Category: Blog

What Causes Tires To Wear Out Faster?

Tire TreadYour tires are an essential part of your car. The problem is that most people don’t give their tires a second thought unless they get a flat.

People believe as long as their tires are inflated, they are in proper working order, but that’s not necessarily true. If you don’t take care of your car’s tires, you’ll likely find that they wear out faster, and nobody likes buying new tires. Today, we explain why some tires wear out faster than others so you can go farther on your set of wheels.

Why Do My Tires Wear Down Quickly?

The life of your tires is based on how quickly your tire tread wears down. Tire tread helps you grip the road, so you can see why driving on severely worn tread can be dangerous. Some things that cause your tire tread to wear down quickly include:

1. Improper Tire Inflation – If your tires aren’t at the optimal pressure, they’ll wear out more quickly or unevenly. Proper tire inflation will ensure your tires are able to handle a variety of different vehicle aspects, including the vehicle’s weight, cornering distribution and braking forces. If your tires are out of whack, the tread may wear out more quickly when you break or turn in a certain direction. Additionally, you’ll actually lose grip with the road if your tires aren’t at the right pressure, so follow the inflation guidelines in your owner’s manual.

2. Misaligned Tires – Wheel and tire alignment ensures all your tires travel straight forward. Have you ever been driving down the road and noticed that your car was pulling to the right? Odds are your vehicle is misaligned. When your car is out of alignment, your tires hit the road at the wrong angle, causing the inside or outside or your wheels to wear down quicker.

3. Driving Patterns – Certain driving maneuvers also quickly wear your tires down. Some of these maneuvers include:

  • Spinning your tires
  • Hard breaking
  • Fast acceleration
  • Driving at fast speeds

So if you do a lot of city driving, avoid slamming on the accelerator or the brakes as you make your way through town. If you do, you’ll be buying a new set of tires before you know it.

The Top 5 Car Safety Features

Although in-car connectivity seems all the rage today, safety features shouldn’t take a backseat during the car buying experience. That said, many prospective car owners don’t know what type of car safety features they should be looking for in a car. With that in mind, here are five of the best safety features you should consider looking for in your next vehicle.

1. Adaptive Cruise Control – Adaptive cruise control is perfect for the driver who doesn’t like to hit the breaks once he or she has the cruise control set. Sometimes you’re cruising along and hope the driver in the left lane will move over before you get close and have to hit the breaks. With adaptive cruise control, the vehicle uses sensors and radar to ensure your vehicle maintains a safe distance from the car in front of you while on cruise control. If the car ahead of you slows, your car will too, without the need to hit the brakes.

2. Backup Camera – Backup cameras are becoming much more popular in newer model cars. These cameras help drivers see exactly what’s behind them. This is a great technology for anyone in a busy neighborhood, or for someone who does a lot of parallel parking.

Blindspot monitor

3. Auto Braking – You might not like the idea that your car could brake on its own, but just like car insurance, if you need it, you’ll be glad you have it. Just like adaptive cruise control, autonomous braking uses sensors to detect your speed and objects ahead of you. Although it may not prevent a crash, slowing your car down prior to impact can be the difference between walking and limping away.

4. Smart Headlights –  Adaptive headlights actually shift the light’s direction as you turn the steering wheel. For example, as you go around a curve, normal headlights continue to point straight ahead, which doesn’t illuminate the full picture of what’s ahead. Adaptive headlights shift so that the driver can see more of what’s in front of them when they go around a turn. Cars with adaptive headlights get in fewer accidents compared to the average car, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute.

5. Blindspot Monitors – Sideview assist monitors help sense when someone is in your blindspot. These sensors help ensure that it’s safe to change lanes. If you put your blinker on while someone is in your blind spot, the car will beep to let you know that it’s not safe to merge.

Related source: USAA

My Car Is Making a Weird Noise. What is it?

If your car is making a funny noise, you’re probably wondering if the problem is serious. Although diagnosing a car problem by noise is no perfect science, there are some sounds that can give you a pretty good idea of what is wrong. Here are some common car sounds and what they might signal.

1. Screeching or “Whining” – If your car is screeching or it sounds like it’s “whining,” you might have a problem with your brakes. If you car makes this sound while braking, your brake pads and rotors are likely worn. You’re going to want to get into an auto shop quick to ensure you’re not a hazard on the road.

