Must Have Safety Feature: Air Bags

Last we talked about the many things you need to consider when evaluating a vehicle's overall safety. Today we will talk about other factors that impact your car safety.

By law, every new passenger vehicle comes equipped with dual front air bags. But the sophistication of the systems can vary. It's worth checking what type of air-bag systems a vehicle has.

Most upscale vehicles and many others now have some version of a "smart" air-bag system. It uses electronic sensors to gauge several variables, which, depending on the model, include crash severity, safety-belt use, the position of the driver's seat, and the weight and/or position of an occupant in the front-passenger seat. This information is used to tailor the deployment of the vehicle's front and side air bags.

Dual-threshold and multistage front bags can deploy with varying force, depending on crash severity. In a less-severe collision the bags inflate with less force. In a more severe crash, the bags inflate with more force and more quickly. Many systems withhold deployment on the passenger side if the seat is unoccupied (to save money on replacement) or if the seat is occupied by a person below a certain weight (to prevent possible injury from the bag). The government mandated "advanced" front air bags to be phased in all cars between the 2004 and 2007 model years. They deploy less aggressively or not at all, depending on a front passenger's size or position.

Side air bags are now common for front occupants. The basic side air bag deploys from the seatback or door, and is designed to protect a person's torso. Separate side bags that protect the head are becoming increasingly available, as well. The most common design is a side-curtain bag that drops down from the headliner and covers both the front and rear windows. Consumer Reports highly recommends head-protection side air bags where they're available.

If you need more additional questions regarding air bag safety stop by Planet Ford 59 and let one of our product specialist inform you about the safety features in many of our Ford vehicles.

Must Have Safety Feature

Yesterday we talked about one of the things you need to consider when evaluating a vehicle's overall safety. Today we will talk about other factors that impact your car safety.

A vehicle's ability to help you avoid an accident is just as important as its crashworthiness. Key factors to consider are braking and emergency handling, although acceleration, visibility, driving position, and even seat comfort (which affects driver fatigue) also play a role.

Consumer Reports evaluates these factors on every vehicle it tests.

If you need questions regarding car safety stop by Planet Ford 59 and let one of our product specialist inform you about the safety features in many of our Ford vehicles.

Must Have Safety Feature 4: Antilock brake system (ABS)

Yesterday we talked about one of the things you need to consider when evaluating a vehicle's overall safety. Here is today's must have feature.

CR's auto experts highly recommend getting an antilock brake system (ABS), which is available as standard or optional equipment on most vehicles. ABS prevents the wheels from locking up during a hard stop, something that can cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle. ABS almost always provides shorter stops, but, even more importantly, the system helps keep the vehicle straight and allows the driver to maneuver during a panic stop.

Visit of call Planet Ford 59 if you need further assistance understanding the safety features in our Ford Lineup.

Must Have Safety Feature #3: Rollover resistance

Last week we talked about the things you need to consider when evaluating a vehicle's overall safety.

The range from how it performs in an emergency-handling situation and how it protects its occupants in a collision to how easy it is to secure a child seat. When comparing vehicles, it's important to look at all the appropriate variables, including safety-related ratings and features.

For the next couple of days we will be listing the rest of the top 10 safety checks that are worth reviewing before you make your final buying decision. Here is number 3

Taller vehicles, such as SUVs and pickups, are more likely to roll over than passenger cars. According to the IIHS, SUVs have a rollover rate that is two to three times that of passenger cars. In 2006, 59 percent of all SUV fatalities and 48 percent of pickup-truck fatalities involved a rollover. In contrast, only 25 percent of passenger-car fatalities involved a rollover.

A taller vehicle has a higher center of gravity, which makes it more top-heavy than one that sits lower to the ground. In a situation where a vehicle is subjected to strong sideways forces, such as in a sudden cornering maneuver, it's easier for a taller vehicle to roll over.

