Goodyear recommends that you have your tires balanced and rotated every 3,000 to 6,000 miles. So, while I’m getting my oil changed I will have them do this as well. Often times irregular tire wear can be corrected by rotating your tires. It is also recommended that the alignment is checked at least once a year. Misalignment of the front or rear tires can cause rapid or uneven wear. Front wheel drive and cars with independent rear suspension require alignment of all four wheels instead of two.

A tire’s tread directly affects how it grips the road, so it’s important to inspect them regularly for visible signs of uneven wear. The penny test is recommended since it is easy to do. Insert a penny into your tire’s groove (with Lincoln’s head upside down and facing you). If you can see Lincoln’s entire head, your tire depth is less than 2/32 inch and it’s time to replace them. If you have a pocket full of change, or a quarter instead, insert it into the groove. If the tread touches Washington’s head, you have at least 4/32 inch of tread remaining.

And, as they say, the best solution is often the easiest. Properly inflated tires can benefit more than just the tread wear. It will help to ensure your safety, extend the life of your tire and even help your fuel economy.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Car Tire Care – Comedy Defensive Driving

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More vacationing, means more drivers on the road, which causes more traffic and congestion. Unfamiliar roads for vacationers and sightseeing (or rubber necking as we call it in Texas) may cause drivers to slow down or drive erratically when distracted. Look out for some road rage from the locals. Because we all know that tourists are a pain in the rear and should always be made fun of. School is out, so there are going to be many more teen (inexperienced) drivers on the road. And, as much as we parents hate to admit it, data shows that teens are more likely to be involved in accidents than other age groups. The heat and friction has also do a number on your tires. Tires are likely to blow out during the hot summer months. So have them checked out and always keep a filled spare. Most parts of the country that experience extreme winter weather only have the summer months as their opportunity to do road construction. Be mindful of construction zones and construction workers (you know…the guys in the orange vests).

So, plan ahead. Make sure you have your entire route mapped out. GPS is awesome, as we all know. But knowing ahead of time what your exact route is will save time, grief and a possible accident (whether that accident may be a fender bender or a kick in the face). Bring along plenty of water and an extra cell phone charger. You don’t want to be stranded in the heat with a dead cell phone. Oh…and don’t forget to pay your cell phone bill. Again, you don’t want to be stranded in the heat with a dead cell phone.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Summer Driving Hazards – Comedy Defensive Driving

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There are two types of run flat tires, Self Supporting and Auxiliary Supported. Both types require that your car be equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system. The Self Supporting tires are made of a stiffer, tougher rubber that can carry the weight of the car if the tire pressure is low. The Auxiliary ones are made of regular standard tire rubber and has an inner steel rim like a reinforced sidewall to help support the car’s weight.

Another disadvantage is that it is a rougher riding tire. And, they’re hard to get repaired. Some have a “tire mousse” material that instantly seals any small holes. It’s pricey and most regular tire repair shops don’t carry it. So, the tire will likely have to be replaced rather than repaired. Or, if you still have some of that mousse left over from the 80’s, that’d likely be thick enough to plug any hole.

But the safety of being able to drive an extra 50 miles with what would have been a normal blow out and finding yourself stranded on a dark, deserted road sounds like a big plus to me. I’ve used roadside assistance before and it took them 5 hours to arrive. In girl years, that’s a long time. It was dark outside and every serial killer came out of the woodwork to help me change my tire. I’m just kidding, they didn’t. Because I’m sure they’re all very busy….killing and such. That, alone, has to be a full time job.

Until next week….

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Run Flat Tires – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Vehicle Maintenance – Tire Pressure

Tire Pressure, Tire Pressure, Where Art Thou Tire Pressure! I know only too well the results of not keeping your tires in check. Not only will keeping your tires filled with the required amount of air (or helium if you drive a smart car) help you to maintain better fuel efficiency, it could keep you from having a mishap. I blew out a tire not too long ago. And, I must admit, it was the scariest thing that has happened to me since I started driving. My dad taught me how to drive…which was not a good thing since he was a drunk driver. So I learned to weave and drift across 3 lanes just like him. He’d set his beer can smack dab on the middle of the dashboard and say “Now line that up with the edge of the road.” Then he’d climb over into the backseat and pass out.

