| The Benefits of Airbags |
22 Jul |
Airbags have been all made available for many vehicles for a long time running. In fact, the United States government has made sure that these would be made standard for vehicles. This has become reality for in July 11, 1984, the US government has already required all cars to airbags for the drivers side at least. Come 1998, it was later on mandated that all vehicles should contain airbags in the front end of the vehicle.
Insurance agencies and companies have come up with results that drivers and passengers who would like to have greater protection during crashes would benefit greatly from side airbags. In fact, this is just a recent study and was reported only last April 15, 2006. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has also found that, indeed, these side airbags have been beneficial and really helpful during side impact crashes.
Some of the tests conducted by the IIHS with regards to side impact crashes showed that majority of vehicles that do not hold such a safety feature suffered from dislodged seats, or had seats that separated from the floor. Just imagine riding in a vehicle that would have dislodged seats because of a side impact crash. However, thanks to the side airbags, safety of the passengers were greatly increased.
Of course, airbags should not be considered as a replacement to seatbelts. Seatbelts also serve their own unique purpose in providing safety. And this goes true for airbags as well. There are actually various types of airbags so as to provide proper and enough protection to a vehicles passengers during crashes. There are front side airbags, front airbags, passenger side airbags, and even airbags located somewhere on the steering wheel to assist in keeping the driver in place and not being thrown off the windshield.
In fact, it could be deduced that airbags are actually supplements to the safety belt system. What it does is it reduces the chance that the passengers or the drivers head and upper body will strike a part of the vehicles interior. Serious injury is also reduced because these airbags actually distribute crash forces evenly across the body of the passenger. To support this claim, there is a recent study that concluded that there are already some 6000 lives already saved and kept safe because of the use of airbags.
Volkswagen vehicles also contain and come with these airbags. In fact, Volkswagen also assures its customers and patrons worldwide that their vehicle would provide enough protection during crashes.
Tags: Cars, Crash, Crashes, Iihs, Insurance, Insurance Agencies, Insurance Institute For Highway Safety, Long Time, Passenger Side Airbags, Safety Belt, Safety Feature, Side Impact, Steering Wheel, Supplements, United States Government, Us Government, Vehi, Vehicle Insurance, Wheel, WindshieldRelated posts
read comments (0)| Safety Tips for Towing Your Car or Boat |
20 Jun |
If you restore antique cars, ride dirt bikes or own a boat, it’s important to know how to tow a vehicle properly. Driving while towing can be hazardous if you don’t follow simple safety tips.
Suzuki, manufacturer of a variety of vehicles for outdoor enthusiasts, suggests the following guidelines for towing:
* Always use safety chains and follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for attaching them. Safety chains are required and should be crossed under the tongue of the trailer so that the tongue will not drop to the road if it becomes separated from the hitch. Do not attach them to the bumper. Leave enough slack so you can turn, and make sure the safety chains do not drag on the ground.
* Be sure the brake lights, taillights and turn signals of the towed vehicle operate in sync with the vehicle being driven. This is a requirement in all 50 states. You can use brake/signal light accessory kits, which are strapped or magnetically connected to the rear of the vehicle being towed.
* Use the right tow vehicle. Before purchasing a tow vehicle, it’s best to determine the maximum weight you might tow and then match that weight to a vehicle of your choice. For example, the 2006 Grand Vitara can tow up to 3,000 pounds.
* Practice steering before hitting the highway. Remember that when backing up, the trailer turns the opposite way you turn your wheel. Experts suggest placing your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and moving it the way you want the trailer to go when in reverse. Make slow, easy steering adjustments.
* Anticipate stops and brake early.
* Make certain the load in the trailer is secured so that the load can’t move or shift.
Tags: 2006 Grand Vitara, 50 States, Accessory Kits, Antique Cars, Dirt Bikes, Drag On, Grand Vitara, Maximum Weight, Outdoor Enthusiasts, Safety Chains, Safety Tips, Steering Wheel, Suzuki, Sync, Taillights, Tongue, Tow Vehicle, Turn Signals, Variety, WheelRelated posts
| Replacing Your Steering Wheel |
18 Jun |
An important part of your whole vehicle is the steering wheel. Imagine your vehicle without it and it would seem like you could go nowhere. That is because the steering wheel is a steering control. It is manipulated by the driver and it becomes a channel that directs that control towards the rest of the vehicle.
Upon purchasing a vehicle, you could actually note that some vehicles contain a good looking steering wheel while for other vehicles the steering wheel simply looks dull. That is why many people often try to replace their vehicles original steering wheel with one that would not only suit their tastes and would suit their vehicle, but they would also try to find the right kind of steering wheel that could respond and perform excellently according to the directions given by the vehicles driver.
