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<channel>
	<title>Quicklane Tire &#38; Auto</title>
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	<link>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com</link>
	<description>Al Packer White Marsh - Service You Can Count On</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:44:19 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Winter Tires</title>
		<link>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2012/01/31/winter-tires/</link>
		<comments>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2012/01/31/winter-tires/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:44:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>apacker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Tires and Wheels]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2012/01/31/winter-tires</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What type of technology do you use? Do you prefer an 8-track tape or an iPod? When it comes to winter tires, much of the public&#8217;s perception dates back to when 8-track was the best way to listen to the Bee Gees. Twenty years ago, winter tires differed from highway tires only in their tread [...]]]></description>
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<p> What type of technology do you use? Do you prefer an 8-track tape or an iPod?  When it comes to winter tires, much of the public&#8217;s perception dates back to when 8-track was the best way to listen to the Bee Gees.</p>
<p> Twenty years ago, <a title="White Marsh winter tires" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">winter tires</a> differed from highway tires only in their tread design.  We called them snow tires back then and they had big, knobby lugs that were designed to give good traction in deep snow.  They had the same rubber compound as regular <a title="White Marsh tires" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">tires</a> and they weren&#8217;t very good on ice, packed snow or wet roads.  They were not even very good on dry roads.  They really helped in deep or loose snow, but they did a poor job the rest of the time.  They were loud and rode hard.  You couldn&#8217;t wait to get them off in the spring.</p>
<p> Then all-season tires started to come along. All-season tires are really a compromise between summer and winter performance.  They have acceptable hot weather ride and tread life, and you can get through mild winter road conditions OK.  But there are some really good reasons to consider winter tires.</p>
<p> Modern <a title="White Marsh winter tires" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">winter tires</a> do a terrific job in a wide range of winter conditions.  First of all, below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, regular tires become hard and inflexible.  That means they don&#8217;t provide the road grip you need. Even if you don&#8217;t live somewhere with a lot of snow, but it still gets below 45 degrees in the winter, you will be safer with winter tires.</p>
<p> In addition, they are specifically designed to more effectively move snow and water. That&#8217;s the key to traction on ice, packed snow and wet roads. They use a micro-pore compound that allows the tire to bite into ice and snow.  They also use wider grooves that run around the circumference of the tread to expel snow from the tire better.  The lugs and grooves on <a title="White Marsh winter tires" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">winter tires</a> have a special shape that throws the packed snow out of the tread as the tire turns.  The tread is then open when it comes back in contact with the road and can provide good traction.</p>
<p> Winter tires also have a lot of sipes.  Sipes are thin slits in the tread.  The edge of the sipes grab ice and packed snow to provide tons of traction and to expel water and slush out of the tread. <a title="White Marsh winter tires" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">winter tires</a> have a rounder casing to cut into the snow&#8217;s surface. The treads on regular summer tires can actually get packed with snow instead and become very slick. <a title="White Marsh winter tires" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">winter tires</a> offer 25% to 50% more traction than all-season tires.  And when it comes to stopping power, all-season tires take 42% longer to stop than winter tires.  Sometimes that&#8217;s the difference between getting home safely and spending the night in a snow bank.</p>
<p> Now back when the 8-track was king, you just put snow tires on the drive wheels.  That worked out OK because the rubber compound was essentially the same.  Now, winter <a title="White Marsh tires" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">tires</a> provide so much more traction than all-season or summer <a title="White Marsh tires" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">tires</a>, that there&#8217;s a huge difference between the traction at the front and rear ends of the car if you only put winter tires on the drive wheels.</p>
<p> For example: if you take a corner on an icy road and the rear end starts to slide out, essentially the rear is trying to pass the front because it&#8217;s going faster.  If you have high traction winter tires only on the front, they are going to be much more effective at transferring cornering grip and stopping power to the front wheels.  This will actually cause the rear end to whip out even more.</p>
<p> That&#8217;s why tire manufactures instruct their dealers that they must install winter tires on the rear wheels as well whenever they put winter tires on the front end of any vehicle.  It&#8217;s a major safety concern. It&#8217;s strongly recommended that winter tires be installed on all four wheels on rear wheel drive vehicles as well.  The front tires do most of the steering and braking work &#8211; it only makes sense that you provide the front end with the best traction you can.</p>
