Know When It’s Time to Replace Your Tires

January 24th, 2012 by Toms Foreign Auto Parts

The quality of your tires is very important. As tires begin to age the tread on them wears down meaning that they are less effective and a lot less safe. Tires aren’t meant to last forever. Once the tread starts to wear on the tire it loses performance ability and tire failure can lead to serious accidents and even death. Don’t ignore the warning signs and take the time to check your tires on a regular basis. Here are a few ways to know that it’s time to replace your tires:

Failed Penny Test
Put a penny upside down in the center of the tread of the tire. As long as you can’t see the top of Lincoln’s head, the tire is still OK to use. If you can see Lincoln’s head, it means that the tread is too worn and the tire should be replaced.

Failed Tire Tread Gauge Test
The penny test has been criticized for not being 100% accurate. If you are looking for more accurate results, purchase a tire tread gauge at an auto store for a few dollars and test that way.

Tread Wear Indicator is Visible
The tread wear indicator is located inside the groove of the tread. It should be located below the groove. If it is even, or almost even, with the tread around it, it means that the tire is no longer safe to use.

Follow Owner’s Manual
Every car is different so use your owner’s manual as a reference. Typically, 6 years is the shelf life of a quality tire. This can vary depending on the driving style of the car owner, but 10 years should be the absolute maximum for using the same tires. The age of a tire starts when it was manufactured, not when it was first used because they can deteriorate even while just sitting in a store.

Use Common Sense
Sometimes just looking at a tire can let you know that there is a problem. Keep an eye out for any deep cracks or bubbles and take a look at the wear. If it’s uneven on the front it could mean that there is an alignment issue. If the tire doesn’t stay properly inflated and loses air quickly or doesn’t maintain correct tire pressure, there is obviously a problem.

If the tread of a tire is down to 1/16 of an inch it’s time to replace the tires. In fact, in some states it’s a legal requirement that tires have proper tread above 1/16 of an inch. Another thing to keep in mind is your environment. Tires can age faster in warmer climates.

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On star opens their API for third party mobile app developers.

January 12th, 2012 by Ed Pol

On star is opening their API for app developers. This is a big step in helping to keep On stars customer base. I believe this is an excellent move on their part, it will open a whole new world for car and mobile phone communications. This will be another reason to keep your monthly on star service plan. I actually can’t wait to see what apps they will create for it and the integration it will have with your vehicle. I’m sure we can agree on the normal apps for it like locking your doors and un-locking them and starting the car. But I wonder what kind of odd and wacky apps they can come up with. Maybe one that can track your mileage and hours you drive weekly or daily. Maybe playing angry birds on your navigation screen, while parked of course! So It will be interesting to see what the future holds for this but I can’t wait to see what developers will come up with!

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This weeks new inventory round up 1-6-12

January 6th, 2012 by Dan Tole

The first week of 2012 comes to a close. We’re all back to work and still recovering from the long holiday weekends. Before we head out for the weekend we’re giving you a quick round up of our newest parts vehicles. You’ll notice this list is a little short due to the holiday madness but next week we’ll be catching up and inventorying a lot of new stuff. Some notables this week were the 2 04 Maxima’s along with a really clean 05 A4 and an even nicer 05 Murano. We’ve been making really good buying decisions lately so hopefully we’ve been able to fullfill all your used auto part needs. Take a look at some of the fresh stock and be sure to let us know if you need a part.  Thanks!

 

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Drowsy driving a bad situation for you and other motorists.

December 30th, 2011 by Ed Pol

While reading my AAA Horizons news paper, I found a great article I thought I should share with everyone. The dangers of driving while drowsy. AAA Reports one in six deadly crashes and one in eight crashes causing serious injury involved a drowsy driver. Now I don’t know about you but I think those statistics hit to close to home. Considering most of us drive to work every morning drowsy and tired and still trying to wake up, it was a bit scary for me to read that. Years ago when my “going out to have fun” time started at 10 p.m. there was plenty of times when I used to drive while sleepy and almost falling asleep at the wheel towards the end of the night. It is a scary situation! I understand no one wants to pull over and take a nap when your so close to home or even when your in the middle of no where But remember it could be the difference between life or death. That 30 minute nap could save your life or even some one else! I can sit here all day and bore you with graphs charts and statistics but I won’t. Better yet I’ll help you recognize the signs of drowsy driving and how to help prevent it.

