Picking the Best Snow Tires

You should consider a few factors when picking the best snow tires. First, determine your budget. You should also consider what part of the country you live in,  how much snow you get, and what type of vehicle you own.

If you have very mild winters, you may be fine with a set of all-season tires. If you see regular snowfall or icy road conditions, you will want to consider upgrading to snow tires. For locations with severe winter weather, you might even want a studded set of snow tires.

Also, it is worth noting that all-season tires are not the same as snow tires. Though you can use an all-season tire year-round, you won’t get the same level of performance on snow and ice as from a true set of snow tires. We’ve rounded up a list of the ten best snow tires you should consider buying before next winter!

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Performing a Great Burnout

Disclaimer: Doing burnouts can be dangerous and illegal. Follow your local regulations and do so at your own risk.

You’ve likely seen drivers performing burnouts in two scenarios — either to warm up their tires on the start line of the drag race or just for the sake of showing off a bit. If you aren’t a professional or amateur drag racer, you likely fall in the latter category, and the main focus for you will be on how to do a burnout safely. There is no doubt that in both scenarios there will be big smiles and increased heart rate. First, know that it is not legal to perform a burnout on a public road or highway. We recommend finding a safe and legal place to do your burnout. This way you can learn in a controlled environment.

This is our step-by-step guide to achieving the best burnout possible.

Steps to Perform a Burnout:

1. Ensure Your Car Is Suitable

Some models of cars are more suitable to do burnouts than others. Factors to take into consideration include if your car is automatic or manual (or has a DCT) and whether it is rear-wheel, front-wheel, or all-wheel drive. Also, you will need to be familiar with your traction control settings and how to turn them on/off. Generally, rear-wheel-drive cars with higher horsepower and street tires will be the best combo for a showy, smokey burnout.

Also, make sure to look over your car for general condition and any signs of wear or tear (especially if you have an older car) and inspect the condition of your tires. A burnout puts a lot of stress on a car, so you’ll want to make sure your car is in good working condition to begin with. There have certainly been instances of burnouts gone wrong, and you don’t want to put yourself, car, or anyone else in a dangerous situation.

Though we focus primarily on how to do a burnout with an automatic transmission equipped car, manual transmission burnouts can also be tons of fun. We suggest starting to get the feel for burnouts in an automatic vehicle first, as a manual transmission burnout is a bit more complicated.

When it comes to doing better burnouts, usually cars with rear-wheel drive will perform better than their front-wheel driving counterparts. This is because there is usually less weight over the powered wheels in a rear-wheel-drive car, which makes it easier to get the tires spinning. Rear-wheel-drive cars also have the benefit of allowing the front wheels to focus on steering while the back wheels can focus more on spinning and shredding tires.

2. Find a Safe Location

This is one of the more tricky parts because finding a safe spot, that is also legal, is rather difficult. When it comes to safe spots, parking lots or any large paved area is usually the best bet. You will want to find a spot that gives you room for error, doesn’t put anyone in danger, and doesn’t bother residents in the surrounding areas. But, you might rightly ask, are any of those places legal?

One of the only legal places you can do a burnout is on your own private property. If not your own property, you need to get permission from someone else to use their private property. The caveat is that it is still illegal to disrupt someone else with your burnout. So make sure the area you choose is located far enough away from other residents so you don’t disturb them.

We know you’ve seen videos of on-street burnouts. But let us remind you that you’ve likely also seen the videos of the on-street burnout fails, resulting in damage to car, driver, and sometimes bystanders. Though you might be tempted to take your car out on the street or public parking lot, we encourage you to find a safe, legal, controlled environment.

3. Start And Set Up Car For Burnout

Once you’ve found your safe spot, get your car set up for the burnout! Start your car with the key or the start/stop button. Make sure you keep your left foot on the brake pedal. Also, make sure to keep your front wheels pointed straight and leave the handbrake/parking brake on. Once you start the car, shift the car into drive and release the parking brake.

After that, you’ll want to turn off the car’s traction control. With traction control on, the car will continue to try to gain traction and momentum, instead of letting you spin the tires. You may need to consult your owner’s manual for the steps on how to turn off traction control for your particular make and model.

4. Perform The Burnout

Now, you are ready to perform a burnout!

