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!

Breaking Down Your VIN Number

A Vehicle Identification Number is a series of numbers we see all too often, but do we really have an understanding for what they are?  To the normal eye, it looks like a confusing series of numbers.  A VIN is the 17-digit string of numbers assigned to every vehicle.  It can reveal A TON of facts about your car, including airbag type, country of origin, engine size, model year and even the trim level!  It’s can be stamped into a plate that’s mounted on the dashboard, near the windshield, or on the driver-side doorjamb.  It could also be stamped on the engine firewall. 

If you’re looking to decipher the code, you can visit a site called decodethis.com, this site will translate the number into a readable document, changing the set of numbers into understandable content.  The information is accurate and worth a peek.  We ran a random vehicle, the result being:

The benefit of this info is using it to obtain a vehicle history report.  Before you buy a used car — even if it's from a dealer — it's important to get the vehicle's VIN and use it to run a history report that can reveal if the car has been reported stolen or if it has a salvage title. 

Deciphering your VIN number is easy once you understand it! Check out our blog for details!

How A Car Engine Works

Ever wondered how an engine truly functions? Check out this animated info graphic that shows the complete running process for a gas and electrical engine.

Infographic designed by Jacob O'Neal

5 Facts About Kids and Car Safety

Kids are the future of our nation, the bubble gum popping and bike riding youths of the new world.  Keeping them occupied in the back seat of a moving vehicle is difficult enough.  Today, in our weekly blog, we describe 5 facts about kids and car safety. 

1.)     Most accidents happen near home: Most accidents occur on residential, rural roads that are local, during a routine trip to the grocery store or day-care center.  No matter what, always buckle your child into their seat, even if the drive is two minutes away.  "Always buckle your child up, no matter how near or far you're going," says Marilena Amoni, associate administrator for research and program development at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). "And never forget to use your own seat belt. Kids watch everything that you do, so it's important that you set the right example."

2.)     Kids are at more risk than babies and toddlers: If your child is between 4 and 8 years old, they are more likely to be hurt in an accident than their smaller counterparts.  Most parents strap their infants into rear facing car seats, but only 20% of kids between 4 and 8 ride in booster seats as safety experts recommend. Some children even sit in the front seat before 13 years old.  Children are the safest in the backseat, putting them far away from the impact of a frontal crash.

3.)     SUVs aren’t safer: It’s BIG, bad, and menacing, but SUVs are no safer than ordinary sedans.  They’re more likely to rollover.  The safest vehicles are low to the ground and larger (station wagons).

4.)     A car does NOT have to move to be dangerous: Parked cars are also, surprisingly deadly.  As many as 220 children per year are killed in non-traffic auto accidents.  Some are strangled by a window when they’re leaning out, inadvertently leaning on the rocker-type power window switch.  Other children, when alone, release the emergency brake, setting the car in motion.  Finally, at least 30 kids die each year when their parents leave them in the car and they suffocate from overheating. "Children should never, ever be left alone in an automobile -- not even for a minute," says Terrill Struttmann, executive director of Kids in Cars, an education and advocacy organization he and his wife started after their 2-year-old son was killed by a car set in motion by two kids playing alone inside.

5.)     Kids don’t need to be inside a car to be hurt by one:  nearly 400 children are killed each year when they’re hit by an automobile.  ALWAYS keep an eye on your little ones, no matter how many times you’ve warned them to stay out of the streets.  A survey conducted by Safe Kids Worldwide found that a majority of drivers speed in school zones, and that nearly a third violate stop signs in neighborhoods where there are kids.

Do you have any tips of your own?  Feel free to comment below:

A List of Favorite Automotive Blogs

“We read to know that we are not alone.”

― William Nicholson

True.  We read to share experiences, to tell others how we feel about a certain subject and to find meaning in our lives in comparison to those around us.  Car enthusiasts, like you and I, love to read about the new advancements in vehicle tech, the coolest new supercar to hit the market and to understand and develop a sense of where we fit in the world.  When you love cars, it becomes second nature to learn more about them and how they aid us in traveling around the nation.  In today’s blog, we’re providing a list, created by our own dealership, of our favorite automotive blogs.  Enjoy!

Jalopnik – http://www.jalopnik.com - is a cool, fun sister site of Gizmodo.  The auto blog provides breaking news and insight into the automotive industry in a creative and fun way. 

