Tags: car maintenance / finances

6 Ways You Are Prematurely Killing Your Car without Realizing

- Rabu, 16 Desember 2015 No Comments

2013 Dodge Journey. Image courtesy of Dodge.

For most people, a car is their second biggest investment. It is a reliable form of transportation that takes them anywhere they want. And yet, many treat their car as any other regular appliance. Sure, the elements can be tough on your car, but your bad habits might be making things worse than bad weather.

Not caring about your car until something is wrong is an awful habit. Since the cost of replacing certain parts can be extremely expensive, it is important to keep your car alive as long as possible, so you don’t end up back at the dealership. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you will be able to tell when something is wrong with your car. Sometimes, problems can go unnoticed, and coupled with bad maintenance and usage practices, you might be on the verge of prematurely killing your car.

Here are six ways you are hurting your car without realizing.

1.      You Never Check or Change Your Car’s Oil

According to AutoMD, cited by abcnews.com, one of the most common and most costly problems car owners face is related to oil. Although car engines today don’t burn oils as they used to, a lot of issues can still arise. By simply checking the oil level every couple of weeks, you will be able to catch most problems on time.

Oil level isn’t the only problem that is prematurely killing your car. As the old oil passes through your engine, it can have a huge impact on is integrity. If you don’t change your car’s oil regularly, your engine will wear out, and your vehicle will suffer.

2.       You Don’t Change Your Car’s Air Filter

Another common problem that can affect your car is neglecting to change your car’s air filter. Just like a person, a car needs to breathe to survive.

The air filter is your car’s respiratory system. If not enough clean air passes through, the performance will drop significantly. Since bad news loves company, guess what else will suffer damages if the airflow is restricted? The heart of the car itself, the engine, which will overheat and cost you a lot of money.

3.      You Don’t Change Your Car’s Fluids

Cars need proper maintenance to run smoothly. Neglecting to change the steering fluid, coolant or transmission fluid is a surefire way to get your car sick. Anyone can lift a hood and check the fluid levels, so you don’t have to schedule an appointment with a mechanic every other week. Doing this on a regular basis will keep your car running well and your maintenance costs down.

Consider adding a transmission oil filter and a bypass engine. They screen the fluid to 3 microns, and they do that using a small amount of oil. Also, a coolant filter prevents overheated parts, so do your car and yourself a favor and invest a bit in this.

Image courtesy of Lotus. 

4.      How About the Brake Pads?

If every time you hit the brakes, you hear a screeching noise, then that’s your car telling that it’s time to change your disc-brake pads. The pads that stay between the rotor and the metal caliper wear down at some point because of the friction. Neglecting to change the pads will not only affect the effectiveness of the brakes, but it will also damage the rotor. As a rule of thumb, you should change the brake pads every 20,000-25,000 miles.

5.      Your Shock Absorbers Are Shockingly Worn

Well, not so shockingly, but since they perform a lot of duties of great importance to your car’s suspension, handles and rides, you should expect them to wear fast. They basically “decide” how your car takes the corners regarding comfort and handling, and they’re the difference between comfort and discomfort when it comes to potholes and bumps. Your car suspension elements will wear extremely fast, especially if you live in a place with a cold climate.

Image courtesy of Chevrolet.

6.      Let Your Car Warm Up

Cold oil won’t get your car very far. You don’t go out in the cold immediately after you wake up, or do you? The same scenario applies to your car.

You just fire your engine. Let it purr for a while and warm up before going about your day to day business.

As you can see from this list, a large part of your car’s maintenance is preventative. Checking your car on a regular basis and going for scheduling regular professional check-ups is the perfect way to make sure that your car stays healthy.

Tags: Car Advice / car maintenance

Are You Treating Your Car As Well As You Should?

- Kamis, 12 November 2015 No Comments

Image source: Ildar Sagdejev / Wiki


You’ve probably heard it a million times in the past, but if you look after your car, then it will look after you. When you consider their importance to modern life, as well as the cost, it would be foolish not to heed that advice.

But the big dilemma is how to look after your car. Here are five top tips to keep your car purring while also improving your

Tags: Car Advice / car maintenance / Wheels & Tyres

Do Your Half-Term Travel Plans Include Safe Tyre Checks?

- Senin, 26 Oktober 2015 No Comments

With many families about to take a break in the school half-terms, TyreSafe is reminding mums, dads and all drivers to ensure they’re keeping the risks to a minimum by practising #SafeTyreChecks.

