What To Consistently Check Up On

1. ENGINE COOLANT AND ANTIFREEZE
How Often: Check twice yearly, once before summer and again before winter; change if coolant has brown tint or rust bits.
Pay Now: Free to check; up to $5 to top off with correct mix of water and coolant or antifreeze. If you don’t use the right coolant for your car, you could damage your engine.
Or Pay Later: Without coolant, you can damage the water pump ($50 to $100) and possibly your engine.

2. OIL
How Often: Check monthly; change every 3,000 to 6,000 miles
Pay Now: Free to check; $20 to change yourself (oil, disposal fees); $20 to $40 at a shop.
Or Pay Later: Not changing the oil can void your warranty. Increased wear will shorten the engine’s life span. Rebuilt engines cost $1,000 to $3,000, plus labor, depending on the car.

3. AIR FILTER
How Often: Check monthly; change when less than 50 percent of the filter lets light through when held up to a 100-watt bulb.
Pay Now: Free to check; $15 to $50 to change yourself; add another $20 or so for someone else to change it for you.
Or Pay Later: 10% increase in fuel consumption; if gas costs $3 per gallon and your car holds 20 gallons, you’re wasting $6 with each fill-up–$156 a year, if you fill up every two weeks.

4. TRANSMISSION FLUID AND FILTER
How Often: Check monthly; change every three years or 36,000 miles.
Pay Now: Free to check; a few dollars to top it off; $30 to change it yourself; $40 to $80 to for someone else to do it.
Or Pay Later: Dirty or low fluid can cause problems with shifting and transmission failure. Transmissions cost $1,000 to $2,000, plus labor, to repair or rebuild.

5. BRAKE FLUID
How Often: Check each oil change; change every two years or as needed if your brakes feel soft.
Pay Now: Free to check; $3 to $20 a quart, depending on the fluid; $65 to $165 for a mechanic to change the brake fluid.
Or Pay Later: $60 or more to replace pads; $25,000 or more, depending on your car’s year, make, and model, for a complete brake job. Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time, reducing the brakes’ effectiveness, which can lead to accidents.

6. TIRE TREAD
How Often: Check monthly; buy new tires when you see all of Lincoln’s head on a penny stuck headfirst in a tread.
Pay Now: One penny to check; $40 to $200 per tire to replace, plus labor.
Or Pay Later: As much as $25,000 or more for a new car if you wreck due to a tire blowing.

7. TIRES FOR PROPER INFLATION
How Often: Ideally once a week, but at least monthly; inflate as needed.
Pay Now: Free to check; 25 to 50 cents to inflate.
Or Pay Later: $40 to $200 per tire, plus labor, to replace improperly worn tires

If fuel is warm when it’s delivered to a station, it’ll still be warm when it’s sold a few hours later.

Some people say it’s better to buy your gasoline first thing in the morning, rather than in the heat of the day. That’s because gasoline, like all liquids, expands when heated. The basic facts are correct, but the advice is not. Gasoline does expand and contract a little depending on its temperature. When gasoline rises from 60 to 75 degrees F, for instance, it increases in volume by 1% while the energy content remains the same.

Filling stations typically store their gasoline in underground tanks, where the temperature variation during the day is much less than in the air above. The result is that the temperature of the gasoline coming out of the fuel nozzle varies very little, if at all, during any 24-hour stretch at any particular station.

A 15-degree difference, for example, would result in a one-percent gain in volume. Or, just a few cents difference on the first gallons pumped — not enough to change your schedule or routine in chasing costs, especially if it might increase your fuel consumption in the pursuit.

With gasoline prices hitting record highs almost daily, you might be wondering if you can get away with filling up your expensive car with regular instead of the expensive premium gas your manufacturer recommends. The answer: Regular’s fine in most cases, but it’s best to check your owner’s manual.

There are three basic provisos for gasoline usage in owner’s manuals: when only regular gas is required, when premium is “recommended” and when premium gas is “required.” Only in the third instance will deviating from the manufacturer’s requirements potentially harm your car.