To give consumers a way of telling which vehicles have a higher rollover propensity than others, NHTSA has developed a five-star rating system called the Rollover Resistance Rating (RRR). Until recently, the RRR was based solely on a vehicle's "static stability factor (SSF)," which is determined from measurements of its track width and center of gravity. Because the SSF is based on measurements of a stationary vehicle rather than on a dynamic road test, the rating doesn't account for vehicles' different suspension designs, tires, or the presence of a stability-control system--any of which can make a significant difference. Beginning with the ratings for 2004 models, NHTSA has combined the SSF with a dynamic rollover test performed with moving vehicles.

The RRR is accessible online at www.safercar.gov, but you need to dig deeper than the star ratings to tell how a vehicle performed in the dynamic test. Click on the model name. Scroll down to "Rollover." That section gives the predicted chance of a rollover in a single-vehicle crash, stated as a percentage of probability. The site tells you whether or not a vehicle tipped up in the test, but not at what speed. The top of the test-results page specifies if the vehicle had side air bags or stability control when it was tested.

We believe that vehicles that tip up in NHTSA's test have a potential stability problem and CR will not recommend them, regardless of their star rating. In order for an SUV or pickup to be recommended, it must either have been included in NHTSA's test and have not tipped up or, if it has not been tested, it must offer electronic stability control.

Visit of call Planet Ford 59 if you need further assistance understanding the safety features in our Ford Lineup.

Number 2 Safety Check

Last week we talked about the things you need to consider when evaluating a vehicle's overall safety.

The range from how it performs in an emergency-handling situation and how it protects its occupants in a collision to how easy it is to secure a child seat. When comparing vehicles, it's important to look at all the appropriate variables, including safety-related ratings and features.

For the next couple of days we will be listing the rest of the top 10 safety checks that are worth reviewing before you make your final buying decision. Here is number 2

Electronic stability control (ESC)
CR's auto experts highly recommend electronic stability control, particularly on SUVs. ESC is designed to help keep the vehicle under control and on its intended path during cornering, and prevent it from sliding or skidding. If a vehicle begins to go out of control, the system selectively applies brakes to one or more wheels and cuts engine power to keep the vehicle on course. On SUVs, stability control can help prevent the vehicle from getting into a situation that could lead to a rollover. While electronic stability control has improved the emergency handling on the vehicles we have tested, it's not a cure-all for inherently poor-handling vehicles. Its effectiveness depends on how it is programmed and how it is integrated with the vehicle. It also cannot overcome the laws of physics.

Automakers often refer to their stability-control systems by different names (see our guide to safety features), so if it's not clear be sure to ask if a vehicle has electronic stability control. To make it less confusing for the consumer, the Society of Automotive Engineers has asked that all manufacturers use electronic stability control, or ESC, as common terminology when referring to their stability-control systems. Consumer Reports supports this move because it will help consumers know what they are buying.

A number of studies of ESC have been completed and all point to a substantial reduction in accidents and deaths. The IIHS has estimated that if all cars had ESC, it would save 10,000 lives per year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced plans to require ESC as standard on all vehicles by the 2012 model year

Visit of call Planet Ford 59 if you need further assistance understanding the safety features in our Ford Lineup.

Safety Feature Must Have #1

You need to consider several factors when evaluating a vehicle's overall safety. They range from how it performs in an emergency-handling situation and how it protects its occupants in a collision to how easy it is to secure a child seat. When comparing vehicles, it's important to look at all the appropriate variables, including safety-related ratings and features. For the next couple of days we will be listing the top 10 safety checks that worth reviewing before you make your final buying decision.

1. Insurance-industry crash-test ratings
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a safety-research group that conducts its own series of crash tests. In its frontal-offset crash, the IIHS runs a vehicle at 40 mph into a deformable barrier. Instead of engaging the whole width of the car's front end, the barrier covers just the 40 percent of the car in front of the driver.

Using a deformable barrier simulates a car-to-car, driver's-side-to-driver's-side collision, which is a common form of fatal crash. By focusing the crash on only a portion of the car's front, this test severely stresses the car's structural integrity and its ability to protect the area around the driver without collapsing.

