Category: Safety

6 Common Reasons Your Car Vibrates

Most any car owner at one time or another experiences car vibrations or shaking. It can come out of the blue or it can be a long-standing problem that gets worse over time. The shaky feeling might be barely noticeable at first, or it could be an intense and teeth-jarring experience. For any driver, vibrations are a hard nuisance to deal with and should be looked into, whether the vibration seems minor or is more significant. You don’t want to wait as any more involved vibrations can indicate an expensive fix. So, don’t procrastinate about seeking a professional’s opinion. There are reasons as to why a car vibrates and here are 6 common ones as to why it happens.

1. Brakes

Your brakes could be the culprit with vibrations and shaking. The clue is that the vibration occurs and escalates as the brakes are applied. The parts that are likely affected are the brake rotors (disks). Rotors are the heavy metal disks that the brake pads are mounted to, which help to slow down a vehicle. These metal disks receive a great deal of pressure along with a lot of hard wear as well as exposure to heat through friction that occurs through everyday use. The heat and wear on a rotor can cause it to warp and become uneven. The wear and unevenness can be minimal but when it gets to the point that a rotor is uneven and distorted in its consistency, and the brake pads can’t grip properly, it’s possible that brake vibration will be felt.

Other brake related vibrations could occur due to a brake caliper that is immovable or stuck. Calipers are fastening devices and the brake pads are attached to them. The calipers exert a push on the pads to take hold of the rotors once the brake pedal is depressed. Sometimes, one or the other calipers can get stuck. Shaking as well as pulling to the side can occur when this happens. This is one problem that requires attention.

2. Engine

Though a rattling or vibrating engine should be of concern, most of the time it is not as worrisome as vibrations in other areas of a vehicle. A sign that an engine may be causing vibrations can be recognized through an unevenness in the vibration. There can be shaking and jerking when accelerating, or while driving at certain speeds for a certain amount of time. It could also happen once an engine has warmed up.

Engine vibration problems could be caused by bad or damaged spark plugs, or the spark plug wires, both of which could need adjustment or replacement. If the vibration isn’t from the spark plugs or wires, it could be the fuel or air filter. When either one of these becomes blocked or dirty, an engine will be short on fuel and oxygen, which can result in vibration and a rough and uneven ride.

3. Tires

Old, worn, uneven, unbalanced, bald and dry tires are often the cause of vehicle vibrations. Tires aren’t the most enduring parts of a vehicle and if tire air pressure, rotation, wheel alignment and suspension concerns are ignored, tires are going to have a shorter lifespan and are capable of causing shaking and vibrations.

Separated tread is another more serious cause of tire vibration and is often the result of overinflated tires. If tire tread separates, immediate attention is necessary, which usually means replacement.

4. Wheel Alignment

Wheel alignment is not necessarily the direct cause of shaking or vibration, but if the alignment has not been done according to specifications, it can cause related shaking problems. All vehicle wheels need to be aligned correctly and if the alignment is out of sync because of bad driving and minor and major accidents, the alignment is going to be compromised. Tire wear and a shaky steering column are also strong indicators of wheels that may require alignment.

5. Engine/Motor Mounts

Engine or motor mounts are what hold an engine in position. They secure the engine to the vehicle’s frame. Motor mounts are made of metal and rubber that are connected to the frame. The rubber within the motor mount helps to soften the engine vibration while the metal provides the structure. Motor mounts can wear out and the embedded rubber wears more quickly than the metal and loses its cushioning effect. This can eventually cause shaking and vibration. The motor mounts will likely need to be replaced to alleviate the shaking and any structural damage that may have occurred.

6. Axle/CV Joints

A damaged axle can be serious business. Vibration can be caused by a bad or damaged one that can result in suspension vibration. Axle damage can result from a minor or major impact, from accelerating and hitting speed bumps, potholes, and curbs. The damage won’t make itself known right away. Once the shaking starts, it will likely get worse, especially at increased and higher speeds. Any axle issues should be addressed immediately.