<p> People often assume that if they have four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive they don&#8217;t need <a title="White Marsh winter tires" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">winter tires</a> on all four wheels.  Would you intentionally disconnect the four-wheel drive in poor road conditions?  Of course you wouldn&#8217;t, but that&#8217;s essentially what you do if you only put <a title="White Marsh winter tires" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">winter tires</a> on one end.  It only makes sense to have the same level of traction and control at all four corners.</p>
<p> The province of Quebec in Canada has issued a law requiring all passenger vehicles, taxis and rental cars with Quebec license plates to install a full set of four <a title="White Marsh winter tires" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">winter tires</a> between November 15th and April 1.  It&#8217;s that important.</p>
<p> Many modern cars have traction control and anti-lock brakes so people may think that they don&#8217;t need winter tires.  But you need traction to accelerate, steer and stop.  The tires provide the traction so that the traction control and anti-lock brakes have something to work with.</p>
<p> Look for tires with the symbol of a mountain with a snowflake in it.  This means the tire complies with the severe snow standard.  All-season tires will have an M&amp;S, for mud and snow, on the sidewall.</p>
<p> So when the temperatures drop below 45 degrees, be sure you have a set of four winter tires for maximum performance in snow, packed snow, ice, wet and dry roads.  Your tire professional can help you find the right winter tire for your vehicle and driving needs.</p>
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		<title>Quicklane Tire &amp; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh Tire Safety: Washington vs. Lincoln</title>
		<link>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2012/01/24/quicklane-tire-auto-center-al-packer-white-marsh-tire-safety-washington-vs-lincoln/</link>
		<comments>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2012/01/24/quicklane-tire-auto-center-al-packer-white-marsh-tire-safety-washington-vs-lincoln/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:05:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>apacker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Tires and Wheels]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[&#160;&#160;/&#62; &#160; Welcome to the Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh blog. Today, let&#8217;s talk about the effect of tire tread depth on braking. When talking about stopping power, most of us Middle River drivers tend to focus on our brakes. But our tires are where the rubber meets the road. [...]]]></description>
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<p>Welcome to the Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh blog. Today, let&rsquo;s talk about<strong> the effect of <a title="Middle River tire tread depth" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">tire tread depth</a> on braking.</strong> When talking about stopping power, most of us Middle River drivers tend to focus on our brakes. But our tires are where the rubber meets the road. So having good brakes isn&rsquo;t enough. <strong>Safe Middle River drivers need to have tires with enough traction to translate braking power into stopping power.</strong></p>
<p> <a title="Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh Tire Safety Washington vs. Lincoln" href="http://www.alpacker.com" target="_blank"><img style="margin: 12px;" src="http://autonettv.com/media/thumbs/TireTreadDepth_0909_DanorKari_SR_s.jpg" alt="Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh Tire Safety Washington vs. Lincoln" align="right" /></a>Let&rsquo;s focus on stopping in wet Middle River conditions. In order for a tire to have good contact with the road, it has to move the water out of the way. If it can&rsquo;t move the water, the tire will actually ride on top of a thin film of water.</p>
<p> That&rsquo;s called <strong>hydroplaning.</strong> If it&rsquo;s really bad, Middle River drivers can actually spin out of control. At best, you won&rsquo;t stop as fast.</p>
<p> <strong>So how does a tire move water?</strong> It has channels for water to flow through. Look at your Ford tire and you&rsquo;ll see channels: channels that run around the tire and channels that flow across the tire. They&rsquo;re designed to direct water away from the tire so it can contact the road better.</p>
<p> <strong>And the deeper the channel, the more water it can move.</strong> A brand new Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh tire has very deep channels and can easily move a lot of water. As the tire wears down, the channels become shallower and can move less water. When it wears down enough, it can seriously affect your ability to stop your Ford on wet Middle River roads.</p>
<p> So that&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s so important to replace our Ford tires when they get worn. Consumer Reports and other advocate groups call for a standard of 3/32 of an inch and they have the studies to prove it.</p>
<p> By comparison, you&rsquo;ve probably seen the wear indicator that&rsquo;s molded into tires. When tires are worn 3/32 of an inch, the tread wear bar is visible. So the recommended standard has twice the tread depth as a completely worn out Ford tire.</p>
<p> <strong>At Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh, we want our customers to know that the deeper recommended tread depth makes a big difference. Stopping distances are cut dramatically on wet Middle River roads. A safe stop from MD freeway speeds with 4/32 of an inch of tread would result in a crash with worn out tires.</strong></p>
<p> There&rsquo;s an <a title="deals on Middle River tires" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">easy way to tell when a tire&rsquo;s worn</a> to 4/32 of an inch. Just insert a quarter into the tread.  Put it in upside down. If the tread doesn&rsquo;t cover George Washington&rsquo;s hairline, it&rsquo;s time to replace your Ford tires. With a Canadian quarter, the tread should cover the numbers in the year stamp.</p>
