6 Little-Known Driving Tips That Could Save Your Life

Original story at Cracked.com by Ajay Kumar, November 20, 2012

Driving a car, or getting run over by one, is still one of the most popular ways to get killed in the modern world. Despite the fact that cars are safer than ever, they are still driven by human beings who, let's face it, often have trouble retaining even the minimal techniques and rules required to operate a vehicle.

But if you're reading this, hopefully it means that you are intent on doing what it takes to survive in a world full of such drivers by being just a little more careful. So for you, here are some advanced tips that everyone should know, even if most people don't ...

6 Don't Have Your Car Visible Anywhere in Your Mirrors

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This is one of those things that takes next to zero effort to do right, but that almost everyone does wrong.

You hopefully already know that the "blind spot" is the name for the area on either side of a car that is invisible to wing mirrors. It's such a frequent cause of accidents that higher-end car models have adopted fancy radar or camera systems capable of detecting other vehicles in your blind spots and delivering the information to you in furiously urgent beep-screams as you swerve in terror and/or crash anyway.

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Just gritting your teeth and flooring it isn't the answer.

However, the technology isn't the problem -- the necessary equipment to eliminate blind spots was around back when Henry Ford was still producing cars and anti-Semitic newsletters. All you need are your car's wing mirrors -- which most people have adjusted incorrectly.

You see, blind spots can be put into full view of your side mirrors, provided that these mirrors are adjusted to contain no part of your own car. Just angle them away from you until the point where your car is no longer visible in either one, and leave them there. That way, there's no overlap between them and the rearview mirror, and any car that's passing you on either side will remain in at least one of your mirrors until it enters your field of vision.

caranddriver.com

Admittedly, this seems less like a "tip" and more like "the most obvious piece of instruction of all time," but nobody freaking does it. Manufacturers have to let you adjust the mirrors (due to things like differences in driver height), and most people simply don't know how to do it. That's why those same engineers are spending millions on technology meant to eliminate blind spots -- they have simply failed to teach people not to point their goddamned mirrors at the sides of the vehicle they're attached to.

5 Pay More Attention to Traffic Than Road Signs

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If you saw someone blow past a yield sign into traffic and vanish in an explosion of steel and glass not unlike one of the Iron Giant's volcanic diarrheas, you'd be tempted to blame the crash on the driver who ignored the road sign.

But what if the yield sign wasn't there, like those intersections where there's nothing but an esoteric flashing yellow light and everyone stops and stares at each other? There would probably still be the odd person who flies through, but average drivers would become extremely cautious as a result of having no clear instruction of what to do. They would instead just intuit their next move based on the traffic around them, which is kind of the point of stoplights and road signs to begin with -- to force you to stop and look.

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"What the hell does 'yield' mean, anyway?!"

In other words, you may be better off without the signs.

There are experts who believe that the overabundance of signs and signals just make you complacent, because you're fixated on blindly following instructions printed on reflective metal rather than not killing your fellow drivers. And we've all seen it happen -- drivers with a green light will plow through an intersection and T-bone another car that was clearly in their path, simply because the pretty colored light told them they had the right of way. And think about how people will lose their freaking minds if traffic and/or weather conditions have them driving slower than the posted speed limit, routinely causing accidents by trying to weave their way back up to maximum warp, even though the speed limit is literally just a number on a sign that takes absolutely nothing into consideration beyond what a few civil engineers came up with on a calculator 30 years ago.

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"15 mph is fast enough for anyone. Those buggy drivers are out of control."

The Dutch city of Drachten decided to test out the theory by replacing 20 four-way intersections with 20 roundabouts free of any road signage, and the results were surprisingly nothing like The Cannonball Run. One intersection that typically killed two to four people every year saw no injuries for the next six years, and another intersection went from 36 accidents in the previous four years to just two in two years. All this just from putting more responsibility into the hands of drivers and forcing them to interact with each other in the absence of indifferent commands from stoplights and signs (although it could also be related to the fact that nobody in the Netherlands has a The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift poster on their bedroom wall).

Since the success in Drachten, a number of other cities have tried out similar concepts, most notably London, whose recently debuted Exhibition Road looks like the guy in charge of painting lines on the streets was tripping balls that day.

The Guardian

We're still not clear on how this is supposed to help, but there you are.