Other vibrations can occur through worn CV joints. They are found at the ends of the drive axles and are encased in a rubber boot. They function to retard dirt, grime, and other debris and keep the axle grease in place. If they are torn or the seal of the rubber boot is broken, the damage will occur from loss of the grease and entrance of dirt and other debris into the area. With CV joint damage, suspension vibration can occur. If a CV joint is causing shaking or vibrations, there may be clicking or thumping noises at turning points.

Vehicle vibrations can be extremely annoying as well as of concern, and the 6 common reasons given here should alert most any driver to what to look for and examine on a vehicle when vibrations are disruptive and unmanageable. If your car is experiencing vibrations and shaking and you’re not sure what to do, complete the online contact form and an expert will get back to you with the information you need to help diagnose the problem.

How To Stop Windshield Wipers From Squeaking?

Your windshield wipers are a critical safety component of your vehicle, yet we rarely ever think about them until we need them. Then, it begins to rain and we click on the wipers only to deal with an incessant squeaking that can drive you crazy. The noise is not the only problem, however. Windshield wipers that squeak could be putting additional strain on the mechanisms that make the wipers work and they could stop working altogether. There are many reasons why your windshield wipers could begin to chatter or squeak. If they do, these five steps may help eliminate the problem.

Low Windshield Washer Fluid

If the surface of the windshield is too dry, the wipers will squeak. If this is the issue, adding moisture to the windshield should eliminate the squeaking. Check your windshield washer fluid to be sure it isn’t low and use the liquid to keep the windshield wet.

Hard Wiper Blades

If your wiper blades grow to hard, they could chatter or squeak when you use them. You can soften wiper blades by spraying them with WD-40. You can also use a cloth soaked with rubbing alcohol. Spray or rub the blades until you feel them soften in your hands. If you choose to use WD-40, be sure to clean the blades or they will leave residue on your windshield.

Windshield Wax

There are products designed to keep water from collecting on your windshield. If you apply one of these products, like Rain-X, and find that your wipers began to squeak, clean the windshield wax from the windshield and try the wipers again. If the squeaking stops, you may want to avoid using those products on your windshield.

Wiper Assembly

Weather affect the tension of a wiper assembly. Snow build-up or extreme heat can either loosen or tighten the assembly. Wiggle the wiper arm and see if it moves too much or if it feels excessively tight. If either of these is true, adjust the assembly and this could resolve the squeaking.

Clean the Wipers

When wipers are dirty, they can malfunction. You can clean your wipers using a paper towel and glass cleaner. While you are cleaning the wipers, check the windshield for damage caused by road sand or salt. If your windshield is damaged, it needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

There is the possibility that the squeaking is due to windshield wiper blades that need replacing as well. If you are dealing with squeaking windshield wipers and can’t find the cause, call or fill out the online form today to schedule an appointment.

Understanding Tire-Pressure Monitoring Systems

Who would have thought that monitoring tire pressure would be included in newer vehicle operating systems? Knowing you had low tire pressure usually meant getting out of your vehicle, reaching for your tire pressure gauge, if you had one, and getting to an air hose or compressor, or one of those pressurized air cans and inflating your tires to their recommended pressure.

Federal Guidelines

Though checking tire pressure is still done the same way with older vehicles, federal stipulations, like the 2000 TREAD Act were put into place due to rollover incidents involving certain vehicle models and particular brands of tires. So, any vehicle that is in the 2008 or newer range is now equipped with a tire-pressure monitoring system or TPMS.

How it Works

The TPMS system works through sensors that are regularly monitoring tire pressure. There is a symbol on the instrument panel of a vehicle that indicates when tire pressure is seriously low. It is represented by the following symbols. Included with the symbols is associated information and instruction concerning tire pressure.

Symbols

the cross section of a tire
an exclamation point symbol
an upper view of a card with all tires exposed

Information

A TPMS warning light will come on when a tire goes below 25% of its recommended tire pressure.
The warning light should not be used as a replacement for checking tire pressure on a regular basis. Any checking should be done for the recommended pressure level for the particular tire.
Some drivers have difficulty recognizing the low tire-pressure warning light on the instrument panel, or they simply do not check it at all. The device is only effective if drivers know the light and are attentive to their proper tire pressure.

