If you are planning on doing the oil change process for your car yourself, then there are a few things you must know. Mistakes can prove to be a costly affair, especially if your car engine gets damaged. Here are a few common oil change mistakes that people tend to make and what you need to do to avoid them. Using the wrong oil One of the main functions of engine oil is to keep the meal parts of the engine lubricated, thus reducing to its wear and tear. It’s role doesn’t end there. Oil also provides hydraulic pressure to your car’s engine parts required for the smooth running of your car. Using the wrong oil can create issues with these hydraulic components contribution to engine damage. While buying the right oil, you need to ensure that its viscosity (weight of the oil) is suitable for the engine. You’ll have to choose between thick, thin synthetic or conventional oils. The best way to go about this is to consult the car’s owner manual to ensure you are picking the right grade oil. Losing track of oil changes Most people forget to keep track of the number of miles driven or the number of months since the last oil change.

Being aware of roadside assistance and policies related to it is important. You may not be aware that certain policies cover families too. It is always useful hence, to understand benefits of various assistance available and the policies one could benefit from so that you are prepared in case of an emergency. Here are some breakdown covers that any vehicle owner should know about. AA Breakdown Cover AA (Automobile Association) is a British motoring association found in 1905, which provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans, motoring advice, roadmaps and other services. Later the association was demutualized and became a private limited company in 2002. AA breakdown covers up to 4 vehicles in a single policy and up to 5 claims a year. There is no minimum or maximum age limit for vehicles under this policy. Vehicles can be added at any point in the membership year, but each subject to a 14-day claim exclusion period from the date they are added to the policy. Only vehicles specifically nominated under this policy will be covered. RAC Breakdown Cover RAC is UK’s most progressive motoring organizations. They assist both private and business motorists and they are believed to have advanced computer systems to deal with roadside assistance calls.

We use our cars nearly every day for various things. Right from school runs to trips to the grocery store, and picking up laundry, our car has been a trusty companion. It would be very difficult indeed to function without our car for even a day. It is important that we take good care of them. Just like the human body, a car too needs food (fuel), hygiene (regular cleaning), and regular check-ups (visits to the mechanic) and water or lubrication. Lack of lubrication can cause car trouble. What is Lubrication? Lubrication is something that keeps your car limber, just like intake of water and oil does for your bones and joints. Friction overtime, can prove to be harmful for the engine. Therefore, a good quality lubricant is essential to keep your car running in optimum condition. Lubricants help reduce friction in your car’s engine and keeps it running smoothly. Look out for oil change coupons to save big on them. The Different Types of Lubrication There are different types of lubricants that are used for different parts of your car. There are different qualities of lubricants too. You don’t want to settle for a cheap quality lubricant and compromise on the health of your car.

While we all buy motor oil for our car, we should really know which one to pick after thoroughly researching what’s best for the car. It’s not just the brand and the viscosity grade that we want, we should really be looking for what’s known as the API (American Petroleum Institute) donut symbol. This article examines the various factors that need to be assessed while picking out the motor oil for your car: Certified Oil It is a certificate provided by the American Petroleum Institute for testing the oil to meet the standards of API. You will find the symbol on every container of reputable motor oil. For diesel engine you will find a ”C” for the compression and commercials. So, the API donut symbol may be on the front of the bottle of oil or at the back. But what it tells us is few different things. First and foremost, in the middle of the symbol you will see the viscosity rates (5W-20 or 5W-30). Viscosity is very important. We have to make buy the correct viscosity grade not only to protect our engine but to make sure it can handle the climate outside that the car is operating in.

Every car owner would wonder when to change the engine oil. The best thing to be done is to consult your owner’s manual. Most of them suggest for an oil change after 4000 miles and as your car gets older it’s better to drop down to 3000 miles, it again depends on what car you use. Most of the recently designed cars comes up with more millage without wanting for major repairs. If your car is brand new, then make sure you give it for first service within 3 months or when you cover almost 4000 miles. They would probably provide a free service including the change of engine oil. Changing of engine oil differs accordingly to the conditions it’s been used. The type of engine oil you use plays the major role. It is advisable to use a good quality oil to get longer run time. Cheaper oil gets dirty at the earliest causing damage to the internal parts. • Typical condition: According to the Ford Motor Company, drivers with typical driving habits who own 2008 and newer models should change their engine oil every 4500 miles or every 6 months, whichever comes first. • Less typical condition: Drivers with less typical conditions includes frequent off road driving or driving in dusty conditions, towing or carrying heavy loads, excessive idling or driving at low speeds for long distances should change engine oil every 3000 miles or six months for vehicles 2008 and newer, and every 1500 miles or three months for 2007 model and older.

