Maintenance

Your car has a recommended tire pressure that will give the best gas mileage, handling and tire life for that car — and it’s written right on the vehicle’s door.

While it’s normal for a car to be idling high when it’s first started, if the idle doesn’t drop to normal after a minute or two, something’s probably wrong.

While fuel-injector cleaning is often recommended by shops and dealer service centers, it probably isn’t necessary unless it’s correcting a running problem.

We’ve never owned a long-term vehicle with matte-finish paint before, and we were curious to see what it might entail. After seven months of ownership, we have some answers.

Since an engine can suffer severe damage if it’s run too hot, you should be concerned if there are indications the engine is overheating.

Here’s some reasons why your car window may not be rolling up and ways to fix it.

Diesel engines don’t have spark plugs; instead, they use the super-heated air created by their high compression ratios to ignite the diesel fuel as it’s injected into the cylinder.

Perhaps the most direct way to find out if a car is still under warranty is to contact a dealer for that make of car or the manufacturer itself. But there are other ways.

While it’s likely seldom done, some vehicles’ maintenance schedules do include an interval for changing the differential fluid, though perhaps only under “severe service” conditions.

Should you buy a new or used car? It depends on your needs and preferences as a buyer, but there are plenty of good vehicles out there either way.