Maintenance 101
All articles

A cabin air filter cleans the air coming into your car’s interior through the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems.
By Rick Cotta
May 25, 2025

The amount of oil consumption that is considered “normal” varies by manufacturer, what kind of driving you do and the number of miles the car has traveled.
By Rick Cotta
May 11, 2025

The check-engine light is a signal that the onboard diagnostics system (or OBD II) has detected a malfunction in the vehicle's emissions, ignition or fuel systems.
By Rick Cotta
March 16, 2025

Although a typical interval is 5,000 to 10,000 miles, you may want to have tires rotated before it’s called for if you notice uneven tread wear that results in vibration or noise.
By Rick Cotta
February 23, 2025

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.
By Rick Cotta
February 9, 2025

To keep your car in good shape, every two to three weeks is a good rule of thumb for how often you should drive your car.
By Rick Popely
January 31, 2025

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.
By Rick Popely
January 14, 2025

Vehicles have an adjustment screw or bolt on the headlight assembly for adjusting headlight height, and some also have a screw for horizontal aim.
By Rick Popely
January 13, 2025

Proper tire pressure is much more crucial to your car than you may think, and it results in a safer and more economical experience on the road.
By Rick Cotta
December 31, 2024

Limp Mode allows your car to be driven a limited distance at reduced speed when something is wrong and may cause severe damage or stop the vehicle from running.
By Rick Cotta
September 8, 2024