Driving With A Broken Muffler

No good can come from driving a broken muffler. Not only is the loud engine noise annoying, but exhaust fumes can be dangerous, and you'll pay more for gas. Learn all the downfalls of a broken muffler here.

In Your Ear
The muffler on most stock exhaust systems lives up to its name quite capably -- hushing engine noises to almost imperceptible levels. The sounds escaping from a broken muffler may upset your neighbors, but a more serious outcome could be permanent. While neighbors may glare and stew, vehicle occupants are the ones subjected to conditions that are known to contribute to hearing loss and tinnitus. Close proximity and reverberations from road surfaces amplify the dangers for the driver and passengers encased above the racket. Extended periods of exposure increase the chances of irreparable hearing losses. 

Up Your Nose
Carbon monoxide is only one component of exhaust fumes, but it may be the most toxic in concentration. When fumes exit the exhaust system prematurely, this odorless gas can enter the cabin of the vehicle. People hidden in a car trunk to sneak into a drive-in movie, or bundled under a blanket in a rumble seat, were often sickened and in some cases killed. The onset of carbon monoxide poisoning can seem like a trivial case of the flu. Headaches and dizzy spells can precede profound confusion, but impaired driving is an immediate result that can be just as deadly. 

Out of Pocket
As any novice hot-rodder soon discovers, removing all exhaust restrictions is an ineffective method of improving engine performance. Engines need exhaust back pressure for everything from basic air flow to reducing air pollution. Computer sensors reliant on proper pressures can blindly increase fuel consumption to no avail. Solids from unburned fuel can combine with rain and adhere to body surfaces. Not only does the poor fuel economy burn a hole in your pocket, but caustic compounds eat through the vehicle body panels as well. 

Losing the Race
While a new muffler might seem expensive, the cost is minimal in comparison to potential losses. Whether you subscribe to some scientific theory or not, it remains a fact that air pollution adversely affects our planet and our persons. The exhaust converter of an automobile with a leaky muffler never gets enough heat or time to convert and reduce the poisons entering our atmosphere. If preservation of the human race is not a convincing reason for responsible motoring, perhaps a trip to the police impound lot would be.

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Preparing Your Car For Winter

Winter weather is right around the corner. Preparing your vehicle for colder weather in advance is the best way to avoid breaking down or sliding off an icy road. These tips will inform you on every way you can prepare your car for winter.

Clean Your Vehicle Inside And OutExterior surfaces are particularly vulnerable to winter's charming qualities, such as snow, ice and road salt. It's ideal if you can use the fair fall days leading up to the frigid months to thoroughly wash your vehicle. To start, undertake a complete do-it-yourself detailing of your car. Be sure to include a car wax that coats the body panels before the first snowfall -- specifically, before temperatures drop below 55F. This preventative measure will shield paint surfaces from snowy bombardments, and it will also make snow and ice easier to brush off. 

On the inside, remove any garbage before vacuuming the seats and floor. After vacuuming, additional attention with an upholstery cleaner will have your cockpit looking spick-and-span and more welcoming for passengers. To rid your car of that stale, climate-controlled atmosphere that the colder weather brings, try an air-freshener -- even a man's car shouldn't smell like a gym locker. Finally, it's also a great idea to swap out your carpeted floor mats with a set of water-resistant vinyl or rubber mats. 

Test Battery And Electrical System
Cold weather is a vehicle's electrical system enemy -- especially the vehicle's battery. Combine this with the increased power demands of defrosters, windshield wipers and heating systems, and a car battery really has to be ready to meet the brutal winter challenge. A simple battery test means running your vehicle's headlights before starting the engine. If you notice that the headlights get brighter once you start the engine, more elaborate battery tests might be needed.
Metering voltage with a voltmeter or measuring electrolyte levels for an unsealed, low-maintenance battery are two examples of such tests. If your tests show the voltage lower than 12.4V or if electrolyte-specific gravity resides below 1.225, a recharge or replacement of the battery is likely required. 