We're not saying that you should ignore stoplights and road signs, but that you shouldn't rely on them to make every decision for you. Just because you had the right of way at an intersection won't make you any less dead if you pull in front of an 18 wheeler, and refusing to slow down for pedestrians because they aren't crossing in a designated crosswalk won't put you any less in jail if you chop them in half with your Daewoo.

Or maybe we should just put it this way: Obey the signs, but assume that nobody else is doing so.

4 Listening to Techno Makes Your Driving Worse

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Every car comes with a stereo and speakers, but you don't find much in driving manuals about what you should or shouldn't do with them. So it's easy to assume that it's safe to bump some jams while driving, as long as you're focused on the road and not constantly messing with the knobs or looking at yourself in the rearview mirror while you're singing. But research shows that your tunes are probably making you a worse driver, even if you just like a little ambient music in your Prelude.

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"These whale songs are so ... *yawn* ... so ..."

An Israeli study connected test subjects to heart monitors and put them through a driving simulator while they listened to music of varying tempos. A no-music control group experienced significant heart rate fluctuation while driving -- that is, their heart sped up when things got exciting, like if a moose turned up in the street or something. But those who were listening to any type of music saw their heart rate stay level (except during the Les Miserables soundtrack, when their heart rates soared with bittersweet triumph).

At first glance, this suggests that the drivers who were listening to music were more calm, and thus more careful drivers than the control group. But it was the opposite -- the music group Dukes of Hazzarded their way through the virtual driving course like they were running moonshine for a one-legged banjo player. They were calm (maybe), but only because they were less focused on driving than the control group -- they were placated by the music.

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Which is why your creepy uncle always told you that mood music was the key.

The study also showed that drivers who were listening to higher-tempo music (between 120 and 140 beats per minute, the speed of most dance and techno music) were twice as likely to blast through red lights and had twice as many accidents as those who were listening to slower music or the deafening echo of their own thoughts. Drivers who were listening to dubstep were 84 percent more likely to believe that there was a Transformer behind them trying to mate with their car.

3 Always Have Your Headlights On

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According to a recent study, you can reduce your risk of being involved in an accident by up to 32 percent simply by driving with your headlights on at all times. This seems like common sense -- obviously something that is lit up is going to be more visible, regardless of the time of day. And as long as other cars are driven by tired, distracted human beings, greater visibility equals less chance of having a hood ornament embedded in your skull. Yet almost nobody drives with their lights on during the day (and cars with automatic lights won't flick on until the sun goes down).

Siemens

"How will I sneak up on unsuspecting motorists now?"

Other drivers are simply less likely to pull out in front of you if they can instantly see the glare of your headlights in a quick glance (unless they were planning to cut you off, in which case they are shitheads and the accident was unavoidable). This also counts for pedestrians and cyclists, who statistically will sometimes miss their own oncoming death unless there are bright lights attached to it.

In countries like Canada, Sweden and Finland, all new cars are required to have automatic running lights that stay on at all times, and you can get them on some new car models in the U.S. But the majority of drivers still have dusty old manual headlights, so if you're one of those people, you'll just have to dig deep and flick your lights on and off every time you drive (we know, we know -- it hardly seems worth all the effort, but trust us, you'll be much safer).

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"LIGHTS?! Are you crazy? I'm already late for work!"

2 Your Parking Break Stops Working if You Don't Use It Regularly

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Of all the aspects of driving, parking should be the most straightforward. Basically, you take the keys out of the ignition and get out of the car (hopefully after putting the car in park, hopefully not in the middle of an elementary school).

Oh, and if you're on an incline, maybe pull the parking brake. If you don't, you might end up like this guy, which is simultaneously a worst- and best-case scenario.

Inexplicably, the next shot is him bending back down to continue filling the gas tank.

But here's something most people don't know: You should probably put on the parking brake, regardless of whether you've stopped on the taxiway of a Delta terminal or at the summit of the Grinch's mountain, just to keep it in good working order.

You see, the parking brake is also commonly called the emergency brake, and as the name suggests, it can be used in a situation when your brakes fail or have been otherwise disabled by enemy agents. It overrides the hydraulic mechanism normally used to control the brakes and stops you with cables, which are demonstrably better than hydraulics because hydraulics never cut anyone in half in a Die Hard movie.

But the problem with steel cables is that they often rust and corrode, particularly after long periods of disuse. The way parking brake cables are designed, if you don't engage the brake every so often, the corrosion builds up and will cause it to fall apart like the bad guy in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

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You'll want to skid out regularly, and with a gun so you feel extra cool.

