They’re also safer than traditional junctions and crossroads – where drivers can be tempted to run red lights. On roundabouts traffic always travels in the same direction, making manoeuvres like right turns far easier. The approaching traffic usually gives way to traffic already on the roundabout, which always comes from the right. By waiting for a safe gap – you can join the flow of traffic and continue in the correct lane until reaching your exit.

Here’s a simple guide how to drive through a roundabout most efficiently.

Two Lane roads:

• If you are driving on a two lane road, and want to turn right or exit the roundabout from first exit, keep your vehicle in the left lane.
• If you want to go straight or exit using second exit, keep your vehicle in the right lane.
• In case of two lane roads, if you want to turn right from the roundabout or exit using third exit, keep in right lane.
• If you are making a U-turn from the round about keep in the right lane.

Three Lane roads:

• If you are driving on a three lane road, and want to turn right or exit the roundabout from first exit, keep your vehicle in the left lane.
• If you want to go straight or exit using second exit, keep your vehicle in the middle lane.
• In case of three lane roads, if you want to turn right from the roundabout or exit using third exit, keep in right lane.
• If you are making a U-turn from the round about keep in the right lane.

If we can follow these simple rules while approaching a roundabout, we can save a lot of time and traffic jams on roundabouts. Share and educate others on how to drive through a roundabout.

The post Lane Driving through Roundabouts first appeared on United Auto Centre.

It is very obvious to realize a car is extremely out of alignment if your car pulls to one side or you have to constantly turn the steering wheel just to keep the vehicle pointed straight. However, sometimes subtle misalignment issues are not so noticeable.  While misalignment of your vehicle can cost you in form of accelerated wear and tear of tyres, reduced fuel efficiency, it can be a real hazard because of improper control of steering.

Driving with bad alignment can significantly increase the cost of operating your vehicle apart from you being a hazard on the road for yourself as well as others. Bad Wheel Alignment will increase the cost of operating your vehicle because:

• Your vehicle tyres will wear out much faster and you will have to replace the tyres sooner than usual. Bad Wheel Alignment can significantly increase the wear and tear of tyres and decrease their life by several thousand kilometers very quickly. Tyres are not cheap.
• Bad Wheel Alignment also effects the fuel efficiency of your car. It will decrease the amount of mileage you get per litre of fuel. You will pay more for Petrol or Diesel.
• It will also affect the other parts of suspension and can cause accelerated wear and tear, adding to the cost for repairs.

What are the causes of bad Wheel Alignment?

There can be several reasons for your vehicle’s wheel alignment going out. Bad roads, going in an out of pot holes can cause your vehicles alignment to go out. Normal wear and tear of the suspension of the vehicle over a period of time is another reason for wheel alignment of your vehicle going out. Some times, the terrain like hill driving can cause stress on your vehicles suspensions resulting in wheel alignment going out.

How to find out if you have Bad Wheel Alignment?

Bad Wheel Alignment can be identified by simple inspection. Check the following:

• Check tyre tread. If you notice uneven wear in your tyres, it may be caused because of bad wheel alignment.
• If the car is pulling to one side of the road while driving, it is a sure sign that the Wheel Alignment is out.
• If your steering wheel is off center while you are driving straight, it may be due to bad Wheel Alignment.

How often should you get a Wheel Alignment Check done?

It is recommended you get your Vehicles Wheel Alignment checked every 6 months or 10,000 kms, whichever occurs first. It is strongly advised, if you notice uneven wear in the tyres or any of the symptoms stated above, you should get your vehicle’s Wheel Alignment checked as soon as possible.

How much does it cost?

Wheel Alignment check is not very expensive. The cost of Wheel Alignment depends on the make and model of your vehicle as well as the equipment used to align it. Cost of Wheel Alignment check is fraction of what you may end up paying for new tyres if you keep running your vehicle with bad Wheel Alignment.

To know the technical details of what exactly is Wheel Alignment and how is it done, read Everything about Wheel Alignment.

United Auto Centre offers Wheel Alignment service for all Passenger and Light Commercial Vehicles using latest 3D Wheel Alignment technology. For more information call us at +91 94171 57217 or Whatsapp us at +91 94786 76755.

The post Why does Your Car Need Wheel Alignment? first appeared on United Auto Centre.

Given below are 6 steps which will put you back on road in no time. Follow these steps to get your car running again:

Step 1

Drive the good car up to your car so that the car batteries are as close as possible.

Step 2

Attach the red ‘Positive’ cable to the Good Car battery terminal, then attach the other red ‘Positive’ cable to your car battery terminal. Positive to Positive.

Step 3

Attach the black ‘Negative’ cable to the Good Car battery terminal, then attach the other back ‘Negative’ cable to your car Battery terminal. Negative to Negative.

