When most people bring their car into a mechanic or oil change place for routine maintenance, they simply drop the keys off and pay the bill after work is completed. They don’t think much about it and generally agree to whatever recommendations that mechanic might make about services to perform. This is a big mistake! Not asking questions or paying attention during even the most basic of car care procedures can cost you hundreds of dollars immediately or down the road.
Being a smart car owner means asking questions. Here are a few things that you should be prepared to ask your mechanic when you bring your car in for an oil change, tune-up or any other scheduled maintenance procedure:
- Are you putting the right oil in my car? If you have an older car, you will want to consider motor oils designed for high mileage vehicles. If you drive in cold weather or frequently haul things, you might want to consider different viscosity oil than what is standard for your model.
- Is it time to change my oil filter? A dirty oil filter can hurt your engine’s performance and rob you of gas mileage.
- Are my fluid levels where they should be? If your fluid levels are lower than would be expected for the amount of time between maintenance visits, this could be a sign that you have a leak or some other mechanical problem which is draining your fluids and could be something to look at.
Most people understand that it’s important to change your motor oil and other fluids in your car on a regular basis on order to keep your car running properly. While the old axiom of having a motor oil change every 3,000 miles might not hold true today with improvements in motor oil technology, it’s still a good idea to change your oil every 5,000 to 8,000 miles.
But your motor oil isn’t the only thing you need to be replacing on a regular basis in order to maximize the performance of your car. The air filtration system is an incredibly important part of the car’s internal workings but something that many people ignore. Cars need fresh air in order to fire properly, meaning that your air filter and other parts of the filtration system need to be checked and cleaned on a regular basis.
Simply making sure that your air filter is clean can improve your gas mileage by 10 percent or more along with reducing the wear and tear on your motor and improving your engine life. Every time you replace your motor oil, making sure you check your air filter. If it is simply clogged, the particles can easily be removed; older air filters will need to be replaced. It’s an easy and cheap way to improve your gas mileage and performance.
When it comes to most passenger cars, spending extra money on high-octane gas is a waste of money. Higher octane levels only benefit high performance vehicles which require a certain type of fuel and unless your car’s owner’s manual specifically calls for a higher octane gasoline, there’s no need to purchase it.
However, this doesn’t mean that the quality of gasoline doesn’t matter. When you go to fill up your car, it’s important that you go to a reputable gas station that is known for having high quality gasoline. Unfiltered gasoline can add sediments and other particles to your gasoline which can hurt your car’s performance or even cause damage.
If you’re unsure, ask the gas station attendant if their gasoline is filtered at the pump and how frequently the pump filter is changed. If you aren’t happy with the answer you receive, it’s a good idea to move onto another station.
With gas prices averaging around $2.75 a gallon nationwide, drivers everywhere are looking for ways to extend their gas mileage and save a few extra dollars each week. Purchasing a hybrid vehicle is a great way to save money on gas but not everyone can afford to buy a new car. If you want to get more mileage out of your existing vehicle, here are a few steps you can take on your own:
Put Your Car on a Diet: Extra weight inside your car means that the engine has to work harder to propel the vehicle, wasting more gas in the process. If you have a van filled with old vacation supplies, golf bags and other useless junk, chances are this is keeping you from getting the best gas mileage possible. A thorough cleaning that gets all of the extra weight out of your car will save you space and perhaps gas money as well.
Keep Your Car Running Right: Properly caring for your car can increase your mileage by a mile per gallon or more. Underinflated tires are a major source of poor gas mileage - consult your car’s handbook for the proper air pressure. Dirty air filters or oxygen sensors can also rob you of gas mileage.
Use Regular Gasoline: Unless you are driving a high-performance car, you aren’t getting any benefits from paying extra for premium octane gasoline. Check your car’s manual for specifications but it’s a safe bet that the lowest octane gasoline is just fine for most passenger cars.
One of the latest advances in car tire technology has been the advent of “run flat” tires. These are tires which are designed to run for 50 miles or more after receiving a puncture that otherwise would lead to a flat tire. They are constructed from very stiff materials in the sidewall, allowing them to support the weight of the car even with very little weight. Run flat tires now come standard on new car models such as the BMW 3 series, Toyota Sienna and Chevrolet Corvette.
There are some disadvantages to run flat tires. For one thing, the stiff construction that makes them be able to run with little or no air also makes the ride occasionally rough and bumpy. In addition, many car owners have complained that the tires have uneven tire wear, leading to them needing to be replaced more frequently. Some tires need to be replaced every 15,000 miles while typical all-weather tires can last for 40,000 miles or more.
However, the safety advantages of run flat tires easily outweigh the potential drawbacks. A tire blowout can put you and your family at danger, especially if it happens on a freeway or other high-speed roads. Run flat tires will reduce the risk of this along with saving you the hassle of being stuck on the side of the road trying to replace a flat tire.
If your car isn’t starting the way that it should be, one problem could be your spark plugs. Spark plugs create an electrical spark inside of internal combustion engines, which ignites the compressed fuels and get the engine moving. If spark plugs are old or not all of them are working, this can create rough starts or make it impossible to fire the engine at all.
