Top Safety Devices for your Vehicle

All Star Auto Solutions

Now a day every new car is equipped with number of safety devices that prevent car’s drivers and occupant in case of accidents. These safety devices fall under two categories. One is active and second is passive driving safety.

Active Driving Safety

In this category, there are systems and devices that help to keep your vehicle under control and prevent accidents. These devices are normally automated so they can help to compensate unintentional human errors while driving. Following devices are available in this category.

1.    Anti-lock Braking System

Anti-lock brake system (ABS) is active safety equipment. It helps the driver to maintain control of the vehicle by preventing the wheels from locking whenever driver suddenly hit brakes. When the wheels lock, they cannot transmit the steering forces, which results in the loss of vehicle control. To avoid this possibility, the ABS control unit uses wheel speed sensors to monitor the speed of each wheel.

Whenever ABS control unit detects that a wheel is about to lock, a solenoid valve located in the central control element of the anti-lock braking system reduces the brake pressure applied to the wheels and prevent them from locking.

2.    Electronic Stability Control

Electronic stability control is designed to increase the stability of vehicle by monitoring its side-to-side motion. With the electronic stability control, drivers are able to manage critical situations in which the vehicle threatens to skid. It applies break at each wheel in case of over and under steering so that your car continues in right direction.

3.    Traction Control System

Traction control system electronically prevents the wheels from spinning during acceleration in order to obtain maximum traction particularly on wet, snowy or icy roads.

Some traction control systems also use anti-lock brakes to detect and limit wheel spin. When it is detected, traction control shortly applies the brakes to the slipping brake and sends power to your vehicle’s wheel for better grip.

Passive Driving Safety System

Passive Safety features are those that help to protect driver and passengers from injuries in case the accident happens. They are called passive because no action done by driver brings them into play. They do nothing until the crash happens. The main function under this category is to keep occupants protected within the car from several crash forces.

Safety features included in this category reduces the risk of serious injuries. It also allows the driver and other occupants to ride out a crash. Features included in this category are:

1.    Seat Belts

One of the most important safety features of the modern automobile is probably the seat belt, which is being designed more efficiently. They are the safety harness, which are designed to keep vehicle’s occupants on their seat and not throwing them forward in case of an accident.

2.    Airbags

Airbags sometimes called life-saving cushion is a safety device installed in the center of steering wheel for driver side and inside the dashboard for passenger side. Its purpose is to protect passengers from hitting the dashboard or steering wheel of the vehicle. Inflation of airbags happens very quickly and they can cause minor injuries to passengers who are unbelted.

3.    Telematics

Use of telematics system is increased from past few years in automobiles. It is a crash-resistant black box that works with the help of global positioning system (GPS) and cellular phone service improves the safety of both vehicle and its driver. Following are the features of telematics system:

Ø It keeps you safe from getting lost on road

Ø Call roadside assistance at the press of button

Ø In case you are in accident, it automatically dials 911

Ø It also starts your EV charging when rates are cheap.

Telematics system with the help of embedded cellular and GPS can also signal help if the airbag deploys in a vehicle.

Make sure you know what safety features are available in any car you are considering to purchase. Arm yourself with information available on the website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

5 Magical Steps to Remove Windshield Scratches

All Star Auto Solutions

Most of us have to deal with scratches on our car’s windows over time.   These scratches not only ruin our car’s appearance but are also dangerous and unsafe while driving. When no attention is paid to repairing, these scratches can break the car’s windows. They could also result in a serious accident in case they are on windshield.

Scratched windshield increases the risk of accidents because they reflect the lights from sun or glare from an oncoming vehicle at night which possibly blinds your vision for some time.

How to Remove Scratches from Car’s Windshield?

Fortunately it doesn’t take much to fix scratches on a car’s windshield. You can get rid of them with just few hours of work and proper products.

1. Clean the Windshield

Start the removal process by applying some glass cleaner onto the window and clean it with a soft cloth. Make sure you clean windshield gently as exerting only a little force or pressure can make a small scratch a bigger one.

2. How to Confirm Whether it’s Scratch or Crack?

Sometimes we take cracks as scratches and start finding ways to repair it when in real they are crack problems. These problems need extensive repairs which can only be done by qualified auto glass technicians.

To confirm whether your vehicle has a scratch or crack, rub your fingernail across the surface of the scratch. Even after doing it several times, your fingernail doesn’t caught in the scratch means it’s not a crack. In case your fingernail caught in the scratch indicates that it’s a deep crack in the windshield and it requires the attention of glass technicians.

