Education

Summer can be tough on cars, especially during high temperatures when heat can destroy batteries and stress the cooling system and tires. As a precaution, these vehicle components should be checked periodically during summer to help avoid breakdowns and car problems, according to the Car Care Council.

Vehicle braking systems have finally received the attention that they have needed for many years. Modern technology has delivered a solution for vehicles that will keep their wheels shining and brake noise to a whisper, while still allowing drivers to experience the performance they expect. Motorists can now start their weekends with a quiet ride around town instead of a morning of scrubbing brake dust off their wheels.

Brake pads will tell you when they need replacement, but rotors are a different story.  

Your car’s TPMS can save lives and fuel - but it needs to be maintained. If your vehicle was made after 2002, chances are pretty good that it has a Tire Pressure Monitoring System. Mandated by the Federal Government as a standard safety feature on all 2008 cars, vans, or light trucks, millions of TPMS equipped cars are already rolling on US roads. This system constantly monitors your car’s tire pressure and alerts you if it falls below a preset limit.

While the increasing complexity of today's cars, light trucks, and SUVs has put many tasks beyond the capabilities of light do-it-yourselfers (DIYers), filter changes can still be easily handled by most DIYers. In fact, the opportunity for car owners to change their own filters is actually growing, thanks to a design change in newer vehicles that includes never-before-used filters that clean the air you breathe.  

With gas prices dropping and airlines making drastic cuts to the number of flights they will offer over the Thanksgiving holiday, the Car Care Council suggests that driving may not only save you money, but will also save you from plenty of travel headaches.

Dust, dirt and grime are all enemies to the longevity and efficient performance of your vehicle's engine. To prevent engine damage, your vehicle is equipped with various filters – air and oil among them.  

Statistics gathered at a recent National Car Care Month inspection campaign conducted by the Car Care Council show that 30 percent of the vehicles failed because they had low, overfull, or dirty engine oil. ‘Clean’ oil is the life-blood of any engine and changing it and the oil filter frequently is what keeps the vehicle’s engine running smoothly, mile after mile.

There has been a lot of talk, news and claims surrounding Ceramic brake pads in recent years. We would like to shed some light on the term and its proper meaning.