So if you bought your car back when the cast members of Harry Potter were still children and have never used the parking brake, and then suddenly throw it on to bail yourself out of an honest-to-God emergency, such as barreling down the switchback of Lombard Street toward a rampaging atomic monster bursting out of San Francisco Bay, the cables will probably just snap under the strain and result in a headstone that will seriously confuse future archaeologists. Unless the monster wasn't just a one-time thing.

1 Don't Brake During a Blowout

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The knee-jerk reaction to pretty much all panicky driving moments is to stand on the brakes like goblins are trying to crawl out of them, and in most cases this is absolutely correct.

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Unless you're in a Speed-like scenario.

That being said, imagine you're cruising down the highway at about 65 mph when all of a sudden you hear your rear tire explode like you just ran over a tiny landmine. As you fire s**t out of your pant leg like a muddy trumpet, you can feel that the car is about to go out of control. If you follow your instincts, you'll probably hit the brakes, but in this case your instincts have tragically failed you.

See, if you brake during a blowout, you're almost certain to fishtail (and maybe flip), possibly into another fast-moving car or the median (or both). This is especially true if your rear tire has blown out, which is more likely than a front tire blowout (front tires wear out more quickly, but people see that and replace them, while leaving the rear tires in place for years and years as part of their plan to just drive the car until it slowly disintegrates).

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"Still here, eh? Well played, car."

So in the event of a blowout, you must do the very thing that makes the least sense: hit the gas. But don't drop an elbow on it like Macho Man Randy Savage; just squeeze it firmly for a couple of seconds to regain control, keeping the car as straight as possible. A completely blown or otherwise flat tire drags on the ground like an anchor -- if you slam on the brakes, the anchor catches at 65 mph or however fast you're going, and you're screwed. Ditto if you smash the gas pedal -- picture a cigarette boat tossing its anchor down at top speed. Give the car just enough speed to stay in control and then gently let your foot off the gas, turning into the blown tire (if you steer the opposite direction, the anchor catches). The tire that betrayed you will eventually bring the car to a stop on its own, and then you can get out and throw your pants into the woods.

The Man Behind The Car—The Carroll Shelby Foundation

Being one of only a few official authorized Shelby mod shops in Canada we are very fortunate to continue to work with Shelby after the passing of their founder and Shelby creator Carroll Shelby in 2012.

As we ourselves at Dale Adams Automotive raise money yearly for the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada with our Powering the Cure Golf Tournament we also wanted to recognize the impact that The Carroll Shelby Foundation has made in the United States through the foundation.

Thanks to the information on Shelby.com we can share this great story.

The Carroll Shelby Foundation is dedicated to providing financial support for children and medical professionals to help overcome life-threatening health issues worldwide and promoting continuing educational development. 

About Carroll Shelby

Legendary racer and automotive manufacturer Carroll Shelby, following years of heart-related difficulties, which culminated in a successful heart transplant, created the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation in October 1991. The organization is dedicated to providing assistance for acute coronary and kidney care for young people who share many of the same afflictions. 2009 the Foundation took another beat and expanded its reach and became the Carroll Shelby Foundation helping kids from their first heartbeat through their education years.

To date the Carroll Shelby Foundation has helped numerous youngsters undergo major coronary surgeries and help charities and children worldwide raise money for their own fundraising campaigns and provided seed monies to launch healthcare programs and facilities, the Foundation also provides grants to organizations conducting research in the fields of coronary and organ transplant management. The Foundation, expanding its reach, will provide scholarship money to kids dedicated to enhancing their lives through continuing educational opportunities in the automotive field.

Shelby, who waited years before receiving his own heart transplant, was keenly aware of the difficulties and expense involved in heart surgery and the often-lengthy process to locate a suitable donor organ. He created the Foundation because he realized that many needy children would have their lives cut short without some type of financial assistance.

The Carroll Shelby Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 and funding comes from a myriad of programs conducted throughout the year. These programs include, generous donations given in exchange for Carroll's autographs, generous donations from corporate and private sponsors, Ford Motor Company and through his personal appearance fees. In addition, Team Shelby, the Shelby American Automobile Club (SAAC), the Shelby Mustang clubs and the Shelby Dodge clubs all include the Foundation as an active participant and beneficiary of their national and regional convention event proceeds.

