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Tip of the day

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Old 10-27-2013, 12:40 AM
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Default Winter TIP = Load Test Your Battery

This is a good time of year to manually trickle charge your battery and then get it load tested.
Nothing worse than waking up and finding out your battery is weak and simply wont start your car!
As the temperature drops you have less cranking amps available and more power is required to start the vehicle !!
Here is any eye opener...
BatteryTest6.jpg
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Old 10-27-2013, 08:49 AM
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Default

Tip for Sunday 27 October 2013:

When flushing brake fluid, remove old fluid from master cylinder before starting. The fluid in the master cylinder often has some specs of solid foeirgn matter in it, no reason to flush the specs of solid foreign matter through the abs unit, the pipes and the calipers.

Another benefit of this procedure is that you will see the fresh fluid coming through the caliper bleeder screw sooner, making the flush a little more quick (the old fluid almost always will be dark, the new fluid almost clear).

A turkey baster or like item is one way to remove the fluid from the master cylinder. Be careful as brake fluid is corrosive on items like paint. Don't let it spill and always have a cleaner on a towel on standby. Finally, don't let you master cylinder run dry while doing this, don't want any air entering the abs module.
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Old 10-28-2013, 03:20 AM
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Default Bad Gas!

TIP: Ya ok I am not talking about needing Tums
How about some Sta-Bil and Water remover !
With Ethanol fuel, cooler temps, keep condensation at bay by keeping your gas tank FULL !
E15 and Engines - Can Ethanol Damage my Engine - Popular Mechanics
Facts: Ethanol Likes to keep & Absorb Moisture
Can begin to gum up your fuel system after 30 days without fresh fuel.
Use Sta-Bil to make fuel good for 1 year.
Assume you may have water in your tank and use a water remover/gas line antifreeze before winter, and treat your fuel system now!
A happy Car has GOOD....
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Old 11-03-2013, 06:20 AM
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Tip of the day for Sunday 03 October 2013.

If your car enters a body of water immediately open a door.

For every foot you descend towards the bottom of the water, 850 pounds of pressure are being exerted on your car door, making the simple act of opening it and exiting an impossibility at the worst possible time.

If you have manual windows, roll down that window fast and exit the car. Finally, if unable to open a door or window, typically the only way to open the door is when the car hits the bottom of the water. You can try and hold your breath if hitting bottom is an option, then open the door.

If you drive in an area where entering water is probable, keeping a device like a center punch to shatter a window is a good thing to keep handy in your car.
Old 11-11-2013, 09:46 AM
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Tip of the day for 11 November 2013:

Don't touch the glass when changing headlight bulbs
Most headlight bulbs now are filled with halogen and have special coatings on the outside of the glass. If you pick the bulb up by the glass with your fingers, you will leave trace amounts of oil and grease on the glass. When the bulb is used, that area of the glass will get hotter than the rest and it will eventually cause the bulb to crack. When changing headlight bulbs, only hold the metal bulb holder at the base, or make sure you're wearing rubber surgical / mechanic'* gloves (clean ones) if you're touching the glass.
Old 11-11-2013, 09:49 AM
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And to add on to what Mike said, if you do accidentally touch the glass, use an alcohol pad to clean the bulb.
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Old 11-12-2013, 01:47 AM
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Default Night & Day Driving- Good Visibility is Everything!

Keep Your Windshield inside & out clean and grime off the Wiper Blades !
In the last 3 days (700 hwy miles) I have experienced fog, heavy rain, & lots of snow/salted/sand w/gravel conditions.
RoadAheadresize_zps4d5b656a.jpg
By all means use your favourite glass cleaner/fluid/wipes for your blades.
I thought I would let you know what combinations works well for me in the mountains/variable conditions.
For a glass cleaner I have found the new Windex streak free to work very well on the windshield inside and out. I also very rarely ever see it fogging up now inside using this glass cleaner.
WindexStreakFreeGlassCleaner_zpsa74772a8.jpg
It also seems to remove fine scratches in the windshield to make them clear again.
I also now have switched to the Windex Auto windshield fluid.
WindexAutoWasherFluid_zps60b61138.jpg
Really a great combo the clearest I have ever seen especially with the recent salted roads weekend test.
To the Windex auto fluid I also do add to the reservoir only about 2 oz of 20 10 concentrate cleaner.
The 20 10 helps as a soap to really keep blades clear in mud or salt conditions
2010windshieldcleaner_zps8207fd9d.jpg
I discovered for wiper blades after using alcohol wipes, that the best product to really clean the wiper blades with excellent results is Fantastic.
fantastik_cleaner_zpsef7895b2.jpg
It is really noticeable how much more gunk comes off with the fantastic.
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Old 11-30-2013, 07:52 AM
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Default

Little unusual tip but critical tip.

Tip for Saturday 30 November 2013.

Lube up that hood release cable put under the hood and inside the car. Hood release cables are often time intensive to replace, and typically fail at the worse possible time. Something * wrong under the hood, go to pull the hood release cable and .... snap. Many times it is hard to get the hood to release when the cable is snapped.

Lube up that cable on both ends.

Forum members- please post your tips of the day!!!!
Old 12-01-2013, 10:16 PM
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tip of the day for Sunday Dec 1, 2013

want your windows to defog faster? if your car has an "AC" button turn it on, even if you have the heat on. doing this forces the air through your air conditioners evaporator giving you drier air. dry air gets rid of the fog faster than moist air.
Old 12-02-2013, 04:39 AM
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Default Tip: Perform Weekly Pre-Trip

It is good to get in the habit of doing a good weekly check of your automobile.
Walk around with outside lights on to check that all your bulbs are working. Have someone check when brake pedal is depressed too. Or use a squeegee or club between seat & brake pedal like I do, to check your brake lights. Check turn signals L&R to ensure they are working as well.
While on the walk around, check the tire tread & condition and use an air pressure gauge on your tires to see if any are down. That is how I discover problems like a hidden nails etc. As it gets colder the tires will require a few more lbs of air too.
Next is under the hood fluids. Engine Oil on dipstick is easier to read when cold, windshield washer fluid, power steering fluid, brake fluid, coolant on level in reservoir? Have the anti-freeze tested to know that it is good to -45.
I normally also check the transmission fluid if u have a dipstick, every time I fill up, while car is running while hot. Note condition of battery posts to ensure they are corrosion free, and if you have removable caps, once in a while make sure there is distilled water used if the battery is low, or not above the cells.
I know that this is not weekly but if you cant remember the last time you looked at your air filter, check it against a light and if it looks dirty and not much light is getting through, turf it and install a new one about once a year.
Happy Motoring..hopefully I got most of it..
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