<p> Many Middle River car owners have heard of this technique using a penny and Abe Lincoln&rsquo;s head. That measure gives you 2/32  of an inch &ndash; half the suggested amount. Of course, Ford tires are a big ticket item. Most of us in Middle River want to get as many miles out of them as we can. But there&rsquo;s a real safety trade-off. It&rsquo;s your choice.</p>
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		<title>Wheel Balancing</title>
		<link>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2012/01/17/wheel-balancing/</link>
		<comments>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2012/01/17/wheel-balancing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:41:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>apacker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Tires and Wheels]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2012/01/17/wheel-balancing</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[So you love our job, and your family life is great: You have achieved balance. But can you the same for your wheels? You can tell if your tires are out of balance by vibrations at higher speeds. If one of the front tires is out, you feel the vibration in the steering wheel. If [...]]]></description>
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<p> So you love our job, and your family life is great: You have achieved balance.  But can you the same for your wheels? You can tell if your <a title="White Marsh tires" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">tires</a> are out of balance by vibrations at higher speeds.  If one of the front tires is out, you feel the vibration in the steering wheel.  If it&#8217;s a back tire, you&#8217;ll feel the vibration in your seat.</p>
<p> Tires and wheels are pretty heavy.  When a tire is mounted on a wheel, it is usually not perfectly balanced.  So the tire technician will spin the tire on a machine to determine where it&#8217;s too heavy.  He will then place weights on the wheels in strategic locations to balance it out. When a tire is out of balance, it actually bounces down the road instead of rolling smoothly.  Since the average size tire rotates at about 850 revolutions per minute at 60 MPH, it is actually slamming into the pavement 14 times a second.  That&#8217;s where you get your vibration.</p>
<p> Most people are surprised at how smoothly their car rides after balancing all four wheels.</p>
<p> Most high-quality tires hold their balance pretty well.  They just get out of balance gradually with normal wear and tear. If you suddenly feel a vibration, it is probably because you lost a <a title="wheel balancing" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">wheel balancing</a> weight along the way. Definitely get a balance if you feel a vibration, change your rims or have a flat repaired. Putting off a needed balance job leads to excessive tire wear, wear to your shocks, struts, steering and suspension parts.  <a title="wheel balancing" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">wheel balancing</a> not only improves your ride and handling, but also can save you some big repair bills and possibly an accident.  Additionally, you will get better gas mileage.</p>
<p> Some people have their tires balanced at every rotation.  Others do it every other time. Check your owners&#8217; manual for your requirements, or ask your technician.  Doing thus will put you on the path to mechanical <a title="White Marsh wheel balance" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">wheel balance</a></p>
<p>.</p>
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		<title>Severe Service Requirements</title>
		<link>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2012/01/10/severe-service-requirements/</link>
		<comments>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2012/01/10/severe-service-requirements/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:46:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>apacker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Maintenance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2012/01/10/severe-service-requirements</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A lot of our viewers have asked whether or not they should use their severe service maintenance schedule, which is listed in their car owners&#8217; manual. It can be confusing. Let&#8217;s clear the air on this subject. Cricket Killingsworth is from QMI/Heartland, a manufacturer of automotive products and fluids. She&#8217;s been in the automotive business [...]]]></description>
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<p> A lot of our viewers have asked whether or not they should use their severe service maintenance schedule, which is listed in their car owners&#8217; manual. It can be confusing. Let&#8217;s clear the air on this subject. Cricket Killingsworth is from QMI/Heartland, a manufacturer of automotive products and fluids. She&#8217;s been in the automotive business for 20 years and is a speaker, a trainer, and a writer. Cricket says there&#8217;s so much confusion on this topic because, &#8220;Most owners&#8217; manuals actually have two maintenance schedules. Sometimes these are called &#8216;regular service&#8217; and &#8216;severe service&#8217;. Sometimes they&#8217;re simply called Schedule 1 and Schedule 2. A severe service schedule recommends that things like <a title="White Marsh oil change" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">an oil change</a>, air filter replacement, and <a title="White Marsh transmission service" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">transmission service</a> be done more often: either in fewer miles or in less time.</p>
