Learning to Read a Car Tire

 

In our blog entries, we like to provide insight on options that can simplify your life when it comes to your vehicle.  In today’s instance, we’re going to provide you with tips on how to read a tire.  Knowing how to read your tire can provide detailed information like the type of vehicle, if they’re seasonal, the speed rating, temperature resistance, as well as the width and diameter of the tire.

Read the manufacturer and the tire name.  These are easy! They are printed in large letters toward the outside of the tire.  With more than 100 tire manufacturer’s it might be hard to pinpoint the perfect one for your vehicle.  By contacting our service department, we can help you find a perfect fit.  The tire name might just be a combination of numbers and letters following the manufacturer name.

Width and aspect ratio.  This is a sequence of numbers near the center of the tire.  They would look something like www/aa/SCrr or www/aaCrr.  The first series of 3 numbers tells width in millimeters (from 155 to 315).  The 2 numbers after the slash show the aspect ratio of the tire.

The prefix in front of the width and aspect ratio drtermine type.

LT – Light truck

P – Passenger

BP – Cosmetically Blemished Passenger

ST – Steel Radial

The load index is the tire size's relative load carrying capabilities. The higher the load index number, the larger load carrying capacity.

The Z,W, and Y ratings are for tires that have extremely high top-speed capabilities.

The cold inflation numbers are near the inner edge of the tires.  This tells you the pressure the tire should be at to optimize performance.

If you have any further questions, please contact us at the dealership for more info!

Have Road Rage? Find Out in Our Quiz

When I was a young boy, I remembered a phrase my mother used to tell me on occasion.  She would begin to speak loudly, pause to look at me and say “earmuffs”.  At that moment, I would press my hands over my ears, drowning out the onslaught of curse words that proceeded to leave her mouth.  The more the vein pulsed on her neck, the more feverishly she would curse. This happened most often in the car when one of two occasions occurred: One, she was cut off by another driver, or two someone did something completely reckless, putting our lives in danger.  Road rage was funny to me then, but since those moments as a child, I’ve come to understand its power.  Do you have road rage?  Find out in a quiz courtesy of Progressive to find out if you fit the bill.

Yes or No, Do You ...

1. Overtake other vehicles only on the left?
2. Avoid blocking passing lanes?
3. Yield to faster traffic by moving to the right?
4. Keep to the right as much as possible on narrow streets and at intersections?
5. Maintain appropriate distance when following other motorists, bicyclists, motorcyclists, etc.?
6. Provide appropriate distance when cutting in after passing vehicles?
7. Use headlights in cloudy, rainy, and other low light conditions?
8. Yield to pedestrians?
9. Come to a complete stop at stop signs, before right turn on red, etc.?
10. Stop for red traffic lights?
11. Approach intersections and pedestrians at slow speeds to show your intention and ability to stop?
12. Follow right-of-way rules at four-way stops?
13. Drive below posted speed limits when conditions warrant?
14. Drive at slower speeds in construction zones?
15. Maintain speeds appropriate for conditions?
16. Use vehicle turn signals for all turns and lane changes?
17. Make eye contact and signal intentions where needed?
18. Acknowledge intentions of others?
19. Use your horn sparingly around pedestrians, at night, around hospitals, etc.?
20. Avoid unnecessary use of highbeam headlights?
21. Yield and move to the right for emergency vehicles?
22. Refrain from flashing headlights to signal a desire to pass?
23. Drive trucks at posted speeds, in the proper lanes, using non-aggressive lane changing?
24. Make slow, deliberate U-turns?
25. Maintain proper speeds around roadway crashes?
26. Avoid returning inappropriate gestures?
27. Avoid challenging other drivers?
28. Try to get out of the way of aggressive drivers?
29. Refrain from momentarily using High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes to pass vehicles?
30. Focus on driving and avoid distracting activities (e.g., smoking, use of a car telephone, reading, shaving)?
31. Avoid driving when drowsy?
32. Avoid blocking the right-hand turn lane?
33. Avoid taking more than one parking space?
34. Avoid parking in a disabled space (if you are not disabled)?
35. Avoid letting your door hit the car parked next to you?
36. Avoid stopping in the road to talk with a pedestrian or other driver?
37. Avoid inflicting loud music on neighboring cars?

Score Yourself ...

Are you an Aggressive Driver or a Smooth Operator? Answering "No" to more questions means you're a more aggressive driver.

Number of "No" Answers	How You Rate as a Driver
1-3 4-7 8-11 12+	Excellent Good Fair Poor

7 Facts About Texting That Can Save a Life

Multitasking has increased in the last few years to astronomical heights.  With one hand and a smartphone you can watch a YouTube video, send an email, play a game, voice chat and place a call in a five-minute span.  However, with much power comes much responsibility because NOW that we have this access 24-7, it has carried over into our driving habits. 

For some time, researchers have been telling us to focus only on driving, quoting a greatly increased chance of accident, injury and death when we distractedly call a friend or answer a ringing cell phone.

Now, new research has revealed the most dangerous driver distraction of all: texting.