The Legacy

Save a life. It's painless.

Last year more than 23,000 patients began new lives thanks to an organ transplant.

About 56 people receive an organ transplant everyday in the United States.

Today more than 80,000 people are awaiting a transplant.

Every 14 minutes another person is added to the transplant list.

In the United States alone, 16 people die each day awaiting their transplant.

Inclusion on the transplant list requires "proof" of payment in advance. Therefore many die before they even make it to the waiting list.

For more information on this great charity please visit Shelby.com.

For information on our charity Powering the Cure Golf Tournament please click here.

Dale Adams Private Showing of the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

Some days we love our job much more than others, this was the case not long ago when we were invited to an exclusive up close and personal showing of the new 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

As one of only 4 official Shelby mod shops in Canada we make sure we are ready for everything Shelby, and this major enhancement release of the 2020 GT500 is nothing to be trifled with. This is a serious upgrade in power, and an even more serious upgrade in handling and traction. Ford is eyeing up the Camaro ZL1 for speed and handling and this is a serious step towards that title.

Others have broken down the specs for us. Be sure to check out these links:

• 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500: All the Engineering Details by Road & Track
• New GT500 Details & Specs by CJ Pony Parts

So what's all the talk about? Here's a few things that caught our attention.

• The beast of a V8 engine was adjusted and improved to such an extent that they are claiming it will clock in comfortably over 700 horsepower. Wait.. what?! Wow!
  
  
• The handling is improved through many tweaks to the body and adding an inch to the tires as this beast now has 20" wheels. This car can roar but make those tight turns too. What are we waiting for? We want one!
  
  
• The onboard computer now offers different drive and exhaust modes to meet needs you didn't know you had. Now this is our kind of computer game. We can't wait to play with these settings and drive this off into the sunset.

Most of the photos you have seen are of an early blue model but we got to see the Twister Orange Metallic Tinted Clearcoat model. The car also comes in these awesome colour options. Grabber Lime, Iconic Silver and Red Hot Metallic Tinted Clearcoat.

If you'd like to talk to us about getting your 2020 ordered, delivered and customized to your liking now is the time to talk to us. Let us make your Shelby dreams come true.

Here are photos we took at the event. Enjoy.

Dale Adams

Dale Adams Automotive Joins Elite NAPA AUTOPRO Service Centre Designation

Dale Adams Automotive always puts our customers first. To continue to deliver the best service and products to our customers we make sure we are partnering with the best automotive companies. We have now just become one of only 25 automotive service centres in Calgary that are certified NAPA AUTOPRO centres. We are excited to be partnered with such a great company. Here is what it means to be a NAPA AUTOPRO service centre.

ABOUT NAPA AUTOPRO SERVICE CENTRES

NAPA AUTOPRO is a dedicated team of highly trained technicians using state-of-the-art technology who are ready to provide you with unequalled maintenance, quality customer care and a range of services designed to keep your vehicle young for a long, long time. Thanks to our unparalleled expertise and a commitment to going the extra mile, you can rest easy knowing that you and your car will be taken care of from start to finish. WHO WE ARE Since 1984, NAPA AUTOPRO has been the place Canadian drivers turn to for mechanical repair and vehicle maintenance services. Today, we have service centres across the country offering expert help on everything from tune-ups and brake work to air conditioning and suspension.

WHAT WE DO

When you bring your vehicle in for maintenance or repair, we guarantee a level of service uncommon in the industry. That means appointments tailored to your schedule, detailed safety and maintenance inspections, no work or billing surprises, manufacturer-recommended services, responsible environmental practices, and recall alerts. Plus, we only use high-quality, competitively priced parts so you know you’re getting your money’s worth. And we back it all with a personalized, competitive service warranty that works in your favour.

WHY CHOOSE US

Our facilities are staffed with professionals who are trained to offer exceptional service and quality repair work day in, day out. So if your car is brand new, a timeless classic, or somewhere in between, we have the experience, equipment and training to get the job done right.

Contact us for all your vehicle needs, we are here for you and have been for over 40 years. Support local!

FOX Live Valve technology meets the 2019 Ford F-150 Raptor at Dale Adams

We often talk about the Shelby mods that we do here at Dale Adams but first and foremost we are Albertan, and Albertans love their Ford Trucks. Did you know we are also officially licensed to create amazing Ford Raptor mod packages like this Fox Shocks package. Read on and when you are ready give us a call to talk about us helping you create your very own dream truck.