If you would like to replace you vehicles original steering wheel, it would be best if you are armed with ample and the right kind of information regarding the original one. You should know the measurements of the original steering wheel so that when you purchase a replacement, you would be able to find a new one that would fit and work well with your vehicle. Keep in mind that when you choose the new one, you should make sure that the new steering wheel would not actually obstruct your view of the gauges on your dashboard.
Locate the right kind of store to purchase the steering wheel of your choice. If you have no idea yet as per what kind of steering wheel you would like to have for your vehicle, ideas are available in automobile magazines, in auto shops and auto parts stores, and online as well. You can also ask your friends and family where they purchased new steering wheels.
Remember that steering wheels come in various styles. There are four spoke steering wheels, three-spoke ones, multi-color, boomerang-style, ultra-tech style, and even Formula One style racing steering wheels. Try to choose the right one that would not give you much confusion yet would give you satisfaction. Also, you have to choose what kind of finish you would like your steering wheel to have. Some of the choices to choose from include wood, vinyl, leather, and carbon fiber.
Tags: Auto Parts Stores, Auto Shops, Automobile Magazines, Boomerang, Confusion, Dashboard, Formula One, Friends And Family, Imagine, Measurements, Other Vehicles, Racing Steering Wheels, Racing Wheels, Spoke Wheels, Steering Wheel, Tastes, WheelRelated posts
| Removing A Steering Wheel Yourself |
17 Jun |
Steering wheels are essential in a vehicle. However, there are some drivers that do not find their steering wheels good enough for their vehicles so what they do is they try to purchase another one. If you are one of these drivers and you would like to remove the old one, you actually could do this thing yourself. Although you have to have patience for the process takes some time to do.
Make sure that before you start on your task of removing your old steering wheel, you should have a screwdriver, a pair of pliers, and a puller. You will be needing these.
Start by pointing your cars wheels straight ahead. Then disconnect the battery before you remove the old wheel. Then, remove the horn mechanism by pressing down on the horn cap and then turn. After that, remove the emblem cap from its snapped-in position. You do this by grabbing it and then pulling it towards you. If there are screws attaching it to the vehicle, use your screwdriver.
After this step is done, it is now time to remove the horn wire or the spring-loaded metal plunger. You will be removing it from its plastic housing. Start by pulling straight out on the metal plunger. Or you can also try to remove it by twisting the plastic sleeve to the left and then pull it out. When you have done so, cut off the wire on the plastic sleeve and keep the sleeve. You would be needing this when you put in a new steering wheel.
Now, it is time to remove the shaft-nut retainer clip if it is present. But make sure that you also keep it for you still would be using it. The shaft nut should be removed for it holds the steering wheel to the shaft. When you have removed these, mark the shaft at the twelve oclock position. This would allow you to know where to put in the top of your new wheel.
Insert now a conventional puller into the two tapped holes. You will find these two holes at the hub of your steering wheel. When you have put in the puller, pull off the steering shaft. You can now remove your steering wheel.
Tags: Cars Wheels, Horn Cap, Housing Start, Hub, Patience, Plastic Sleeve, Pliers, Retainer, Screwdriver, Screws, Shaft, Steering Wheel, Steering Wheels, Tapped Holes, WheelRelated posts
| Reminders: The Right Way To Drive |
16 Jun |
You may have been driving since you were legal enough to do so. Or you may have been driving for just a couple of days. However, the duration of how long you have been driving does not necessarily equate that you know the rules and regulations when doing this kind of activity. It is important for drivers to go back and review some driving tips.
When talking about headrests, it is wise if you adjust this so much so that the height is behind your back and not just up to your neck. The reason behind this would be so as to minimize whiplash during cases and situations when you get in an accident.
When you get seated behind the wheel, it is important to buckle up. Also make sure that your passengers are buckled up as well. Remember that seat belts have been installed in cars not to waste a couple of seconds for you to buckle up. They have been made standard so as to protect your lives.
If you have to party or if you have to drink, do not drive. Also, do not go for a drive with someone who has been drinking. If you need a lift home, go with someone who has not yet been intoxicated. You can also ask for a lift from some friends, or better yet, you can call your family and have them pick you up.
Make sure that your car has gas in it. You would not want to be caught somewhere down the road with an empty gauge. You do not know where you are going to be stranded. It is better to come prepared.
Speed limits have been made for specific purposes and it is important that you follow them. Never go too fast. One of the main causes of accidents is excess speed.