If premium gas is required, those cars are designed to run only on premium and could possibly be damaged if you use regular over a prolonged period. Cars that require premium gas are typically made by luxury brands like BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, VW and Audi, and some Acuras are also on that list.

Another effective way to save on gas is to drive like your grandmother. That means gentle acceleration, gradual braking and avoiding hard stops. Accelerating too quickly can mean you have to brake harder and that can waste gas.

According to a recent study by the California Integrated Waste Management Board, 73% of California drivers change their oil more frequently than required. This same scenario no doubt repeats itself across the country. Besides wasting money, this translates into unnecessary consumption of $100-a-barrel oil, much of it imported.

It’s been a misconception for years that engine oil should be changed every 3000 miles, even though most auto manufacturers now recommend oil changes at 5,000, 7,000, or even 10,000 mile intervals under normal driving conditions.

For several years, automakers like General Motors, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have installed computerized systems that alert drivers via an instrument panel light when it’s time to change oil. Greatly improved oils, including synthetic oils, coupled with better engines mean longer spans between oil changes without harming an engine. The 3000 mile interval is a carryover from days when engines used single-grade, non-detergent oils. So no need to change every 3,000 miles for modern cars.

Do You Have One In Your Car?

A roadside emergency can happen at any time, whether your car is new or old. Being prepared with a basic emergency kit can increase your safety, reduce stress, and help you get back on the road faster. Even if you have roadside-assistance coverage or an automobile-club membership with roadside assistance, you usually need access to a phone in order to contact them and you may have to wait on the side of the road for an hour or more before help arrives. That’s its recommended that drivers carry certain items in their vehicle, even if it only gets used for everyday, around-town driving.

1. First-Aid Kit. Choose one that allows you to treat a range of problems, from small cuts or burns to ones that require major bandaging.

2. Fire Extinguisher. A car fire can start from something as simple as a wiring short circuit or leaking oil. You should get away from a vehicle that’s on fire as quickly as possible. Still, for extra security it’s good to keep a fire extinguisher in the car that can be used in any emergency or to quickly douse a small flame that’s just begun. Carry a compact unit that’s labeled 1A10BC or 2A10BC.

3. Warning Light, Hazard Triangle, or Flares. Look for a battery-powered warning light that can be placed far from the vehicle. Reflective hazard triangles and flares are also effective and don’t need batteries.

4. Tire Gauge. This should be used on a monthly basis to check the inflation pressure in all four tires and the spare tire.

5. Foam Tire Sealant or a Portable Compressor and Plug Kit. For minor punctures, a foam tire sealant can get your vehicle back on the road quickly. Only use it in an emergency, however, many tire shops will refuse to repair the tire because of the sticky residue these sealants leave inside it. Be sure to choose a sealant that’s labeled as non-flammable, and don’t consider this a permanent fix.

6. Jumper Cables or a Portable Battery Booster. Jumper cables are easy to use as long as you have a second car available to provide a jump.

7. Flashlight. This can be critical at night. Choose one that is bright and weatherproof. In addition, a flashlight with a magnet, flexible mounting system, or a stand will free up your hands for other tasks.

For other important items to carry in your car at all times, click here.

Question: Do you know if an engine replacement devalues a car? Does this show up on carfax?

Queen of the Road: Hello there.  If the car has aged and has a heavy number of miles, it is practical to replace the engine. However, if the car is fairly new and you replace the engine, it won’t help you sell. It’s likely to show up on Carfax if you replace the engine at a dealer or a franchise mechanics shop that reports it to carfax. Small time mechanics don’t report to carfax. So if you replace the engine with a family-owned or smaller repair shop, it may not pull up on the carfax report.

Got a parking issue with your car collection?

If you’re regular garage is already full, what’s to be done? Usually cars end up in storage garages or in public parking facilities, but the idea of a sitting investment like that in a corner somewhere under a tarp collecting dust is hardly ideal. As the market for human housing falters, developers around the country are pushing ahead with plans to build homes for four-wheeled investments. The projects are being marketed as part-garage, part-home away from home, part-clubhouse for car nuts.It’s basically a beautiful, clean condo for your vehicle(s) to live in complete with bathroom, wet bar, 24 hour security, and maybe even a private rooftop club for socializing with your car-minded condo neighbors.

