Ahh, the birds are starting to chirp and the air has finally decided not to bite.  For automotive enthusiasts, this means the start of spring maintenance on our vehicles.  Gone is the concern of salt and road chemical eating away at our paint, replaced by the fear of dirt, rocks, and the occasional kid chasing a ball across the street.  It's time to consider what your car needs now that spring is approaching.

I always start by giving my vehicles a nice bath and not just one of these quickies at the car wash either.  It's time to pull out the garden hoses, fill up a soapy bucket, and apply the elbow grease to the corners that are missed by drive through.  Try to take a little extra care and use bug remover to get the deceased off the front bumper.  Also, after a thorough cleaning it might be warm enough to actually touch up those nicks you received in the mall parking lot during the holiday rushes.  Don't forget the clear coat.

What about those windshield wipers that took a beating from the ice?  It's a good idea to replace those with some fresh wiper blades in preparation for the spring rain.  I prefer to spend a little extra money and buy Bosch Wiper Blades, in my experience they seem to last the longest.  New blades and a fresh coat of Rainx makes for a safer spring.

RainX

Warmer temperatures means a fluctuation in tire pressure.  It's a good idea to get your tires looked over for wear and adjust pressure as necessary.  This will become even more important as spring leaves and summer approaches and temperatures have a habit of scorching.  Also, if you live in an area that requires snow tires, don't forget to switch back over to your summer driving tires now.

A good interior purging is also recommended, from being closed up all winter my vehicle has developed a unique aroma.  Too many fast food bags in the back seat have created their own ecosystem, generally a scrubbing is long overdue.  Take special attention to apply the proper cleaner to your seats, dash, and carpet if applicable.  Again, attention to detail will last much longer than a quick California Duster once over.  Any significant others forced to ride along with you will appreciate a subtle air freshener as well.

Lastly, if you had been putting up any upgrades now might be the time to cash in.  Often companies will run specials in the spring time to entice buyers to pull the trigger on a modification decision.  It seems that I always end up putting window tint on either my vehicle or someone else's in the spring.  This time of year is the start to a hopefully long and beautiful warm weather stretch.

This is a completely unsolicited post for one of the greatest automotive products ever made, RAINX.  The answer is YES, yes RainX is worth every penny.   As of late I've been appreciating this inexpensive, yet incredibly useful product a lot more.  In Southern Indiana we've been exposed to more rain this year than I can last remember and RainX has made seeing in the rain no problem.

RainX acts as a kind of wax for your windshield, which then assists with removing water.  When water comes into contact with your windshield it beads up and rolls right off.  Unlike untreated glass where the water does not bead and requires more assitance from windshield wiper blades to push the water off.

RainX Comparison

As you can tell from the comparison, inbetween wiper blade swipes visibility is greatly improved.  There is virtually no excuse for not at least trying RainX if you are living in a wet area, which during the Spring almost everywhere is.

Applying RainX to the windshield is also a snap.  Simply spray the product onto the windshield or soft clean cloth and evenly wipe the product over the glass in a circular motion.  Application is done much like you would wax your car, only waxing off is not needed.

That's right, it's happened to the best mechanics in the world on an old motor, stripped threads while tightening down a spark plug.  If this has happened to you before and you've been quoted upwards of $2,000 to have it fixed, then it's time we look at some options.  There are other fixes available other than just a new header replacement.

In a recent question sent into the Car Talk Guys asks the very question of what could possibly go wrong in a matter of hours and cost $2,000.  They not only suggest getting a second opinion, but to also consider plug inserts.  These inserts replace the once built-in threads that were in the header and the previous spark plugs tightened into.  Typically an insert will cost under $100, making the pain your wallet feels a little more outpatient related than month long sedated.

For more information on fixing your stripped spark plug threads instead of replacing the head, read what TimeSert offers in regards to Spark Plug Thread Repair Kits.  And just like visiting a surgeon or doctor, go for a second opinion instead of forking out unnecessary scrilla.

Also, be sure to read up on why it's important to change your spark plugs regularly.

Anytime you mix fast, mass service with anything mechanical you are sure to have issues.  Walmart Automotive Center is one such example where problems can arise, simply from mechanics being in too big a hurry, or inproperly trained.  It's quick and easy to find a Walmart when all you need is an oil change, but it could end up costing you in the long run.  Let's look at some of the complaints about the Walmart Automotive Center.