Tags: Cars, Causes Of Accidents, Couple Of Days, Duration, Excess Speed, Gauge, Headrests, Reason, Reminders, Seat Belts, Speed Limits, Wheel, WhiplashRelated posts
| Is Your Teenage Driver Safe? |
22 Apr |
Teenagers are known as one of the accident-prone drivers on the streets and roads. Studies have given blame to the adolescents raging hormones and risky behavior. Of course, you yourself would know about this if you learned to drive a car in your teens. For most teens, getting behind the wheel of a car gives them a new sense of freedom which is a different situation from their restrictive rules at home or in school.
On a parents end, the worrying seems to be so natural for they, themselves, have been drivers themselves and they do know just what kind of risks these teenage drivers are putting themselves into.
Dan Olmsted is the president of Atlantic Mutual and he also is the father to a new teenage driver. He states, Parents have good reason to be concerned. Traffic crashes account for 44 per cent of teen fatalities, more than any other cause, and driving at night with other teenage friends in the car just about tops the list of risk-laden situations.
Olmsted also states that besides such a fear of knowing that their teenagers could get injured any minute as they are behind the wheel, parents also fear that they are also responsible in cases during accidents. Aside from paying up for their own vehicles damages, if there are any third parties involved, the parents would also be the ones involved in taking care that everybody is well and everything has been paid for.
If you have a new teenage driver or any teenage driver for that matter, it is important that you, as the parent, let him know about the consequences of his driving behavior. You should both sit down and try to develop an agreement on using the car. Write everything you have agreed upon. Just make sure that you include everything like seatbelts, the use of cellular phones, who can be their passengers and how many passengers can he drive, and curfews.
Olmsted further states, Nothing will make your teen drive perfectly and take all of the anxiety away. But with planning, clear communication, and a firmly enforced set of rules, parents can rely on a lot more than prayer and a large helping of trust when they hand over the keys.
Tags: Accidents, Adolescents, Anxiety, Cellular Phones, Consequences, Damages, Different Situation, Driving At Night, Good Reason, Most Teens, Raging Hormones, Restrictive Rules, Risky Behavior, Teenage Driver, Teenage Drivers, Teenage Friends, Teenagers, Third Parties, Traffic Crashes, WheelRelated posts
| Ignite And Rev Up Your Car |
13 Apr |
How do you start your car?
The simple answer to this very simple question is to insert the key into the ignition slot and rev up your car to life.
So how does the ignition of your car really work?
Well, the ignition key slot of your vehicle is actually part of a much larger system which is called the ignition system. It is mostly found on internal combustion engines. It actually starts off the burning of the fuel mixture that is found in the engine of your car. This is primarily because the fuel mixture in the engine does not just burn and make your car run automatically or else your vehicle would be running nonstop. Most modern engines do make use of an ignition system.
The key to the entire ignition system is your car key although there are some vehicles that make use of a code patch. However, whether it is a key or a code patch, this is what your car needs to actually start and rev up. The key or the code patch actually works to unlock the switch that is found in the ignition slot. The key or the code patch also switches the operations of your vehicle off.
If your cars ignition switch seems to be locked up and would not budge, automobile experts and mechanics actually say that this is primarily because the wheels of your vehicle are jammed against the curb through which the switch moves about.
To remove such a lock up, you should first make sure that the transmission system of your vehicle is in park mode. So that the vehicle would not roll further up against the curb, it is important to put the parking brake. Then you should pull hard and with much force on the steering wheel. While you are doing this, turn it in both directions so as to free the wheel.
If after doing this and the ignition is still stuck, you should release the parking brake. Instead, put the transmission in neutral position. Then let up on the foot pedal. This would rock the car slightly and make your ignition switch work once again.
Tags: Automobile Experts, Automobile Mechanics, Car Key, Cars, Fuel Mixture, Internal Combustion Engines, Neutral Position, Simple Answer, Slot Car, Steering Wheel, Transmission System, Wheel, WheelsRelated posts
| Hubcaps Need Replacing, Too |
11 Apr |
Did you know that your cars hubcaps also need to be replaced?
They may seem to be just decorative disks but they also do get worn out. Scratches could also be inevitable after your car trudges through various kind of roads and gets splattered with many types of elements.
You may find your hubcap looking very dirty and not like the decorative accessory you bought. So you may now decide to buy a new set of hubcaps from stores that also offer spare parts for Mazda MX6 that would show off the beauty of your car. But your dilemma now would be how to take out the old ones and put in the new set. It is not important for you to go rushing to a mechanic or automobile expert just to have this task done.
The first thing you need to do would be to check the wheels of your car. Find out how the current hubcaps of your car are attached to the center of the wheel. You see, there are some hubcaps that can come off by just a simple push on it. However, there are also some which need you to loosen up some screws that attach it to the wheel.
When you have discovered just how your hubcap is attached to the wheels of your car, your next step would be to actually remove the hubcap. But make sure that when you remove the hubcap off each wheel, you do not damage the wheel. When you have successfully removed the hubcap off one wheel without damaging the wheel of your car, do the same to all the remaining hubcaps that are still attached.
