Guide To Safe Vehicle Towing

Let’s talk about towing safety. Too often drivers just slap a trailer on the hitch and take off. But there are safety considerations to protect your tow vehicle, comply with Illinois laws and limit your liability. Know your tow vehicle. Your options will affect the tow rating, so you need to carefully read the towing…

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Selecting Tires

Do you need new tires? How do you know which tires to get? Let’s look at selecting new tires in light of three factors: Function, Fit, and Value. Function: This gets at what your needs are for new tires: weather conditions, terrain, temperatures, etc. New family vehicles come with all-season tires. They can be used all year long and do…

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Wheel Squeal (What Causes Squealing While Steering)

When teenagers squeal at a concert, it’s usually a sound of joy. When your vehicle squeals when you are turning, it could be a sign of something dangerous. When engineers designed your vehicle’s steering system, they intended it to work smoothly and silently. So, you know when you get a warning sign like a squeal…

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Distracted Driving

When asked, most people think they are good at multi-tasking.  Scientific studies, however, reveal that only around 2% of the population can truly demonstrate the capacity to effectively multi-task.  For the rest of us who are not so biologically wired, no amount of practice can increase our effectiveness at multi-tasking.  Turns out, multi-tasking is almost…

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Now, Stop Right There! (Driving with ABS)

Do you know what kind of braking system you have on your vehicle?  It matters.  Do you think you should pump your brakes to get them to stop better on a slippery surface? Or are they the new computerized ones that pump the brakes for you? The most common brakes on today’s vehicles are anti-lock…

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Signs You May Need A Brake Job

What are the signs that you may need a brake job? Signs of brake problems often fall into one of two categories: making noise or a pulsation in the brake pedal. Let’s start with the noise. Most brake pads have an audible brake wear indicator. This is a small piece of metal that rubs on…

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Trip Inspection

A lot of drivers wonder about how to prepare their vehicle for a trip. That’s a big deal. You could be driving through mountains and deserts in some pretty lonely areas so you may be anxious to know that the car is up to the task and won’t leave you stranded. Drivers really do need…

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Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

All new cars and light trucks since 2008 have come equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system, or ‘TPMS’. The TPMS system detects when a tire becomes under-inflated and lights up a warning light on the dash. So what’s the big deal for drivers? Well, underinflated tires can be a real safety concern. First of all, they don’t handle properly…

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Mirror, Mirror (Door Mirror Problems)

You’ve probably seen them lying around at the side of the road: someone’s outside rearview mirror that’s been knocked off by a driver’s not-so-perfect driving.  And you realize the person who owns that vehicle now has lost an important safety feature.  Having functional mirrors enhances your safety and that of drivers around you. You probably…

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Light Into Darkness (Vehicle Lighting)

You need to be able to see at night and have other vehicles see you as well.  Spend a few minutes to check and make sure all your vehicle’s outside lights are working.  It might help to have a friend assist you since there are a few bulbs to check that are much easier to…

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