Media and Bloggers

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.

For motorists, the spooky part about Halloween is that little ghouls and goblins often dress in dark colors and in costumes that cover their eyes, and some get so excited they simply forget road safety rules. To help keep trick-or-treaters as safe as possible, the Car Care Council reminds motorists to drive slowly, especially through neighborhoods, to be extra careful when entering or exiting driveways or alleyways, and make sure the vehicle’s brakes and lights work properly.

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.

October is Fall Car Care Month, the perfect time to fall into a vehicle maintenance program and get your car ready for the challenges of harsh winter weather.

“A thorough inspection of your vehicle during Fall Car Care Month will go a long way toward ensuring safety and dependability when temperatures drop and severe winter weather strikes,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “A routine maintenance program also makes financial sense, extending useful vehicle life and helping avoid costly repairs down the road.”

Wait a minute. The author meant to say, ‘oil filter’ you’re probably telling yourself. No, we really meant ‘engine air filter.’ If your car’s engine air filter is torn or clogged, your engine is probably running on dirty oil.

Think about it. A vehicle ingests about 10,000 gallons of air to burn a single gallon of fuel. And if you add to it all the contaminants that the air along roads and highways contains – soot, dust, debris, leaves, straw, tiny bits of rubber – imagine the amount of dirt that can enter the engine compartment each time you take your vehicle out,

Your car’s windshield protects you against stones, bugs, sand, grit and other roadside debris. Your car’s windows protect you from heat, cold, rain and snow. Your car’s brakes protect you from dangerous collisions. … No less important is your car’s cabin air filter which is designed to ‘safeguard’ your respiratory health and well being – especially when the windows are rolled up and the A/C or heating is turned on

It's the beginning of fall, and time to consider your coolant.

This is a good time to think about your engine cooling system. Regular inspections and pressure tests of your cooling system are of utmost importance, as is good maintenance by following the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended coolant change intervals.

As time passes, the protective anti-corrosive additives in the antifreeze break down and lose their effectiveness. But antifreeze has two other very important jobs as well:

• It is used to decrease the temperature at which the coolant freezes.

To avoid the inconvenience and potential safety hazards of breaking down miles away from home, a simple driveway inspection before hitting the road will help ensure a hassle-free Labor Day weekend, according to the Car Care Council.

“With these four easy steps, motorists can identify how road-ready their vehicle is right in their own driveway and, if repairs or maintenance are needed, they can be performed before leaving home,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council.

Our cars are a substantial investment, and regular maintenance helps protect that investment.  A regular oil change is a relatively inexpensive form of preventive maintenance and helps avert premature engine wear and extend the life of your vehicle.  Recommended intervals for an oil change range from every 3,000 miles to 10,000 for newer vehicles.  Ultimately it should depend on the age of your vehicle and your personal driving habits.

In August it’s easy for students to remember to get new clothes, school supplies and dorm or apartment furniture, but what about preparing the car that’s going to haul all that stuff? We want to remind students and their parents not to overlook Vehicle Maintenance 101.

Making sure the college-bound vehicle gets a passing grade will give both the student and their parents peace of mind for the drive back to school and the first semester of crusing around. It’s always a good idea to inspect a vehicle and have any repairs done near home, at a familiar repair shop.