Top Three Reasons Your Car Will Leave You Stranded

TOP 3 REASONS YOUR CAR WILL LEAVE YOU STRANDED

1.   Tires
2.   Batteries
3.   Cooling Systems

TIRES

Tires are often the most overlooked aspect of any car and they usually only get attention when there is a problem.  When is the last time you took a good look at your tires?  Probably never, if you happen to be reading this blog.  Which is why I bring up this point.  People just assume that if the tire is holding air you're good to go.  You couldn't be more wrong.  There a few things you should check when it comes to tires.

First off, let's talk about tread depth.  The tread of your tires is what actually gives you control of your vehicle and without it you would be sliding all over the place, especially on a wet or snowy surface.  Checking your tread depth is very easy and anyone can do it.  

One way is to use a tread depth gauge like this:

photo by Darrin Hartford

Another way is to use a penny:

photo by Darrin Hartford

If you use a tread depth gauge the measurement is in increments of a 32nds of an inch and anything below 2/32 of an inch requires replacement.  When using a penny, if Lincoln's head is exposed it's time to go tire shopping.  Here's a link that explains this in more detail.

P.S.  When is the last time you checked the air in your spare tire?  Probably never.  What good is a flat spare tire?  Not much.  So, don't forget to empty out that trunk and get some air in that spare!

BATTERIES

So you're running late for school, it's raining, snowing, and there is a tornado filled with serial killers approaching from the West.  You frantically fidget with your keys to gain entry to your car.  You finally get in the driver's seat, slam the keys in the ignition and... nothing.  You car wont start because the battery is dead and now you are too.

Ok, that is a bit melodramatic, but undoubtedly your battery will fail you at the most inopportune time.  That is just life, but this can be avoided.

Most battery failures are due to poor maintenance or old age.  A well taken care of battery can last you up to ten years or more.  Sadly, most car owners will never see anywhere near this lifespan because they never think about their batteries until their car doesn't start.  The average lifespan for a battery is usually 3-5 years for a typical lead-acid setup.  AGM (absorbed glass mat) batteries have a far longer lifespan, but cost significantly more.

The more accessories you add to your car (stereo amplifiers, inverters, car alarms, dvd players, Playstations, disco balls, fog machines, laser lights etc.) the more demand you place on your battery, effectively shortening its lifespan.  Many times you will void the warranty of your battery if you have installed a bunch of aftermarket goodies such as the ones I have listed above.

Does your battery look like this:

photo courtesy of www.youtube.com

Then you need this:

And you might also need this (battery terminal wire brush) to get all that corrosion off making sure there is a good and solid electrical connection from your car to the battery. 

photo by Darrin Hartford

COOLING SYSTEMS

What keeps you cool as you drive down the road?  Your personality?  Your shades?  Your leopard skin seat covers?

Maybe, but mostly it is the cooling system of your car which consists mostly of a radiator, water pump, and the hoses that connect the two.  I am not going to go into a detailed explanation on this as it can get very complicated, but let's go over some basics.

Without coolant your car will overheat in a matter of minutes and you will be going nowhere.  If you overheat your car enough, it will warp the cylinder head and that is a very expensive fix, even if you do it yourself.  So, don't do that.  If you notice the temperature gauge start to rise, you need to pull over as soon as possible and shut the car off!

To avoid this, at the bare minimum, you should have the level and condition of your coolant checked once a year.  The color of your radiator fluid can be an early indicator that is time to change it out.  Most, but not all coolant, when new, is a bright green color and has a sweet smell to it.  If it has GM's junk coolant, Dex-Cool, it will be bright orange and Toyota's coolant will be red.  All coolant will turn a dark brown color when left in too long.  This is caused by the coolant rust inhibitors breaking down and allowing your engine to rust from the inside out.

To check what temperature your coolant is rated at, you will need a coolant temp checker like this:

   

photo by Darrin Hartford

  

It is very simple to use.  You simply insert the hose into your coolant, squeeze the bulb and draw coolant into it.  The number of discs that float determine how cold it needs to be in order for that fluid to freeze (you do not want your coolant to freeze).

It looks like this:

photo by Darrin Hartford

Alright, no excuses for being stuck on the side of the road now right?  Haha, if only that were true.