Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Ashes to residual ashes: take care of your car in areas of falling ash]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/22/ashes-to-residual-ashes-take-care-of-your-car-in-areas-of-falli/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/22/ashes-to-residual-ashes-take-care-of-your-car-in-areas-of-falli/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/22/ashes-to-residual-ashes-take-care-of-your-car-in-areas-of-falli/#commentsFiled under: ,

For those of you who have to deal with falling ash from fires, such as the folks in Southern California right now, the most important car care tip for you could be not to let ash interact with water on your car or remain on the car for a long time. If ash and water -- even nighttime dew -- get together on your car's paint, the water reacts with the calcium, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium in ash and might result in chemical etching. It essentially has the same effect as pouring Drano on your car. And you wouldn't do that. While it's impractical to wash your car every night before putting it to bed, at least wipe it down.

[Source: Meguiar's | Photo credit: hypertypo]

Ashes to residual ashes: take care of your car in areas of falling ash originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car careCarCarecleaningetcpaintSat, 22 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Master Mechanics vote for 3,000-mile oil change interval]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/13/master-mechanics-vote-for-3-000-mile-oil-change-interval/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/13/master-mechanics-vote-for-3-000-mile-oil-change-interval/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/13/master-mechanics-vote-for-3-000-mile-oil-change-interval/#commentsFiled under:

In a survey conducted by Valvoline, sixty-percent of ASE certified Master Automobile technicians questioned said that a vehicle's oil should be changed every 3,000 miles. Twenty-nine percent said between 3,000-5,000 miles is acceptable and just two percent voted that between 5,000-10,000 miles is okay.

This has to be one of the oldest running debates in the world of car care. The advents of synthetic motor oil and systems that monitor oil life have weakened the age-old 3,000-mile argument. Special programs like BMW Assist (pdf), for instance, enable a vehicle to notify the dealer itself when an oil change is required, 3,000 miles be damned.

While it's true that the oil in your car is its lifeblood, it's tough to take serious a survey about oil change intervals that's conducted by Valvoline. (Those mechanics surveyed also just happened to vote Valvoline their number one oil of choice.) We're pretty certain those companies selling motor oil wouldn't mind 1,500-mile oil change intervals if someone were bold enough to recommend them.

The real question is how often do you wait to change your oil? We're curious if anyone out there who has a habit of going longer than 5,000 miles has suffered severe engine problems as a result.

[Source: The Auto Channel]

Master Mechanics vote for 3,000-mile oil change interval originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Jul 2006 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ASEASE certifiedAseCertifiedcar carecar maintenanceCarCareCarMaintenancemaster mechanicsMasterMechanicsmechanicmechanicsmotor oilMotorOiloil changeOilChangesynthetic oilSyntheticOilValvolineThu, 13 Jul 2006 08:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Battle of the sexes a wash when it comes to car care]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/12/study-finds-both-sexes-ignorant-in-car-care/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/12/study-finds-both-sexes-ignorant-in-car-care/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/12/study-finds-both-sexes-ignorant-in-car-care/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A recent nation-wide survey by Jiffy Lube casts strong doubt upon the age-old image that men know more about cars than women. When asked, for example, where to find a tire's air-pressure, two-thirds of the men answered incorrectly as opposed to 45-percent of women. The percentages were the same when men and women were asked if synthetic oils increased mileage between oil changes.

Men fared better in a few questions: 78 percent of men surveyed knew the purpose of antifreeze versus 56 percent of women.

[Source: Jiffy Lube International via PR Newswire]

Battle of the sexes a wash when it comes to car care originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 May 2006 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car caremenstudywomenFri, 12 May 2006 12:01:00 EST