<p> Manufacturers create these specific schedules for each vehicle they make. So there isn&#8217;t one generic schedule that applies to all cars. In addition to your owners&#8217; manual, White Marsh automotive repair centers subscribe to information services that provide the <a title="Automotive maintenance" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">maintenance</a> schedules for every vehicle &#8211; so they can help you know when to take care of needed services. Below is a typical definition for severe service.</p>
<ul>
<li> Most trips are less than four miles</li>
<li> Most trips are less than ten miles and outside temperatures are below freezing</li>
<li> You drive in very hot weather</li>
<li> The engine is at low speed most of the time (not on the highway)</li>
<li> Stop and go driving</li>
<li> You operate your vehicle in dusty or muddy conditions</li>
<li> You tow a trailer, regularly carry heavy loads or carry a car-top carrier</li>
</ul>
<p>It&#8217;s common sense: Just a few minutes at freeway speeds allows the moisture in the oil to evaporate. Very short trips, or trips of less than ten miles when it&#8217;s very cold, don&#8217;t allow the engine to heat up enough to get rid of the water. And water in the oil leads to damaging sludge. Also, towing and heavy loads raise operating temperatures and cause fluids to breakdown more quickly. Dusty and muddy driving means that more dirt will get past the air filter to contaminate the fuel system and engine oil.</p>
<p> The bottom line is that you need to decide for yourself if the regular or severe service schedule is right for you, based on your driving.  Look at your owners&#8217; manual, or talk with your Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh service advisor who can help you know which schedule to follow. Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh is located at 9801 Pulaski Highway, White Marsh MD., </p>
<p> Here is what a fleet manager said recently: &#8220;Since city miles are generally tougher on vehicles than highway miles, we use the manufacturer&#8217;s severe service schedule as the basis for our preventative maintenance program. We massage those schedules over time, increasing or decreasing the service intervals so that they make the most sense. There is a little bit of art to go along with the science.</p>
<p> Make an honest evaluation of your driving habits. Unless you do mostly MD highway driving in moderate weather, you&#8217;ll likely have a fairly good amount of severe service mixed in. Some people just want to play it safe and follow the severe service recommendations, rather than analyzing how they drive each month.</p>
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		<title>Before You Leave White Marsh, Get A Trip Inspection</title>
		<link>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2012/01/03/before-you-leave-white-marsh-get-a-trip-inspection/</link>
		<comments>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2012/01/03/before-you-leave-white-marsh-get-a-trip-inspection/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:23:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>apacker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Maintenance]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[You know, at Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh we get a lot of people asking about how to prepare their car for a trip. That&#8217;s a big deal. You could be driving through mountains and deserts in some pretty lonely areas outside of White Marsh so you may be anxious [...]]]></description>
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<p> You know, at <a title="Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh" href="http://www.alpacker.com" target="_blank">Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh</a> we get a lot of people asking about how to prepare their car for a trip. That&rsquo;s a big deal. You could be driving through mountains and deserts in some pretty lonely areas outside of White Marsh so you may be anxious to know that the car is up to the task and won&rsquo;t leave you stranded.</p>
<p> You really do need to plan ahead for a major road trip &ndash; there are a lot of things to get ready. Where should you start? You could start with the tires. Look them over for tread wear and check to see that they are properly inflated. Take a quick test drive around White Marsh to see if you can feel any vibrations: are the wheels are in balance? Is the car tracking straight? Is the alignment ok?</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Come in and see us for trip inspection.</strong></p>
<p> <strong><a title="Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh" href="http://www.alpacker.com" target="_blank">Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh</a></strong><br /> 9801 Pulaski Highway <br /> White Marsh, MD 21220<br /> <strong>(443) 777-5050</strong></p></blockquote>
<p>The next thing is a full service <a title="White Marsh oil change" href="http://www.alpacker.com" target="_blank">oil change</a> to make sure all of your fluids are topped off and you have fresh oil for the trip. And if your car has over 75,000 miles, you may consider putting in the high-mileage formulation to clean harmful sludge deposits in the engine. You may also need a new PCV valve and an engine air filter.</p>
<p> How about your <a title="White Marsh transmission and brakes" href="http://www.alpacker.com" target="_blank">transmission and brakes</a>? Have you had your transmission and brakes inspected in the last six months?</p>
<p> How are your wiper blades? There&rsquo;s nothing like not being able to get rid of the bug juice on a long road trip away from White Marsh. </p>
<p> Check your owners&rsquo; manual for any other recommended service and have <a title="Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh" href="http://www.alpacker.com" target="_blank">Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh</a> do the multi-point inspection before you head out. </p>
<p> Consider also having the coolant system serviced &ndash; you want to stay within the manufacturer&rsquo;s recommendations. If you&rsquo;re towing a trailer you&rsquo;ll want to be keep in mind that you&rsquo;ll be going a long way under severe conditions.</p>
