Hybrid Car

How To Identify The Root Causes Of Tread Wear

Most of us react to automotive problems rather than anticipating them. Unfortunately, that often means we’re forced to cope with them on the side of the road. For example, the first sign we notice that our engine may be failing is a cloud of smoke billowing out from under the hood of our vehicle. A malfunctioning alternator might “catch us by surprise” by suddenly dying. The same is true for the water pump, spark plugs, fuel injectors, and brake system. And of course, few people take the time to regularly check their tires for tread wear.

With excessive tire wear, your treads will begin to lose their grip on the road’s surface. At that point, they pose a safety issue. Most experts recommend inspecting your treads every three or four weeks to identify problems before they worsen. In this article, we’ll describe the different types of wear you’ll see, and how to resolve them.

Wearing On The Inside And Outside Edges

This occurs when your tires are underinflated. The edges endure more friction against the surface of the road. First, check your tires for leaks. Second, fill them with pressure according to the manufacturer’s recommended psi.

Wearing In The Center

This problem is due to your tires being overinflated. Their center endures the majority of friction against the road. The solution is simple: let out some air to match the suggested psi.

Wearing On One Side

This issue is more complex than simple underinflation or overinflation. It’s usually due to an alignment problem (i.e. caster, camber, or toe). Resolving the issue requires having your mechanic perform a basic front-end alignment.

Bald Spots

When bald spots appear on your treads, they can usually be traced to one of two root causes. First, your wheels might be out of balance. Similar to an alignment problem, your mechanic will need to make a few adjustments to resolve the issue. Second, your shocks may be worn. If you have experience working on your car, you’ll likely be able to replace the shocks yourself.

Uneven Wearing

When your treads wear erratically (i.e. no detectable pattern), they imply your vehicle’s front-end is misaligned or the wheels are out of balance. In cases where both problems exist, you might see erratic wearing and bald spots. In addition to having these issues resolved, you should also replace the tire.

Identifying Signs Of Trouble

If your tires lack sufficient air, they will wear out more quickly. They will also lower your vehicle’s fuel efficiency and reduce its steering response. On the other hand, if your tires are filled with excess pressure, you’ll risk a blowout depending on the load placed on them. Overinflated tires will also make your vehicle more difficult to handle. For these reasons, it’s important to check your tires regularly (as mentioned earlier).

First, look for nails, small rocks, and other items that are embedded within the treads. If you see them, remove them. Consider having a mechanic address nails, so the resulting hole can be properly patched. Also, inspect the firewall of each wheel. If you notice small bubbles or bulges, replace the tire.

Next, examine the treads. Most tires that are sold today are equipped with wear indicators, which become visible once the tread wears down to 2/32 of an inch. This is the minimum requirement in most states. If you notice the indicators, it’s time to replace the tire.

If your tires seem to lose pressure more quickly than normal, leaks may be present. Your mechanic should be able to identify and fix any leaks easily.

One last note: the discussion above focuses mainly on resolving problems that lead to premature tread wear. That said, the importance of replacing your worn tires – ideally, the entire set at the same time to maintain consistency – cannot be overstated. Your safety and that of your passengers may be at stake.

Hybrid Cars

Does Owning A Hybrid Make Financial Sense?

People buy hybrid automobiles for a number of different reasons. When the vehicles first debuted, a lot of consumers stepped forward to make a statement about the importance of environmental responsibility. Others were enticed by the thought of lower average fuel costs. Still others were drawn to dealership lots for the perks and incentives offered by the government. Today, things have changed a bit.

There are more automakers adding hybrids to their fleets; many of the incentives that were once a major draw are expiring; and there’s less need to make a personal statement about environmental responsibility because the entire country has begun to lean in that direction. With these things in mind, it’s worth exploring whether purchasing a hybrid still makes financial sense.

Are The Incentives Still Available?

Back in 2006, there were myriad incentives for buying this type of vehicle. The most popular were those that involved tax credits. For example, had you purchased a 2006 Civic Hybrid CVT (continuously variable transmission) during that year, you would have received a $2,100 credit on your taxes. Other incentives were largely based on the state and city in which you lived. For example, Miami Beach, Florida offered citizens a 25% discount on parking fees. Pennsylvania exempted registration fees and emissions tests.