Two Gaskets Don't Make A Right

A recent complaint from earlier this month states that the individual took his car to the local Walmart Automotive Center for a basic oil change.  Besides the employees being extremely rude, there was also an issue with the oil change itself.  Reportedly when the old oil filter was removed, the mechanic failed to remove the old gasket.  When the new oil filter was installed it leaked badly, after only a few days the owner reported losing all oil in his drive way.  Obviously running an engine without oil will damage the engine, so the owner went back to the Walmart where the oil change was performed.

The manager of the automotive department agreed to file an insurance claim and get it taken care of.  Positive recovery is great, but unfortunately the insurance company doesn't agree and because the owner of the car didn't take it back to Walmart before fixing the issue, they are denying the claim.  This Walmart Automotive Center complaint is still in process.

Tire Rotation Confrontation

Earlier this year a complaint came in from a customer in West, Florida that purchased a slightly more expensive tire replacement and rotation package.  The package will supposedly cover tire rotations for the life of the tires.  When the customer returned back to Walmart to have her tires rotated, she was denied the free rotation she purchased, because Walmart no longer carries that brand tire.

What Oil Cap

At the end of last year a customer from Springfield, MO alleges that she had her oil changed at her Super Walmart Automotive Center.  After five days she started smell a strong burning smell, so she dropped by a local dealership.  According to reports the oil cap had been left off of the car, which caused oil to spray all over the underside of her hood and over the engine.  This caused a major fire hazard and a somewhat pricely fix, considering the extent of the mess.

When the customer brought the issue up with management at the Walmart Automotive Center there seemed to be hope.  However, after an initial inspection of her car(at the dealership) by a Walmart employee and further investigation, they claim they have video proof that a cap was put on the car when she left.  She was not allowed to see the video and this accusation is still under litigation.

Thoughts

I understand that no one is perfect and just going by the numbers Walmart should have more issues than other mechanics.  Consider the sheer amount of people that come through the Walmart automotive center, Murphy dictates that at least a small percentage will have faults.  But don't think just because the automotive center wears that all too familiar Walmart title that you will be protected from any issues and that every job will be perfect.  You get what you pay for.

Truck tires vary greatly in size, shape, and grip depending on what purpose you use your truck for.  The same truck tire that would be equipped for towing would not necessarily be the best choice truck tire if you plan on doing off road driving.  This article will help cover the differences in truck tires when buying a new site for your vehicle.

Truck Tire Ratings

The first difference between truck tires is the type of truck you intend on mounting them to.  A light truck, like a Ford Ranger, will have a different tire than say an SUV will.  Not to mention each OEM rim will require different sizes, but the composition of the tire will actually be different as well.

Codes help to determine what type of tire should be matched with what vehicle.  For example, a light truck tire will have an 'LT' imprinted into the tire code on the tire.  Along with denoting what type of tire classification a truck tire will also include a number code indicating the width of the tire, tread depth, construction type, and load range.  The load range is typically accompanied by PSI ratings, which change depending on how much weight is hauled.

Tires for Safety

Having the proper tires on the vehicle can make all the difference, safety wise, if evasive action is required.  Luckily, in the US, there are organizations that monitor and rate tires based on their recommended speed and use.  The DOT (Department of Transportation) and the NHTSA (National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration) are both companies that help regulate what kind of tires are allowed on public roads and what type of tire is recommended for your truck.

After selecting the proper truck tire it's also important to perform routine maintenance on your tires.  For example, having the recommended inflation pressure can keep the tire operating at it's peak performance level.  Furthermore, having the proper tread level on a used tire can insure that your truck maintains it's proper braking and steering functions.

To test if the tread on a tire is sufficient, place a US Penny upside down into the grove of the tread.  If part of Lincoln's head is below the grove level, then you are driving on sufficient tread for typical on road driving applications.  However, if all of Lincoln's head is exposed, then it's time to replace those truck tires.  Large grove treads, typical on off road truck tires, will typically wear down much faster during high way driving.  Keep an eye on your tread levels, especially if you live in an area prone to bad weather.

Tread Wear

Tread wear is the most important factor when deciding on a proper truck tire.  Buying a truck tire based on looks alone, without consideration for tread wear, could result in a very short life span for the tire.  However, there are ways to prevent premature tire wear on a truck or any vehicle.