Most spark plugs should be replaced every 30,000 to 45,000 miles. However, the more expensive platinum spark plugs can last up to 100,000 miles before they need to be replaced. A rough start is a sure sign of old spark plugs but there are other signs. A lack of a spark can create poor fuel efficiency or cause your car to vibrate or even stall while idling or accelerating.
Finding out if your spark plugs need to be changed is easy. Any mechanic can quickly hook your plugs up to an oscilloscope to check their secondary ignition pattern. Worn spark plugs will cause a sudden spike in voltage that is simple to detect. Replacing spark plugs is cheap, easy and can have a major impact on the quality of your ride.
With the high cost of gas today, people are always looking for ways to save money on their fuel costs. Buying a hybrid or electric car is a great way to save on gas but even if you have an SUV there are some basic steps that you can take to save money on gas:
Use lower-octane gas: Using a higher-octane gasoline is only necessary if you drive a sports car, luxury vehicle or other car where a higher octane is specifically called for in the owner’s manual. For the vast majority of passenger vehicles, putting in the higher grade of gas is useless since there will be no increase in performance.
Park in the shade: Not only does parking your car in the sun during the summer months make your car uncomfortable but it also can cost you gas. Excess heat can cause your gas to evaporate from your tank. Parking in shaded areas can eliminate this problem (while also making your car cooler to drive).
Inflate your tires: Driving on underinflated tires makes your engine have to work harder in order to pull the car. Having your tires properly inflated can help improve your fuel efficiency by up to 15 percent.
Cars are a necessity of life which also frequently can be the bane of our existence. If they run properly, they are great. When they need service or quit unexpectedly, they can be nothing but frustration. This is usually compounded by the emotional toll taken in getting them serviced properly and at a reasonable cost.
With the expansion of the Web comes a site which offers all kinds of assistance. Find a reputable shop, get an estimate, track your service records, replace your owner’s manual, and even find shops while traveling. All these services are available at www.repairpal.com. Even better, they are all free just for joining. And the membership is also free.
When you join, you enter the data about your vehicle(s), such as a Acura TL . A list of repair shops which service your make and model are then made available. Many of the shops have ratings and reviews from previous/present customers.
Estimates of the cost of various services are readily accessible. There are even descriptions of problems and their solution services so you have an idea of what’s coming before you bring in the car. For instance, if your car is ready for an oil change , the description of the service to be performed and an estimated cost are both available. Or if the brakes are squeeking and your card needs a brake job, you can get an idea of the approximate cost, before you even call the shop. Imagine how much less stressful that visit will be!
The need for repairs while traveling can be another major headache. Once you are a member of repairpal.com, you have access to the same list of shops in most major markets such as Houston auto repair. This could easily be the difference between a wonderful vacation and one which taxes a relationship.
Rarely is there a free service that really lives up to its claims. Usually you get what you pay for. In the case of repairpal.com, you pay nothing and get exactly what you need to ease one of life’s major frustrations.
The warning lights on your dashboard are there for a reason - they serve to let you know about a potential problem with your car. However, many people choose to simply ignore the warning lights, even going as far as to put tape over their dashboard in order to avoid seeing the flashing lights. This is a terrible idea! Ignoring warning lights will only make a bad situation worse and could lead to major car troubles.
It’s important that you immediately take your car into a mechanic if you get a “check engine” light or other warning on your dashboard. A mechanic can run a diagnostic check to see exactly what the problem is with your car. In many cases, the problem will only get worse as time goes on. If not fixed, many minor issues which can trigger a warning light can turn into significant problems down the road.
For example, the oil light is a sign that your car does not have enough motor oil to function properly. This is not a sign that you need to drive home and then check the situation but a warning that your car is in serious danger. Driving without enough motor oil can cause your engine to seize up and create major damage. Pull your car off the road immediately and call a tow truck to take you to a service station immediately if you get this warning sign.
Shock absorbers are one of the most easily overlooked parts of an automobile. However, they can also cause a major safety concern if they are worn out or broken. Shock absorbers help to control the kinetic energy of a car as its weight shifts through corners, travels over uneven terrain or encounters bumps, potholes and other urban obstacles. Shock absorbers that don’t work properly can have a serious impact on handling and make it more difficult for you to control your car in case of an emergency.
Of course, riding in a car with poor shock absorbers also just isn’t fun. The most common problem with shock absorbers is worn out seals, which let fluids and air leak into the areas around the pistons and stop the effect of dampening the spring movement. The easiest way to check for a leak within the springs is to compress the shock absorber by hand. If it compresses easily and without much force, this means that you either have a fluid leak (which should be visible) or an invisible air leak and that it is time to replace your shock absorbers.
When most people bring their car into a mechanic or oil change place for routine maintenance, they simply drop the keys off and pay the bill after work is completed. They don’t think much about it and generally agree to whatever recommendations that mechanic might make about services to perform. This is a big mistake! Not asking questions or paying attention during even the most basic of car care procedures can cost you hundreds of dollars immediately or down the road.