The IIHS scores its frontal-crash results as Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor. You can find ratings for all tested vehicles on the IIHS Web site, at www.hwysafety.org.

Since 2002, the IIHS also has conducted its own side-impact tests, which simulate a vehicle being struck in the side at 31 mph by a vehicle the height and weight of a typical SUV or pickup. The test is more severe than the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's side-crash test (described below), which simulates a vehicle being hit in the side by a vehicle the height and weight of a typical family sedan.

For more information on crash testing and ratings click here.

Test Driving the EcoBoost

Planet Ford employees from both our 45 and 59 stores went to the 2011 Ford F150 Round Up event at Sam Houston Race Park to try out the new 2011 Ford F150. Our employees we're looking forward to test driving the new 411-horsepower 6.2-liter V8, the 360-hp 5.0-liter V8 and the 300-hp 3.7-liter V6, but it was the top of-the-line EcoBoost V6 that had our employees were very excited for.

According to Ford the 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engine is tough enough to take whatever F-150 buyers can throw at it. So how is it possible to know if that's true? Well our employees test drove the EcoBoost to the extreme to see if Ford could put their money where their mouth is (see pictures). Well we can honestly say that compare to the competition the EcoBoost is the best in class compare to its competition. Test driving the EcoBoost is nothing any of us have experience in a truck. Which we all agree that was a good thing since we see that Ford is moving forward in becoming the leader.

Don't believe us? Stop by Planet Ford 59 when the EcoBoost arrives and test drive that baby.

What should I do?

My "Check Engine" light is on.

It means your vehicle's onboard computer system has self-diagnosed some kind of problem. The "Check Engine" light, which is also called a "Malfunction Indicator Lamp" (MIL) or "Service Engine Soon" (SES) lamp, is there to signal you when a problem occurs that may require attention. This can include anything from a momentary hiccup that has has little or no noticeable affect on engine performance or driving safety to a failure of a major electronic component. There's no way to know what the light means without running a diagnostic scan on the system to determine the nature of the fault.

We recommend you visiting Planet Ford 59 and running a full diagnostic scan to see what the problem is. We want you to protect your investment and highly recommend you seeing what the problem is.

2012 Ford Focus ST

There has been a lot of buzz about the Paris Motor Show for many auto manufacturers, and Ford is no exception. The biggest announcement is the first official viewing of the new high-performance Ford Focus ST, and it will be the first time that production-ready Focus body styles will be featured together. This will be the first peek before models go on sale in Europe and North America in early 2011, and I pulled some more information for you from The Ford Story site:

The new range-topping Focus — which will feature a unique version of the 2.0-liter Ford EcoBoost engine — will be true to heritage of Ford ST models. It will offer driving enthusiasts a mix of exhilarating performance and handling, accompanied by an addictive sound.

The dramatic new ST will launch in early 2012 and will be revealed on September 30, 2010, at the Ford stand by Alan Mulally, Ford President and CEO, and Stephen Odell, Ford of Europe Chairman and CEO.

Visitors to the Paris Motor Show will immediately notice the car’s highly distinctive sports exterior, which is finished in Tangerine Scream, a dramatic new body color that reflects the exciting and energetic character of the Focus ST.

Ford is also moving forward with its electrification program and will be displaying for the first time the technology destined to drive its C-MAX plug-in hybrid vehicle, that will be produced at the Valencia plant in Spain.

The formal launch of the full production-ready Focus range in Paris signals the introduction of the first truly global product developed under the company’s ONE Ford strategy.


Developed at Ford’s Global Center of Excellence for Small Cars in Germany, for sale in over 120 markets worldwide, the next-generation model is the most important Focus yet. It is created from the new Ford global C segment platform with up to 80 percent parts-commonality globally. This platform will underpin at least ten vehicles around the world, and it will account for approximately two million units of annual production by 2012.

Ford Fiesta gets App.

