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What Your Car’s Tire Wear Is Telling You

July 1st, 2009 by admin

What Your Car’s Tire Wear Is Telling You

Your car’s tires take a daily beating on the road. The rubber and other compounds are formulated to conform to the pavement and provide you with a blend of control and comfort. Over time, they erode and need to be replaced. Most people will simply buy a new set of replacements without investigating whether the erosion of the treads is premature. It’s important to realize there are a number of factors that can cause accelerated wear and tear on the rubber. If you can identify those factors and resolve them, your tires will last longer.

In this article, we’ll take a look at a number of erosion circumstances, including wear down the center, on the sides, balding, and flat spots. I’ll explain what each situation might be implying is happening underneath the surface.

Down The Center

This happens less frequently than tread wear on the sides. The culprit is usually overinflation; drivers are often tempted to overinflate their wheels. Sometimes, they mistakenly believe more air than required is better (it’s not). Other times, they overinflate so they don’t have to check the pressure as often. The problem is that overinflation leads to the center of the wheel having more contact with the pavement than the sides.

Erosion On The Sides

If you notice both sides of your tire are suffering faster erosion than the center, the cause is likely underinflation. The reason this happens is the opposite of overinflation: too little pressure causes the sides of the wheel to have more contact with the road than the center. However, if you notice that only one side is experiencing accelerated wear, the problem is likely poor alignment.

Bald Spots

Motorists often think that bald spots are caused by skidding or aggressive driving. Neither is usually the case. Instead, balding is typically the result of an imbalance or misalignment in the tire. Occasionally, the issue can also be due to bad shock absorbers.

Flat Spots

Flat spots are rare in today’s cars due to anti-lock brake systems. This type of spotting typically happens when a driver aggressively hits his brakes and causes his tires to lock up. That leads to skidding, which produces the worn treads. You’ll recognize flat spots easily as isolated patches of tread that are far more severely worn than other patches.

Performing Routine Checks

Even if you’re filling your tires with the proper air pressure, you should still get into the habit of checking them weekly. There are a couple of reasons. First, the pressure dissipates over time. Even if you fill them to factory recommendations, they can become underinflated after a few months. Second, checking the pressure weekly will help you identify whether an alignment or balancing problem exists.

Don’t underestimate the influence your wheels can have on your safety. Protect your treads by keeping them inflated according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

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Jump Starting Your Car’s Air Conditioning System

June 10th, 2009 by admin

Jump Starting Your Car’s Air Conditioning System

With summer barreling down upon us, more people are paying attention to the reliability of their vehicle’s A/C system. Some drivers have waited until now to fix problems that manifested long ago when the weather were much cooler. Others have noticed small issues – for example, higher than normal temperatures coming from the vents – and are concerned their A/C units might die when they need them most.

To prepare for driving in the warmer weather, we’ll take a preemptive look at potential issues you may be having with your vehicle’s air conditioning system. I’ll explain some of the factors that can impact your A/C and making driving in the heat less than pleasant.

Describing The Problem

Your car’s air conditioner might be suffering from one of a few different problems. It’s important that you identify what is happening and be able to describe it (or recreate it) for the mechanic. That way, he’ll know which path to take in order to resolve the issue.

For example, is the temperature coming from your vents warmer than normal? If it is, that might suggest a refrigerant deficiency. Or, is the force of the airflow weak? If that’s the issue, there may be a blockage somewhere within the air duct. Oftentimes, these problems occur sporadically. If you’re unable to recreate it, you’ll need to carefully explain what is happening.

Factors That Can Affect Your A/C

As implied above, warmer than normal temperatures blowing from the vents suggests there may be an insufficient level of refrigerant. In most cases, that means one or more leaks have developed. Leaks can occur due to the hoses deteriorating and splitting. They can also happen if there is a bad connection between the hoses and the compressor.

Dirt can also be an issue. When your car’s air conditioner is working properly, the refrigerant is the only element (aside from oil) that should be allowed into the compressor. If dirt gains access, it can cause the refrigerant to break down. It can also lead to a malfunction in the expansion valve and problems within the compressor itself.

Anything that restricts airflow through your car’s A/C can cause the entire unit to fail. The reason is similar to what causes your engine to overheat. If too much debris accumulates, that debris can restrict lubrication. That causes excess heat to build, which can cause the hoses to rupture or burst. Eventually, it can even lead to the compressor shutting down completely.

As summer approaches, invest the time to make sure your car’s air conditioning system is working properly. Don’t wait to fix small problems. If you neglect them, they will often lead to more expensive headaches in the future. By the time warmer weather arrives, you’ll want to have easy access to cooler temperatures while you’re behind the wheel.

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