In 1903 Mary Anderson was visiting New York City from Alabama. While touring in a streetcar, she thought there had to be another way for the driver to clean the windshield rather then stopping the car and getting out to remove the snow and ice. Her quick sketch turned into a device which allowed the driver to manipulate a lever from inside the car that caused a spring loaded arm with a rubber blade to swing across the windshield and then back again to their original position. A patent was issued in 1905, but unfortunately Anderson was ahead of her time - Ford’s Model T would not be created until 1908. While she never sold her invention, her idea took root and by 1913 windshield wipers were standard equipment on cars.
The lowly windshield wiper is taken for granted until it gets worn out and can’t keep up with the rain, sleet and snow. Then we tend to growl and curse at the wiper. It is too easy to forget the blades needs until the weather worsens.
Since about 90% of all driving decisions are based on what you can see, it makes sense to have the cleanest windshield possible. Heavy use is hard on wipers and worn wiper blades are downright dangerous. All the dust, bug juice, road grime, oil, sunlight, freezing temperatures and airborne contaminants act to weaken and deteriorate the rubber blades, which can then damage the windshield each spring and fall.
Never use your wipers to try and clear ice and snow after your car has been sitting. This will not only rip the rubber blade, but can cause damage to the wiper linkages and transmission, and the wiper motor. If the wiper is frozen to the windshield, instead of beating them up with your plastic ice scraper, let the heat from the defrost thaw the ice, then gently move the arm away from the window so they are out of the way when you clear the windshield of ice and snow.
There are special wiper blades for winter. They have a protective rubber covering that minimizes the chances of the wiper arm and blade freezing. However, I find that this extra covering makes them heavier and makes their contact with the windshield difficult when cruising down the highway. There are plastic weights you can put on your winter blades to eliminate this problem, but I prefer to stick with using summer blades all year long.
When you’re ready to change the wipers, you can replace just the rubber squeegee blade or replace the whole blade. Though the latter is slightly more expensive, it is worth every penny.
It can be frustrating to change a wiper the first time, it does get easier with practice. Some tips:
- If you go to your local parts store you can either tell the counter help your year, make and model and have them give you the correct size, or you can look it up in the reference books that are available there.
- The new wiper package will contain your new wiper blade and will also have three to four different styles of small plastic piece attachments that secure the new blade to the wiper arm. Look to the existing attachment (where the arm and the blade meet) and use the one that matches it.
- There are of course multiple ways that the blades connect to the arms and this is where the frustration comes in. Once you learn how to remove and attach your style of blade, you will be a pro and will be able to do this lickety-split. To remove the old blade, push the lock pin with a screwdriver to release the blade and pull the wiper blade down toward the windshield to remove it from the arm. The lock pin may be a small tab you can depress or a small metal bump and two tabs on either side.
- Attach the new wiper to the wiper arm and press it into place until you hear a click. Then test it by turning on the wipers. If the blade slips or wobbles, turn off the wipers and connect the attachments more firmly.
Whenever you replace your windshield wipers, check out your washer fluid. Make sure you fill it with washer solvent. Straight water does not have anti-freeze properties and don’t clean as well as washer fluid.
The easiest and most effective way to save money on gas is to park your car and walk or bike. If you need to go farther than you can on foot or pedaling, carpooling will cut your weekly fuel costs in half and save wear on your car. Public transportation can also save you money, not to mention eliminate the hassle of finding and paying for parking. And how about telecommuting? New computer technologies are making it easier all the time to work from home.
If you want to know what kind of gas mileage your car is getting, put a pen and paper in the car. The next time you fill up the tank, record the odometer reading and reset your trip gauge to zero. From then on, every time you fill the tank, divide the miles you traveled between fill-ups by the quantity of gas you bought. This is your car’s miles per gallon or mpg.
If you don’t like what you’re getting or just want to do better, here are some fuel-saving tips:
Slow Down. According to the Car Care Council, there is an aerodynamic drag on your car that at 70 mph is double the drag then at 50 mph. Slowing down can increase your mileage. Each mph over 60 will cost you an additional 10 cents per gallon.
Drive Patiently. Don’t tailgate or try to pass everyone. All that rapid acceleration and hard braking is not only annoying and dangerous; it can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent in the city, which can cost you 7 to 49 cents per gallon.