I learned to drive when I was 8 years old. And with all of the experience I have, nothing could prepare me for blowing out a tire. In my experience, if you don’t have your music up too loud, you can hear the tire blow. It sounds exactly like a gunshot. And it scared the crap out of me. The first thing I thought was “Who is shooting at me??” Then the car started to shimmy and I realized I had blown out a tire. Thank God it wasn’t a front tire, because I hear if you’re driving on that front rim, it could really jerk the wheel. Also, in my experience, I discovered that usually when you blow out a tire, you are doing freeway speed, which is very inconvenient. And, you’re usually by yourself and its night time. And every serial killer comes out of the woodwork to help you change that tire. I’ve seen those windscreens that you can put up in your rear window that say “CALL 911.” I wished I had one that said “DON’T STOP TO HELP…I’VE ALREADY CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE.” I felt bad because, here in Texas, there are good ole boys with good old-fashioned manners. So, of course, several of them stopped to help a woman in distress. I’ve seen horrific things on the news, so I was not taking any chances. After all, it was dark outside. I had all of my doors locked and my driver-side window rolled down just enough that I could communicate but not have someone able to reach in and throttle me. I felt bad mostly because they’d pull up behind me and risk their own lives by squeezing between my car and the semi trucks flying by, just to get to my window. Where I told them, apologetically, “Thanks for risking your life to help, but I have already called roadside assistance and they are on their way.” When, what I really wanted to say was “Didn’t I see you on Craigslist?” Like the Craigslist killer was out there changing tires.

Here’s what you can do to keep those tires inflated and in tip-top shape. Purchase a tire pressure gauge. One should only cost a few dollars, but don’t get a cheap one that may stick or show an improper reading. Most gas stations will have an air hose you can use for just a few quarters. The PSI (i.e. pounds per square inch) requirement should be stamped on the sidewall of the tire itself. Or, inside the car door, there may be a sticker that notes what the actual PSI recommendations are for your type of car. You should try to check your tire pressure when the tires are cold. Use the air gauge to check your tire’s pressure. If it is low, fill it with the air hose a little at a time and keep re-checking it with the tire gauge until it is at its appropriate level. Don’t over-inflate your tires. If this happens, you can use the tire gauge to let air escape…just enough to its recommended level. While under-inflated tires cause wear on the outside of the tire and are actually a driving hazard, over-inflated tires will wear out more quickly and can cause a blowout.

Until next week…keep your ego under-inflated and your tires at their proper inflation.

Daun Thompson
Comedienne / Artist / Writer / Idea Mogul

Tire Pressure – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Keeping up the maintenance on our vehicles will save us both costly repairs and insurance deductibles. We’re calling our little program car maintenance 101. A good habit we are trying to get into is to check our tire pressure and oil levels once a week while we are putting gas in our cars. Keeping our tires at their proper inflation also helps with fuel economy, so it’s a nice double-whammy. We both keep a tire gauge in our cars for this. Every 5,000 miles, rotate your tires. Tires are expensive and not rotating them will wear the tread uneven and they will eventually have to be replaced (early). Often times, when purchasing tires, they come with an optional lifetime tire rotation, mine did.

When checking the oil level, wait until the engine cools, pull out the dipstick, wipe the oil off of it and reinsert it. This will give an accurate reading of your oil level. As for oil changes, it has always been a standard 3,000 miles or 3 months between oil changes. These days, the revised recommendation is: change regular petroleum based oils every 4-5 thousand miles and synthetic every 5-7 thousand miles. The key issue here is sludge. Sludge buildup is an engine killer. If you feel better about changing your oil more often, it is up to you. After all, this is your own little car maintenance 101 program.

Check your coolant from time to time. The coolant reservoir is normally bolted to one side of your engine bay or the other. It is usually a white semi-transparent bottle. Do not remove the radiator cap to check levels. And always top off with a cooled engine only. The bottle should have low and high markings. The level of coolant should be between the two markings. Keep battery terminals clean. Remove the terminal caps and clean them with a wire brush. The timing belt and accessory drive belt should be checked every 25,000 miles and probably replaced every 50,000 miles.

Until next week…don’t let your little engine falter.

Daun Thompson

Artist / Comedienne / Writer / Grease Monkey

Car Maintenance 101 – Comedy Defensive Driving

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In my investigation, I uncovered a letter from Lieutenant General James Garner of the U.S. Air Force (no relation to the actor) to the North Pole Aviation Administration who is in charge of all flights by St. Nickolas and his reindeer team in and out of the Arctic region.The letter stated that the U.S. government and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration were concern about reindeer crap causing so many accidents and made some suggestions to help the problem.The letter was responded by an uncharacteristic photo of an old fat guy’s ass sitting on a copy machine.

According to international law, no government, not even the United Nations has jurisdiction over the North Pole.So it all boils down to the fact that “we” are going to have to be on the defense from reindeer strikes and while you’re at it, be on the lookout for drunk drivers, Christmas carolers and don’t let Grandma get run over by a reindeer!(Damn, I hate that song!!!)

I hope you and your family have a safe and fun holiday season and a better 2011!!!!!!

Take care and be safe-

Danny Keaton

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