Proper inflation will insure that the tire always has the maximum amount of tread on the road, to prevent uneven wearing.  Having a wheel alignment will also help keep even wear, as opposed to noticing lower tread on the outside or inside of the tire.  TKPH is a measurement used to gauge the work load of tires or also known as TMPH in the United States.  Making sure your tire has the proper TMPH measurement, matched to the work being done like hauling heavy loads, will insure that your tire wears as designed.

Conclusion

Remember, safety first when selecting a new truck tire.  Buying a tire based on it's meatiness or looks underneath your truck should be a small consideration when buying tires.  Safety for yourself and others on the road should rely on you making an informed decision, based on what type of vehicle you drive, where you will be driving, and if you will be hauling any heavy loads.

Replacing the rear wiper blade is an important, although frequently overlooked, part of regular maintenance on a vehicle.   Typically only SUV's, vans, and minivans will have a rear wiper blade, because of the slope of the rear windshield.  Rain water and debris will typically not cascade properly off of this surface, so having a functioning rear wiper blade is important.

The past 2 days have been treacherous for me, due to all the freezing rain and snow we've received in the midwest.  Now, I always make sure that my front wipers are in top working condition, but blasted if I didnt' forget the rear wiper.  Although my rear defrost works like a charm, it couldn't keep up with the freezing rain and my rear wiper wasn't even good enough to wipe the snow away.

The predicament I was in could have easily been avoided, had I just remembered to routinely check and replace my rear wiper.  It's more important than you know, especially if ice is building up faster than your defrost can work.  It may be fine during just rain, but when snow and other things start building up you will appreciate that rear wiper a lot more.

Taking the maintenance of your car seriously will make your ride more secure and save you a huge amount of money.  However, what most drivers don't know is that sound car care habits of the past are not useless nowadays.

Technology evolves, and so present cars are different from cars of the past.  Manufacturers have thought about how our driving experience can be made easier and more secure. It is time to review these myths.

The first, almost unknown, myth is that you have to change the oil and oil filter of your car every 3,000 miles. Oil change is surely still necessary. Cars don't run a closed system in regard to oil.  However, modern technology have twofold ways of saving oil. First, modern motor parts fit better nowadays as they did in the past, so they run smoothly (literally) with less oil. The second point is that modern electronic like the OLS (Oil Life System) controls the quality of your oil and informs your when it's time for oil change.

A second maintenance need of the past is nowadays no more necessary: no new car needs a yearly radiator flush nowadays. Cooling systems are a closed system and coolant fluid circulates without losses. Modern coolants are synthetic and designed for keeping their chemical qualities for a long long time. The only important point is using the specific coolant recommended by your manufactured. Only if your radiator is dripping or you see some loss of fluid level, you will have to take your automobile to the nearest repair shop. By the way, take specially care if your motor is overheating. The best way of destroying a motor without an accident is through a failure of the cooling system.

A third point of your car that has improved with technology are the wheels. Wheel alignments were common in the past, but in new vehicles it is only seldom necessary. Often only when you feel that your car is pulling to the left or to the right. Another different issue is the tire pressure. Tires should be kept inflated according to the recommendations of their manufactured.

Furthermore, check specifically your vehicle's manual to keep your car tuned, but save on unnecessary and sometimes expensive services.

Winter Tires

Winter is the harshest season for your vehicle and the most dangerous for you as a driver. Your car will be exposed to snow, ice, rain, slush, freezing temperatures, and road salt.  On top of that, many of us will be driving thousands of miles over the Christmas holidays under unpredictable road conditions.

For your security, the single most important item is to use winter tires, (aka snow tires). No matter how carefully you drive, not using winter tires on snow, ice, or slush will increase your chance of spending some time in the car repair shop or worse.

Winter tires not only guarantee that you will be able to brake securely, but also that your car won't loose grip accelerating or driving around corners.

All-season tires (those marked 'M+S' or 'M&S') are appropriate under most conditions. Just remember that these tires stiffen and loose grip under extremely low temperatures. If you have to drive under those conditions, remember to keep a longer security distance from the vehicle in front of you. However, if you are security minded, just change your summer tires before the first snow has fallen. They are clearly a little bit cheaper than having two sets of tires (for winter and for summer). However, I doubt that it represent a true saving. All-season tires wear more than normal summer tires and have less grip than normal winter tires. And in the case of an accident, the saving is definitely gone.

