Tips For Driving Safely This Spring

The worst of winter’s hazardous driving conditions may finally be behind us, but don’t let that fool you! There are still plenty of things drivers need to watch for on the road. Here are a few things drivers should keep in mind as they begin their journey into the spring season:

●      Monitor evening temperatures. If you live in an area that still has some snow, be prepared to deal with possible icy patches. Especially if that snow melts during the day and refreezes at night!

●      The end of winter means the end of hibernation for a number of animals. Be ready to watch for an increase in the number of critters trying to cross the road.

●      Warmer weather means an increase in the number of cyclists and motorcycle riders on the road! Be cautious and triple-check your blind spots to avoid an accident

●      Fluctuation in temperature during the changing seasons means road deterioration! Be vigilant. Focus on your driving, keep your eyes high, and be careful when it rains: the water can mask just how deep any potholes may be.

Check out Esurance’s page for more information on how to drive safely during the spring: http://www.esurance.com/driving-tips/spring-driving

What’s a Hemi and do you need one?

If you turned on the television in the early 2000’s you probably remember all of those Chrysler commercials about having a “Hemi”. And if you’re anything like the rest of us, you probably sat there wondering what the heck a hemi is and whether or not you need one?

A hemi is a type of engine. It is an internal combustion engine whose cylinder’s roofs are of hemispherical shape (hence “hemi”) as opposed to the normal flathead engine. One of the benefits of having a hemi is that the area of the combustion chamber (the part of the engine where the fuel is burned) is smaller than a flathead engine’s. With less surface area, there is less space for fuel to spread out and cool off, ultimately keeping the gas at its optimal combustion temperature and providing for better gas economy. In addition to the smaller surface area, a shape of a hemi allows for larger valve size. Larger valve’s allow for a more fluent control of air and liquid mixtures, allowing for a smoother performance.

All of this sounds really great, but do you need a hemi? Well, not necessarily. Modern technology has allowed for smaller fuel tanks, so there is less worry about fuel not burning at optimal temperature. Additionally, as it turns out, having more valves is more efficient than larger valves. Unfortunately, if more valves were put on a hemi, because of the hemi’s shape they would stick out at crazy angles that would not be efficient for an engine. 

The Perfect Tailgate

Spring is here! And what comes with spring? Baseball! That’s right, baseball season is almost here and with these five tips, you can have the perfect tailgate!

1. Plan Ahead. Make sure you’re not rushing around in the morning trying to gather up what you’ll need. The day before a tailgate is the day you should go out and buy your burgers, drinks, snacks, plates and any other necessities you might need. Additionally, make sure you know where your grill and cooler are... those are sort of essentials.

2. Show Up Early. You’re going to want to show up 3-4 hours before the game starts. This gives you enough time to find the perfect parking spot and set up the perfect tailgate. It will also give you a head start on all the fun!

3. Bring A Tent. It might seem a little drastic to have a tent with you, but you won’t regret it. Not only do tents provide a great place to hangout in the shade, but they also provide a great dry area when it rains!

4. Bring Chairs. This one may be obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people forget chairs! Chairs are perfect for a tailgate in that they provide a place for people to hangout, congregate and easily eat their food.

5. Clean Up. No one likes the person who leaves all of his or her garbage behind after the tailgate. Trashing a parking lot can lead to both a bad reputation and tickets and fines! Respect the area, clean up after yourself and have fun.

Spring Into Action!

Saying goodbye to Winter’s harsh driving conditions often means saying hello to the laidback coasting of Spring time. And while we can’t wait to stop worrying about the frigid winter, we’ll be the first to say - you’ve got to work hard to play hard. With Spring right around the corner, it’s time to start changing out the snow tires and making sure everything is in tip top shape so your car doesn’t freeze up in the warming season. Here’s a checklist of a few little things that make a BIG difference.

1. Change your tires. If you put snow tires on your car in an effort to battle the fierce Winter season, it’s time to change back! And don’t be the last one to do it. Some places have ordinances and will actually ticket those using snow tires after Winter.

2. Hoses and Belts. The brittle and dry winters are known to wear and tear your hoses and belts. Open up the hood of your car and look around for any cracking or leaking.

