Driving safely with the Four Bs By Sam Erickson Feature Writer With all of the things to keep track of – the batter y life on your phone, the kids’ schedules, plans for the weekend – it can be difficult to cram in all of t he necessit ies, l i ke ta k i ng good care of your car in the fall season. There are a lot of things to take care of in your car, but a ha ndy m nemon ic to help you remember is the Four Bs – blades, battery, brakes and belts.
Blades Wiper blades a re you r f i rst de fen s e a g a i n s t a c c ide nt s b e c au s e t he y help y ou to see clea rly a nd ma ke sma r t de c i s ion s . Bl a de s c a n ge t cracked or warped over time and their housing cases can become unbalanced, leading to poor visibility. Compound that poor visibility with dangerous driving conditions like snow or ice, and you could have a
real problem. Wiper blades are easy to replace and relatively inexpensive. You can pick up a cheap set at almost any store if your current wipers aren’t cleaning up to your standards.
particularly on bad roads. If your brake pedal has a little extra give or goes all the way down to the floor, it is definitely time to have your brakes looked at by a professional.
S ou nd i s of t e n y ou r b e s t indication of how your brakes Heat in summer can actually a re doi ng. If t here is noise reduce your battery life. A visual when you apply the brake, like inspection will show you if your metal on metal, there might be cables have corroded or if there too much wear on the disks. If is a problem with contact on the there is a grinding noise, you battery posts. Cleaning these is might have worn out the rotors something that can and should or disks. Your best option is to have your car towed to the shop be done by a professional. to prevent any possibility of an A professional mechanic can accident if your brakes are that also check the batter y power worn down. Have your brakes a n d r e c o m m e n d w h e t h e r checked regularly by an expert you should have the batter y to avoid these problems. replaced. The last thing you Your car’s brakes are one of your most important safety features. So it makes sense to be sure that they are want is to be stuck somewhere Belts (and hoses) maintained properly. But how can you tell if the parts are worn enough to need replacing? Jim Hyde, above, of in the middle of bad weather Mike Morin’s Auto Center, at 1122 Center St., Auburn, noted that since brakes wear out as part of normal operation, There are several different belts with a dead battery. and hoses in your engine. When the worn parts need to be identified and replaced as soon as possible. the engine is cool, squeeze the Brakes hose to check for soft or mushy Good brakes are essential to spots, which often occur around the safe operation of your car, the clamps. You can also look for cracks, bulges or contamination If you have any questions, have higher if there is a failure. There of any sort with your eyes and your car inspected by an expert. are a lot of things that can be with your hands. If hoses are checked in preparation for the damaged, replacement should T he si mple fac t i s t hat i n winter, but the simplicity of the take place immediately. A bust- inclement weat her you rely Four Bs makes it a really useful ed hose or belt will leave you more on your car than you do in way to approach fall car care. stranded on the side of the road. the summer, and the stakes are
Battery
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Advertising Supplement to the Sun Journal, Lewiston, Maine, Friday, September 21, 2012