Instructions

Tire flexing can occur with under inflated tires, which produces heat. That heat can be damaging to a tire in general and to the chemical makeup within the tires themselves. If you want to avoid tire flexing, don’t allow an under inflated tire to go unchecked.
Tire pressure must be thoroughly checked during warmer months to avoid the breakdown of tire fibers, plus any high speed driving should be limited, as it can also affect a tire’s condition and performance.
Low tire pressure is a safety concern but it also diminishes fuel savings and also causes tire wear. Tire pressure should be checked at least once a month and a vehicle owner should not completely rely on their TPMS to do it for them. Investing in a good tire pressure gauge is also important.
Recommended tire pressure for newer cars is usually found on the driver’s side doorpost or in the owner’s manual for the particular car model. If the vehicle is older, it can be found in the console lid, the glove compartment, the lid of the trunk or the fuel tank cap.

Different Types TPMS

Two different types of TPMS systems are utilized in newer vehicles that include:

Indirect TPMS is a less expensive system that utilizes anti-lock braking with a wheel-speed sensor. It is set up to detect the rotation of one tire and whether it is moving faster than the other three tires. A tire that is under-inflated will be smaller and will move faster to remain in step with the other tires. This means of determining under-inflation is not as effective as a direct measuring system.

Direct TPMS does actually measure tire pressure and it is an accurate system. A gauge is applied to the tire valve or tire wheel. The gauge transmits a signal to the vehicle’s computer system. The data output concerning the pressure is then clarified through a low or high line unit. The high line system’s sensors are in the wheel wells of the vehicle and will display separate pressure for each tire. Low-line systems are built in lower cost vehicles and will only elicit the warning light for low pressure. The vehicle driver will have to determine on their own exactly which tire is low, Obviously, the best systems are those that show pressure for each individual tire, and a high-line system is easier to deal with as well as more accurate.

Understanding tire-pressure monitoring systems doesn’t have to be complicated, but if you are unsure of the different types of monitoring in newer or even used vehicles, complete the online contact form, and an expert in TPMS will get back to you with the information you need to better understand the choices available to you.

How Do Back Up Cameras Work?

Whether or not you have noticed, back up cameras (or rearview cameras) are one of the latest innovations to help drivers back their way out of a bad spot or their own driveway to prevent back up issue accidents and other mishaps. These cameras are now part of every new car coming off the assembly line and have been mandated by federal law for all new cars, vans, trucks and any other vehicles that have a weight of less than 10,000 pounds.

Essential Mirrors

Rear view mirrors have been an essential part of most any motorized equipment for over a hundred years. Mirrors, whether for rear or side viewing are, of course, useful, but they do have their disadvantages. It is difficult to see right behind a vehicle at a lower level, plus there is no mirror positioning for wide-angle viewing. With these mirror limitations, thousands of deaths and injuries have occurred and that includes backover accidents with various objects and tragic occurrences with young children.

How Back Up Cameras Work

Back up cameras operate on a fairly simple basis, yet they are quite advanced and continue to progress in their technical aspects. They work through a camera that is placed at the back of a vehicle. The camera action is initiated when a vehicle is put in reverse. An image is sent to a screen monitor at the front of the vehicle that displays what is happening on the outside. The image that is produced is quite intricate as it transmits a mirror image to the screen in a way that the orientation or positioning of the image is exactly as it should be in determining what is or isn’t behind a vehicle. The image that is shown or displayed on the screen is in the correct placement so no mistakes are made with steering in the wrong direction when exiting an area.

The backup cameras are actually installed on the rear of the vehicle in several different locations. They can be found in the rear decorative trim of a vehicle where they are obscured and not that easy to see. They might also be concealed within the bumper, by the license plate area, in the tailgate of a truck or SUV, or in the lid of a vehicle trunk. Those cameras are directed in a downward position to give the most optimal view behind the vehicle. The cameras also contain lenses that are wide-angle, which give an inclusive image as opposed to a normal rear view mirror that is a feature of older vehicle models.