2019 Ford F-150 Raptor features class-exclusive FOX 3.0 Internal Bypass shocks with Live Valve technology that can adapt to terrain in real-time to actively maximize handling, comfort, and bottom-out resistance.

To take the 2017/2018 Raptor's 3.0 Internal Bypass shock package to the next level, FOX worked directly with Ford Performance to develop our all-new electronically controlled Live Valve damping technology for the upgraded 2019 F-150 Raptor platform.

Live Valve technology continuously and intelligently adjusts compression damping in real-time to deliver the ideal ride for any terrain or driving situation. By utilizing various vehicle sensors and accelerometers, the shocks can instantaneously adapt to inertial, steering, braking, and acceleration inputs to actively maximize handling, comfort, and bottom-out resistance.

FOX patented, race proven Internal Bypass design provides position sensitive damping that ramps up as the shock travels further in the stroke. At ride height, fluid is allowed to freely bypass the main damping piston to deliver a plush, compliant ride in light terrain. Transitional compression zones progressively decrease bypass flow for a smooth increase in damping as the shock travels further in the stroke. Hydraulic bump and rebound catch zones at full compression and extension prevent harsh bottoming and top-outs. The result is comfortable and controlled ride with extreme off-road performance.

Ready to drive one? Give us a call!

10 Car Jokes For Enthusiasts

We all love a good laugh, and our friends love their vehicles. Let's combine the two and have a few chuckles. Feel free to use these at your next car show to crack up your friends.

Dale and the Gang

Really Bad Driver
I'm such a bad driver that on the drive here my navigation said, "In 300 metres stop and let me out!"

Loan Collateral
A businessman walked into a New York City bank and asked for the loan officer. He said he was going to Europe on business for two weeks and needed to borrow $5,000. The loan officer said the bank would need some security for such a loan.

The business man then handed over the keys to a Rolls Royce that was parked on the street in front of the bank. Everything checked out and the loan officer accepted the car as collateral for the loan. An employee then drove the Rolls into the bank's underground garage and parked it there.

Two weeks later the businessman returned, repaid the $5,000 and the interest which came to $15.41.

The loan officer said, "We do appreciate your business and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a bit puzzled. While you were away we checked and found that you are a multimillionaire. What puzzles us is why you would bother to borrow $5,000?"

The business man replied: "Where else in New York City can I park my car for two weeks for fifteen bucks?"

Uncle With A Drinking Problem
I had an uncle who had the most bizarre fixation back in the day- he would drink brake fluid. Maybe back in those days it was less toxic than it is today, because he never expired of it, but we were always worried about him doing it.

I remember one time my dad told him that he was addicted and needed to cut it out, that it was bad for him.

My uncle replied “Nonsense, I can stop anytime.”

Need A Gas Cap
Guy walks into my parts store. Says "I need a gas cap for a Kia."
I said, okay, sounds like a fair trade.

Not What You Think
As a little girl is coming out of school, a man pulls up in his car, rolls down the window and says to her, "I'll give you a sweet if you'll get in the car with me."

The little girl says, "No, I not getting in the car."

The next day the same man pulls up again, rolls down the window and says to the same little girl, "I'll give you two sweets if you'll get in the car with me."

The little girl repeats, "No, I'm not getting in the car."

The third day the man pulls up and offers her a whole bag of sweets if she will get into the car.

"No Dad," replies the girl, "There's no way I'm getting into the Mustang!"

Oh Brother
I was driving with my friend. We come to a red light and he speeds up and whips right through it. I start freaking out "Hey man, your going to get us killed!" He replies "Relax, my brother drives like this." We come to another red light and he blazes right through. "You're going to get arrested or get us killed!" "Relax this is how my brother drives." We come to a green light he stops dead looking both ways. "Dude, it's green you can go." "Nah man, my brother might be coming the other way."

Kids These Days
A police officer stops a millennial for speeding and asks if he could see their license.

The millennial replied in a huff, “I wish you guys would get your act together. Yesterday you took my license away and today you expect me to show it to you!”

Wise Man
Confucius say, man who runs behind car will get exhausted, but man who runs in front of car will get tired.

Always Target The Big Guy First
A guy walks into a bar and demands to know "Who's the strongest in here?"
The toughest guy looks at him and says "I am the strongest around here!"
The other guy politely asks "Can you help me push my car to the gas station?"

