Snow Tires: To Buy or Not to Buy?

Snow tires I have learned are a complicated business. There is a lot of information out there and I’m not certain what is right or wrong for any one person in particular but, here is what I can pass along to you. Mounting the right tires on your car or truck can give you a huge advantage when trekking through snow. Many car makers and tire manufacturers recommend changing all four tires to snow tires in the winter. However, if you choose not to swap out all four, the difference between snow and summer tires can cause other problems for you and your vehicle.

All-Season vs. Snow Tires:
All-season tires are NOT snow tires. Sorry folks. All-season tires are your jack-of-all trade tires. They do everything but don’t specialize specifically well in any one area either.  Snow tires or winter tires are made for snow. They focus their attention on the exact conditions you’ll most likely be facing during the winter season. They are designed to work best in cold winter temperatures, below 45 degrees, and have tread patterns and tread compounds that are designed to take bites out of the snow and work well on packed snow and ice. All season tires aren’t created to do this as well which of course can lead to sliding, skidding and low traction in bad weather.  

SUV’s and Snow Tires:
I can hear a few of you saying, “I have an SUV with all-wheel drive, I don’t need snow tires.” Well the truth is you still might. All-wheel drive is only as useful as the traction your tires allow the all-wheel drive system to gain. Having snow tires will help you get the most out of your all-wheel drive vehicle. Also, all-wheel drive can help you get going but can’t help you stop or turn your vehicle. Again snow tires will maximize your ability to do both, with or without all-wheel drive.

Picking the Right Tire:
Do your research or talk to a trusted dealer for advice. Every tire snow, all-season or otherwise are created to perform in a specific way. You will need to take driving conditions, your vehicle, and driving habits into consideration when picking which tire will work best for you.

Two vs. Four Snow Tires:
No reputable tire dealer will put only two snow tires on your car. Snow tires are so highly advanced over summer or all-season tires that it might be more dangerous to have only two snow tires than choosing not to change your tires at all. While driving, your two snow tires will dig into the snow and ice while your two normal tires will float on the surface. This will result in snap oversteer and your car will suddenly want to begin spinning down the road with little likelihood you will be able to keep your vehicle under control.

Watch what snap oversteer looks like at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9snlEeDNKA

I Will Not Fail Thee, nor Forsake Thee

President Thomas S. Monson taught:

"Our Heavenly Father, who gives us so much to delight in, also knows that we learn and grow and become stronger as we face and survive the trials through which we must pass. We know that there are times when we will experience heartbreaking sorrow, when we will grieve, and when we may be tested to our limits. However, such difficulties allow us to change for the better, to rebuild our lives in the way our Heavenly Father teaches us, and to become something different from what we were—better than we were, more understanding than we were, more empathetic than we were, with stronger testimonies than we had before.

This should be our purpose—to persevere and endure, yes, but also to become more spiritually refined as we make our way through sunshine and sorrow. Were it not for challenges to overcome and problems to solve, we would remain much as we are, with little or no progress toward our goal of eternal life."

To read the entire talk click here: I Will Not Fail Thee, nor Forsake Thee

What does your life show?

"Ours is the responsibility to show our gratitude by the actions of our lives."
--Thomas S. Monson

To read more of President Monson's comments on gratitude and actions click here:
Gratitude, Action and Gifts

Winterize Your Car

Here are some helpful tips to get your car ready for winter. Yes, there are a few things you should do each year to help your car perform well during winter driving conditions.

1.  Check your tire pressure.
Tire pressure is especially important during winter, because traction is often at a minimum due to wet or snowy conditions. It’s critical to properly inflate tires, which guarantees the best possible contact between the tire and the road. Read your owner’s manual to find out the correct tire pressure for your vehicle. In the winter’s lower temperatures, the air pressure in a cold tire will drop. Since air is a gas, it contracts when it cools. Keep this in mind if you are checking tire pressure. Generally, for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit change in ambient temperature, your tire’s inflation pressure will change by about 1 psi. Has anyone’s low tire warning come on recently with the cold temperatures? This may be why.

2. Check to see if your engine requires lower-viscosity oil in the winter.
This isn’t nearly as hard as it sounds. Viscosity simply refers to how thick or thin a fluid is. Engine oils are sold with different viscosity levels. When winter arrives, the outside temperature drops. The colder the oil is, the thicker it will be. A thicker oil doesn’t circulate as well in an engine during start-up as a thinner oil would. If the oil is too thick, the engine doesn’t get the proper lubrication. To solve this problem, some engines require a change to a thinner oil. This may be more necessary to older vehicles, since many new cars already come with oil that’s thin enough to withstand the winter. Keep in mind an oil can also be too thin. Read your owner’s manual. It will list the manufacture’s oil recommendations for different climates.

3. Inspect the belts & hoses. 
Belts and hoses in modern cars lead long lives. But that doesn’t mean they don’t die. Cold temperatures can accelerate the demise of a belt or hose so have them inspected before winter starts.

4. Inspect the wipers and wiper fluid.
Visibility is practically key in winter, as it is often compromised by precipitation, salt build-up on the windshield and reduced daylight. The life expectancy of a wiper blade is one year.  If your car’s blades are older, replace them. Also check and fill your wiper fluid reservoir. Your might consider adding wiper fluid that has been mixed with a de-icer.

5. Check heater and windshield defroster. 
Winter will put your vehicle's windshield defrosters to the test. It's a good idea to check that they are in working order. While you're at it, check the air-conditioner, too. An easy way to speed up the defrost process is to turn on the A/C. (You can leave the temperature dial on warm so you don't have to suffer.) And now is also a good time to make sure your heating system works.

6. Check the battery.
Batteries give little notice before they die, and they absolutely love to expire at the worst possible moment. Very cold temperatures can reduce a vehicle’s battery power by up to 50 percent. If your vehicle battery is older than three years, have it tested at a certified automotive repair facility. Also, make sure the posts and connections are free of corrosion. If the posts are corroded, you can clean them with baking soda, water and a small brush.

7. Check antifreeze mixture.
The ideal mixture of antifreeze (coolant) and water inside your vehicle’s radiator is 50:50. I the mixture deviates from this norm, then hot and cold weather performance can suffer.
If you were to put pure water in your vehicle’s radiator, it would freeze at 32 degrees F. But if you combine after with the equal amount of antifreeze, the new mixture won’t freeze until -34 degrees F. Most antifreeze you’ll find in stores already come pre-mixed, which makes this process much easier. You can check the composition of a radiator’s mixture by using an antifreeze tester, which is available at auto part stores and is inexpensive and easy to use. If the mixture is off, adjust it by adding more antifreeze.

Find more info at: http://www.edmunds.com/how-to/winterize-your-vehicle.html

Got turkey questions?

Thanksgiving meal preparations are almost always overwhelming. Check out these links for some added help to make your day memorable and full of gratitude. Isn't that what it is really about?

Butterball Hints
Top Turkey Tips from the Food Network
A little help from Martha Stewart

Avoiding Depletion Depression

Just a little reminder as we approach the beginning of the holidays.

"In preventing illness whenever possible, watch for the stress indicators in yourself and in others you may be able to help. As with your automobile, be alert to rising temperatures, excessive speed, or a tank low on fuel. When you face “depletion depression,” make the requisite adjustments. Fatigue is the common enemy of us all—so slow down, rest up, replenish, and refill. Physicians promise us that if we do not take time to be well, we most assuredly will take time later on to be ill."

To read more check out Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's October 2013 Conference Address  Like a Broken Vessel

Gratitude

“Gratitude is one of the most important human virtues and one of the most common human deficiencies. Gratitude does not develop without effort.”
-- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf