If snow hits your streets and you’re not used to it, your first slide can be terrifying. Here’s what to do if you find yourself thrown off your course by the slick white stuff: steer where you’re going, and don’t brake hard. More »
Blog Archives
Steer Your Way Through a Slippery Snow Drive [Winter]
Posted on December 30, 2010
Steer Your Way Through a Slippery Snow Drive [Winter]
Posted on December 30, 2010
If snow hits your streets and you’re not used to it, your first slide can be terrifying. Here’s what to do if you find yourself thrown off your course by the slick white stuff: steer where you’re going, and don’t brake hard. More »
CarWoo Gets Local Car Dealers to Compete for Your New Purchase [Video]
Posted on October 14, 2010
Choosing a car is fun. Buying it, not so much. Rather than play games, hear long-winded pitches, and try to guess at what’s worth paying, CarWoo lets you name your price, then see how close local dealers are willing to come. More »
Install a Full Power Panel in Your Car [DIY]
Posted on June 5, 2010
Earlier this week, we showed you how to add a USB Power Outlet to Your Car. If you need a bit more versatility and power, though, here’s how to install a full, four-outlet power panel with regular A/C plugs. More »
Do it yourself – Recreation – Audio – Business – DIY
Get Better at Parallel Parking [Video Demonstration]
Posted on March 17, 2010
We all had that someone—mom, dad, aunt, neighbor—who told us everything we needed to know about parallel parking. Over time, we lose some of it, and pick up bad habits. Drop back into driver's ed with a smart video. More »
Adjust Your Car Mirrors to Fully Cover Your Blind Spots [Driving]
Posted on February 15, 2010
The way most drivers, and car makers, keep their side mirrors doesn’t actually cover the blind spot outside the driver’s vision. Car and Driver illustrates a car mirror setup that, once you get used to it, could prevent lane change freak-outs.
The auto magazine culls its mirror alignment diagram from a paper published in 1995 by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). That paper suggested, basically, moving your side mirrors to point further out into adjacent lanes, a trick that can take some getting used to:
The paper advocates adjusting the mirrors so far outward that the viewing angle of the side mirrors just overlaps that of the cabin’s rearview mirror. This can be disorienting for drivers used to seeing the flanks of their own car in the side mirrors. But when correctly positioned, the mirrors negate a car’s blind spots. This obviates the need to glance over your shoulder to safely change lanes as well as the need for an expensive blind-spot warning system.
So the trick is to get the side mirrors aligned just outside what your rearview mirror covers, and rely on your own vision to cover the areas in your peripheral vision. Neat trick, but as the magazine (and their commenters) mention, you’ll want to train yourself on a neighborhood road before taking this setup out on the interstate.
Check out the Car and Driver post for a full look and explanation of the SAE-approved side mirror setup. Got a better solution to your side mirror setup? Do tell in the comments. Thanks for the link, cipheroid!.
How To: Adjust Your Mirrors to Avoid Blind Spots [Car and Driver]
BestParking Helps You Find Cheap Parking in Major Cities and Airports [Parking]
Posted on July 29, 2009
You need to park your car and you’re crunched for time. You’re not in a position to comparison shop parking rates. Thankfully BestParking has already crunched the numbers for you and can help you find the best rate.
How much can you save by comparison shopping? In our tests there was a surprising disparity between the highest priced and lowest priced parking area. In the screenshot above, for example, we searched for parking around Detroit Metro. Among the airport parking garages there was an almost 100% difference between the highest price and the lowest price for parking.
That kind of price gap isn’t a big deal if you’re only parking for a single day and are willing to pay a little surcharge for convenience but if you’re plunking your car in long term parking for a week you could save yourself some serious cash by picking the right lot.
If you didn’t plot out which parking garage to use ahead of time, fire up the browser on your mobile phone and head to the mobile version of BestParking to get a last minute rate check. Have a trick or two for scoring cheap parking while traveling? Share them in the comments.
BestParking [via MakeUseOf]
Car Accident Checklist Lessens Post-Accident Stress [Driving]
Posted on June 9, 2009
Even a minor fender bender can make your nerves run amuck. Having an accident checklist on hand can make the situation less stressful so you can get the important information you need.
Photo by Oneras
Reader Chris points us to a free auto accident check list that his mother-in-law printed out and placed in his glove box, explaining that it came in very handy after he was rear-ended on his way home from work recently. The ten-point list is full of important reminder, including what information you should collect from the other driver(s) and any witnesses, what you should do if you can’t safely get out of the way of traffic, and how to create an accident diagram.
Another important step to remember, assuming you’ve got even a cameraphone on hand, is to take lots of pictures:
Take pictures of everything involved in the car accident, as long as it can be done safely. These pictures should include each car driver, each automobile in the car accident showing any property damage, skid marks, any other damage to property, as well as the location of the automobile accident. The more pictures the better. When in doubt, take pictures. It is a good idea to keep a disposable camera in your glove compartment or trunk. If there are no other cameras available, then you should use a cell phone camera. Pictures may help your automobile insurance company determine how much you should be paid for your injuries.
Having a checklist on hand and knowing what information you need to collect will definitely help you get through the moments after an accident. What got you through an accident? What did you find to be invaluable in the moments after a car accident? Share your experiences in the comments below. Thanks Chris!
Auto Accident Checklist [Serious Accidents]
VehicleFixer Videos Detail DIY Car Repairs [Repair]
Posted on February 11, 2009
If you’re living without a seriously trustworthy mechanic, or you just like to bust out the wrench and fix your own wheels, VehicleFixer.com‘s descriptive videos are worth watching.
Many of the site's videos appear to come from old VHS instructional tapes, so the quality's a bit lacking by modern standards, and the cars are older models—though most of the techniques and parts are going to be the same as today's units. You're also treated to the cheapest synthesized soundtrack the tape makers could swing. But the videos on replacing brakes, changing oil, fixing belts and hoses, swapping out filters, and the like are slow, step-by-step, and explained in clear language, which is what really matters when you've got the hood open. You might have to do some clicking around, mostly to force more video and sidebar ads upon you, but VehicleFixer is probably still worth it if you want to learn how to get things done on your car. Free to watch, no sign-up required (though the site promises a share-centric members area coming soon).