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Fuel Saving Tip: Car Weight And Your New Mexico Driving
Posted April 29, 2011 1:12 PM
Weight is the enemy of fuel economy. Everyone from here to NM knows this makes sense.
Some of us in the NM area carry a bunch of unnecessary weight, and I'm not talkin' what you see in the mirror.
Guys; sports equipment and tools. Ladies; well, just take a look around the passenger compartment and trunk. I think my car has about forty-five pounds of French fries on the floor.
All that extra weight wastes gas as you drive between here and NM, and everywhere else.
Lose the junk and save some money.
...And you really only need one of those spare tires.
Posted in the Fuel System category
Finding Vehicle Recall Information In NM Area New Mexico
Posted April 21, 2011 2:25 PM
No matter how well they're made, cars in NM Area New Mexico will have design or manufacturing problems.
And when the government thinks a problem is really serious for people in NM Area New Mexico, they require the manufacturer to issue a recall notice and fix the car free of charge. The manufacturer then tries to contact everyone in NM Area New Mexico who owns that type of car to get the recall work done.
These recalls always affect safety, so take them seriously. It's easy to see if a vehicle's being recalled.
The government has links on its websites, or just visit AutoNetTV for links.
There are many websites with free recall information and searches. There's CarFax, AutoByTel and the DMV.
Recalls are serious, but not all that common. But sometimes there are less significant issues, and for these, manufacturers issue a Technical Service Bulletin, or TSB, that tells service centers like AutocareNM how to repair a frequent or difficult problem.
The pros get updated information through subscription plans, also available in consumer versions for a reasonable cost.
So when vehicle recalls occur, get the work done, and keep you and yours safe.
Posted in the Fuel System category
Buying the Right Tires and Wheels In NM Area New Mexico
Posted April 13, 2011 1:22 PM
Everyone in NM Area New Mexico eventually replaces their tires, whether it's because they're worn out or they're just looking for something different. There are so many great tire choices in NM Area New Mexico, it can be difficult to sort them out. Let's group the broad spectrum into several categories that will help in the selection process.
One category is often referred to as "summer tires". Summer tires are designed to be driven on the road when temperatures are generally above 45 degrees. Their tread design is optimized for traction on dry roads in NM Area New Mexico and they're also able to effectively displace water on rainy roads.
Now the rubber compound gets a little hard and stiff as temperatures drop below 45 degrees as it occasionally does here in NM Area New Mexico. And the tread which handles dry roads so well, can get packed with snow or mud – which provides very little traction in those conditions.
So if you live where its summer all year round, these tires will work well for you. If you like maximum performance in warm weather, but still live where it gets cold and snowy, you'll want to change your summer tires for winter tires as the weather starts to change.
Summer tires can be purchased with an emphasis on handling performance, smooth ride or long life. Your NM Area New Mexico tire professional at AutocareNM can help you find the right tire for the way you drive.
As you can imagine, winter tires are designed to work very well in snow and ice. Their tread is designed with many channels and grooves that throw the snow out of the tread as the wheel turns. This means the tire is always be able to bite into the snow.
The rubber compound used in winter tires is specially formulated to be flexible at temperatures below 45 degrees. This maximizes cold weather traction. When it gets warmer, the softer rubber will wear faster on warm dry pavement than summer tires, so change them out once the weather has turned.
There's a range of tires within the winter tire category. If you live where there's a lot of snow and ice, look for the mountain and snowflake icon that signifies a severe snow rating. If you have milder winters and still want a performance component, they make a winter tire for you as well.
For many people, an all-season tire is the answer. You will give up some of the performance at the extreme ends of the summer tire/ winter tire spectrum, but you will find a long wearing tire that gives both good highway performance and winter traction on our NM Area New Mexico roads.
Within the all-season category, there are many choices that you tire advisor can help you evaluate.
Outside of these three main categories, some people in NM Area with trucks and SUVs like a tire that is designed for both on-highway and off-highway use. They can handle the rocks and bumps off-road, but still work well on the street. Again, many options depending on the relative emphasis on on-road verses off-road.
You may want new wheels to go with your new tires – well, there are hundreds and hundreds of styles to choose from. That's a matter of personal taste. If you want to change the size of your wheels and tires, do get some professional help.
The computers on your vehicle are programmed to the size of wheel and tire combination that comes from the factory. Tire size affects various computer controlled functions like anti-lock brakes, traction and stability controls, speedometer and odometer. Of course, you want these systems to work properly. The computers can be re-programmed for different tire sizes.
And if you want to increase the size of your wheels and tires, you'll want so help to make sure they'll fit in the wheel wells of your vehicle without rubbing during turns or over bumps.
Posted in the Tires and Wheels category
Fuel Saving Tip: Tire Pressure Saves Fuel In Rio Rancho
Posted April 7, 2011 10:24 AM
Under-inflated tires waste gas for lots of folks in the Rio Rancho area. Think how hard it is to walk in sand – you just have to work harder because of the resistance. When your tires don't have enough air in them, their rolling resistance is dramatically increased and it simply takes more gas to get from NM Area to Rio Rancho.
Always check your tire pressure when you gas up at one of our local Rio Rancho service stations. If they're low – even just a little bit – bring them up to proper pressure. There's a sticker on the inside of your driver's door that gives the manufacturer's recommended tire pressure.
And don't rely on your tire pressure monitoring system to alert you to when you need more air. The TPMS system is set to warn you when pressure drops twenty percent below recommendations. That's severely under inflated and you needed more air a long time ago. And if you have a slow leak – get it fixed right away at AutocareNM.
Get some air and save some gas.
Posted in the Tires and Wheels category
Get Where You're Going With Power Steering Service In NM Area
Posted April 2, 2011 9:17 AM
Today we're going to talk about power steering service in NM Area. If you took an informal poll around NM Area you'd probably find that most have never heard of power steering service. That's not surprising. Even though power steering is standard on every vehicle, most people in NM Area aren't aware that it needs periodic service.
If you're younger than a certain age, you've probably never driven a car or truck without power steering. To get an idea of the difference; if you've ever cut a board with a hand saw, you know it's a lot of work. Using a power saw is easy-peasy by comparison.
Without power steering, your arms have to do all the work to steer the wheels, and that's hard, especially around downtown NM Area. That's why old cars had such big steering wheels; to get enough leverage to steer.
Most vehicles in NM Area have a hydraulic power steering system. The serpentine belt from the engine powers a pump. The pump pressurizes the power steering fluid. This actuates a hydraulic cylinder that provides power to help steer.
Some vehicles in NM Area use an electric pump to pressurize the fluid rather than a belt driven pump. We're also seeing vehicles with electric motors providing the power assist, not using power steering fluid at all. We'll see a lot more electric systems as more hybrids and electric vehicles hit the market.
At least for now, the vast majority of power steering systems use power steering fluid that needs to be serviced. The fluid needs to be changed for a couple of reasons. For one, it attracts moisture. Water has different hydraulic qualities than power steering fluid, and that makes a difference in steering performance. Water is also corrosive and can damage power steering components. The fluid also just gets dirty and needs to be changed. Removing the old fluid and flushing out the system gets rid of dirt and deposits. The clean, fresh fluid lubricates and provides better corrosion protection.
So ask your NM Area service advisor at AutocareNM or check your owner's manual to see when power steering service is recommended. It'll extend the life of your power steering components.
Posted in the Steering category
Fuel Saving Tip: Slow Down Around NM Area
Posted March 23, 2011 9:42 AM
There's not much we can do about the price of gas in NM Area New Mexico, but we do quite a bit about how much we use as we're driving on our NM Area streets.
Our driving habits can dramatically affect our fuel economy.
The first thing we can do is watch the 'go-pedal'. Hard acceleration just sucks the gas. Gently leave stop lights and plan lane changes so you don't need to floor it. That can save you hundreds of dollars a year.
Go a little slower on the freeway to Rio Rancho. Once you're going more than sixty-five miles an hour your fuel economy starts to drop dramatically. Leave early so you don't need to rush to be on time. And cruise control is your friend – steady speed uses less gas.
Plan errands ahead. Make fewer trips by combining errands.
Hey at current gas prices, a lead-foot might as well be a gold foot.
Posted in the Fuel System category
Fuel Saving Tip: Auto Myths Around NM Area
Posted March 17, 2011 11:27 AM
With high fuel prices in NM Area New Mexico comes lots of gas saving advice. Some of it, like what you hear on AutoNetTV, is really great. Some is myth. And some is just designed to prey on NM Area New Mexico people desperate to save some money on gas.
When you get one of those e-mails that's going around telling you how to save gas, try to think it through.
Does it really make sense? Does it defy the laws of physics?
Do some research on the internet or ask your NM Area New Mexico service advisor at AutocareNM.