Monitor Mounting and Types

The monitor can be placed anywhere in a drivers line of vision, though most newer cars already have built-in screens that have multi-functional uses for navigation, entertainment viewing, climate control and other activities. This same screen or display is also used for a backup camera system. Other types of displays rely on a section of the rearview mirror itself as a display, which is a good feature as drivers are used to looking in their rear view mirrors, but this type of monitor has image limitations and is not comparable to a larger screen.

Early monitors and aftermarket camera systems were colorless but almost all models in use today have color displays that are considered high resolution and high definition cameras. In addition, many luxury vehicles have night vision capacities built into their backup display systems. Backup systems are also available for older model vehicles and can be manually installed.

Some Disadvantages

The disadvantages with backup camera systems are few but there are some operational issues, which can be alleviated with simple maintenance. Here are some of the glitches that include:

poor image quality – can be caused by road debris, snow, mud and dirt. Simply clean the camera lens with a soft cloth.
wireless systems – (usually found on aftermarket camera models) may cause interruption or matching or pairing problems with a signal. Incompatibility issues usually occur because of purchasing the camera and monitor apart from one another.
malfunctioning camera – should be repaired by an expert technician
not a guarantee of complete safety – back up cameras are not a total replacement for mirrors. Regular mirrors should still be used as should the action of turning around and observing on all sides and the rear of a vehicle
not using the system negates any benefits – warning alarms within the system help to trigger use

If you are interested in finding out more about back up cameras and how they work, simply complete the online contact form and an expert will get back to you with the information you need.

How Does A Seatbelt Protect You In a Car Accident?

Alright, let’s first be honest with ourselves. Most people actively dislike having to wear seatbelts. There’s something admittedly claustrophobic about them, and seatbelt laws (at least those not pertaining to minors) are a very divisive thing.

Well, we’re not really here to debate the rights or wrongs of adult seatbelt legislation – but we’re here to tell you, with complete conviction, that seatbelts do indeed save lives. In the event of a car accident, or even a very sudden stop, they can be the difference between mild whiplash or broken bones, internal injuries, or even a very unpleasant death.

How They Work

In order to understand how a seatbelt protects you – and from what – we need to first understand a little bit about inertia. When you’re in your car, and you’re traveling at a consistent speed, down a more or less straight and well-paved road, it almost feels like your body is stationary. You really only notice your velocity when you’re speeding up, slowing down, or making severe course corrections.

Basically, if your car is moving at sixty miles per hour, so are you. Unfortunately, when the vehicle stops or slows down at a rapid rate, you don’t immediately do the same – this is why you feel a sense of being thrown forward during a collision or a sudden stop.

The most basic function of a seatbelt is to safely bring you to a stop at roughly the same time as the vehicle, rather than your body being violently tossed forward into the dashboard, steering column, or seat in front of you. In the event that the vehicle rolls, it also keeps you from being rattled around like dice in a cup – something guaranteed to badly injure you if not kill you before the rolling even stops.

Modern seatbelts are a mixture of two ancestral technologies – the lap belt and the sash belt. Alone, neither of these was entirely effective across the board. The lap belt allowed you to bend at the waist, which allowed for head or back injuries. Sashes prevented this but could allow you to slide out of your seat if the vehicle rolled or was impacted from a bad angle.

The modern three-point system utilizes both.

A Note on Properly Wearing a Seatbelt

Some people have a habit (an understandable one) of not wearing a seatbelt properly due to the discomfort of the sash component. People are known to tuck it behind them, or tuck it under an arm, to keep it off of their chest and neck. This should never be done – the sash should cross the collarbone and torso in a diagonal at all times. Accessories can be employed to reduce the discomfort they cause.

To learn more about how seatbelts can save your life in an accident, and to learn some statistics about injuries in accidents without them, fill out our contact form or call us today!