The best automotive service stations are classified based on many features like certification, warranties, specialty and location. You should be careful in choosing the right service station to give your vehicle for repair. Many service mechanics may overcharge you for repairs. The quality of services greatly differs from the best automotive service shops and the uncertified shops. You should make sure that the shop is certified by AAA motor club, all the members of AAA are provided with guarantee of service and also certified by the independent non-profit organization ASE that certifies professional service industry. STS tires and auto center: STS tires and auto center is a section of Mavis Discount Tire Group which has more than 50 years of experience. They started off by repairing bicycles and later grew into a well established and equipped in the business of motor repairs. They sell mount tires and provide services for brakes, mufflers & exhaust, wheel alignment, shocks, struts, suspension and more. Brake Masters: They provide a complete automotive service check on almost all vehicles. They were the first brake specialty repair shop founded in the automotive industry. Brake masters supply with a power packed service repairs which includes brakes, oil change, air conditioning, engine diagnostics, belt and hoses replacement and with lifetime service and more at one stop.

Sleek aerodynamic designs, powerful engines, luxurious interiors, and numerous state-of-the-art technological features at our fingertips – all these seem important for someone looking to buy a car. Amidst all this, it is passenger safety that is top priority for car manufacturers. Millions of dollars is invested by them each year to provide a host of ultra hi-tech safety features to help detect, prevent and protect passengers from dangerous situations on the road. Based on the evaluations of experts at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), here are a few names from the bigger list of Safest Cars of the year 2017: Chevrolet Volt Mazda 3 Volkswagen Jetta Audi A4 Lexus RC Toyota RAV4 Honda Pilot Acura MDX Mercedes- Benz GLE- Class Chrysler Pacifica Honda Ridgeline Categorizing the cars according to their class and further, by their size, all vehicles that compete for the safe rating award from IIHS and the NHTSA, are put through five preliminary group of tests in order to make it to the first level of the safe list. The moderate overlap frontal test, is where the car is run into a wall that, on impact, covers 40% of the front of the car.

The engine is an integral part of a car and impacts the working of the vehicle to a very great extent. Secured under the hood of the car, the engine is a gigantic jumble of components include tubes, metals, and wires. The working together of these parts efficiently renders as an energy booster of the car. There are several features that make one engine different from another. Likewise, several factors affect the working of the car engine, and this can leave you disappointed with the performance of your vehicle.  Thus, it is necessary to undertake certain functions that would contribute towards the long and healthy life of your car’s engine. Use synthetic lubricants – Synthetic lubricants are credited for reducing the friction in the engine and thereby, increasing its lifespan. While conventional motor oils help, synthetic lubricants are found to have a better effect on the different moving parts of the car engine. Also, most synthetic lubricants are excellent weather protectors and do not let the rise or drop in temperature affect the engine’s performance. Increased compression – The horsepower can be productively increased with an increased compression. This is one of the most widely used ways to increase the power of the engine.

Finding the right service center to get repairs or services done on your car can be a lengthy process. Once you’ve done that, you need to start thinking of getting your car regularly serviced. When you think about regularly servicing your car, the thought of spending a good amount of valuable money every time is enough to put one off of buying a car altogether, since regularly servicing your vehicle shouldn’t burn a hole in your pocket. Don’t’ worry there are ways to find great service coupons. Groupon: Groupon is a hugely popular internet coupon service company which usually has coupons for everything, right from dining out and spas to online shopping and even automobile and car services. When you are close to the date of giving your car for servicing or for oil change, look for different coupons on Groupon. There might be certain offers on certain oil or tire brands. At times, the service centers and the garages too have coupons that you can club with these brand service coupons and end up saving a lot of money. The Sunday Paper : The Sunday paper usually has a lot of coupons on a lot of things including shopping for automobile accessories to car service coupons.

If your vehicle is suffering from an alignment problem, then the issue is with the wheels. It just takes a matter of seconds to knock out your vehicle’s alignment like smacking over a pothole, curbs and even usual wear and tear in It is very simple to find when your car is out of alignment. You could feel that your car is pulling off to one side while driving on a smooth straight road your car veers to the right or left when you are not turning the steering wheel. All of this may cause wastage of gas, wearing out your tires and possibly increasing chances of unplanned emergency. Listed below are the basics about the three different types of wheel alignment: Front end alignment: This is the most common alignment problem the wheels of the front axle are aligned equally towards the centerline of rear solid axle as the rear wheels are always aligned correctly to the center of the car. This alignment problem varies depending on the type of car you drive. Front end alignment can also be called as ”toe-in” or ”toe-out” alignment. It is toe in when the wheels are pointing towards the inside and toe out for outside.