First, press BOTH the brake and gas pedals as hard as you can, with your left foot holding the brake and right foot on the gas. This will rev up the engine, building power, while the brakes hold the car stationary.

Slowly release the brake pedal while keeping the gas pedal depressed, but RPMs below your car’s redline. No need to blow up your motor! Releasing the brake slowly will cause the tires to spin and smoke as they try to find traction. You will need to modulate the amount of brake and throttle in order to keep the car from moving forward.

When you’ve had enough smokey fun, you’ve destroyed your poor tires, your engine is getting hot, or you’re just ready to stop, simply let off the gas pedal. Or, once you have some practice, go ahead and lay down some perfect stripes by slowly letting off the brakes even more as you keep the gas depressed. This will keep the tires spinning while the vehicle starts to move forward.

If you are driving a manual car, the process differs slightly — you must be quick with your feet. Start with your left foot depressing the clutch pedal to the floor. Then rev up the engine with the gas pedal with the right foot. Next, quickly take your left foot off the clutch and move it to the brake just as the car starts to want to move — essentially dumping the clutch. Once both feet are simultaneously on the brake and gas, you should be able to start your burnout for clouds of smoke in the rearview. You’ll need to modulate both pedals to keep the tires spinning and the vehicle stationary – as well as keep the revs low enough not to over-rev your engine.

All through the process, be sure you keep an eye and ear open for potential issues. When performing a burnout you are fighting with friction and traction. Warped rotors, torched tires, fried fluids, or other component failures may be the price you pay. If you start smelling anything unusual or see sparks, it’s probably best to call it a day.

How to do a Burnout in Four Easy Steps:

• 1. Ensure Your Car is Suitable 
• 2. Find a Safe Location
• 3. Start and Set up Your Car for Burnout
• 4. Perform the Burnout

Picking The Best LED Headlights

There are a few things to think about when picking LED headlights for your car. Energy efficiency and price are two important aspects to take into consideration. Most bulbs come with an expected lifespan listed in hours that you can compare to other similarly priced bulbs.

How bright the headlights are is important as well. For reference, traditional stock headlights are about 700 lumens on low beam and in the range of 1200 lumens on high beam. Most LEDs will have significantly more lumens for added brightness. With this, higher-lumen bulbs will also have a higher wattage. Though most car batteries can easily handle this increase in watts, be aware that higher watt bulbs do generate a bit of heat, which is why some LED headlights come equipped with active cooling fans.

Lastly, be sure to check that the new LED headlights fit your exact year, make, and model of vehicles. Most LED headlights are quick and easy to install, assuming you have made sure they are compatible with your stock headlight housing. Others may require a few additional parts and adjustments to adapt the LED bulb to your headlight housing.

These are a few of the factors that we took into consideration when deciding which LED headlights will make the best addition to your car. Check out this list of the 10 Best LED Headlights for a quick way to upgrade your safety and night driving confidence.

Properly Buffing Your Car

While buffing your car isn’t difficult, it does need to be done right for the best results. With proper execution and a little patience, you can get your car looking as good as new. We’ve broken it down to five easy steps, so you can buff your car and restore the paint to that like-new shine.

The Best Way to Buff Your Car:

1. Gather Proper Supplies

In order to properly buff your car, you will need a few key items. First, you’ll need to buy a power buffer. There are a lot of power buffers on the market, but we recommend the Black+Decker 6-inch Random Orbit Waxer/Polisher or the DEWALT 7-inch-9-inch variable speed buffer. Another option is to buy an entire package, like Chemical Guys Random Orbital Polisher Kit which comes with a buffer, extra pads, and two 4 oz. compounds and two 4 oz. polishes.

Next, you’ll need a polishing compound and extra buffing/cutting pads. Generally, you will want to use the gentlest combination of buffer, pad, and polish to get your desired results. If your car’s paint is in good shape with just a few swirls or scratches, stick with a gentle pad and polishing compound. If you have some more noticeable blemishes in the clear coat, you may need to use a more aggressive cutting pad with a more abrasive polishing compound.

You’ll also want some car wash supplies on hand like a stack of clean microfiber towels and car wash soap. And a roll of painters or masking tape.

The last thing you’ll need is wax, which will go on at the end of the process. After you gather those supplies, you are ready to begin!

