15 Cheap Car Hacks To Make Your Life Easier

There’s a Tony Stark in each one of us! Well, over time and with experience, we all have come out with some easy solutions to our daily life problems. More of hacks, these solutions were never meant to be but they do have made our life easier. For car owners, we have these 15 unique hacks that might answer long standing problems and queries. Check them out!

1. Toothpaste to clean headlights 

Cleaning headlights has always been an issue, especially during the rainy season and after a bit of off-roading. Using a big brush, you can rub the toothpaste all over the plastic casing to remove the dust and the entire foggy glaze. This should make things pretty clean. 

2. Shoe for a cup holder 

Not all car owners are privileged to have a cup holder and even if they come, most are pretty small. If you are in the habit of having a big cuppa coffee or coke, you are in trouble. The normal cup holders in cars won’t hold more than 32 oz drinks. Well, for a deeper alternative, you can use a shoe! Deeper than the car’s cup holder, shoes will provide a heavier base and will be perfect for a longer drink! 

3. Staple remover to maneuver the key ring 

Adding extra keys to a car’s key ring can be tough. However, you can use a staple remover to make the process easier. 

4. Seat warmer for your pizza 

Have a pizza onboard but worried that it might cool down and you might have to put it in the oven again? Well, why not use your car’s seat warmer instead? While it won’t be able to keep your food steaming, it will definitely allow you to have a warm pizza when you get home. 

5. Nail polish to paint scratches 

A scratch on your car can be frustrating. Paining the whole car anew is again an expensive process. If the scratch isn’t too much, you might actually manage with the closest nail polish! Try it. 

6. Cereal container for trash can 

Worried about where to put the empty burger packets in your car? Well, don’t dump them under the seat. You might use an empty cereal container for a temporary trash can. 

7. Tinted plastic for shade 

Too much of sun? Try attaching tinted plastic sheets to the windshield to reduce the glow. The sheets automatically stick on the shield so there’s no messing around with cello tapes. 

8. Mesh bungie for overhead storage 

A lot of extra handy storage can be achieved by using a mesh bungie net on top of your head. At least, you can put in your books and jackets in there! 

9. East facing parking 

Having the first rays of the sun warm up your car in the morning will save you from the trouble of defrosting. 

10. Plunger for dents 

Plungers can be used successfully to clear out any small dent in the car body.

11. Hand sanitizers to de-ice keyholes 

For people in cooler climates, a hand sanitizer can be more about cleaning your hands! 

12. Boosting your car remote using your head! 

Now, this is really interesting. By putting up the remote against your chin, you can actually boost the range of the remote! 

13. Toothpaste for scuffs 

Scuffs, like headlight fog, can be well taken care of by toothpaste. 

14. Wet newspaper to peel off stickers 

We all have faced the problem of registration stickers becoming a part of your windshield. Well, you can wet a newspaper in warm water and place it against. After a while, everything will simply fall off in your palms! 

15. Shoe organizer in the backseat 

Shoe organizers placed in the back of the driver’s seat can take care of a lot of mess. 

Hope you have liked our hacks. If you are doing something else, please let us know!

 

Top 10 Reasons Why Drivers Crash Their Cars

Everyone likes to think they’re a good driver and that they’re not going to be involved in a crash. But according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), every year around three million people claim on their car insurance, sometimes for theft or vandalism, but usually because of some kind of collision.

Here we are sharing a list of the 10 most common reasons why car crashes happen in the UK.

5 Things to Consider Before Investing In LED Light Bulbs

LED Headlights have caught up rage in four wheelers as well as two wheelers for being absolutely cool, bright and low energy consuming.  Using the same logic, LED lights have found place in homes and offices in a number of fixtures. Array of LED bulbs are available in the stores, shopping for these lights is somewhat different than the regular incandescent bulbs. It therefore demands some home work to get the right light at the right price, of the required brightness and also required colour. 

Here are 5 essential things which must be kept in mind before investing in these valuable lights.