Step 4

Start the Good Car first, Wait for 2 minutes, then start your car. Your car should start normally, wait for 2 minutes.

Step 5

Remove the cables in the REVERSE order they were attached.

Let your car run for 3-5 minutes before you hit the road. In case, the car fails to crank or start in step 4, then probably its not the car battery that is the issue. Check if there is enough fuel in your car. If yes, then it could be something to with the starter or engine.

If you need to replace your Vehicle Battery or are looking for a good set of Jump Cables, Call us at 0172 273 7453 or 9478676755. You can also email us

The post How to Jump Start a Car? first appeared on United Auto Centre.

Here are some useful tips to help you drive safely in the rains:

1. Get your Vehicle ready: First thing to do is to make sure your vehicle is ready for rains. Check your vehicle tyres. Make sure your vehicle’s windshield wipers, defroster, headlights, brake lights are in good working condition. Here is a complete checklist to get your vehicle ready for Monsoons.
2. Slow down: Wet conditions reduce traction, which will increase stopping distance for your vehicle when you brake and water on the roads can cause ‘Hydroplaning’ causing your car to skid out of control. Drive slow to get the traction you need to avoid skidding.
3. Increase your following distance: During rainy conditions, the stopping distances increase. You should also increase the following distance, the distance between your car and vehicle in front of you, to give yourself more space to stop. With more space, you can brake gently and with reduced force with minimal chances of skidding.
4. Turn the headlights on: When it is raining, the visibility is reduced. When the visibility is poor for you, it is poor for other drivers as well. Turn on your headlights. Give signal in advance whenever you are going to turn, stop or change lanes. Sudden stops and lane change can result in collisions.
5. Avoid driving through water: Avoid driving through water wherever possible. The risk of hydroplaning increases when driving through water. While driving through water:
   • Slow down and place transmission in low gear
   • Gently put on the brakes and increase engine RPM while crossing the water
   • When out of the water, maintain light pressure on the brakes for a short distance to heat then up and dry them out.
   • Make a test stop when it is safe to do so, to make sure the brakes work well. If not, dry them out further as described above.
6. Always use Windshield Wipers and defogger: Use windshield wipers even in light rain. Most cars have adjustable speed for wipers. Use windshield washer occasionally to clean dirt from the windscreen caused by vehicles in front of you. Precipitation can quickly fog-up the windshield. Using front and back defrosters help in maximizing the visibility.
7. Other important things to note:
   • Avoid using cruise control during the rains or wet road conditions.
   • Be mindful of intersections and merging lanes.
   • Be a mindful driver.

We hope these tips are useful for you when opting to drive in the rain. You can easily increase your safety levels while driving in wet weather by consciously employing these safety precautions. If you have any tips of your own, please do share with us in the comment section below.

Wishing you a safe and enjoyable driving experience during the Monsoons.

The post Tips for Driving in Monsoons and Rainy Season first appeared on United Auto Centre.

The post Monsoon Checklist for Cars and SUVs first appeared on United Auto Centre.

Well from a scientific point of view regular air is 78% Nitrogen, about 21% Oxygen and the rest consists of various other gases and water vapour. So when you use Nitrogen to inflate tyres, you are essentially increasing its concentration from 78% to almost 95-96%.

Does it help? Here are some benefits of using Nitrogen to inflate your vehicle tyres:

• Stable Tyre pressure over longer periods of time
  Nitrogen is less likely to permeate through tyre rubber which means the tyre pressure will remain stable over long term. Presence of water vapour and oxygen regular air can affect tyre pressure due to temperature changes. With Nitrogen it is minimal.
• Longer Tyre Life
  A properly inflated tyre gives you more mileage both in terms of fuel efficiency and number of kilometres a tyres last. Since Nitrogen filled tyre does not lose pressure as quickly and also prevents tyres from heating you expect a longer tyre life.
• Prevents Tire Aging and Wheel Corrosion
  Oxygen causes oxidation. It can make rubber brittle over a period of time. Also, the water vapour and oxygen can accelerate wheel corrosion.

Whether inflated with air or nitrogen, regular tire inflation pressure maintenance remains critical and necessary. Use of nitrogen alone is not a replacement for regular tire inflation pressure maintenance. With Nitrogen inflation becoming increasingly accessible both in terms of availability and cost, it is worth inflating your tyres with Nitrogen.

If you have any questions regarding tyre pressure or inflating tyres with Nitrogen, write to us in the comments sections below.

The post Using Nitrogen to Inflate your Tyres first appeared on United Auto Centre.

Tyre rotation is beneficial in many ways:

• Regular rotation of of tyres helps extend the life of your tyres and improve performance.
• Rotating tyres at regular intervals preserve balanced handling and traction and even out tyre wear.
• Tyre rotation will equalize front-to-rear and side-to-side wear rates while enhancing wear quality and pattern noise.

