maintenance


STUDY: Despite insurance breaks, hybrids driven more, cost more to fix, and get more tickets

Conventional wisdom is that hybrid vehicles reduce our dependence on foreign oil and emit fewer environment hurting CO2 emissions. When comparing a hybrid to a conventional gasoline-powered model on a mile-by-mile basis, there's some logic to this argument provided the pricing disparity between the two models isn't too broad. However, a new study by Quality Planning shows that hybrid owners drive much more than non-hybrid owners, potentially negating the benefits of the added battery pack and electric motor. Quality Planning studied ... Read more →

Motor Trend getting into the used car business? Jonathon Ramsey

Motor Trend is lending its name and brand to a certified used car program at Planet Honda in Union, New Jersey. The program is actually "powered by" EasyCare, a company that provides a suite of ...

Volvo bringing back free maintenance program Jonathon Ramsey

It's our pleasure to announce that the economic downturn is responsible for something you might actually want, other than cheap gas: Volvo is offering free maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles ...

Cost of vehicle maintenance is escalading Merritt Johnson

The pains many automobile owners are feeling at their local service station isn't just at the pump -- prices for general maintenance is also increasing. Petroleum based products, such as oil and ...

Chrysler planning stand-alone service centers Michael Harley

As Chrysler moves ahead with its "consolidation strategy" (a.k.a. Project Genesis), it's apparently had enough foresight to realize that shutting down dealerships seriously handicaps your ability to ...

For the OCD in you: Ownersite lets you track vehicle history to a tee 2 years ago on Autoblog

var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/software/For_the_OCD_in_you_Ownersite_lets_you_track_vehicle_history_to_a_tee'; Before I owned the '99 Alero, there was the '94 Protege. I had a habit of keeping the receipt for every drop of gas I put in that car. They were all stuffed in the glove box with the ...

Cambridge engineers develop "talking" Fiat 2 years ago on Autoblog

Who would have thought that Pixar would turn out to be a prophet of the automotive industry? In creating its talking automobiles for the computer-animated film Cars, the Disney-associated studio might have done just that, as a group of engineering students in England have demonstrated. The team at ...

Autoblog Maintenance 301: Part II of our front suspension/steering refresh 2 years ago on Autoblog

With Part I out of the way and the front end of our Buick Roadmaster in pieces, the next logic step is to start putting things back together. In this installment, we'll get the control arms buttoned up, and pay some loving attention to the steering gear. Click through for more ...

Autoblog Maintenance 301: Front suspension/steering refresh, Part I 2 years ago on Autoblog

Suspension components, charged with providing articulation while withstanding a constant beating from rough roads, live an incredibly tough life. Proper maintenance that includes regular lubrication helps, but once the odometer clicks over the sixth digit, it's often time for some fresh components. ...

Ford officially extends oil change interval to 7,500 miles 2 years ago on Autoblog

Ford has been studying the question of when to suggest oil changes, and they've hit upon 7,500 miles for 2007 and newer cars. Not only are modern oils better, modern engines are also better. You don't have carburetors metering poorly on winter mornings, tolerances are a lot tighter, and operating ...

Toolkit Upgrades Round Two - more fun toys 2 years ago on Autoblog

A while back, we expounded on some simple items that brought more joy to the automotive arts. Spring is just around the corner, and we've compiled a big ol' list of things to address in celebration of the Vernal Equinox. Unpacking the tools from their long winter nap is a ritual here, and it's like ...

SAM is looking for a few good OBD II ports 2 years ago on Autoblog

For those of us who like to service our own cars, being able to retrieve the OBD-II codes is important. There are various readers on the market, with some more capable than others. Of course, once the codes are retrieved, you need to know how to interpret them. The common misconception is that the ...

While my wallet gently weeps: What it costs to own a late-model Ferrari 2 years ago on Autoblog

Ferraris have often been compared to beautiful women. Like some of the aforementioned companions, they can become high-maintenance over time. Sure, the first couple of years of getting to really know each other are fun (or, in the case of the Ferrari, under warranty). But once the honeymoon is ...