1. Don't Ask For Watts

Lumens are the correct measurement indicator for LED Bulbs, unlike watts, which we are accustomed to. Being energy saving, the watts which are energy measurement indicators barely play any importance here. In comparison to incandescent bulbs which use 150 watts of energy to produce 2600 lumens of brightness, the LED'S use a miniscule 25-28 watts of energy. The brightness derived from the little diodes and circuits of the LED measured in Lumens are basic differentiators to compare the different LED Lights. Hence, when seeking an LED in a store, one must not ask for watts and look more wise and informed. Installing LED'S can definitely lower the light bills.

2. Look For The Best Colour And Shape Choices

The multiple colours available in LED bulbs give a huge range of choices. From dark hues like purple, red, there are popular LED versions which throw yellow and white hues like those of the ordinary incandescent bulbs. Hence, when looking for lighting homes, the warm whites closer to yellowish shade or bright whites closer to whiter shades can be the best choices. Certain jargons like Kelvin's must not boggle the shoppers of LED Lights. These are just measurements for the colour temperature usually common even in incandescent. A range of 2700-3500k is commonly suggestible for homes. 

Omni- directional lights instead of just one direction lights are the latest advancements in LED Light bulbs. Hence, look out for the attractive and utility based shapes accordingly.  

 

3. Don't Be Afraid Of Cost Concerns

The upfront cost of LED bulbs is definitely higher than incandescent bulbs. However, the energy efficient bulbs pay off over a long run with a longer shelf life, less heat and lower bills. The latest technology LED Lights can also be controlled with the help of Smartphone. The investment will be even more worthwhile when the plan is to change all the incandescent bulbs with these LED alternative bulbs.  

4. Check Out For Dimming Alternatives

Dimming options are warranted for further energy savings by many people. However, the LED Bulbs absolutely compatible with the traditional dimmer incandescent bulbs can be expensive. Changing the dimming switches to LED version instead can be an economical alternative. 

5. Don't Use In Enclosed Fixtures

Though popular for lower heat emission and remaining cool over the incandescent bulbs, the LED Lights can emit higher heat if used in enclosed fixtures leaving little scope for the heat to dissipate into the air from the heat sinks attached. The mechanism of remaining cool can be disturbed when used in this way. This can lead to reduction of the shelf life of the bulbs and they consequently can burn out quickly.

Make Your Car Headlights Bulbs Long Lasting [Infographic]

Headlights play a very crucial role for your safe drive in the areas where visibility is almost zero. We can’t ignore the importance of headlamps. Driving during late nights becomes critical without them. Here are some tips, shared by Auto LED Shop, which can be followed to make your car headlight bulbs long lasting.

Why One Should Upgrade To Xenon Lights?

Till even a year ago, halogens had been the common choice when it came to high intensity lighting. However, technology has fast upgraded and halogens are fast getting upgraded to a newer and “greener” alternative. Called the “Xenon” lighting, these bulbs are able to produce a brighter beam while consuming lesser amount of energy. Xenon lights also has a top advantage of being highly durable over halogens that had to be replaced every often.

Since most readers here won’t be chemists, let’s try to understand Xenon lighting technology in simpler and useful terms as opposed to statements from the Periodic Table! What we need to know is that both halogen and Xenon offer a number of benefits but to be used in a certain application; you need to know the exact advantages and disadvantages of each.

A Brief About How Xenon Bulbs Work 

Both halogen and xenon are incandescent form of lighting. Both use a thin tungsten wire/filament covered in a glass bulb to convert electric energy into heat energy and subsequently into light. The only difference here is that while halogen bulbs use halogen gas inside the glass bulb, Xenon bulbs have xenon to offer the same functionality. 

Now, adding an inert gas like halogen or xenon slows down the oxidizing process of the tungsten filament as it is heated continuously. The more the amount of time the filament lasts (doesn’t burn out) the more is the longevity of the bulb.

Now let’s understand why xenon is a more stable alternative to halogen gases and more specifically, why you should be upgrading to xenon bulbs.

The chemical reason 

Chemically, halogen gases like fluorine, chlorine, iodine or bromine are all monovalent elements, meaning that they could easily form a negative ion. So in halogen bulbs, the tungsten will gradually wear down its atoms and reform into tungsten halide, which gets re-deposited in the filament, thus keeping the filament intact for long. 

