Auto-Maintenance Safety

Anytime you plan to work on your own vehicle, there are some important safety precautions that you should follow.

• Before you even begin looking under the hood of your car, be certain that the parking brake is engaged and the car is in “park.” As an extra precaution, chock the wheels to ensure that the car doesn’t roll.
• If you must work underneath your car, be sure that it is supported properly. Your jack is not designed to support the car alone. You’ll need to use jack-stands or ramps.
• Try to work on the car only with the engine turned off. If a circumstance arises where you must start the car as you’re working on it, make sure you aren’t wearing jewelry, loose clothing or anything that could catch in moving parts.
• Never smoke when working on a vehicle.
• Wear protective clothing or accessories appropriate to the work you’re doing. These may include work gloves and safety glasses or goggles.
• Use the right tool for the job — even if that means you have to rent them.

Travel Checklist

Before going on a trip, you can save yourself a lot of aggravation by checking your vehicle thoroughly.

1. Check the engine oil, even if you change it regularly. Locate and pull the dipstick. Wipe it clean with a cloth. Reinsert the dipstick, and pull it out to get an accurate reading. The level of the oil should be between the “add” and “full” marks on the stick. If the level is below the “add” mark, add a quart of oil. Always use the kind of oil recommended for your vehicle. If you’re not certain which weight to use, check your service manual.
2. Check the transmission fluid with the engine running and up to operating temperature. Locate the dipstick and check the level in the same manner as described above. In this case, the hash marks on the stick indicate one pint. On most vehicles transmission fluid should be changed about every 30,000 miles.
3. Check the coolant level at the coolant-recovery tank. The “minimum” and “maximum” fill-marks should be visible on the side of the tank. If the level is low, top it off with a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water.
4. Check the belts. On newer cars the accessory belt, also called a serpentine belt, drives the air-conditioning compressor and power-steering unit as well as the alternator. Check the belt for cracks, tears and other signs of wear.
5. Check the wiper blades. Good visibility is especially important for highway driving. Sometimes you can recondition the rubber blades by wiping them with washer fluid on a soft cloth. If the blades are badly worn, replace them before taking a long trip. Wipers should usually be replaced once a year. Don’t forget to check the rear wiper if you have one. Top off the wiper fluid if necessary.
6. Check the tire pressure. Proper pressure enhances your car’s handling and may improve your fuel economy. Inflate your tires to about 2 pounds below the recommended maximum pressure. (The maximum pressure appears in raised lettering on the sidewalls of most tires.) If improperly inflated, tires wear unevenly and prematurely.
7. Tip: Follow the Abe Lincoln rule of thumb for checking tread wear on your tires. Insert the edge of a penny into the tread, with Abe Lincoln’s head pointing down. If the edge of the penny rests in the bottom of the tread and you can see the top of Abe’s head, your tires are worn and should be replaced soon.
8. Check your headlights, brake lights and turn signals. Have someone stand outside your car and check as you turn lights off and on. If you’re by yourself, perform the check in a garage with the key in the ignition but the engine turned off. That way you’ll be able to see the reflection from the lights as you run through each check.

It’s also a good idea to have your vehicle professionally serviced before taking a long trip.

Vision Safety

Driving with a dirty windshield is aggravating, and it can also be a hazard. Here are some window-cleaning tips:

• Ordinary household glass cleaner with ammonia is fairly effective at cleaning windshields and car windows. It’s good at removing dirt and grease, but it tends to leave streaks. A second application may be necessary to get rid of the streaks. Professional glass cleaners that contain no ammonia are also available. These products are effective but usually more expensive.
• Another option is to use car-wash soap, water and a wash mitt. (Dish soap is not recommended, as it may damage your car’s paint finish.) To clean up bird droppings, sap and other stubborn substances, let the soapy water sit for a few minutes before wiping the spot with the wash mitt. Use a hose to rinse the soap and dirt away, then dry and polish the windows with clean towels.
• Another effective technique is to clean the window with a mild solution of vinegar and water (applied to the glass with a spray bottle), then wipe the glass dry with newspaper. The newsprint ink works as a polishing agent.
• To improve the looks of a badly neglected windshield, try glass polish. Apply according to the manufacturer’s instructions, much as you would car wax. Let it dry to a haze, then hose it off, and polish the glass with a clean cloth. Use a toothbrush to remove any residue from cracks and crevices.
• The inside of the windshield can become hazy from smoke and chemical vapors given off by the vinyl and plastics inside the car. Use spray glass cleaner for the window interiors, spraying a cleaning cloth rather than the glass to prevent spraying surrounding areas. Before cleaning side windows, roll them down partially so it’s easier to clean the area along the windows’ top edge.

Tip: For hard-to-reach spots along the curve of the windshield or rear window, turn your hand palm down and support the towel on the back of your hand. This makes it easier to reach high, curved parts of the window.

• Don’t forget to clean your rear-view and side mirrors.
• What you take with you as an emergency or road-maintenance kit depends to some extent on the time of year you’re traveling. If you’re taking a winter trip, carrying an extra blanket, an ice scraper and a candle are all good items to take with you. If snowy or icy conditions are a possibility, you may want to carry a bag of cat litter to aid traction if you should get stuck.
• Regardless of the time of year, it’s important to have jumper cables in your vehicle in case you need help with a battery failure. Flares or orange cones are also a good idea in case of roadside emergencies.
• A first-aid kit is good to have on hand, as well as a basic tool kit. A basic automotive tool kit might include a socket-wrench set, adjustable wrench, replacement fuses and other basic tools.
• Aside from a reliable spare-tire, you may want to carry a tire-inflater kit or a portable air-compressor in case of a flat tire.

It’s also essential that you carry a tire-pressure gauge in your vehicle, and check your tire pressure before leaving on a long trip. This will not only help ensure tire safety, it will aid your car’s performance and gas mileage by using the proper inflation.

Pre-Trip Checklist

Here are some important items to check on your vehicle before leaving on a trip:

• Check all lights. Check your headlights (high and low-beam), brakelights, turn signals, parking lamps and (if you have them) fog lights to make sure they are all operational. You may even want to clean your headlights using glass cleaner to improve night visibility on the road.
• Check wiper blades. Inspect them for cracks or tears, and make sure they’re operational. If they’re in good shape, it’s still a good idea to clean the rubber blade using a little glass cleaner.
• Check all hoses . Look for any cracks or holes in hoses, and replace any that are not in good shape.
• Check all belts. Inspect all belts to ensure that none are worn, loose or frayed.
• Inspect the battery. If there is corrosion on the terminals, you can clean it away with a toothbrush and a pasty solution of water and baking soda.
• Check all fluids. Check the reservoirs to ensure that your coolant and wiper fluids are at the proper levels. Check your oil using the dipstick. Check transmission fluid, power-steering fluid and brake fluid. You may want to refer to your vehicle’s owner’s manual for advice on checking all the fluids.

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