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 lousy jobs of wiping when put to the test.

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. Exposure to sunlight and ozone causes the rubber to age, even if the wipers aren’t used much. 

As a set of blades age, they lose much of their flip-over flexibility and they’re less able to wipe cleanly. They may develop a permanent set (called “parked” rubber) or curvature which prevents full contact with the windshield. The sun bakes and hardens the rubber. Then when the wipers are needed, they streak and chatter because they’ve taken a set and won’t follow the curvature of the windshield. 

Cold weather can affect blade life, too. Freezing temperatures makes rubber hard and brittle, which increases the tendency to crack and split. The holders can also become clogged with ice and snow, preventing the holder from distributing spring tension evenly over the blade. The blade “freezes up” and leaves streaks as it skips across the glass. 

Heavy use can be hard on wiper blades, because dust, abrasives, road grime and even bug juice wear away the edge that the blades need to wipe cleanly. 

How well the wiper blades perform also depends on the condition of the wiper arms and holders. A blade’s wiping ability is affected by the amount of spring tension on the wiper arm, the number of pressure points or claws that hold the blade, and the design of the blade itself. If the springs in the arms are weak (which is more apt to be a problem in older vehicles), the wipers may not be pressed against the glass firmly enough to wipe cleanly. Replacing the blades won’t make any difference because the problem is weak arms not bad blades.

Ultimately, any blade that’s chattering, streaking or doing a lousy job of wiping is a blade that’s overdue for replacement. The same goes for any blade that is cracked, torn, nicked or otherwise damaged. 

If you have replaced your wiper blades and chattering or streaking persists, visit the Honda of Wesley Chapel Service Department to have one of our technicians inspect your wiper blades and wiper arms to ensure your continued safety on the road.

Source: [Yahoo Autos]

Everyone knows someone who loves a Honda, but what if you could drive home in a brand new Honda and save 20% off the price? How about 30% off the price? 

Through the end of the month at Honda of Wesley Chapel you can drive home any new 2010 Honda for ½ the price. 

There are no ridiculous hoops to jump through, and no exclusive qualifications to meet. Just visit us at Honda of Wesley Chapel and you could drive home in a brand new 2010 Honda Civic VP automatic sedan, not for $17,984, but just $8,992*. How about a brand new 2010 Honda Accord LX automatic sedan? You might expect to pay $19,900, but at Honda of Wesley Chapel you pay just $9,950*. Take your pick of any new 2010 Honda on our lot and drive home for ½ the price! 

You’ll only find brand new Honda’s for ½ the price at Honda of Wesley Chapel, but you’ll have to hurry, at ½ the price inventory goes twice as fast! 

Thank you, 

George Ernst
President, Honda of Wesley Chapel

*36 month, one-payment lease with no security deposit required. Excludes tax, tag and registration fees. See dealer for complete details.

Honda’s broad commitment to safety focuses on Safety for Everyone – a visionary approach that improves safety for drivers and occupants, as well as passengers in other vehicles, motorcycles and even pedestrians. This leadership step includes a new collision safety body design and installation of the industry’s most advanced airbag systems for all passengers as standard equipment in virtually every Honda and Acura vehicle. Honda has a long history of leadership in the development and application of advanced technologies and designs to enhance the safety of all road users, including automobile occupants, motorcycle riders, and pedestrians. This commitment to safety is based on Honda’s goal of being a company that “society wants to exist” and it complements the company’s leadership in reducing vehicle emissions, improving vehicle fuel efficiency, and advancing alternatives to gasoline. 

Safety for Everyone

The Honda “Safety for Everyone” initiative in North America is a comprehensive approach to vehicle safety that seeks to provide enhanced levels of occupant protection and help with crash avoidance in all Honda and Acura passenger vehicle designs, while also making an active commitment to enhance safety for the occupants of other vehicles and pedestrians.

In 2006, the company fulfilled its October 2003 commitment to equip virtually all Honda and Acura vehicles with a core suite of safety features provided as standards equipment, regardless of vehicle size or price. This includes:

• Driver and front passenger front and side airbags (passenger side with Occupant Position Detection System)
• Side curtain airbags for all rows
• Anti-lock brakes (ABS)
• Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with rollover sensor on all light truck models
• Pedestrian safety measures, and other standard safety equipment and features

VSA

Honda proactively began research on Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) technologies in the late 1990s as an extension of its ABS development activities. Since then Honda has proactively introduced this technology into vehicles starting with those which have a higher center of gravity such as SUVs. Currently, VSA is standard equipment on all Honda and Acura light trucks. For the 2009 model year, all Honda and Acura vehicles will offer VSA as standard or optional equipment. (Note: Electronic Stability Control (ESC) technology is mandated for introduction in all vehicles in the U.S. in 2011.)

