Month: July 2013

3 Common Car Problems After Hitting a Pothole

CC image Wikipedia.orgMinnesota is known as the land of 10,000 lakes, but during the springtime it can look like the land of 10,000 potholes. These holes can prove dangerous, especially if you drive over a deep pothole. Below, we’ll discuss why potholes form, and what kind of damage they typically cause.

Pothole Problems

Ever wonder why potholes seem to sprout up everywhere as winter begins to thaw? That’s because as the snow melts, water seeps into the cracks in the road. As the temperature drops at night, the water in the cracks freezes. If you’ve ever taken 6th grade science, you know that water expands as it freezes. The frozen water puts pressure on the area, and that pressure can rupture if it becomes too great or if a car drives over the spot.

People often try to avoid potholes, which is the preferred method as long as you don’t leave your driving lane. Others think that if they slow down, they’ll put less damage on their car than if they hit it at high speeds. Unfortunately, this is a misconception, and slowing down can cause increased damage to your vehicle.

To illustrate why slowing down is problematic, consider this example. Imagine you are on a golf course, and you’re putting on the 18th hole. If you hit your ball perfectly, it will fall into the cup near the end of its roll. If you hit the ball too hard, but right on line, your ball may hit the far edge of the cup and ricochet away. The ball didn’t go in the hole because it was going too fast and didn’t have enough time to drop. The same rules apply for hitting a pothole. The faster you hit the pothole, the less time your wheel will have to drop into the hole. The slower you hit a pothole, the further your wheel will sink into the hole before hitting the other side. That said, hitting a pothole at excessive speeds an be dangerous if it causes you to lose control of the vehicle.

Common Issues

Three common issues cause by potholes include:

Tire Damage – Hitting a pothole can flat out pop your tire, but it can also take a chunk out of your tire. A damaged tire can make you more susceptible to blowout on the road, which can be dangerous at high speeds.

Alignment – If you hit a significant pothole, or just a collection of potholes over time, your car can get out of alignment. This can cause your car to pull to the left or right, which aside from being dangerous, can lead to further damage if left untreated.

Bearings – Bearings are what help your car turn from side to side. If you hear a grinding noise when turning, you may have damaged your bearing. No need to explain the danger associated with the inability to get your car to turn in the proper direction.

If you think your car has sustained pothole damage, don’t hesitate to contact us for a free quote.

Related source: Yahoo, MDoT

5 Ways to Increase Gas Mileage

CC image Wikipedia.orgWith gas prices on the rise, motorists are once again looking for ways to stretch their dollars and increase their gas mileage. To aid in their search, we compiled a list of five ways you can increase your car’s gas mileage.

Drive the speed limit – Although you may not get to your destination as fast as you would if you put the pedal to the metal, driving at appropriate speeds will increase your gas mileage. Traveling at 55 mph can increase your gas mileage by up to 21% compared to driving at 65 or 70 mph. Also, traffic lights are designed to keep traffic flowing. Peeling out after a light turns green may be fun, but chances are you’ll have to hit the breaks at the next light. Normal acceleration, combined with obeying the speed limit, will give you the best chance to hit a bunch of green lights in a row.

Know when to buy – You can get more for your money by purchasing gasoline at the optimal time on the optimal day. Studies have shown that gas prices are statistically lowest on Tuesday, as the price often fluctuates a little based on supply and demand. As for the time of day, you’ll want to fill up before it gets hot out. When the temperature rises, the gas at the pump becomes less dense. By filling up early in the morning or late at night, you’ll be getting a denser version of gasoline, which will help your car go farther.

Keep your windows up – You might think rolling down the windows instead of blasting the air conditioning will increase your gas mileage, but open windows still create a large amount of drag. Air conditioners can reduce your fuel economy by 10-20%, but traveling with your windows down on the highway can also reduce your gas mileage by 10%. Open windows are better than air conditioning, but for best results, keep your windows up and the AC off.

