2021 @BMW Z4: Consumer shopping guide: https://t.co/z2Lrcd4UYw pic.twitter.com/Kwwpzz1x0v
— Car and Driver (@CARandDRIVER) October 14, 2020
We can help keep sludge to a minimum!
The quality of the fuel and oils you use in your vehicle matters. As your engine is running, poor quality fuel and oil can leave behind performance robbing deposits. These deposits will gradually build up over time and cause you the following problems:
- Premature Fuel Injector & Spark Plug Failure
- Lower Fuel Economy & Loss of Performance
- Hard Starting & Rough Running Conditions
- Greatly Reduced Engine Life
So how can you avoid these problems?
- Always use 91 Octane Gasoline or better
- Change your engine oil every 5,000– 7,000 miles
- Add a fuel system cleaner to the fuel at every oil change
- Perform an induction system cleaning every 30,000 miles
Vehicles are a major investment. Proper care is money well spent.
Beware of tow trucks that show up out of nowhere in the event of a break down or accident. Dishonest operators monitor police scanners and will race to the scene of a stranded car and say anything
to get their towing releases signed. The only thing they won’t say is that your signature gives them exclusive repair authorization & expensive fees.
The transmission is the most complex mechanical system in your vehicle. As such, it is one of the most expensive to repair or replace. Because it is mechanical in nature, it needs a special fluid to keep it working properly and protect its many finely-machined, intricate parts. Transmission fluid endures heavy abuse as you drive. One of its various jobs is to limit wear on the friction plates that control the transfer of energy from your vehicle’s engine to its wheels. As it does this particular job, some wear is inevitable. So transmission fluid is designed to also carry this abrasive material through a filtering system. Over time, however, the fluid loses its ability to perform this function efficiently. It must be replaced! If not, wear and tear of your transmission’s internal parts will accelerate. Ultimately, this will result in component failure and a very BIG repair bill. Fortunately, a simple and relatively inexpensive transmission service, done on a periodic basis, will prevent this problem and allow your transmission to run great and last for the life of your car.
Your vehicle’s tires are expensive. You want them to last as long
as possible. So, what are the three most important things you can
do to ensure the longest possible life for your tires?
- Maintain proper tire pressure. Buy a high-quality tire gauge.
Then, each time you fill up with fuel, use the gauge to check the
pressure in each tire while the pump is running. The proper pressure
for your vehicle is listed on a tag in the driver’s door jamb. - Rotate your tires regularly. Front and rear tires wear
differently, and non-drive axles wear more unevenly than drive axles.
To even all this out, your tires should be rotated at regular intervals:
Every 7,500 miles is a general rule of thumb; or, for your convenience,
simply ask us to rotate the tires with each oil change. - Do periodic alignment checks. Nothing can wear out your tires
faster than an alignment that is outside of factory specifications. Your
tires will literally be scrubbing against the road surface if all four of them
are not tracking one another perfectly, left to right, and front to rear.
The difference between open-type, torque-vectoring, limited-slip, and other differentials: http://t.co/DhvhHxKGSx pic.twitter.com/Ge5YKY4MVK
— Car and Driver (@CARandDRIVER) October 18, 2015
Your engine operates by converting very powerful explosions into rotational power. Every single minute your vehicle is running, thousands of these detonations occur. Just imagine the amount
of heat that is generated by all that firepower!
The system that manages all this heat is your radiator, cooling fan, and water pump. Coolant is circulated through the engine by the water pump where the combustion heat is collected. This
heat is then brought to the radiator via hoses and transferred to the atmosphere by the cooling fan. If any single component of this system fails, your engine will begin to overheat in a matter
of seconds. Catastrophic damage to your engine will occur very quickly. NEVER try to make it home or to the shop if you suspect your vehicle is having a cooling system problem. If your
temperature gauge moves out of its normal range (up or down) or you notice steam or smoke, immediately get safely off the road, turn your engine off, and call a tow truck.
Did you know antihistamines can impair your driving more than alcohol? According to a study done at the University of Iowa, some medicines (such as those containing diphenhydramine) can make you drowsy, unfocused, affect your decision making abilities, and slow down your reaction times while driving.
Always read medicine labels carefully and follow all the precautions suggested. If it advises against driving, don’t!
NOTE: In most states, allergy medicines are considered drugs and you can be arrested for DUI if you are involved in an accident with them in your bloodstream.