Autoblog Maintenance 301: Transmission R&R, Part IV 2 years ago on Autoblog

A plan is finally in place for rebuilding the broken Tremec T56 transmission from our 1996 Impala SS; now it's time to carefully assemble some components in such a way that it'll survive the sort of abuse that we dish out every time the car hits the racetrack. Follow along as we walk through the ...

Autoblog Maintenance 301: Transmission R&R, Part III 2 years ago on Autoblog

When we last visited this project*, we'd torn down a couple of Tremec T56 transmissions - the F-body/Viper hybrid that was making nasty rock-crushing noises from under the floorpan of our Impala SS, and one from a Chevy SSR that was presumably still in good working order, and perhaps could serve as ...

Nostalgia - Flexstones and Flatheads 2 years ago on Autoblog

With it getting colder here in New England, us Yankee Autobloggers have to prepare for winter. This often entails a final running of the yard equipment, just today I mulched the rest of the leaves that'd fallen on the back yard. There's nothing quite like the roar of an air-cooled "one-lunger" ...

Autoblog Project Garage: Axle swap, Part III 3 years ago on Autoblog

In the previous installment of this epic saga, we started reassembling the axle that will be going underneath a 1996 Buick Roadmaster. In case you've forgotten the point of this exercise - and you'd be forgiven, as the scope of this project has suffered mightily from feature creep - we're trying to ...

Autoblog Maintenance 101: In-tank fuel pump R&R 3 years ago on Autoblog

If you own enough vehicles with an electric fuel pump, eventually it's likely that your luck will run out and you'll find yourself with a vehicle that refuses to operate properly due to a lack of go-juice. Most modern vehicles place the pump in the tank where it can be kept cool with a constant ...

Determining oil change intervals via analysis 3 years ago on Autoblog

John's post on Valvoline's oil change interval survey results got the attention of our readers, so perhaps now it's time for a slightly different perspective on the topic. If one accepts the fact that each combination of driver and engine is likely to require its own oil change interval, then the ...

Autoblog Maintenance 301: Transmission R&R, Part II 3 years ago on Autoblog

With the defective transmission finally removed from our Impala SS, it's time to tear it down to inspect for damage and replace any components that are deemed defective. Although we usually shy away from messing with automatic transmissions, manuals are usually simple enough to be serviced with a ...

Autoblog Maintenance 301: Transmission R&R, Part I 3 years ago on Autoblog

Several of our readers have been requesting tech topics of a higher level of complexity, and so we went and broke a transmission just so we could show you how to fix it. OK, that's not quite how things went; the Tremec/BWA T56 six-speed manual in our '96 Impala SS started making some seriously bad ...

Autoblog Maintenance 201: Brake pad replacement, Part II 3 years ago on Autoblog

In the first half of this particular write-up, we showed the basic process of replacing the front rotors and pads on a VW Jetta. Now we'll go ahead and hit the rear brakes, since the car is already up in the air and we're already covered up to our elbows in grease and brake fluid. We'll also go ...

Autoblog Maintenance 201: Brake pad replacement, Part I 3 years ago on Autoblog

While many aspects of maintenance can be put off until the odometer rolls past 100K, odds are that you'll be doing some work on your vehicle's brakes long before then. Vehicles continue to get heavier and our highway speeds are ever-increasing, both of which put an incredible amount of strain on ...

Autoblog Maintenance 101: Transfer case fluid change 3 years ago on Autoblog

With an oil change and transmission fluid swap out of the way, it's now time to exchange the oil transfer case lube for some fresh stuff. For those of you with manual transmission, you'd follow most of the same steps to service that unit, so please don't feel slighted (there will be a few in-depth ...

Autoblog Maintenance: Improving economy and decreasing emissions the DIY way 3 years ago on Autoblog

When it comes to increasing fuel economy and minimizing the amount of pollution that your vehicular activities create, there is no better bang-for-the-buck than proper maintenance. A variety of sources state that the worst 10% of vehicles on the road emit nearly 50% of total automotive pollution, ...






Autoblog Podcast #154: Gobbling up the News

Chris, Sam, and Dan kick out a podcast just in time for the long holiday drive.

 
 

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