Monthly Archives: August 2011

It’s Important To Maintain Tire Pressure

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At the onset of each Winnipeg winter and spring, many drivers may notice a change in the air pressure of their tires. “Check tire pressure” lights flash for many due to the change in weather and the cooling or heating of air pressure. Other than the changing of months, many people ignore their tires, until they hear the flap of a flat.

Luckily, many cars are outfitted with an information valve that will report the air pressure in the tires directly to their instruction panel. Although this is a time saving device, air pressure should still be checked and appropriately filled or released with every gas fill-up.

Benefits of Maintaining Tire Pressure

1.  Maintaining proper air pressure helps slow wear and tear and increases the life of your tires.

2.  Having equal air pressure in your tires ensures fuel savings and increases gas mileage.

3.  Cars with proper tire pressure are proven to have better handling and steering control.

4.  Properly filled tires prevent car accidents caused by improper handling, tire blow-outs, and improper tire wear.

How to Maintain Tire Pressure

1.  Find the recommended air pressure for each of your tires. This information can be found in your owner’s manual, or the informational label on the doorframe of your car.

2.  Check the pressure of each tire with an accurate tire gauge.

3.  If the pressure is too low, locate an air-filling station at the closest gas or service station. Add air pressure accordingly. Add air in 5 second spurts and check with the tire gauge to be sure not to overfill.

4.  If the air pressure is too high, or you happen to overfill, gently press the valve stem and release the appropriate amount of air.

Caution

-Never overfill your tires. A drastic overfill will result in the tire exploding causing potentially deadly harm to yourself and damage to your automobile.

-Make sure all tires have the same air pressure. The only exception to this rule is if the front tires and back tires are recommended to have different values of air pressure.

If you have the misfortune of a flat tire, our Roadside Assistance team can help.

What To Do After A Car Accident

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Eventually, the majority of drivers will, at some point, be involved in an automobile accident. When, and if, a car accident occurs in Manitoba, the first priority is to assess any injuries and attend to the hurt and injured. This means checking in both cars and for injured bystanders and calling emergency services if required. Some injuries may not be apparent when still under the influence of adrenaline, be sure to have any pain checked out by a medical professional.

After the proper medical assessments, the damage sets in and steps must be taken to appropriately report a claim. There are situations that require reporting to the police. Accidents that involve injuries, collisions with an combined damage amount of more than $1000, and any vandalism, theft, hit-and-run or other criminal collisions.  The driver has 7 days to report the incident to the police.

The next step in reporting is reporting any claims for damages, losses or injuries. When safe, move the vehicle from traffic. Report the claim immediately to the Manitoba Public Insurance. Even if the cars do not have serious damage, Manitoba Pubic Insurance should always be notified as a precaution to future injuries or claims that resulted from this accident. Manitoba Public Insurance suggests reporting any and all claims to the police department.

When reporting, have your vehicle registration, drivers license of the driver of your car, details of the accident and details of those involved, including witnesses. After arranging for towing, automobiles are estimated for damage and rental cars will be distributed accordingly.

If your car is not drivable and the office of Manitoba Public Insurance is closed, drivers are allowed to arrange for their own towing. Dr. Hook is a safe, reliable and reputable towing company that is honest and helpful when drivers are hit with surprises of the road.

Is Synthetic Oil Worth the Extra?

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Regular or unleaded? Cream or sugar? Low-fat or Skim? The choices we have during the day are endless. Some of these choices may not have a large impact on our lives, such as sugar or splenda, while others do. There are options that we know nothing about, take a stab in the dark and hope for the best. One of these “guesses” is our oil. Synthetic oil is an option given out at most oil-change service stations today. While we are aware the cost is higher, and of course, the salesman/mechanic is pushing the synthetic, what are the actual benefits or drawbacks of synthetic oil?

How does synthetic oil affect the seals in my engine?

The myth that synthetic oil damages the seals of an engine is untrue. Both synthetic and petroleum oils have obstacles to overcome with the seals in your engine. The additives of the oil are what control the seal’s shrinkage, wear, hardening, and swelling. Both synthetic and petroleum oils contain these additives.

Synthetic lubricants are not readily available?

When synthetic oils first were introduced, only two companies manufactured synthetic oil. Today they are readily available and manufactured by almost every major oil company in the world.

Don’t they create sludge?

Synthetic oils have been tested and proven to resist sludge more so than petroleum oils. Synthetic oils have a higher flashpoint and can withstand oxidation and evaporation loss better than petroleum oils. This makes them more resistant to sludge in extreme conditions.

Do they void the warranty?

No major automobile manufacturer has a ban on synthetic oils. Many automobiles with high performance engines come standard with synthetic oils in them. Some owner’s manuals are even suggesting the use of synthetic oils.

After addressing the major concerns and myths surrounding synthetic oils, the question left is: “Is it worth the extra cost?” That is for the consumer to decide. Since the risks are evaluated and determined to be none, the benefits must be evaluated. The benefits of synthetic oil include improving fuel economy, reducing engine wear and tear, higher engine reliability and increasing the prevention of breakdowns and mechanical problems. Is the higher cost worth these benefits?