Hello! two quick questions.

I have an 89 Honda civic SI. I tend to leave my headlights on, and was
wondering if there was a quick, and easy way, to put in a relay, in
order to turn them off automatically, when the engine shuts off?


I also need to know about what everyone thinks about tires. I have
miss-matched rims, and i have to replace them. The tires are about to
fall off. I was wondering about maybe all-weather tires. Which ones are
good, which ones are not. I was thinking of some performance tires, but
I realize that it rains up here too much. I live in Canada. There is a
decent priced set at Can-Tire. But any suggestions ?

 

One quick answer,

Performance tires are also called "summer tires," and for good reason. They
have a compound that is sticky and works well above 50 F, but gets hard as a
block of wood when the temperature drops. Traction on cold pavement isn't
good, and on snow and ice is dismal, at best. Their performance in the wet
is usually good to very good, unless they are "dry" race tires that
minimally meet road tire standards. On the other hand, winter tires (used to
be called snow tires) shouldn't be used above 45F because they will wear out
very quickly, but because of their rubber compound, work well at cold
temperatures on dry pavement and particularly on snow and ice. (It's more a
matter of tread compound rather than tread design).

All season tires are a compromise. They work reasonably well in, well, all
seasons, but not as well as summer tires in the summer or winter tires in
the winter. They also tend to have a compound that lasts longer than the
other two types of tires. And cheap tires may not last as long, have as good
a compound for traction in wet, dry or snow. And it may not be as good at
dealing with heat (which comes as much from tire flex as it does
environmental factors), although in Canada and at the speeds you probably
drive, that's not as big a factror. "Hard" tires that last long usually
have less traction, espcially in wet or frozen conditions, but might be
better for hot and dry climates.

Essentially, you can't have one tire that does everything as well as another
might do at one thing. But all-season tires have been popular because they
are a good compromise.

http://www.carbuzzard.com

 

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Bumper-to-Bumper sells a little buzzer kit with some pig tails to warn
you of your lights on. It was in a blister pack on the rotating display
with the crimp connectors and electrical accessories. It just piggybacks
on to your fuse block.

Slightly O.T.: Canadian Tire sells a very nice DRL module by Hamsar
that would work on your Civic. Move you into the 21st century too.

Your insurer thinks they are great.

'Curly'

 

make yourself a headlight alarm.

stick to tires that have silica rubber compounds. they offer better wet
grip and better fuel economy - very significant benefits for a
comparatively small price premium. manufacturers that have the most
experience include michelin [and therefore bf goodrich] who brought them
to market and continental [and therefore general] who were very close
behind. some of the japanese companies are getting with the program,
but they're about 15 years late to the party. i'm not sure domestics
even know what silica compounds are.

 

Goodyear Assurance TripleTred, Wrangler, and Ultra Grip ice tires use
silica rubber.

--Gene

 

Ok, I'm no Mr. Wizard. And at risk of offending the others here who
feel compelled to tell you how to build a clock when you ask what time
it is....here goes:

Considering the car, the age, the rims, the dB factor, the climate....

Assuming you don't drive like a madman and have to hug and burn every
corner and that you listen to the radio/music and that you don't
consider your old tire noise whisper-soft...and that you have a
civic-minded wallet...

Check out a Turanza or Potenza and their advertised
characteristics/specs. If you are pretty aggressive, get the "V". If
you are a pretty casual around the towner...get the "H".

 

Check out the Potenza RE950. Best tired I've ever owned for the rain,
excellent in the dry. Snow - be veeery veeeery careful! Even lighter snow.
You can find an "OPEN" parking lot and have a little fun to see how your car
handles first, for whatever tires you decide on.

-Dave

 

Yah I am alittle aggressive. Although my stereoe is just enough to hear
over the outside. I dont have a/c ..so all the windows are down. Love
my Si, just a few things suck.

 

jim, received your pic showing how to set this up. See my email. I'm asking
for a couple of answers before I post the photo you sent.