Check Engine Light

Loose gas caps, under inflated tires, faulty thermostats, worn spark plugs, malfunctioning engine controls, poor wheel alignment and the list goes on. These are among the conditions that daily cost consumers millions of dollars in wasted fuel.

Your car doesn’t want flowers, or balloons, or even candy this Valentine’s Day – it just wants a little love in the form of an oil change, tune-up and basic service. There’s no debating the value of preventive maintenance to keep your car running well – not to mention getting you safely to your hot Valentine’s Day date – according to the Car Care Council. This Valentine’s Day, treat your car to regular care and take the following preventive maintenance steps:

With no end in sight to rising gas prices, consumers should take control of how they drive their vehicle to get more miles per gallon. The Car Care Council recommends the following ways to drive smart and save money:

You’ve just made your last car payment. Should you keep the car or trade it in for a brand new vehicle? According to the Car Care Council, keeping your car rather than buying a new one is the way to go, especially if your goal is to save money.  

“People who keep their cars, treat them as valuable investments and commit to regular vehicle maintenance, end up saving a lot of money,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council.  

When Mother Nature casts a sparkling spell, turning the landscape into a winter wonderland. It’s time to put your favorite ride away. Do you love your vehicle so much that we wouldn’t even think of driving it in the snow let alone in the rain? Many people are storing their dream cars, do you know the proper way to store your vehicle. Doing it right will save you expenses and aggravation later. These 8 steps will assist your auto to sleep better through the winter.

Noises, we’ve all heard them coming from under the hood at one time or another in our cars and trucks. But a NASCAR Engine Specialist’s ears are filled with the roar of engines every weekend. He’s in charge of taking care of the engines and making sure they run smoothly after they get to the racetrack.

An engine failure during a race eliminates any chances of winning. So, as you can imagine, he plays an integral role on the race team.

Worn out tires and windshield wiper blades are symptoms of neglected vehicle maintenance that put drivers and passengers at serious risk during the typically rainy months of spring.

Thin tire treads create hazardous driving conditions when water builds up on the roadway, according to the Car Care Council. Deep tread accommodates accumulated water; thin tread does not. Thin tread causes the tire to hydroplane – ride up on a film of water, losing contact with the pavement, similar to driving on ice.

In light of the higher gasoline prices, the Car Care Council is offering gas-saving maintenance and driving tips that really work.

“Millions of dollars worth of gasoline is wasted every day by motorists, and neglecting vehicle maintenance is the culprit,” said Rich White, executive director of the Car Care Council. “Loose or missing gas caps, under inflated tires, worn spark plugs and dirty air filters all contribute to poor fuel economy.”

The Car Care Council offers these fuel-saving tips:

Do your windshield wiper blades smear, screech or chatter when you turn them on? If so, you are not alone, according to the Car Care Council.

Out of all the vehicles passing through the 2005 National Car Care Month vehicle check events, close to one-fifth (17 percent) had front windshield wiper failures and 12 percent needed service on their rear wipers and/or washer.

The inside of your car is full of hot air and this time the culprit is a malfunctioning air conditioning (A/C) system. According to the Car Care Council, an annual checkup of your vehicle’s A/C system will help prevent it from breaking down when you most need it, especially with record high temperatures hitting many parts of the country.

The typical A/C service consists of the following: