Advice

One indication that the power-steering fluid level should at least be checked is if the steering wheel becomes harder to turn or you hear a whining noise coming from the power-steering pump.

Defrosters clear condensation from windows and melt frost, ice and snow. They work differently depending on whether they are for the windshield or the rear window.

Though it could apply to any car, truck or SUV, 4x4 usually represents more traditional 4WD vehicles, and especially off-road-capable ones.

Each type of tire has strong points and weak ones, and none is probably ideal for every situation or time of year, so it pays to know their strengths and weaknesses.

The dashboard light in your car that looks like an exclamation point inside a “U” is a low tire pressure warning.

If you live in a place where the temperature never gets down to freezing, you might be able to get by with plain water in place of windshield wiper fluid.

The “L” was a staple position in early cars with automatic transmissions (which date from the 1940s), and it had some very practical purposes back when brakes weren’t as good.

Vehicles have an adjustment screw or bolt on the headlight assembly for adjusting headlight height, and some also have a screw for horizontal aim.

How long spark plugs last varies with different cars and different types of spark plugs.

You no longer need to warm up your car in winter — for your car’s sake — unless it’s old enough to have a carburetor, or it’s electric or a plug-in hybrid.