Measuring your antifreeze/coolant’s resistance to cold, and advice on how to best prepare your cooling system for winter weather The word ‘antifreeze’ is one of the most straightforward terms in the automotive lexicon. Simply put, your automobile’s engine runs hot, and it requires a cooling system to keep it at its optimum operating temperature, regardless of whether you’re driving in the dead of winter or during the dog days of summer. At its most basic, this is accomplished by running coolant through channels in the engine block with its flow regulated by a thermostat and a pump, and its temperature...
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When Do You Need to Replace Your Brakes?
Just as your gas mileage will vary depending on where and how you drive, so it goes with the life of brake pads (or brake shoes), the friction material that gets pressed against a metal disc (rotor) or drum to stop your vehicle. How long will they last? That depends on a lot of factors. If you drive only 8,000 miles a year but it’s mainly in a crowded urban area such as Detroit, Chicago, Boston or Washington, D.C., you will need to replace brake pads or shoes more often than someone who drives 28,000 miles a year across the...
7 Signs Your Car Is Overdue for a Tune-Up
Vehicle owners are pretty good at spotting and responding to emergency-level auto repairs. If their car blows a tire, they understand they need to get it replaced, or if the vehicle won’t start, they know there’s something drastically wrong with the engine. Somehow, this auto repair logic doesn’t apply to regular maintenance; and people often forget, neglect, or procrastinate bringing their car in for a tune-up, thinking it’s unimportant. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The Need for Regular Maintenance Tune-ups aren’t costly, nor are they required on any basis more frequent than “periodic.” For most cars, every six...
Seven Benefits of Changing Your Oil On Time
Why is changing engine oil so at the proper interval so important? Making sure that you changing your oil on a regular basis is the most important routine vehicle maintenance there is. Properly scheduled oil changes are crucial in keeping your car running properly. An oil change service is a great opportunity to have other areas of the vehicle checked out as well. At your oil change is a quick and simple service, that also includes a complimentary multi-point inspection. This means that not only do you get your oil changed in a quick and timely fashion, but you will also receive a free multi point inspection as part of your...