Some SUV drivers make the mistake of thinking that since they have large wheels with wide tires, they don't need winter tires. Actually, only tires explicitly marked as winter tires (or all-season) are suitable for snow and ice. Otherwise, no matter how aggressive the profile of your tire may be, you will have to mount new tires on your vehicle. Winter tires are not only different in their profile, but also on the rubber they are made from.

And last but not least, don't try to save a couple of bucks putting winter tires only on the traction wheels. Your car need the same kind of tires on all its wheels. If you mix tires with different attributes, your car may exhibit an unpredictable braking pattern, even if you have the most advances security features like ESP (Electronic stability control).

Increase Gas Mileage

If you do a search for how to increase fuel mileage on a search engine you will find millions of results. As gas prices have went up over the years, people have been wanting to improve their cars fuel economy. Many did not know you could do much about increasing your fuel economy or what it takes so they just went out and bought a small car. By driving carefully and steady you can really increase your current vehicles fuel economy without having to upgrade to another car.

As people became desperate sellers decided to try and see how dumb people are. Sellers saw a large market with millions of dollars on the line and so they came up with all kinds of crazy things to "help" your fuel economy. This has been going on for many years now and it amazes me people actually think these things work. I am going to talk on a few of the top fuel economy improving scams so you will know what not to buy into.

Nitrogen in Tires:

Have you ever seen a cars tires with green caps on the air inlets on the tires? That means they had their tires filled with all nitrogen instead of just plain air and that they were scammed. Let me explain how this works. Advertisers say that filling your cars tires with nitrogen will help fuel economy because the tires deflate slower. The thing is air is 80% or so nitrogen by itself. Tests have been done and there may be just the slightest delay of the air leaking out of tires if you fill them with nitrogen. No where near enough to be worth the money they charge. The best thing you can do is to check the air pressure often.

Vortex Fuel savers in your airboxes:

This one has been going around for many years. It was advertised somehow that if you put in this little ring in your air box it would make the air swirl like a tornado and increase fuel economy by making the gas vapors and air mix better. It however does nothing but make fuel mileage drop as anything in the way of the air flow only slows the air down causing worse fuel mileage.

Magnetic fuel line devices

This device is supposed to give you up to 25% better fuel economy just by clipping on these magnets to your fuel line. In reality this does nothing for your car. Honestly what could it do to a liquid to make it burn better? The magnets are supposed to break up the molecules for a more even burn which just screams scam. Don't fall for it!

Fuel additives

People think and swear that they get better fuel mileage if they ad things like Acetone to their fuel. It is proven otherwise and in most cases it physically impossible for them to work like they claim they will. In some cases they can help for older cars with carburetors on them but not so much for new cars with Electronic Fuel Injection.  Acetone actually cleans carburetors and such out so if you have a increase in fuel economy its because it did its job. After you have added it there will be no need to keep on doing it as it wont help.

Don't fall for those scams. Always read reviews of stuff before you buy them online. If you have any of these in or on your car be sure and remove them.

This has been a debate for so many years.  Does running your Air conditioner eat more fuel than just rolling your windows down? We now know the facts though!This has been tested by lots of people over the years and many come up with the same results.

After many tests they came up with these results. Running your air conditioner at speeds above 60 miles per hour will give you a greater miles per gallon than having your windows rolled down. This is because the drag of the wind coming in your car would be greater than the amount of power it takes to just run the air conditioners unit. When moving air puts up its own force which is quite strong. You can get a idea of this by puting your hand out of the window while riding. You can feel the pressure on your hand and arm and if you let your arm go limp it will float around or bend back. You car is feeling that wind resistance the whole time its driving and the higher the speed you are traveling at the more wind resistance you will get.

With speeds 60 miles per hour or under the wind resistance is not as strong and you would save fuel by having your windows open. You won't be saving much either way so really its up to you. If its really hot and you want to turn on your Air Conditioner then do so.

There is also one more point I want to make. On short trips if you can stand it do not use the air conditioner. It will not have much effect on the temperature of the air inside the car because it cannot cool that fast. It will however use just as much fuel as it ever does.

Either way you do it running the air conditioner won't change the fuel mileage much. It will affect cars with smaller motors more than say a big truck. On smaller cars it may be 3 or 4 miles per gallon that you will lose by running the air conditioner. On a long trip this can ad up or over time. Its just according to how much money you have for gas if you really need to debate this. About every 300 miles or so you would save $3-4 bucks.

Gas is expensive now days so saving any can add up at the end of the week. I hope this clears up some questions you may have had about running your cars air conditioner.