<p> A lot of folks overlook severe conditions like towing, or summer heat, or driving on dirt roads. Plan ahead for your next road trip &ndash; we want you to get there and back.</p>
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		<title>Brake Service</title>
		<link>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2011/12/27/brake-service/</link>
		<comments>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2011/12/27/brake-service/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:03:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>apacker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Brakes]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Brakes really aren&#8217;t optional equipment. And taking care of them isn&#8217;t optional either. A regular brake inspection is on every car&#8217;s maintenance schedule. An inspection will check your brake system and let you know if there are any problems. Of course, if you&#8217;re having trouble with your brakes, get your car into a White Marsh [...]]]></description>
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<p> Brakes really aren&#8217;t optional equipment. And taking care of them isn&#8217;t optional either.</p>
<p> A regular brake inspection is on every car&#8217;s maintenance schedule. An inspection will check your brake system and let you know if there are any problems. Of course, if you&#8217;re having trouble with your brakes, get your car into a White Marsh or Dundalk service center right away. And watch out for these problems:</p>
<ul>
<li>Low or spongy brake pedal</li>
<li>Hard brake pedal</li>
<li>A brake warning light that stays on</li>
<li>Constantly squealing or grinding brakes</li>
<li>Vibrations or clunking sounds when you apply your brakes</li>
</ul>
<p>There are two types of brakes: disc and drum. Disc brakes have a rotor that&#8217;s attached to the axle. Calipers straddle the rotor, kind of like the brakes on a bicycle. Drum brakes are more common on back wheels. Pads, called shoes, push against the inside of the drum to slow the vehicle.</p>
<p> There are several things that need to be serviced on the brake system. First, the brake pads and shoes wear out with use, and become too thin to really help. If the brake pads wear away completely you can damage the rotors. The calipers can grind grooves in the rotor. Then the rotor must either be resurfaced or replaced and that can be expensive.  But putting it off is dangerous because your vehicle won&#8217;t stop as quickly. Sometimes rotors warp or crack and must be replaced.</p>
<p> Brake fluid is also important. When the brakes are applied, the pressure in the fluid activates the brake pads or shoes. Not enough fluid, not enough pressure to brake properly. Also, water builds up in the brake fluid over time, which leads to corrosion, leaks and brake damage, and with hard use, the brakes could severely fade or even fail. You should change the brake fluid when your manufacturer recommends it.</p>
<p> There are different grades of brake pads. There are regular, metallic and ceramic &#8211; higher grades cost more, but give better braking performance and smoother operation. It&#8217;s OK to upgrade your brake pads. But, never use a grade that&#8217;s lower than what the manufacturer recommends.</p>
<p> Be sure to properly maintain your brakes because it&#8217;s a lot cheaper than paying your nearest Baltimore area body shop after an accident.</p>
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		<title>Tire Tread Depth for White Marsh MD</title>
		<link>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2011/12/20/tire-tread-depth-for-white-marsh-md/</link>
		<comments>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2011/12/20/tire-tread-depth-for-white-marsh-md/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:53:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>apacker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Tires and Wheels]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[So, when are your tires actually worn out? This is a question a lot of us in White Marsh MD ask ourselves. For many, the answer is &#8216;when they no longer pass a safety inspection&#8217;. But waiting that long can have a serious impact on your safety. The U.S. Federal government doesn&#8217;t have any laws [...]]]></description>
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<p> So, when are your tires actually worn out? This is a question a lot of us in White Marsh MD ask ourselves. For many, the answer is &#8216;when they no longer pass a safety inspection&#8217;. But waiting that long can have a serious impact on your safety.</p>
<p> The U.S. Federal government doesn&rsquo;t have any laws for tread depth, but 42 of the states, and all of Canada, do have regulations. They consider two-thirty-seconds of an inch to be the minimum legal tread depth. Two other states, including California, consider one-thirty-second to be the minimum and six states have no standards at all. Call us at <a title="Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh" href="http://www.alpacker.com" target="_blank">Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh</a> (just call (443) 777-5050) to find out what your requirements are in the White Marsh MD area.</p>
<p> Since 1968, U.S. law has required that a raised bar be molded across all tires. When tires are worn enough that this bar becomes visible, there&rsquo;s just 2/32&rdquo; of tread left. But does that older standard give you enough safety?</p>
<p> Well, Consumer Reports issued a call to consider replacing tires when tread reaches 4/32&rdquo;. And the recommendation is backed by some very compelling studies. Now before we go into the studies, you need to know that the big issue is braking on wet surfaces. </p>
<p> We tend to think of the brakes doing all the stopping, but you also need to have effective tires to actually stop the car. When it&rsquo;s wet or snowy in White Marsh MD, the tread of the tire is critical to stopping power.</p>
