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Car Care Tip Archive
School is in session, and with it brings a reminder on PA's laws when it comes to driving around school buses:
-Motorists must stop at least 10 feet away from school buses that have their red lights flashing and stop arm extended.
-Motorists must stop when they are behind a bus, meeting the bus or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped.
-Motorists following or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety.
-If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails or concrete median barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus, motorists in the opposing lanes may proceed without stopping.
-Do not proceed until all the children have reached a place of safety.
Not following these laws could lead to a $250 fine, 30 day license suspension, and 5 points on your license!
Car Care Tip of the Week: Road Trip!
Summer vacations are in full swing, and if you are like most families you will be driving to your you are sunny destination. Along with making hotel reservations and activity plans, it is important to make sure that your car is ready for the trip as well. A pre-trip vehicle check helps determine if a vehicle is ready for the road so you can avoid the inconvenience, potential safety hazards and unplanned expense of breaking down miles from home. The following link offers some suggestions along with another link within where you can check to see if your vehicle has any safety recalls.
Car Care Tip of the Week: Spring Tire Care
Spring temperatures are finally creeping up! But so is your need to pay attention to your tires. Now is the important time to check your tire pressure. Tire pressure expands, or increases, 1-2 psi for every 10 degrees. If your tires were filled to 35 psi when it was 40 degrees outside and the temperature is now 80, your tires are now overfilled at 39-43 psi, which can lead to a number of dangerous circumstances. This can not only cause uneven tire wear due to less of the tread touching the road properly, but poorer handling on wet roads in Spring showers and thunderstorms. It can also lead to your tires overheating, causing a blowout.
Car Care Tip of the Week: Greener Driving
Happy Earth Day! One way to celebrate and preserve Earth's natural resources is to understand how you can improve your car's fuel efficiency. The article offers changes in your driving habits that will improve gas mileage and qualify you as a “green driver.”
Car Care Tip of the Week: Pothole Season
Spring in Pennsylvania is sometimes referred to as "Pothole Season" by its drivers. The freezing weather, along with winter vehicles such as snow plows, is reflected on the roads. Hitting a pothole with your car can do a real number on tires, wheels, steering and suspension, and alignment. The non-profit Car Care Council urges motorists to watch for three warning signs to help determine if hitting a pothole has damaged their vehicle.
Car Care Tip of the Week: Wheel Alignment
One of the best things you can do for your vehicle affects steering and suspension components, maximizes the life of your tires, and contributes to overall drive handling and safety - wheel alignment. Many things can affect wheel alignment, including normal wear and tear and everyday road hazards, such as pot holes. Here at TAW Service Center, we have a state-of-the-art alignment machine that allows us to align most things that others can't. No matter the size, we can perform alignment on your car, motorhome/coach, truck of ANY size, bus, or trailer. Call us to schedule your alignment check and stay on the road to vehicle maintenance.
Car Care Tip of the Week:
Winter weather is knocking at the door, so now is the time to review what to do on hazardous winter roads. This article helps you prepare with Winter Driving Tips.
Car Care Tip of the Week: Happy Travels
Many are starting their vacations, but as you make sure you and your family are ready for hitting the road, make sure your vehicle is also ready. Is your vehicle due for an oil change? Do your tires have a safe amount of tread on them? Is all maintenance up to date? It's easier to prepare your vehicle than it is to deal with a flat tire or overheated engine and a ruined vacation!
Car Care Tip of the Week: Spring Checkup
This weekend drivers all over the country will take to the roads for Spring holiday travel. Before you start on your journey, it's a great idea to add car care to your list. Click on the link for suggestions to make sure your vehicle is ready for this next season and for your road trip, including checking on any new vehicle safety recalls that may need to be resolved.
Spring Forward Safety Checklist
Car Care Tip of the Week:
Freezing temperatures can mean problems for your vehicle, especially your battery. If you haven't had your battery tested, or it's been a few years since it was replaced, you could be facing battery issues. A weak battery will start to freeze at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, while a fully charged battery won’t freeze until about -76 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, it’s also a great idea to have your battery load tested, and the connections checked for any signs of corrosion.
Car Care of the Week: Carseats
An important part of driving safety is making sure that your children are in the proper car seat. Laws are frequently changing to make sure that your kids are in the safest position in the car and it is important to keep up-to-date with these laws. Pennsylvania car seat safety week runs from September 17th to 23rd and is a great time to make sure that everything is in place. Click on the link below to find out more and to find a car seat safety check close to you and mark it on your calendar!
