The check engine light first started being used around 1990.  The original purpose was to provide information about the emission control status of the vehicle.  Check engine lights are normally orange in color because the main purpose is dealing with emission controls.  However, emission controls now encompasses a variety of additional components.  A yellow light…

The ABS light deals with your vehicle’s braking system, precisely the anti-lock system.  When the ABS light is on, the Anti-lock Brake system computer has detected a malfunction somewhere in the system.  Possible causes could be anything from low brake fluid to an issue with a wheel speed sensor or any other component within the…

When you get in the car and turn on the key, various lights illuminate in your dash. What is their meaning? First, there is a meaning to the color coding of these lights you see illuminated in your instrument panel.  These colors are associated with traffic lights you see while driving. If you see a…

“We were almost home”, “It’s just around the corner”, that is just some of the stuff our tow truck drivers hear after picking up a stranded motorist. It’s sad when a vehicle should have been towed but the driver decided to keep driving just a little farther.  These types of situations can cause a two…

Breaking down on I-8 in the Western Arizona summer heat without any drinking water with you, a nightmare for sure.  What steps can you take to prevent your car from breaking down?  To start with, adhere to your manufacturer’s scheduled maintenance in your owner’s manual.  Design engineers for all auto manufacturers and parts manufacturers perform…

Driving green helps the environment and your budget.  Here are some tips from EcoDriving.com. Read Your Owner’s Manual Tip #1:  Your glove compartment contains one of the most important sources of fuel economy information, and it is specialized for your vehicle model and engine.  Your owner’s manual may even have a section specifically on fuel…

Most of us are aware that inferior parts manufactured overseas have flooded our markets here in the U.S.  We know that using these parts are not in our client’s best interest, or the company’s for that matter.  The failure rates on these parts are high and the quality is poor.  Often parts do not even…

There is a hidden danger in the use of E-85 fuel (fuel that is made up of 85% ethanol) that hasn’t been publicized and will become a serious problem in the future as its use spreads.  That is that ethanol readily mixes with water.  Environmentally conscious consumers will fill their tanks with E-85 in vehicles…

High fuel prices are an everyday concern now. We all would like to squeeze every mile we can get out of each gallon of fuel. The predominant question is how do we do it? Here are a few tips to help accomplish that. First, the tires are very important, both inflation pressures and ensuring the…

It is a known fact that the number one issue with tire safety is maintaining correct tire pressures. That also happens to be the #1 contributing factor to maximizing fuel economy.  A new issue relating to tires has come to light recently, aged (old) tires are being sold daily in the United States.  These aged…