Battery Storage Tips

Auto batteries have a couple of ways they may become discharged when stored for a long period of time. If they are in a car, most cars computers and radios will draw a small amount of current to keep the memory active. Normally, this isn't a lot, but can be enough to discharge a battery over a long period of time. Batteries also have a certain amount of self discharge, they will slowly discharge without any load connected.

There is a condition that affects the capacity of the battery called sulfation. It is a layer that is built up on the plates from long periods of discharge caused by a reaction between the lead plates and the sulfuric acid. A quick charge will not remove it, however a long trickle charge can partially restore it. A former auto company engineer gave the example of a battery he had in a seldom used car under this condition, the "green eye" in this car battery would not stay green (indicating a charged battery) even after a quick charge. He put the battery on a trickle charger for a week, and it returned to normal operation. This effect is why it is good to try and determine the date code of any battery you buy in the store, if it has been on the shelf for over a year, it is better to try to find one somewhere else.

Tip: If you are going to have a battery in storage for months at a time in a car, disconnect it from the car, it will reduce the discharge. Or, periodically charge the battery, maybe once every 2 to 4 weeks. If you have it in storage disconnected from the car, a charge every month or two will help keep the self discharge from draining the battery. You may also look for regulated trickle chargers that are designed for this type of application. Thanks to a former auto company engineer for this tip

Defensive Driving Tips

When traveling on a 4 lane or wider highway always stay in the right hand lane unless you are passing someone.

If an oncoming car loses control, and swerves across the median, the chances are that he will hit a vehicle in the left lane before hitting one in the right lane. So the right lane is the safest place to be. Always play the odds in your favor.

Along the same lines, if you're traveling in the left lane and someone coming towards you swerves across the line, you have very little time to react. This is how head-on collisions occur.

Curves are especially dangerous in this respect. The next time you are traveling around a curve on a road where there is no median, look at how worn the center line is. This is from cars crossing over into the oncoming lane. Be cautious, and stay to the right, especially on curves.

When traveling on a multi-lane road always give yourself maneuvering room in case another car looses control. Don't drive along right next to another vehicle, especially big trucks. One false move and you could get tangled up under the wheels of an 18 wheeler.

The idea is to always have an escape area, or a space to the front, rear and sides of your vehicle. That way if something goes wrong you have a place to maneuver into to avoid crashing.

Distance between you and the vehicle in front of you is absolutely critical. You must be able to maneuver, under control, if something happens to the vehicle in front of you.

This is especially true if you are traveling in the rain or snow. Allow yourself additional space if the road conditions are bad, because you can't stop as fast as you normally could.

When road conditions are bad you don't want to be in the position where you have to make a panic stop, because then you will lose control of your vehicle. You must be able to slow down gradually and under control.

If someone behind you gets impatient and passes you, simply back off and put an appropriate distance between you and them. It could save your life.

Be very cautious at stop signs and traffic lights. Whenever you take off from a stop sign or a traffic light after stopping, always look for oncoming cars that may be turning in front of you, and for cross traffic from both directions on the street you are going to cross. Don't assume that someone is going to stop just because they have a red light or a stop sign. Don't pull out in front of them until you are sure they have committed to stopping or yielding the right-of-way to you.

Also, when you are driving down the road always be on the look out for drivers who may not stop at side streets or intersections where they have either a stop sign or a red light. When you see someone approaching, slow down and be ready to stop just in case they don't....and when slowing down always be aware of how close cars behind you are. You don't want to slow down too quickly with someone on your rear bumper.

11 Tips For Saving Cash On Your Gas

Nowadays, as the car owners, we should know the price of the gas are getting more and more ridiculous. And it’s going to keep increasing with no limit in sight! Therefore, it is becoming more and more important to maximize your money and save at the gas station.
So, here i will show you 11 best tips to help you get the most out of your dollar.

Tip 1: Shop Around

This is the advice that you can apply anytime you buy anything. Always shop around. You can get a cheaper price for your favorite brand, and probably a yet cheaper price for a different brand.

Tip 2: Use a Gasoline Credit Card

Gasoline credit cards are great! They can save you 5% – 10% off your gasoline purchase.

Tip 3: Buy Gasoline When the Weather is Cool

Gasoline is denser in cooler temperatures, such as in the morning or at night. Gas stations measure volume, not density, so you'll be getting more solid fuel than vapors, thus improving your overall gas mileage.

Tip 4: Avoid Gas Stations That Just Refilled Their Tanks

When underground tanks are refilled, particles at the bottom of the tank get stirred up, and when these particles get into your gasoline tank, they affect the fuel efficiency of your car.

Tip 5: Don’t Top Off

The gas pump needs time to draw out the full amount of gas, so When you purchase a bit of gas the station, you get short bursts of fuel that you'll probably pay extra for. You should refill your tank when you have less than half a talk left or when you find a price that is so low you cannot afford to miss it.

Tip 6: Don’t Use High Octane Gas

Most cars nowadays are built to run on regular unleaded gas. Purchasing higher octane gas is simply a waste of money. Octane measures how hard it is to ignite gas, not the quality of the gas, so getting higher octane gas will not improve fuel efficiency. You should only get these more expensive gases when your engine pings, knocks or rattles.

Tip 7: Pump Your Own Gas

It's cheaper to pump your own gas at the self-serve stations rather than using the full-serve pumps. Full-serve gasoline naturally costs more.

Tip 8: Press the pump's trigger slowly

If you manage to use the pump by your own, make sure that you press the pump's trigger slowly so that less gas bubbles get in your tank.

Tip 9: Lessen the Use of Air-Conditioning

This tip is simple enough. Air-conditioning uses electricity, and they can reduce fuel economy by up to 20%. It's advisable to use the air ventilation system instead.

Tip 10: Plan Your Trip

You can avoid unnecessary driving by planning your trip before hand, and of course that saves you money on gas consumption.

Tip 11: Purchase Vehicles That Get Good Mileage

This is probably one of the best tips anybody can give on saving money at the gas pump. It's always better to purchase vehicles that get good gas mileage. Check with your car dealer about cars that have better fuel economy.