Pulled Over Master
A cop pulls a car over for speeding.

Cop: “Sir, do you know you were doing 110 mph in a 90 zone?”

Driver: “ Yes! I’m Sorry, but that’s because I was racing another car and lost track of the speed.”

Since he did not see any car besides that, the cop asks – “Sir, have you been drinking?”

Driver: “A little bit of Whisky, but just because I needed something to take with the LSD I took at a party!”

Cop: “LSD? Sir, I need you to step out of the car! Is there anything else I need to know? Drugs, Firearms?”

Driver: “Sure! There is at least 5 pounds of cocaine in my glove department and an AK-47 under my seat! But please, don’t open the trunk, or the person I just kidnapped will scape!”

The cop, not believing in what he heard and a little afraid, called his superior!

At his arrival, the cop told the Sheriff all that. The Sheriff told he to wait by his car and goes to speak with the driver:

Sheriff: “Sir, my subordinate told me you have a kidnapped person in your trunk!”

Driver opens the trunk: “As you can see, there’s no one here, but my jack and spare tire”

Sheriff: “What about the AK under your seat?”

Driver pulling his seat forward: “There’s no such thing here, just an umbrella!!”

Sheriff: “I see! And the cocaine in your glove compartment”

Driver opens the glove compartment: “you must be kidding me! Only my registration’s there!”

Sheriff: “Have you been drinking or engaging in any kind of drugs?”

Driver: “Sir, I don’t smoke cigarettes, don’t even drink soda! I’ve been in my home all night with my mom and she's the most fervently religious woman you never know! That cop over there must be kidding you! HE told you I was drunk, took drugs, was armed and a drug dealer, and had kidnapped someone? What else? That I was speeding too?”

It's easy to forget about your tires or just rely on what came with your vehicle. However, we want to help educate you a bit. Instead of a long essay, we figured it easier to use some professional videos that highlight 3 key points.

New Tires vs. Worn Tires

How much difference does it make? Let's watch a very cool video by Engineering Explained with help from our friends at Michelin Tires. If you want more details on this we encourage you to visit the Michelin website here: https://www.michelinman.com/longlastingperformance

Summer vs Winter vs All Season - What Tires Should You Buy?

We get this question all the time here at Dale Adams. "Are All Season tires good enough for winter?".  Always consider where you live and the conditions. It can cost you a bit more but consider that winter tires usually have a 5-7 year life span. What does Engineering Explained say. Watch and learn.

What to watch out for buying tires - Industry Insider Report

We are always very transparent with all of our customers but we encourage you to watch this ABC News story about what you should watch out for from salespeople when buying ties. Great tips.

We are here to help.

We here at Dale Adams work with multiple tire vendors and we always put our customers first. If you have questions about tires come talk to us and we will make sure we meet your needs and your budget.

Contact us for more information.

Total car care experts offer the most important reasons to routinely change a vehicle’s oil : Engines are made up of many moving parts, and those parts need to be properly lubricated to avoid damage. Oil in the engine provides this vital function. Over time, that oil breaks down and becomes contaminated with dust, dirt and debris from the engine as well as the environment. When that happens, oil can’t properly do its job.

A recent study by the Car Care Council of the Be Car Care Aware campaign stated that 22% of vehicles have low or dirty engine oil. Proactively changing a vehicles’ oil and filter will help the engine continue to work at its best and prevent costly repairs to drivers down the road. Compare the average cost of a years’ worth of oil changes($120) to the cost of not proactively maintaining a vehicle’s engine ($4,000)* and the benefit to both wallets and vehicle well-being is clear. The total car care experts at Meineke are sharing the top reasons oil and filter changes are so important to a car’s well-being.

