Vehicle Owners

October is Fall Car Care Month, and the Car Care Council recommends the following ways to fight rising gas prices:

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.

Water turns to a vapor or boils at 212°F.  For every pound of pressure we put water under, it raises the boiling point 3 degrees.  15 lbs of pressure would raise the boiling point of water from 212°F to 265°F.  (These numbers are all altitude sensitive.)  So 15 lbs of pressure created by the radiator cap multiplied by 3.5 degrees will move water’s boiling point upwards 45+ degrees. So under pressure, your radiator liquid will boil at 245-265°F and not at 212°F.

Here’s a hot tip about car batteries: Warm weather is the time for major car-battery problems. Heat, not cold, shortens battery life, says the Car Care Council. The average life of a battery is three and a half years, and even shorter in warmer climates.

Car owners know they should keep their vehicles in good operating condition, but often they do not know where to turn for dependable service or what to look for in a repair shop.

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.

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:

This summer’s extreme temperatures can destroy a vehicle’s battery. The Car Care Council advises vehicle owners to have their cars’ batteries tested periodically and replaced, if necessary, to avoid being stranded.

Excessive heat and overcharging shortens the life of a battery. Heat causes battery fluid to evaporate, which then damages the internal structure of the battery. A malfunctioning component in the charging system, usually the voltage regulator, allows too high a charging rate, which will eventually destroy a battery.