Jan./Feb. 2017 Winter Car Care Tips from Auto Tech W i n t e r i s H e r e! M a k e S u r e Y o u r C a r i s R e a d y Here in Automotive Technology, we are gearing up for winter: frozen doors, dead batteries, etc. We decided to offer some tips for drivers as winter settles in. We hope these are helpful! Be sure to stop down and make an appointment if you need any help with your car this winter!
Anti-freeze By Jordan Heflin A.M. Class During winter you may think the cold air alone would keep your vehicle at operating temperature, but if you aren t using the recommended antifreeze, or worse only water or incorrectly mixed antifreeze, you could be doing some serious damage to your car. Before changing your antifreeze and spending the money it s a good idea to test your antifreeze using an antifreeze hydrometer. No matter the make or model, a general rule of thumb is to change your antifreeze every 30,000-50,000 miles. When choosing the correct antifreeze specified to your car you should always refer to your owner's manual. Considering the amount of options to choose from, it s easy to buy the wrong kind and thickness. When mixing antifreeze if you bought a NON-DILUTED antifreeze you need to mix at a ratio of 50/50 water/antifreeze and if you don't want to take the time then wherever you buy antifreeze, you will probably find a pre-mixed solution. If you aren t using the correct antifreeze or just none at all during winter, the water in your antifreeze will end up freezing. When water freezes it expands and can result in a cracked engine block. However, antifreeze doesn t just protect against extreme cold, it also protects your engine from overheating which could result in a blown motor, head gasket, or head. You could also ruin your radiator which is about $200. Spending $25 vs having to replace a whole motor, or a radiator would be a compromise I d be willing to make. Important Anti-Freeze Tips: Mix UNMIXED antifreeze solution at a 50/50 antifreeze to water. When replacing old antifreeze, do a coolant flush to remove any rust particulates that may be clogging your cooling system. Use a large catch pan to drain antifreeze to avoid spilling on the ground. Due to the sweet smell, animals tend to want to drink antifreeze and it will kill them. Be sure to PROPERLY dispose of used antifreeze. Bleed ALL air out of the cooling system after replacing old antifreeze. Refer to a car s owner s manual to find out what type and amount of antifreeze to use.
Traction Control By Cameron Griffin and Jonathan Harvey A.M. Class Knowing how traction works in your car is important because then you will know how to use it. Traction control is important in the winter because it will stop you from wrecking your car. The TCM--Traction Control Module is sensor in the ABS--Anti-lock brake system that stops the wheels from locking up so that you can steer when you are in a slide. When your tires spin, it stops you from spinning out by reducing the power to the wheels. According to the website, Brain on Board, When a vehicle without traction control attempts to accelerate on a slippery surface like ice snow or loose gravel the wheels are able to slip. The result of wheel slip is that the tires spin quickly on the surface of the road without gaining any actual grip, so the vehicle does not accelerate. The ABS is also stops your brakes from locking up. Brain on Board also says, a hydraulic modulator that pumps the brakes and an electronic control unit (ECU)that receives information from the wheel speed sensors and, when necessary, directs the hydraulic modulator to pump the brakes. You will know if you have traction control on your vehicle if you have a button with the symbol given below. Even though traction control is helpful, it is just one more thing that could go wrong with your car. You might still be in an accident even though traction control is supposed to be better at braking. It is still important to make sure that the sensor is still good at least once a year. Bottom line, even with traction control and ABS make sure speed when there is a lot of snow on the road, and don t slam on your brakes, especially when going around a corner.
Brakes By Barry Howe, Allan Donnelly, and Jesse Stone A.M. Class In the winter you should pay more attention to your brakes. In the winter the rate of accidents rises tremendously, so if you have good brakes it lowers your chance of an accident. You should check your brakes right before winter and multiple times during winter. Driving with bad brakes, could lead to more damage to your vehicle, and it could end up being a life or death situation. Faulty brakes will affect the ability of the vehicle to perform at maximum potential. The cost of regular brake maintenance is worth saving your vehicle from serious damage and saving yourself from a deadly accident. Brakes are a key piece to any motor vehicle. Without brakes there would be so many accidents. So check and replace your brakes multiple times a year. You can look for more information on this topic on multiple different websites, and auto parts stores. You can also have your brakes checked by the Auto Technology Class at DCMO BOCES. You will be thankful if you take our advice because brakes are the number one thing that prevents accidents. Worn brake pad Disc brake in need of repair
Motor Oil By Chris Martin and Tony Hampson A.M. Class Motor oil is important because it helps cool your engine, in fact, 20% of cooling comes from the oil. It also helps clean your engine. It also reduces friction. However, sometimes there are problems with your motor oil that you need to pay attention to. Oil leakage and color change are two major problems. Not taking care of your motor oil will mess up the engine. Running on old oil will make your engine dirty and everything inside will get gummed up. The engine will then seize up and the car is not good anymore. Getting your engine rebuilt is really expensive; changing your oil is inexpensive. At BOCES we charge only $2.00 a quart. One way to save your engine is to check for leakage. A mechanic can put in a fluorescent tracer dye to look leak. The mechanic will look around the area where there is a leakage with a UV light. The leak glows a yellowish-green color. It depends on where the leak is coming from when it comes to how much it will cost to fix. But if oil is leaking all over your engine then it will be tough to fix. You should also pay attention to the color of your oil. When oil is used a lot it will turn black. It is time to change your oil when it is dark black. Good motor oil is more of a yellow color. You should change your oil every 3000 miles. The best kind of oil to use is 5W20 and 5W30 synthetic motor oil. This oil balances out when it is hot or cold--when it s hot, the oil goes through a little thicker, but when it is cold, it thins out so it runs through better. This way the engine doesn t get gummed up. Motor oil makes everything function smoothly, so be sure to keep up with your oil and check it every once in awhile. Keep track of how many miles you ve been driving on that same oil. Running on a cleaner engine will save you a lot of money in the long run.