Avoid excessive idling. You get zero miles per gallon when the car it just sitting there. Idling also burns more gas than simply restarting the engine, puts wear and tear on the engine and adds to toxic emissions.
Minimize air conditioning. In city driving, using the air conditioner in hot weather can increase your fuel consumption more than 20 percent. To be efficient, use the A/C to cool off the car, then turn it off and use the air vents to circulate the air. You can do this repeatedly if it gets stuffy and hot in the car. Sunroofs and tinted glass also help to keep the car cool.
Travel Smart. While using a roof rack or a carrier gives you additional cargo space with smaller cars, a loaded rack increases wind resistance and decreases fuel efficiency by 5 percent. Use your trunk space instead— but make sure you empty out the trunk afterwards, because carrying around unnecessary items that weigh over 100 pounds also reduces a vehicle’s fuel efficiency by 1 to 2 percent.
Remember to check your tires for proper inflation. Properly inflated tires will wear longer and can improve your gas mileage b y about 3.3 percent. You should check your tire inflation pressure (including the spare) at least once a month and definitely before every long trip.
Are you in alignment? When your car’s wheels are aligned, their lifespan increases, and gas mileage and handling improve.
One-stop shopping! Plan your shopping so you can do all your errands in one day. Park the car in a central location and walk between destinations. Several short stop-and-go errands can use twice as much fuel as a longer, multipurpose trip covering the same distance.
Check out your gas cap. According to the Car Care Council, about 17 percent of the vehicles on the roads have gas caps that are damaged, loose or missing altogether, causing 147 million gallons of gas to vaporize every year.
Is your air filter dirty? The air filter is easily accessible and simple to change. Replacing a dirty, clogged filter can improve your gas mileage by as much as 10 percent - a savings of about 15 cents per gallon.
Give your car a day at the “car spa” approximately every 30,000 miles. Vehicles have 4, 6 or 8 spark plugs that fire as many as 3 million times every 1,000 miles. This creates a lot of heat, electrical and chemical erosion. The worn out and dirty plugs need to be replaced on a regular basis. A well maintained, tuned-up car will reduce long-term maintenance costs and may improve gas mileage by about 4 percent. There are also many sensors that help keep the engine running smoothly and efficiently. Replacing a failed oxygen sensor could improve your gas mileage by as much as 40percent.
Know how to handle the gas pumps. When the gas pump turns off, don’t try to add a couple more splashes to even up the dollar amount. A lot of newer cars don’t have room for more gas, so anything else you put in will end up on the ground. Plus in the warmer weather fuel can expand and cause an overflow.
Looking to purchase another car? Buy the most fuel efficient model in the size & category that you need. Check out www.fueleconomy.gov to find out the average city and highway miles of the vehicle you’re considering.
These are simple things you can do to appease your automobile’s insatiable hunger without emptying out your pocketbook. Happy motoring (or biking, or walking!)
I highly recommend that you have your trusted mechanic give your car a “trip check” before you head out on the road. They will inspect all these components plus much more to make sure your car will be safe and reliable on your vacation. If your shop does not offer a trip check, or you don’t have a regular mechanic here is the list of what should be checked out before you head out on holiday.
TRIP CHECK INSPECTION
1. Test drive and note any obvious problems. Test shocks and struts, test clutch for proper free-play and slippage, test transmission shifting, steering looseness or pull, brake action and pulling, test brakes for lock-up, check e-brake for lever adjustment and lock-up. Check operation of heater and A/C for proper fan operation, air distribution and output of temperature. Check C.V. joints. Are speedometer & cruise control working?
2. Is vehicle due for any scheduled maintenance that needs to be completed? Oil Change, 30-60-90k maintenance, timing belt job.
3. Inspect all 5 tires for wear and proper inflation. Inspect jack and tire tools.
4. Inspect all front end and steering components for wear and alignment problems. Inspect CV boots for damage or noise.
5. Inspect for loose or binding U joints.
6. Test power steering system for leaks or binding.
7. Inspect exhaust for leaks or loose mountings.
8. Inspect all belts, hoses and clamps. Check coolant hoses for soft spots, especially where they bend. (should be replaced every 4-5 years)
9. Inspect cooling system for corrosion and proper coolant mixture, (system should be flushed every two years or 24,000 miles) check thermostat.
