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Vehicle Maintenance Checklist for Fall

Personal Insurance Fairfiel NJ, Vehicle Maintenance, Fall Vehicle Maintenance, Check Vehicle Fluids, Inspect Vehicle Tires

The seasons are beginning to change and before we know it, cold weather will be here! The seasonal changes affect your vehicle in many different ways. Regular vehicle maintenance along with seasonal-specific car care tasks will help your vehicle last throughout the changes.

Check Fluids: This is the most important car care routine. The fluids lubricate, cool, and perform other vital functions to keep your car running. Check all fluids under the hood including: engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid, and power steering fluid.

Inspect Tires: Tires affect the braking ability, handling performance, and overall safety of your vehicle – needless to say they are important! Measure the tread depth at the outer tread, center tread, and inner tread. If the any of the tread depths reading is 2/32” or less, the tires are a safety hazard and need replaced immediately! You should also check the tire pressure. Ensure the tires are inflated to the specification listed on the placard inside the door jamb.

Check Lights, Blades, and Brakes: Long summer days will be coming to an end soon. Since nighttime comes earlier in the fall, you’re more than likely going to be driving in the dark. Ensure all lights are in proper working order. Snow can fall at any time during the fall and winter months. You will want to ensure your wiper blades and windshield washer are ready for these conditions. We don’t have to remind you the importance of your car’s breaks. Before the snow starts to fall is the perfect time to take a peek at your breaks to ensure they are good to go!

Check Heater: You will want a warm car during the crisp fall mornings and in the winter. Now is a good time to check the heater to see if it is blowing hot air. If it’s blowing cold air, there may be an underlying issue within the cooling system.

Emergency Kit: You never know when you are going to break down on the side of the road or get stuck in traffic during the snowy weather. Having an emergency kit in your car is a great idea to keep you and your passengers safe and warm. Emergency kits should include: extra hats and gloves, blankets, a flash light and batteries, jumper cables, a multipurpose utility tool, and a first aid kit.

As we say “goodbye” to summer and “hello” to fall and winter A.C. Marmo & Sons, Inc. wants to ensure you are safe on the road. While you are making your way through your fall vehicle checklist, give us a call at 973-340-9100 or visit us online at https://www.acmarmo.com/ to review your auto insurance policy. Stay safe, stay warm, and be prepared for anything!

Sources:

https://www.carparts.com/blog/five-fall-car-care-tips/

https://www.nsc.org/home-safety/safety-topics/emergency-preparedness/car-kit?

October 5, 2021/by A.C. Marmo & Sons

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How to Jump Start a Car

Trouble happens. You left your lights on and now you’re stuck with a dead car battery. While learning how to jump start a car can be easy, there are risks in it if done so incorrectly. As your insurance agent, we care about your safety so we put together the following guide on how to properly get you and your car charged and back on the road.

What do you need to jump start a car?

Before you can recharge and get going, you need a few basics: jumper cables and a power source – either a portable jump battery (a jump box) or another vehicle.

Jumper cables are long, thickly insulated cables with toothy clips on one or both ends. These clips are called alligator clips. The clips are distinguished by color, usually red and black, to indicate positive and negative polarity. The red clip is positive. The black clip is negative.

Jump boxes are portable batteries used to jump start a vehicle without connecting to another vehicle and come with special jump cables. These cables connect the jump battery directly to the dead car battery. Road side assistance usually uses a jump box when helping stalled vehicles.

What do you need to know about car batteries to jump start a car?

Car batteries have two larger nubs, called terminals. There is a positive terminal and a negative terminal. Each should be clearly marked. Connecting cables to the right terminal is important to completing the circuit and gives power to the dead battery.

Positive terminal – The positive terminal is usually the bigger of the two terminals. It is marked with “POS” or “+”. It will connect to the positive clip on the jumper cable, which is usually red.
Negative terminal – The negative terminal on the battery is usually marked with “NEG” or “-”. This will attach to the other clip, which is usually black.

CAUTIONS WHEN JUMP STARTING A CAR:

READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL. Some cars are not recommended for jump starting because they have sensitive circuitry
DO NOT JUMP corroded, cracked, leaking, or visibly damaged batteries
DO NOT JUMP frozen batteries
DO NOT JUMP dry batteries
DO NOT TOUCH CLIPS together. This is true when connected, but get in the habit by never touching the clips together.

Protect the donor battery

A quick test that there is enough voltage for the donor, be sure that the car giving the jump start headlights are steady and bright when the car is started. If the headlights dim, that can signal that the battery is low.

How do you use jumper cables to jump start a car from another vehicle?

