Car Needs New Shoes

Q: I'd like to buy some new tires for my car and I prefer Michelin's, but there aren't too many shops around that seem to carry Michelin tires and they're very expensive. Can I buy tires from a supplier directly and then have them installed here? Will it save me much? Is it worth the bother? Will the tires come with a warranty? If I do this, they'd need to be mounted, balanced and then I'd need an alignment, right? What supplier would you recommend if I chose this option? -M

A: I do a lot of research online when I buy tires. I actually recently purchased a set of Michelin tires from Tire Rack. After plenty of research and price comparison, I found it was cheaper to buy the tires online, pay for shipping, then have them installed at a shop of my choice. I saved about $150 by purchasing online, paying shipping (but no sales tax, and choosing my installer. Tire Rack also has a good selection and plenty of customer reviews to help in your decisions. Many local stores and chains have websites for you to compare tire prices and order online as well so you can compare buying online to buying at a local store.

On the website you can look up registered installers in your area to compare installation prices and see customer reviews. If the shop is listed you can even have your tires shipped to them so they are ready for you when you show up. If a shop that you want to use is not on the list, you will need to ship the tires to your house and take them to the shop. All shops installation fees include mounting and balancing. Other costs will be old tire disposal, which is usually about $2 per tire, extra fees for vehicles with TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems, required on all cars 2007 model year and newer), run flat tire serviced, and extra fees for low profile tires. Most shops will have options for life time balance, which is up to you.

Tire warranties are provided by the manufacturer. If you have a warranty claim, it is likely that you will need to submit it to the manufacturer for reimbursement. Workmanship for mounting and balancing is usually covered by the installer. Tire Rack does offer road hazard coverage as well. Similar to the warranty, this requires a form to be submitted for processing.

Alignment is usually done when suspension or sterring components are replaced. If this has been done recently you don't need to do it again. If its never been done, or it has been several years, its not a bad idea. This can help ensure your new tires wear evenly. Again, check around. The shop where you are getting the tires installed may not be the cheapest place for an alignment. Check with some local shops as their prices can be lower than some of the large chains.

The tires we bought for our Ford Explorer has been great, and we were glad to save some money. Hope this answers your questions!

- AskSteveo@gmail.com

Das Beer Sign

Q: I have this awesome old beer sign (for Schlitz, ohh yeaaa) and well, the cord for the plug has been cut through. Would it be easier to replace the 40 some odd years old cord, or just splice and reconnect/tape it? - K

A: It would be best for safety reasons and aesthetic reasons to replace the entire cord. This way it will be new and clean without any splices, tape, or weak spots. Plus, the cost will probably be about the same. Splices are not ideal when dealing with electricity and it is best to always have a solid piece of wire between connections. It may be a little more difficult to get the cord out of the sign, but probably not too difficult and your efforts will be worth it with a proper repair that will last. You can get those cords at any hardware store, and if you end up needing help putting it together, just let me know! 

- Stephen

In a Haze

Q: My headlights have gotten foggy and the beams aren't as bright as they should be anymore. I've seen products advertised that allow for the headlights cover to be sanded and cleaned back to original. Do they work? -M

A: While these products can work, a lot depends on how the plastic deteriorated on your headlight. Most of the time, as the plastic ages it can be affected by physical damage such as rocks, sand, bugs, and other road hazards, heat from the sun and the light bulbs, and UV radiation. This will usually result in a haze buildup or small surface cracks on the outside of the headlamp lens. These products are designed to lightly buff the plastic to smooth out these cracks and imperfections. These do work fairly well for damage like this. 


 Be sure to follow the instructions for the kit so you do not damage the headlamp. It is also a good idea to wax the area around the headlight and then mask it off with blue painters tape. This will help prevent accidental damage to the paint around the headlamp. Be especially careful if there is bare plastic or chrome trim around the headlamp as this can be soft and easily damaged with sandpaper or polishing compound. These kits will not make it look like a brand new light but will help a lot and it is a lot cheaper than replacing the light. To really try and save money, you can even try a cheap toothpaste and buff the light using the toothpaste on a terry cloth towel. This will involve a little elbow grease but can have some good results while being very inexpensive. I haven't tried this method just yet but will be very soon. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

Sometimes the plastic will get the haze on the inside of the lens. Due to the design of these headlamps, there is no way to disassemble them to polish the inside because they are sealed units. If you try to take it apart you risk breaking the headlamp or not sealing it properly which will let moisture enter the light. If water is gets in the headlamp, this can cause the light to burn out quickly, more haze to build up on the inside, or the reflective plating to come off. If the damage is to the inside of the light, you will just need to replace the headlamp assembly.


Anyone else ever had this problem and/or tried any of these solutions? Let me know! I'll keep you updated on my headlight project...


