Road Service

With spring and summer approaching, it is important to maintain your car.  The heat is unavoidable and it can do great damage to your vehicle.  Here are a few tips to prepare your car for summer that will help you avoid calling for road service.

First, have your hoses and belts inspected.  Many vehicles today have a serpentine belt running the accessories.  You can lose power steering immediately if it breaks.  Many other problems can also result from faulty hoses and belts.

Also, have a professional look at your air-conditioning system.  You don’t want your system breaking down in the midst of summer heat, so have it looked at now.

Tire damage can actually worsen in intense heat, so check to make sure that your tire pressure is where it should be.  Also, check for visible wear and tear since this could be an indication of poor alignment.

These simple tips can keep your car driving smoothly through the summer months and help you avoid calling for emergency roadside assistance.  Don’t neglect your vehicle and find yourself stranded in the heat.

Over the past few decades, perhaps one of the biggest technical developments has been to tires. And now, new rules concerning tires will yield even more mileage and safety improvements.

After the estimated 280 deaths that were linked to Firestone tire failures on the Ford Explorer SUVs, lawmakers ordered tire pressure monitoring systems are used. These systems alert drivers if they have a tire with low air.

Thankfully, some of the recent monitoring systems don’t have problems that were experienced with the earlier technology. Problems included false alerts, and failure to advise drivers which of their tires was low.

Now, there is a national registry that has been approved, allowing drivers to register their tires that they purchase. In the case of a recall, such as Firestone, drivers would be notified quickly.

Drivers will be much safer with the new tire rules. However, drivers should always protect themselves by doing regular tire pressure checks and having a road service program in case of an emergency.

When a teenager turns 16 years old, they are excited to get their drivers license. Unfortunately, teens have more driving accidents than any other age group. For the majority of teen drivers, the question isn’t whether they are going to have an accident, but when they are going to have an accident. This makes an emergency roadside assistance program a must.

Inexperience is the main reason that teenagers are vulnerable to traffic accidents. Although 16 to 19 year olds only make up 5.3 percent of the driving population in our nation, they’re involved in 13.3 percent of all of the traffic accidents and 11 percent of crashes that are fatal.

A new program aimed to protect teenagers is “graduated licensing”. Although the age of licensing is the same, full privileges come gradually.

The program begins with a learner’s permit. Next, is the intermediate stage, in which teens can drive during the daytime alone, and in the evening they can drive between 9 p.m-6 a.m. with a licensed driver. Then, the advanced stage comes. This is when teens can drive with no restrictions.

The graduated licensing program is a good step to ensure that our teens remain safe. However, teens need to protect themselves with a road service program just in case they get into trouble. This will give them peace of mind in an emergency situation.

Modern vehicles are designed for longevity, and if they are maintained properly, they can outlive their owners. However, many motorists don’t take the time to take care of their vehicles, which can lead to breakdowns and accidents. In this instance, the only thing saving a motorist is his road service program.

In a test conducted by The Car Care Council, 631 vehicles were inspected in seven states. Of the cars inspected, 80% of the drivers failed in one or more inspection test. This included such things as tires being inflated improperly, and low oil levels.

With gas prices soaring, it is important that drivers maintain their cars to get better gas mileage. This will put money back in the pockets of motorists.

Regular service will also help prevent breakdowns. People tend to procrastinate, resulting in road service calls.

Vehicles last a long time if they are well cared for. It used to be that 100,000 miles was the limit on the life of a vehicle, now many cars reach 200,000 miles.

Automakers have been redesigning vehicles so that they are stronger than ever.  They have achieved this by using lightweight materials, allowing cars to be more fuel-efficient. This technology makes vehicles more durable, cutting down on road service calls.  Also, it is saving numerous lives.

The only disadvantage to these new, stronger materials is that rescue workers are having a difficult time cutting into vehicles that are mangled from wrecks.

According to experts and rescue officials around the nation, vehicles designed with safety measures, such as reinforced steel, are creating a challenge for rescue workers to get motorists out of cars.

One answer to this problem is investing in rescue equipment that is better.  Heavy-duty cutters are necessary to release motorists.  A cutter such as this from Hurst costs approximately $25,000.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it is well worth the tradeoff of tougher cars because many lives are saved.  In fact, the rate of fatalities for passenger cars is lower than it has ever been in history.

Every year thousands of people are killed in car accidents.  Many of these crashes could have been avoided with some simple safety knowledge.  Here are some tips to keep your driving experience pleasant and keep you from having to call for road service.

First of all, if your are taking any medicines, double check your product label to see if it could affect your driving.  If your medication causes drowsiness, stay off of the roads.