A well-insulated cabin offers much needed shelter from frigid winter winds, so ensuring your heating system is functioning properly should be a top priority. Run your heating system to ensure its operation before the actual time of need -- trust us, you do not want to be trapped in a cold car in the months to come. Also check the window defroster system by testing the defroster strips in the windshield and rear windshield using a voltmeter. Another major electricity consumer is the vehicle's lighting, which will be running longer due to the much shorter days. Make sure your headlights, taillights, back up lights, and signal lights (including your hazards) illuminate with a visual check during a dark day or at night. 

Maximize Winter Vision
Darkness and blizzard-like snowfalls, coupled with shorter periods of sunlight, dramatically reduce a motorist's vision during the winter. A working set of windshield wipers and an ample supply of winter washer fluid are the best ways to optimize limited visibility. Ensure that your wipers have a clean wipe across the windshield -- if you replace your wiper arms, also make sure that they don't lift from your windshield at higher speeds (some larger, Teflon wipers tend to lift with higher winds). 

Similar to the theme of tires, windshield wiper varieties are predominately featured for all-season use. While a high-quality windshield wiper is the way to go, wiper performance can be affected by snow and ice buildup along the wiper springs. For optimal winter visibility investing in special winter wipers equipped with protective shields that protect the wipers' mechanism is an excellent idea. Summer washer fluid must be replaced heading into the colder months since it is not made for the colder temperatures and may become frozen and useless. When buying winter washer fluid, look for a brand with a deicer agent. 

Be Equipped For The Road
While it may be a given, it's still extremely important to mention the basics in winter car equipment: You will need a snowbrush and an ice scrapper. Remember, a soft-bristled snowbrush is less likely to damage your paint and plastic scrappers won't scratch your windshield and windows as easily as metal ones. Other tools suited for unpredictable winter conditions include a collapsible shovel, a well-stocked emergency kit and a set of jumper cables. 

For mountain regions, add a set of tire chains to your trunk as it may be the only way you'll be able to drive. As well, in case your vehicle becomes immobilized in deep snow you can either buy of set of traction pads or use some scrap pieces of carpet to help you escape those arctic traps -- but make sure you read the instructions carefully prior to using the traction pads as they often have spiked bottoms and can be quite dangerous. 

When taking a long trip (a common practice during the holiday season) include items such as a blanket, a flashlight, candles and a lighter, flares, and an extra bottle of windshield washer fluid in case of unplanned circumstances or roadside stops. 

Understandably, this winter gear might represent a burden for trunk space, but your preparation may be a relief for you later on. 

 Tires are an economical and practical choice for many motorists it took recent tire technology advancements to recapture consumer interest for winter tires. And even then, some drivers swear by all-seasons even though their winter performances are scarcely up to par with that of the winter treads. The reality is that winter tires are the way to go. 

If you opt for winter tires, store your summer tires in opaque plastic bags. To reduce moisture from damaging the rubber, press as much air out of the bags as possible or use a vacuum to suck out the air before sealing the bags with tape. For storage, find a place that maintains a cool, but stable temperature, such as a basement or heated garage. 

Whichever tire you choose to use this coming winter, make sure you conduct regular visual checks on the tires tread surface, and monitor the tire pressure on a monthly basis as well. Remember, every 10 degree drop equals 1 PSI lost in your tires' pressure and that means loss of traction and control on your part. 

Check And Change Fluids
Check the coolant system. To determine whether or not your vehicle is operating with a proper coolant level, it sometimes only requires a small visual check at a marked level indicator on a semitransparent overflow reservoir. For North America, a 50/50 mixture of water and antifreeze coolant is typically recommended for year-round driving (check your car's owners manual for specifics or go by the indications on the antifreeze). After checking the coolant, proceed to examine coolant hoses for leaks or wear -- visually inspect all the connections and use clean rags or paper towels to ensure there are no leaks. Make sure you also search for leaks around other reservoirs in the engine compartment, such as your brakes and oil. 

The change in seasonal temperatures may also dictate a change to a thinner viscosity engine oil to more efficiently lubricate moving parts in colder conditions. Since this is not the standard for all vehicles, check your vehicle's owner manual for fluid requirements.

