Seven Signs Your Brakes Need to be Inspected

In Brake Safety Awareness Month through August, the Car Care Council reminds motorists that routine brake inspections crucial to safe driving and maintaining your vehicle.

“When it comes to auto or truck safety, the brake system is on top of the list, so have your brakes reviewed by an auto service professional at least once a year, ” said Unique White, executive director, Car Care and attention Council. “Knowing the key warning signs that this brakes may need maintenance will go considerably toward keeping you and others safe out of the office. ”

Home for the Holidays: Is Your Car Up for the Journey?

Before you decide to pack up the car to head home for that holidays, the Car Care Council reminds you to ensure your vehicle is ready for that journey. Conducting a thorough vehicle inspection can help you avoid the inconvenience and possible safety hazards of breaking down miles abroad.

“It’s easy to remember to obtain your family ready for the vacation festivities, but what about preparing your vehicle that’s going to get a person there? ” said Rich Whitened, executive director, Car Care Local authority or council. “Having a pre-inspection performed on your car provides you with peace of mind as you travel and help to make your journey safer. ”

Prior to leaving home, the Car Care Council recommends a check from the following, often overlooked, items: automobile and tire pressure, brakes, tubes and belts, air filters, wipers, outside and interior lighting, and liquid levels, including engine oil, car windows washer solvent and antifreeze/coolant.

“A pre-trip inspection provides opportunity to have service repairs made in your own home by your own trusted technician who knows the auto, and helps reduce the possibility of costly and dangerous trouble on the highway, ” said Rich While.

The Car Care Council additionally recommends that drivers keep important telephone numbers within their cell phone or glove box in the event of a breakdown or travel crisis. Vehicles should have a roadside crisis kit that includes items like a first aid kit, a tire-changing jack port, a tire pressure gauge, jumper wires, a flashlight and a baby blanket. A copy of the recently-updated 80-page Car Care Guide ought to be kept in the glove container and can be ordered totally free at www. carcare. org/car-care-guide.

The Car Care Council may be the source of information for the actual “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign promoting the advantages of regular vehicle care, maintenance as well as repair to consumers. For a free copy from the council’s popular Car Care Guide or to learn more, visit www. carcare. org.

Multiply Gas Savings with Vehicle Maintenance

As gas prices keep drop, motorists should take advantage of their savings at the pump and invest it on their vehicles. By spending a bit now to increase fuel proficiency, drivers can multiply fuel savings and save more cash at the pump, says the auto Care Council.

The national average of the money necessary for a gallon of gas has become above $3 since 2010 but is required to dip below that mark this holiday season, according to a recent prediction by energy information service GasBuddy. com.

“Gas prices need to fall below $3 per gallon on average, and that means motorists can trust in significant savings at the send, ” said Rich White, management director, Car Care Council. “A small investment in uncomplicated and inexpensive auto care will add up to better fuel economy and all the more savings. ”

The non-profit Car Care Council encourages motorists for being car care aware and perform simple steps to improve fuel efficiency and reduce costs.

Engine Performance: Keep your car properly tuned to raise gas mileage by an average of 4 percent.
Tire Pressure: Keep tires properly inflated and improve gas mileage by up to 3. 3 percentage.
Motor Oil: Improve gas mileage by 1 to 2 percent by using the class of motor oil recommended because of the manufacturer.
Air Filters: Replacing clogged air filters with older vehicles can improve fuel economy and may improve performance and acceleration with all vehicles.
Gas Cap: Destroyed, loose or missing gas caps allow gas to vaporize into your air.
Fix It: Addressing an important maintenance problem, like a bad oxygen sensor, can improve mileage by approximately 40 percent, according to www. fueleconomy. gov.

In addition to help vehicle maintenance, modifying driving behaviors, such as observing the swiftness limit and avoiding quick ceases and starts, can also raise fuel efficiency. Consolidating trips, avoiding excessive idling and removing unnecessary items on the trunk are also easy strategies to lower fuel consumption.

The Car Care Council would be the source of information for this “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign promoting the use of regular vehicle care, maintenance in addition to repair to consumers. For a free copy on the council’s popular Car Care Guide or to read more, visit www. carcare. org.

New Cars and the "Green Label"

From July 2005, a new "Green Label" like that shown on this page (click on it for a larger version) has started to appear in car showrooms a fair distance, with most manufacturers having bought the label by September 2005. The label is similar to those that you might have seen whilst looking to buy a new cooker or a fridge that has been used to indicate the device's energy efficiency.

