Fall/Winter

As fuel prices rise, some analysts say Americans will continue to feel the pinch at the pump. Here are some easy maintenance tips that can help make the most of your gallon and save money down the road. Be car care aware. Instead of taking that extra money and putting it elsewhere in your life, protect your investment. You can save between 7 and 49 cents a gallon, depending on your fuel mileage, with these simple tips: The first one is easy and doesn’t cost anything.

Driver’s education classes rarely include instruction on vehicle maintenance. The Women’s Board of the Car Care Council reminds parents that someone must be responsible for teaching young drivers basic automotive maintenance. After all, one day this teen is going to buy a car, which probably will be her second biggest investment. Here’s how to help make it a better one. 1.Your new driver needs to understand that any vehicle, regardless of age, needs routine maintenance. Make sure she knows and follows the maintenance schedule for her vehicle.

The Women’s Board of the Car Care Council encourages women to improve their “car smarts” and pass along this information to the rest of their family. Female drivers already are on the right tract, according to the Women’s Board, who said that three out of four women think that following the recommended maintenance schedule for their car is either “important” or “extremely important.” There’s no one like a parent to teach the next generation how to treat a car with special care.

Most of us would conclude that our windshield was a very useful piece of equipment. It keeps cold and heat; wind and rain; and untold numbers of bugs and other airborne road debris out of our faces.

The problem is that consumers have different and more limited expectations from the windshield than the automotive engineer. In other words, we worry about water leaks or ugly “dings” and cracks affecting our car’s value, while the engineer understands how such damage can affect the vehicle’s structural integrity and passenger safety.

One of the easiest and most important tasks to prepare your vehicle for winter driving is to inspect the level and freshness of your vehicle’s antifreeze. The Car Care Council recommends that motorists check their antifreeze every 12 months or 12,000 miles to help protect the engine from freezing and overheating, as well as from rust and corrosion damage.

Maintaining Present Vehicle May Be Key to Long-Term Financial Happiness. How will you spend your tax refund? Big-Screen TV? Cell Phone? Clothes? The Car Care Council has a better idea for your money: spend it on your second biggest investment, your car.

Everybody loves a bargain but, being "penny wise" is "pound foolish" when selecting an auto glass service provider. Like anything else, you get what you pay for and 'cheap' is not what you want when replacing auto glass. Quality and professional competency should be the top priorities for every person in need of auto glass service.

If you get headaches, allergic reactions or breathing problems riding in your car, it’s probably time to change the cabin air filter. Cabin air filters clean the incoming air and remove allergens, and should be replaced every 12,000 to 15,000 miles, or per the owner’s manual, according to the Car Care Council.

More than 80 percent of new domestic and import vehicles sold in the U.S. today come equipped with cabin air filtration systems or a slot where one can be installed.

It’s definitely time for spring cleaning if someone writes “wash me” on your vehicle. Even if your car hasn’t reached that point, a good cleaning of the inside and outside prevents the buildup of damaging chemicals and dirt, reduces the potential for rust from road salt and helps ensure proper visibility needed for safe driving, according to the Car Care Council.