October is typically the wettest month of the year and coincides with the onset of colder weather, a combination which places high demands on the only safety feature of a vehicle which is in touch

Tags: Car Advice / car maintenance / Wheels & Tyres

How Wheel Alignment Can Affect Your Vehicle

- Senin, 28 September 2015 No Comments

Most drivers don’t think much past checking the tyre pressure and tread depth when it comes to the wheels on their vehicle. Aside from the occasional puncture, nothing much else much ever seems to require your attention, right? Well if this is the case for you then you are probably overlooking the importance of wheel alignment.


The alignment of your vehicle wheels (also known as tracking)

Tags: car maintenance / motorcycles / tips

Charging a Motorcycle Battery

- Senin, 21 September 2015 No Comments

Photo courtesy of BMW

When you leave a motorcycle sitting long enough without turning on the engine, the battery will lose its charge, just like in a car. If you don't want to deal with a dead battery and you aren't riding your motorcycle regularly, like when winter hits, you can still keep it ready to go at a moment's notice by charging the battery periodically.

First off, you need to know that it isn't safe to use a car battery charger on your motorcycle. Chargers that are made for car batteries supply too much electrical current for a motorcycle battery. Using such a charger on your motorcycle will ruin the battery in short order, meaning you will need to replace rather than charge it. If you don't have a motorcycle battery charger, you can purchase one at your local motorcycle dealer or from one of many legitimate online motorcycle parts stores.

When handling a motorcycle battery, you should wear protective gloves and goggles. The fluids that are contained in the battery can be extremely acidic and toxic. If you were to drop or otherwise damage the battery, having those fluids come into contact with your skin, eyes, or any other part of your exposed body could be painful and leave permanent scarring.

Always work in an area that is properly ventilated. There might be fumes coming from the battery, so it is better to be safe than run the risk of inhaling something harmful. Before you can charge the battery, you must remove it from the motorcycle. Use a pair of pliers to loosen the connections that hold the battery in your bike. With the battery removed, place it on a sturdy and flat surface, like the floor or on a work bench. Before continuing, check the battery connections for any corrosion or damage. You can clean them with a wire brush. If you do find damage, you must replace your battery to avoid personal injury or damage to your motorcycle.

Pry off the chamber caps and fill the cells with deionized water. Using any other type of water can harm your battery by introducing other chemicals. Connect the cables from the charger to the battery. Match up the positive cable to the positive terminal, and the negative cable to the negative terminal.

With the connections established, plug the charger into an electrical outlet. The amount of time it will take for the charger to replenish the battery depends on the battery, how depleted it is, and the type of charger you are using. Many times it will take all night to charge a battery, especially if it was fully depleted.

Once the battery charger lights indicate that a full charge has been reached, turn the charger off and disconnect the cables. Connect the battery to the motorcycle just as it was before you removed it.

Because charging a depleted motorcycle battery is a pretty lengthy process, it's best to give yourself plenty of time to perform the task. Many motorcycle owners regularly charge up their battery as a way to avoid a surprise when they need to use their bike, which is a smart practice you should consider. 

Tags: car maintenance / finances / tips

How to Make Your Car Last

- Jumat, 18 September 2015 No Comments

Image courtesy of General Motors

Cars cost quite a lot of money, not only to buy but also to maintain. By maintaining your car properly, whether you do it through your car dealership, a private shop or at your home, you will save money by avoiding at least some major problems as well as extending the overall life of your car. By enjoying more years without car payments or large mechanical problems, you can stretch your money further. Of course there are some specific ways to accomplish this goal, so read on to find out what they are.

Keep your tires properly inflated. Too many car owners don't even think to check their tire pressure, or they think the tires need to be inflated to the pressure listed on the tires' sidewall. The vehicle manufacturer specifies how much air pressure should be in the tires and places the information on a sticker located in the driver's door jamb. Keeping your tires properly inflated will help the tread last longer. Also, underinflated tires make the engine and transmission on a car work harder, which places more strain on them and will cause them to fail sooner.

Maintain your car's battery and the ignition system by parking in your garage as much as possible in the winter. If you cannot park in a garage, install a battery insulation kit to keep your battery warm enough at all times. Hook the battery up to a tender regularly to ensure it keeps a full charge, which will take some strain off the rest of the ignition system. If you do have a garage, absolutely do not heat it since it will cause your car to rust.

