Car Care News Service

Your car doesn’t want flowers, or balloons, or even candy this Valentine’s Day – it just wants a little love in the form of an oil change, tune-up and basic service. There’s no debating the value of preventive maintenance to keep your car running well – not to mention getting you safely to your hot Valentine’s Day date – according to the Car Care Council. This Valentine’s Day, treat your car to regular care and take the following preventive maintenance steps:

• Change the oil and filter every 3,000 miles or three months, or per the owner’s manual. Periodic oil and filter changes keep your engine clean on the inside.
• Check the tire pressure at least monthly, including the spare. Your car’s tires affect its ride, handling, traction and safety.
• Schedule a tune-up annually to optimize your car’s performance. A well-tuned engine delivers the best balance of power and fuel economy and produces the lowest level of emissions.
• Have the alignment checked at least annually. Potholes and other road conditions, as well as normal wear, can take their toll on your car’s steering and suspension. A wheel alignment reduces tire wear, improves fuel economy and handling, and increases driving enjoyment and safety.
• Inspect the windshield wipers and lights on the car. Lights and wipers play a major role in safe driving, and they are normal wear items that need periodic replacement.

“These preventive maintenance steps will help ensure the reliability and safety of your car, and they’ll also help improve gas mileage,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council.   

The Car Care Council is the source of information for the “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign promoting the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair to consumers. For a copy of the council’s Car Care Guide or for more information, visit www.carcare.org.

Consumers’ chronic pain at the pump is returning with gas prices 67 percent higher than a year ago and probably heading back toward $3 a gallon soon. To help alleviate the pain, the Car Care Council offers some simple and inexpensive vehicle maintenance tips.

“You can’t control the price of gas, but you can control how much gas you burn by performing proper maintenance and how you drive. Performing simple and inexpensive maintenance can save as much as $1,200 per year in gas costs,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council.

The Car Care Council offers these gas-saving maintenance tips:

• Keep your car properly tuned to improve gas mileage by an average of 4 percent.
• Keep tires properly inflated and improve gas mileage by 3 percent.
• Replace dirty or clogged air filters and improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent.
• Replace dirty spark plugs, which can reduce mileage by two miles per gallon.
• Change oil regularly and gain another mile per gallon.

Driving behavior also impacts fuel efficiency. The council offers these gas saving driving tips:

• Observe the speed limit. Gas mileage decreases rapidly above 60 mph.
• Avoid excessive idling. Idling gets zero miles per gallon. Warming up the vehicle for one or two minutes is sufficient.
• Avoid quick starts and stops. Aggressive driving can lower gas mileage by 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent in the city.
• Consolidate trips. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much gas as one longer multi-purpose trip.
• Don’t haul unneeded items in the trunk. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk reduces fuel economy by 1 to 2 percent.

For more informative content created for motorists who care about cleaner air, safer highways, peak performance, reduced operating cost, and a satisfying automotive experience, visit www.carcarenewsservice.org

Vehicle braking systems have finally received the attention that they have needed for many years. Modern technology has delivered a solution for vehicles that will keep their wheels shining and brake noise to a whisper, while still allowing drivers to experience the performance they expect. Motorists can now start their weekends with a quiet ride around town instead of a morning of scrubbing brake dust off their wheels.

“Ceramic brakes keep the wheels clean. Motorists are spending a lot of money on wheels; they don’t want dirt and noise – they want clean and quiet.”  reports Ken Selinger, product development manager at Akebono Corporation. “Today, brake pad formulations with ceramics are also the most capable friction material for controlling NVH (noise, vibration and harshness),”

Today’s brakes are about more than just pure stopping power. Braking noise, vibration and harshness, as well as brake dusting, are major concerns for all motorists. This situation has been exacerbated by consumer demand for more responsive, performance-orientated steering systems, which result in the driver feeling any vibration in braking much faster than before.