-Stephen

Bathroom Sink Drain

Question: "Our bathroom sink drains really slowly and we've put a whole bottle of drain-o down that sucker. Is there anything else we can do?" - J

Answer: Drain-O is a little questionable when it is used. If used a lot, it can actually damage pipes. Also if the clog is not in a spot where it can sit, it won't do anything. One option is very simple, cheap, and it's non-toxic. First, run the water on hot for at least 5 minutes to warm the drain line. This will help loosen and soften any buildup. Next put down about a tablespoon of baking soda followed by some vinegar. Let that sit for 5 minutes then run the hot water again for 5 minutes. You will probably need to do this 3-4 times to flush out the pipe. You can increase the amounts of baking soda and vinegar, just do not use to much baking soda to start with as it can clump and cause another clog! It also may be best to remove the drain stopper if possible so it is easier to poor the baking soda and vinegar down the drain. This method works best for clogs from soap scum, grease, oils, and other liquid like items that can build up over time.

If the clog is from hair or other solid or mixed with soap and other lovely things, you may need to take the drain apart and clean the P-trap out or look for the clog. This can usually be done without any tools but can occasionally require a set of slip joint pliers, like Channel Locks, to get stubborn slip nuts loose. I would only suggest doing this if you have a plastic drain line. If yours is metal, it can corrode easily. This will make it very hard to take apart and very easy to break. If you break it then you will need to replace the P-trap section of the drain line or possibly more. I would only take apart a metal drain line if you feel comfortable accepting this possibility and replacing the P-trap.

Here is a basic breakdown of a drain line under a bathroom sink.

1. Shut off the water to the faucet or a least make sure no one turns it on while you have the drain disconnected.

2. Place a small bucket or pan under the P-trap (curved U shaped part of the drain line)

3. Loosen the slip nuts on both sides of the P-Trap. It will probably be easiest to start with the top one on the tail piece(part of the drain attached to the sink itself) As you loosen the lower one, water will start coming out.

4. After both nuts are loosened up, pull the P-trap down off the drain. Be careful since there is water in the trap.

5. Once the trap is removed, pour out the water and see if there is a clog in it. You may see the clog in the trap or in the open ends of the drain line from the sink or to the wall. You can clean this out the best you can, if you see a lot of build up, wipe it out the best you can and rinse out the trap in another sink with hot water to remove as many of the deposits as possible.

6. Now you can reassemble the drain. You will notice there is a beveled section of pipe that connects to the lower part of the trap as this is not adjustable up and down. On the taller, straight part, there is a plastic or rubber washer that has the same bevel. This seals the drain line. It is OK if this slides as the coupling nuts will push them into place. You will want to make sure both of these beveled sealing surfaces are clean as any debris will cause a leak.

7. When tightening the slip nuts make sure they are snug, but do not over tighten. You should be able to tighten these by hand without needing to use pliers.

8. After everything is back together, test for leaks by running the water for a few minutes. If you notice any drips, tighten the nuts a little more as this should stop them.

Hope it helps!


-Stephen

iPad Conundrum

Question: "So.... What type of iPad should I get? I want to be able to create/edit documents from the iPad. I want it to be 3G capable (do I actually need that though?/ is it worth the price?). How much space do word documents/ apps really take up. I won't need any or much space for music b/c I already have an iPod (32g) full." - J


Answer: First, the memory question. Documents do not take up much space at all. Most are a few kilobytes (KB) or a few megabytes (MB) at most. With a 16 Gigabyte (GB) iPad you will have about 14-14.5 GB of actual free space to start with. If you even got to 1 GB of documents I would be surprised. Also, if you do not plan on putting much music on it that is another reason to go for the lowest memory option. Apps do not take up a significant amount either unless you go App crazy. You might take up 1-2 GB with your apps. So say you put on a little music, had a ton of big apps, and some documents. You would be at 3-4 GB used and have 10GB free. This will give you a decent amount of space for any videos, movies, or other items you want to load. Media content is really what takes up all your free space. If you want lots of movies and music, you will want a lot of free space.


Having 3G is a good question. This will depend on how and where you intend to use it. If you are primarily using it in locations where Wi-Fi is available, there might not be much to justify the extra initial expense (adds $130) and the monthly expense($15-80) of a data plan with Verizon or AT&T. If you are on the go a lot and in areas where Wi-Fi is not available or is difficult to connect to these extra expenses may be worth it to you. You can monitor your data usage on the iPad so you are sure not to go over your plan. Be sure to do this since overages charges can be expensive. The carriers often allow you to go month to month without a contract so you can activate or cancel your data plan at any time. Both carriers offer different plans with different amounts of data for the price. For example, Verizon has 2GB per month plan for $30 and AT&T has a 2GB plan for $25. You do need to choose a carrier before purchasing the iPad as carrier specific software is loaded for the band of cell signal they use. To make sure you do not go over, turn off the 3G radio on the iPad an run it just on the Wi-Fi when you can, like in your home. This will not only guarantee you to not use any cell network data but will save a little battery life too as every radio turned off will save power, and don't forget Bluetooth counts too.


Let us know what you choose!


-Stephen

Let the Questions Begin!

Welcome to "Ask Stephen," your question and answer source for information that is 100% correct, guaranteed! Ok, so there isn't a guarantee and let's face it, no one has all the answers, but many friends and family certainly think I do (sometimes). They come to me with all sorts of questions regarding technology, electronics, computers, automobiles, home improvement, tools, and other related subjects that I do my best to answer. I will be posting these questions and some great (and maybe some not-so-great) answers here for all to enjoy. Ask away!

-Stephen


To ask questions send them in an email or just leave a comment!