Click the link to read the full article from AOL Autos: http://aol.it/HHFqiu

What to Keep In Your Glove Box

Is your glove box full of clutter? Time to clean it out. This article tells you what items you should have in your glove box. Go ahead and get rid of everything else.

The glove box can be a useful treasure chest in cars, housing everything from important papers and receipts to tire gauges and extra fuses. It's a safe, easy-to-access place for crucial items, and almost every car has one. Even the best of us are sometimes guilty of littering our glove boxes with unnecessary items like CDs or cosmetics. 

Don't let yourself go down that path. Rather, be prepared and consider the following things to keep on hand. 

License and registration: Keep all important documents like proof of insurance, automotive registration and a copy of your driver's license in a plastic bag or held together by a paper clip.
ICE: Experts at AAA recommend keeping an ICE — in case of emergency — card with important information about you and your passengers. On that card you should list emergency contacts, physicians, any medications used or allergies for you and your passengers.  

Put your owner's manual on a diet: We'd all like to keep our car's owner's manual in the glove box, but have you seen the size of these things lately? If your car came with a combo pack of a manual plus other materials like stereo or navigation instructions, optional warranties and more, put the less vital guides elsewhere. Keep just the main manual — with important info on engine care, wiper blade sizes and more — in the glove box. 

Tire pressure gauge: Unless you have a new Nissan Altima with its Easy Fill Tire Alert system, a tire pressure gauge is one of the most essential items to have in your glove box. Thankfully, it's also small. 

Flashlight: There are dozens of small — sometimes even flat — LED flashlights on the market that take up only a little space but emit a lot of light. A flashlight will come in handy when trying to change a tire in the dark. 

Fuses: Stock your glove box with a few backup fuses, which can be picked up at a hardware store for a few dollars. If your car's taillights or power windows stop working, replacing a blown fuse takes just seconds. Fuses are ideal for the glove box because they're tiny. 

Wheel-lock key: Wheel locks help to ensure that someone won't walk off with your car's pricey wheels, but you won't be able to change a flat tire without the wheel-lock key. If your car has wheel locks, keep the key in the glove box next to the tire pressure gauge. 

First-aid kit: If your car is short on storage space, find a small pouch or container and make a basic first-aid kit for the glove box. It should contain adhesive bandages, tissues or cotton balls, a pain reliever like aspirin and backup prescription medicine. You could put the ICE card in there, too. Some retailers carry first-aid kits for glove boxes such as the LifeLine, which costs less than $10. 

Phone charger: If you have a smartphone you know how quickly the battery can run out of power, especially if you're using Bluetooth. Luckily, most chargers are small. A cellphone is one of the most important items you should have with you in a car in case of an emergency; don't let it run out of juice. 

Paper map: Put a printed — yes, printed — fold-out map in your glove box. In this day and age where portable GPS units and cellphones with navigation software dominate, having an up-to-date paper map as a backup is just plain smart. 

Click the link to read the whole article from Cars.com : http://bit.ly/YhkYeM

Defensive Driving

The scariest part about driving is usually other drivers. You never know what someone else on the road might do. That's why when you're behind the wheel, you always need to drive defensively. Here are a few tips on the best ways to be a defensive driver.

Following Distance
When driving, following distance is crucial. Many drivers tend to tailgate, which can easily lead to one car rear-ending another. A tip is to check your speed, divide it by 10, and then keep that many car lengths between you and the car in front of you. For example, if you are driving 40 miles per hour, keep the distance between you and the car ahead 4 car lengths. 

Distractions
When driving, 100 percent of your focus must be on the road and what's going on around you. Avoid distracting activities when driving, such as talking on the phone (even hands-free), eating, shaving and especially texting. 

Changing lanes
A lot of drivers when changing lanes will slow down and not signal. It is important to keep consistent speed when changing lanes to avoid being rear-ended and it is important to use your turn signal to give cars in other lanes notice that you are changing lanes. 

Space Cushion
It is hard to control cars around you, but safely try to move yourself around so you are not driving directly next to anyone or directly behind anyone.

Read the full article from ehow.com here: http://bit.ly/16qLmD5