Ceramic Friction Technology
Global automakers have recognized that ceramic friction formulated brakes are the best option for smooth, assured, quiet braking under a variety of driving conditions. The Akebono Corporation has played a major role in the development and refinement of ceramic brake pad technology. Their 25 years of development has resulted in ceramic brakes that deliver increased performance advantages over traditional semi-metallic and other formulations.

Ceramic friction material technology was first embraced by automakers in the 1990s. Today, it is featured on a significant number of new vehicle models, as well as a broad spectrum of aftermarket replacement applications.

A Feet Solution
Ceramic brake pad material technology has also been developed for the massive fleet market. These advanced design, severe-duty brake pads lower fleet operating costs per mile and improve vehicle safety and control.

“Police, taxi, municipal and federal government, commercial, limousine, and other fleet operators are constantly searching for repair and maintenance alternatives that will perform well, extend service intervals, cut costs, and reduce downtime,” explains Randy Mordue, director of aftermarket sales and marketing for Akebono. “Typically with fleets you will see higher vehicle weight and loads that require more durable material, with ceramic brake technology the fleet can be operated at a lower cost.

Put to the Test
Akebono was the first company to offer viable solutions to problematic NVH issues, which have plagued the automotive industry for years. They have made a name for themselves, over the past 25 years, as the originator of true ceramic technology in braking systems. Being widely known as the place to go for problem solving, they fully intend to stay on the leading edge of brake technology well into the future.  

To learn more visit http://www.akebonobrakes.com.

Collegiate Engineering Teams Bring Innovative Technology to Formula Hybrid Competition    

Hybrid motor vehicles are here, attracting widespread attention and growing sales, and hybrid automotive technology is advancing with every new model year. “Formula Hybrid,” an international competition at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH, encourages hybrid technology development utilizing a racing environment. The Speedway is home to many memorable NASCAR races, and is attracting industry support for the technology-building event.  

Bosch, a global leader in advanced automotive technology, supported the international competition and John Thomson, Zone Manager, Bosch Diagnostics Business Unit, and William Marchetti, Senior Technical Specialist, Bosch Service, served as judges for the event. “We believe the future of hybrid vehicles continues to look bright and that America’s colleges are certainly doing their part to help usher in the next generation of hybrid technology by providing much needed training to engineering.  

“Students in such diverse disciplines as electrical, mechanical and computer engineering showed off their working hybrid concepts and put them to the test at Formula Hybrid with a wide range of hybrid vehicles. They came away with proof on the race track that their concepts work,” Thomson said.  The competition was founded, and is run, by the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College.  

Supporting Hybrid Product Development  

“In this competition, there are a variety of vehicle designs that speak to the ongoing need for development of hybrid diagnostic technology and tools. Bosch’s MMD540H Digital Hybrid Multimeter is a great example of the kind of tool that will allow the technician to safely and accurately diagnose both conventional and hybrid vehicles,” said Thomson.  

Held earlier this year, the 3rd annual Formula Hybrid International Competition attracts teams of engineering students from more than 20 leading colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, Russia, India and Taiwan. During this competition, students have an opportunity to impress judges, like Thompson and Marchetti from Bosch, while sponsors and observers are able to take away valuable data and experience for further development of hybrid vehicles and service products for the future.  

Texas A&M Takes Top Prize  

The Formula Hybrid Competition encourages interdisciplinary teamwork and innovation as teams of undergraduate and graduate students focus on the task of designing, building and racing high-performance, fuel-efficient plug-in vehicles. The competition consisted of technical inspections, design and marketing presentations, acceleration runs, an autocross competition and an endurance event.  

The Texas A&M University student team won 1st place Overall Hybrid.  

“The collegiate teams which participated in the Formula Hybrid competition demonstrated the kind of forward-thinking engineering that is prized by automotive industry leaders like Bosch, which supplies parts and diagnostic equipment for traditional fuel and hybrid vehicles.  Student entries show a thorough understanding of the complexities and challenges of designing fuel efficient hybrid vehicles that not only work, but work well enough to compete on a challenging race course,” Thomson said.  