<p> Picture this: you&rsquo;re driving over a water-covered stretch of road. Your tires actually need to be in contact with the road in order to stop. That means the tire has to channel the water away so the tire is actually contacting the road and not floating on a thin film of water &ndash; a condition known as hydroplaning. When there&rsquo;s not enough tread depth on a tire, it can&rsquo;t move the water out of the way and you start to hydroplane.</p>
<p> This is where the studies come in. We think you&rsquo;ll be surprised. A section of a test track was flooded with a thin layer of water. If you laid a dime flat on the track, the water would be deep enough to surround the coin, but not enough to cover it. </p>
<p> A car and a full-sized pick-up truck were brought up to 70 mph and then made a hard stop in the wet test area. Stopping distance and time were measured for three different tire depths. First, they tested new tires. Then tires worn to legal limits. And finally, tires with 4/32&rdquo; of tread were tested &ndash; this is the depth suggested by Consumer Reports</p>
<p> When the car with the legally worn tires had braked for the distance required to stop the car with new tires, it was still going 55 mph. The stopping distance was nearly doubled. That means if you barely have room to stop with new tires, then you would hit the car in front of you at 55 mph with the worn tires.</p>
<p> Now with the partially worn tires &ndash; at the depth recommended by Consumer Reports &ndash; the car was still going at 45 mph at the point where new tires brought the car to a halt. That&rsquo;s a big improvement &ndash; you can see why Consumer Reports and others are calling for a new standard. </p>
<p> Now without going into all the details, let us tell you that stopping the truck with worn tires needed almost 1/10 of a mile of clear road ahead to come to a safe stop. Obviously this is really a big safety issue. </p>
<p> The tests were conducted with the same vehicles, but with different sets of tires. The brakes were the same, so the only variable, was the tires.</p>
<p> So, how do you know when your tires are at 4/32&rdquo;? Well, it&rsquo;s pretty easy. Just insert a quarter into the tread. Put it in upside down. If the tread doesn&rsquo;t cover George Washington&rsquo;s hairline, it&rsquo;s time to replace your tires. With a Canadian quarter, the tread should cover the numbers in the year stamp.</p>
<p> Now you may remember doing that with pennies. But a penny gives you 2/32&rdquo; of an inch to Abraham Lincoln&rsquo;s head. The quarter is the new standard &ndash; 4/32&rdquo;.</p>
<p> Tires are a big ticket item and most people in White Marsh MD want to get the most wear out of them that they can. But do you want that much more risk just to run your tires until they are legally worn out? For us, and we would guess for many, the answer is &ldquo;no&rdquo;. </p>
<p> Well, Mr. Washington, let&rsquo;s go out and look at my tires.</p>
<blockquote><p><strong><a title="Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh" href="http://www.alpacker.com" target="_blank">Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh</a></strong><br /> 9801 Pulaski Highway <br /> White Marsh, MD 21220<br /> <strong>(443) 777-5050</strong></p></blockquote>
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		<title>Keys to Long Lasting Vehicle</title>
		<link>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2011/12/13/keys-to-long-lasting-vehicle/</link>
		<comments>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2011/12/13/keys-to-long-lasting-vehicle/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:19:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>apacker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Maintenance]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[New cars cost so much these days. Add financing and insurance and, well a new vehicle may not seem so attractive. A lot of White Marsh, MD people are hoping to make their cars last a lot longer. The good news is that with the current state of automotive engineering and manufacture, there&#8217;s no reason [...]]]></description>
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<p> New cars cost so much these days. Add financing and insurance and, well a new vehicle may not seem so attractive. A lot of White Marsh, MD people are hoping to make their cars last a lot longer.</p>
<p> The good news is that with the current state of automotive engineering and manufacture, there&rsquo;s no reason a modern vehicle can&rsquo;t be made to last for a 150,000 miles or more.</p>
<p> There is an old saying that says, &#8216;a stitch in time saves nine&#8217; and that is really true when it comes to taking care of your car. A great example is <a title="White Marsh coolant service" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">coolant service</a>.</p>
<p> Over time, coolant becomes corrosive and actually starts to damage your radiator and other parts. That&rsquo;s why you need to have your <a title="White Marsh cooling system serviced" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">cooling system serviced</a> on a regular schedule.</p>
<p> The same is true for your power steering system, brake fluid, air conditioning system, differential and transmission. And your <a title="White Marsh oil changes" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">oil changes</a> should be done right on schedule to avoid the build up of harmful oil sludge.</p>
<p> Don&#8217;t let your brake pads go too long before they are worn to the point that they cause damage to rotors. <a title="White Marsh Preventive maintenance" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">Preventive maintenance</a> is a great way to keep your operating costs down.</p>
<p> <a title="White Marsh Replacing belts and hoses" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">Replacing belts and hoses</a> is much cheaper than repairing the damage that can be caused by failure. </p>
<p> Now this is a lot to remember. <a title="White Marsh Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh</a> can keep on top of this stuff. We can tell you what your manufacturer recommends and help you with a plan to take care of it.</p>
