Most spark plugs should be replaced every 30,000 to 45,000 miles. However, the more expensive platinum spark plugs can last up to 100,000 miles before they need to be replaced. A rough start is a sure sign of old spark plugs but there are other signs. A lack of a spark can create poor fuel efficiency or cause your car to vibrate or even stall while idling or accelerating.

Finding out if your spark plugs need to be changed is easy. Any mechanic can quickly hook your plugs up to an oscilloscope to check their secondary ignition pattern. Worn spark plugs will cause a sudden spike in voltage that is simple to detect. Replacing spark plugs is cheap, easy and can have a major impact on the quality of your ride.

Park in the shade: Not only does parking your car in the sun during the summer months make your car uncomfortable but it also can cost you gas. Excess heat can cause your gas to evaporate from your tank. Parking in shaded areas can eliminate this problem (while also making your car cooler to drive).

Inflate your tires: Driving on underinflated tires makes your engine have to work harder in order to pull the car. Having your tires properly inflated can help improve your fuel efficiency by up to 15 percent.

With the expansion of the Web comes a site which offers all kinds of assistance. Find a reputable shop, get an estimate, track your service records, replace your owner’s manual, and even find shops while traveling. All these services are available at www.repairpal.com. Even better, they are all free just for joining. And the membership is also free.

When you join, you enter the data about your vehicle(s), such as a 1998 Acura Integra . A list of repair shops which service your make and model are then made available. Many of the shops have ratings and reviews from previous/present customers.

Estimates of the cost of various services are readily accessible. There are even descriptions of problems and their solution services so you have an idea of what’s coming before you bring in the car. For instance, if your car is ready for an oil change , the description of the service to be performed and an estimated cost are both available. Or if it is running rough and needs a tune up, you can get all your questions answered, understand the problem, know what service is recommended and have an idea of the approximate cost………all before you even call the shop. Imagine how much less stressful that visit will be!

The need for repairs while traveling can be another major headache. Once you are a member of repairpal.com, you have access to the same list of shops in most major markets such as Houston auto repair. This could easily be the difference between a wonderful vacation and one which taxes a relationship.

Rarely is there a free service that really lives up to its claims. Usually you get what you pay for. In the case of repairpal.com, you pay nothing and get exactly what you need to ease one of life’s major frustrations.

It’s important that you immediately take your car into a mechanic if you get a “check engine” light or other warning on your dashboard. A mechanic can run a diagnostic check to see exactly what the problem is with your car. In many cases, the problem will only get worse as time goes on. If not fixed, many minor issues which can trigger a warning light can turn into significant problems down the road.

For example, the oil light is a sign that your car does not have enough motor oil to function properly. This is not a sign that you need to drive home and then check the situation but a warning that your car is in serious danger. Driving without enough motor oil can cause your engine to seize up and create major damage. Pull your car off the road immediately and call a tow truck to take you to a service station immediately if you get this warning sign.

Of course, that might not translate to 14,000 sales for the car. In order to “reserve” their Leaf, people simply needed to pay a $99 fee and register online. The fee is refundable for any reason, including if the charging station can’t be installed in a person’s home or if they simply decide that they don’t want it. Part of the challenge that Nissan will face when the car launches in select markets in December is making sure that customers who paid their $99 decide to go through with a sale.

Nissan also stated that a key element of the advertising campaign for the Leaf will revolve around the car’s lack of an exhaust pipe - highlight how environmentally friendly the car is.

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Of course, riding in a car with poor shock absorbers also just isn’t fun. The most common problem with shock absorbers is worn out seals, which let fluids and air leak into the areas around the pistons and stop the effect of dampening the spring movement. The easiest way to check for a leak within the springs is to compress the shock absorber by hand. If it compresses easily and without much force, this means that you either have a fluid leak (which should be visible) or an invisible air leak and that it is time to replace your shock absorbers.

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Honda has been able to keep the costs down on the CR-Z by integrating the engine and the bulk of the Integrated Motor Assist system from its Insight hybrid hatchback. The car is available with either a six-speed manual or continuously variable automatic transmission option.

The performance has been enhanced with several featured. Honda made the car as light as possible by reducing weight in various areas, including the 16-inch wheels and forged aluminum front suspension parts. Drivers can also toggle between a “sport” and “eco” mode to increase power or fuel efficiency.

During the 1,000 miles of use, it’s a good idea to not drive faster than 55 mph. You’ll also want to check the owner’s manual of your new car for further advice - certain cars will require that you drive even slower. Placing additional strain on the drive train is also a bad idea - this includes towing trailers or other vehicles or loading the roof rack and truck with heavy items.

It’s also a bad idea to let your car idle for long periods - this decreases the oil pressure in the engine, meaning that oil might not be getting everywhere it needs to be in the system. In fact, avoiding lengthy periods of idling is good for the car at all times.

In general, you’ll want to baby your car for the first 1,000 miles - including keeping your engine under 3,000 rpms. If you do this, you and your car will have a long and wonderful relationship.

Tire Wear: You need to go beyond the manufacturer’s tire wear ratings to understand the truth behind how long a tire will last, since manufacturers use different standards for testing - making it difficult to compare between different brands. A better idea is to look at the Uniform Tire Quality Grading rating. These independent tests are done under U.S. Department of Transportation-approved guidelines and give you a better baseline for comparing the expected rate of tire wear.

Weather Requirements: People who live in warm weather states probably won’t need to worry about purchasing tires based on winter weather. However, this should be a consideration for drivers in other parts of the country. Wet-weather tires are a must in the Pacific Northwest, while people in the Midwest and Northeast might want to consider all-weather tires for additional traction during the snowy season.

Tire Profile: A lower-profile tire will often give a bumpy and uncomfortable ride. The trade-off is looks and performance versus comfort. For the everyday passenger car, you are better off with a higher-profile tire.

Speed Rating: This is one element that you can ignore, since even the lowest speed rated tires are adequate for speeds under 100 mph - and it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be going faster than that in your passenger car (at least, legally).

Noise: You want a smooth ride in your car, and different tires make different levels of noise. However, there is no one rating for this, so you’ll have to rely on feedback on tire review websites and salespeople to give you a sense of how noisy a tire is.

Some of these maintenance steps are larger and will be done fairly infrequently (like replacing spark plugs) but others should be done on a regular basis. Here are a few car care steps that should be done every 5,000 miles:

Replace the engine oil and filter. Many people forget about their air filter when they change their motor oil. However, having a clogged or dirty air filter can be just as damaging to the performance of your engine that old motor oil.

Service the Battery: While you might not need a new battery every 5,000 miles, it’s a good idea to have it serviced (such as cleaning off dirty connections). You can also have it tested to see if it is starting to wear down - it’s better to fix it before it dies.

Rotate the Tires: Rotating your tires every 5,000 miles helps to prevent uneven wear caused by improper alignment. In addition, front tires will wear differently than rear tires, and changing positions will allow your tires to last longer.