Be prepared for emergencies.
With winter just around the corner, now is the time to get your car ready for the possible dangers of running a car in the cold of winter. If your car shuts off and you find yourself stuck in the snow for a certain period of time, you'll need to make sure your basic needs are taken care of. You can do this by building a winter car kit. Here's how.
Have a way to contact the outside world. Always carry your cell phone with you into a car when you go driving, as you're never sure what might happen, and have some phone numbers of local authorities and AAA help programmed into your contacts list. You'll also want some way of contacting the outside world for help, which can include emergency lights - be sure you have emergency lights packed and that you'll be able to power them (this might include having the right batteries handy). Always have a flashlight with batteries handy, as well.
Keep a cooler full of food freshly stocked. Every month or so during the winter, include a "winter car kit" section on your groceries list - foods like nuts, granola, and dried fruit are calorically dense and don't take up a lot of space. After a month, buy the replacements for this food, and move the old food into your house so that you can eat them like any other food.
Keep plenty of water stocked. Water is also key - you can live a lot longer without food than you can with water, so be sure you have clean water ready to drink, and plenty of it stored somewhere in your car. You can keep it in a large cooler.
Have warm blankets and insulating materials handy. Sleeping bags are made for insulation, so include at least one in your car at all times during the winter. It won't hurt to have a couple of extra blankets - blankets that are designed to trap in serious heat, not blankets that are comfortable only around the home.
That should get you started for a winter car emergency. Remember that this article is about fixing an emergency before it happens - this is also know as prevention. In order to prevent your car from breaking down, keep it full of fuel, fresh oil when needed, and well-maintained. This will help your car function well in the winter.
Photo Credits: Joaaso
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Posted by Fix Handyman on November 17, 2009 in
Car, How to Fix, Mechanic
Wired Vs. Wireless Accessories
As technology has continued to improve, so has the wealth of options available to us for keyboards, mice, and other accessories. One of the biggest changes in this new age is the increased accessibility of wireless technology. Just because new technology is wireless though, doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily better. This article will outline the pros and cons of using wireless technology and hopefully make you make a decision on which you should use.
Wired
The older and more available wired technology is often praised because it’s extremely reliable and responsive and is less likely to stop working in a crucial moment. With USB mice, all you need to do is ‘plug and play’ and your mouse is already ready to go and you can begin to use it. The reason a wired mouse is less likely to stop working is because it doesn’t require batteries or a charger like a wireless mouse does, meaning that it will never go out on you unless the cord is damaged or the mouse completely dies. Wired mice are also much more responsive than wireless mice because they don’t experience a wireless delay, though this is likely to change as technology improves. One reason that people don’t like to use wired mice is the hassle of having another cable. Wired mice often have non-tangle proof cables that become a hassle in a small space and gather dust. On the other hand, your cable might not even reach the desired length to your computer meaning that you have to go out of your way to make sure you can use your computer.
Wireless
Wireless mice and other accessories are a newer development when it comes to personal home use. One positive thing about wireless technology is its portability. There is no need to struggle with cords when all you need to do is hook in the mouse and use it wherever you please. This portability makes wireless mice extremely popular with laptops, as many people don’t like using the laptops touch pad. Wireless technology is also praised for its USB connections, which are the most common connections in new computers. While the new wireless technology has some extremely practical applications, it is not without its faults. Wireless mice are often less responsive because of the delay they suffer traveling over a wireless network, as well as the fact that being wireless causes them to use batteries. These problems are likely to change; however, as ever improving technology solves these concerns.
As of now it looks like wired connections have a vast majority of advantages over wireless technology. Many of the problems that wireless technology faces, however, can be solved through ever increasing technological advantages.
Photo Credits: ºDaines
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Posted by Fix Handyman on October 7, 2009 in
Computer
Broken door lock?
Having a broken car door lock might not be the most serious situation your car's ever encountered, but it can make you feel "out of commission" nonetheless. After all, your car's lock is vital to feeling safe, and at least erasing the feeling that some one may steal one of your possessions or - worse yet - your car itself. If you need to fix your car door lock in a hurry, this article will be your guide.
First, you'll want to make sure that everything is working well - not just the car lock itself. If you're having trouble using your remote locking mechanism attached to your keychain, then you may want to check the batteries. Believe it or not, this can actually be a relatively common problem with an easy fix: simply replace the batteries in your remote mechanism and give it a test. If your car locks still aren't budging, it's time to move on to the next step.
What is that next step? You'll want to check all of the door locks in your car and see how they're working. If they're all not functioning, then you likely have a problem with a blown fuse. If only one car door lock isn't functioning, then the problem may be with that door lock's solenoid. Now you know where to go in order to fix your locking problem: the answer should lie either with the individual lock or the fuse that is connected to every power lock on your car.
If you're looking at a problem with an individual lock, you'll need to determine what the problem exactly is - it will most likely lie with the wires or the lock mechanism itself. If you can open the door and take a look at the lock, making sure to move it up and down if you can, you should try to see if the lock makes "attempts" at locking. If this is the case, then you're looking at a frozen lock mechanism. If not, you may want to look at the wiring of your lock; this will often call for a replacement.
The car door lock is an important and sometimes tricky thing to figure out. If you have too many doubts about what the problem is, simply contact a professional who can make the right diagnosis. At the very least, see if you can get in touch with a friend who's interested in cars.
Photo Credits: Paul Kehrer
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Posted by Fix Handyman on September 4, 2009 in
Car, How to Fix, Locks, Locksmith, Mechanic, doors
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