Get Your Vehicle Ready for Autumn

Visit the experts at www.icarumba.com for timely tips on your car.  http://www.icarumba.com/cobrands/contentmodules/resourcecenter/articles/icar_resourcecenter_articles_readyautumn.asp

Follow these driving and maintenance tips for safer fall driving

By Peter D. duPre

Shorter fall days and cooler weather may have brought relief from summer heat but they are also a signal that it is time for some extra driving caution. As we go through fall and head into winter, the days will get shorter yet, and many of us will start and end our commutes in total darkness. Visibility in the dark is never all that good, and when you throw in an autumn rain, sleet or snow storm, it can drop to almost nothing. 

All of which means that autumn requires a change in your driving habits. Follow these tips for safer driving this fall:

• School's in session -- With the fall semester in full swing, children are out on the streets earlier than during the summer. Some almost never look for traffic and have a bad habit of bolting out from between parked cars. Keep your eyes peeled and slow down. School zones have reduced speed limits and most police won't allow any speed leeway in these areas.
• Allow more travel time -- You should always drive slower when it is dark and visibility is reduced. That means your traveling time is increased, especially during inclement weather. Leave a few minutes earlier in the morning and increase your following distance by about a second. 
• Inclement weather -- Indian summers, clear skies and cooler weather may lull you into a false sense of security but fall weather conditions can change abruptly. Thunder storms, sleet, hail and even snow are not that unusual. Roads covered with a summer's worth of grease become slick when wet or covered with early morning frost, so anticipate those conditions.
• Check the lights -- In Sweden, Norway and Canada, where fall driving conditions are similar to much of the U.S., there are mandatory-lights laws -- and not coincidentally, a lower accident rate. See and be seen. Drive with your headlamps on, even if it's not dark. Before starting out on any trip, walk around the car and make sure your taillights, parking lights, stop lights, directionals, emergency flashers and headlights are all working properly. Have your mechanic aim and adjust your headlights. New cars are equipped with bright-burning halogen headlights that increase visibility. If you own an older vehicle with standard sealed-beam headlamps, consider converting to halogen lamps. The cost is more than offset by improved visibility and safety.
• Change the wiper blades -- Safety experts say wiper blades should be changed every 5,000 to 6,000 miles, or twice a year. Most of us don't change the blades even once a year. Check front and rear wipers. Examine the rubber; it should be flexible, without any missing chunks and should clear the glass without leaving any streaks. If the blades aren't performing perfectly, replace them.
• Check the brakes and tires -- If tires and brakes aren't in good condition, you won't be able to stop on slick roadways. Tires should have plenty of tread on them; if the wear bars are showing, it's time for new rubber. Most tire and brake shops will inspect your tires and brakes for free.  
• Heater and defroster check -- Fogged-up windows limit visibility and are a safety hazard. Make sure both front and rear defrosters are working properly. Front blower hoses sometimes get knocked off the defroster vents and the electric wire in the rear defogger can break. Most auto parts stores sell special kits to repair these breaks. While you are at it, have your heating system inspected. A cold car is uncomfortable, and a distraction to safe driving.
• Look under the hood -- Don't get stranded in the dark. Have your mechanic check the condition of the coolant, belts and hoses. Get the chassis lubed, air filter replaced, oil and filter changed and battery inspected. A little work now can save a big towing bill later. You can make an appointment for a fall vehicle inspection right now with iCARumba's Find a Shop tool.
• Wash and wax -- A vehicle's first line of defense against the elements is a good wash and wax job to protect the metal surfaces from pitting and corroding, and keeps your car looking its best. Get rid of that summer grime and apply a thick coat of protective wax.
• Relax -- This may seem like a lot to get done before the Monday morning commute, but it really adds up to just a few minutes for the self-inspection, and to make an appointment with your shop if needed. For safety sake, check lights first, then do the tires, brakes, and wiper blades. And in general, simply begin your day 10 minutes earlier, have that second cup of coffee (decaf, please!) and start your commute in a relaxed a state as possible -- good advice at any time of year.

Don't Forget!

Getting your vehicle ready for autumn is important.  Aside from temperature and weather changes, there are also likely changes in your driving schedule.  Make sure to take advantage of this Indiana area coupon towards your next Signature Service Oil Change at Jiffy Lube.