CHECK BATTERIES: Make sure that the battery giving the jump has enough voltage and is a matching voltage system type (12V, 6V, etc.)
READY CARS: Put both cars in park or neutral, turn the ignitions off, and put on the parking brake.
OPEN THE HOOD of each car.
ATTACH ALLIGATOR CLIPS to the terminals in the following order:
- Red to Dead – Connect red, or positive, clip to the positive terminal on the battery of the dead car.
- Red to Donor – Connect the red, positive, clip to the positive terminal on the donor battery on the other car.
- Black to Donor – Connect the black clip to the negative terminal of the donor car.
- Black to Metal – Connect the black clip to an unpainted metal part of the dead car that is not directly next to the battery. One of the metal struts that hold the hood open is a good place to clip the second black, or negative, clip.
START THE DONOR CAR so that the battery can supply power to the dead battery.
IDLE the donor car, allowing it to run for a few minutes.
TEST the interior light of the car being jump started. If it goes on, there may be enough power.
START the dead car.

After the car is jump started:

Unclip the clips in the reverse order you connected them:

- The black clip on the unpainted metal
- The black clip from the negative terminal
- Red clip from the donor car
- Red clip from the dead car’s battery

If the jump works and your car starts, don’t shut off your engine! Drive around for at least 15 minutes to recharge your battery. If the car won’t start the next time you use it, the battery isn’t holding a charge and needs to be replaced.

Watch these steps for jump starting a car from Safe2Drive.

At A.C. Marmo & Sons, Inc., your road safety is very important to us. Call us at 973-340-9100 or visit our website at https://www.acmarmo.com/ to discuss your auto insurance needs. We can provide coverage from many insurance carriers so you receive the insurance for your budget and needs!

Source: https://www.idrivesafely.com/defensive-driving/trending/how-jump-car-simple-steps-bring-your-car-battery-back-life and https://www.dummies.com/home-garden/car-repair/how-to-jump-start-a-car/

September 3, 2021/by A.C. Marmo & Sons

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Summer Safety Tips with Kids!

Sunscreen

Summer is the season for sunscreen! When the sun is out, everyone should be protecting their skin. The Skin Cancer Foundation has found that children who have gotten severe sunburns have higher chances of developing Melanoma. Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that occurs in about 200,000 people per year in the United States. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends applying sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. Sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays is the best.

Sunscreen should be applied every 30 minutes and skin should be dry before applying. Regardless of age and skin type, always apply sunscreen to you and your children.

Poison Ivy

If your children are playing outside, make sure you and your children are aware of what poisonous plants look like. Let’s say a ball has been kicked into a grassy area and your child wants to retrieve it. Teach your child to check the area before walking through it. If they cannot tell or feel unsafe walking through the particular area, tell them to grab an adult.

If you or your children have been exposed to poison ivy, here are some symptoms of an on-coming rash:

Small bumps or hives
Itchy skin
Redness or red streaks
Blisters that drain fluid when popped

Not all symptoms are severe and need medical assistance. For minor cases, home remedies like cold showers will help the symptoms to dwindle. If home remedies are not working and the rash continues to spread, seek medical assistance as soon as possible.

Bicycles

Bicycle accidents are common among children in the summer, especially those just learning how to ride one. The Consumer Product and Safety Commission states that at least 300,000 children in the United States make a trip to the emergency room due to bike-related injuries.

The best way to keep your children safe on his or her bike is to make them wear protective gear, such as a helmet, knee pads and shoulder pads. If a child does get into a bicycle accident, minor injuries can be treatable at home. For major accidents, like those that result in broken bones, must seek medical help immediately.

Swim Safety

Summer is the best time for laying out by the pool and swimming all day! Whether it is a public pool or a private pool, the same rules apply to each. To ensure that your children are safe at any pool, go over the safety rules with them.

Many rules like no running and no diving in the shallow end apply to almost any pool. If your child is not a very good swimmer, provide a life jacket to ensure their head is always above water. If there are no lifeguards on duty, watch your children at all times or swim with them. If there are lifeguards, provide the right swim gear necessary!

Hydration

Make sure you and your children are drinking plenty of water when being outside. Dehydration can happen to anyone, especially children. It is important to eat and drink frequently throughout a summer day. Here are some symptoms of dehydration that everyone should be cautious of:

Fatigue
Dizziness
Irritability
Dry mouth
Excessive sweating
Dark yellow urine

Bee Stings

Bee stings are painful for anyone. Bees and insects are known for being practically everywhere during the summertime. Beehives can be located anywhere from trees to outside toys. Usually, hives are located in small areas where they are not always visible.

To make sure that your children are safe from getting a bee sting, check the area they are playing in for hives. Bug spray can help; however, it will not kill bees. In case of a bee sting, check if the stinger is not in the wound. Once removed, apply ice to relieve some pain and to shrink swelling. Once the area is less inflamed, wash the area and place a bandage if necessary. If your child is allergic to bee stings, seek medical assistance immediately.

August 4, 2021/by A.C. Marmo & Sons

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February 19, 2019/by A.C. Marmo & Sons, Inc.

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Vehicle Maintenance Checklist for Fall

How to Jump Start a Car

Summer Safety Tips with Kids!

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