Strictly speaking, the "Green Label" is intended to let the consumer know about the environmental impact that a particular car will have by detailing the amount of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) the car will produce per kilometre. Luckily, these CO2 figures are also a pretty good indication of how fuel efficient a car is - low CO2 levels imply a car that is very efficient. These bands are in step with the new road tax prices too, so you'll be able to see how much tax you'll be paying too - check out the Emissions & Tax page for more information.

For example, if a car is in the highest band A it produces less than 100g/km of CO2 (typical cars in this band are Hybrid cars and the latest super-minis), where as those in the lowest band G will produce over 226g/km of CO2 (typical cars in this band are sports cars and large 4x4s).

To find out what band you car is in, have a look at our What is my MPG? page which will give you information about emissions and tax as well as fuel consumption.

The label also contains some other useful information like the model's official fuel consumption figures in MPG and Litres/100KM - in particular it shows the amount of road tax the vehicle will incur as well as an estimation of the fuel costs for a distance of 12, 000 miles. This figure is based on an annually calculated average fuel cost so it wont give you an exact figure, but its a very good sign.

The manufacturer needs to provide this information - it can either be with the car on display, or available elsewhere at the dealership. If you don't notice, ask for it and the dealership will have to give you the information.

fuel saving tips

Top Tips for better fuel economy

There are a lot of things all of us can do to make genuine fuel economy improvements right now, and for free. Often you'll find a lot of products claiming to be a Silver Bullet, often making outlandish claims that their gadget will not only save you fuel, but also improve horsepower. We're unconvinced.

However, these top 10 tips are tried and tested ideas that really do make a positive difference to your car's fuel economy. So, have a read of these top 10 tips and start making savings immediately!
1 - Drive smoothly
Driving like a Boy-Racer by aggressively accelerating or breaking not only makes you look like a bit of a fool, but it wastes fuel too - up to 60% more in fact! When pulling away from the lights, try to accelerate gently.
2 - Read the trail ahead
When driving, try to look ahead and see the conditions of the road - look out for anything that might require you to slow down or stop such as traffic lights or someone attempting to park. By anticipating what is coming up, you'll not only be a safer driver, but you'll save fuel by beginning to slow down early and not having to come to a stop.
3 : Don't rev the engine!
Ok so it might sound cool, but revving the engine whilst stationary does nothing except waste fuel!
4 - Use the gears sensibly
Some of us have a love-hate relationship with the gear stick, but the fact of the matter is that correct use of gears can make huge savings on your fuel bill all the way to 15%! Make sure you change up into a higher gear as soon as its possible and safe to do so.
5 - Stick to the limit
Easy cowboy! Doing 80mph on the motorway will use between 10% and 20% more fuel than doing 70mph, not to mention its illegal! For a 20 distance motorway journey, driving at 80mph will only save you about 2 minutes compared to driving at 70mph anyway!

If you're not in a hurry to get anywhere, doing 70mph use between 20% and 30% more fuel than doing 50mph : suddenly being stuck behind a lorry doesn't seem so bad!
6 - Check your tyres
Make sure you check your tyre pressures reguarly (at least once every 2 weeks). An under-inflated tyre can increase fuel consumption by 3%, and it will wear out quicker too. Check your owner's manual for the correct pressures.
7 - Don't "warm up" the engine
When starting on those cold days, don't leave your car running to warm it up. It causes unnecessary engine wear, as well as wasting fuel. Instead invest in some decent de-icer and try to drive off straight away - when you can see where you are going!
8 - Avoid short trips
It is so easy to just hop in the car to pop down to the corner shop to pickup your Sunday papers, but a cold engine will generally use doubly much fuel as a warm engine. Walk instead - the exercise will do you good!
9 - Let down the Air Conditioning
Air Conditioning is great in the hot summer months, but only use it when you should and just use the blowers other time - try to avoid opening the windows when driving at speed as this can increase aerodynamic drag which will waste more fuel. Running the air con when you don't need it will waste a lot of fuel.
10 - Keep your car in tip-top condition
Try to keep your car well maintained by making sure the recommended service schedule is followed either by taking it to a reputable garage, or servicing it yourself. A well-tuned engine with fresh, clean oil and new air filters will run more efficiently than an engine that has been neglected.