Car Care Tip of the Week: Tire Age
How old are your tires, really? The 4 digit code on the side of the tire means something - the first 2 digits signify the week number, the second 2 digits are the year. The National Tire and Safety Administration does not recommend tires on your vehicle older than 5 years old. Due to ozone and weather conditions (and quality of rubber) tires can dry-rot much faster than they used to. As part of regular maintenance, tire conditions should be monitored at every oil change interval, or every few months. Let's all stay safe! A tire blowout can be an uneventful happening or could cause an accident.
Car Care Tip of the Week: Basic Maintenance
Most realize the importance that oil changes and other regular maintenance holds for the health of your vehicle, but what about in between the oil changes and tire rotations? It is important to check your engine oil and fluid levels regularly, about once a month, or more often if you drive more than average. If you notice that you are using more of a certain fluid than usual, you can quickly address the problem by having your vehicle inspected for the source of the excessive usage or leak. When you do find the need to add more fluids, be sure to use the correct specification, or type, as adding the wrong fluids could be detrimental. Not sure what type that is, or how to check/fill your fluids? Call us or stop by for more information!
Car Care Tip of the Week: Vehicle Registration Stickers
Starting 12/31/16, PennDOT enacted the decision to stop issuing registration stickers. This does not mean that vehicle registration itself it eliminated, but it means that when you do renew your registration that you will no longer be getting a sticker to put on your plate. Don't worry about the stickers that you already have on your plate, as removing them could actually harm the plate. Click on the link for more information regarding this change.
Sticker Elimination
Car Care Tip of the Week: Winter Maintenance
Winter is not the time to skip on Routine or Manufacturer's Recommended Maintenance. Cold weather is hard on your engine, and an engine that has low oil, or excessively dirty oil that requires changing, will have to work even harder and cause damage. The same can be said for your engine if your Manufacturer has recommended that you change your Spark Plugs or Belts by your current mileage. Ignoring the recommendation to change your Timing Belt can mean a torn belt, the need to be towed, and possibly a New Engine!! Check your Vehicle’s Maintenance Recommendation Guide or stop by for a list of What Maintenance should be performed at what mileage intervals. Let us help you make your car outlast your car payments.
Care Care Tip of the Week: Winter Driving, Week 2
Winter is upon us, which we were reminded of this week. We were also reminded how important it is to drive safety in winter weather. Preparation is key to successfully navigating winter roads. Give yourself extra time, or, if you can, wait until the roads have been treated or cleared. Winter weather can bring unexpected conditions, so make sure that both you and your vehicle are ready for ice and snow.
Car Care Tip of the Week: Winter Driving
For the month of January we will be focusing on safe winter driving and what you can do now. Preparation is one key to successfully navigating winter roads. Winter weather can bring unexpected conditions, so make sure that both you and your vehicle are ready for ice and snow. The following article provides timely advice that all Pennsylvania drivers need. While not listed in the article, a valuable tool for drivers on the go is the 511PA app that you can download on your mobile device, or go to 511pa.com, to get real-time locations of plow trucks, as well as road conditions and traffic cameras. Drive safely!
Car Care Tip of the Week: Winter Driving and Your Tires, Pt. 2
If you've established that it's time to get new tires on your vehicle, what do you next? The first thing you need is your tire size, which can be found on the tire placard, usually located inside the driver's side door jam, along with the optimal tire pressure for your vehicle. Next, decide the tread preferred for your driving situations (all-season, all-terrain, mud-terrain, snow tires, studded snow tires). All-season tires are the most popular for passenger vehicles and are efficient in all varieties of weather. When shopping for tires, look for the tread-wear rating (TW#) and mileage warranty to get an idea of how long you can expect the tires to last. The higher both of those numbers are the longer you should expect to have the tires. The most inexpensive tires from a department store or discount center will likely not last nearly as long as tires that have a higher rating, and may cost you more in the long run because they will need to be replaced sooner. No matter which tires you choose, tires are recommended to be kept at the correct pressure & always rotated between 5000-7000 miles for best tire wear, and is required for the best warranty coverage. If you're still not sure which tires will work best for you, call us at (717) 362-2618.
Car Care Tip of the Week: Winter Driving and Your Tires, pt 1
Wintery road conditions are in our future, are your tires up to the task? The tires that are wearing lower in tread may have been fine for summer driving, but will have more difficulties in snow and slush. Tires below 5/32" tread may not handle the conditions adequately, and tires that may be slipping or hydroplaning now will prove to be dangerous in harsher conditions. But h ow do you know which tires will work best for your car? Watch for next week's tip on how to choose the right tires for your vehicle.
