Winter is quickly approaching the North State and it’s about time to think about winterizing your car. Preparing your car for winter is a little different if you are living in the warmer Redding and Red Bluff area then is you are in Mount Shasta or Yreka or near the coastal towns of Crescent City or Eureka but many things remain the same.

Winter Tires

Winter means bad weather, wherever you live in Northern California. For the more temperate areas like Redding or along the coast that likely means making sure you have sufficient tread on your tires to keep you from hydroplaning when it starts to rain. If you are in the mountain areas then it’s time to check the snow tires and see if they need to be replaced.

Don’t forget to check your snow chains also. This is a good time to make sure they are clean, have a light coat of oil to keep them from rusting and have fresh rubbers if you need to use bands to keep the chain tight on the tire.

Winter Brakes

While you may have been putting up with a little pulling when you hit the brakes during the summer (not really a good idea), this can easily mean a spinout in snow or rain. Having your brakes checked for uneven wear is a good idea.

Oil and Coolant

It’s not uncommon to use one weight of oil for the summer and another for the winter. If you check your owner’s manual you will likely find that the manufacturer recommends different oil for different temperature ranges. Most of Northern California experiences a wide range of temperatures. Be sure you have the right oil for what you expect for the upcoming months.

Having a radiator shop check your antifreeze/coolant is a good idea before the heavy winter months as well as right before the heavy summer months.

Windshield Fluid

Likely you will be using your wiper fluid far more often in the winter, be sure it is full. Also, you live in the colder snowy areas it’s best to use a commercial windshield wiper fluid. Commercial fluid is designed to help keep ice and snow from forming on your windows. This is very helpful in a storm.

It’s also not a bad idea to treat your windows with a treatment like Rain-X to help water bead off your windows. That along with some new blades treaded with silicon will help keep your windows clear. An anti fog treatment can also be applied to the inside of the windows to assist in being sure you can see clearly.

Winter Emergency kits

If you are planning to drive in the snow, don’t skimp on your emergency kit. These should include Flares, a blanket, and flashlight. Also it is a very good idea to have a gallon of drinking water and a few snacks. On the off chance that you have an accident and are on the side of the road a day or two, these items can be the difference between life and death.

Battery Check

It’s also time to check the battery. A marginal battery that has been able to start your car fine in the summer may not be able to in the cold of winter. Battery shops can check to see if you battery is still holding a full charge and if your system is capable of bringing it to a full charge. This is also a good time to check fluid levels and be sure the cables and connectors are clean and in good shape. Nothing quite beats being stuck in the cold due to a weak battery.

While this may seem to be a lot of work it is well worth it. Usually a good tire shop can perform all or at least most of these checks, with the rest of them being checked at one of the oil change businesses. That means a couple hours and two stops can help prevent an accident or being stuck on the side of the road in bad weather.

Compact pickup trucks are among the top choices for those in the market for a versatile vehicle. Why? Because, for those that need a decent work truck, they can carry and tow loads. They provide interior space and comfort for long rides with multiple passengers. And, for the rugged and adventurous of heart, they can handle almost any on or off-road conditions.

The Chevy Colorado is a compact pickup that is among the most reasonable in its class for hauling capability, economic price, comfort, and best gas mileage. This makes it particularly appealing to buyers in the market for a new truck.     

Feature Overview

The Colorado is available with two, or four, wheel drive in three cab styles: regular cab, extended cab, or crew cab (the most common work truck style). The crew cab includes a 5 foot lockable tool/cargo box, while the other styles offer a 6-footer.

A standard Chevy Colorado includes a four-cylinder 2.9 liter engine with 185 horsepower, 190 lb-ft of torque, and a standard manual transmission. The optional five-cylinder 3.7 liter engine produces 242 lb-ft of torque and includes a standard automatic transmission.

The gas mileage on a 4-cylinder regular cab ranges from 18 miles-per-gallon in the city to 24 mpg on the highway. That range drops steadily to 15 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the crew cabs. Optional 4-wheel drive models feature push button controls, and locking rear differential.

The towing capacity of the Colorado is anything up to 4,000lbs, a range that is adequate for most light duty requirements, but would perhaps not be enough for someone that needed a work truck to haul heavy loads.

Under this Chevy’s frame is a four wheel anti-lock brake system (ABS), wishbone front suspension system with a stabilizing bar, coil springs, and rear beam suspension with leaf springs.