2. Wash The Car

Start by washing your car thoroughly with soap and water. After that, dry it off to using a clean microfiber towel. You want to make sure you are starting with a clean and dry surface. This step is very important to ensure there is no dirt or debris on the surface of the vehicle. If you start with dirty paint, buffing can actually cause more damage to your clear coat. Once you’re finished washing and drying the car, you can move on to the next step.

3. Apply Masking Tape 

Use masking or painter’s tape to protect plastic trim pieces and other areas like your headlights, taillights, or badges that you don’t want to accidentally scuff with the buffer.

4. Buff The Car

Now, it’s time to starting buffing! To begin, start by polishing a small test spot to make sure that you are using the correct pad and polish combination. Start with your least aggressive pad and polish and see how this spot looks — the right combination should remove superficial scratches and restore the paint’s shine.

Once you’ve determined which pad and polishing compound you want to start with, its time to move on to buff the rest of your car. You’ll want to use a good amount of polishing compound on the buffing pad. As you are buffing, make sure you keep an eye on how much compound is on the pad. When it gets low, be sure to add more and continue buffing.

Place the polishing compound on the pad and start the power buffer. Be sure to have a good grip on it and hold it firmly against the car. Move the buffer in a circular motion. One tip is to never stop moving the buffer, as leaving the pad on one spot for too long could cause damage to the paint. For areas with small scratches and shallow chips, you may need to spend some extra time buffing those areas or use a more aggressive pad/polish combination to help smooth out the surface.

One thing to note is that no matter how much you buff your car, you won’t be able to remove 100% of the blemishes. Some scratches or chips are too deep to be removed by buffing.

5. Wax The Car

After you finish buffing the car, the final step is to wax your car. Buffing usually removes some of the protective clear coat on the paint, and waxing as a final step will help add back that layer of protection. Before you get started, make sure the paint is clean — you may need to wipe off dust or other fine debris with a clean microfiber towel before applying the wax.

To wax your car, put the wax on a clean buffing pad and then repeat the same process as you did with the polishing compound. Once the wax has been applied to an area, you can remove it with a clean microfiber towel. Make sure you read the waxing instructions so you know how long to leave the wax on the car. Remove the masking tape after you are done waxing, and enjoy your shiny car!

How to Buff your Car in Five Easy Steps

• 1. Gather Proper Supplies
• 2. Wash The Car
• 3. Apply Masking Tape
• 4. Buff The Car
• 5. Wax The Car

Properly Changing Your Car Battery

Safely changing a car battery requires attention to detail. If you don’t install the new battery properly, your car will not work. And there are some safety considerations and precautions you will want to take in order to safely remove and discard your old battery. But don’t let this scare you — with the proper knowledge, you can easily tackle this process. In this article, we’ll focus on how to safely remove a car battery and replace it with a new one, and answer your questions about how to dispose of the old battery properly.

How To Remove And Replace A Car Battery

1. Gather Tools And Set Up Work Space

First, you’ll want to ensure you have all the tools needed to remove and replace your car battery. You will likely need a wrench or socket wrench to loosen the battery’s bolts and nuts — the correct size will be based on your currently installed battery. You may also want a pair of rubber gloves for added safety, especially if you notice any cracks or corrosion that could lead to leaking battery acid. Another optional tool you may want to have on hand is a battery tester. You can use a tester to make sure the new battery is working properly. And, of course, you’ll need to have the replacement battery.

After gathering the tools you’ll need for a successful battery replacement, you’ll want to set up a safe area to proceed with the battery change. Ideally, you’ll want to park your car on a flat surface, such as a garage, driveway, or parking lot. Make sure you know where the battery is located — though it is in the engine compartment on most vehicles, some cars have the battery in the trunk or behind a wheel well. If you can’t find your battery, consult your owner’s manual. Once you’ve got your car situated and your tools at the ready, you are ready to remove the old car battery and replace it with a new one.

2. Remove the Battery Cables, Connectors, And/Or Fasteners

First, you’ll need to remove the negative terminal cable. That terminal should be clearly marked with a minus sign (–). You may need to use a wrench to loosen the connector in order to remove the cable. Make sure that when you remove the cable, you do not set it down on any metal part of the engine bay or touch the metal wrench as this could create a spark. Then, you will do the same thing for the positive terminal cable, the side marked with the plus sign (+).

