If you don't believe that driving is risky business, you should ask your insurance company about it. Checking in with services like CarInsuranceQuotes.net can clarify for you exactly how much risk your incurring just by getting behind the wheel (let alone getting behind the wheel sleepy, in the rain or snow, or otherwise not your best). Given your odds of having an accident, it's relatively important to know what is in your emergency kit and how to use it. Do people ever really use it? If they knew what was in there, they probably would a lot more!

Road Flares at Night

One of the more common items that appears in a car emergency kit is a set of road flares. If you've ever broken down on the side of the road in the middle of the night, then you know how scary it can be. Not only do you have to worry about people paying attention to your hazard lights, but you have to try to change your tire or fix whatever the problem is. Flares are meant to alert drivers to your presence. This reduces any danger to you and your family inside the vehicle.

Your First Aid Kit

Feel free to rearrange the first aid supplies that should be included in your emergency kit into whatever configuration you prefer. In fact, if you personalize it to what your family needs, then it will actually be a valuable part of your vehicle. Consider adding some aspirin or pain medication in case someone gets a minor injury. Bandages and tape are always a good idea to take care of cuts and other situations. Inhalers or a couple of doses of any prescription medications your family needs are also good uses of first aid kit space. These can be a literal life saver in situations where you're stranded.

Other Tools

A rescue tool should also be one of the first things you add. Oftentimes, these are manufactured to break windows in an emergency. If you're ever stuck somewhere and cannot get out, this will give you the mechanical means to do so. Of course, that means you're going to need to keep your first aid kit in the car instead of the trunk, but it will be more helpful that way.

Also consider adding emergency foil blankets, snacks, and some gloves. If you're stuck outside the car for any time at all, you'll be able to keep warm. Once you figure out how to decode your car emergency kit, then you'll see why they recommend it for everyone. If you prepare for anything, you'll be ready for anything!

I received a pair of mechanics gloves to review from Magid Glove & Safety. First, a disclaimer, I am not a fan of ANY mechanics gloves. I prefer the touch of bare hands, and don't mind getting dirty while working on cars. Sure I spend money on hand cleaner but when working in tight places and with small parts I have historically shied away from wearing gloves. With that disclaimer out of the way, let's get on to the review...

Overall construction looks solid and the stitching looks straight and strong. The gloves provided to me are the ProGrade Plus MECH106 Road Gloves, which have high visibility reflective stripes on the back side for maximum visibility. I guess the "Road Gloves" name is logical for these gloves as they would be perfect for changing a tire along side a busy road with these reflective stripes.

The palm of the gloves has a synthetic leather palm and PVC pads for gripping. The joints are flexible neoprene and provide a good range of movement. I have large hands, so the XL size was appreciated, and the fit was perfect. They slip on and off easily without feeling like they will fall off while in use.

I decided to wear the gloves to do a delicate task of changing the oil in my wife's car. The delicate part is removing the drain plug without dropping it into the oil catch pan. Her car is an SUV and does not require me to jack up the thing to get to the drain plug, but it's a tight fit to get the drain pan in there and remove the drain plug. Surprisingly the gloves were very sensitive and allowed me to spin the drain plug out and not drop it. The finger tips seem durable without being too think and limiting the feel.

It was 40 degrees outside when I did the oil change, so the gloves were a welcome accessory. Also when I finished the job, I have to admit it was nice to not have to wash up when I went into the house.

Conclusion: At $11.75 for a pair, the price is right. I am going to throw my pair into my roadside kit in the car for those late night roadside tire changes. And if it get's too cold or I am working on something really dirty (e.g. Panel Truck), I may just start wearing them while wrenching in the garage.

Images:

Links:
The Gloves I reviewed
Other Mechanics Gloves from Magid

Stack the Deck when You Buy a Car in Michigan

Many people equate buying a car right alongside a trip to the dentist for a root canal or a tax audit. The pitfall to this attitude is that car buying is often delayed until the situation is dire, leaving the buyer without the objectivity necessary to make a calm, logical decision.

Michigan car dealers are particularly adept at spotting this type of buyer when they show up.

Here are a couple pointers to help you avoid this pitfall, and approach car buying with a little more confidence and much less trepidation.

If you had several, or even only one bad car buying experience, there is little we can do to make it into something you eagerly anticipate, but at least the process won’t result with you curled up in the fetal position on the floor of a Detroit car dealer, begging for mercy.

1. Don’t Wait until You Are in Need

If you leave yourself adequate time, you can take little bites of the car buying process, then stop as soon as you start to feel antsy. This will also give you solid leverage when it comes time to negotiate price.

So, start off small by looking at car dealer ads to identify cars that might in some way improve upon what you are currently driving. Maybe you want better gas mileage, or maybe you would like additional passenger capacity. Anytime you take one of these minor planning steps and do some research, immediately reward yourself with something that will reinforce your positive behavior.

2. Use the Detroit Free Press

The print version and the auto pages of their website both can help you identify some extremely convenient dealers. You can find vehicles that might have potential, and then go there when the dealer is closed. The reason for this is because in a print ad or a website with pictures, everything looks pretty good. You need to see a car in real life to uncover any flaws and blemishes on the body that can affect the asking price. Doing this without a car salesperson hovering, you will find, is actually not anxiety inducing in the least. Michigan car dealers have been lobbying for years to be open on Sunday, but to this point they have not met with success. Then, remember what we told you in the first tip and reward yourself for your proactive approach.

The real trick is to desensitize yourself to the negative emotions that can be aroused over when considering the process of buying a car. Let yourself be creative, and you will doubtless discover others along the same lines as these two.

Did you ever wonder what type of Velcro is holding your EZ-Pass onto your windshield? Click the title to find out.

Question:

     I have a 2003 Ford Taurus 3.0L V6 Engine, when I have my car in idle it runs rough and the RPM's stay at 700, when I put it into drive it hesitates, if I put the a/c on the RPM's vary between 300-700 and then stalls out. I had routine maintance done recently, (oil change, air filter replaced,and tires rotated).The backpressure sensor was replaced,less than a year ago I had a tune up done.

 

Answer:

     Most idle problems are due to the throttle body or idle air control, which is located in the throttle body.  I would recommend a good throttle body cleaning by your mechanic and possible replacement of the IAC if it tests bad. 

     I have also heard of vacuum issues and even spark plug boots improperly installed causing misfires when water get's into the spark plug area.  These should be checked if your mechanic checks out the throttle body and finds no issues.