Properly inflate your tires – As we documented in a previous post, overinflated or underinflated tires can be detrimental to your car’s fuel economy. Over inflated tires leave you more susceptible to blowouts, while underinflated tires lose their tread more quickly. Properly inflated tires can extend your car’s gas mileage by 3%, which is roughly 12 cents a gallon.

Park smart – When possible, park so that you can put your car in drive the next time you start your car. Shifting from forward to reverse or vice versa requires more gasoline, so plan ahead. Consider pulling through into the next parking spot at the grocery store or parking just before a driveway to ensure no car will be blocking your path forward the next time you get in your vehicle.

Related sources: HowToAdvice.com, Yahoo

5 Common Reasons Your Car Won’t Start

CC image ignition by Bill Selak on FlickrYou rely on your car for a lot of things, like shuttling the kids to soccer practice or for getting to work on time, so it’s easy to see why problems can arise if your car refuses to start.

There are literally hundreds of reasons why your car won’t start, but some are more common than others. Below, we discuss five common reasons why your car won’t start, and we offer some advice to ensure your car stays in top shape!

1. Dead Battery – A dead battery is the most common reason your car won’t start. Your battery can die for a variety of reasons; you left the dome light on over night, a wire is loose, water inside the component evaporated leading to poor conductivity, or it’s simply a really old battery! You can test to see if the battery is the problem by jump-starting your car. If the jump-start works, you’re most likely dealing with a dying battery. Consider replacing the battery, cleaning the connections, or have a technician do the service for you.

2. Bad Ignition Switch – If you know your battery is working properly, but your car doesn’t turn over on the first few tries, you might have a problem with the ignition switch. You can try to narrow down the cause of your issue by turning on your headlights. Because the battery controls your headlights and dashboard, if they turn on, but your engine won’t start, a bad ignition switch is the likely culprit.

3. Broken Starter – Similar to a bad ignition switch, a broken starter is another common reason your car won’t start. As the name implies, the starter provides the turning force necessary to get everything moving to start the engine. If you hear a clicking noise when you try to start your vehicle, a broken or weakened starter could be to blame.

4. Clogged Fuel Filter – If your fuel filter is clogged, the gasoline won’t be able to reach the engine. Fuel filters should be changed every 10,000 to 15,000 miles, so consider swapping filters next time you bring your car into the shop.

5. Gas Tank is Empty – Sometimes the most obvious answer is the right one. If you were running on fumes and forgot to refuel, your car might not have enough gas left in the tank to start. To quote funnyman Mitch Hedberg, go ahead and grab your toolbox, aka wallet, and ask someone to give you a lift to the nearest gas station.

Related source: About.com

The Benefits of Tinting Your Car’s Windows

CC image 2000 Mustang GT by J Heffner on FlickrWindow tinting has grown in popularity over the years, and it’s one of the many techniques we specialize in at our shop.

Tinted windows are not just for young people who want to look “cool”. In fact, there are many benefits associated with adding some tint to your car’s windows. Not only will your car be cooler temperature-wise, but tinted windows can also protect you in the event of an accident. Check out the bullets below for an expanded list of benefits.

  • You’ll be cooler. Literally – Window tint is designed to block more than 70% of solar energy from entering your car. Not only will your car be cooler when you leave it parked in the sun, but it can keep you cool while you drive, minimizing the need for you to blast your AC unit.
  • Protect your skin – Window tint is made to block up to 99% of the sun’s harmful UV rays. If you spend a lot of time in your car, it may be worth having your windows tinted to decrease your exposure to UV rays.
  • Tinted windows shatter more safely than un-treated windows – Your car windows may shatter during a crash. Although the windows are designed to break in a safe manner, passengers can be in danger from flying glass when a window shatters. If tint is applied, the glass will break in one giant piece, meaning the occupants won’t be exposed to shards of flying glass.
  • Keep your car safe – Car theft is often an impulse crime. Although a thief may decide in advance he’s going to break into a car, they usually don’t break in unless they spot something worth taking, like a backpack or purse. Not only will tinted window prevent would-be thieves from spotting your valuables, but they also won’t be able to see if your car has a built in alarm.