Next, you will need to loosen the battery hold-downs so the battery can be lifted out of the engine. To do this, loosen whatever is holding the battery in place, which could be either a connector and/or a fastener. Some batteries have one or the other, while other batteries have both. Once this is loosened you now should be ready to lift the battery out of the car.

3. Lift The Battery Out Of The Car And Set It In A Safe Spot

Next, you’ll want to remove the battery from the vehicle. If you have rubber gloves, put them on for this step. Make sure you have a secure hold on each side of the battery and lift it up. A car battery can weigh anywhere from 30 to 50 pounds, so make sure you have a good grip on it as you lift it out. If you feel you may not be able to lift the battery by yourself, ask for assistance. Then, carefully place the battery on a level dry spot that is out of the way.

4. Clean The Battery Tray And Terminals

Before you get your new battery in place, you’ll want to make sure the area where the battery will be sitting is clean. Clean any dirt, debris, or corrosion from the battery tray. Another area to focus your cleaning on is the battery clamps, to remove any corrosion or debris.

5. Place And Secure New Car Battery

Once the area and connections are clean, you are ready to put the new battery into the car. First, carefully place the battery into the battery tray. Make sure it is oriented the correct -same as the battery you removed- way before you move on. Next, secure the battery by refastening the connectors and fasteners on your battery’s hold-down. Finally, you’ll reconnect both the positive and negative terminals, starting with the positive one first.

6. Test Your New Battery

Now it’s time to give the new battery a test! Hop in your car and either power up the engine or just turn on the electronics. If they both work, then the new battery is installed and working well. You have successfully installed your new car battery and are ready to hit the road.

Steps To Remove and Replace a Car Battery:

• 1: Gather Tools And Set Up Work Space
• 2: Remove The Battery Cables, Connectors, And/Or Fasteners
• 3: Lift The Battery Out Of The Car And Set It In A Safe Spot
• 4: Clean The Battery Tray And Connections
• 5: Place and Secure New Car Battery
• 6: Test Your New Battery

6 Steps To Clean Headlights On A Car

Cleaning your car’s headlights should be a regular part of your car’s maintenance. In this guide, we will teach you how to clean and restore your headlights in six easy steps. You’ll learn about common products and the best methods for cleaning a foggy headlight housing. 

The Best Way to Clean Your Headlights

1. Gather Cleaning Materials

First, decide what products you’ll need to properly clean your headlights. A popular though unusual cleaner you can use is toothpaste. If your headlights are only slightly foggy, toothpaste could do the trick! Or you can stick with more common cleaning materials like Windex or soap and water.

For this guide, we will focus on the more traditional cleaners so you will need either Windex or soap and water. You will also need a headlight polish or renewal kit and at least two microfiber cloths—one for cleaning and one for drying. In addition to the cleaning materials, you will also need sandpaper (400-600 grit) and painters tape (or automotive masking tape). Lastly, you’ll need a UV sealant since you’ll be removing some of the old sealant when you sand the headlights. Once you’ve gathered these materials, you are ready for the next step.

2. Clean Headlights With Soap And Water (Or Windex)

Next, you’ll need to clean your headlights. This step is important to remove all dirt and debris from the headlight. If you are using Windex, simply spray down the headlight and wipe it clean. If you are using soap and water, dip your microfiber cloth in a prefilled bucket of soap and water and scrub down each headlight. Also, wash down the area surrounding the headlights, as this will make the next step easier.

3. Tape Area Surrounding Headlights

Using painter’s tape, tape off the area surrounding the headlights. This will protect your paint and prevent any damage to the areas next to the headlights in the following steps. Once you carefully tape up those areas, you are ready to move on to the next step.

4. Sand The Headlights

Sanding your headlights is an important step to restore their old shine. We recommend using 400-grit sandpaper if your headlights are very foggy and then progressing to 600-grit sandpaper for a finer polish. If your headlights just need a light touch-up, you can skip the 400-grit and stick with the 600-grit sandpaper. If you own a buffer or polisher, feel free to use it or you can sand your headlights by hand.

Dip the sandpaper in clean water and wet the headlights. You’ll want to sand in horizontal, straight strokes. Make sure you always sand in the same direction and make sure to also keep the surface of the headlights wet throughout the process. If you don’t keep the surface wet, you run the risk of scratching the headlight. This process should take about 5-10 minutes.