Signs that you are too tired to drive:

  • Hard time keeping your eyes open and having heavy eye lids.
  • Trouble keeping your head up.
  • Drifting out of your lane, hitting rumble strips.
  • Forgetting the last few mile you drove.
  • Driving through traffic lights and signs.
  • Yawning a lot

Ways to prevent drowsy driving:

  • Get plenty of sleep (7 hours is recommended)
  • STOP DRIVING if sleepy. When you are that tired you can fall asleep easily.
  • Drive during times your normally awake.
  • Break every 2 or so hours.
  • Drink caffeine, Caffeine takes a minimum of 30 minutes to enter the blood stream.
  • Travel with a passenger that can stay awake
  • Open your window to get some wind blowing on your face if you start to feel tired
I hope this helps you realize the dangers of drowsy driving, and can help you or a loved one. It is the season of traveling and these little tips could save your life! Happy New Year everyone!

 

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Keep These Emergency Items in Your Car at All Times

December 29th, 2011 by Toms Foreign Auto Parts

As they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Anything can happen when you hit the road, including break downs and accidents. It’s important to always be prepared and have the following essential emergency items in the car at all times:

First Aid Kit
A first aid kit can come in handy after a minor accident. It can be purchased or home made. Be sure that it includes items like bandages and gauze pads.

Flashlight & Batteries
Breaking down or getting into an accident is bad enough, but it’s even worse when it happens at night in a dimly lit area. Always store a flashlight in the car with an extra set of batteries, just in case. If the batteries don’t work the flashlight is useless.

Flares & Reflective Triangles
Flares and reflective triangles are important because they warn oncoming traffic that there is a disabled vehicle on the side of the road. If the car is stopped near a bend in the road or in an area that isn’t very well lit there is always a chance that a driver won’t see it and may hit it.

Jumper Cables
It’s easy to make a simple error like leaving an interior light or the headlights on, which will drain the battery. Sometimes all you need is a quick jump from a friendly neighbor to get the car up and running again. Having jumper cables in the car can get you out of a jam. Just make sure that you know how to use them properly.

Air Compressor
Driving with low tire pressure isn’t safe. If the warning light is displayed on the dashboard it’s best to address the issue as soon as possible. Since it’s not always easy to find a gas station quickly, or to find spare change to pay for the air at a convenience store, it’s advisable to have an air compressor that can be plugged into the cigarette lighter.

Winter Items
Depending on the time of year and where you will be doing your driving, items like a shovel, winter gloves, a blanket, and sand or kitty litter can be helpful during the winter months if the car gets stuck in the snow or ice.

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Tips for Transporting a Christmas Tree

December 19th, 2011 by Toms Foreign Auto Parts

Of course everybody likes the look of their Christmas tree once they get it set up and put the lights and ornaments on it. Unfortunately it takes a lot of time and effort to get it looking that way! Perhaps the hardest part of the whole ordeal is getting the Christmas tree back home from the farm or stand. Here are 4 tips to follow to make the process as smooth as possible:

Bring the Right Materials
While the place that you get the tree might have these items available, it can’t hurt to be prepared. You should have on hand: gloves, a sheet, bungee cords, rope, and a stepladder if you aren’t tall or are strapping the tree to the top of a large vehicle. Christmas tree needles can be sharp and a tree is difficult to maneuver without gloves. Depending on how the tree will be transported home, the sheet can be placed in the back of the trunk or on top of the roof to protect the roof from scratches. Obviously, bungee cords and rope are needed to secure the Christmas tree so that it doesn’t fall out of or off of the car en route home.

Inspect It
Check the tree for loose branches, insects, or even bird’s nests. There’s no sense in taking that stuff home with you or putting it in your car.

Get It Wrapped
Before leaving, get the tree wrapped in plastic netting. A Christmas tree is much easier to handle when it has been wrapped. Many Christmas tree dealers offer this service free of charge.

Consider the Size
Small trees can go in the backseat and medium trees can go in the trunk. If you are putting the tree in the trunk, put the backseats down if you can and position the tree at an angle. The base of the tree should be inside of the car, with the top of the tree sticking out if necessary. Since the base is the heaviest part, this will help keep it secure. Use the bungee cords and rope to shut the trunk gently on top of the tree. If you are putting the tree on the roof, place it on top of the sheet with the base facing forward. That way, the wind will blow off less needles and limbs.

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