SAE and IEEE endorse the Formula Hybrid Competition, and Formula Hybrid is a member of the SAE Collegiate Design series.  

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 280,000 associates generated sales of 45.1 billion euros ($66.4 billion) in fiscal year 2008. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in over 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network are the foundation for further growth. Each year, Bosch spends more than 3.5 billion euros, or eight percent of its sales revenue, for research and development and applies for over 3,000 patents worldwide. With all its products and services, Bosch enhances the quality of life by providing solutions, which are both innovative and beneficial.

In North America, the Bosch Group manufactures and markets automotive original equipment and aftermarket products, industrial drives and control technology, power tools, security and packaging technology, thermotechnology, household appliances, solar energy and healthcare. Bosch employs nearly 24,000 associates in more than 70 locations throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with reported sales of $8.6 billion in fiscal 2008. For more information on the company, visit www.boschusa.com.

For information on Bosch Aftermarket Automotive Products, visit www.boschautoparts.com.

For information on Bosch Diagnostic and Wheel Service Equipment, visit www.boschdiagnostics.com

They’re back and they’re bad. Potholes have returned and hitting one with your car can do a number on tires, wheels, steering and suspension, and alignment. To help determine if hitting a pothole has damaged your vehicle, watch for the following warning signs provided by the Car Care Council.  

• Loss of control, swaying when making routine turns, bottoming-out on city streets or bouncing excessively on rough roads. These are indicators that the steering and suspension may have been damaged. The steering and suspension are key safety-related systems. Together, they largely determine your car’s ride and handling. Key components are shocks and/or struts, the steering knuckle, ball joints, the steering rack/box, bearings, seals and hub units and tie rod ends.  
• Pulling in one direction, instead of maintaining a straight path, and uneven tire wear. These symptoms mean there’s an alignment problem. Proper wheel alignment is important for the lifespan of tires and helps ensure safe handling.
• Low tire pressure, bulges or blisters on the sidewalls, or dents in the rim. These problems will be visible and should be checked out as soon as possible as tires are the critical connection between your car and the road in all sorts of driving conditions. 

“Every driver knows what it feels like to hit a pothole. What they don’t know is if their vehicle has been damaged in the process. If you’ve hit a pothole, it’s worth having a professional technician check out the car and make the necessary repairs to ensure safety and reliability,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council.  

Potholes occur when water permeates the pavement – usually through a crack from wear and tear of traffic – and softens the soil beneath it, creating a depression in the surface of the street. Many potholes appear during winter and spring months because of freeze-thaw cycles, which accelerate the process. Potholes can also be prevalent in areas with excessive rainfall and flooding.  

The Car Care Council is the source of information for the “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign promoting the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair to consumers. For a copy of the council’s Car Care Guide or for more information, visit www.carcare.org.

The Car Care Council has launched a digital version of its popular Car Care Guide that can be easily accessed through the council’s Web site at www.carcare.org and the direct link http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mercury/carcareguide/.

“The digital version of the Car Care Guide serves as a quick, online reference for consumers to find preventive maintenance information,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “The Car Care Guide has been a huge success since it was first introduced in 2006. We’ve since printed more than two million copies of the booklet. During this past year because consumers were hanging onto their vehicles and looking for fuel efficiency advice, we saw a huge increase in the number of requests for the guide from individual consumers. By creating and offering an online version the council will not only save considerable money on postage and handling, but we can reach a much larger audience of vehicle owners.”  

The Car Care Guide was designed with two purposes in mind: one to promote and provide information to motorists through the consumer media and the Web site; two, to respond to requests from repair shop owners and parts store counterpersons for credible third-party vehicle maintenance information for use at the point-of-sale with customers.

