Prepare Your Vehicle for Fall

Prepare your vehicle for fall at the end of the summer season. Before you know it the weather will change and you want to be ready to meet the fall head on where auto safety and maintenance is concerned.

(NewsUSA) - In many parts of the country, the leaves have started to fall, and parents have sent their children back to school. Before the weather takes a turn, Firestone Complete Auto Care would like to offer the following car maintenance tips to get vehicles ready for the damp, cold road ahead.

Take Your Vehicle For A Full Check Up.

As the fall weather rolls in, it's important to have the following items checked by a professional: battery cables and terminals, belts and hoses, air filters, windshield wipers and all fluids, including anti-freeze, oil, brake fluid, power steering fluid, automatic transmission fluid and windshield washer fluid.

Take A Good Look At Your Tires.

Are there signs of uneven tread wear? That could indicate under-inflation, unbalanced tires or misaligned wheels. Remember to check your tire pressure with a gauge at least once a month and regularly inspect the tread depth. Your tread will be even more important during the autumn months when wet, dead leaves cover the roadways.

Take Care Of Your Lights And Turn Signals.

Fall, along with less favorable weather, also means it's time to turn the clocks back for daylight savings. With a shorter day comes a longer night, so be sure your headlights, taillights and turn signals are in proper working order and shining at the appropriate levels.

Talk To Your Teenager.

Have a teenager in the house? Worried about all the driving they will be doing during the fall? You can't teen-proof your neighborhood, but you can talk to your teen about safe driving before they head to school. Teens Drive Smart, a teen driver safety initiative from Bridgestone Americas, the parent company to Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC, which owns and operates Firestone Complete Auto Care, has tips and resources for parents to help start a conversation with their teens about smart driving. Visit www.TeensDriveSmart.com for more information.

Remember, not only can taking these small steps keep your vehicle running newer, longer, but they can also help keep you and your family safe on the road.

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Breaking: Toyota warns N. American plants “prepare to shut down”

Wednesday, Mar 23rd, 2011 @ 5:44 p.m.

A breaking report that suggests Toyota is now preparing to potentially shut down some or all of its North American production facilities has just been released, based on direct conversation with Toyota representatives.

To date, Toyota has halted all vehicle production in its domestic market of Japan, but interruptions in the U.S., Mexico and Canada have previously been limited to the removal of overtime shifts. Now, according to CNNMoney, Toyota North America has notified all 13 of its North American factories that part shortages may force plants to either be shut down, or limited further in production.

The word came from Mike Goss, a Toyota spokesman, who said, “We expect some kind of interruptions.” Goss went on to elaborate that although Toyota resumed partial part production in Japan as of March 17, as reported by Leftlane, the production was only for replacement parts, and only where possible with limitations based on which suppliers were operational.

Moving forward, Goss touched on the fact that North American production could face stoppages due to the fact that, “We’re not just talking about a few companies,” when referring to the many suppliers that were damaged by the natural disasters on March 11.

References
1.’Toyota tells U.S….’ view

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