Maintenance Tips: Tires

Tire Tactics

Under- or over-inflation of tires can:

	cause uneven tread wear
	weaken your tires
	reduce traction
	impact gas mileage
	reduce the number of miles you get out of your tires

Eventually, you could have inconvenient flats or even dangerous blowouts. Over-inflation means the weight of your vehicle is not distributed evenly across the entire tread but is instead concentrated on a thin strip in the center. Under-inflation means the tire is soft and the outside edges work harder than the softer center. The extra rolling resistance makes your vehicle work harder to move and it can reduce gas mileage.

Be sure to check your tire pressure regularly and maintain the recommended pressure listed in your vehicle's owner's manual. You can usually find this recommended pressure on a sticker posted in the trunk, on the door pillar or in the glove compartment.

Each of your tires will wear differently due to its position and the type of vehicle you own. So tires will wear evenly, remember to balance and rotate your tires according to manufacturer's recommendations.

To check tread wear, use "the penny trick:"

1.	Insert a penny into the tread groove with Abe Lincoln's face showing, but with his head upside-down.
2.	If you can see all of Abe Lincoln's head, it's probably time to replace your tires

If you live in a moderate climate, warming up an engine is not typically necessary. If you live in a freezing climate, you should let the engine run (without pressing the gas pedal) for a few minutes so the oil can circulate through the engine and get it ready to run.

6 Driving Tips for Carpoolers

Before trucking the kids around town, parents need to make sure their vehicles are operating safely. These quick tips will help ensure your vehicle is ready to keep up with the kids' busy schedules. From Jiffylube.com.  

1.	Take the vehicle in for routine maintenance. A Jiffy Lube Signature Service® Oil Change is a smart first step to prepare your vehicle for back-to-school driving. Your vehicle's engine will likely be working overtime since most carpools require quick trips in heavily trafficked areas. Changing your engine oil, replacing dirty air filters and checking your tire pressure are all important to keep your vehicle on the road, not on the side of it.
2.	Buckle up and make sure your passengers do too. Seat belt use among high school students is lower than among other occupants in passenger vehicles. According to a survey from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, many teens aren't buckling up, even when adults are driving with them and using belts themselves. Teens often follow by example. The study reported that more than half of teens were more likely to buckle up if the adult who dropped them off at school also wore a seat belt. However, when adult drivers did not use seat belts, only 8% of teens used theirs.
3.	Practice proper car seat safety. Some mothers will be taking preschool children along when they drive older children to and from school. Make sure everyone is using proper seat restraints at all times. For infants (from birth to one year and less than 20 lbs.), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends infant-only or rear-facing convertible seats with harness straps at or below shoulder level. The NHTSA says toddlers (over one year and between 20 to 40 lbs.) should be placed in convertible/forward-facing seats with harness straps at or above shoulders. For young children (four to eight years old and more than 40 lbs.), the organization recommends a forward-facing, belt positioning booster seat with the lap belt fitting low and tight across the lap/upper thigh area and the shoulder belt snug across the chest and shoulder. All children aged 12 and under should ride in the back seat.
4.	Be prepared for fall showers. There may be times when you have to make the ride to or from school in a heavy downpour. As part of a Jiffy Lube Signature Service® Oil Change, a technician can check the status of your windshield wipers and tire tread. You want to make sure wipers glide smoothly across the windshield without streaking and you're getting enough tire traction on a slippery road.
5.	Talk to your children about where they walk outside of schools. Tell them to always use school crosswalks and sidewalks and be alert at all times. According to the Safe Routes to Schools organization, of the leading types of youth pedestrian crashes, 33% are due to dart-outs — entering traffic mid-block, often between parked cars.
6.	Obey school zone speed limits. Children may not always stay on the sidewalk or within crosswalk lines, so you need to be extra careful. As a lot of morning traffic is comprised of parents driving children to school, so you should also watch out for other vehicles slowing down or suddenly stopping to let children out.

100 Years Ago, This is What Your Front Wheel Looked Like

Personally, I'm astounded how far we've come in a relatively short 100 years.  Entirely fascinating.

http://blog.1aauto.com/2011/07/19/100-years-ago-this-was-your-right-front-wheel/?utm_medium=email&utm_term=blog+6&utm_campaign=email-campaign282

In 1911, if you were driving a motorcar, it would likely be a Model T that was sitting on wooden wheels. They were probably between 21 and 24 inches tall, and had a speedometer gear on the back side.  Inflatable tires were still very new to the automotive world, but added huge comfort to the vehicle because of the rough, turn of the century roads.  Wooden wheels like these were the norm up into the late 1920′s when steel took over.  100 years later, this 1911 Model T is running like a top, still rockin’ the wooden dubs, and still wrapped in black paint, like when Henry’s workers originally made it.