Seeing a cloud of steam from your engine compartment, a temperature gauge suddenly reading higher than normal or a puddle of coolant under your car is a sure sign that you’ve neglected your vehicle’s coolant system. Don’t let it happen! A quick visit to your local service center or tire store will help ensure your coolant system is healthy and working properly, and also help you avoid expensive repair bills down the road. The Heart of Your Vehicle Think of your coolant system as the heart of your vehicle. It pumps vital fluid through your radiator, cooling system and engine block...

There are many difficult maintenance and repair chores associated with your automobile, but tire rotation isn't one of them ... and it's a service that clearly adds to your bottom line. If you know how to change a flat tire, then you have all the necessary skills to perform your own tire rotation. The concept of tire rotation is simple- you swap the front tires of your car or truck with the back tires at regular intervals. By rotating your tires you increase the life of the entire set of tires. If your tires were never rotated it's likely you would...

By Mike Trudel We often hear or read about having balance in our lives ... maintaining a balanced diet, a healthy balance between work time and family time, the challenge of balancing our household budget ... but there's something else we come in contact with on a daily basis that requires good balance yet we don't give much thought to -- our tires. It's true, keeping our tires in good balance is important to extend the tread life of your tires and to keep your car or truck in good working condition. To understand the importance of having your tires properly balanced...

Taking a close look at your tire’s sidewall can provide you with just about everything you really need to know about your tires. But, before diving into the language of tires, let’s consider what type of tires you have. Automobile tires generally fall into the following major categories: P-Metric – P-metric sized tires are the ones with the "P" at the beginning of the tire size, such as P206/60R15. Their load capacity is based on an engineering formula which takes into account their physical size and the amount of air pressure. European Metric- Euro-metric and P-metric tires in the same size, such...

One of the most thoughtful gifts you can give anyone on your holiday shopping list is an auto safety kit along with a reminder to visit a local tire store to help ensure their car, truck, SUV or crossover vehicle is ready for winter driving. Affordable pre-packaged safety kits can be purchased at practically any tire store and most discount department stores. The best include an air compressor powered by a cigarette lighter or power port, a flashlight, jumper cables, reflectors, a spare lug wrench, first aid kit, and even a collapsible shovel. With a quick trip to any dollar discount...

What are tire speed ratings and why are they so important? Many tire buyers have asked this question and understanding the answer can help you the next time you buy a set of replacement tires for your car or truck. The importance of tire speed ratings can be summed up quite simply. Tires are manufactured to a wide variety of specifications that meet, or exceed, certain levels of performance. The standard tires that will perform best on a Ford Focus, will not get the job done on a Chevrolet Corvette. Conversely, a Corvette tire will far exceed the needs of a...

You can learn a lot about your tires, your driving habits and your car if you learn how to properly "read" your tread wear. Upon closer inspection, your tires can reveal the need for a front end alignment, too little or too much air pressure in the tires, or other parts of the car that may need attention. You should inspect your tires often, in most cases once a week is best. Learning to read the early warning signs of trouble can prevent abnormal wear that shortens tire life. Improper tire inflation is the single most important factor that causes...

There's nothing better than being warned and this is particularly true with your vehicle. It's convenient to know that you're almost out of gas or that your oil pressure is low; there is even a high-tech device that lets you know there's something behind you if you're backing up. These are all important warnings to receive to help prevent damage to your vehicle and to keep you safe- and then there are your tires. It's not unusual while on the road to see other cars with one or more tires that look low on tire pressure. You may be driving...

Due to the safety hazards that arise when your car is riding on underinflated tires, the U.S. government passed legislation in 2007 mandating that all cars under 10,000 lbs. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) must have a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). You car's TPMS gives immediate feedback regarding your tire's current inflation. The system warns you when the pressure is too low, if there is a system malfunction or if there is potential problem with a tire.     There are two types of tire pressure monitoring systems. The first, and most popular, is the direct TPMS. Direct TPMS uses pressure...

Fall is a good time to get your vehicle ready for the colder weather ahead. From the battery and fluids to winter tires and hoses, the task may seem daunting. Here are the top ten tips you can do yourself, or request one of the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified technicians to perform, to get your car ready for winter: Battery and Terminal Check – Have your battery checked once a year, especially if it’s more than two years old. A qualified technician will perform a quick load test to make sure it’s in good shape to...