10. Inspect for any debris clogging radiator or condenser.
11. Test cooling fan system.
12. Test air conditioning system for proper air delivery and temperature.
13. Test heater system for proper air delivery and temperature.
14. Inspect wipers and washers, (blades should be replaced as needed.) aim nozzles.
15. Check all lights and turn signals for proper operation. Aim headlights if needed.
16. Inspect for any fluid leaks in engine, transmission, power steering and differentials. Check condition of fluids.
17. Check starting & charging system. Check condition and age of battery. Inspect and clean terminals and cables. Test battery’s power with special Load tester.
18. Visual inspection of brake pads and shoes. Check fluid level and make sure emergency brake cables are not frozen.
It’s best to make your appointment two weeks before you’re scheduled to leave on your outing. This gives you some leeway if the shop is busy or if they need to order a special part that needs replacing in you car.
Remember, giving your car a “trip check” is the key to having it be safe and reliable when you’re on a break from your routine, escaping the daily grind, retreating from life to rest and relax which you so greatly deserve.
If you don't have a regular mechanic to perform this service feel free to contact Thom's Four Wheel Drive for the peace of mind you deserve.
Have a Great Vacation!
If you haven’t experienced it, I’m sure you have passed someone who has. You’re on vacation, the car is packed to the gills with all you need to make a home away from home. It’s 97 degrees outside, and the humidity is thick and heavy. You notice the car’s temperature gauge is creeping higher than it normally does. You feel your heart begin to race, and beg your car not to overheat now. It’s a weekend and the road is jammed with bumper to bumper traffic. If the car overheats you will have to pull over make multiple phone calls and wait for a tow truck to take you to a garage. Being a weekend you know it’s highly unlikely a garage will be open. Who knows how long you will be stuck in some dinky little town, and you may get taken advantage of, and the icing on the cake is… this is your vacation. You will be wasting precious vacation time getting the car fixed.
If you ever get in this situation there are some tricks you can do to help prevent having to pull over in a place you’d rather not:
- Turn off your air-conditioning and keep it off. The A/C makes the engine work much harder than normal and you want to lighten the load of your poor, over taxed engine.
- Open your windows up all the way, turn the heat on high and switch the control to the vent. I know this sounds like a crazy thing to do when it’s so hot outside, but turning the heat on all the way pulls the heat off the engine and you hopefully will see your temperature gauge begin to drop. The unfortunate side of this trick is that all the heat is going to blow right at you into the cabin of your car.
- If the temperature gauge continues to climb, you want to pull over before the gauge goes into the red, before steam rises out from under your hood or before that red warning light comes on. Once you are into the red zone, you want to pull over right away, turn off the engine and call for help.
- NEVER,NEVER, NEVER remove the radiator cap until the engine has thoroughly cooled.! The coolant in the radiator is under pressure, and you could get seriously burned if it sprays out at you. Be patient! Let it cool down so much that you can touch the engine without burning your fingers. This will take about 45min. To an hour.
- If the radiator is low on coolant, you can add straight water in this emergency. Check to see when you add the water if it comes out of a hose or the radiator right away. If there is a big leak, call a tow truck. You can’t drive the vehicle without some type of coolant running through the radiator or you will kill your engine.
- If you do add water and this saves the day, you will still need to get your car checked out for leaks and have a proper anti-freeze/water mixture added to the coolant system. You don’t want to have the same problems or worse on the way home.
If the radiator is full of coolant there is not much else you can do, except call a tow truck and have a professional mechanic check it out. There are a number of different reasons a car will overheat. The most common ones are worn out radiator hoses or fan belts breaking. It could also be the radiator, the thermostat, radiator cap, recovery tank, malfunction of the cooling fan or something as simple as a clamp coming loose on one of the hoses. So make it a point to have your cooling system along with all your other critical systems inspected by your mechanic before you begin your trip. See my next blog on what you can check before you take off on your next getaway. Happy travels.
I just read in Road & Travel magazine that the average American still prefers driving SUVs, Vans, Trucks and Luxury Sedans with relatively strong engine performance to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars.
OK, I admit I am one of them.
