E3 Spark Plugs News

Frozen door locks got you out in the cold? E3 Spark Plugs offers a few clever tips.

If you live and drive in what we here at E3 Spark Plugs refer to as the “Frozen Tundra,” meaning anywhere north of the Florida-Georgia line, you’ve no doubt encountered the problem of your car door locks freezing, leaving you – literally – out in the cold.

Based in sunny Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, where we do sand, not snow (that freak winter of 1989 notwithstanding) we could just prop our flip-flopped feet on our patio chairs and laugh at you. But we have hearts. So instead, we’re going to offer you a few tips for thawing out that frozen door lock so you can get to work/the gym/the monster truck show on time.

• If your driver-seat door is frozen shut, try another one. Even on family cars, it’s the driver’s door that gets opened and shut more than any other, which means it’s more susceptible to water slipping in and subsequently and freezing. If all doors fail, try crawling in through the hatch or even the trunk if you’re able to get the back seat down. Start the engine and let your car run for a few minutes. Soon, it’ll heat up and warm the locks on all doors.
• If you’ve got a single, traditional key sans the modern, computer-chipped key fob, use a lighter or match to warm the business end of your car door key before inserting it into the lock. Be sure to wear thick gloves that won’t ignite. Burned fingertips do nobody any good. And only use this trick on a traditional key so you don’t fry your computer chip. Those chipped keys are pricey to replace.
• Everyone keeps a straw or a toilet paper tube handy during the winter, right? If not, start now. When your lock freeze, place the straw or tube over the lock and breathe. If you can’t do this without getting heckled by your neighbor, use a hair dryer instead. Or just tell your neighbor to knock it off.
• To prevent your locks from freezing in the first place, keep a can of deicer or WD-40 on hand. Spray your locks each evening. It’ll keep the condensation from freezing. And whatever you do, never pour hot water over your door locks. While it may sound like the perfect solution, it’ll only increase the amount of water pooling inside your lock and lead to more frustrating days locked out of your ride.

Got more cold-day automotive tips? Post them on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook Fan Page.

Garage door murals by Style Your Garage are convincing enough to fool Wile E. Coyote – and maybe even your neighbors.

Want to protect your garage-kept loot, or just make your neighbors do a double-take? E3 Spark Plugs found a way to add some serious drama to your boring ol’ garage door.

Head over to Style Your Garage’s website and take your pick of dozens of ultra-realistic billboard murals perfectly sized for garage doors. Created by Created by artist Thomas Sassenbach, the doors are an example of the trompe l’oeil (“deceive the eye”) art technique, which uses realistic 2D images to create a 3D optical illusion effect.

Garage murals can make it appear that your garage is hiding any of a whole, crazy range of items from classic cars to space ships to airplanes, to wild animals to beachfront property or Medieval castles – even in the middle of the ‘burbs. A few feature expansive roadway views a la an episode of a Wile E. Coyote cartoon.

Does your garage sport a wicked cool mural? Post your pics or tell us what kind of image you’d choose on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page.

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Kia Motors and DC Comics unveiled a collection of cars inspired by Justice League superheroes at the recent SEMA Show.

Here at E3 Spark Plugs, we’re bona fide gearheads. But we admit we’re also a little on the geek side. So we we’re a tad beside ourselves with Kia Motors’ unveiling of a line of tricked-out rides inspired by DC Comics’ Justice League.

Kia and DC Comics joined forces to debut the cars at the recent 2012 SEMA Show. The collection includes five cars, each representing a different Justice League member based on their personality and key attributes: The Batman-inspired Optima, Flash Forte Koup, Aquaman Rio 5-door, Cyborg Forte 5-door, and Green Lantern Soul. California’s West Coast Customs, RIDES and Super Street created the designs.

But much like true superheroes, these cars aren’t just flashy good-lookers – They’re on a life-saving mission. DC Comics agreed to the project to help boost awareness of its We Can Be Heroes campaign aimed at combating the effects of drought and famine in the Horn of Africa. The humanitarian effort aims to raise a minimum of $2 million for charities Save the Children, International Rescue Committee and Mercy Corps via merchandise sales and donations accepted on its website.

So how would your superhero-inspired ride look? Post your ideas and sketches on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page.

Are you covered for Hurricane Sandy’s damage to your vehicle? E3 Spark Plug sheds some light.

Was your vehicle a victim of Hurricane Sandy? And are you wondering if your insurance company will pay up? E3 Spark Plugs offers a few pointers.

