The Best Book that's Not a Best-Seller

February 5, 2023

Sometimes the movie is better than the book, sometimes it's the other way around. But when it comes to your vehicle, the best book of all is the owner's manual. The plot is simple: Owner wants long life and dependable performance from the vehicle, manual has the way to achieve that long life and... More

When "Shady" is a Good Thing

August 7, 2022

Just like your skin can burn from too much sun, so can the paint on your vehicle. It can turn dull, oxidize and fade the more ultraviolet rays beat down on it. One solution is to park in a shady spot, or you can buy a cover for your vehicle and put it on when you know it's going to be sitting in... More

Weather Station on Wheels (Vehicle Sensor Maintenance)

July 17, 2022

You probably never thought about it, but your vehicle is like a rolling weather station. It can check the outside temperature, let you know when the roads are slippery and help you deal with rain. And how it does all those things is pretty cool. First, just like any weather station, a vehicle ha... More

The Edible Engine

March 13, 2022

You may have had a friend whose vehicle was the victim of hungry rodents. After all, mice, rats and squirrelseven rabbitshave been known to gnaw on wires in engine compartments, causing vehicle electrical systems to go haywire. They can disable a vehicle completely and be very expensive to fix.... More

The Part You've Never Seen (Flat Tires and Solutions)

February 20, 2022

They say your vehicle has one, but you've never seen it. And you might not even know it if you stumbled on it accidentally. We're talking about the jack, that tool that allows you to lift one corner of the vehicle up so someone can change a flat tire. So you say you'd never try to change a flat ... More

"Current" Affairs (Blown Fuses)

January 3, 2022

You may be driving along and find that suddenly your radio stops working. There are no numbers on the display. Then when you get home, you notice the garage door opener doesn't do a thing when you press the button. Hmm, this was working just fine this morning. Are the two problems somehow rela... More

How Much Does It Cost? (Variations in Vehicle Repair Costs)

January 1, 2022

Ever wonder why it costs so much more to fix a similar problem in two different vehicles? Let's say you now own an SUV and before that, you owned a car. Your SUV's air conditioning system needs a new evaporator, but the cost for the new one is way more than you remember it was for your car. How... More

The Byte Stuff (Your Vehicle's Computers)

September 19, 2021

Nobody has to tell you that computers are a part of so many things in our lives. Smartphones, kitchen appliances, vacuum cleaners, televisions. You name itit has a computer in it. And your vehicle is no exception. The earliest cars relied on the technology of their time, and there was no such ... More

Greeted by a Screech (Loud Noise when Starting Vehicle)

September 5, 2021

No one likes to be greeted in the morning by having someone screech at you. The same goes for a loud, high-pitched noise your vehicle greets you with every time you start the engine. If you're wondering if that's normal, no, it isn't. And it is worth getting checked out. The good news is that... More

If You Drive Like a Maniac (Aggressive Driving is Bad for a Vehicle)

August 29, 2021

When someone mentions driving like a maniac, they're not talking about you, surely? Besides the safety issues of aggressive driving, you should know that your vehicle will last a lot longer if you'll just mellow out a little. Here are four traits good drivers follow if they want their vehicles t... More