Technology

Statistics show that a third of all vehicle accidents and almost half of traffic fatalities happen at night. Most of these are usually blamed on reduced driver vision.

That’s why it’s so important to make sure you keep your headlamps as clear and clean as possible. At night, our visual perception can be reduced by up to 70%, so you can imagine how much harder it is to see the road ahead if your headlamps are clouded over or hazy. 

In today’s economy, people are keeping their vehicles longer and looking for smart, affordable ways to maintain them. Rust and corrosion are glaring examples of what can go wrong when your car’s painted surfaces are chipped or scratched. Sometimes the fight against rust feels like an uphill battle; but if you can help avoid the cause, you may be one step ahead of the game.

The New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) rates vehicles to determine crash worthiness and rollover safety. The safety ratings are gathered during controlled crash and rollover tests conducted at NHTSA’s research facilities.

Though air pollution continues to be a threat to public health, it appears to be even more so to the health of our children.

According to the American Lung Association’s State of the Air report for 2012, “Children’s lungs are still developing until they reach maturity” and, therefore, are potentially more susceptible to the ill effects of pollution than that of adults (http://www.stateoftheair.org/2012/key-findings/2008-2010/people-at-risk.html). 

Most car owners know that they need to change their vehicle’s oil and filter periodically, even though they may not always follow the original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) recommended schedule.  The type of oil their car needs is usually easy to figure out. It is specified in the owner’s manual, which will indicate both the quality and viscosity (thickness) of the recommended engine oil.

Four small pieces of lead may not seem like a big deal. Each wheel on your car likely has a little bar of lead on its rim, in the form of a wheel weight. But picture the magnitude of vehicles on U.S. roads and you see quickly how all that lead adds up to a significant problem.

For decades, wheel weights have largely consisted of chunks of lead clamped to the wheel rim. Why lead? Because it is cheap and heavy, allowing the use of relatively small weights to balance wheels. However, the toxic metal can cause brain damage and other nervous-system disorders in people.

With no end in sight to rising gas prices, consumers who modify their driving habits and properly maintain their vehicles will get more miles per gallon. The Car Care Council recommends the following ways to drive smart and save gas money:

The buzz around ‘extended oil change intervals’ for passenger cars and SUVs is everywhere. Some vehicle manufacturers are recommending longer oil change intervals. Oil companies are offering oils that they promote as having extended life. And motorists, pressured by the challenges of a tight economy and a hectic lifestyle, like the prospect of fewer trips to their repair shop or local quick lube to get their car’s oil changed.

A Fouled Engine Air Filter Can Damage The Mass Air Flow Sensor

With the days of carburetors behind us, the electronic fuel injection system in the cars we drive today is king. While carburetors mixed the air and fuel together and the mixture was sucked into the cylinder and burned, modern electronically controlled fuel injection injects the right amount of fuel, at the right time for optimum fuel efficiency and economy, and driving performance. But the question remains, how does it know what that ‘right amount’ is and when’s the ‘right time’ to inject?