Xenon too works in the same way, but being a noble gas, it doesn’t produce negative ion and is highly stable. Practical implications point out to negative color changes (that’s why halogen bulbs get blackened over time) and give out a brighter white light.

In terms of efficiency 

For a halogen lamp, the average longevity is around 2,000 hours, 2 times longer than the regular incandescent bulbs. However, xenon light bulbs can last longer for as much as 10,000 hours, without a drop in the quality of brightness. This is 5 times the life of a halogen bulb. Further, xenon required less amount of electricity to be stimulated and thus you save a lot on energy consumption. 

In terms of sensitivity 

If you have been a user, you already know how hot it can get with a halogen bulb. The heat makes halogen bulbs unsuited to several applications like sensitive displays or artwork. Halogen bulbs also emit UV radiation, a potential hazard to your health. Touching a halogen lamp with bare hand or even getting closer is impossible and in case something cooler gets in sudden contact with the bulb, the glass will immediately burst. 

With xenon headlight bulbs, the heat production is minimal and compared to halogen, the UV radiation too is very less. This makes xenon bulbs perfect for application in high traffic areas and minimize the chance of a panic or an accident. 

The only thing “not in favor” of xenon bulbs is its price. Being a rare gas, xenon bulbs are more expensive than halogen but if you again see at the long term implication and count in energy saving, the investment is profitable. 

Top 10 Tips to Improve Night Driving [Infographic]

Driving in dark can be risky if you are not following the right safety practices. Check your car headlights and climate condition properly before going out in dark. Here we have an infographic from Auto LED Shop which revolves around top 10 tips to improve night driving.

5 Tips to Improve Driving In Dark

Travelling by car in darkness can be risky if you don’t follow proper safety guidelines. Here are 5 tips you should always keep in mind while driving in dark:

1. Stop, Sip, Sleep

A survey conducted by the Road Safety Authority revealed that over 1 in 10 drivers have really fallen asleep at the wheel. Almost 1 in 5 motorists, who admit to driving after any amount of alcohol, have fallen asleep at the wheel. RSA advice to “stop, sip, sleep” for those that feel sleepy while driving as tiredness related accidents can result in serious injury. They advice motorists to stop the car in a safe place then sip a caffeine drink and sleep for 15 minutes if they feel sleepy while driving.

2. If Weather Is Not Good

Prior to setting off on a trip, it is advised to confirm if there are any troubles on your planned route.  The Road Safety Authority advises to always plan in advance, mainly when travelling in the dark.  They suggest sources such as the Department of Transport, local broadcasting stations, Met Eireann, AA Roadwatch and the Garda updates.  They suggest that there is also information on local authority websites and for updates on environment on Motorways and National roads there is information on the National Roads Authority Website that is updated on the regular basis.

3. Is Your Car Ready For Winter?

There are a many important checks that all motorists must do to get ready for driving in darker conditions.  Preferably a complete tune-up must be done in addition to normal checks.  All motorists must look for wear and tear on wiper blades and to change them if they begin to smear and keep tyre pressure at the limit suggested by the company and make sure that the tread depth is right.  The spare wheel must be in first-class state and be fully inflated. For cars that have inflation repair equipment instead of a spare wheel, the recommendation is to make sure that you be familiar with how to use it.  Motorists should make sure that all lights are functioning and spotless, as an out of order headlight is an offence and should regularly top up with anti-freeze and screen wash. 

4. Check your Night Vision

Eye care is frequently ignored by drivers but mainly for those who drive a lot or drive in dark, it is necessary to have regular eye examinations.  Some people have trouble in seeing in dark and low-light conditions and suffer from a state identified as ‘night-time blindness’.  An eye check will help to identify this.  Normally, drivers should compensate for poorer light levels by driving unhurriedly and allowing more time for the ride. Cyclists and pedestrians can be very hard to see at night and in particular during dawn and dusk, so it is necessary to have an updated eye examination.

5. Replace Your Headlights If Needed

Don’t forget to replace your old broken headlights with the new LED headlights before setting up for a journey. If your headlights are not in good working conditions then it can put you in serious troubles later.