Using your Car Jack

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Safety Tips to Use Your Car Jack
While it's true that every American automobile comes with a car jack, what you think you get may differ considerably from what you might expect. Regardless of what equipment your car, truck, or SUV has, there is one safe bet: when you need to use your car jack, you must use it very wisely.


A car jack does one hell of a job. It bears the weight of the vehicle as you raise it from the ground, often done to change a flat tire or perform some other type of repair that requires the vehicle be off the ground.

However, not every car jack is created equal nor will every jack do the job you need it to do. Yet, more importantly, even when you use your car jack properly, following all the warnings and directions laid out in the owner manual, you can still get hurt as you work around your car, truck, or SUV with the jack in use.

Locate your car jack. This is often in the trunk or storage compartment of your vehicle. If you cannot seem to find it, consult your owner manual.

Once you have your car jack, follow the directions for its use to the letter. Also use your common sense. It is not smart to jack a car up just inches from the right-most lane of a superhighway, along a dark road, or on anything less than a sturdy, level ground surface.

Also remove anyone and any great weight from the vehicle before you attempt to use your jack. Even a small child can rock the vehicle enough to make a car jack fall.

If you absolutely must work by a dark roadside, you need to illuminate the area as much as possible. Road flares are good for alerting other motorists that something is going on so they slow down as they pass you, but you also need lighting for yourself. A rechargeable flashlight can be great for that. I keep a million-candle rechargeable work light in my car trunk for just these kinds of situations.

But there really is no good way to compensate for a less than level road surface. Avoid situations where you must use your car jack in ice, snow, mud, or standing water. The chance of the jack - and the vehicle - slipping can rise exponentially if you do.

Noticed these guys painting the surface of a parking lot even though a car was still parked there. We're they on a tight schedule? Was it a joke?

Safety Tips to Use Your Car Jack

Also, take great care not to place any part of your body under the vehicle while it is raised. I've witnessed at least three bad accidents that occurred because someone wedged themselves against a fender while they changed a tire only to have the jack slip, the weight of the vehicle fall, and the ca
reless person hurt badly. Physical injury is not only potentially serious, it can also be permanent or even fatal.

Never raise your car any higher than necessary. For most tire changes, for example, you usually just need enough lift to take the weight off the affected tire. Watch where you place the jack as well; you do not want to risk trying to mount the jack to a lightweight bit of bumper or placing the jack too far from the spot on the vehicle you need raised. I was with a female friend once who blew off my offer to assist her with a flat tire. When I happened to glance back after she started to fuss, I noticed what she did not: she had put the jack at the left front of the car to raise it when the flat tire was at the right rear. As you can imagine, this was not the right way to proceed.

As you work, keep a watch on the jack and the vehicle itself. Any sign that the jack is failing or the vehicle is moving means you need to get away from the vehicle as fast as possible. Do not wait for it to fall upon you.

You can reduce the risk that the vehicle will move far, such as roll down the hill if you don't have the parking brake engaged, if you chock the wheels. This means placing something heavy - a cement block or a very big stone - directly in front of or behind a tire. But simply chocking the wheels won't prevent a jack from failing. I've also seen one nasty time when a very cheaply made jack simply broke as a person went to look for his fuel line. Thankfully, the reluctant mechanic was not hurt, but the call was pretty close.

As you know, colours were invented by photographic film manufacturers in the 1960s in order to make cameras more attractive to tourists. Now everybody seems to use colour (or 'color' if you are An american) from hair-dressers to television-makers, gardeners to artists.

Why not make your Mum and Dad's car look as clean and shiny as new by giving it a fresh coat of paint?

Actually, on second thoughts, maybe Gareth there is just WASHING the car while being sponsored by Crown paints. How confusing!

A better maintenance of the car ensures a proper performance of the car without taking out hooked up in the middle. One central aspect who needs a periodical maintenance is the exterior of the car. A car provided a shiny and scratch lowered exterior normally fetches better expense when judged against to a similar ideal amid a bad maintenance. Below are listed select strategies overly ought to blessing in maintaining a glossy exterior.

Maintenance For Your New Car

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There is no joy quite like the joy that comes with getting a brand new car. It's an exciting investment that appeals to all of the senses. It looks good, sounds like a kitten and smells brand new. So of course you may naturally assume that a brand new car doesn't need maintenance the same way an older car does and you would be correct, for the most part. But a new car needs to be taken care of if you want it to last long enough to become your old faithful road warrior.

