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THE WARREN-WATCHUNG CONNECTION
FEBRUARY 2013
Stirling Branch
1153
Valley Road • Stirling, NJ
Branch Manager, Antie Celli
908.604.6627
Pluckemin Branch
315
US HWY 202/206 • Pluckemin, NJ
Branch Manager, Linda Martin
908.719.6750
Dunellen Branch
205
N. Washington Avenue • Dunellen, NJ
Branch Manager, Michael Giacobello
732.968.2864
Berkeley Heights Branch
441
Spring eld Avenue • Berkeley Heights, NJ
Branch Manager, Julianne Simmons
908.464.0860
Products and Services
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Commercial Loans
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Escrow Accounts
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Cash Management
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Online Banking
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Mobile Banking coming soon
Serving The Community Since 1926.
Visit myinvestorsbank.com
Four Convenient Locations To Serve You Better
Now that we are in the heart of winter
have you considered the effects this time of
year have on your car and your driving?
Winter weather brings with it additional
stress on your car, roads and your driving.
Reduced visibility, slippery roads and car
related issues need to be addressed closely.
There are some parts of your car that
need to be inspected before and during
the winter. The wiper blades both front
and back should be inspected to make
sure they are secure and flexible. The rub-
ber portions of the blades tend to become
brittle with age and lose their effective-
ness in wiping the glass. Windshield
washer fluid both front and back should
be kept full. Make sure to use the proper
product so that it does not freeze in the
storage container or lines. You should
check your tires for cracking, tread depth
and wear pattern. Tires that have less
than adequate tread depth and possible a
bad wear pattern will cause reduced trac-
tion and that is always a concern for han-
dling and braking. Even a slight coating of
snow on the road could fill up the treads
in the tire and make them feel like they
are slick. Have your defroster system
checked as well as the heated outside mir-
rors and rear glass defroster. The time to
have them repaired is before you need
them on a cold frosty day. An item that is
often overlooked for winter driving is the
brake fluid which controls the pressure in
the brake lines to all four wheels. Make
sure the fluid is at the proper level and is
clean. When you start your car in the cold
morning or after a day’s work, give it a
moment to warm up before engaging the
transmission to move. The fluids in the
engine and transmission are meant to
operate at a certain temperature and they
help prevent damage to all the friction
components. If you start your car and
immediately put it into drive or reverse the
fluid will not have an opportunity to do its
job because it has not circulated to all
parts. The majority of component damage
is caused when the car is cold so give the
fluid a chance to warm up for a minute
before moving the car.
All modern cars have anti-lock brake
systems. The systems were adapted from
aircraft that have had them for many
years prior to the installation on cars.
These systems are fully automatic and
require no driver action except to step on
the brake pedal as usual. The system con-
sists of sensors at each wheel and a com-
puter that controls the brake pressure
automatically by calculating wheel spin
and deciding which wheel is about to
start skidding. The purpose of this system
is to help prevent skids. When the system
is activated the brake petal will vibrate, a
light will come on the instrument panel
and you will hear a vibrating noise. These
indicate that the system is operating prop-
erly. Do not pump the brake pedal or take
your foot off it. The system is doing what
it is supposed to do. Since its inception
many years ago the system has saved
countless accidents and lives.
Winter driving brings with it some
needed special attention. Slippery roads
require additional spacing with other cars
both on the side and front. Don’t forget
that an all-wheel drive vehicle starts off
better, can move up hills better than a rear
wheel drive or front wheel drive vehicle.
However, it does not stop any better so
leave plenty of room in front and on the
sides. Slippery roads are particularly haz-
ardous at intersections. Brake before you
get to an intersection and don’t accelerate
or brake during turns. Inertia will try to
push your vehicle to the outside of a turn
so during times of reduced traction it is
important to reduce sideways inertia by
slowing down and accelerating while
moving straight.
It is winter and if you have not had
your car checked yet, do so soon to help
assure it performs properly.
WINTER DRIVING
By: Ron Joffe, General Manager, Lexus of Bridgewater
www.theconnectionsnj.com