Second in a series

THE WEATHERMEN TELL US that the Philippines is normally dry for about eight months out of the year and even during the rainy season rarely do we get rains everyday. We?re not new however to seeing water levels rise from canals or esteros and even major roads when a sudden downpour comes.

This has often led to problems because most drivers are just so used to driving around in the dry that they don?t really think about the dangers of wet weather. Let me talk about maintaining your car properly for the wet weather. A poorly maintained vehicle in the wet will not only lead to breakdowns on the road but major accidents which we?re not prepared for.

Here are some tips to keep your vehicle ready for the rains:

1. Keep your tires tread in check. Tires are very important because if you think about it, they are the ONLY part of the car that touches the ground!

About 70 percent of the people I ask on the right time to change tires think they need to run the tires all the way until they go bald and the thread is already coming out of the ply. They think this is when they have gotten the maximum life out of the tires.

This understanding of tire wear is very dangerous because tires intended for street use are called All-Weather tires. They should work well in both wet and dry conditions. Formula One cars only run slick tires in a dry condition giving them maximum grip due to the greater contact patch. As soon as it rains though, the situation changes and these cars have to come into the pits for a change to rain tires. Rain tires have grooves in them to disburse the water from the path of the tires to keep the rubber in contact with the road.

So you must keep a good amount of grooves on the tires so they can work in any condition. How much tire tread is needed? Look at the side of the tire and find the tire wear indicator. It points to the ridge in the tire tread. When the tread wears down and reaches this point, it is time to replace your tires!

2. Rotate and replace all four tires. Replacing only two front tires can put you at risk of an accident.

Most people drive around these days in Front Wheel Drive vehicles. What this means is when you step on the gas the front wheels pull the car forward. In this type of configuration the tendency is to eat up the front tires faster. If you are not diligent in rotating the tires often enough you will wear the front tires down much quicker.

It is always best to replace all four tires at the same time so that the grip levels in the wet (you wont really feel it in the dry) are more even. If you replace the front tires and you leave the tire shop, if the road is dry, then you usually think you didn?t get your money?s worth by changing tires. As soon as it rains though the front tires you just put on create grip because they can move a lot of water through its grooves. The rear tires though have been worn down quite a bit and as soon as you go through a slight bend in the highway the rear slides away quickly and fish-tails. More often than not, you then become a passenger until the car hits a light post.

If you can?t afford to replace all four tires, try putting the new ones on the back. More grip on the back causes the car to turn poorly and most drivers can catch this problem fairly easy and they just tend to slow down.

3. Make sure you can see the road clearly. Sounds simple but I?m pretty sure you have been caught out in the rain a few times with wiper blades that just don?t clean the windshield when you need it to. You can?t drive safely if you cant see through the windscreen. Here are a couple of things to do to ensure good vision:

? Make sure your wiper blades are good as new and that they still have a sharp wiping edge. As the wipers age the rubber becomes brittle and works less effectively.

? Clean your wiper blades by running a damp cloth along their edges from time to time to remove the build-up of oils and debris that the wipers have removed from the windshield in previous use.

? Clean the outside surface of your windshield and window glass. Then clean all of the inside glass. Use a glass cleaner or mix white vinegar and water to rub onto the windows. Newspaper makes an excellent polishing rag for automotive glass. Just rub until the streaks are gone and the windows are clean and clear.

? If your windshield is heavily pitted, it might be time for a replacement. Nothing lets you see better than a new windshield.

? Make sure your defogger is working. A sudden downpour after a hot afternoon can make the windows moist. A good rear windscreen defogger can easily clear this up. If this doesn?t work, try turning the AC on to circulate the air inside the vehicle.

These are simple tips but are things most people don?t bother to explain properly. Keep safe on the roads and remember to send questions to jptuason@tuasonracing.com and I will try to answer them in future articles.