2. Clicking or Tapping – If you hear a clicking noise, odds are it’s coming from under the hood. If the clicking sound becomes faster while you accelerate, you could have a tappet issue, which can cause problems with your internal combustion system. If it’s not a tappet problem, the clicking sound could be indicative of low oil pressure. Check your oil to ensure you haven’t sprung an unwanted leak.

Car Noise

3. Knocking – Not that any of these sounds are great, but a knocking sound could signal a major problem. Engine knocking typically means that your combustion system isn’t working correctly. The knocking sound occurs when the combustion process no longer occurs at the optimum moment for the stroke cycle. Continuing to drive with a knocking engine could cause the engine to fail.

4. Squealing –  Unless you’re peeling out of a parking lot, a squealing sound can be indicative of a loose fan belt or a loose air conditioning compressor belt. Depending on the severity, the belt can be tightened, or if it’s damaged it may need to be replaced.

5. Rattling – A rattling sound when you hit the gas could mean that your cam shaft is misaligned. Unless you have an extensive knowledge of your car’s cam shaft, it’s definitely work bringing in to a shop, otherwise you could end up doing more harm than good.

In the end, this guide is here to provide some possible answers to the question “Why is my car making a weird noise?” That said, because each car is unique, you’re going to need to contact a mechanic to get a full diagnosis. If your car is making an odd noise, swing on in to Affordable Auto or click here to request a free quote!

4 Tips for Protecting Your Car’s Windshield

In a perfect world that 18-wheeler wouldn’t have sprayed up that rock and cracked your windshield, but sometimes windshield damage is unavoidable. Fluke cracks aside, there are some steps you can take help extend the life of your windshield and protect it against damaging chips and cracks. Below, we explain four tips for protecting your car’s windshield.

1. Avoid the Sun – When you’re on a beach, sun is a top priority, but you’ll want to avoid extended exposure for your car’s windshield. The longer you leave your car parked in the direct sunlight, the shorter the lifespan on your windshield. Tiny cracks can expand when there’s a considerable temperature difference on each side of the widow. Try to find a shady spot to park when leaving your car for an extended period of time.

2. Don’t Slam Doors – Slamming your car door can cause intense vibrations which can lead to the expansion of tiny cracks. If you have a noticeable chip in your windshield, use caution when closing your door, or you may cause the crack to spiderweb.

Windshield Repair

3. Smart Parking – We mentioned above that you want to avoid parking in the direct sunlight for days on end, but you also don’t want to park under a large tree if you know a storm is coming. Be smart about where you park. Avoid parking under trees when bad weather is expected, and don’t park too close to that Little League diamond when games are being played!

4. Know How to Clean Your Windshield – During the summer, you’ll want to avoid ammonia-based glass cleaners, as they can damage you car’s window tint. As for the winter, steer clear of pouring hot water on your windshield, and only use appropriate window scrapers!

Windshield repair is one of our specialties at Affordable Auto. Whether it’s windshield repair or replacement, we can help get your car back on the road in no time! Contact us for a free quote today!

How To Change Your Car’s Headlight

If you’re like most Americans, you’ve had to deal with a a burnt out headlight on your vehicle at one point or another. Unlike some other car issues, changing a dead bulb is a relatively quick and easy fix. Below, we walk you through the general steps to replace your car’s headlight.

Car HeadlightStep 1 – Open your car’s hood. This is the first step in determining which bulb is burnt out.

Step 2 – Locate the back of the headlight and determine which tools you’ll need to get in the headlight compartment. Grab a screwdriver or other tool as necessary.

Step 3 – Determine which bulb needs to be replaced. All makes and models are different, but you’ll want to make sure you purchase the right type of bulb, be it headlight or fog light bulb.

Step 4 – Obtain a new bulb. Your local auto center can help you find the right bulb, and it’s typically listed in your owner’s manual. Don’t drive to the shop at night though, as you can be pulled over!

Step 5 – Follow your owner’s manual on specific instructions to replace your bulb. As oxymoronic as it may seem to write a list of steps in which the last step tells you to read your owner’s manual, every car model is so different that it’s not as straightforward as changing your oil or jumping your car. Generally speaking, your headlight probably snaps or pops into the circuit, so look at your owner’s manual to determine how to remove the dead bulb. Once you remove the dead bulb, attach the new bulb while doing your best to avoid touching the halogen bulb with your fingers. Once installed, lock the bulb back in it’s original position.

Helpful Videos

Reading directions is one thing, but watching someone else preform the task can help visual learners better understand the steps. Again, you’ll want to look up instructions for your specific vehicle, but here are a few links to help find Youtube videos for replacing headlights on certain car brands.

