Brakes

You might say the buck—and the car—stops with the professional NASCAR Brake Specialist.

He is responsible for making sure that a Sprint Cup car, capable of racing at 200 miles per hour, stops when necessary. Brake pads, rotors, calipers…he works on it all, and when the driver’s foot comes down on the brake pedal, the car does what it’s supposed to do.

Even if gas prices hit $5 a gallon, the traditional family vacation by vehicle costs less, is more convenient and not as stressful as flying, according to the Car Care Council.  A family of four traveling by car costs the same as one person traveling by air.  

Halloween is the time of year for squeals, squeaks, screeches and things that go bump in the night, but when these eerie and haunted sounds come from your car, it’s time for maintenance. Noise is to the vehicle what pain is to the body: a warning. According to the Car Care Council, the following strange and scary noises are clues that trouble is brewing within your car and that it should be checked out by an automotive repair technician.

There are now more vehicles in the United States than drivers. That’s good news and bad news, according to the Women’s Board of the Car Care Council.

Second cars are often kept for specialty needs, such as hunting trips, lawn and garden chores or even to leave at the airport during business trips. But a low mileage vehicle that makes lots of short runs then sits for days can have a set of problems all its own, according to the Women’s Board.

Most car nuts consider themselves good stewards, but even the most common checks get overlooked in between kids’ events, early days at the office and the occasional weekend travel. The Women’s Board of the Car Care Council joins me in encouraging you to check these six items that often get neglected: 1. Keep time - Basic engine maintenance. Check that little book in your glove box under all the napkins. There is a service schedule. If you’re always running around you probably qualify for the “severe duty” schedule.

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.

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.