Tire Pressures

 There was an article in the "Heloise" newspaper column about over inflating tires.  This is wrong and here is the response I sent in.

Tire Pressure

Tires have two pressures, the maximum safe pressure that the tire will hold, and the pressure that the car manufacturer recommends for the weight and performance of the car it is installed on. The car manufacturers are very conscious of gas mileage and run higher pressures than they did years ago when comfort was the goal.  There might be other recommendations when carrying a heavy load or for towing, so read the owners manual for the correct pressures.

Putting more pressure in can result in decreased braking and handling, along with a rougher ride.  The slight increase in gas mileage will result in faster wear as all of the tire is not in contact with the road. Also, tires heat up after driving for a while, so if set to the maximum pressure, they might be even higher after a trip. 

As a race car driver, we often inflate the tire higher to balance the car and help with the rigors of racing - but our tire life is measured in hours, not miles.

With modern tires it is difficult to tell if they are low just by looking at them.  Every driver should be taught how to use a tire gauge, and tires checked every few weeks before driving.  With many modern cars the tire pressure can be checked through the dash display, but not all cars show the exact pressure of each tire; many will just show if a tire is low.  For every 10 degree drop in temperature, a tire loses about one pound.  So tires especially need to be checked for pressure during Fall and again in the Spring. 

Tires today are very good at holding their pressure.  If your tire loses more than 2 pounds in a week with a stable temperature, consider there may be a nail or similar object in the tire and have it checked out before more damage occurs.

Warm is good

 There is a news story running around saying that it is not good to warm up your engine.  Baloney!

It is one of those - catch you attention stories - designed to make you read it.  Click bait if you will.

What is the truth - a little more complicated.

Depending on how long your car has been sitting, the oil will run off the moving parts.  It will take a few seconds for the oil to get to all parts of the engine.  So if you car has been sitting at the airport for a week, jumping in, starting it up and driving off is probably not a good idea.  On the other hand - if it is 60 degrees outside, then after 15 - 30 seconds - driving away slowly will not hurt anything - slowly is the important part.

People only look at the engine as something that has to be warmed up.  They forget the transmission, wheel bearings and axle CVs also have lubrication which is affected by temperature.  If the temperature is below freezing, these lubricants need to be warmed up in order to prevent excessive wear and tear.

And what if the windows are frozen up?  What do you do then?  Well of course you should have a good scraper and should not drive if you cannot see properly out of your car.  You should know how to use the heating system and window defrosters.  

So here are some guidelines:

Below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Start the car and watch for the oil light to go out (or gauge to reach its maximum)  then wait about 30 seconds. During this time, turn on your rear window defroster and set the controls for your front defroster with fan speed on low.  Depending on the direction you are going, put your foot on the brake and shift into either drive or reverse, and do not move for another 30 seconds.  When you start to move, keep your speed down for 1/2 of a mile if possible.  There was a time were I could drive to the next entrance, rather than immediately getting on a  highway near my house.  Within 3 to 4 minutes, the car's parts should be up to a reasonable temperature.  If the temp is below 5 degrees F.  you may need to warm up the engine a little longer, and /or invest in a block heater (or a Garage!)

BTW - I found keeping a spray bottle with windshield washer fluid can help clean off windows and even frozen door locks - do not use Hot water!

Over 32 degrees.

Basically the same applies but you can cut your warm up time to 10 seconds for both the engine and tranny.  The same goes for the other parts - you will notice that race cars go through an elaborate warm up procedure, even on 100 degree days.  Take it easy on your car just like you would your body.  Would you want to get out of bed and immediately run a 100 meter dash?

Today's car oiling systems are more complex than before and even though synthetic oil is much better that previous generation, getting oil to all the nooks and crannies in your engine is critical.  Remember to read your owner's manual to see when to change your oil and the proper weight oil for the temperature.  Extreme cold and driving with a heavy foot, puts you in the  category of more frequent oil changes.

Fighting Road Rage

Everyone gets angry at some time.  The question is, "Why does it escalate?"

When someone cuts you off, pulls out in front of you without looking, runs a red light, etc, the first reaction of someone is to take it personally.  In fact, it was totally random.  The person in the car doesn't know you, and most likely had no intention of affecting anyone on the road.  They may have been distracted, preoccupied or in worst case under the influence of some substance, legal or illegal.  They might have a medical situation, or just made a simple mistake of judgement.  However, the wronged person immediately take this as an attack on them personally, and decides that it is their responsibility to right the wrong.  

Unfortunately, this is a case of two wrongs NOT making a right.  You have no responsibility to correct someone.  If you are alert and have a in car camera, you may decide to report the person to the police, and I don't have any problem reporting a driver via 911 if they appear to be under the influence or are driving in a manner that will result in a crash.

Taking off after them, cutting them off or brake checking them is wrong and just asking for the situation to escalate into violence.  Teaching someone a lesson is NOT your job, nor will it do any good.

Since it takes two to tango, what do you do.  If the person is a clear danger then reporting them is acceptable.  Otherwise, the best thing to do is nothing.  If your pulse is up and your blood pressure climbing, then the best thing is to slow down, count to 5 and forget it.  Maybe think of what they did and have you ever done something like that.  How would you make yourself a better driver.  The act of rational thought, rather than letting your emotions take control, will calm you down and ensure YOU do not do something foolish.

In 5 seconds on the highway you have covered more than the length a football field.  If your focus in not on driving, but rather revenge, what damage can YOU cause.  Driving requires 100% attention to the task at hand - you need to be back in the moment as quick as you can.  Practice the 5 second technique and you will soon find that nothing will faze you.

To see you, first you have to want to be seen.

Back after being busy for a few years - so as a reminder:

The purpose of driving is to transport you and your passengers to your destination safely and efficiently, and to help other drivers do the same. 

One complaint I hear is that "that &*^% driver never saw me."

Then I thought, what are you doing to be seen?

If you are a motorcyclist, you need to drive with your headlight on and be aware that another driver may not see you, especially when coming head on.  The profile of a motorcycle is small compared to a car.  Maybe swerving slightly when coming to an intersection and wearing reflective, bright colored clothing will help.

But what do you do in a car?  If you do not have daylight running lights, or they are not turned on, you can drive with the low beams on.  Park your car in a safe location and walk 200 feet in front and look at your car.  Does it blend in with the surroundings or does it stand out?  That black paint and black grill really looked cool in the showroom, but how does it show up on the road?

If someone pulls out in front of you, how fast were YOU going?  It is hard to judge a car's speed when they are coming directly at you.  If the person is expecting someone to be coming at 30 mph, 60 might not look too different but the closing speed is enormous.

For people who are behind you, are you putting your car in a position where they cannot see around you?  If you see a person slowing down to make a left turn, moving to the right so the person behind you can see the car in front might be the difference in you getting hit. If you are tailgating, even if the person behind you is maintaining a safe distance, you still open yourself up to being rear ended if the first car stops suddenly.

There are other circumstances where you can make yourself better seen.  We will cover them in later posts.