MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Changing a Car Tire

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Winter Emergency Kit

• Blanket, rug or sleeping bag
• Shovel
• Bits of carpet or thick cardboard to place under driven wheels to help regain traction on ice or snow
• Salt, sand or cat litter – to help clear snow and ice
• Reflective jacket(s)
• Ice scraper and de-icer
• Torch and batteries
• Tow rope
• Snow chains (if you live in a remote or rural area)
• Battery jump leads
• Bottled water
• Snacks – chocolate or cereal bars
• Extra screen wash

source: http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/seasonal/winter-checklist.html

Prepare your car for WINTER!

Breakdowns happen more often during winter time and road conditions become more challenging, especially when it starts snowing. 
Here's what you need to know in order to have a safer and trouble-free driving during winter time:


BATTERY
Lights, heaters and wipers put high demands on the car battery. If your driving is mainly dark rush-hour trips, the battery will give out eventually.Replacing one near the end of its life can save a lot of time and inconvenience at the side of the road.

ANTIFREEZE
Coolant systems that are not in the right proportion will lead to overheating due to freezing. Have the car's coolant system flushed in the fall before the first freeze. You also need to check the system for leaks and install fresh coolant. 


WIPERS
Inspect the windshield wipers and replace them if they are worn or have become hardened. Change the windshield wiper fluid with one that has antifreeze added to it. 

TYRES
Consider changing to winter or all season tyres – these have a higher silica content in the tread which prevents it hardening at lower temperatures, and therefore gives better grip in cold wet conditions.

HEATER
Have it checked and make sure it's working. Not only is it important for you to stay warm, but it also serves to clear the front and rear glass for a good vision.

HEADLIGHTS
It's a non negotiable necessity to have your headlights working all year long. It's a good idea to carry spare bulbs.

IMPORTANT!  Keep an Emergency kit in your car and a First Aid kit in case you have any unexpected incidents.

What to pack in your Winter Emergency Kit?

Ways to Save on Fuel

There are several ways for a driver to save on fuel consumption. Applying most of these tips together can reduce the fuel consumption of your vehicle to about 10% !

I) MAINTENANCE

• Servicing: By giving your car regular servicing you can make sure the engine is working efficiently.
• Engine oil: Make sure you are using the right engine oil (check the handbook).
• Tyres: check tyre pressures regularly and before long journeys; under-inflated tyres create more rolling resistance and so use more fuel.

II) BEFORE GOING ON A TRIP

• minimize weight: extra weight means extra fuel so if there's anything in the boot you don't need on the journey take it out.
• Streamline: roof-racks and boxes add wind resistance and so increase fuel consumption. If you don't need it take it off – if you do, pack carefully to reduce drag.
• Leave promptly: don't start the engine until you're ready to go as idling wastes fuel and the engine warms up more quickly when you're moving.
• Don't get lost: plan unfamiliar journeys to reduce the risk of getting lost and check the traffic news before you leave
• Combine short trips: cold starts use more fuel so it pays to combine errands such as buying the paper, dropping off the recycling, or collecting the kids.

III) ON THE ROAD

• Drive smoothly: accelerate gently and read the road ahead to avoid unnecessary braking.
• Decelerate smoothly: when you have to slow down or to stop, decelerate smoothly by releasing the accelerator in time, leaving the car in gear.
• Rolling: if you can keep the car moving all the time, so much the better; stopping then starting again uses more fuel than rolling.
• Change up earlier: don't labour the engine but try changing up at an engine speed of around 2,000 rpm in a diesel car or around 2,500 rpm in a petrol car. This can make such a difference that all cars in the future are likely to be fitted with a 'Gear Shift indicator' light to show the most efficient gear change points.
• Cut down on the A/C: air-conditioning increases fuel consumption at low speeds, but at higher speeds the effects are less noticeable. So if it's a hot day open the windows around town and save the air conditioning for high speed driving. 
• Turn it off: electrical loads increase fuel consumption, so turn off your heated rear windscreen, demister blowers and headlights, when you don't need them.
• Stick to speed limits: the faster you go the greater the fuel consumption and pollution.  Driving at 80mph can use up to 25% more fuel than at 70mph.
• Don't be idle: Turn the engine off if it looks like you could be waiting for more than three minutes.