Tinting Laws in Minnesota

Now that you’ve brushed up on the benefits of window tinting, you might be considering getting your windows darkened. We’d love to help you with the procedure, but there are certain laws and regulations that govern which windows you can tint, and how dark they can be tinted.

A look the Minnesota Tint Law reveals that the state has some pretty strict standards compared to the rest of the nation. In order to regulate how tinted a window can be, darkness is measure by Visible Light Transmission percentage (VLT%). As you can tell by its name, VLT measures the amount of visible light that can pass through the window. Below, you can see the minimum VLT percentage each window on a passenger car must let in.

  • Windshield – Tint is not allowed on the windshield.
  • Front Side Windows – At least 50% of the sunlight must be allowed through the tint.
  • Back Side Windows – At least 50% of the sunlight must be allowed through the tint.
  • Rear Windshield – At least 50% of the sunlight must be allowed through the tint.

The regulations are slightly different when it comes to different types of vehicles. On vehicles like an SUV, truck or minivan, the rear windows only need to have a VLT of 20%. In fact, most of these types of vehicles come with factory-installed tinted rear windows.

Lastly, window tint cannot reflect more than a certain percentage of light. This regulation helps protect you from blinding other drivers on the road. According to Minnesota law, tint cannot reflect more than 20% of the visible light on any window.

Related source: HowStuffWorks.com, TintLaws.com

Is Premium Gas Worth the Money?

Gasoline_pump_2

Gasoline is the lifeline of your vehicle. It’s what powers your car to the grocery store and to work every Monday, but many drivers rarely give a second thought to what type of gasoline they put in their vehicles. You’ve probably noticed that most gas stations offer a few different options when it comes to gasoline, but have you ever stopped and asked yourself, “Which type of gas is best for my car?”

What are my options?

Most times when you hit the gas pump, you’re can choose one of three types of gasoline to put in your vehicle. Your choices are:

  • Regular Unleaded
  • Unleaded Plus
  • Super Unleaded (or Premium Unleaded)

The three options are separated based on their octane ratings. The higher the octane rating, the less your engine will rattle (also called “knocking”) as the gasoline ignites. Regular unleaded gasoline has an octane rating between 86-87, unleaded plus is often between 89-90, and super unleaded has a rating between 90-94.

My car doesn’t rattle, and I use regular gas

You might be thinking to yourself, “I’ve only ever used regular gasoline, and I’ve never heard my engine rattle.” That could easily be the case, because some cars don’t need premium gasoline to operate at optimal levels.

As car technology has advanced throughout the years, engineers have found new ways to prevent engines from knocking. Many average consumer cars have been developed with internal knocking sensors that prevent rattling if you use gasoline with a lower octane rating. That being said, a lot of luxury and performance cars have engines with high compression ratios that need a higher grade of gasoline to function smoothly.

The easiest way to determine if you should use premium gasoline in your vehicle is by referencing the owner’s manual. Your owner’s manual will provide you with one of three options, two of which are easy to comprehend.

Yes, No, and Recommended

When referencing your owner’s manual, you’ll likely see one of three answers; Yes, No and Recommended. We’ll explore the three options below.

  • Yes – If your manual specifically states that you should only put premium gasoline in your car, heed the advice. This will keep your can operating at top level, and prevent engine knocking that can cause thousands of dollars in damage.
  • No – If your car says premium gas is not needed, stick to regular unleaded.  Premium gasoline will not improve your cars performance; you’ll simply be throwing money down the drain.
  • Recommended – Determining if you need premium gasoline when the owner’s manual recommends it is a little trickier. As we said before, many of today’s vehicles are built with internal knocking systems that can adjust your engine’s performance based on the type of gasoline you use. Some industry professionals believe you’ll notice a very small drop in acceleration speed, but getting from 0 to 60 one second quicker isn’t likely worth the extra cash it will cost you to fill up your tank with premium. Ultimately, it’s up to the driver to make the call on premium gas in this situation.

Related sources: LifeHacker, HowStuffWorks