<p> Bottom line &ndash; take care of this stuff on schedule and you will reduce operating costs, prevent costly damage and maintain your warranty coverage. Call <a title="White Marsh Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh</a> today for an appointment; you can reach us at (443) 777-5050.</p>
<p> Take good care of your car, and it&rsquo;ll take good care of you.</p>
<blockquote><p>Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh<br /> Give us a call today at (443) 777-5050.<br /> Or stop by at 9801 Pulaski Highway, White Marsh, MD 21220</p></blockquote>
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		<title>Cooling System Components</title>
		<link>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2011/12/06/cooling-system-components/</link>
		<comments>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2011/12/06/cooling-system-components/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:35:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>apacker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cooling System]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Today we want to talk about a very important system in our cars &#8211; the cooling system. It&#8217;s one of those things that you don&#8217;t give much thought to until it fails and then you&#8217;re stranded by the side of the road. Cooling systems fail more often than any other mechanical system &#8211; usually because [...]]]></description>
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<p> Today we want to talk about a very important system in our cars &ndash; the <a title="White Marsh cooling system" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">cooling system</a>. It&rsquo;s one of those things that you don&rsquo;t give much thought to until it fails and then you&rsquo;re stranded by the side of the road. </p>
<p> Cooling systems fail more often than any other mechanical system &ndash; usually because of neglect. Don&rsquo;t you hate it when something breaks, and you could have done something to prevent it?</p>
<p> The good news is that if you take care of your cooling system it can keep working for the life of your car.</p>
<p> Here at AutoNetTV, we emphasize preventive maintenance services like replacing your coolant according to the factory schedule. But the various parts that make up the cooling system need attention too. The major components of the <a title="MD cooling system" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">cooling system</a> are the water pump, freeze plugs, the thermostat, the radiator, cooling fans, the heater core, the pressure cap, the overflow tank and the hoses.</p>
<p> It sounds complicated, but we don&rsquo;t have to be experts &ndash; we can leave that to our Friendly service technicians at Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh. But, having an overview will help us remember to take care of our cooling systems. </p>
<p> Most people would be surprised to know that burning fuel in your engine produces up to 4,500 degrees of heat. And all that heat has to be dealt with. If the heat can&rsquo;t be drawn off the engine, the pistons will literally weld themselves to the inside of the cylinders &ndash; then you just have to throw the engine away and get a new one. That would cost thousands of dollars.</p>
<p> Now the water pump is what forces the coolant through passages in the engine to absorb heat. The pump is driven by a belt that needs replacement from time to time. And the water pump will eventually wear out and need to be replaced. Spending some money on replacing the belts and water pump is much less than the cost of repairing the massive damage that can be done when an engine seizes.</p>
<p> There&rsquo;s another little part of the <a title="White Marsh coolant system" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">coolant system</a> that protects the engine. It&rsquo;s called a freeze plug. If you remember from high school chemistry, water expands when it freezes. In very cold areas, the coolant can actually freeze when the vehicle is left sitting. </p>
<p> It is hard to believe, but the expanding frozen coolant can actually crack the engine block. The freeze plugs fit into the engine block. They fit tight enough to withstand the pressure of a running engine, but can expand or pop out if the coolant freezes. These little things save a lot of engine blocks.</p>
<p> That brings up a good point. An engine has to work in all kinds of temperatures &ndash; extremely hot as well as very cold. How does the cooling system adapt to external temperatures as well as varying operating conditions? </p>
<p> Well, it&rsquo;s much like the way you keep your house at a comfortable temperature all year round &ndash; with a thermostat. The thermostat in your car controls how much coolant flows through your engine. When the engine is cold, it restricts coolant flow until the engine comes up to an efficient operating temperature. Then it starts opening up to move more coolant to keep the temperature within a specified range. </p>
<p> The thermostat needs to be replaced from time to time as well. It&rsquo;s easy to diagnose a failed thermostat and is fairly inexpensive to replace. We can do this for you at Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh in White Marsh, just give us a call: <strong>(443) 777-5050</strong>.  Now we&rsquo;ve been talking about all this heat we&rsquo;ve got to get rid of, but haven&rsquo;t really talked about where it goes. That&rsquo;s where the radiator comes in. The hot coolant passes through the radiator. Air flows past the cooling fins and cools the coolant.</p>
<p> The radiator has two tanks that hold coolant: sometimes one the top and bottom or one on either side. If you have an automatic transmission, one of the tanks will also contain a second tank that cools the transmission fluid. Large SUV&rsquo;s and trucks often have a separate transmission cooler. So when you drive around White Marsh, the air is forced past the radiator. But driving doesn&rsquo;t produce enough air flow. So the radiator has cooling fans that force fresh air over the radiator. These fans may be powered by a belt or by electric motors.</p>