Many of these incentives are no longer available. A large number of the tax credits once offered by the government were either phased out over the last few years or have been significantly reduced. All tax credits are scheduled to expire after 2010. From a financial perspective, purchasing a hybrid for the perks and incentives will mostly depend on your city and state.

Reduced Insurance Premiums

Your car insurance rates depend on a variety of factors that insurers use to determine whether you’re likely to file a claim in the future. One of those factors is whether you own a hybrid. Some auto insurance companies offer a discount to their policyholders for owning this type of car. The reason is because they believe such drivers take fewer risks on the road and therefore, are less likely to file a claim.

It’s important to underscore that every insurer uses a different set of criteria to calculate their customers’ premiums. Some companies will give you a discount for driving a hybrid. Others will not. You’ll need to contact your insurer to ask.

The Cost Of Repairs And Ongoing Maintenance

When these vehicles first appeared on dealership lots, there was a substantial level of concern about the cost of repairs. A lot of people were understandably worried that failing parts would be expensive to replace. This is less of a concern today. Most of the top automakers have been producing hybrids for years, which means the prices associated with individual components have declined dramatically. Moreover, these components are typically covered for 100,000 miles.

The hybrid engine requires less maintenance than a traditional gasoline engine. What’s more, the brakes will usually last longer due to the reduced heat created by the regenerative braking system. One important note: you’ll still need to have your gas engine maintained as you normally would in a non-hybrid vehicle.

Lower Fuel Costs

The cost of fuel is an area in which hybrid technology offers a distinct advantage. For example, a vehicle that operates exclusively with a gasoline engine might get 25 MPG while the same model equipped with an electric motor might get 50 MPG. Depending on the average number of miles you drive each month, this might represent a significant savings.

The sticker prices attached to most hybrid vehicles are still higher than those for comparable models equipped only with gasoline engines. So, the decision to buy this type of automobile is still – at least, in part – a financial one. Check with your state for available incentives and ask your auto insurance company whether they offer a discount. If you’re thinking about buying a hybrid vehicle, you may find that it makes financial sense.

Hybrid Cars

Understanding How Your Car’s Ignition System Works

Your vehicle’s ignition system is responsible for generating the spark that ultimately turns your wheels. To understand how this occurs, it’s worth reviewing what happens in your engine.

Your engine has a number of cylinders (i.e. 4, 6, 8, etc.). Each cylinder has a combustion chamber to which air and fuel are sent. Once the air and fuel have entered the chamber, the intake and exhaust valves close, and the mixture is compressed and ignited. The resulting explosion pushes a piston within the chamber downward, which generates force on your car’s crankshaft. That force causes the crankshaft to turn. As it does, it turns your wheels.

A spark is needed in order to ignite the air-fuel mixture within the combustion chamber. That spark originates from your ignition coil.

Your Ignition Coil

Most people mistakenly believe their car’s battery generates sufficient voltage to produce a spark for each cylinder’s combustion chamber. In reality, it doesn’t. Instead, the ignition coil receives power from the battery and converts it into a powerful spark. It accomplishes this through coils known as windings.

A primary winding gathers the necessary power from the battery. A secondary winding transfers that power to your vehicle’s distributor.

Your Distributor

Your vehicle’s distributor is responsible for distributing the sparks sent from the ignition coil to each of your engine’s cylinders. It accomplishes this through a rotor. The rotor is connected the distributor’s shaft and spins, making contact with a number of terminal points in the distributor cap. The number of points within the cap reflects the number of cylinders in your engine.

As a connection is made with the contact point, the distributor sends the spark to the corresponding spark plug wire.

Creating The Explosion

Each plug wire is connected to a spark plug. The spark plug sits in the cylinder head at the top of a combustion chamber. When the plug wire receives a spark from the distributor, the spark travels through the spark plug and ignites the air-fuel mixture within the chamber.

The process described above occurs thousands of times each minute while you’re on the road. Precise timing in the delivery of the sparks is critical to your engine’s performance. This is usually controlled by your vehicle’s engine control unit (ECU).

If the distributor begins to fail, the timing of the sparks can become erratic. That will affect the efficiency of your car’s engine and lower your gas mileage. If the erratic timing persists while your engine is under heavy load, it can result in spark knock. That can lead to expensive engine damage.

Your car’s ignition system relies on a number of parts that suffer wear and tear with use. Plan to eventually replace the ignition coil, distributor, cap, rotor, spark plugs, and plug wires to maintain your engine’s performance.

Hybrid Cars