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Top 50 Car Tips - Part IV

You've just purchased a new car and have already started dreaming of keeping it for long. However, you never know what difficulties you may have to face during its lifetime. So, to help you enjoy safe and pleasant journeys today and every day, we have this article comprising of some of the best advice; advice that will come to your rescue before and after your car purchase. Read on to discover the top 50 car tips; surprising tricks, car buying advice, driver advice, car maintenance tips and more that are sure gonna help you and your beloved car! You must have just read Part I, II and III. Here's Part IV.

31. There's Junk in Your Trunk

Every 100 pounds you remove from the trunk can help enhance your car's fuel economy by 1 to 2 per cent. So, clear out your trunk and backseat before you leave home in the car.

32. Regular Breaks on a Long Trip

When on a long drive, take at least one 10-minute break every two hours. The combination of tight hamstrings and the pumping of your foot can stretch your sciatic nerve and lead to chronic pain. Remember, muscles are meant to stretch while nerves aren't.

33. Check Your Tyre Pressure

We have already carried an article in detail on tyre care and maintenance tips. Always ensure that your tyre has the right pressure. Less air would mean more contact and friction between the tyre and road, leading to a quicker wear and tear of the tyres. Lower tyre pressure would also require the engine to work doubly hard and the journey consumes more fuel than required. However, do not overinflate the tyres; the harder the tyres, the lesser grip they'll have.

34. Keep Your Focus

Staring down a really long and straight road for over 5 minutes at a stretch can cause the visual cortex of your brain to fatigue. You may thus underestimate distances between cars and speed up. To avoid this from happening on the long stretches, check all three mirrors and your gauges at the end of every song on the radio to keep your vision and brain sharp.

35. Beat Carsickness

While on a road trip, if you have a passenger in your car turning pale or is prone to motion sickness, have him or her eat ginger root. Hunger can worsen carsickness while ginger root can help ease or prevent it.

36. Better Safe than Sorry

Following too closely threatens the traffic flow. People apply brakes more often than they have to when they follow too closely. The chain reaction continues and drivers behind do the same. This ultimately results in stop-and-go traffic. Aim for a 4-second cushion between vehicles. Research says that drivers with less than a 2-second cushion are almost three times more likely to cause auto collisions.

37. Stay in Gear

Coasting in the neutral mode can save you a little fuel. During these days of rising fuel prices, it does seem intelligent to save every drop of the petrol or diesel. However, coasting in this manner can impose a heavier burden on your brakes, which can further lead to premature and expensive maintenance. Frequently reengaging an automatic transmission at speed also causes gear wear. So let your transmission provide engine braking as the engineers intended.

38. Mind the Music

While a heavy beat can get your blood pumping, it can also lead to unsafe speeds and accidents; particularly when the volume of your music system goes unusually high. Loud or up-tempo music slows your reaction time. An automobile club in Britain recently named Wagner's 'Ride of the Valkyries' the most dangerous piece to play while driving. That's not the only one though.

39. Replace the Filter

It is the job of the oil filter to trap the harmful dirt which would otherwise enter your car's engine and eventually disrupt the trouble-free motion. Technology these days is highly advanced and present day oil filters are capable of trapping particles that are even just 10 microns in diameter. This wasn't possible a decade ago. However, the air filter needs to be replaced regularly, every time you change your oil, lest old oil get mixed with the pure oil.

40. Clean Cars Live Longer

Extend the life of your car by cleaning and moisturizing the dash, doors, and seats regularly. Try cleaning them twice and conditioning four times annually. If you've got vinyl, apply a thin coat of vinyl cleaner. For cleaning leather, you would have to use both; a cleaner and a conditioner. Stick to leather products and never dual-purpose products if you're in doubt.

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