I feel safer driving a four-wheel-drive vehicle in the winter. I enjoy having a truck around to cart cumbersome, heavy loads. And when I am on a long road trip, I would rather drive a Camry than an Echo. Why is this? Do we think that driving gas-guzzling, pollution-spewing automobiles will not affect existence as we know it in our life time? Do we believe that peak oil is a myth and that driving an automobile has no connection to the war in the Middle East? Are we so selfish we don’t care that the status quo will affect future generations?
I don’t know about you, but I don’t believe we need to give up size, comfort and performance in our automobiles. I truly believe that with American ingenuity we can create an alternatively-powered automobile that is affordable.
There are a number of different options out there: hybrid vehicles, Gasohol, bio-diesel, fuel cells, and electric. Now is the time to fully explore the pros and cons of each emerging alternative transportation technology and support the one you believe makes the most sense for you and for our future.
We also need to put the fear of re-election into our government officials’ hearts and heads. We need to subsidize research so there can be some drastic changes to how our automobiles are propelled down the road.
My favorite alternative vehicle is the electric car. Wouldn’t it be beautiful if all the automobiles had zero emissions and were powered by water (hydroelectric), the wind (windmills), and the sun (solar energy)? Am I a crazy dreamer or could this become our new reality?
In 2006 there was an interesting documentary film playing in select cities called Who Killed the Electric Car? It examines a theory that Big Oil and the U.S. government colluded to undermine electric car technology taking off in the 1990s. Whatever the reason they have failed to excel and double in sales numbers, with all the technological advances and $5-per-gallon gas looming in our not-so-distant future, electric cars merit a very deep and committed market push.
There are a surprising number of small independent automakers out there creating electric cars in all sizes, shapes, comfort levels, engine performance and price ranges, including: Feels Good Cars Inc., Meyers Motors, Phoenix Motorcars, Wrightspeed Inc., Venturi, e-ride, B.I.G. Man, AC Propulsion, Commuter Cars, Tiger Truck, to name a few. You could purchase a Xebra Zap! For only $12,500. Or you could go for the Beauty Queen of them all; the Tesla Roadster which sell for over $100,000 each. This vehicle is powered by an innovative lithium-ion battery that will hopefully offer some insights to the major automakers.
“Slow down, you move too fast.
You got to make the morning last.
Just kicking down the cobble stones.
Looking for fun and feelin' groovy.”
Simon & Garfunkel
I have seen too many cars speeding down the road lately, and I’m not talking about the highway. I’m talking about downtown where the speed limit is supposed to be 25mph. The other day a child ran out into the road and a speeding car had to slam on its brakes, squealing to a stop. The driver and child both had looks of horror on their faces. It was much too close for comfort.
How quickly an accident can turn into a nightmare. When I was eight years old, my younger cousin was playing ball on the school playground. The ball got away from him and rolled out into the street. You can probably guess what happened next. He ran after the ball and was hit by a speeding car. No, he wasn’t killed, but he did spend the next 22 years in a coma until he finally died. I remember going with my Mother to my cousin’s house where a group of women would come daily to exercise my cousin’s arms, legs, fingers, and toes. There was the optimistic hope that he would come out of the coma and resume life.
This gave me an early respect for the road and speeding cars. It was drilled into me over and over that the faster you drive, the less time you have to react to anything unexpected.
According to the laws of physics, the higher the speed at impact, the more energy must be absorbed. In a car accident, hard metal, soft flesh and brittle bone would be doing all the absorbing. If you did get into an accident while speeding, you would be lucky if it were only you that was hurt. If you hit a pedestrian, child or even a family pet, you would have to live the rest of your life with someone else’s death on your conscience.
Think about it this way: If your car hits a pedestrian when you are traveling at 20mph you have a 1 in 20 chance of killing them. But, if your car hits a pedestrian when you are traveling at 30 mph you have a 50 percent chance of killing them. This increases to 90 percent if the vehicle is traveling at 40 mph.
Out of the blue, something unexpected could happen while you are driving a car. And while you may be a conscientious driver, there are a lot of other folks driving around who aren’t. Too many people use car time to catch up on their phone calls. They drink and eat on the road while reading the paper, brushing their hair, playing with their CD player and arguing with one of the passengers.
Think about how you drive and stop in next time for a few defensive driving tips