Autoblog – http://www.autoblog.com - The autoblog site is INTENSIVE.  There’s tons of information on specific vehicles and types as well as a handy search menu that allows users to pull up a review by the manufacturer and model.  There’s also a lot of written content and commentary from active users

Consumer Reports – http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/ - Consumer Reports does a great job of providing detailed insight on car ratings, top picks,

The Car Connection – http://www.thecarconnection.com/ - Looking to do some really detailed car research? The Car Connection provides thorough reviews of your favorite vehicles via a Meta rationg each car the best out of 10.  They also provide their LIKES and DISLIKES with each vehicle in their detailed explanation.

Carscoop – http://www.carscoops.com/ - Think you know the automotive industry?  Carscoop is a great site for emerging content.  They’re usually at the head of the pack when it comes to new content, auto shows and over-the-top vehicles.

Kicking Tires – This blog is FOR CAR BUYERS. Nuff said. Check it out for the latest and greatest!

The Best Ways to Make Your Tires Shine

We love our cars.  SUV’s, coupes, sedans, mini-vans…they’ve all become an integral part of our busy lifestyles.  We know that you take pride in your vehicle, giving it the routine wash, occasional ‘spit’ shine when necessary, but it’s always been difficult to clean one location efficiently.  The tires!  In today’s blog, we’ve got a couple options for you to choose from.

Spray-On

The Spray-on method is an easy to use solution in a bottle with a sprayer and nozzle on top.  Basically, you apply the spray directly to the tires, making sure to not spray TOO close.  By using a sweeping motion to cover a large area, you can achieve a nice wet glossy look to your tires.  What’s the only downside?  The spray-on sheen can sometimes leave stains on the side of your car from an outside breeze.  We recommend using it inside a garage or putting the liquid on a sponge and applying it manually. 

Gel

When compared to the spray-ons of the world, a gel seems to last longer, enabling a lasting effect with tires over time.  You’ll need an applicator, and a sponge for this method.  The gel gives a nice black color to tires without the ‘gloss’ effect.  You can achieve a glossier look by applying a second coat of gel, just be sure to wait a few minutes for the gel to dry, as it could attract dirt if it’s driven on too quickly. 

Foam

Foam Tire shine also comes with it’s own spray bottle and the easiest to apply.  This type also cleans off the dirt from your tires.  Just apply the foam and wipe it after it sits idle for a couple of minutes. However, be careful with some products that may turn your tires brown or yellow. Some tires really do not agree with certain tire shine products so you may have to try a new product.

Have a tip for us to add?  Let us know below!

Rock On!! Best Music Alternatives For Your Car

I think we’ve all been there, you know, the moment where your voice is hoarse from crooning; the steering wheel is your drum set, and your leg’s uncontrollable tapping causes the car to jerk.  You’re in the zone and your favorite song is blasting through your speakers.  Yeah, people are looking at you funny in other lanes, but you don’t care, you’re lost in the moment.  There are several options for listening to music in your car, today our blog discusses the options, feel free to choose your fav!

iPod/Mp3 Player – If you have your favorite tunes locked in on your iPod/smartphone/Mp3 Player-a-majig and your car has an Auxiliary connection, (most cars after 2006 have them) then you’re in luck.  You can purchase an auxiliary cable online (eBay has them as low as 1$) plug it into the car and the other end into the headphone jack of your device.  Push play on your device and viola, HD music directly from your favorite jukebox.

Satellite Radio – satellite radio is commercial and static free, music is beamed directly from satellites in space.  Two big companies, XM and Sirius, have paid subscriptions with countless radio stations to choose from.  Music from all genres, sports, traffic, talk shows (Howard Stern) and weather are all included.  Purchasing the tuner for your car starts around $75 bucks, with a monthly subscription of around $15.   One drawback is that reception can be deterred in cities with skyscrapers, but purchasing an external antenna will fix the problem.

Car Audio w/Cassette Adapter – if you own an older car, don’t panic!  You can still play your mp3’s on the road.  By purchasing a cassette adapter, you can play your tunes via a headphone jack.  First, plug your cassette adapter into your player’s headphone jack.  Then, insert the dummy tape into your car’s cassette player.  With $20 dollars you can use your modern mp3 player to play your tunes, rock on!!