The first thing to know is whether your auto insurance policy has comprehensive coverage. If so, you’re likely in luck. That’s because comprehensive coverage differs from liability and collision coverage in that it’s specifically designed for storm damage, theft and vandalism. While nearly all states require liability insurance (which pays for damage to other vehicles in the event of an accident that’s deemed your fault), many do not mandate collision (which covers damage to your car) or comprehensive coverage. So, if you were looking to pinch pennies by going with the minimum required coverage at the time you signed, you may have opted out of comprehensive coverage. Fortunately, But 76 percent of auto policy holders do have comprehensive coverage, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

The next bit of info to ascertain is the amount of the deductible you chose when you purchased your comprehensive auto insurance policy. In an effort to keep their monthly premiums manageable, many people opt for a higher deductible, particularly if they feel they’ll be able to pay for any auto damage with their savings or other financial resources. So long as the damage racks up to more than your deductible amount, you’re likely covered for any damage above the deductible.

Of course, it all depends on how much your car is worth. No matter how bad the damage, your insurance provider will not pay more than its determined total value of the car. This is particularly true for older cars. And it’s all a moot point if you failed to keep up your monthly premiums and allowed your insurance coverage to laps.

If your car is damaged and you have comprehensive auto insurance in place, take photos and call your provider to file a claim right away. Also send copies of any appraisals you may have had done on your vehicle, but understand that your insurance adjuster likely will have the last word on your car’s worth.

Perhaps he meant well, but this prankster just made things worse for your car’s paint job, E3 Spark Plugs says.

Back in 2008 a (presumably) fictional character in a Carrie Underwood song got back at her philandering ex: “I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive.”

Unfortunately, angry exes aren’t the only danger to your prized ride. E3 Spark Plugs lists eight everyday culprits and tips for making sure they don’t ruin your paint job.

• Tree sap: You wouldn’t sling a bottle of Elmer’s white all over your car, would you? Well, letting it get hit with tree sap is about the same thing. After all, ancient peoples used the gooey stuff as an adhesive. If your car gets dripped upon, don’t simply try to wipe it off or you’ll make an even bigger, stickier mess. Use bug and tar remover instead. If the sap is already dried, use mineral spirits to dissolve it and a clay bar treatment to remove residue.
• Automatic sprinklers: No, you are not getting a free, lazy-man’s car wash when you park within striking shot of an automatic sprinkler. Mineral residue bonds to your car’s paint, making dried water spots tough to remove. Avoid parking near planters and garden areas that might have sprinklers nearby, and get your car professionally detailed if you are hit.
• Dirty car wash tools: Speaking of laziness and car washes, don’t slack on cleaning your own carwash tools. Even the priciest microfiber wash mitt can be trashed with one drop to the ground. Those tiny bits of sand and grit likely won’t ever be completely washed off. They remain embedded in your mitts and cloths and brushes, and cause swirls and scratches on your paint job. Keep extras on hand and throw away any that you drop.
• Fingertips: Whether it’s a random parking lot punk writing “Wash Me” or your sweetie drawing a heart on your car’s finish, those fingertip messages just did some damage. Dirt acts much like sandpaper when it’s dragged across paint, and the marks left behind are there to stay. And the oils in fingertips don’t do your paint job any favors either. Use a long-handled duster to wipe down your car daily, keeping sand and dirt from collecting.
• Ash: Some areas are prone to wildfires. And, as the weather cools, bonfires are a popular outdoor activity. If ash settles on your car’s finish, it can form a harmful alkali. And hosing it down with water just makes it worse. Remove white ash with a duster, black ash with a high-quality carwash solution. A professional wash and a new coat of wax may be in order after the fires are out.
• Bird droppings and bug guts: They’re both unsightly and acidic, which means they can literally eat away at your paint job – Especially bird droppings, which can contain gritty chunks of digested seeds and gravel that scratch your car’s lacquer. Grab a bottle of quick detail and a microfiber cloth and use a lifting, not scrubbing action to clear away bird droppings. Dried-on bug carnage may require a bug and tar remover. Be sure to thoroughly wash your car after either.
• Coffee and cola: Your morning coffee and afternoon soda contain acids and sugars that can eat away or etch your car’s paint or clearcoat. Dried soda and sweetened coffee add a sticky mess to corrosive chemicals that’s hard to clear away. Wipe down any spills with some quick detail and get to the car was asap.
• Gasoline: While it’s tempting to top off your gas tank, be careful not to get carried away. Overflowing gasoline left to dry will leave a stain on your car’s finish. Be careful not to fill to a spill point and immediately wipe away any splashed gas with an instant detailer and clean microfiber cloth.

