Maintenance

As a general rule of thumb, many sources quote three to five years as an average, though some car batteries have been known to last 10 years.

Cold weather adversely affects diesel engines more than gas engines, but that’s only partly due to the engine itself.

In the past, the factory-recommended interval for changing the automatic transmission fluid was typically between 30,000 and 100,000 miles, but some newer vehicles have what’s referred to as “lifetime fluid.”

There are numerous factors that contribute to worse fuel economy in cold weather, and most have nothing to do with the engine.

Nearly a quarter century of modern hybrids has shown that the risk of battery failure is very low for at least eight years and up to 100,000 miles.

Many have to do with the fact that a richer fuel mixture is required when an engine is cold, and even more so when it’s cold outside.

Despite some horror stories, there are no data so far that EVs overall are a lot more expensive to fix than ICE vehicles that are comparable in age and price.

In a word, the car exhaust smoke is caused by condensation — in two separate events. It’s similar to why you can see your breath on a winter day.

Problems with your vehicle’s catalytic converter might first become apparent through poor acceleration, a rotten-egg smell from the exhaust, or the check-engine light coming on.

A dirty air filter won’t allow your engine to “breathe” as freely as it should, reducing the performance of your car.