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/fuels-and-environment/drive-smart.html

How to Stop an Engine from Overheating

If it's possible to pull over:

Radiator Cap

1. Pull Over, Turn off the engine and allow it to cool down.
2. Open the Hood
3. DO NOT OPEN the radiator cap when it's still hot! The content is hot and under pressure. Releasing the cap can cause its content to burst out and burn your skin.
4. Check the coolant reservoir tank. Fill it if needed (If your car only has a radiator and no coolant reservoir, you must wait for it to cool before checking the level of coolant).
• If the car was simply low on coolant and you were able to refill it, it may be safe to drive on. Follow the instructions below for how to minimize the risk of overheating if you do so.
• If the car appears to be out of coolant entirely, do not drive it. You can quickly cause severe harm to your engine by doing so.
• If help is readily available, you may be better off calling for a tow truck than driving the car.
• If no help is available or conditions are otherwise unsafe you may need to drive on regardless of whether you were able to solve the problems. Read below for how to manage your car if this is the case.

If it's NOT possible to pull over:

1.  Turn the A/C OFF
2. Flip the climate controls to vent, turn the heater all the way up, and turn the fan all the way up. If the weather is hot, the inside of the car will heat up quite a lot. Point the vents out the windows as much as possible to help reduce the temperature.
3. Keep your attention on the temperature light on the Dashboard.
4. Those tips can help you minimize the heating if you can't pull over:
• Turn off your engine, but only if you are sitting in traffic or stopped at a light and not moving for more than a minute. Keep a lookout ahead for when the traffic will move and turn your engine on before that point.
• Keep it steady in stop and go traffic. It is better to move at a steady slow pace than to go fast, stop, go fast stop, etc. (Generally people will not cut you off in stop and go traffic since everyone is stuck in the same situation.)
• If your vehicle has a belt-driven radiator fan (usually rear wheel drive and four wheel drive vehicles) and you are stuck in traffic, place the transmission in neutral or park, and smoothly increase the engine speed to 2000 RPMs. Hold the RPM there for a minute or so. This will increase the speed of the engine, and in turn, turn the water pump and radiator fan faster. This will draw more air through the radiator to dissipate the heat. If your car has electric fans (typically front-wheel-drive vehicles), this method will not work for you.
• Wait out rush hour traffic. Pull over if you think your car will break down in stop and go traffic. Turn off the engine and wait for the traffic to start moving normally. Once the traffic starts flowing again, it is better for you to drive faster than slower as more air will come in and cool your engine. 
  

 You can find the full article with explanatory images here:
 http://www.wikihow.com/Stop-an-Engine-from-Overheating

10 maintenance checks you’ve probably missed

Just about everyone knows how to check their oil regularly. Here are some less-common maintenance checks that might not be on your radar, but should be: 

1. Most people check occasionally their tire pressure, but forget about their spare. All pneumatic lose air pressure over time. After a few years of neglect, the high-pressure compact spare is typically under-inflated, sometimes dangerously so, if ever required.
   
2. Check all lights.  Don’t let a broken bulb lead to a collision.
   
3. Check battery “eye” if equipped.  Some batteries have an “eye” to visually indicate charge condition.  Any color besides green means trouble.  But note that green can also be a false positive where battery output only becomes insufficient under load due to bad cell.
4. Check coolant level and condition.  If discolored or foul smelling, a flush-and-fill may be due.  An inexpensive coolant tester (syringe) can verify freeze-up/boil over protection.
5. Visually check air-con “eye.”  Bubbles in the A/C sight-glass indicate low refrigerant, and oil streaks spell trouble.  Watch for refrigerant flow to avoid confusing a completely discharged A/C system for a full one.
6. Clean debris from fins of radiator, air-con condenser and power steering cooler, if equipped.  Obstructed airflow can lead to overheating of these systems.
7. Pull out tranny dipstick and sniff it.  Really.  Fluid should be clear, bright red, and have no burnt odor – which indicates overheating.  Check fluid level while engine is running (Of course, it’s also good to check oil, brake, power steering and washer fluid levels).
8. Visually inspect tires.  That is, look at them once in awhile.  Uneven tread wear, bald tires, or damage to sidewalls or tread require attention.  A nail in the tread can typically be mended if caught early (i.e. tire looks unusually low), but can lead to a high-speed blowout if ignored.
9. Check jack and spare.  Don’t find out at roadside that the jack is missing in your used car, or that you need special tools (e.g. for wheel locks).
10. Lift foot mats in an older car and inspect floor.  Salt water running off your shoes in wintertime can pool beneath mats and corrode metal.  Holes in the floorboard will allow potentially deadly exhaust fumes to enter vehicle.
    
    
    reference:http://www.wheels.ca/guides/10-maintenance-checks-youve-probably-never-done/