• Maintains engine lubrication. Imagine all the moving parts, pistons, valves, and other engine parts moving at high rates of speed under the hood of a car. These components create heat and will wear down the engine dramatically without proper oil lubrication. Make sure to refer to the owner’s manual to see what specific weight and grade of oil the vehicle requires and ensure it is kept at the recommended fill volume.
• Cools engine components. Moving parts that lack proper lubrication create friction, which in turn creates heat. Maintaining clean and sufficient amounts of oil is the perfect solution to prevent too much friction and over-heating of the engine.
• Removes engine wear particles and sludge. Dirt particles are deadly to engines. Over time, dirt can cause corrosion and decrease the life of an engine. Also as time goes on, oil breaks down and turns to “sludge.” The name of the game is to keep the engine clean. Routine oil and filter changes help remove particles and sludge and keep engines at peak condition.
• Improves gas mileage. Poor engine lubrication can lead to increased fuel consumption, so make sure there is enough clean oil in the engine. The U.S. Department of Energy says that with routine changes and the right kind of oil, gas mileage can be improved over time by 1-2%. That doesn’t sound like much of an improvement, but for the average car, it leads to savings of an entire gallon of gas for a year!
• Promotes vehicle longevity. Plain and simple, routine maintenance makes your vehicle last longer. Buildup from dirty oil robs a vehicle’s fuel economy and power and makes internal components work harder. An engine that works too hard will end up having more problems down the road as well as a shorter life span. According to Kelley Blue Book, car valuation increases at resale time if regular maintenance has been upheld.

Performing oil changes personally can be a hassle, but it is a necessary task that must be done. We here at Dale Adams Automotive guarantee that your oil is changed by an experienced, professional technician. Come and see how affordable and convenient routine maintenance and repairs here at Dale Adams Automotive can be.

Dale and Staff

*According to AutoMD.com 

This article was adjusted from an original posts on Meineke.com and Total Car Care.

1. If your car is hot inside you can cool it down by 5-10 degrees really quickly.

   Though you look like you are a bit crazy, if your car is sweltering hot inside here's the trick to cool it down really quick.
   
   Simply roll down your driver's side window all the way, then get out of your car and walk around to the driver's side of the car, or better yet have a passenger help. Then just open and close the passenger door about 10 times to create an air flow inside the car. Boo yeah, much cooler. You don't have to close the door all the way so don't feel like you have to slam the door.
   
   

2. Contrary to popular belief, you actually save gas by using the air conditioning while driving fast rather than rolling down the windows.

   For those who want to save on gas costs many times we have heard that driving with the AC off will save on gas costs. Though true at slower and moderate city type driving, at faster speeds-like on a highway-it is more economical on gas to actually roll the windows up and use the AC. Show this article to the disbelievers.
   
   

3. You can drive for free if restaurants are nice and let you have their used cooking oil.

   If you drive a vehicle with a diesel engine, it is possible to drive it without ever buying any diesel. With the addition of a conversion kit, you can actually run such vehicles on vegetable oil—such as the used cooking oil discarded by fast-food restaurants each day. Since you’re basically burning trash, your fuel bill can be reduced almost to zero. Plus, you’re both eliminating waste and running on renewable, 100% bio-based fuel. The potential downside: according to some users, it makes your exhaust smell like french fries.
   
   

4. Horsepower doesn't really relate to the power a horse can exert.

   By the formal definition of horsepower-the power required to lift 33,000 pounds by one foot in one minute-a real horse musters only about 0.7 horsepower. Maybe the horses just need to install their own supercharger?
   
   

5. Maybe we should let Big Brother drive.

   Though we have to get over our control issues and it would be less fun for us that enjoy driving, society would be better off if we let the computers take over. Self-driving cars could improve highway flow by regulating distances between cars and ease urban congestion by automating the search for parking (which causes up to three-quarters of city traffic). There would be very little traffic, less accidents and we could nap like champions to get rid of those extra adult beverages you had on a work night.

We hope you enjoyed these little factoids of ours. Please feel free to share any of your tips about the cars we all use and love.

The Dale Adams Crew

Between 12:01am Friday November 23, 2018 through 11:59 pm Monday November 25, 2018 Whipple is having a very rare sale on their products.

Save 15%* on your order placed between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

If you have been thinking about a Supercharger now is the time to buy. This is the best sale on Whipple Superchargers we have ever seen at Dale Adams Automotive. 

THIS IS A LIMITED TIME OFFER! You only have a 4 day window to order so contact us right away and we can help get the performance you've always wanted from your vehicle.

For more information please use our contact page or call us at 1.403.777.4777.

Don't delay, call us today to get your order ready!

*Terms and Conditions of the Whipple Sale

Orders must be paid in full within the period of the sale and before Tuesday November 27, at 12pm.

Labor charges such as colour options as well as freight are not discounted. All orders with full payment must be in to Dale Adams Automotive by Tuesday at noon, November 27, 2018. No exceptions. Ask us for information on financing or if you have any questions on this sale.