, says Sinclair.
New synthetic oils can be left in even longer, sometimes tens of thousands of miles, says Sinclair.
But Consumer Reports' Ibbotson recommends sticking with the car manufacturer's suggested oil change interval regardless of what the lubricant's manufacturer may claim.
Copyrighted, CNNMoney. All Rights Reserved.
Safest 2007 Cars
25/Oct/2007 11:52
The first requirement for a vehicle to become a Top Safety Pick is to earn good ratings in all three Institute tests. A new requirement for 2007 is that the winning vehicles must offer electronic stability control. This addition is based on Institute research indicating that ESC significantly reduces crash risk, especially the risk of fatal single vehicle crashes, by helping drivers maintain control of their vehicles during emergency maneuvers. Read More...
Three Ways to Gauge Auto Safety
22/Oct/2007 16:48
When it comes to automotive safety, size does matter -- but it isn't everything. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the federal agency that performs a battery of crash tests on every car sold in the United States, if all other things are equal, a heavier vehicle will generally offer better protection in a crash than a smaller one. This is particularly the case in two-vehicle crashes when a large vehicle is pitted against a smaller one. Statistics show that midsize and larger sedans and minivans have the lowest death rate of anything else on the road. Read More...