Ford is the latest to jump on the Apple bandwagon, with a new iPad app for the 2011 Fiesta.

The Fiesta iPad app is essentially an interactive sales brochure, providing users with tech information, features, photos, videos and lots of extras.

One screen lists the available graphic treatments, including "tattoos." Another details Fiesta's safety features, while a third lists the various connectivity options.

The Fiesta app can be downloaded for free from Apple's iTunes store.

Need help downloading the app. Visit us at Planet Ford 59 and let us show you how to downloaded to your iPhone.

Original Article

Can I recharge my A/C system myself?

A person came to the shop yesterday at one of our sister stores and ask a very important question to one of our mechanics. the question was how he can recharge his A/C system himself?

Well to summarize the answer here is pretty much what we told him.

You have all the right to recharge your A/C system however you must first get your hands on the correct type of refrigerant required for your vehicle.

The major problem with that is that federal law prohibits the sale of R12 and R134 automotive refrigerants to "non certified" individuals (to become certified, you must pass a written test approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) -- something which all professional A/C technicians must do before they can legally work on your vehicle).


Our Service Advisor informed that to our customer and suggested that he let the certified professionals recharge his A/C system. The customer walked out a happy camper and a more knowledgeable person.

If you need your A/C recharge stop by Planet Ford 59 and let the professionals take care of it.

How Do You Know When Your Car Needs a Brake Job?

You need a "brake job" when your brake linings are worn down to the minimum acceptable thickness specified by the vehicle manufacturer or the applicable state agency in areas that set their own requirements. The only way to determine if new linings are required, therefore, is to inspect the brakes.

You may also need a brake job if you're having brake problems such as grabbing, pulling, low or soft pedal, pedal vibration, noise, etc., or if some component in your brake system has failed. But if the problem is isolated to only one component, there's no need to replace other parts that are still in perfectly good working order.

There is no specific mileage interval at which the brakes need to be relined because brake wear varies depending on how the vehicle is driven, the braking habits of the driver, the weight of the vehicle, the design of the brake system and a dozen other variables. A set of brake linings that last 70,000 miles or more on a car driven mostly on the highway may last only 30,000 or 40,000 miles on the same vehicle that is driven mostly in stop-and-go city traffic.

As a rule, the front brakes wear out before the ones on the rear because the front brakes handle a higher percentage of the braking load -- especially in front-wheel drive cars and minivans.

So stop by Planet Ford 59 today and see how you can improve your braking system on your investment.

Original Article

Car Problems: Battery Help

How can I tell if my battery is low and needs to be recharged?

The first and most likely indication of a low battery would be a hard starting problem caused by slow cranking. If the battery seems weak or fails to crank your engine normally, it may be low. To find out, you need to check the battery's "state of charge."

A battery is nothing more than a chemical storage device for holding electrons until they're needed to crank the engine or run the lights or other electrical accessories on your vehicle. Checking the battery's state of charge will tell you how much juice the battery has available for such purposes.

If your battery is low, it needs to be recharged, not only to restore full power, but also to prevent possible damage to the battery. Ordinary automotive lead-acid storage batteries must be kept at or near full charge to keep the cell plates from becoming "sulfated" (a condition that occurs if the battery is run down and left in a discharged condition for more than a few days). As sulfate builds up, it reduces the battery's ability to hold a charge and supply voltage. Eventually the battery becomes useless and must be replaced.

Recharging The Battery

CAUTION: Do not attempt to recharge a battery with low (or frozen) electrolyte! Doing so risks blowing up the battery if the hydrogen gas inside is ignited by a spark.

Your charging system should be capable of recharging the battery if it is not fully discharged. Thirty minutes or so of normal driving should be enough.

If your battery is completely dead or extremely low, it should be recharged with a fast or slow charger. This will reduce the risk of overtaxing and damaging your vehicle's charging system. One or both battery cables should be disconnected from the battery prior to charging it with a charger. This will eliminate any risk of damage to your vehicle's electrical system or its onboard electronics.