General Car Bulb Replacement

Toyota Corolla

Honda Accord

Ford 150 and Expedition

Mitsubishi Montrero

Subaru Forester

Nissan Altima

Chevy Malibu

Dodge Ram Truck

BMW 325i

Cadillac STS

Again, if you’re going to preform a headlight replacement on your own, please reference your owner’s manual, and if you’re interested in watching a video, search for your specific make and model on Youtube. If you don’t want to preform this service on your own, we’ll be happy to do it for you!

April Brings Us National Car Care Month

Despite posting this on April 1, we can assure you we’re not fooling you when we say that April is National Car Care Month.

Taking care of your car is a yearlong task, from regular scheduled maintenance to DIY repairs, so why is there an extra emphasis on car care in April? Well, for starters, many people put off certain repairs during the cold winter months, especially if they want to preform the service on their own. Another reason why car care is especially important in the spring is because the weather provides drivers with numerous hazards. The roads are typically free of snow in April, but that can lead drivers to put the pedal to the metal and drive faster. Additionally, spring is typically a rainy season, meaning drivers are faced with slick roads and decreased visibility when it rains.

Car Care Month

Rich White, executive director of the Car Care Council, said lower gas prices mean drivers have more money to spend on repairs and spring travel.

“With gas prices this low, motorists have a few more dollars in their pockets to spend on essentials, like vehicle service and repair, making National Car Care Month the perfect time to reach out to current customers and potential new ones,” said White.

Car Repairs To Consider This Spring

As we mentioned above, spring is typically a wet season which can prove problematic for drivers. Here are a few tuneups you should consider during Car Care Month.

  • Brakes – Make sure your brake pads and rotors are in working order, as the slick conditions will increase stopping times.
  • Windshield Wipers – This DIY repair is pretty quick and easy, but neglecting your wipers can put you and other drivers in danger during a spring storm.
  • Tires – Tires can get worn down during the winter months, and the upcoming pothole season can also do damage to your tires. If your tire tread is worn, swing on in to have them replaced.

If you have any other troubles in need of service, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Related source: CarCare.org

5 Spring Car Care Tips

Spring is officially here, and even through some spots around the Twin Cities have been hit with some late season snow, the warm weather is right around the corner. We’ve talked about the importance of prepping your car for winter on the blog before, but keeping your car in tune for spring is just as critical in extending the life of your vehicle. Below, we share five ways to prepare your car for spring.

1. Check Your Tire Pressure – Temperature directly affects your tire pressure, so you’ll want to ensure they are properly inflated. The warmer weather will increase your tire pressure, and if the pressure gets too high, you may be prone to a blow out. Use a pressure guage to ensure your tires are at the proper psi.

2. Examine Your Wiper Blades – Spring is typically a very wet month, which means you’ll need to be able to see clearly when it’s rainy. Windshield wipers are relativity cheap to buy, and you can install them yourself. Check your owner’s manual to make sure you purchase the right type of blade.

Spring Car Care

3. Alignment Issues – Hopefully your car’s alignment is fine right now, but as we’ve documented on the blog before, spring is usually synonymous with pothole season. Do your best to safely avoid any potholes you see in the road, and don’t hesitate to report particularly nasty potholes to the proper department. Potholes can severely damage your suspension and alignment, so if you notice that your car is pulling to the right after hitting a pothole, stop in to our shop to get it looked at.

4. Pump Your Brakes – Being able to stop during the icy season is very important, but all that extra braking during the winter season takes a toll on your brakes. If you hear a grinding noise while you’re braking, you’ll want to bring your car into the shop immediately. For more information on brake care, swing on over to this blog.

5. Wash Your Car – As we’ve documented before, road salt can be especially damaging to your car’s undercarriage. Take your car to a wash center that provides an undercarriage wash because it can be difficult to fully clean the underside of your car on your own.

The Surprising Downside of Driverless Cars

Remember last week when we shared a story about driverless cars and how they’ll be more popular in 10-20 years? Well a new study says we might want to pump the brakes on driverless cars, as they’ll consume more energy than current transportation methods.

Many auto experts believe that autonomous cars could help decrease fuel consumption, but according to a study out of the University of Michigan, that might not be the case. In essence, researchers believe that driverless cars could save people time, but waste more energy due to extra trips.