5. Apply Polish

After you finish sanding the headlights, wipe them clean, and make sure they are dry. Using a clean microfiber cloth, rub the polish onto the headlight in a circular motion for about five minutes. This step will help clean up any remaining blemishes or haziness and prep the headlight for the final step.

6. Apply UV Sealant

Since sanding removed much of the headlights’ original UV sealant, you’ll need to apply more. This step helps protect the headlight housing and prevents it from getting foggy again. Depending on the UV sealant that you choose, you will either spray-on the sealant or pour the sealant onto a damp microfiber cloth and apply it to the headlight in even strokes. Make sure you cover the whole headlight and only use one layer. Once you have applied the sealant, allow it to dry before driving.

Try Out Your Fresh Clear Headlights!

Now your headlights should be good as new! When the sun goes down, take your car out for a drive and test your clean, clear headlights. They should be bright as new and offer tons of visibility on dimly lit roads.

How To Clean Your Headlights in Six Easy Steps

• 1. Gather Cleaning Materials
• 2. Clean Headlights With Soap And Water (Or Windex)
• 3. Tape Area Surrounding Headlights
• 4. Sand The Headlights
• 5. Apply Polish
• 6. Apply UV Sealant

Virtual Car Museums: Highlighting History & Showcasing Cars In All-New Ways

Unfortunately, with the pandemic, many car museums around the world are closed, but, luckily, enthusiasts have the next best option. Virtual car museums offer the luxury of all the museum’s top-of-the-line displays and can be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home.

We looked for museums you could go through virtually, rather than simply scrolling through pictures. We also picked museums with a wide array of displays with many interesting and one-of-a-kind makes and models. So sit back, relax, and start exploring!

Mercedes-Benz Museum

Mercedes-Benz Virtual Museum

Located in Stuttgart, Germany, the Mercedes-Benz Museum is nine levels of impressive architecture and Mercedes-Benz history. And now you can experience all the luxury of this impressive museum from the comfort of your own home. Start your virtual tour at the historic cars exhibit — be sure to visit both the Legendary Car section and the Collectors Car section. Here, you’ll find the very first model designed by Daimler and Benz in the 19th century.

As you go through the virtual tour, you will learn about all the innovations made by Mercedes-Benz from its beginnings in 1926 to the present day. On your tour, you’ll discover how Mercedes-Benz has excelled in creating emission-free cars such as its C-350 model. And check out all the incredible race cars it has built over the years from their iconic 1930s grand prix cars to their sleek endurance racers built for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. See if you can spot some of the more unique Mercedez-Benz models like the 1893 Benz Vis-a-Vis, the Mercedes-Benz O 10000 bus, and the hydrogen-fuel-cell powered 2010 Mercedes-Benz B-class F-CELL.

This is one of the more jaw-dropping virtual car museums out there. The museum boasts 160 historically significant vehicles, and any car lover will enjoy this immersive experience. The virtual tour is available to you on both your desktop computer and your mobile device. Mercedes-Benz also offers a guided tour if you are not sure where to start.

Honda Collection Hall

Virtual Honda Collection Hall

Though Motegi, Japan might be a bit far to travel, don’t pass up the wonders of the Honda Collection Hall. Thanks to the museum’s 360-degree virtual tour, you can enjoy the museum from the comfort of your own home. The museum has the largest collection of all of Honda’s best makes and models, with over 300 vehicles on display in this three-story museum

Through the tour, you’ll learn about Honda’s history as you virtually walk through the extensive collection of cars, motorcycles, race cars, and much more. On the second floor, you’ll see a collection of Honda’s best car, motorcycle, and power vehicles including Honda’s rare S500 (Honda’s first sports model from 1963) and their more well-known models like the Prelude, NSX, and Civic. The second floor also focuses on the history of the companies success in the Japanese market.

When you move up to the third floor, you’ll get to explore Honda’s racing side. The two exhibits on this floor showcase Honda’s devotion to high-speed race machines—both two and four-wheel varieties. On the one side, you can explore Honda’s storied history in motorcycle racing. And on the other, peruse the many makes and models of race cars Honda has manufactured over the years including one of their more iconic pieces — one of the McLaren-Hondas driven by Ayrton Senna.

