At Tire Engineers, we want our customers to be in the know. We want you to understand why and how your tires wear, how to get the best gas mileage, and how to get the most out of your tires. Hopefully with these helpful tips you will be able to improve gas mileage, reduce tire tread, and understand when and why your car needs to be serviced.

Car Maintenance and Care:

1. Change your fluids on time, every time.
2. Change your oil every 3,000 miles for regular, 5,000 miles for synthetic oil.
3. Change antifreeze fluid every 30,000 miles.
4. Change brake fluid every 30,000 miles.
5. Change transmission fluid every 30,000 miles.
6. Schedule maintenance checks every 15, 30, 60, and 90,000 miles.
7. Replace your air filter every 12 months or 12,000 miles or whenever its gets dirty, whichever comes first.
8.Replace your fuel filter every 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Tire Maintenance and Care:

1. Rotate your tires every 5,000 miles or every 6 months.
2. Check your tire pressures approximately once a month. Low tire pressures can affect fuel economy, handling and comfort. To accurately measure your tire pressure, check tires when they are cold. Wait at least three hours after driving.
3. Always make sure that your wheels are properly aligned. Badly aligned wheels will lead to dragging of the car on the road.
4. Check your spare tire each month and keep it properly inflated so it¹s ready to go when you need it most.
5. Use the penny trick to determine if the tread on your tires is worn to low. Take a penny and put Abraham Lincoln’s head into one of the grooves of the tread. If part of his head is covered by the tread, you’re ok. If you can see all of his head, it’s time to replace the tire. When the tread is worn down to 1/16 of an inch, tires must be replaced.

Gas Mileage Tips:

1. Keep your Tires Properly inflated
2. Check and/or change your air filter every 6 months to improve fuel economy and keep your engine running smoothly.
3. Don’t top off. Don’t bother topping off when filling your car’s gas tank. Any additional gas is just going to slop around or seep out.
4. Tighten up that gas cap. Gas will evaporate from your car’s gas tank if it has an escape. Loose, missing or damaged gas caps cause 147 million gallons of gas to evaporate each year.
5. Go for the shade. The hot summer sun that makes the inside of your car feel like a sauna also evaporates fuel from your gas tank.
6. Use the right oil. You can improve your car’s gas mileage by 1 percent to 2 percent by using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil.
7. And most importantly: Use the right tires on your car. A cheap tire with high rolling resistance can lose 4-6% in fuel mileage. Always check for potential problems before they happen.

Benefits of Lube, Oil & Filter Change

 

Over time, as oil becomes saturated with contaminants, excess particles are left behind in the engine, where they can form deposits and cause significant wear to the engine. Oversaturated oil loses its lubrication, which will eventually lead to an overworking engine, excess heat, and engine failure. Excessive heat can also lead to thermal breakdown in your engine oil, causing a change in the oil’s viscosity, and resulting in decreased oil flow. Similarly, dirty oil flows more slowly, causing the engine to work harder, leading to increased engine wear. Our service staff will inspect the oil filter during each oil change, and replace the oil filter in order to keep your oil clean from contaminants. Routine lube and oil changes will keep your engine running stronger and running longer. Contact us online or call us today regarding your next lube, oil, and filter change.

Benefits of Wheel Alignment

A wheel alignment will keep your vehicle running safely and efficiently by promoting reduced tire wear, better gas mileage, and safer driving conditions. Wheels out of alignment will contribute to uneven tire wear. Uneven tread wear can be felt in a vehicle pulling to the right or left while in motion. Left untreated, wheel alignment issues have the potential to turn into steering and suspension issues, since driving with wheels out of alignment not only puts stress on your tires but also on suspension components. If your vehicle begins pulling to the right or left while driving, or if you feel a vibration in the steering wheel at higher speeds, contact us today for a wheel alignment service. Whether you are interested in a front wheel alignment, a rear wheel alignment, or a four wheel alignment, our experts will return your vehicle’s alignment to factory specifications.

Benefits of Belts & Hoses

When compared to other components in your car, belts and hoses have one of the shortest life spans. These items are constantly exposed to engine heat, vehicle vibrations, and harmful chemicals, which all have the potential to cause cracks and leaks. Some symptoms to be aware of for belts and hoses nearing failure include squeaking, screeching, or grinding noises that begin when starting your engine or appear during vehicle operation. It's worth noting that grinding sounds near belts are usually associated with a bad pulley bearing rather than the belt itself, as the pulley bearing may freeze up and ultimately lead to a belt replacement. Other symptoms of a bad belt or hose include loss of power, leaking coolant or other fluids, illuminated dashboard lights, rising steam from the engine, and air conditioning failure. While routine maintenance of belts and hoses is always important, summertime is an especially important season to keep an eye under the hood due to increased temperatures, which will accelerate deterioration of the rubber components. Since belts and hoses can be difficult to inspect visually, be sure to follow your manufacturer’s recommendations for scheduled maintenance.

More From NewsTalk 940 AM