75 Tips to Keep Your Car in Top-Notch Condition

Operating Your Car
We've compiled our best expert advice, surprising tricks, and maintenance and fix-it tips to prolong the life of your car!
1. Be patient during the break-in periodYou've bought your dream car and now you want to make it last at long as possible in top condition. Here are some things to remember as you pull it out of the dealer's lot:
During the break-in period, typically the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km), keep your speed under 55 mph (88 kpm) or to the speed recommended by your car's manufacturer.
Avoid heavy loads on the drive train, such as towing trailers, and loading the roof rack or trunk with heavy construction materials.
Do not allow your new car to idle for long periods -- this is good advice for the life of your car, but especially during breakin. The oil pressure generated by doing so may not be sending oil to every part of your engine.
Use only light to medium acceleration, keeping the engine rpms below 3,000 for the first few hours of driving.
2. Drive with care everydayBeing car considerate shouldn't stop after the break-in. Drive with care every day and your car will reward you with longer intervals without repair. Do not race your car's engine during start-up.This is a quick way to add years of wear to your engine, especially if it's cold outside.
Accelerate slowly when you begin your drive.The most wear to the engine and drive train occurs in the first ten to twenty minutes of operation.
Warming the engine by letting it idle in the driveway is not a smart idea.The engine doesn't operate at its peak temperature, resulting in incomplete fuel combustion, soot deposits on cylinder walls, oil contamination, and ultimately damaged components.
Put less strain on your engine and automatic transmission by shifting to neutral at red lights. Otherwise, the engine is still working to push the car even while it's stopped.
Avoid driving at high speeds and accelerating quickly, especially when it's very hot or very cold outside. Such driving behavior will result in more frequent repairs.
Extend the life of your tires with careful driving. Observe posted speed limits. Avoid fast starts, stops, and turns. Avoid potholes and objects on the road. Don't run over curbs or hit the tire against the curb when parking. And, of course, don't burn rubber.
When turning your steering wheel, don't hold it in an extreme right or left position for more than a few seconds. Doing so can damage the power-steering pump.
Consolidate your short driving trips. Most of the wear and tear -- as well as the pollution your car generates -- takes place in the first few minutes of driving. Doing several errands at once, during low traffic hours if possible, will keep your engine happier longer.
3. Buy gas at reputable service stationsAsk whether the gas you buy is filtered at the pump and if the station has a policy about changing the pump filters regularly. If you get a song and dance, find another gas station. Some stations don't have pump filters, making you more vulnerable to dirty gasoline. Other stations may not mix alcohol and fuel properly -- or worse, water down their product. Find a station you trust and stick to it.
4. Don't fill up if you see the tankerIf you happen to see a gasoline tanker filling the tanks at your local gas station, come back another day or go to a different station. As the station's underground tanks are being filled, the turbulence can stir up sediment. Sediment in your gas can clog fuel filters and fuel injectors, causing poor forward to reverse repeatedly, as well as spinning tires at high speeds, can generate lots of heat and spell trouble for transmissions, clutches, and differentials. It may be cheaper in the long run to call the tow truck rather than risk big repair bills down the road. It's a good idea to carry a traction aid in the trunk, such as sand, gravel, or cat litter. performance and possibly necessitating repairs.
5. Go easy when you're stuckWhen stuck in mud or snow, don't make the problem worse by damaging an expensive component. Gently rocking in an attempt to free the car is fine. But if it looks as though you're really stuck, don't keep at it. Throwing your car from forward to reverse repeatedly, as well as spinning tires at high speeds, can generate lots of heat and spell trouble for transmissions, clutches, and differentials. It may be cheaper in the long run to call the tow truck rather than risk big repair bills down the road. It's a good idea to carry a traction aid in the trunk, such as sand, gravel, or cat litter.
6. Lighten up your key chainDoes your car key share a chain with a dozen or more other keys? That's a pretty heavy load hanging off the car key when it's in the ignition.The weight, combined with bouncing while you drive, can wear out the tumblers inside the ignition and eventually lead to ignition switch failure.To add years of service to your ignition switch, purchase a lightweight key chain that allows you to separate your ignition key from the others. Drive with only the ignition key in your ignition. If your ignition key "sticks" when you try to turn on the car, it's a warning that your ignition switch is about to fail. Replace it before you get stranded.
7. Choose a good car insurerSometimes, no matter how careful you are, disaster inevitably strikes -- typically in the form of an accident. Make sure that your car will be repaired to the best possible standard by finding an insurer that will pay for parts from the original manufacturer and guarantee the repairs it authorizes.
8. Keep an auto logKeep a pad and pencil in the glove compartment and use them to record your gas fill-ups and mileage. If you notice that your gas mileage worsens, mention it to your service man. It may be an early warning sign that something is wrong with your car.
9. Preserve your car during long-term storageIf you are not going to use your car for more than a month, store it properly to prevent unnecessary damage and repairs upon your return.
Fill the gas tank to help prevent condensation from accumulating in the gas tank. Add a fuel stabilizer and drive the car around a bit to distribute the additive to engine parts.
Wash and wax the car thoroughly to protect the finish.
Place a vapor barrier on your garage floor. A 4-mil polyethylene drop cloth will do.
Disengage the parking brake to help avoid brake corrosion.
Put the car on jack stands to take the weight of the vehicle off the wheels and tires.
Disconnect and remove the battery to keep it from draining. Place the battery on a trickletype charger. Or periodically drain the battery, using a small light bulb, and then recharge it with a low-volt charger.
Plug the tailpipe with a rag to prevent moist air from infiltrating into it.
http://www.rd.com/content/75-tips-to-keep-your-car-in-top-notch-condition/

