Wipers

Worn out tires and windshield wiper blades are symptoms of neglected vehicle maintenance that put drivers and passengers at serious risk during the typically rainy months of spring.

Thin tire treads create hazardous driving conditions when water builds up on the roadway, according to the Car Care Council. Deep tread accommodates accumulated water; thin tread does not. Thin tread causes the tire to hydroplane – ride up on a film of water, losing contact with the pavement, similar to driving on ice.

In light of the higher gasoline prices, the Car Care Council is offering gas-saving maintenance and driving tips that really work.

“Millions of dollars worth of gasoline is wasted every day by motorists, and neglecting vehicle maintenance is the culprit,” said Rich White, executive director of the Car Care Council. “Loose or missing gas caps, under inflated tires, worn spark plugs and dirty air filters all contribute to poor fuel economy.”

The Car Care Council offers these fuel-saving tips:

Do your windshield wiper blades smear, screech or chatter when you turn them on? If so, you are not alone, according to the Car Care Council.

Out of all the vehicles passing through the 2005 National Car Care Month vehicle check events, close to one-fifth (17 percent) had front windshield wiper failures and 12 percent needed service on their rear wipers and/or washer.

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.

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.

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.

The Car Care Council has launched a digital version of its popular Car Care Guide that can be easily accessed through the council’s Web site at www.carcare.org.