"Current" Affairs (Blown Fuses)
June 30, 2025
You may be driving along and find that suddenly your radio stops working. There are no numbers on the display. Then when you get home, you notice the garage door opener doesn't do a thing when you press the button. Hmm, this was working just fine this morning. Are the two problems somehow rela... More
Distracted Driving
June 23, 2025
When asked, most people think they are good at multi-tasking. Scientific studies, however, reveal that only around 2% of the population can truly demonstrate the capacity to effectively multi-task. For the rest of us who are not so biologically wired, no amount of practice can increase our effect... More
Passing the Test (How to Prevent Emissions Test Failure)
June 16, 2025
Vehicle emission testing has become ubiquitous in North America and for a good reason. Clean air quality is important for the environment and all of us. Since vehicle emissions are among the main causes of air pollution, emission testing can alert you to problems in your vehicle than can be fix... More
To Fix or Not To Fix: That Is the Question.
June 9, 2025
No matter what vehicle you drive, when certain things break, you have to make a decision. Should I get it fixed now, later or never? Air conditioning is one of those things. You can certainly live without air conditioning, but it sure is nice to have on a sweltering day. Let's say your air con... More
It's (Not) Complicated (Engine Air Filter)
June 2, 2025
While many components of your vehicle are complex and composed of lots of mechanical and electrical parts, there's one that isn't complicated but still important. It's your engine air filter. (And, we should point out, the engine air filter isn't to be confused with the cabin air filter. The ca... More
Bad Vibes (Disc brake rotor problems)
May 26, 2025
If you were to name the most important safety feature on your vehicle right now, what would your answer be? A lot of driving experts would agree that its your brakes. Most newer vehicles use a well-engineered and efficient style of brakes called disc brakes. The name disc brakes comes from one ... More
The Truth about Tire Pressure (Tire Inflation)
May 18, 2025
Most light vehicles (under 10,000 pounds/4,500 kg) in North America sold from 2008 model year on have a feature that many people are confused about. It's the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). You may have some experience with it yourself if you own a newer vehicle. Vehicles with TPMS hav... More
Follow the Bouncing Vehicle (Bad Struts and Shocks)
May 11, 2025
If you hit a bump in the road and your vehicle just keeps bouncing up and down for a lot longer time than it used to, you may have bad struts and shocks. They're the things that help to keep your vehicle's wheels and tires planted to the road surface. But they don't last forever. With care and ... More
Low Power Mystery (Ignition Coil Service)
May 4, 2025
It's no fun when your vehicle just doesn't run the way it used to. You may notice (especially in cold weather) the engine won't start easily or when it does start, it doesn't run smoothly. It may not have much power at all. You also may have had to stop at the gas station more often, a sign you... More
Oil Times are a-Changin' (Oil Change Synthetic)
April 27, 2025
When it comes to oil changes, things are really changing. Most newer vehicles require synthetic oil, and while it costs more than conventional oil, it doesn't need to be changed as often. When conventional oil was the only game in town, you changed your oil every 3,000 miles/5,000 km. But as tec... More