With the old hubcaps off, you can now put in place the new hubcaps that you have bought. You can use a rubber mallet to strike the edge of the hubcaps to make sure that they are placed just right. If you need to screw anything to keep the hubcaps in place, do that. Now, you have a car that sports a new set of hubcaps.
Tags: Automobile Expert, Cars, Current, Decorative Accessory, Dilemma, Elements, Hubcap, Hubcaps, Mazda, Mazda Mx6, Mechanic, Scratches, Screw, Screws, Spare Parts, Trudges, Wheel, WheelsRelated posts
| How To Safely Haul Your Classic Car |
9 Apr |
Begin by looking at your trailer. Is there sufficient length for the Classic Car plus enough space to operate the ratchet assemblies at the fore and aft of the bodywork? Do you have D rings located towards the corners of the trailer? Is the D ring rated for a total of 3 times the weight of the car? Once these items have been addressed, It is time to load the car and tie it down.
Once you have loaded it onto the trailer, the next step is to connect the straps. You can buy a complete tie down kit from Macs custom tie downs. Start by connecting the twisted snap hook on the fixed end (the short end) to each of the D rings. Choose a set of locations to tie down to.
Typically, on a Classic Car those locations would be through the wheel, over an axle or substantial suspension member, or possibly around a frame horn.
Some general guidelines to keep in mind are: choose a location with enough strength to hold the Classic Car in the event of an accident, one that is free of cutting hazards, and with enough space around it to lace the axle strap.
DO NOT run a strap where it might migrate and crush a brake line. Also consider the effect of the movement of the Classic Car while it is traveling down the road, since what may seem like a clear space now, could become tie down strap guillotine later, if the trailer hits a hard bump.
After choosing a location, you should now run your axle strap around it. Check the length if the standard 24 isnt enough, dont worry Macs can make the strap in any length needed in a short timeframe.
After determining that the length is correct, align the two delta rings at the end of the axle strap together and click in the running end (long end) of the ratchet strap. Before ratcheting the strap tight, pull the tail end of the strap through until the strap looks straight. Now you can ratchet the strap, making sure to have two full wraps around the mandrel to ensure a positive mechanical lock. Repeat this process at all four corners of the Classic Car.
Should you cross the straps? Possibly. Understand that the strap will have its maximum strength in the line it is pulling. It is always a good idea to have the straps at the rear of the Classic Car pulling mostly straight back. Most vehicles will out corner a trailer, so the Classic Car is more likely to come loose when an accident occurs than wander around when properly tied down. Be sure to take a look at the setup in your trailer and make sure that it is sensible this is the best test for tie downs.
Tags: Bodywork, Bump, Clas, Classic Car, Custom Tie, Delta, Enough Space, Four Corners, Guillotine, Lace, Macs Custom Tie Downs, Mandrel, Snap Hook, Tie Down Kit, Timeframe, Wheel, WrapsRelated posts
| How To Do A U-Turn |
5 Apr |
First of all, what is a U-turn?
Well, a U-turn is a term used in driving. It actually refers to that move or maneuver that drivers do when doing a 180 degree rotation. This move is done so as to change directions. To put it simply, you might be on the left lane when you realized that you do need to go the other way. Thats when you make a U-turn. And this maneuver is called such because the whole deal looks like the letter U.
It is important to note thought that there are some areas where this move is considered to be illegal. If you would notice while you drive through various roads and streets that there are some areas which have signs that proclaim that they are for U-turn maneuvers only. These signs are often put in areas which are quite busy.
So how do you exactly make a U-turn?
Just simply keep in mind to always be cool and calm while doing this move. That way, despite the high number of motorists and vehicles speeding past you, you would still have good control over yourself and your car.
You switch on the turn signal. This turn signal would be the one that would show other people and motorists the direction of the turn that you are taking. As you do so, check for oncoming traffic. Also, make sure that the location where you would be doing your U-turn allows this maneuver. Keep in mind that U-turns should not be attempted across a double yellow line as well as areas where there are signs that indicate that this move should not be done there.
Make sure that you have enough room to make the complete turn. See to it that you would have enough space without hitting the curb or any other vehicle. Then, press lightly on the gas while turning the steering wheel as far as it will go in the direction you would like to turn to. Next, lift your foot off the gas and then go through the turn. You now are in your new lane. You can continue your driving.
Tags: Degree Rotation, Direction, Directions, Double Yellow Line, Enough Space, Left Lane, Maneuver, Motorists, New Lane, Oncoming Traffic, Signs, Steering Wheel, Turn Signal, U Turn, WheelRelated posts