Tyres should be rotated every 5000 Kms or every six months whichever comes first. Tyre should be rotated as prescribed in your vehicle owner’s manual or follow the patterns as given below:

The post Why Tyre Rotation is Important? first appeared on United Auto Centre.

It’s a good idea to check your car or bike’s tyres which will have to cope with degraded roads and driving conditions. Here are some tips to check your car and bike’s tyres and ensure safer driving through monsoons:

• Check Tyre Wear – Tyres which are worn or damaged should be avoided. You can check the tyre wear condition by looking at the TWI (Tyre wear indicator) present on most tyres these days. If your TWI is visible you should replace the tyres as soon as possible.
• Check Tyre Valves – Most vehicles including bikes use tubeless tyres these days. Defective or worn out tyre valves can lead to loss of pressure in tyres which can be very dangerous. Replace old or worn out tyre valves. Make sure all valves are covered with caps to safeguard from damage from water and dirt in the rainy season.
• Check your Spare Wheel – Make sure you take a look at the spare wheel, ensure it is in good condition and properly inflated.
• Ensure Proper Inflation – Make sure your tyres have proper inflation. Over inflated tyres can cause skidding and under inflated tyres are prone to causing Hydroplaning resulting in skidding. Proper inflation helps you improve your vehicle’s control as well as fuel efficiency.
• Carry emergency Tyre Kit – Emergency inflator and tubeless puncture kit. It can come in vary handy when you are stuck with a puncture or under-inflated tyre.

Wishing you a wonderful Monsoon Season and safe driving. Feel free to write to us or Whatsapp us in case on any queries.

The post Monsoon Tyre Checklist first appeared on United Auto Centre.

How to read Tyre Sizes and other Specifications?

Understanding how to read Tyre Size and markings on the side walls of your vehicle tyres will help you choose the right replacement for your vehicle.

There are several markings, letters and numbers on the side walls of all tyres. These provide information about different specifications of tyres like  Size, Dimensions, Load carrying capacity, Speed rating, composition and capabilities of the tyre.

For example the code on a common fitment for Indian Passenger Vehicles will be similar to:

Tyre Size: 205/65 R 15  95H 

205 indicates the nominal section of width of the tyre in millimetres ( in this case 205 mm)

65 indicates the aspect ration, a comparison of the tyre’s section heigh and its section width (65 indicates the height is 65% of its width, in other words, the height of the sidewall is 65% of the section width)

R indicates radial ply construction ( Most tyres these days have this type of construction)

16 indicates the nominal diameter of the wheel rim in inches (16 inches in this case)

95 is the load index of the tyre or maximum load carrying capacity of the tyre (95 here represents a maximum load of 690 Kg per tyre) Refer to the Load Index Chart for Tyres here.

V is the speed rating of the tyre, it represents the maximum speed at which the tyre can be safely operated. (240 Kms/hr here)For Speed Rating Index for Tyres chart click here

Other Markings:

TT/TL represent Tube Type or Tubeless tyre respectively.

An arrow shows the direction of rotation for unidirectional tyres.

ISI Mark  confirms that the product meets the Standards prescribed by Bureau of Indian Standards

You will also find the tyre’s manufacturer’s name, Model of the tyre and Manufacturing date for the tyres on the side wall.

For any other information or questions about your tyres email us or call us at 0172 2737453, 0172 5075169

The post Understanding and Reading Tyre Sizes first appeared on United Auto Centre.

Tyre Speed Ratings

Speed ratings were established to match the speed capability of tires with the top speed capability of the vehicles to which they are applied. Speed ratings are established in kilometers per hour and subsequently converted to miles per hour (which explains why speed ratings appear established at “unusual” mile per hour increments). Despite the tire manufacturer’s ability to manufacturer tires capable of high speeds, none of them recommend the use of their products in excess of legal speed limits. The maximum operating speed of a vehicle must be limited to the lowest speed rated tire on the vehicle.

Speed ratings are based on laboratory tests where the tire is pressed against a large diameter metal drum to reflect its appropriate load, and run at ever increasing speeds (in 6.2 mph steps in 10 minute increments) until the tire’s required speed has been met.

Over the years, tire speed rating symbols have been marked on tires in any of three ways shown in the following examples:

225/50SR16 225/50SR16 89S or 225/50R16 89S

Given below is the Speed Rating Table to help you find the Speed Rating for the corresponding Speed Rating letter on your tyre

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It is important to note that speed ratings only apply to tires that have not been damaged, altered, under-inflated or overloaded. Additionally, most tire manufacturers maintain that a tire that has been cut or punctured no longer retains the tire manufacturer’s original speed rating, even after being repaired because the tire manufacturer can’t control the quality of the repair.

The post Tyre Speed Ratings first appeared on United Auto Centre.