Handy miscellaneous features on the base Colorado model include a 12v power outlet, tinted glass on the cabin and rear windows, fixed front seat cup holders, height adjustable 3-point reel seatbelts, door pockets and bins for the driver and passenger doors, driver and passenger airbags, and delayed courtesy lights.

Governmental agencies gave the Chevrolet Colorado a perfect 5 star rating for driver and passenger safety in frontal impact collision tests. Side impact collisions on crew cab models were rated four stars for front passengers, and five for rear passengers. In frontal-offset crash tests the Colorado was awarded the highest rating by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Pros and Cons

The main advantages to the Colorado are that it is affordable, dependable for on and off-road handling, that it has top marks in safety crash testing, and has good gas mileage.

The main disadvantages, when compared to other models in its class, are that its engine lacks power, that it has limited towing capacity when it comes to larger loads, and that the interior is not as plush and finished as its counterparts. 

After weighing the Colorado’s features, advantages, and disadvantages, with individual needs, many prospective buyers have decided that the Chevrolet Colorado is the best option for their overall needs and basic truck requirements.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is seeking the maximum civil penalty of $16.375 million against Toyota Motor Corporation for failing to notify the auto safety agency of the dangerous “sticky pedal” defect for at least four months, despite knowing of the potential risk to consumers. Approximately 2.3 million vehicles in the U.S. were recalled in late January for the sticky pedal defect. The penalty being sought against Toyota would be the largest civil penalty ever assessed against an auto manufacturer by NHTSA.

Auto manufacturers are legally obligated to notify NHTSA within five business days if they determine that a safety defect exists. NHTSA learned through documents obtained from Toyota that the company knew of the sticky pedal defect since at least September 29, 2009. That day, Toyota issued repair procedures to their distributors in 31 European countries and Canada to address complaints of sticky accelerator pedals, sudden increases in engine RPM, and sudden vehicle acceleration. The documents also show that Toyota was aware that consumers in the United States were experiencing the same problems.

“We now have proof that Toyota failed to live up to its legal obligations,” said Secretary LaHood. “Worse yet, they knowingly hid a dangerous defect for months from U.S. officials and did not take action to protect millions of drivers and their families. For those reasons, we are seeking the maximum penalty possible under current laws.”

“Safety is our top priority and we will vigorously pursue companies that put consumers at risk,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “We will continue to hold Toyota accountable for any additional violations we find in our ongoing investigation.”

On February 16, NHTSA launched an investigation into the timeliness and scope of the three recent Toyota recalls and required the automaker to turn over documents and explanations related to its adherence to U.S. auto safety laws. NHTSA made a preliminary determination on the fine announced today based on a review of documents Toyota has provided. To date, Toyota has submitted more than 70,000 pages of documents, which NHTSA officials are continuing to review.

NHTSA has the most active defect investigation program in the world, opening or closing an investigation almost every week. Over the last three years, NHTSA’s defect and compliance investigations have resulted in 524 recalls involving 23.5 million vehicles.

This Year’s (2009) IIHS Booster Seat Evaluation

The Insurance Institute For Highway Safety has made an evaluation for this year’s round of booster seats. This is very good for you parents with children from 4-8 years old. Why you might ask? They may have grown out of their car seat but that does not necessarily mean they are ready to go to a straight seat belt.

While seatbelt work great for full-grown adults they are not meant for anyone under 4’ 9” and your 4 year probably isn’t quite there yet. So what do you do then? Use a booster seat. Now if you are looking to give your kid the best safety possible, which I’m guessing you are because you are buying a booster seat in the first place and reading this article, You need to search carefully for the proper booster seat for your child. Not all of them do quite as good of a job as the manufacturers would like you to think they do.

You might say well that’s easy, I’ll just look for the most expensive or a name brand booster seat. Sorry, to tell you that won’t work either. The best rated booster seats range from anywhere from $20-$250 and guess what, so do the booster seats that were given a bad rating. So if price and looks don’t tell you how good a booster seat is, how do you pick a good one. This article will tell you how to pick a booster seat that works best for your child and also show you some of the best rated booster seats.

What a Booster Seat Should Do

There are two main things that you need to look for when you are looking for a booster seat for your child.

First you need to see where the lap belt sits you want it to sit flat across the child’s upper thighs, there is a strong bone structure here and the belt is less likely to do damage. What you don’t want is for the lap belt to sit on the soft abdominal area. This is far more likely to do damage in the case of an accident.

The second thing you need to look at is where the shoulder strap sits. The ideal postision for the shoulder strap is across the middle of the shoulder. Too high or too low on the shoulder can be more dangerous and is also less comfortable for the child.