Basically Everything On This Sign

Chrysler LLC said Friday it will recall an estimated 296,550 vehicles to reprogram the electronic-control unit to eliminate the potential for a momentary delay in braking when coasting up a hill. The company said the affected vehicles include: 156,796 model-year 2006-2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Commander SUVs; 90,383 model year 2007 Jeep Wrangler SUVs; and 49,371 model year 2007 Dodge Nitro SUVs.

In addition, Chrysler will also recall about 72,333 model year 2008 Dodge Avenger sedans and Chrysler Sebring convertibles to ensure proper function of driver and passenger front door latches and locks. The company said no accidents or injuries have been reported and owners will be notified in October. Make sure everyone you know who bought one of these is notified.

The Problem With “Expert Service”

A few years ago, an economics graduate student named Henry Schneider drove his dad’s old Subaru station wagon up to Montreal. He had heard about a Canadian consumer interest group that had done undercover investigations of auto-repair shops, and he wanted to try a more academic version of its experiment. He handed the Subaru over to the mechanics working for the group, the Automobile Protection Association, for a complete inspection. They found that it had a small hole in its exhaust pipe, a blown taillight and several other relatively minor problems. Mr. Schneider took careful notes. But he also did something that no ordinary car owner would do. He asked the mechanics to show him how to mess up the car in a couple of serious but obvious ways.

They taught him how to loosen the battery cable (which can prevent a car from starting) and how to suck out coolant (which can leave an engine vulnerable to overheating). Armed with this knowledge, Mr. Schneider drove home to Connecticut and undertook a devilish little test. Schneider is trying to answer a question that has occurred to pretty much all drivers who have ever been given the unsettling news that a car needs more repairs than they had expected: Does it really? Or is the garage just looking to make some extra money off me?

Over the next few months, he took the Subaru to 40 garages, loosening the battery cable and draining some coolant before each visit and telling the same story, “We bought the car recently, and we should have had it looked at before we bought it, but we didn’t. It hasn’t started a few times. Can you check that out?” He also asked for a thorough inspection.

In most of cases, consumers aren’t sophisticated enough to make an independent judgment. That’s why they went to the expert.  Economists sometimes refer to this situation as an “expert service problem,” because the same expert who is diagnosing the flaw is the one who will be paid to fix it. Anytime you call a plumber or roofer to your home or anytime you visit a doctor or dentist, you’re at risk of having an expert service problem.

Schneider’s results:  Only 27 of the 40 garages did mechanics tell Mr. Schneider that he had a disconnected battery cable, the very problem to which he had pointed them by saying his car didn’t always start. Only 11 mentioned the low coolant, a problem that can ruin a car’s engine. 10 of the garages, meanwhile, recommended costly repairs that were plainly unnecessary, like replacing the starter motor or the battery. In all, only about 20% of the garages deserved a passing grade.

The Big Question:  How can you be sure you’re not getting swindled?  For an expensive repair, a second opinion makes sense, but it will be hard to know which garage to believe. Schneider noticed no performance difference between garages that talked him through what they found and less forthcoming garages. Until some savvy entrepreneur starts a garage-rating business, the best solution may be the oldest one: asking for a recommendation from someone who is knowledgeable enough to distinguish between good service and bad.

Signs That It’s Time To Start Shopping For A New Car

We know some of you would love to buy a new car every year. Others want to drive the same car forever. No matter how well your car has served you, there will come a day when it’s time to let it go. It might be that your car is spending more time in the shop than on the road, or that it is no longer safe. Here are signs that could mean it’s time to say goodbye:

1. It needs repairs costing more than its value.
2. The vehicle’s structural integrity is threatened by a badly rusted floor pan or sills.
3. Despite repairs, the car remains unreliable, and it seems likely you could be left stranded.
4. It has been in a flood or serious accident.