Well, that sucks. But perhaps all is not lost. Flooded vehicles often can be revived if you know what to do.

If torrential downpours this hurricane season have left your vehicle a soaked, soggy mess, you might not be totally out of luck. A flood-damaged ride can be revived if you handle it correctly. E3 Spark Plugs offers a few tips for safely resurrecting your car’s engine and electronics.

1. Whatever you do, don’t try to start a flooded out car no matter its condition. You could cause a short circuit which, at best, will fry your car’s electronics or, at worst, start a fire.
2. Carefully remove your vehicle’s battery, starting with the negative terminal. Then, turn on your headlights to fully drain any power that might remain in your car’s wiring circuit. If you’re handy with tools, remove the engine control unit (ECU), starter motor, alternator and A/C compressor, inspecting each for corrosion and cleaning them before replacing them.
3. Check all fuses and relays, replacing any that no longer work. Do the same with all lights including your headlights, fog lamps, parking lights, brake lights, reverse lights, hazard lights and interior lights. Also make sure you can still blast that stereo and honk that horn.
4. Remove your spark plugs and high-tension cables, drain your engine oil and remove and replace your air filter. Use compressed air to flush out all the old, watered down oils and replace with new oil.
   With the plugs, coils and cables removed, install a new battery. Don’t be tempted to use the old one, no matter how great it looks.
5. Disconnect the fuel pump and ignition system fuse or wiring and crank the engine. This will flush out fluids that might have entered the combustion chamber.
6. If you drive a manual, drain all transmission fluid. If you drive an automatic with a torque converter, you may need to use a fluid flushing device. Replace with new transmission oil.
7. If your car has a transfer case or is rear wheel drive with a separate differential housing, flush out and replace the differential fluid.

Also be sure to drain, flush out and replace your suspension, brake and steering fluids. Other items you’ll need to check and clean or even totally replace include your clutch friction discs; axle boots, A/C blower motor and ducting; all upholstered interiors; gas tank; fuel pump and filter; tires and wheels.

Remember that both the Atlantic and Pacific hurricane seasons are in full swing and won’t end until November 30. Park on high ground if possible. Keep your gas tank full and keep a travel kit packed with a change of clothes, toiletries, nonperishable snacks, bottled water, etc. in case you have to evacuate.

Trust your TPMS? Convinced your tire’s gonna explode? E3 Spark Plugs deflates a few tire myths.

Tires just might be the most important safety and handling feature on your vehicle. But they’re also the subject of a few persistent myths that can reduce their effectiveness. E3 Spark Plugs shares the top three tire myths and the real-info that debunks them:

Myth: “I don’t have to worry about checking my tire pressure because my tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) does it for me.”
Real Deal: Actually, TPMSs are kind of like your slacker roommate who doesn’t get around to telling you the microwave oven’s busted until after you open your frozen lasagna dinner box. They’re not required to issue that warning ping until your tire pressure is 25 percent below the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendation. By then, you’re already well below the pressure required for safe driving. A TPMS isn’t designed as a friendly reminder – it’s a last-minute warning before imminent tire failure.

Myth: “I’m replacing only two tires, so they go on the front.”
Real Deal: Actually, it’s the rear tires that provide real stability, no matter if your vehicle is a front-, rear- or all-wheel drive. So here’s the scenario – You’ve got two good tires on the front and two near-bum tires on the back. It’s raining. The tires on the front will disburse the water beautifully. But the water will literally lift your two worn rear tires off the road. Now, you’re doing a reverse wheelie and don’t even know it. Okay, so it’s not quite that dramatic – yet. One slight wrong move and you’re flirting with a dangerous spinout. Trust us – if you can only buy two new tires, put them on the rear.

Myth: “If I exceed the max press number on my tire’s sidewall, it will explode.”
Real Deal: Actually, the max press number and your tire’s burst pressure are two completely different animals. The max press number and the mass load number together indicate the pressure at which your tires will carry the maximum amount of weight. The burst pressure is just what it sounds like – the pressure at which your tire will make like a soda bottle bomb. The recommended pressure for most passenger cars is about 30-40 PSI (pounds per inch). The typical burst pressure of a tire is closer to 200-300 PSI.