Highbacks vs. Backless – Which is safest?

There are two main styles of booster seats. The highback and the backless. Neither is recommended over the other, but each have there benefits. Backless tend to postion the lap belt better. Highback tend to give a better shoulder strap fit in all vehicle, whereas backless at times need a clip to position the shoulder belt properly. Both highbacks and backless are among the booster seats rated best bets (or safest booster seats) as well as those evaluated as not recommended.

How it is Tested

For testing, a test dummy representing the size of an average 6 year old is used. 4 different conditions were used and 4 measurements were taken on the shoulder strap and 4 measurements were taken on the lap belt. Then an overall rating was given based on the scores for the lap belt and shoulder strap.

It good to note that these results are based on what booster seats work best for an average sized 6 year old child in a small range of vehicles. These test results are meant to give a good idea of what booster seats might work best for your child, but the best way to choose a booster seat is to see how it fits your child.

The Results

Best Bets

Britax Frontier, Clek Oobr, Combi Dakota backless with clip, Cosco Juvenile Pronto, Eddie Bauer Auto Booster, Evenflo Big Kid Amp backless with clip, Maxi-Cosi Rodi XR, Recaro Vivo, Recaro Young Sport.

Good Bets
Britax Parkway SG, Combi Kobuk backless with clip, Evenflo Symphony 65, Graco TurboBooster SafeSeat Step 3 (Sachi), Graco TurboBooster SafeSeat Step 3 (Wander), Maxi-Cosi Rodi.

NOT RECOMMENDED by the IIHS

Alpha Omega, Alpha Omega Elite, Alpha Omega Luxe Echelon, Combi Kobuk, Eddie Bauer Deluxe, Eddie Bauer Deluxe 3-in-1, Evenflo Express, Evenflo Sightseer, Harmony Secure Comfort Deluxe backless with clip, Safety 1st All-in-One, Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite.

To see more information on 2009 booster seat evaluations you can go to IIHS.org.

I’ve been looking over some of the safety features offered on some of the newest lines of cars. One car that seems to stand out with an innovative list of features is the 2010 Lincoln MKZ. While it may be a little early to start looking for one in the NorCalCars showroom, today’s new cars will soon be tomorrows used cars!

Expect to get a little more kick out of this model than the previous years. A few of the performance features include sport tuned suspension and optional all wheel drive. The improvement in powertrain performance shaves the Lincolns 0-60 mph time down by .6 seconds from 7.7 to 7.1. This boost helped by the Six-Speed “SelectShift” automatic transmission that comes standard.

The new safety features are what have really caught our eye though. Starting with the “BLIS” or Blind Spot Information System. The BLIS uses two multiple beam radar modules behind the rear fender and indicator lights in the outside rear-view mirrors to warn the driver when someone enters into the defined blind spot.

Another feature called the CTA uses the same radar system from the BLIS to alert the driver while backing up with both Visual and Audible alerts when you start getting to close to another object.

Backing up is further aided by a reverse camera system. When the vehicle is shifted into reverse a small camera mounted on the decklid is activated and displayed either on the navigation screen or in the self-dimming review mirror if the vehicle is not equipped with navigation.

Rain sensing wipers detect the presence of moisture on the windshield and automatically activate the wipers.

A feature I really look forward to trying out is the Adaptive HID headlights. Depending on the speed of the vehicle and steering inputs the headlight will rotate to allow for greater visibility around turns.

Finally, if you do get in an accident the SOS post crash alert kicks in activating the horn, emergency flashers, unlocking the doors, and turns on the interior light when the airbag is deployed.

I’ll be keeping my eyes open for one of these to hit one of the NorCalCars dealer lots so I can get a chance at a test drive. Who knows, I might even stop by Ford in the summer for a test ride.

As we get into the winter months with the possibility of wet, icy, or even heavy snow conditions in the Northern California area, it’s good to take a look at the condition of your tires. For drivers that must drive even in adverse conditions it’s also good to consider the type of tires you have on your vehicle. Here are a few tips for choosing tires in the Northern California area.

Mud and Snow Tires
Tires marked “M + S” (“mud and snow” tires) “MS” or “M/S”, also known as “all-season” tires, provide safe all-weather performance, but may not be suitable in heavy snow. One reason is that these tires tend to stiffen and loose gripping power around 0 Celsius. California vehicle code defines a mud and snow tire as “Snow-tread tire is a tire which has a relatively deep and aggressive tread pattern compared with conventional passenger tread pattern” (section 558). Often tires of this type are sufficient for the lower altitude towns like Redding, unless you plan on heading into the mountains during the storms.