Porsche Museum

Porsche Virtual Car Museum

The Porsche Museum is physically located just up the road from the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. But you don’t have to make the trip to Stuttgart to enjoy some classic Porsche builds as you can access this virtual museum right on Porsche’s website.

The virtual tour covers 5,600 square meters with 80 iconic Porsche models that have helped define the brand’s history. Some of the models on display that you will likely recognize include the original Beetle, 911s, and 917s. And be sure to look for the equally iconic although more rare Porsche Type 64, 356, and 550. For racing fans, the museum also features some of Porsche’s 24 Hours of Le Mans vehicles, part of their racing legacy.

And what better way to end your virtual tour than by popping into the Porsche AR Visualizer. This augmented reality app allows Porsche fans to customize the Porsche of their dreams. Because in virtual reality, there are very few limits.

Henry Ford Museum

Henry Ford Virtual Car Museum

The Henry Ford Museum is located next to Ford’s headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, but you can see it all from your computer. This unique tour does more than simply showcase Ford’s best cars. It also shows the history of the automobile through Henry Ford’s eyes. Learn about the trials and tribulations faced by Ford and the successes of other car manufacturers at the time.

From the website, you’ll have the opportunity to explore a plethora of displays. As you scroll down the page, click any displays that catch your eye to view the virtual display. Using Google indoor mapping, the museum brings each display to life in 360-degrees giving you an up-close and personal view. Check out some of Ford’s most iconic models such as the Ford Lincoln Continental, Tucker 48, Concord Coach, Kaiser Traveler, and so much more.

With its mix of classic cars and history, this museum has nearly everything a car lover and car historian desires. Until you can make the trip out to Michigan, you’ll have to settle for the next best thing and view it virtually — which is still a pretty good alternative.

Land Cruiser Heritage Museum

Land Cruiser Heritage Virtual Museum

The world’s largest Land Cruiser museum, located in Salt Lake City, Utah, can be explored on your computer. This virtual tour features one of the biggest collections of Toyota Land Cruisers. The Land Cruiser is one of the best selling models Toyota has ever had.

Once on the virtual tour, you’ll see more than 70 varieties of the Land Cruiser in a large warehouse space. Some of the models on display are the BJ, which was developed for the Japanese armed forces, and a late-model and limited-edition 70-series. One of the main goals of the museum is to acquire and display all of the models of the Land Cruiser ever produced — which would be over 100 models. Some other models you can find are the 1953 Toyota Jeep BJT and a 2020 Heritage Edition 200 Series.

If you are a fan of the Land Cruiser, this virtual museum is perfect for you. You can even explore the first Land Cruiser sold in the United States and the first (and only) Land Cruiser to be on all seven continents!

Explore these Awesome Virtual Car Museums

As more states begin to soften guidelines around social distancing and COVID-19 closures, many car museums are beginning to reopen. While many may soon be open, others will remain closed for the near future. We know you want to visit these museums in person one day to see these magnificent cars. But for right now, you’ll have to enjoy these marvels virtually, from the comfort and safety of your own home.

What Makes These The Best Remote Control Cars For Kids?

Although novelty is certainly important, so is ease of assembly and use. If you are purchasing the remote control car for a young child, make sure the car doesn’t require too much assistance to use. You will also want to consider durability. If the remote control cars are going to be racing, jumping, and/or possibly hitting walls (hey, we get it, accidents happen!), you want to make sure that the car will survive those hits.

The Best Car Floor Mats For Year-Round Use

Investing in a good set of car floor mats is a year-round investment. Floor mats protect against dirt, mud, snow, water, sand, and other elements you or your family might track into the car. In choosing which will be the best car floor mats for you, definitely consider features like material and fit. Can you customize the mats to fit your car? Which ones are the easiest to clean? Which ones show less dirt? With these considerations in mind, you can be sure to get the best car floor mat for your car.

What to Look for in a Garage Air Conditioner

Garage air conditioners can be fixed or portable. Portable units can be positioned around your garage to maximize cooling in your work area. Many of these air conditioners can cool roughly 400-square-feet. When positioned correctly, a quality garage air conditioner should cool your home garage workspace without an issue. Things to consider when making your selection include setup, performance, efficiency, how much noise the unit makes, as well as any maintenance that the unit might need to keep it running optimally.