The Car Care Guide uses easy-to-understand everyday language, instead of technical automotive jargon, and fits easily in a glove box. The guide covers the most common preventive maintenance occasions and procedures that need to be performed to keep cars safe, dependable and efficient. It also includes descriptions of 12 major vehicle systems and parts, and a list of questions to ask when maintenance or repair procedures are being done on a car. A Car Care Checklist reminds motorists what vehicle systems need to be maintained and when service or repair should be performed.  

New sections on Fuel Economy and Environmental Awareness have been added to the Car Care Guide to show consumers how to get better gas mileage and make their vehicle environmentally friendly.   

The Car Care Council is the source of information for the “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign promoting the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair to consumers. For more information, visit www.carcare.org.

Deep down, you know your car should be checked out before hitting the road for the holidays, but with so many other things left to do, some folks put it off. Bad idea, says the Car Care Council, especially when motorists realize that in as little as 10 minutes, they can determine if their car is ready for long-distance travel.

The 10-minute pre-trip checkup recommended by the council includes the following:

• Check all fluids, including engine oil, power steering and brake and transmission, as well as windshield washer solvent and antifreeze/coolant.
    
• Check the hoses and belts that can become cracked, brittle, frayed, loose or show signs of excessive wear. These are critical to the proper functioning of the electrical system, air conditioning, power steering and the cooling system.
   
• Check the tires, including tire pressure and tread. Uneven wear indicates a need for wheel alignment. Tires should also be checked for bulges and bald spots.

“In a very short amount of time, motorists can identify how road-ready their vehicle is and then take steps to have the problems fixed before heading out for vacation,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “It’s a small sacrifice compared to the inconvenience and potential safety hazards of breaking down many miles away from home. Plus, if repairs or maintenance are needed, they can be done by a repair shop that knows you and your vehicle.”

The council also recommends that wipers and interior and exterior lighting on the vehicle be checked prior to a road trip, and that motorists restock their emergency kit. As a rule of thumb, wipers should be replaced every six months and lighting should be checked monthly.

To save on fuel costs during the trip, the council suggests that motorists avoid aggressive driving, observe the speed limit and avoid excessive idling. Gas caps that are damaged, loose or missing should be replaced to prevent gas from spilling or evaporating.

The Car Care Council is the source of information for the “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign promoting the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair to consumers. For more information or to receive a copy of the council’s new Car Care Guide for motorists, visit www.carcare.org.

Did you know that when temperatures plunge your car needs extra attention to be able to give you the same level of service and performance you’ve come to expect? One of the best ‘cold remedies’ for your car during the winter months is an oil and filter change.

“Winter temperatures in most parts of the country place especially high demands on your engine’s oil and oil filter,” said Ramon Nuñez, Director of Filtration for Bosch, joint venture owner of Purolator Filters NA LLC.

According to Nuñez, the most obvious point to consider is your choice of motor oil. Oil that’s too thin won’t provide sufficient protection for your engine. Oil that’s too thick will keep your engine from cranking or starting in cold weather when the thick, gooey oil in your engine challenges your battery and starter motor to spin the engine fast enough for it to fire. So be sure to check your owner’s manual and choose oil viscosity accordingly.

“However, many people are surprised to learn winter weather puts extra demands on your oil filter as well,” notes Nuñez, “and it’s all related to temperatures and oil thickness.” At 20 degrees F, most engine oils have the thickness of maple syrup. So when your engine first starts up (assuming it does start up), your engine’s oil pump forces cold, thick oil through all the large and small passages in your engine, including those in your oil filter. A number of factors will determine if the oil will find its way through the filter quickly enough to provide critical lubrication to your engine’s bearings and other vital parts, while particulates are duly filtered out which, after all, is the primary role of the oil filter.