Snow Tires
Tires rated as Snow tires are made of a different formulation of rubber. These are meant to remain softer and will retain traction even in the lower temperatures. The tradeoff is that they will normally wear much quicker than “All Season” tires. Tires of this type may be recommended if you live in the higher altitude towns like Mt Shasta. Even then it would depend on how much driving you do during the storms. If you live in an area where you can wait for the roads to clear before driving, a less aggressive tire may be adequate.

While it may be tempting to only put snow tires on the drive wheels, this is usually a poor idea. For best traction it is always best to have a full set of matching tires. To keep from prematurely wearing down your more expensive snow tires it may be a good idea to buy a second set of rims and tires and switch to those as we head into the snowy months.

Winter Wiper Blades
While a good set of tires is highly recommended in order to keep you on the road, other factors can also affect your winter driving safety. One thing People often don’t think about until a storm hits are wiper blades. There is also a choice here. During a heavy rain or show storm Silicone Wiper Blades can greatly assist being able to see. These often use a much higher quality rubber that contains an active silicone coating that treats your windshield, helping water bead on the surface, which assists in wiping water and snow cleanly from your window.

A good supply of wiper fluid also helps to keep your windshield clean. Wiper fluids designed for winter areas will not freeze as easily as straight water and will do more to clean your windshield and keep the snow from accumulating on the side of your window.

Before taking your car out into the heavy weather this year, be sure to check to make sure it is up to the task!

Your kid is out of the car seat, so that means it is time to go to a full on seatbelt, right? Well, not really. Regular seat belts are meant for adults and only work properly if the person using it is 4’9” or taller.

You already know your child is too big for the car seat, but he is not big enough for an adult safety belt yet. What’s the solution?

A booster seat.

Okay, you’re all ready to buy a booster seat for your kid. Now all you have to do choose which one to get. You know they can’t all be good, so which one do you choose?

Choosing a Booster Seat 

Fortunately the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has made an in depth study of booster seats. They have determined which booster seats are safe and which booster seats are not so safe.

They have based their study on two very important factors, where the lap belt falls and where the shoulder belt lays. Accurate placement of these two belts is really the booster seat’s whole purpose in life. Where a booster seat places these belts determines whether or not it is a safe booster seat.

The lap belt has the tendency rise up and lay in on the soft abdomen instead of resting on the hard pelvic bone. If the belt is too high the belt can cause serious internal injury. That is where the booster seat comes in, the better it keeps the lap belt on the bone the safer the booster seat is.

The shoulder belt has the tendency to either ride too close to the neck or two far over on the shoulder, both of which can cause serious damage in case of an accident. Booster seats have the goal of keeping that shoulder belt right in between those two areas.

Highbacks usually do a better job of this than back-less booster seats, because of the control that they have over the shoulder belt.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has created a list of booster seats that are your Best Bets, Good Bets and not recommended. Fill free to check this out and see where your child’s booster seat ranks.

The Best Bets you can feel pretty safe about, but it still comes down to seeing which booster seat fits your child the best. By fitting the booster seat with your child’s needs you can be assured that your child has the best protection available in case of an accident.

For more information you can go to the official Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website.

Not Recommended (click here for pictures)

Safety Angel Ride Ryte backless
Cosco/Dorel (Eddie Bauer) Summit
Graco CarGo Zephyr
Evenflo Big Kid Confidence
Cosco/Dorel Traveler
Compass B505
Compass B510
Evenflo Generations
Dorel/Safety 1st (eddie Bauer) Prospet
Cosco Highback Booster
Cosco/Dorel Alpha Omega
Evenflo Chase Comfort Touch
Safety 1st/Dorel Intera

Best Bets (click here for pictures)

Graco TurboBooster backless with clip
Fisher-Price Safe Voyage backless with clip
Combi Kobuk backless with clip
Fisher-Price Safe Voyage
Britax Parkway
LaRoche Bros. Teddy Bear
Safeguard Go Backless with clip
Volvo booster cushion
Recaro Young Style
Britax Monarch

Good Bets (click here for pictures)

Graco TurboBooster
Safety Angel Ride Ryte
Recaro Young Sport
Combi Kobuk
Safety 1st/Dorel Apex 65

For the latest reports Check out the 2009 Safest Booster Seats report