Organ anak saya tidak sia-sia – Yusoff

Organ anak saya tidak sia-sia – Yusoff

MOHD. Tajol Rosli Ghazali menyampaikan sumbangan kepada Yusoff Hassan sambil diperhatikan isterinya, Sapiah Hamzah keluarga remaja Melayu yang menderma jantung untuk Tee Hui Yee di Hotel Legend, Kuala Lumpur, semalam. – Gambar ROY AZIS ABD. AZIZ.
KUALA LUMPUR 10 Okt. – Keluarga penderma jantung pertama kepada Tee Hui Yee yakin pengorbanan anaknya, Allahyarham Nur Mohammad Sahiduzzaman Yusoff, 15, tidak sia-sia walaupun organ berkenaan tidak sesuai untuk gadis tersebut.

Bapa Allahyarham, Yusoff Hassan berkata, ini kerana tiga lagi organ anaknya iaitu paru-paru, hati dan buah pinggang berjaya dipindahkan kepada pesakit yang memerlukan dan serasi dengan tubuh pesakit itu.

‘‘Saya reda walaupun jantung anak saya yang didermakan kepada Tee Hui Yee tidak sesuai dengannya.
‘‘Apalah daya saya untuk menolak perkara itu daripada berlaku. Saya cuma mahu membantu gadis itu selepas dimaklumkan oleh seorang doktor di Ipoh bahawa anak saya sudah tidak ada harapan untuk hidup lagi.

‘‘Sesungguhnya saya ikhlas dan tanpa mengambil masa yang lama, saya dan isteri terus bersetuju untuk mendermakan organ tersebut,’’ katanya ketika ditemui di Hotel Legend di sini hari ini.

Sebelum itu, beliau dan isteri, Sapiah Hamzah, menerima sumbangan sebanyak RM10,000 sebagai tanda penghargaan daripada Barisan Nasional (BN) Negeri Perak yang disampaikan oleh Menteri Besar Perak, Datuk Seri Mohd. Tajol Rosli Ghazali.

Yusoff berkata, keputusan untuk mendermakan organ anaknya itu merupakan satu tanggungjawab untuk membantu mereka yang memerlukan dan merupakan satu inisiatif untuk mendorong orang lain mendermakan organ.

Beliau berharap organ-organ lain anaknya yang turut didermakan dapat memberi manfaat kepada penerimanya.

Mengulas mengenai anaknya, Yusoff berkata, Nur Mohamad yang mempunyai tujuh orang adik-beradik berumur antara enam hingga 19 tahun merupakan seorang hafiz al-Quran.
Tambahnya, anaknya itu juga telah menghafal lebih 18 juzuk al-Quran selain menjadi imam bagi solat tarawih di Masjid Sungai Tiram, Batu 10 Lekir, Sitiawan di Perak.

Syabas Malaysia (angkasawan)

Syabas Malaysia

Daripada METRA SYAHRIL MOHAMED

Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor (kiri) dan Yuri Malenchenko dari Rusia dalam perjalanan ke Stesen Angkasa Antarabangsa (ISS) dengan roket Soyuz TMA-11 yang berlepas pada 7.21 malam tadi waktu tempatan (9.21 malam waktu Malaysia).

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan 10 Okt. – Dengan iringan doa, perasaan bangga serta kesedaran bahawa tiada lagi perkara mustahil yang tidak dapat dilakukan oleh rakyat Malaysia, angkasawan pertama negara, Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor meluncur ke angkasa dengan kapal angkasa Soyuz TMA-11 tepat pukul 7.21 malam waktu tempatan di sini malam ini.
Pelancaran roket Soyuz sepanjang 50 meter itu dilakukan dalam keadaan cuaca sejuk dan langit cerah tanpa awan.