There aren't any magic pills you can drop in your gas tank and the government hasn't suppressed a device you can clamp on your fuel line to make your car run on air. Not even in NM Area!
So next time you get one of those e-mails, check it out with an automotive professional. You'll get more bang for your buck with an oil change or an engine air filter replacement.
We're AutocareNM, give us a call at 505-drive for good honest advice about your car.
Posted in the Fuel System category
Fuel Saving Tip: Dirty Oil In Your NM Area cedan
Posted March 9, 2011 3:09 PM
If you're a quart low in your cedan, there isn't enough motor oil to lubricate your engine properly. The extra friction causes drag that reduces fuel economy while you're driving around the Rio Rancho area.
The same goes for dirty oil; it doesn't reduce friction properly. The result is you get to watch those numbers at your local Rio Rancho gas pump rolling higher and higher.
The transmission also needs the proper amount of clean fluid to do its work. When it's in need of service, the transmission drags your fuel economy down.
So keep it clean and give yourself a fighting chance.
Posted in the Fuel System category
Fuel Saving Tip: Gas Caps From Here To ALBUQUERQUE
Posted March 3, 2011 1:24 PM
This fuel saving tip is so simple, no one from here to ALBUQUERQUE will believe it. It has to do with your gas cap.
The first thing is to make sure it's screwed on tight. If it's loose, gas vapor will be constantly leaking out; wasted gas.
And air will get in and that can cause your oxygen sensor to read incorrectly and the oxygen sensor will tell the engine management computer to adjust the fuel-air mix and, well, you get the picture; you'll be burning more gas around ALBUQUERQUE than you need to.
This could cause the check engine light to come on as well.
A worn gas cap can have the same effect. If you constantly smell gas when you walk by your tank, you might need a new gas cap.
So, twist your cap until it clicks three times – that means it's on tight. Have your ALBUQUERQUE area service advisor at AutocareNM inspect the cap to see if it needs to be replaced.
See, I told you it was simple.
Don't forget to call AutocareNM at 505-drive for an appointment to optimize your cedan for better fuel economy. Ask us about tune ups.
Posted in the Fuel System category
Keeping Your Engine Cool In NM Area New Mexico
Posted February 26, 2011 11:05 AM
The cooling system keeps our engine from overheating while you are driving around NM Area New Mexico. Its job is to move heat away from the engine. Let's talk about the various components of the system and how they work to accomplish this.
The radiator is the part most everyone associates with the cooling system. Coolant flows through the radiator which has fine cooling fins that draw the heat out of the coolant and dissipate it into the air. To make sure there's enough airflow over the radiator, a fan pulls air over the cooling fins even when the car is idling.
In some vehicles, the fan is powered by the serpentine belt. On others, an electric motor runs the fan. Electric fans turn on and off as needed. You may have heard the fan kick on shortly after you turn your car off. The sensor has determined that the engine needs a little help cooling down to a safe temperature.
A hose connects the radiator to the water pump. The water pump pushes the water into the engine block. Now the engine block and cylinder heads have passages for the coolant to pass through without getting into the oil or the combustion chamber. These passages are referred to as the "water jacket".
While the coolant is passing through the water jacket, it absorbs heat from the engine on its way to the radiator for cooling. Between the engine and the radiator is a gatekeeper called the thermostat. The thermostat's job is to regulate the temperature of the engine just like your home thermostat regulates the temperature of your house. It gets your engine up to the correct operating temperature and then keeps it from overheating.
When your first start the engine, it's very cold and needs to warm up. So the thermostat blocks the flow of coolant to the radiator. As the engine warms up, the thermostat starts to let coolant flow through the system.
The final component I want to talk about is the overflow reservoir. This bottle is designed to hold some of the coolant. It'll have a mark that indicates whether or not you have enough coolant. This is where you should add coolant if you just need to top it off.
Caution: never open the reservoir or the radiator cap when the car's hot. The cooling system is pressurized and opening them while it's hot can cause hot coolant and steam to escape resulting in serious burns.
Cooling system failure is the most common mechanical failure in vehicles around NM Area New Mexico. Your NM Area New Mexico service center can do a periodic inspection of the components for leaks, loose connections and weakening hoses.
Your manufacturer has also specified a cooling system service interval. With a cooling system service, the old coolant is replaced with correct clean fluid that contains the additives required to prevent corrosion. The additives are depleted over time and you need fresh fluid for adequate protection. Your radiator pressure cap should be replaced at this service as well.
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