Tires By Robert Stone A.M. Class Everybody has heard about the importance of winter tires. This article will tell you about why you should put winter tires on your car. First of all, winter tires have a thicker tread with a wider tread track to allow better traction. Your standard tire has a smaller tread with a tighter pattern for easier grip. Although you might not think you need winter tires, it s a good idea because they are helpful and will reduce your chance of an accident. For example, these tires would be best driving on icy or snow covered roads like county rounds that don t get plowed every ten minutes. The down-side is that winter tires are more expensive. The bigger the tire, the more it costs. According to Huffington Post, these tires can cost about $120 a tire. When you take your car in for winter tire installation, you will also have to have them rotated and balanced as well as labor. However, the winter is a good time to inspect the quality of your tires. Here are some problem areas you should look for: Stick a penny in the tread, and if Abe s head doesn t touch the tread, it s time for new tires. For someone more advanced, you can tell how old your tires are from the code on the tire itself which tells you the date they were made. Tires are good for 5-7 years. Make sure tire pressure is set at what it s supposed to be. These are some simple steps anyone can do, but you should take it to your local mechanic for a more thorough inspection. If you don t want to spend the money for winter tires, you can get all season tires instead. All season tires are good in the snow, rain, ice, any kind of weather. You can use these tires all year. I prefer using all season tires because it is a cheaper cost than having to get another set of tires. I never have two sets of tires.
Starting Your Car During the Winter By Walter Beers, Cody Furner, and Nick Riolo P.M. Class No one wants to sit in a cold car on a January morning while waiting for the engine to get to an operating temperature. There is a right way and a wrong way to do it. Many people warm up their cars the wrong way, and that can cause problems. The problem with a cold start is when your car is cold the gasoline is less likely to evaporate and starting it in the cold is more likely to ruin the engine. Engines with electronic fuel injections have sensors that compensate by pumping gas in the mix which ruins the engine. This is the reason you shouldn't cold start your car well one of the many reasons. One of the other reasons you shouldn't is it puts unnecessary strain on the engine. There is a right way to warm your gas engine. If you have a remote starter, set the heat to the temperature you want the night before. Turn it on in the morning, about 5-10 minutes before you are ready to leave. The starter will shut off on its own. It only allows you to start it two times in a row, and then it will shut off until you put in the key to start it. If you don t have a remote starter, allow 15-20 minutes for your car to warm up and no more. Walter Beers and Cody Furner Diesel engines, on the other hand, do not use as much fuel at idle, so it takes them longer to warm up. If you follow these suggestions for warming up your vehicle, you will prolong the life of your engine. So stay warm this winter! Nick Riolo
Windshield Wipers By Jesse Ramsay and Jake Warren P.M. Class Window wipers are a necessary part for your vehicle. Without windshield wipers, it would be very hard to see through your window and not to mention you would not pass inspection. The problem with window wipers is that they could be: worn or dry-rotted blades dirty windshield or dirty wiper blades sub-par windshield wiper fluid the wrong size In cold weather, water smearing in only one direction is common, so there is not much you can do about that. This means that your wiper blades are either, 1) old and hard or 2) the wrong size. If the windshield wipers are not replaced then it can damage your windshield and you can scratch or crack it. Either way, new wiper blades will need to be bought. Also, the life of your windshield wipers can be determined by where you live geographically. For example, if a large snowstorm occurs and there are inches of snow on your vehicle then make sure you wipe off snow or break the ice before you turn on your wipers. Your windshield wiper life can be drastically shortened if you use them while there is snow/ or ice on your windshield. Follow these steps for replacing windshield wipers: Step 1: Identify worn windshield wipers--look for cracks or a dry appearance Step 2: Buy new windshield wipers Step 3: Remove both of the old window wipers Step 4: Replace old window wipers with wipers that you bought at the store and make sure that they are the correct size. Window wipers are a necessity to everyday driving and will need to be replaced once or twice a year or if they are worn / or dry-rotted.
Four-Wheel Drive By Philip Smith and Joseph Knoll P.M. Class Ever get stuck in the snow and have trouble getting up a hill? Well I have the answer FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE. If you have a front wheel you have a possibility of sliding off the road and getting stuck, but if you have four wheel drive you are less likely to slide off the road. If you do happen to slide off the road, you can put the vehicle in four wheel drive and get out in most cases. Four wheel drive systems provide optimum traction in times of need, most four wheel drive systems include a low range which provides plenty of traction. Four wheel drive is designed to provide power to all four tires through a transfer case which gives you more traction than two wheel drive.