Ten years ago flushing out your power steering fluid wasn’t even an option for car owners. Now getting a power steering flush at a local tire retailer is a regular part of preventive maintenance schedule and something that all car owners should look into every couple of years.            Want ‘powerfully’ smooth steering? Power steering fluid can’t be allowed to just sit in the system without being changed because it can damage the hydraulic components. The pump alone in a power steering system produces extreme amount of pressure (between 800 and 2000 pounds worth) along with a tremendous amount of heat. Over...

How high temperatures hurt car battery life... Summary: Myth - cold temperatures significantly shorten a car’s battery life. Fact - extreme heat leads accelerates car battery corrosion and shortens the average car battery life. Most people believe that colder temperatures threaten car batteries, but actual it isn't the cold that usually kills a battery; its excessive heat or a faulty component in the charging system. The average life of a car battery is around three and a half years, but warmer climates and high temperatures tend to shorten it. So why do more batteries fail in July versus January? When temperatures outside...

Tire stores offer smart, cost-effective and convenient solutions for maintaining your vehicle. One of the many benefits that a tire store offers is wide selection of tire and rims to help your vehicle stand out of a crowd.  There are also benefits of buying a tire and wheel package that are smart and cost-effective. Tire stores offer an amazingly wide selection of custom rims and affordable wheel and tire packages.  A tour of any tire stores web site will wake you up to a world of beautifully-styled, high-quality custom chrome, polished and painted rims from well-know manufacturers such as American Racing,...

A low cost of wheel alignment is yet another great service that tire stores should offer, so you get out the door with more value.  The cost of a wheel alignment could be much less than the cost of other repairs that could result from not performing this simple regular maintenance on your vehicle, such as helping your tires last longer, so replacement is not needed as often. You can also maximize your suspension system. How do you know if you need a wheel alignment? If your vehicle pulls to the right or the left when the steering wheel is in straight...

Tires need to be replaced a number of times during the lifetime of a vehicle. Even with advances in tire technology, tread life will vary by vehicle type, tire type such as AWD and 4X4 tires, driving habits, road conditions and weather conditions. If your need for new tires has been determined after thoroughly inspecting and maintaining tires, identify the best tires for your vehicle and driving demands. Your local tire discounter can help determine this with you but there are some tips on how to choose that you should always consider. How to Choose New Tires Put safety...

Shrinking car sales and disappearing brands are drastically limiting your choice of what you can now own and drive. However, custom chrome, polished or painted rims and affordable wheel and tire packages from your local tire retailer can help you stand out from the crowd. About 11.4 million cars, trucks and SUV were sold in the United States last year.  That’s down from 16.6 million just a few years ago. A number of popular mainstream and niche nameplates are also quickly disappearing. GM, for example, recently eliminated their Pontiac, HUMMER, Saab and Saturn brands. As they push to become more...

Tire retailers are a great alternative to in-house fleet servicing for many routine maintenance issues. That’s because these days, many tire retailers have ASE certified technicians on staff who are able to perform much more than just the installation, replacement and rotation of tires. In addition, tire retailers offer their fleet services in more places (some have over 80 locations) so company cars and light trucks can be taken care of in the field instead of having to return to a sometimes inconveniently located central garage. More than Just Tires Unless an individual company has a very large fleet, it many not...

It’s easy to notice if your tires have uneven or excessive tread wear, spot a tell-tale coolant leak under your car or hear that grinding sound that tells you your brake pads need replacement. Shocks and struts are different. Like other important vehicle systems, they do wear out over time, but often so gradually you don’t even notice. They’re also more difficult to inspect. But, because they’re an important part of your car’s suspension system, your shocks and struts should be inspected for wear and tear at least twice a year. And, you can depend on your local Michigan or...

Winter driving in Michigan and Ohio can often mask important feedback your car’s brake system can give you. Heater, defroster or wiper noise may muffle tell-tale squealing or grinding sounds. The crunch of new-fallen show may disguise clicking sounds from worn out drums or rotors. You might think a gradual pull to the left or right when you come to a stop or an unusual pedal feel may be caused by slippery or slushy road surfaces. Don’t wait too long to discover that something might be seriously wrong. Give your brakes a break. Listen to what they’re telling you. And,...

Michigan and Ohio drivers experience five different seasons: summer, fall, winter, spring and pothole season. Sometimes called kettles or chuckholes, potholes appear after water freezes in cracks or crevices of the road surface. Periodic freezing and thawing causes them to widen and surrounding surface area to flake away. The hole then further expands as vehicles bump their way through it, loosening even more of the already fragile pavement around it. An unexpected encounter with a monster pothole can cause thousands of dollars of damage to your tires, wheels, steering system and suspension components. Even a chance encounter with a medium-size...