Got more tire questions? Post them on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page.

Know what's attracted to shiny red sports cars? Beautiful women. Oh, and bird poop, according to a new study.

Bad news for your little red sports car. Turns out that gorgeous Candy Apple Red paint job makes your ride a big ol’ bird poop target. In a study commissioned by Halfords, an online retailer of bike and auto tech accessories, red cars attract more bird droppings than any other color.

Researchers in the U.K. found that red vehicles made up a full 18 percent of the cars marked by birds. Blue cars were the next unluckiest at 14 percent. And being green may be easy after all. A mere one percent of green cars got hit – A statement from our feathered friends (or foes, if you drive red) on the eco-movement, perhaps?

Here’s how the most popular car colors fared:

• Red – 18 percent
• Blue – 14 percent
• Black – 11 percent
• White – 7 percent
• Grey or Silver – 3 percent
• Green – 1 percent

The study sample included 1,140 cars parked somewhere in England’s Brighton, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester and Bristol cities over two consecutive days. Fully unscientific guesses put forth as to why birds seem to favor a red drop zone vary. Some figure that the intense color may seemingly signal danger and prompt an equally intense bio-reaction. One asked what color the feathered offenders themselves were, suggesting that perhaps they’re attracted to car colors that match their own plumage. Another figures that red cars likely get polished and pampered more than cars of less flashy hues, and as a result, birds see their reflections in them. No guess as to why a reflection would cause a bird to expel its lunch, unless it mistakes that reflection for a competitor.

There may be a bit of a numbers glitch, though. There’s no indication as to the total number of each car color in the group. So, if Brits fancy red, it could mean that there simply were more potential targets sporting that color available. Of course, it’s been said that police handing out speeding tickets and car insurance sales reps also crave the crimson, though no solid studies have been conducted to back up those claims.

In any case, what’s most important, no matter your car’s color, is that those droppings get carefully washed off immediately. Car polish experts say bird feces causes paint lacquer to soften and expand, forming an uneven mold around the dropping and leaving a dull patch when it’s finally washed away. Seed-eating birds produce droppings with grainier textures, causing more damage to painted surfaces than birds with non-seed diets. Ergo, city pigeons will wreak more havoc on your paint job than seagulls, though anyone whose car has been unloaded upon by a pelican with a bellyful of fish guts may beg to differ.

Despite the average $89.3 million that car owners pay out each year to repair damaged paint patches and the reduced resale value (not to mention the disease-harboring potential of bird lime), just 17 percent of drivers surveyed said they wipe off bird droppings immediately. Twenty percent said they took action within a few days and a full 55 percent said they just ignored it until the next scheduled car wash. The remaining eight percent – well, we here at E3 Spark Plugs suggest you not carpool with those guys.

A few summertime car care tips can help make sure you're sunning on the beach rather than sweltering in your broke-down vehicle.

As summer gets underway, extreme temperatures have probably already sent you sprinting into your air conditioned home or the deep end of your swimming pool. But just like you, your automobile can take only so much heat. Turns out that excessive heat can cause or worsen a whole slew of car maintenance issues. E3 Spark Plugs offers these tips to help your car and your wallet keep cool.

• Clean your battery and terminals, particularly if it’s an older one. Make sure that there is no acid leaking, that it has adequate water (heat can evaporate a battery’s internal fluids) and that the charge is strong but not off the charts. High summertime temperatures can speed up the chemical reaction inside your battery, causing it to overcharge. This can significantly shorten the battery’s lifespan.
• Check your coolant system and make sure all fluids are topped off. Keep in mind that all engine fluids break down more quickly during the summer.
• Check all hoses and belts for cracks and breaks. If they’re looking ragged, replace them.
• Check your tires for worn or weak spots. Remember that tire pressure changes with the rising temperatures. You lose one to two PSI (pounds per square inch) with every 10-degree increase in outside air temperature. And with those PSI, you’ll lose gas money, too.
• Change your oil and air filters. Clogged oil filters can cause your engine to overheat. And clogged air filters can do a real number on your gas mileage.
• Replace your windshield wipers so you’re ready for those summertime torrential downpours.
• Get your air conditioning system checked out for refrigerant leaks.

Being stranded on the side of the road is no fun to begin with. Don’t get stuck beneath a sweltering sun. Got more stay-cool tips? Post them on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page.