Since Purolator invented the very first automotive engine oil filter back in 1923, they have pioneered many innovations in oil filter technology, including developing the spin-on oil filter used today.  As a result, Purolator’s Nuñez points to three specific design elements which are engineered into today’s filters helping them perform properly in winter weather:

Structural Integrity: Engine oil pressure typically runs at about 60 psi (pounds per square inch) at highway speeds, Nuñez said. However, on start-up in cold weather your engine may experience an initial surge of pressure that can reach as high as 100 psi under certain conditions. This kind of excessive oil pressure can compromise oil filters at their weakest point, which could manifest itself as a blown-out sealing ring, a split crimp, or even a burst canister. Any of these failures will result in an oil hemorrhage that, in short order, can cause catastrophic engine failure. Premium-quality oil filters like Purolator’s PureOne design are engineered and tested to withstand virtually all real-world pressure spikes.

Internal Valving: Over the years Purolator engineers have developed a system of internal valving for their oil filters including a specially designed bypass valve that performs two functions. First, if the filter goes unchanged for an extended period of time, even the best filter can become completely blocked with debris. Nuñez explains that, since unfiltered oil is better than no oil at all, Purolator’s spring-loaded bypass valve allows unfiltered oil to flow to the engine’s critical parts, providing at least some lubrication, albeit with dirty oil.

However, this bypass valve also comes into play momentarily during start-up in very cold weather, when overly thick oil, especially if it’s too thick a grade, can exceed the ability of even the finest filtering media to allow oil to pass through. In such cases, the bypass valve will open briefly, allowing life-saving oil to pass until engine heat thins the oil enough to allow it to pass through the filtering media. Instead of a reliable coil spring, some oil filter manufacturers scrimp by substituting a flat piece of “spring” steel which may not return to its original shape after cycling. The result can be unfiltered oil for as long as the filter is in place, with potentially catastrophic results.

Filter Media:  The most critical part of any oil filter is the filtering media itself. The media must be engineered to strike a critical balance between filtering out the smallest possible particles while affording the least possible resistance to oil flow. According to Nuñez, Purolator engineers have developed an exclusive filtering media which allows a PureOne filter to hold as much as 13 grams of debris, which is equivalent to 31 standard paper clips, while still providing minimal resistance to oil flow.

In fact, Purolator engineers have actually developed algorithms which dictate the exact size, shape, and number of pleats in the media to yield the maximum surface area of the media exposed to oil flow. So it’s not only the composition of the media which is critical, but also its form.

So with winter weather upon us, take a few minutes to treat your car to a transfusion and new oil filter. It only takes a short time and a few dollars, but the life you are saving may be that of your engine.

Purolator manufactures and supplies high quality automotive filters for the North American aftermarket. Inventor of the automotive oil filter in 1923, Purolator has, since then, pioneered more than 40 ‘firsts’ in the filtration industry, including the “spin-on” oil filter in 1955. In fact, the first automotive oil filter was called a ‘Purolator,’ short for ‘pure oil later.’ Currently, the Purolator brand has more than 2,000 part numbers for automotive, light truck and heavy-duty applications. Now part of the Bosch umbrella of automotive aftermarket products within NAFTA, Purolator’s advanced aftermarket filters include:

• PureONE and Purolator oil filters

• PureONE and Purolator air filters

• BreatheEASY cabin air filters

• The ‘forgotten filters,’ including transmission filters, fuel filters, breathers and PCV valves. 

For more information, click on www.purolatorautofilters.net

Everyone understands the basics of car care – from changing your oil to rotating your tires. However, when was the last time you checked the air pressure in your spare tire, or any of your tires for that matter? Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) reminds you to be car care aware and air your spare!

According to a recent study by the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), 71 percent of drivers do not check the tire pressure in their spare tire. A survey conducted by the sales engineers at BFNT revealed that of 74 spare tires, only one tire was properly inflated and the average tire pressure was less than 50 percent of that recommended for the spare.

