Education

With no end in sight to rising gas prices, consumers who modify their driving habits and properly maintain their vehicles will get more miles per gallon. The Car Care Council recommends the following ways to drive smart and save gas money:

The buzz around ‘extended oil change intervals’ for passenger cars and SUVs is everywhere. Some vehicle manufacturers are recommending longer oil change intervals. Oil companies are offering oils that they promote as having extended life. And motorists, pressured by the challenges of a tight economy and a hectic lifestyle, like the prospect of fewer trips to their repair shop or local quick lube to get their car’s oil changed.

With no end in sight to rising gas prices, consumers who modify their driving habits and properly maintain their vehicles will get more miles per gallon. The Car Care Council recommends the following ways to drive smart and save gas money:

A Fouled Engine Air Filter Can Damage The Mass Air Flow Sensor

With the days of carburetors behind us, the electronic fuel injection system in the cars we drive today is king. While carburetors mixed the air and fuel together and the mixture was sucked into the cylinder and burned, modern electronically controlled fuel injection injects the right amount of fuel, at the right time for optimum fuel efficiency and economy, and driving performance. But the question remains, how does it know what that ‘right amount’ is and when’s the ‘right time’ to inject?

You always have a ‘choice,’ even where something simple is concerned – even something as simple as your car’s engine air filter. Say you’ve been driving around without having changed your car’s engine air filter in a while. You can choose to buy one for $15-20 and install it yourself or perhaps with the helping hand of a friendly parts store clerk. Or, down the road, you may find yourself shopping for a laundry list of parts and a reliable repair shop.

Under these circumstances, your shopping list could include:

• Piston rings - $120

Fall is the picture-perfect time of year when many drivers take to the road to view the autumn colors. The leaves are beautiful to see, but when wet or in piles on the roads, they present driving hazards unique to the season. The Car Care Council reminds drivers to prepare for fall driving conditions by having their vehicles’ tires, brakes and wipers checked before heading out on the road.

It’s foolhardy to head out in a poorly maintained vehicle in the dead of winter, of course, but even vehicle owners in temperate zones need a car care check as the days grow shorter, note the pros with the nonprofit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), an independent group that tests and certifies the competence of auto technicians.

Regular, routine maintenance can help improve your gasoline mileage, reduce pollution, and catch minor problems before they become big headaches.

The end of Daylight Savings Time happens in most parts of the United States on Sunday, November 6th and creates unfamiliar driving conditions that can be hazardous without proper vehicle lighting. The Car Care Council recommends vehicle lights be checked before the clocks “fall back” to help ensure safe driving, especially during dusk and peak evening traffic hours.

We play the odds with practically everything we do in life, whether it’s something as mundane as turning on the tap for hot water or driving through a nasty thunderstorm at night. According to the website http://funny2.com the chance of dying from contact with hot tap water is 1 in approximately 5 million, and the chance of being killed by lightning is about 1 in 2.3 million! On the more positive side, the odds of finding out that your child is a genius are much higher – 1 in 250.