Automotive News & Information - Tom Quirk Automotive

How important is wheel alignment?

Think of it this way: Research indicates that the average vehicle is driven about 12,000 miles per year. A car with a toe angle misadjustment of 0.34 degrees (only 0.17 inches) out of specification will drag the tires sideways for more than 68 miles by the end of the year!

Brakes are pretty much the most important safety device on your car. If you’ve ever partially lost your brakes in the past, you’ll agree that it’s not something you want to experience again. Inspecting your brakes twice a year for wear and damage can protect you and your passengers. Additionally, it will also help save you money by catching any damage before it becomes too costly.

How often should I rotate my tires?
Your tires should be rotated every other oil change, or every 6000 miles. Neglecting to rotate tires is a major cause of premature tire wear.

Is it really necessary to replace my timing belt at the manufacturer recommended interval?
YES. The failure of a timing belt in many cars can result in major engine damage. The cost of repairing an engine with a broken timing belt is much greater than the cost of a timing belt replacement.

It’s said that 90 percent of our driving decisions are based on visual information. Our automotive wiper blades play an important role in this. Most drivers know that a dirty or streaked windshield can catch the glare of the sun or on-coming headlights and make it nearly impossible to see.

Most busy car owners deal with their wiper blades from a failure perspective. They address them when they no longer function. Instead, drivers should think about wipers blades as an important safety system that they should maintain, rather than repair

The US government has a website dedicated to helping us to use less fuel. It presents the cost savings in a way drivers can relate to, no matter what kind of vehicle we drive. Here’s an example:

Having your engine properly tuned can save up to 4%. If you’re paying three-fifty for a gallon of gas, you could save fourteen cents a gallon.

In today’s auto care blog, we are focusing on battery maintenance. Eventually your car battery will fail and you will need to replace it. In fact, 70% don’t even make it four years. There are some things car owners can do, however, to make their battery last a little longer.

It’s all about the flow of electrical power. When you start your vehicle, the battery uses power to get your engine cranking. As your engine runs, your alternator generates electricity to run all your electrical systems: like lights, a half dozen computers, anti-lock brake system, traction control, power windows, electronic fuel injectors, stability control, air conditioning, transmission servos – the list goes on. Any leftover electricity goes to recharge your sedan battery. Then you turn on your radio and seat heaters; maybe plug in your cell phone and computer; the kids watch a DVD and pretty soon there isn’t much extra electricity to go back into the battery.

It’s easy for auto owners to take power steering for granted – you spin the steering wheel and your car turns. But behind the scenes your power steering is making it easy. The vast majority of vehicles on the road today have hydraulic power steering systems, which means that pressurized fluid is used to help you do the work of steering. A pump pressurizes the power steering fluid to provide the boost you need. In some auto owners’ vehicles the pump is driven by the serpentine belt, in other there’s an electric pump.

All of us have those days when we’ve got a bunch of errands to run. Suppose on your day off you need to get gas, pick up some groceries, swing by your ATM and get the kids from school. Now you could make four trips, but that would be a waste of time and money – totally inefficient. Instead you get organized and hit the ATM first and get some gas next. Then you go to the supermarket and pick up the kids on the way home. Way better use of your time.