You can make your brakes last longer by using them sparingly. Some drivers like to speed up quickly from a stop, then practically slam on their brakes when they reach a red light. Instead, coast toward red lights and touch your brakes as little as possible. You can even shift to a lower gear to slow your car down instead of riding the brakes.

Most people completely forget about their windshield wiper blades since they are small and relatively inexpensive. You can extend their life significantly just by cleaning them once a month with denatured alcohol. The cleanings not only remove debris buildup, they also keep the rubber more flexible so it holds closer to the glass, eliminating streaking that otherwise would appear.

Use synthetic oil. While synthetic oil isn't exactly cheap, it lasts significantly longer and provides better protection for your engine's internal parts. Synthetic oils are even designed to not break down in extreme temperatures, making them excellent for driving in hot weather or on long road trips.

Washing your car regularly is about more than just looks. As you wash your car, you remove corrosive agents from the paint, keeping it in better condition. Waxing your car then places a protective coating over the paint. A well-maintained paint job will prevent corrosion like rust from taking hold on a car, which if left unchecked can lead to its ultimate death. You can also protect the paint by keeping the car covered or in a garage as much as possible.

Tags: car maintenance / finances

Ways Car Owners Waste Money

- Senin, 24 Agustus 2015 No Comments

Owning a car is not only liberating but it can also be a source of extra expenses. While there are some costs associated with owning a car that you cannot avoid, such as registration fees or insurance premiums, there are other expenses you can minimize. Knowing the common ways car owners waste their money helps lower the cost of owning and driving your own car, increasing the amount of money you have in your savings or to pay other expenses.

Using a Higher Octane Fuel Than Recommended

You should never use a higher octane fuel than recommended by your car’s manufacturer. Using a higher grade of gasoline will not harm your car, it will hurt your pocketbook since it offers no performance benefit. Higher octane gases are formulated for cars with high compression ratios, typically luxury vehicles or vehicels with turbochargers or superchargers, to prevent engine knock. You are not giving your car a special treat by giving it higher octane fuel than needed, but you are giving the oil companies more of your hard-earned money.

Changing the Oil Too Often

You should always follow your car manufacturer’s recommendations for oil changes, as well as for the type of oil to put in your car’s engine. The manufacturer knows how long the oil can withstand the conditions in the engine before the oil begins to break down and not protect against engine wear as effectively. Some oil change stations or mechanic shops will place a sticker in your windshield that directs you to return for another oil change much sooner than the manufacturer recommends. Changing the oil more often is unnecessary and simply wastes money.

Neglecting the Tires

Everyone leads a busy life, and as a result your car’s tires are probably not always at the forefront of your mind. By starting a habit of maintaining your car’s tires you can save money in multiple ways. Newer cars might come with a tire pressure monitoring system that alerts you when your tires’ pressure drops too low, making maintenance easier. You should regularly check your car’s tire pressure, especially when the outside temperature changes drastically. Driving on underinflated tires lowers your car’s gas mileage. Low tire pressure also increases the distance your car needs to stop and negatively affects your car’s handling—which can cause you to get into an accident. Driving on your tires when they are underinflated also wears them out faster, which means you must buy tires more often. You should also follow your tire shop’s recommendations for balancing and rotation, which also protects against premature tire wear.

Paying to do Simple Maintenance

Cars require many other small maintenance jobs that need to be done on a regular basis. Every time you have a mechanic, lube shop or any other automotive professional perform maintenance on your vehicle you must pay for labor. When it comes to simple maintenance items, such as replacing your car’s windshield wiper blades or air filter, you can save a fair amount of money doing it yourself. Many shops mark up the price of the equipment they put on your car, increasing the cost of the maintenance on top of the labor. If a maintenance item is something you can easily do in less than 30 minutes, save yourself the money and do the maintenance yourself.

Tags: Car Advice / car maintenance / Wheels & Tyres

Is It Time to Replace Your Tyres?

- Jumat, 21 Agustus 2015 No Comments

Most drivers never give their tyres a second thought. After all, they’re solid pieces of rubber that last a lifetime. Well, not quite. Your tyres are one of the most important aspects of your vehicle. They take the brunt of damage from the road, absorbing the bumps and cracks. Braking constantly wears them down, and eventually, they will begin to affect your driving performance. Tyres in poor