If you have any question feel free to contact or visit Planet Ford 59's service department and ask for further assistance.

Remember be safe when working on electrical components.

Original Article Here

Genuine Ford Parts

Whether you own an F150 truck, a Crown Victoria, or a sporty new Mustang, it’s inevitable that you’ll need Ford parts at some point in your vehicle’s life. Maybe you’re a weekend mechanic, or perhaps you simply want to give your new Ford a personal touch. Either way, thanks to the Internet, you can rely on your local dealer to supply you with Ford genuine parts. Click Here to see how.

Here are some tips to help you find a reputable and dependable online parts distributor in case you decide to opt out of our website and .

Stick with Genuine Ford Parts. Don’t mess around with car and truck parts that aren’t made specifically by Ford for Fords. It’s simply not worth the risk to your vehicle. Buying only Ford OEM parts will help ensure that your car or truck stays in top condition, and helps protect the integrity of any warranties on your vehicle.

Quick Turnaround. Watch out for back-order parts. Some online part stores have huge traffic that some of your more popular parts may be on back-order. The best online and offline sources for Ford parts have a huge inventory and ship within 24 hours of the time you place your order.

If your car or truck needs a part, you don’t want to wait forever to have it shipped. Remember that most of the time your local dealer has the part you need.

So if you are looking for Genuine Ford Parts stop by Planet Ford 59 and order that part or accessory you have always wanted.

Cool New Car for Back to School

Kelley Blue Book singled out 10 cars recently as the best for back to school. And wouldn't you know it that the Ford Fiesta is one of them.

2011 Ford Fiesta

Ford’s marketing tag for the all-new 2011 Fiesta (above) is “It’s a pretty big deal.” It’s easy to see why. At a starting MSRP of $13,320 (for the S sedan), the five-passenger small car is a virtual steal on price alone – but its snazzy good looks and kid-cool features really make Fiesta a winner. Reviewers are also high on Fiesta’s virtues, calling it a new benchmark in the small car class and KBB lists Fiesta as #1 on its list of best back-to-school cars. Fiesta is a fun-to-drive four-door sedan or five-door hatchback with an upscale quality interior for the price, available SYNC system, airbag for the driver’s knees, and many other features not commonly found in the small/subcompact car class. Best of all, Fiesta achieves near-hybrid fuel economy estimated at 29 mpg city/40 mpg highway for some models, and it’s a 2010 IIHS Top Safety Pick.

So stop by Planet Ford 59 today and see the new Ford Fiesta!

What do you recommend for protecting aluminum wheels?

We at Planet Ford 59 always get asked what is the best way to protecting aluminum wheels. So we put our heads together and and did some research and this is what we found out.

According to Yahoo! Autos the most original equipment aluminum wheels are clear coated for corrosion resistance. You can generally use any type of wax or sealer specially formulated for alloy wheels, or any product that is designed for a base coat, clear coat finish.

CAUTION: Do not use any wax or polish that contains abrasives on a clear coated wheel (chrome polish, rubbing compound, ordinary wax designed for ordinary painted finishes or that "restores faded paint." The abrasives in such products will scratch and dull the clear coat on the wheels.

If your wheels are not clear coated, or the original coating is worn away or damaged, you can clean the wheels with "mag wheel polish" or fine steel wool to remove surface oxide and dirt (and what's left of the old finish) -- then repaint the wheels with a durable clear coat epoxy or paint designed for this purpose.

Unprotected aluminum wheels quickly corrode and pit when exposed to road salt and excessive moisture. If the corrosion continues unchecked for too long, the cosmetic damage may be too great to reverse. So if you don't want to drive around with ugly, pitted alloy wheels, use some type of coating (wax, sealer and/or paint) to protect them from the elements.

You can also stop by Planet Ford 59 and get your car fully wash by one of our service representatives that specialize in car looks and maintance.

Original Article

Car Wipers.