Car Care Tip of the Week: See And Be Seen
It’s no secret that properly functioning vehicle lights, wipers and mirrors allow for better visibility while driving, yet these items are often forgotten or ignored when performing basic auto care. The following article contains a checklist of what you can inspect when it comes to lights and wipers, along with tips to make driving at night safer for you and your passengers. One additional item that is not on the list but can help greatly with your headlight brightness is having cloudy headlights polished. If you have any questions about your lights or wipers, or would like to set up an appointment for repair or headlight polish, call us at 717-362-2618!
Care Care Tip of the Week: 6 Things to Do After Hitting a Deer
Last week we covered some of the driving hazards Pennsylvania has to offer in the fall, including wildlife. Did you know that Pennsylvania ranks 3rd nationwide for deer collisions? What do you do if you hit a deer? State Farm insurance offers these 6 tips.
1- Move your vehicle (and yourself) to a safe place, pulling off the road as far as possible and putting hazard lights on so you are visible to other drivers.
2- Alert authorities if the deer is blocking traffic and creating a threat for other drivers, or if the deer is injured by the road. If the collision resulted in injury or property damage, you may need to fill out an official report, which can also be useful when filing your insurance claim.
3- Take photos of the roadway, your surroundings, damage to your vehicle, and any injuries that you or your passengers sustained. This may also make your claims process easier.
4- Stay away from the animal. A frightened, wounded deer could use its powerful legs and sharp hooves to cause harm.
5- Contact your insurance company. The sooner you report damage or injuries, the sooner your agent can file or process your claim.
6- Don't assume your vehicle is safe to drive. Double-check that your car is drivable. Look for leaking fluid, loose parts, tire damage, broken lights, a hood that won't latch and other safety hazards. If your vehicle seems unsafe in any way, call for a tow.
**Before a collision occurs, make sure that you're protected with the right type of insurance. Damage from auto-deer accidents are typically covered under comprehensive insurance, not collision. Contact your agent to make sure that you have the right type of coverage.
Car Care Tip of the Week: Tire Pressure
Did you know that your tire pressure is dropping along with the temperatures of Fall? It is important to check your tire pressure once a month, but especially important to check it as the weather gradually gets cooler. You lose 1 psi of tire pressure per 10 degrees lower or higher outside temperature. So, if your tire pressure is properly inflated at 35 psi when it is 80 degrees, your tire pressure will only be 31 psi at 40 degrees. Properly inflated tires last longer and help you get better mileage, so when determining your tire pressure, go by the sticker on the inside of the door instead of the pressure listed on the tire. The pressure listed on the tire is the maximum pressure that the tire will tolerate, and as your tires move, or heat up, while driving, the pressure naturally increases. If your tire pressure is deliberately much higher, in addition to the natural increase, tires will wear unevenly and possible fail while driving. If you have questions about your tire pressure or would like us to check it, feel free to call about a free tire check.
Have you had your battery tested lately? Fall is a good time to test your battery since large fluctuations in outside temperatures can quickly take its toll on battery life. If your car's battery is three years old or more, consider replacing it as the chance of failure increases. Also, take note of any corrosion around the battery posts and have them cleaned to prevent your battery from discharging. Call us for a vehicle battery test now to avoid being stranded with a dead battery in winter!
September 26, 2016
Did you know that your car can use 10,000 gallons of air for every gallon of fuel used? A clogged air filter can mean big problems for your engine, so it's important to change it according to your manufacturer's recommended service interval. Also, it's important to check the recommendations for cabin air filters, which need to be changed even more frequently to ensure clean air for you and and your passengers. The biggest sign of a bad cabin air filter is a foul smell coming from your vents. Call us with your air filter concerns or questions, or to set up an appointment to get them changed, at 717-362-2618
Car Care Tip of the Week: Perfect Gift for Young Drivers
School is back in session. Some students are driving to high school, activities and jobs. Others are off to college. Whether they are driving down the street or across the country, a perfect, inexpensive, and easy to assemble, gift is a roadside emergency kit. The best way to avoid breakdowns is to perform basic scheduled maintenance, but for unforeseen events, a roadside emergency kit could be a lifesaver.
Recommended by the Car Car Council, the list can fit into a small duffel bag or rubber storage tote:
-Jumper Cables
-Emergency flares
-Flashlight with batteries
-Blanket & extra clothes
-Non-perishable snacks & bottled water
-First aid kit, including essential medications
-Portable USB charger to keep the cell phone running even if the car is not
-Ice scraper, snow brush and small shovel for winter driving
-The Car Care Guide, available for free at carcare.org
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