Our news
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Stop! How bargain brakes often cost your more down the road
Brakes are central to a vehicle’s safety, yet many drivers let misinformed frugality grab the steering wheel when it comes to maintaining or repairing this essential automotive system. While an $89.99 brake job might seem like a real bargain, it often winds up being a costlier proposition in the long run. How? Central to the…
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Be cool when it gets hot: Check that air-conditioning system
Postcard-worthy image plucked from May through August: Five big guys stuffed elbow-to-elbow inside an SUV, heading out on the biggest fishing trip of the year. The storage area is filled to the gills with fishing poles, tackle boxes, “grain-based liquid refreshment” and sandwiches. It’s definitely a tight squeeze. One more thing: It’s about 70 degrees…
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Be ready for the open road with a warm-weather inspection
The warm weather that spring and summer bring means lots of great local activities, whether it’s strolls through the park, kids’ softball games, or tending to the lawn and garden. These bucolic pursuits sure are relaxing, but sometimes you just gotta break free and hit the road. Let’s face it: The road trip is as…
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Don’t squint when you can tint
Tinted windows aren’t just for young hoods or Mr. Big anymore. That juvenile-delinquent or crime-syndicate stigma is fading fast when it comes to tinted windows … and for good reason. For starters, they can counter the sunlight’s damaging rays and ease the burden on your vehicle’s air-conditioning system. With unseasonably warm weather dodging in and…
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In with the good air, out with the bad
We’ve all taken day-long road trips. Besides the depleted gas tank at the journey’s end, dust typically powders the hood and gook (formerly insects) glops across the windshield. Guess what? Those particles and winged things also have been sucked under the hood via your vehicle’s air-filtration system. The first line of defense for your engine’s…
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Get plenty of fluids
“Drink plenty of liquids.” It’s an old bit of advice uttered often during cold-and-flu season. But as the weather begins to heat up, how on-the-mark are your vehicle’s fluids? Determining whether they’re on target isn’t difficult and keeping tabs on the “big-5” fluids—oil, brake fluid, coolant, power-steering fluid and transmission fluid —will help keep your…
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Guard against the guzzle: Gas-saving guidelines
Gas ain’t cheap. Talk about stating the obvious, right? Chicago’s gas prices started the New Year at around $3.55 for a gallon of regular, hit $3.73 mid-January, and then finished the month at $3.60. And within the past week, the price jumped 32 cents a gallon, up to $3.92 in the Chicago area. The national…
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8 great tips for greener driving
“Green” doesn’t just mean “go.” It’s also a way of life. When you keep your vehicle in tip-top shape, you protect the environment by avoiding excessive fuel use, reducing scrap material and curbing hazardous emissions. Remember, a vehicle’s running condition, your driving style and the way in which fluids, old parts and tires are disposed…
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Slick advice: How to check your oil
To say engine oil is to a vehicle what blood is to the human body wouldn’t be an overstatement. Without oil keeping an engine at proper temperature and well-lubricated, the moving parts would grind against one another, causing the engine to freeze up and stop working and, literally, have a meltdown. Dirty oil contributes to…
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Engine warm-ups: A waste of gas and time
You wouldn’t stand inside your front hallway on a frigid day, bundled head-to-toe while running in place for 10 minutes, trying to build up warmth before heading out into the cold. So why do it with your car? While it’s true that Grandpa’s 1959 Rambler would require a lengthy warm-up before leaving the garage, today’s…
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The ABCs of ABS: Getting acquainted with anti-lock brakes
Despite our unseasonably warm temps so far, Chicago winters typically mean epidemic levels of snow, sleet and ice. Are your brakes up to the task once this warm-weather streak gives way to reality? More specifically, can you say your anti-lock brakes are up to snuff, and are you comfortable using them properly? It’s a good…
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‘Air’ time: How and why to check your tire pressure
If you discovered a simple tool that could save life, limb and money, would you learn how to use it? Meet the tire pressure gauge. This little device—designed to help maintain proper tire inflation—can drastically improve gas mileage, increase tire lifespan, and keep you and loved ones safer on streets and highways. In fact, properly…