What’s The Difference Between AWD and 4WD?

Four-wheel drive used to be something limited to “big” vehicles noted for hard work or off-road capabilities. There were things like SUVs, pick up trucks, RVs and utility vehicles. But, in the past twenty years or so, four-wheel drive has become a common feature offered on most modern vehicles. This is great and all, but it can be confusing because, in recent times, there seems to be a choice between four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive.

Aren’t these the same? After all, cars have four wheels, so if it has four-wheel drive, then isn’t it all wheel? Well, let’s take a look today and find out what the differences are, and which is best suited for what conditions. You may be surprised by what’s revealed here.

All-Wheel Drive

All-wheel drive lives up to its name in pretty much every way. It is, in fact, a system where all four wheels are attached to a drive train system to provide traction and power in various adverse conditions. But, there are actually two types of all-wheel drive, one where it’s continuous (full-time AWD) and one where it’s intermittent (part-time AWD). The latter is usually computer-controlled these days.

How It Works

AWD systems, both full and part-time, generally work automatically, with no user control. They use one or two drive trains and multiple compound clutches to smartly distribute power to one or both sets of wheels accordingly.

You generally won’t notice the transition, in the case of part-time AWD, as smart sensors shift modes to deal with less traction or other adverse conditions (steep inclines, severe temperatures).

Pros and Cons of AWD

The most convenient aspect of AWD is the fact that it handles itself. As a driver, you don’t have to respond to conditions and enable/disable it. It’s electronically-controlled, usually with pretty intelligent systems to govern it. It works rather well in multiple conditions, and if you’re not a serious off-roader, then you might find this to be the least hassle-inducing choice to make.

However, those serious about off-roading or who deal with a constant bevy of rough road conditions, the control granted by 4WD is often considered more desirable due to the ability to pace and adjust traction based on intelligent intuition as an experienced driver.

Four-Wheel Drive

Four-wheel drive (4WD) is an older technology and was once a huge selling point of select vehicles in an age when a single axis bore all the torque in most designs. Today, there are two types of 4WD just as there are with AWD – full-time and part-time.

How It Works

While automatic 4WD with smart switching is an available feature in select vehicles, traditionally, 4WD is activated or deactivated by the user, with compound clutches to distribute torque between one or both axels depending.

With full-time 4WD, it can’t actually be turned off, but the user usually has the ability to control torque distribution between the axels. Conversely, part-time 4WD, which may not allow this precise distribution, can be activated or deactivated by the driver at will.

Pros and Cons

As we said earlier, off-road enthusiasts and professional drivers who handle a lot of consistent adverse road and weather conditions tend to prefer the level of control and agency provided by 4WD systems as opposed to AWD. They do handle rough, difficult conditions, on average, more effectively, especially if you can adjust torque precisely, and know what you’re doing with that.

However, unlike AWD, which is very fuel efficient, 4WD can result in some perceptible “gas guzzling”, meaning that if fuel efficiency matters highly, it may not be the option to go with.

Which Handles Snow Best?

For the average driver, the biggest adversary on the road is going to be snow. Yeah, it’s not that magical once you’re not a kid anymore. If you’re someone driving professionally, you’ll definitely prefer 4WD in snowy conditions, due to the control you get, which you need with heavier utilitarian vehicles.

For the average user, part-time AWD with smart switching handles snow easily, without distracting you so you can focus on keeping control of your vehicle. Snowy, icy roads are stressful, especially because you can’t control the other drives on the road.

Which Do You Need?

This all boils down to where you live and what you do with your car. Are you a professional driver who encounters rough terrain and harsh weather regularly? Are you an off-road enthusiast? Then you probably want 4WD with its adjustable torque and control.

Are you an average civilian driver who just needs that extra torque and power in hilly terrain and occasional nasty weather? Then full or part-time AWD is probably going to suffice, and save you fuel efficiency frustrations to boot.

To learn more about the technical science behind AWD and 4WD, and learn more key facts about their performance and applications, fill out our contact form below.