Wiper blades are one of the most neglected components on vehicles today. Many blades are cracked, split, torn, brittle, worn or otherwise in obvious need of replacement. Others may look okay, but do a lousy job of wiping when put to the test.

Ninety percent of all driving decisions are based on a clear unobstructed view of the road, which means good visibility is absolutely essential -- especially during wet weather when vision may be obscured by water, road splash, sleet or snow on the windshield. But good visibility requires wipers that are in good condition. If the wipers are chattering, streaking or otherwise failing to wipe cleanly and consistently, you need new blades -- NOW!

Most experts say wiper blades should be replaced every six to twelve months for optimum performance and driving visibility. That's because wiper blades don't last forever. Natural rubber deteriorates over time. Halogen-hardened rubber as well as synthetic rubber provides longer life. But eventually all blade materials fall victim to environmental factors. Exposure to sunlight and ozone causes the rubber to age, even if the wipers aren't used much.

So stop by Planet Ford 59 and check into our service & parts departments and see our selection of car wipers.

Ford Fiesta Video

Everyone is talking about the new Ford Fiesta and we at Planet Ford 59 want to break down the features everyone is talking about. So click the play button and see what we have to say about the Ford Fiesta special features.

Blind Spots Important Info

Every year, children are injured and killed because drivers (in some cases, parents) don't see them while backing up. According to KIDS AND CARS (www.kidsandcars.org), a nonprofit group that works to improve child safety around cars, at least 50 children are backed over every week in the U.S. Forty-eight are treated in hospital emergency rooms and at least 2 children die. There were 474 fatal backover accidents between 2001 and 2006, which represents almost half of all non-traffic fatalities that involved children.

A contributing factor is that larger vehicles (SUVs, pickups, and minivans), which have become increasingly popular, have larger blind zones than passenger cars. A blind zone is the area behind a vehicle that a person can't see from the driver's seat.

To help consumers understand how large some blind zones are, Consumer Reports has measured the blind zones of a number of popular models. The results for both an average-height driver (5 feet 8 inches and a shorter driver (5 feet 1 inch) are listed in the accompanying charts.

Bottom line: Your best defense against backover accidents is to get out of your vehicle and check behind it just before you back up. If kids are nearby, make sure you can see them while backing up.

We at Planet Ford 59 recommend people in the market for new vehicles to heavily invest their money with vehicles that have backup sensors and cameras (Such as the Ford Fusion). Or buy the after market convex mirror sold in our part department. But as the article above states your best defense against backover accidents is to get out of your vehicle and check behind it just before you back up

For complete Ratings, reliability information, test results, reviews, and other in-depth information on specific models of cars & trucks, subscribe today to access all of ConsumerReports.org.

Original Article

Anti-Aging Car

Yahoo! Autos has named the Ford Mustang as one of the cars that are guaranteed to grow old gracefully.

Blame the economy, or better engineering. The fact is, more and more people are looking to save money by holding onto their vehicles for a longer period of time.

Some cars are simply graced with timeless good looks. Put one in your garage, and you might start getting calls from Hollywood celebs seeking the latest anti-aging advice. Sound engineering and clever styling are not mutually exclusive, no matter your budget.

In 1964 the Ford Mustang inspired the term “pony car,” an entire breed of high-performance sports coupes with a budget price and good performance. With the exception of a few fallow years in the 1970s, the Mustang has remained at the cutting edge of the pony car market in both looks and performance.

Completely revamped for the 2005 model year, and freshened for 2010, the latest Mustang is arguably the best-looking pony car ever. For approximately $30,000, the 2010 Mustang GT offers a growling V-8 engine and enough attitude to make Russell Crowe think twice before picking a fight. For 2011, the Mustang is available with a 305-horsepower V-6 engine capable of 31 mpg on the highway (when equipped with the 6-speed automatic transmission).

So if you are looking for the cure for car aging, stop by Planet Ford 59 and invest your money on Ford Mustang. It is truly a timeless piece of engineering.

Original Yahoo! Article here