A study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, along with prior studies by Liberty Mutual Insurance and state-funded organizations located online, reveals the shocking statistics of texting behind the wheel:

1.    Texting while driving increases the risk of accident 23.2 times over unimpaired driving.

2.    Texting while driving results in longer response times than even drunken driving. While an unimpaired driver can respond quickly to changes in traffic and begin braking within half a second, a legally drunk driver needs four additional feet to begin braking—and a driver who’s texting needs 70.

3.    In the moments before a crash or near crash, drivers typically spend nearly five seconds looking at their mobile devices—enough time at typical highway speeds to cover more area than the length of a football field.

4.    Though 95 percent of drivers surveyed said texting behind the wheel was unacceptable and unsafe, at least 21 percent admit to doing it anyway.

5.    Especially amongst teens, texting results in erratic driving behavior, like lane weaving and speeding up and down, increasing the likelihood of hurting pedestrians and running into other vehicles.

6.    Texting behind the wheel is generational: 37 percent of drivers 18 to 27 admit to texting while driving, compared to 14 percent of 28 to 44 year olds, and 2 percent of 45 to 60 year olds.

7.    An accident can happen in two to three seconds while texting.

Top 5 Things Drivers HATE

To begin today’s blog, lets paint a vivid picture of what could, or has, happened during your morning commute.  So, there you are, slowly sipping your morning coffee, the morning dew and the soothing sounds of your favorite band create a cozy safe haven on your way to work.  Your hands are on the wheel, and you’re focused.  Then, out of NOWHERE some (EXPLETIVE) swerves into your lane, causing you to spill your coffee and react swiftly to avoid injury.  In your panic-stricken state, you’ve managed to avoid an accident.  In that moment you look up to watch the person that swerved into your lane speed by, oblivious to what he had just done.  Your keen eyes focus in on him long enough to realize he was updating his Facebook status.  WOW.  In today’s blog, we asked our community for the top 10 things people HATE when they’re driving. 

Tailgaters – people that creep behind closely to your vehicle in a stop and go motion.  Usually they’re in a rush to go nowhere.

Texters – either they’re updating their Facebook status, tweeting, sending a text or writing their monologue; these individuals are causing HUGE accidents.  This can all be avoided by focusing on the commute at hand!

The “no signal when turning lanes” Guy – this person is infuriating.  They change lanes without looking or indicating.  All of this to arrive at a red light with nowhere to go.

Rubberneckers – there’s always that one person that stops an entire highway to gawk at something of interest.  A pretty billboard, a traffic accident, who knows?  Either way they’re ANNOYING and troublesome for those pressed for time.

The Makeup Queen – this young woman (or man for that matter) is applying an entire face of makeup while operating a motor vehicle.  This is a HUGE no no. 

So, do you have any to add?  What really grinds your gears?

How to Change a Flat Tire

Imagine driving you car down a rural road on your way home from work.  Your favorite song is blaring on the radio, and you finally feel a sense of ease from a busy day.  At your favorite part of the song, you hear a loud pop, then the slow roll of a popped tire as you cruise to the median.  First, you make sure that you’ve steered clear of any hazards.  Then, you realize that your front left tire has become a disheveled piece of rubber.  Hands on your hips, foot tapping the ground, you take a long sigh, but not one of relief, one of frustration.  Darn! A flat tire.

Now, if you own a vehicle with run-flat tires or a low tire pressure warning system, you most likely won’t have to deal with these frustrations, if you don’t own those options, you’re in luck.  We’ve got a step-by-step guide to helping you change that tire.

1.    Get your tools – find your car’s spare tire, jack and tire iron.  The spare is usually in the trunk under the floor mat, or in a minivan mounted on the back of the tailgate or underneath the vehicle.

2.    Check air pressure- if you have an air pressure gauge check the tire’s pressure on the spare, hopefully it should be fine.

3.    Remove flat tire- MAKE SURE CAR IS IN GEAR OR PARK, and that the emergency break is set. Also, make sure your car is on a flat surface.

4.    Use the tire iron- (the L shaped bar that fits over the wheel lugs) to loosen each lug.  They are usually very tight, so use a little force, they should loosen after a couple tries.  Leave the lugs loose and move the jack under the car (shown on directions of jack).  Raise the jack until it contacts the car’s frame.  Continue to expand it.

5.    Once the tire is completely raised off the ground, remove the wheel lugs completely.

6.    Take the spare tire and line it up over the wheel studs, you’ll have to hold up the tire and try to line up the holes in the wheel. One tip is to balance the tire on your foot while you move it into position.   Once done, the lugs should screw on easily. Once each of them is snug and you can't tighten them any further by hand, use the tire iron to finish the job.

7.    Lower the jack- carefully, and then pull the jack away from the vehicle.  Once the spare tire is on, carefully lower the jack. Pull the jack away from the vehicle. The final step is to tighten down the lugs completely. The reason you tighten the lugs now is that the tire is on the ground and it won't rotate around like it would if it was still hanging in the air. 

Congrats, you’ve just changed a flat tire!!