Today’s cars offer more power, better fuel economy and more amenities than ever before. Because cars are being built better than ever before, people are keeping them longer. The average American car is nearly twelve years old, which means that the average mileage is somewhere around 170,000 miles. Indeed, 200,000 miles is the new 100,000 miles. Recently, more turbocharged cars are on the market, and they’re driven pretty much like every other commuter car on the road, racking

Has a fusible link problem ever sent you to a mechanic—or rather, have you ever had a problem with your car that the garage later told you was due to this tiny but critical component? You might have wondered what the difference was between a fusible link and a traditional fuse, or how you could avoid issues with this part in the future. Fortunately, these links are simple to understand and relatively easy to repair. Safety First You are most likely familiar with how a fuse wo

The first thing most people think about when it comes to automotive charging and electrical systems is the battery. In reality, the battery is responsible for getting the engine started and can get you a little way on reserve, but it’s nothing without the alternator. Alternators not only recharge and maintain battery voltage, but they also supply the power needed for a running engine. A broken alternator can be a real headache, and because it works so closely with the battery

You can think of your engine oil color as a sort of unofficial communications channel between what’s going on inside your motor and the outside world. Although not quite as verbose as spark plugs when it comes to tipping you off about the details of internal combustion, oil and the way it looks can help you get an early start on diagnosing a number of potential problems with your engine. Check out these oil color variations, and what they might be telling you about your motor

Car detailing is all the rage, as owners seek to present their vehicles as showroom new. Many car owners give the most attention to the paint, chassis and wheels, exterior lights, trim and cabin. However, the engine bay is one area that’s easily overlooked, but worthy of your attention. Here’s how to clean an engine bay, giving it a shine that you and everyone else will admire. Click here to buy 3M Foaming Engine Degreaser now! Select Your Location Cleaning an engine bay is a

Catalytic converter failure can be a pain to fix. This essential emissions system component can sap miles per gallon and drive up your fuel consumption as it gradually loses efficiency and impacts your engine’s power production. Your vehicle’s catalytic converter sits ahead of the muffler in its exhaust system. It’s a small, oval-shaped chamber packed with materials such as platinum and/or palladium in a honeycomb-type design. This ensures that as much exhaust gas as possible

Overfilling engine oil can be nearly as hazardous to the health of your motor as driving down the road with your car bone dry, but you rarely, if ever, hear anyone talk about this unusual situation under the hood. Although oil is vital to your vehicle’s operation, having too much lubricant can actually counteract the very system that’s intended to transport it throughout the motor and keep things spinning happily and safely. Understanding what to do should you accidentally ov