Di Malaysia yang pada waktu itu pukul 9.21 malam, Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin dan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi bersama lebih 10 juta rakyat Malaysia terpaku di depan skrin televisyen menyaksikan detik-detik bersejarah itu.
Ketika imej Sheikh Muszaphar yang berada dalam Soyuz yang dipacu roket selaju 26,000 kilometer sejam terpapar di skrin televisyen, rakyat Malaysia bersorak kegembiraan kerana perjalanan angkasawan itu dianggap sebagai simbol kehebatan baru bangsa.

Kapal angkasa Rusia, Soyuz TMA-11 yang membawa Sheikh Muszaphar, 35, bersama dua krew lain dilancarkan dengan jaya dari tapak pelancar di Baikonur Cosmodrome dekat sini.
Roket itu menuju ke Stesen Angkasa Antarabangsa (ISS) yang terletak 333 kilometer dari muka Bumi. Soyuz mengambil masa selama dua hari perjalanan mengelilingi orbit sebelum dijangka tiba di limbungan ISS.


Soyuz dijadualkan mendarat di ISS pada pukul 8 malam 12 Oktober ini di mana Sheikh Muszaphar akan berada di sana selama sembilan hari sebelum kembali ke Bumi.
Dua krew lain dalam Soyuz yang dilancarkan malam ini ialah Yuri Malenchenko, 45, dari Rusia yang merupakan veteran ISS dan Peggy Whitson, 47, dari Amerika Syarikat, iaitu wanita pertama yang bakal mengetuai operasi di ISS apabila mereka tiba di sana nanti.
Whitson pernah tinggal di ISS selama enam bulan.

Di ISS, Sheikh Muszaphar, seorang doktor bedah ortopedik yang berasal dari Negeri Sembilan, akan menjalankan tiga eksperimen berkaitan sel barah, bakteria dan pengkristalan protein.
Beliau akan kembali ke Bumi pada 21 Oktober dengan dua angkasawan Rusia yang telah berada di stesen itu sejak enam bulan lalu iaitu komander Fyodor Yurchikin dan jurutera penerbangan Oleg Kotov.

Yurchikhin dan Kotov tiba di ISS pada 9 April lalu dengan Soyuz TMA-10 manakala seorang lagi angkawasan yang berada di situ, Clayton Anderson pula mendarat dengan kapal angkasa Atlantis milik Amerika Syarikat (AS) pada 10 Jun lalu.

Sheikh Muszaphar dijadualkan meninggalkan ISS bersama Yurchikhin dan Kotov pada 21 Oktober dengan kapal angkasa Soyuz TMA-10 yang ketika ini berlabuh di ISS.
Whitson dan Malenchenko akan terus berada di ISS sebagai krew baru stesen angkasa itu bersama Anderson yang berada di situ sejak Jun lalu.

Program angkasawan Malaysia yang menyaksikan Sheikh Muszaphar dapat menerokai angkasa merupakan persetujuan timbal balik pembelian 18 jet pejuang Sukhoi SU-30 MKM bernilai RM3.4 bilion dari Rusia yang ditandatangani pada 5 Ogos 2003.
Beliau dan Kapten Dr. Faiz Khaleed merupakan dua calon terakhir daripada 11,275 rakyat Malaysia yang memohon menjadi angkasawan pertama negara ketika tawaran dibuka pada 2003.

Malam ini semua stesen televisyen di Malaysia menayangkan pelancaran itu termasuk Astro, pengendali stesen televisyen satelit berbayar Malaysia, stesen Radio dan Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), TV3, CH9 dan TV8.

Delegasi Malaysia yang diketuai oleh Menteri Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi, Datuk Seri Jamaluddin Jarjis telah berada di Baikonur di sini sejak kelmarin bagi menyaksikan pelancaran roket Soyuz.

Baikonur Cosmodrome merupakan tapak pelancaran yang digunakan oleh Rusia untuk menghantar Yuri Gagarin ke angkasa lepas pada 1961.
Di Kuala Lumpur, Perdana Menteri, Abdullah dan Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak turut menyaksikan siaran langsung pelancaran Soyuz TMA-11 dari Pusat Konvensyen Kuala Lumpur (KLCC).

Bercakap kepada pemberita, Abdullah berkata: “Dengan menerokai angkasa lepas, kita membuat pelaburan bagi anak-anak kita, masa depan kita, membina jambatan yang merapatkan bidang-bidang ini ke dalam imaginasi anak muda.
“Perjalanan hebat ini, yang kita semua secara tidak langsung bersama melakukannya dengan angkasawan kita, akan membolehkan anak-anak kita untuk memikirkan bahawa impian boleh menjadi realiti.”

– Utusan