All new vehicles come with a user manual that explains all of the ins and outs of the vehicle. It will also tell you how often certain services need to be performed like oil changes. Get acquainted with this manual. Even if you don't read every page, flip through it and pick out the most important points. The index will be able to direct you to any page so keep the manual in a place where you can always access it easily.

Oil changes should be performed every three thousand miles or every three months. Ask your dealer for any additional information if they don't automatically supply it. It's important not to go over this limit and ignore the need for an oil change. As oil gets dirty, it can slow down the engine and make it feel bogged down or run rough. Get your oil change on time so it continues to purr like a cat.

There are other things that you need to keep on a maintenance timeline as well. You must make sure the tires are rotated as necessary for optimum traction on the road. You also need to check all of the fluids in the car on a regular basis. Even if they don't need to be refilled or changed, you need to know they are all as they should be. From transmission fluid to brake fluid, there are a lot of things to stay on top of. Check all of the fluid reservoirs as well to make sure there is no damage or possible leaks.

Keep your engine clean by using cleaners that are designed to be used under the hood of your car. As the engine gets dirty it can become clogged up with oil spills and dirt. A clean engine will run much better and has a good chance of having fewer problems. It also makes it much easier to identify a new problem.

Get a car wash regularly to maintain the exterior appearance of your new ride. The road is filled with dirt, oil and salt. These things can eat away at your paint job which leaves hideous results over time. Keep your paint brand new with a car wash once a week. Give it a good wax every quarter of a year at least as well to protect your clear coat.

When it comes to maintaining your new car one of the best things you can do is to drive it with care. If you blast around like a maniac and lay on the gas a lot, you will put your engine under unnecessary stress. Love your car and it will take care of you.

Weather pretty grim today but picked up a couple of new lenses so had to get out and shoot something even if its just my car in a car park.....

Get a car wash presistently to keep in good shape the exterior existence of your new ride. The road is filled provided dirt, oil and salt. These situations can eat away at your cover job that leaves hideous consequences more than time. Keep your cover type new providing a car wash after a week. Give it a excellent wax each quarter of a year at the very least as agreeably to cover your simple coat.

When it comes to maintaining your new car one of the perfect situations you can do is to impel it provided care. If you blast throughout such as a maniac and lay on the gas a lot, you is able to put your engine underneath unnecessary stress. Love your car and it may take service of you.

Basic Car Maintenance Tips

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Your car might be ranked first or second among your most prized possessions. And with good reason- you paid good money for it. Here are some maintenance tips on how to keep your car in tiptop condition so you can avoid unnecessary breakdowns and expensive repairs.

"Regularly changing your car's engine oil and filter is one of the most important things you can do to keep your car running well. Over time, engine oil breaks down and your filter becomes clogged with contaminants.

"Wash your car regularly (at least once a week) and wax it once in a while to keep it shiny and free from corrosion. However, the most important thing to remember when washing your car is to use products that will be able to gently lift away dirt and grime without damaging the underlying surfaces or strip away existing wax or sealant protection.

"Always try to use genuine spare parts as replacements. Sure, generic spare parts are a lot cheaper but it's a better idea to stick to the more reliable originals.

"Take good care of your tires: check your tires' pressure regularly - at least once a month; if your tires are worn, have them re-treaded right away or better yet, replace them; improper alignment causes increased tire wear, and in worst cases, may throw your car into a skid especially on a wet road. Have the alignment checked.

"Have your car checked by a mechanic at least once a year -- and not just a quick visual inspection by one of the fast lube places. Have a competent mechanic inspect major components of your car such as brakes, suspension, etc. while having your tires rotated. This is important because many vehicle components (ball joints, for example) cannot be inspected visually.

As soon as you feel there is something wrong with your car like any kind of irregular noise or vibration while driving, have it checked soonest. You don't want a car that's unsafe to drive.

For complete information on how to maintain your car, it's a good idea to refer to your owner's manual or better yet, pay a visit to your local vehicle repair shop.

"Have your car checked by a mechanic at the very least yet a year -- and not easily a quick Residual investigation by one of the swiftly lube places. Have a competent mechanic look at considerable ingredients of your car the as brakes, suspension, etc. additonally experiencing your tires rotated. This is central due to the fact that a good number of automobile factors (ball joints, for example) cannot be inspected visually.