“Typically the spare is the tire you depend on in a pinch, but if you never check the air pressure it may not perform at the crucial moment when you need it most,” said Mario Andretti, legendary racer and national spokesman for Firestone’s driver safety education campaign. “Keeping tires properly inflated also aids in getting the most gas mileage – with fuel prices at all time highs this could be a great cost savings.”

Tires normally lose one psi each month due to air permeation thru the sidewall. It helps to think of a tire as a balloon – after time the air in a balloon will drop due to air leaking through the balloon’s surface. Air will dissipate through the tire’s sidewall in the same way. It is also important to note that with the change in seasons there is often a change in temperature – for every 10 degree (F) drop in ambient temperature a tire will lose one psi. And it’s the air that carries the load, so less air pressure means less load carrying capacity.

How do you check your tire pressure? Typically you can find the correct inflation pressure for your vehicle’s original tires on a sticker inside the driver’s side door jamb, in the glove compartment or in the vehicle owner’s manual. Be certain to check the tire pressure with a good tire gauge when the tire is cold.

A “no-brainer” monthly reminder can be established simply by registering on the Web at www.tiresafety.com. The Web site offers a variety of useful information to help you understand tires and the integral role they play in maximizing your vehicle’s performance.

Don’t take your tires, or your spare, for granted. Check tire inflation often for security, fuel economy and for peace of mind. The savings may be every bit as critical as those you reap when replacing the battery in your smoke detector.

Gasoline prices have appeared to level off for now, but after last year’s spike in prices, it’s natural to be skittish about the future and to be looking for ways to use less gas.  

If telecommuting and pubic transportation are not viable options for you, here’s some down-to-earth advice from the pros at the non-profit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).

It is important to keep your vehicle properly maintained and change your driving habits so as to maximize your mileage, according to ASE officials. Here’s a plan of action from the group that tests and certifies automotive technicians:

• Monitor your tires. Under-inflated tires or poorly aligned wheels waste fuel by forcing the engine to work harder. Let the tires cool down before checking the air pressure. Out-of-line wheels, as evidenced by uneven tread wear, should be aligned by a professional.
• Consolidate your daily trips and errands. Some trips may be unnecessary. Also, try to travel when traffic is light so you can avoid stop-and-go conditions.
• Avoid excessive engine idling. Shut off your vehicle while waiting for friends and family.
• Observe speed limits. Speeding decreases your miles per gallon.
• Drive gently. Sudden accelerations guzzle gas. Anticipate traffic patterns and adjust your speed gradually. Use cruise control. (You’ll help your brakes and suspension system last longer, too.)
• Get rid of excess weight by removing unnecessary items from the vehicle. Store only essentials in the trunk. Less weight means better mileage. After family vacations, make sure you remove all unnecessary items, including that roof-top cargo carrier.
• Use windows and air conditioning wisely. Your mileage should improve if you keep the windows closed at highway speeds, since air drag is reduced. This is true even with the air conditioning on — assuming that the system is in good working order. If possible, try to avoid using your air conditioner in heavy, stop-and-go traffic such as traffic jams or holiday weekend back-ups.
• Keep your engine operating at its “peak efficiency.” A well-maintained engine will help you maximize the gas mileage for your specific make and model. A misfiring spark plug can greatly reduce gas mileage. Follow the service schedules listed in your owner’s manual. Replace filters and fluids as recommended; have engine performance problems (rough idling, poor acceleration, etc.) corrected at a repair facility. Given today’s high-tech engines, it’s wise to have this type of work done by auto technicians who are ASE certified in engine performance.

These conservation tips will not only save gasoline, they’ll help extend the life of your vehicle and help you conserve precious natural resources. A win-win, indeed.

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) was founded in 1972 as a non-profit, independent organization dedicated to improving the quality of automotive service and repair through the voluntary testing and certification of automotive technicians. ASE-certified technicians wear blue and white ASE shoulder insignia and carry credentials listing their exact area(s) of certification. Their employers often display the blue and white ASE sign.

Visit www.ase.com for more information, including seasonal car care tips.