3. Which Materials Should Be Used To Remove Scratches?

Gather all the materials which you will be using to repair windshield. Although the choice of product for repairing depend on the number of scratches but polishing disks and resins can also be used for this process.

4. Apply Rubber Compound on Scratches

In order to clean the windshield, wash it with soap and water. Rinse all of the remaining soap with water and dry off the window before applying rubbing compound on scratch. Now place the rubber compound into the scratch and spray it with water.

Use a clean cloth to rub compound gently and ensure you don’t apply too much pressure as it will make the scratch bigger. Rubbing compound you are using should be with cerium oxide. This chemical in it helps bond and seal the scratch properly and also prevents it from deepening which can cause your vehicle’s windshield to crack.

5. Let Rubber Compound Dry

Allow rubber compound to dry after applying it according to the instructions given on its package. Usually compound takes 30 minutes to dry off completely.

Once compound is dried, spray glass cleaner onto the area which had scratch and clean with a soft cloth. Your windshield will look as good as new. Repeat the same process again in case the scratch is still visible.

Tips for Repairing Scratches

Repairing scratches on windshield is pretty easy but there are things which you should avoid while repairing. Here are these tips which will help you to repair scratches easily and prevent from any further damage to your vehicle’s windshield:

Ø  Never use a sandpaper for cleaning your vehicle’s windshield glass as this will create more scratches on it.

Ø  Keep the wipers aside by taping them with duct tape. It will make your work of cleaning windshield surface easy.

Ø  Avoid using tap water when cleaning the windshield glass because available chemicals in the tap will cause more damage to your vehicle’s windshield.

Scratches are common occurrences and are a big part of automobiles. There are some scratches which can only be repaired with the help of professionals while other scratches can be easily removed by people at home. That one scratch is the windshield’s scratch. All you need to have little knowledge of repairing and right tools for removing such type of scratches. 

5 Bad Habits That Can Spoil Your Car

All Star Auto Solutions

To keep your things for a long time requires better care and treatment. Your vehicle is no exception to this rule. Not taking care of your car or neglecting little problems in short term may seem harmless but constantly mistreating it will surely reduce your vehicle’s life span.

Every single problem related to vehicle should be resolved quickly to extend your vehicle’s life and for your own protection. Following are the ways in which you are destroying your vehicle without realizing it. To keep your vehicle stronger and on road for long time, make sure you avoid these harmful habits.

1. Delaying Regular Maintenance

Regular maintenance of vehicle is a key to its longevity. This includes replacement of oil, worn brake pads, filter, transmission fluid, air filter and many other things. Nowadays every new car has warning indicators on dashboard when it comes to things like oil change and coolant leaks. Neglecting these signs can really create trouble for your vehicle.

Every vehicle has different maintenance schedule which you can find easily in owner’s manuals and keeping up with it will be beneficial for your vehicle. With lot of other things in mind and hectic routine, it is hard to keep up with car’s maintenance every now or then but regular checkup of it can save you from investing many dollars in future for new engine or transmission.

2. What are the effects of not using hand brake?

Hand brake is important while parking a car as it locks up your vehicle’s wheel and don’t allow it to move backwards. It also prevents the parking pawl from stripping in gearbox.

 Many drivers take hand brake as an option piece and ignore using it. They don’t realize that ignoring the use of this brake put all responsibility of holding vehicle on gearbox which leads to the failure of parking pawl. It could also damage your car badly.

In case you use handbrake while parking your vehicle, make sure to release this before you start driving again as it could damage other car parts.

3. Ignoring warning sounds

Most of us don’t take notice of squeaky brakes, rattles from beneath the car, knocking from engine compartment or other noises coming from vehicle and ignore them for a while. But like all other car parts, ignoring these noises for too long effects your auto parts.

Listen for these sounds rather than ignoring as they can predict some problem. In case you are experiencing these daily, it’s time to replace them as they won’t magically go away. By delaying these noises will make the problem worsen and leads to more expensive repair.

4. Leaving leaks from different car parts unattended

Fluid coming from your vehicle is an indication that your car has got a problem. Ignoring these leaks for a long time could fail your car parts such as neglecting oil leaks will kill your vehicle’s engine in no time. Ignoring water pump leak will overheat your engine and rupture your engine’s head gasket.

5. Ignoring check engine light

One of the most common misconceptions of people is that illuminated check engine light doesn’t mean anything and it can be ignored. But this is not the case. This light mean that something is wrong with your vehicle’s engine and it requires your immediate attention. Ignoring this illuminated light can make a small problem into a much bigger one.