Crash Test Ratings

In the 2009 model year, Acura became the first-ever automotive nameplate to earn a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and a five-star crash safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for ALL models in its lineup.

Also in model year 2009 – prior to changes in the IIHS ratings system for model year 2010 – American Honda (Honda and Acura brands) had more vehicles earning both a NHTSA five-star crash safety rating and  a IIHS “Top Safety Pick” rating than any other automaker.

Compatibility and the ACE Body Structure

Honda has played a leading role in addressing the issue of compatibility in collisions between vehicles of different size, mass and ride height.

In 2005, Honda introduced the Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure on the Acura RL, to enhance occupant protection in a frontal collision between vehicles of different sizes and ride heights.

17 of the 20 Honda and Acura models currently sold in the U.S. incorporate the ACE body structure. These include the Honda Fit, Insight, Civic Sedan, Civic Coupe, Civic GX and Civic Hybrid, Accord Sedan and Accord Coupe, CR-V, Odyssey, Pilot and FCX Clarity, and the Acura RL, TL, MDX, RDX, and TSX.

Pedestrian Safety

As part of its commitment to improving safety for all road users, Honda has also led the U.S. industry in the application of features designed to reduce injuries to pedestrians in a collision — such as collapsible hood hinges and breakaway windshield wiper pivots, with a focus on reducing severe head injuries, which account for 60 percent of pedestrian fatalities.

In advancing its designs, Honda first sought to better understand the dynamics of pedestrian collisions with the development of POLAR II, widely recognized as the world’s most advanced pedestrian safety test dummy. Tests conducted with POLAR II led to the development of the above noted features.

Honda has introduced its third-generation Polar III test dummy with an enhanced ability to measure crash forces in the lower back and upper leg areas.

More than 9 million Honda and Acura vehicles purchased by U.S. customers, including all model year 2008 and newer vehicles (except the S2000), feature pedestrian injury mitigation features and designs.

Advanced Safety Testing

Honda operates two of the world’s most sophisticated crash test laboratories for development of improved safety designs and technologies.

The Tochigi, Japan, facility was the world’s first indoor omni-directional car-to-car crash testing facility and has played a critical role in the development of enhanced designs for occupant and pedestrian safety as well as vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility.

Honda R&D America’s Raymond, Ohio, development center performs advanced testing on all U.S.- developed models. The facility features the world’s first pitching test sled, which aids efficiency by enabling economical and speedy crash test simulations with certain interior safety components, such as seats and seatbelts, prior to conducting a crash test with an actual vehicle. It also features one of the world’s highest resolution impact barriers, which enables precise measurement of the distribution of impact load forces on a vehicle allowing for even more advanced vehicle designs.

Industry-Leading Air Bag Technologies

Honda has long been a leader in introducing the industry’s most advanced air bag systems, including:

• The first front passenger airbag to deploy vertically from the instrument panel, rather than directly at the passenger.
• Occupants in the outboard seating positions of every row of every new Honda (except S2000) and Acura vehicle are protected by side curtain airbags.
• Other Pioneering Efforts
• Honda has been a leader in developing next generation safety technologies, including a Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) (introduced on the 2006 model year Acura RL) as well as continuing research toward future collision avoidance systems and designs for automobiles and motorcycles.
• The 2006 Honda Gold Wing touring motorcycle is world’s first production motorcycle to offer a fully-integrated rider airbag system.

Source: [Honda]

Taxpayers who buy a new car or several other types of motor vehicles this year may be entitled to a special tax deduction when they file their 2009 federal tax returns this year. The tax break is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Here are seven things you should know about this new deduction:

1. State and local sales taxes paid on up to $49,500 of the purchase price of qualifying vehicles are deductible.
2. Qualified motor vehicles generally include new (not used) cars, light trucks, motor homes and motorcycles.
3. Purchases must occur after Feb. 16, 2009, and before Jan. 1, 2010.
4. This deduction can be taken regardless of whether or not you itemize other deductions on your tax return.
5. Taxpayers will claim this deduction when filing their 2009 federal income tax return next year.
6. The amount of the deduction is phased out for taxpayers whose modified adjusted gross income is between $125,000 and $135,000 for individual filers and between $250,000 and $260,000 for joint filers.
7. The deduction may not be taken on 2008 tax returns.

Consumers who recently bought a new car may find that this tax incentive means a higher refund when they file their 2009 taxes.

For more information about the sales and excise tax deduction for motor vehicle purchases visit the official IRS web site.

Source: [IRS.gov]