How To Change Your Brake Pads

There are few parts on your vehicle that are as important as you and your passengers...the brakes. Needless to say, without brakes you aren’t stopping or slowing down anytime soon.  Having a healthy and well-kept set of brakes will minimize harm for you and your precious cargo.  Over time, the break pads will become worn out.  This article How to Change Brake Pads will provide some simple do-it-yourself projects that could possibly save you a trip to the repair shop.

•       When to Change Brake Pads – The wear indicator is a small piece of metal and it is attached to the brake pad. Eventually, the indicators will contacts the brake rotor whenever the pad is worn down.  When applying the brake, the indicator will grind against the rotor; it will create a squealing noise.  The noise is a clear signal to have your brakes inspected.
•          Preparing to Change Brake Pads – Best idea is to start by placing a block under the wheel to prevent the chance of the car rolling anywhere while working on it.  Next, loosen (but don’t remove) the wheel’s lug nuts.  Then, use your vehicle’s jack to lift the car and securely place on the jack stands.
•         Tools for Changing Brake Pads – The tools aren’t hard to use or find, they are typically found at any auto part or hardware store.  Some tools needed are: A C-clamp, wrench, lug wrench, gloves, dusting mask and safety gloves, and finally new brake pads.

Take a look all of the steps by clicking the link: http://bit.ly/IuLlXm

What is Your Check Engine Light Trying to Tell You

A check engine light coming on in your car is never something a driver wants to deal with. The light could mean a vehicle needs expensive repairs, or it could be something as simple as a gas cap not being screwed on tight enough. But not matter what it is, the matter of the fact is you’re going to have to get your engine checked.

In 2010 CarMD published a list of the five most common check engine light codes. Here they are in order or frequency.

·         O2 Sensor (part of the emissions system monitoring and helping adjust the air-fuel mixture)

·         Loose gas cap

·         Catalytic converter

·         Mass air flow sensor (monitoring the amount of air mixed in the fuel injection system)

·         Spark plug wires

To read the full article click here: http://edmu.in/im4vWF

 

 

Stick vs. Automatic: An Infographic

Most of us probably don’t think twice about the kind of car we drive: we either drive a stick shift or an automatic, we get from point A to point B, and we got about our day.

Would you have ever guessed, then, that statistics can estimate other characteristics of yours depending on whether you drive a stick or automatic? For example:

●     Manual drivers are more likely to prefer grapes, raspberries and bananas while automatic drivers are prone to strawberry, cherry and pineapple

●     Manual drivers prefer Richard Pryor while automatic drivers like Tina Fey and Ricky Gervais

●     Manual drivers like “The Newshour with Jim Lehrer", “Face the Nation” and “NBC Nightly News” while automatic drivers like “Anderson Cooper 360”, “Today” and “The Situation Room”

These quirky facts and many, many more can be found here, in infographic form!

Some Car Accidents Are Stranger Than Fiction

Let’s be honest: we, the American people, love to drive. How can we not? Although accidents happen, driving is a major part of our culture, and the automobile is a symbol of many things we value in America.

When accidents do happen, they’re not fun. At the same time, sometimes they’re downright strange. What do we mean when we say strange? Well...

·       A bull found in a garage in New York rammed a woman’s car when she honked at the animal, and also chased the vehicle down the street as it sped away.

·       A truck driver managed to accidentally ignite his cab while driving and cooking.

·       A woman once got her vehicle stuck on a stairwell after mistaking a subway entrance for a parking garage.

Want to read about other bizarre accidents or get more information on the three we mentioned? Click here to read the original article on the DMV’s website.

Top 10 Weirdest Things Found In Rented Cars

Ever forgotten something in that car you rented while you were on vacation? Don’t worry: even the best of us manage to leave our sunglasses or car keys behind occasionally.

But sometimes even stranger items get left behind in cars. What do we mean by strange? Well...take a look at this infographic and you’ll see what we mean! Make sure you read all the way to the end - this has some great tips on how to make sure you don’t leave anything behind in your rental.

5 Bizarre Traffic Laws

When we’re on the road, we don’t tend to question the laws that we must follow. We stop at red lights and stop signs, we don’t turn right when signs tell us not too, and we obey the speed limits set by the state and counties we’re driving in, just to name a few basics.

But there are some rules out there that make drivers scratch their head. Every state has a few silly driving laws passed for one reason or another, many of which have been highlighted in Internet chain e-mails, memes and articles.

For example, did you know:

·       Arkansas authorities have deemed it illegal to blare a car horn where ice cold beverages or sandwiches are served after 9 p.m.

·       It’s a written law that you cannot drive a car with a gorilla in the backseat in Massachusetts.

·       You cannot transport dead poultry along Kansas Avenue in Topeka, Kansas.

·       Close your doors quickly in Oregon: you can be ticketed for speeding and for leaving your car door open longer than is deemed necessary.

·       It is illegal to plant rutabagas in the roadways in Chico, California.

Click here to read more head-scratching driving laws!

Seven Summertime Auto Myths Debunked

With summertime just around the corner, many drivers are probably ready to get in gear (no pun intended) and hit the road. Roadtrips and weekend getaways are both popular things to do in our freetime.

Of course, both require keeping your car in working order, and doing this can be tricky because of the number of myths that seem to float around year after year about summer car care. To help know what advice is sound and which to ignore, we recommend checking out this blog post from Popularmechanics.com, which dives into the most common summer car care myths:

Seven Summertime Auto Myths Debunked

The added heat of summer driving places a strain on your car's cooling and electrical systems. Batteries don't live as long in high underhood temps, and the extra heat and pressure places a strain on hoses and belts. High speeds and hot pavement are also tough on tires and brakes. These are all good reasons to give your vehicle a good checkup before leaving on that vacation road trip, starting with checking the tire pressures and all the fluids. But are there good ways to prevent overheating (not you—the car)? Do you really need antifreeze in your radiator all summer? Should you use heavier oil? There are plenty of old wives' tales, advice from distant relatives and just plain weird stuff you read on the Internet that confuse drivers. Here are some real facts about summertime and your car.

Learn how to care for your car properly this summer by reading the full Seven Summertime Auto Myths Debunked article on Popularmechanics.com.