Driverless cars

Researchers explained that with traditional transportation, parents commute to work, run errands and shuttle the kids around in the fewest trips possible. If we added driverless cars to the equation, the team of scientists believe the self-driving car would drop one parent off at work, return home, drop off the other parent, return home, then drop the kids off at school, and it would follow a similar pattern in the afternoon. Even if families share or rent a driverless car, individual trips would lead to more total driving.

“It could be that sharing the vehicle ends up increasing the mileage because of all these connecting trips,” said Brandon Schoettle of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. “The net effect is probably going to be an increase in mileage, and in general the more miles you drive the more fuel you burn.”

Related Findings

Additional findings from the UM Transportation Research Institute include:

  • Increased driverless car sharing could mean Americans would own 43 percent fewer cars (1.2 per household, down from 2.1 per household).
  • Annual miles per vehicle could increase by roughly 75 percent (20,406 annual miles, down from 11,661 annual miles).
  • That said, even though we might be putting more miles on our cars, these miles would be more fuel efficient, assuming autonomous concepts could eliminate wasteful driving practices, like flooring the gas or slamming on the brakes.

“The upside is that vehicles could drive much more efficiently,” said Ethan Elkind, an associate director at the Climate Change and Business Program at the University of California at Berkeley. “The downside of course is you may see more people driving. More driving overall is not a great thing for the environment.”

Self-Driving Cars Could Prevent Up To 90% Of Accidents

A new study by the consulting firm McKinsey & Company suggests that widespread acceptance of self-driving cars could reduce traffic accidents by up to 90 percent.

The study suggests that mass adoption of self-driving vehicles will occur in about 15 years, and this could be bad news for collision centers. According to the study, mass adoption of auto-piloted vehicles would:

  • Reduce traffic crashes by up to 90 percent.
  • Prevent up to $190 billion annually in damages and health-related costs.
  • Save thousands of lives.

Hans-Werner Kaas, a senior partner at McKiney’s automotive division, said automotive producers have already shifted their focus to autonomous or semiautonomous vehicles.

“Autonomous vehicles and the path toward them is one of the most shaping trends in the auto industry today,” said Kaas.

autonomous car

Interestingly, since the vehicles would rely on such sophisticated technology, McKiney and Company believes the whole dynamic of the automotive industry would change. Instead of owning your own self-driving car, the firm believes we’ll shift to a pay-per-ride model.

Sophisticated Technologies

According to data published on WardsAuto.com, cars are already being equipped with more sophisticated safety measures. In the 2014 model year, 1.4 percent of new vehicles had adaptive cruise control, an increase from 1.1 percent in 2013. Lane-departure prevention technology and blind-spot alert controls also increased in the 2014 models, rising 5.0 percent and 3.8 percent respectively.

Despite the increasing technology, there’s still plenty of hurdles to clear before we see mass production of self-drivign vehicles. Ryan Eustice, a robotics professor at the University of Michigan, said companies need to account for a myriad of potential pitfalls, like a constantly updating maps system and the ability to drive on less-than-ideal weather conditions.

“The idea has been a little bit oversold in terms of having the problems solved.”

Related source: Wall Street Journal

AM/FM Radio Preferred Listening Option For Most Drivers

Although in-car connectivity appears to be on the rise, a new study revealed that most drivers prefer to listen to the old fashioned AM/FM radio while on the road.

The study was conducted by the market research firm Ipsos in an effort to determine what audio options drivers prefer. Over 1,000 drivers over the age of 18 were asked to select all the audio options they listen to in the car. After looking at the responses, researchers uncovered:

  • 99 percent of people are comfortable with their current car’s audio set up.
  • More than 90 percent of respondents said they prefer physical buttons and controls built into the dashboard compared to an app on the car’s interface.
  • 84 percent of drivers said they listen to the radio in the car.
  • 64 percent of drivers said they listen to CD players.
  • 22 percent preferred Sirius/XM radio, 18 percent listened to Pandora radio, eight percent listened to iHeartRadio, seven percent listened to iHeartRadio and seven percent listened to Spotify.

Car Repair

Thomas Spinelli, vice president of Ipsos MediaCT, said it’s clear that “in spite of consumers’ love of apps and new digital products, they have a great attachment to their AM/FM radio and an overwhelming desire to keep its operation and function as it is. The in-car AM/FM radio is still a universally known audio platform ­ and its ease of use, convenience, features and familiarity continue to make it a top consumer choice for in-car audio.”

This study might not be music to Hyundai’s ears, as they recently announced that they plan to phase out CD players in favor of infotainment systems that rely on smartphones and bluetooth connectivity.

Related source: Radio World