<p> Now, you also have something called a heater core. The heater core is like a mini radiator. A small fan blows air over the heater core and into the passenger compartment of your vehicle. That&rsquo;s how you warm your car when it&rsquo;s cold out.</p>
<p> Next is the radiator cap. With most newer cars around White Marsh, you never remove the radiator cap, except to replace it. You add coolant through the overflow tank. The radiator cap is also called a pressure cap, because its job is to maintain pressure in the cooling system. </p>
<p> High pressure raises the boiling point of the coolant, so it cools more effectively even in very demanding conditions. That is why you need to replace the cap from time to time. They recommend changing it out every time you replace your coolant.</p>
<p> Coming back to the overflow tank, it is needed because when the coolant gets hot it expands and the overflow holds the extra volume. The tank helps maintain the proper level of coolant and keeps air out of the system. You should never open the radiator cap or over flow tank when the engine is hot. This could lead to serious burns.</p>
<p> What else do we need to do to keep our <a title="White Marsh cooling systems" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">cooling systems</a> working well? Well, there are the hoses that hook all of these pieces together. They&rsquo;re obviously very tough to deal with the pressure and high temperatures. But they do get worn. Sometimes they get spongy from the heat. Sometimes they lose their connection to the radiator, water pump, etc. It&rsquo;s a great idea to have your White Marsh service center inspect your hoses at least once a year and replace them, if needed, before they break.</p>
<p> Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh can help you check your cooling system and make any necessary adjustments or repairs. Give us a call at (443) 777-5050.</p>
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		<title>Synthetic Oil For White Marsh Autos</title>
		<link>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2011/11/29/synthetic-oil-for-white-marsh-autos/</link>
		<comments>http://alpacker.autodealertips.com/2011/11/29/synthetic-oil-for-white-marsh-autos/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:36:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>apacker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Maintenance]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[If you aren&#8217;t currently using synthetic motor oil in your White Marsh vehicle, maybe now&#8217;s the time to consider it. Need more information? Well, synthetic motor oil is a substitute for petroleum based oil. Synthetic oil doesn&#8217;t gel or gum-up like petroleum based oil and it doesn&#8217;t vaporize as easily. It protects better in severe [...]]]></description>
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<p> If you aren&rsquo;t currently using <a title="White Marsh synthetic motor oil" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">synthetic motor oil</a> in your White Marsh vehicle, maybe now&rsquo;s the time to consider it. Need more information? Well, synthetic motor oil is a substitute for petroleum based oil.</p>
<p> Synthetic oil doesn&rsquo;t gel or gum-up like petroleum based oil and it doesn&rsquo;t vaporize as easily. It protects better in <a title="White Marsh severe driving conditions" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">severe driving conditions</a> like stop and go driving around White Marsh, as well as in very hot or very cold conditions. More and more new vehicles are being delivered with full synthetic motor oil; with the recommendation to use synthetic for the life of the vehicle.</p>
<p> Why is this? <strong>Synthetic motor oil maximizes engine power and fuel economy</strong>. To see why; we&rsquo;d need a microscope, so we&rsquo;ll have to settle for using our imaginations.</p>
<p> The molecules of conventional motor oil are long hydrocarbon chains. Synthetic motor oil, on the other hand, has uniform, round molecules. Which is more slippery, a pile of pencils or a pile of marbles? </p>
<p> Synthetic motor oil lubricates better because there&rsquo;s less friction. That means better wear protection, cooler operating temperatures, more power and better <a title="White Marsh fuel economy" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">fuel economy</a>. And synthetic oil doesn&rsquo;t sludge up like conventional oil, so it prevents those small oil passages from clogging up. </p>
<p> Some manufacturers are extending oil change intervals. The added protection of synthetic oil covers you for these longer intervals. Talk with your service advisor about how you drive and see if he thinks you can benefit from synthetic oil. Also ask about the appropriate oil change interval for synthetic, because it may very well be longer than for conventional oil.</p>
<p> Most of us here in White Marsh have a busy life and might occasionally miss an <a title="White Marsh oil change" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">oil change</a>; go ahead admit it. Since we&rsquo;re not perfect, doesn&rsquo;t it make sense to use a motor oil that&rsquo;s got your back? </p>
<p> Now synthetic oil costs more. But it lasts longer, protects better and increases fuel economy. You&rsquo;ll likely save money in the long run. If you&rsquo;re serious about making your car last longer, start using synthetic motor oil right away.</p>
<p>Give us a call at (443) 777-5050 to schedule an oil change, or visit us at our <a title="Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh website" href="http://alpackerautogroup.com/alpackerwhitemarsh/contactservice.htm" target="_blank">Quicklane Tire &#038; Auto Center @ Al Packer White Marsh website</a>.</p>
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