3. Liquids and Coolants. Open up the hood of your car and make sure you’ve still got all the right amounts of liquids and coolants. Not changing the oil on time can cost you way more money than if you had done it when it was needed. Make sure you have coolant so your car doesn’t overheat and if you just survived an intense and dirty winter, make sure you’ve still got windshield wiper fluid.

4. Spark Plugs and Spark Plug Wires. While you’re checking everything else, you should check these out, too. Spring is the perfect time to get these fixed if they need it.

5. Tires. Now that you’ve changed your tires, make sure there is enough air in your new ones. Having enough air in your tires is a great way to assure not just a safe ride, but a fuel efficient one at that.

20 Most Interesting Facts About Cars

“All of you guys have read certain interesting facts about animals, technology, or people at least once in [your] life. Right? And since [a] car is something you use every day, this time it’ll be facts about cars. These infotaining car facts might surprise everybody, from car enthusiast[s] to simply car owner[s]. So in the name of entertainment and because car[s] [are] the most popular type of transport, [here is a] list of great facts about automobiles and things regarding autos. Accompanied with pictures that will help you get a visual description, these great facts can change your attitude towards routine work or usual stuff. Get to know [these] top 20 interesting facts about cars!”

More here:
http://blog.carid.com/20-most-interesting-facts-about-cars

How to Jump Start Your Car

Imagine this, you walk out the door towards your vehicle, get in, and it won’t start. Oh no, maybe the battery’s dead! This can be because the headlights were left on, a door was not completely closed, or maybe the battery is just old. In any case, you’ve got somewhere to go, and you’re not going to let this stand in your way. Well as long as you’ve got a friend with a charged car battery and some jumper cables, you can still get where you’re heading after a quick jump.

“Put on the safety glasses and open the hoods of both cars. Make sure the battery position on each car is compatible to the length of the cables.
Attach the red clamp of the jumper cables to the working battery in the assisting car first, then attach the black clamp to the negative terminal of the working battery in the assisting car. Be sure once both of those clamps are attached to the working battery that the idle clamps on the other end of the jumper cables do not come into contact with one another, or sparks will fly.
Hold the remaining clamps of the jumper cables apart and attach the red clamp to the positive battery terminal on the dead battery. Attach the black clamp of the jumper cable to a non-moving metallic ground away from the dead battery. Use a large bolt head or metal engine bracket within reach. Make sure that there is no slack in the cable or clamp connections that can come into contact with moving engine parts when the dead car battery starts the engine.
Start the car with the dead battery. If it doesn't start, you may need to start the engine of the assisting car and allow it to run for a while, or have the engine revved to accommodate the cold cranking amps of the dead battery. It will depend on how many cold cranking amps the dead battery calls for and how dead the battery is. A rule of thumb is to find a compatible vehicle to jump start from. A small compact car with a low cold cranking amp battery may have a difficult time jump starting a 3/4-ton truck with a high cold cranking amp battery.
Remove the black clamp from the ground position on the vehicle that needed to be jump started first, then remove the red clamp from the same vehicle (once the battery starts the engine). Again, be sure not to allow the clamps of the jumper cables to contact one another. Finally, remove the black clamp from the assisting car's negative battery terminal and then the last clamp from the positive battery terminal. Close the hoods and remove the safety glasses.”

For two other ways to jump your car, check out the rest of this article. http://www.ehow.com/how_4899364_jump-start-car-safely.html

How Your Car Gets Tuned Up

Every 30,000 miles or two years (whichever comes first), your car should receive a tune up. This is a good way to keep your vehicle out of the shop, by having a few parts checked and replaced that are worn down. Here’s a list of things your mechanic does to tune up your car!

• -Replace the fuel filter
• -Change the spark plugs
• -Replace the distributor cap and rotor
• -Change the points and condenser
• -Check and adjust the ignition timing
• -Adjust the valves
• -Check the belts
• -Replenish fluids
• -Change oil filter
• -Replace the air filter
• -Adjust the clutch (if manual transmission)
• -Service the Battery
• -Replace the PCV

To get see the rest of these steps, check out the full article at:
http://www.ehow.com/how_1874_tune-car.html