Next, secure children properly in a restraint system that is size and age appropriate.  All children less than 12 years of age should be in the back seat.  Just by putting children in the back, and not the front reduces injuries and deaths 30%.

One of the biggest causes of car accidents is driver inattention.  This means that drivers should stay off of cell phones and pay attention to the road.

Finally, prepare a safety kit in your car.  It should include a first aid kit, flashlight, nonperishable foods, water, blankets, motor oil, jumper cables, and a spare tire.  Of course the most important thing you can have in your vehicle is a cell phone, which will allow you to call for emergency roadside assistance in case you get into trouble.

The thermostat in your car regulates the temperature so that it is at a desired level.  It does this by controlling the mechanisms responsible for heating and cooling.  It controls the heat flow that goes in and out of the system.  Thermostats manage the amount of coolant within the internal combustion engine.  There are various thermostats for various temperatures.  Thermostats are found in any engine that is liquid cooled.

The thermostat may not perform properly for several reasons.  First of all, if the vehicle’s water pump is failing the thermostat is often affected.  Also, an overheated engine or coolant leakage could affect the thermostat.

It is important to have your thermostat looked at by a mechanic on a regular basis.  It plays a key role in cooling the engine, so have it replaced every couple of years.  Luckily, this is a fairly inexpensive car part that will save you from getting stranded on the side of the road, placing a call to your emergency roadside assistance program.

Failure to replace your thermostat when necessary could also give you problems, such as poor gas efficiency, a knocking sound when you accelerate, or even emissions difficulty.  You don’t want your car to overheat leaving you stranded somewhere.  However, car problems can be unforeseen even if you do everything right, so just make sure you have a road service program for emergency situations.

After a car accident, it is as important to find the right auto body shop, as it is to find the right contractor for home repairs.  You can have your road service program tow your vehicle directly to the repair shop that you choose.

There are over 34,000 auto body shops in the nation, which makes choosing the right one confusing.

Insurance companies will often make recommendations, yet drivers are ultimately responsible for choosing the auto body repair shop.  To get the best result, motorists need to find a shop that is trustworthy and does quality work.

The National Auto Body Council and the CBBB have joined to offer consumers some much needed tips on choosing the right auto body shop, finding a deal on a rental car, and settling disputes.

To find a trustworthy repair shop, first inquire about the shop’s qualifications.  You can do this by asking questions about advanced technician training.  There are national organizations that you can find this out from such as I-CAR or ASE certification.

The average vehicle will be worked on for about two weeks, so you will need to find a rental car.  Many times the shop will make arrangements for you if you ask them, or for a few dollars a month you can have a rental covered under your insurance.

Finally, make sure you get everything in writing.  You need an estimate of the price of the repairs to be performed.  Also, reputable shops might offer a warranty on their work.

For motorists who like to take things into their own hands, the Internet is the place to look for valuable information.  Consumers are seeking research online to aid them in buying a new automobile, finding out about car service, and finding a road service program.

A new study shows that 74 percent of people who do research on service and parts say they are utilizing the Internet more now than two years ago.  In addition, 90 percent of motorists researching service information about automobiles say that the Internet influenced their purchase.

Customers who are well informed can do a good job of describing issues for potential repair when they visit their mechanic for maintenance.  However, it can be a problem when car owners try to do significant repairs by themselves because many times they make misdiagnoses on their car.  This can end up harming their car more.

For example, if a motorist replaces the alternator because the car is having trouble starting, when in fact the battery should have been changed, it could cost hundreds of dollars to rectify the situation.

It is good for consumers to use the Web to research about cars because it can aid their mechanic.  However, motorists who think they can fix anything could end up stranded somewhere.  At any rate, it is always good to have road service in case of breakdowns.

It is important to maintain your car to ensure that it is operating at its best.  Of course this includes oil changes and seasonal preparations. However, don’t ignore your tires.  In fact, your experience driving is only as good as the tires that you have on your vehicle.  You don’t want to end up with a blow-out. In this case, roadside assistance is the only help you have.

Also, safety is a big issue when it comes to tires.  It is important to have tires that will offer you safety in your vehicle.  After all, the only thing that is between you and the road is your tires.

High performance tires will give you the safe driving experience that you deserve.  They will accommodate driving at fast speeds, and also perform safely in dangerous conditions.  For instance, they handle better on wet and slick roads.  Also they are better for tight cornering and sudden stops.  Even thought they cost more, you are getting safety in return.

Consider high performance tires for your vehicle to keep it operating at its best.  Not only will your car feel better, you will be safer.  Of course you never know when you will have a blow-out, so make sure you have road service just in case.  After all, you don’t want to get stranded on the side of the road with no help.