Your vehicle is powered by an engine. In order for your engine to work correctly, it needs to use motor oil. While many people think that motor oil has one main purpose, it actually has four basic functions.

Lubrication
At its most basic function, motor oil is designed to help lubricate the parts of the engine. This lubrication is particularly important when the engine is first turned on, when the oil must quickly pump throughout the engine so that there is adequate cranking speed for the engine to start. After starting, the oil covers all the moving parts with a slippery film, which allows them to pass by each other without any friction. Friction can cause the engine to lose power and cause damage, so the oil must work to reduce the amount of friction caused by the different metal parts in the engine.

Protection
Not only does oil protect the engine against the wear that friction can cause, it also helps protect the engine parts from corrosion. Condensation, combustion, and oxidation can cause acids to build up within the engine – acid that can wreck havoc on your engine. Motor oil is specifically designed to help fight against these acids.

Cleaning
The oil running throughout your engine helps keep harmful deposits from forming. These deposits can gum up the engine, affecting overall performance and reducing fuel efficiency. The oil removes the deposits and keeps them in suspension, to be discarded when the oil is changed.

Cooling
While the radiator is responsible for the upper portion of your engine, motor oil works to cool the rest. This includes many of the critical components in your engine, such as the timing gears, pistons, crankshaft, camshaft, main and connecting rod bearings. The motor oil in your engine is sent to the areas that create the most heat and carries that heat away to the oil pan, where it is dissipated into the surrounding air.

When starting on a road trip, the last thing you want is to find yourself stranded on the side of the road, unprepared for any obstacles that may come your way. For this reason, when planning a road trip, it is important to prepare your car so that your journey goes smoothly.

Before you start on your journey, it is important to take your car into the mechanic for a routine inspection. Tires, brakes, and fluids (such as oil and washer fluid) are all good things to have checked in order to make sure that nothing goes awry with your car during the journey.

Once your car has been inspected, the next level of preparation is packing of supplies. You want to make sure that you properly pack both for your car and the people in it. For your car, have an emergency kit with jump cables and road flares along with a spare tire and the necessary tools to change it. Fill up your gas tank completely before starting your journey to avoid an unnecessary stop.

Take into consideration the people that will be your passengers. For all groups, bottled water, snacks, and a basic first aid kit are important essentials to keep in the car. If you have children, make sure that you pack activities that will keep them busy, such as coloring books or magnetic games. And always ensure that there is plenty of music that everyone enjoys listening to.

The final step is to have a paper version of your route. Even if you have a GPS or map services on your phone, a paper copy will help you get through any parts of your trip where service is limited.

Once your car is inspected and packed, you are ready to hit the road!

The first step to sprucing up your car is actually a simple decluttering and cleaning. Many cars accumulate a good level of clutter during the winter season – everything from holiday candy and forgotten gifts to tire chains and windshield scrapers. Removing the extra weight from your car will not only help you improve your gas mileage but will also help increase your car’s longevity.

Once the inside of your car is clean, it’s time to turn your attention to the outside. Give your car a thorough wash to get rid of all the dirt and gunk that has built up during the winter. This is particularly important if you live in an area where salt is put on the road during the winter months. The salt can cause your car to rust (especially the underbody) so be sure to carefully remove it.

At this point it is time to look under the hood. Change and check your oil and fluids (especially your coolants) according to your owner’s manual or take it in to an auto repair shop for a comprehensive tune up.

The final step is to check the condition of the different parts of your car. Protect yourself against spring showers with good windshield wipers and against the summer heat by ensuring that your windows and air conditioner work properly. Another important area to check is the pressure of your tires. Since cold temperatures can cause your tires to contract, your tire pressure may have changed during the winter. Make sure that your tires are filled to recommended pressure to ensure your best gas mileage.

This simple maintenance routine will help ensure that your car is in tip top condition all throughout the spring season.

The first thing to do is to listen to your car. If you hear a high-pitched screeching sound whenever you push down on your brakes, that is a sign that your brake pads need to be replaced. This sound will be loud enough to hear when the windows are up, but may be masked by the radio or air conditioner. Continual screeching is a sure warning sign that its time to switch your brakes. If the screeching has evolved into a grinding or groveling sound, then your car is letting you know that your brakes have worn down completely and are currently harming your rotors. At this point it is likely that both your brakes and your rotors will need to be repaired.

The second thing to do is to be aware of how your car is responding. If you feel like your car does not respond as quickly when you apply the brakes, or that the brake pedal “sinks” to the floor, then it is possible that you have a leak in your braking system. Another telltale sign is if your car pulls to one side when you apply the brakes. If your car is either sluggish to respond or pulls, take your car into your auto mechanic to check the status of your brakes.

The last thing to do is to actually visually check your brakes. You can look at your brakes through the spaces in your wheel spoke. Your brake pad will be pressed against the metal rotor. At a minimum, you want to have at least ¼ inch of brake pad. If you see less than ¼ inch, you should have your brakes inspected and most likely replaced.

By keeping on top of the condition of your brakes, you can make sure that you car will continue to respond quickly and safely whenever you are on the road.

The first tip is to park your car in a garage whenever possible. This is especially important in the winter months when cold temperatures can sap the strength of your battery life. However, while an insulated garage is a great choice, a heated garage is not as it can cause your car to rust.

If you can’t park in an insulated garage or if your car spends lots of time in outdoor parking lots for work or school, then the next best step is to insulate your battery. Battery insulation is a fairly cheap and easy way to keep your battery protected through those cold winter months.

Make sure that you keep your battery clean. You want to remove all dirt, oxidation, and grease from inside the clamps as they can weaken your battery’s charge. You also want to keep the battery tray clean.

If you don’t have a maintenance free battery, make sure that you regularly fill it with distilled water. If you have a maintenance free battery, it will be sealed and you don’t need to add any water.

Always make sure that your battery is secure. Not only can loose batteries cause damage by banging other parts of your car’s engine, they also have the potential of tipping over, which can send caustic battery acid all over your engine.

One final option to extending the life of your battery is to charge it with a solar charger. Solar chargers are fairly inexpensive and will recharge the battery through solar energy. It is important to make sure that your charger has a monitor to prevent overcharging.

With these simple steps you can make sure that your battery has a long and healthy life.

The first thing to keep in mind is your braking distance. As a general rule of thumb, the faster you drive, the more time you need for your brakes to bring you to a full stop. This distance increases the faster you go, so always make sure that you drive at a speed that is appropriate for the weather conditions and that there is adequate space between you and any other vehicles. It is also good to know that winter tires, which are specifically made for snowy and icy conditions, can brake faster than all season tires.

Whenever you need to brake unexpectedly, the way to brake is determined by whether or not your car is equipped with an Anti-lock Brake System (ABS).

If your car DOES NOT have an ABS, you want to make sure that you use the threshold braking technique. The threshold braking technique means that you brake firmly without locking the wheels. If the wheels start to lock, then you need to release the pedal lightly and adjust your braking. It is vastly important that you do not lock the wheels. Keeping the wheels unlocked allows you to have maximum braking power. When your wheels remain unlocked, you can either keep in a straight line or turn to avoid obstacles. If your wheels lock, you will lose control of the vehicle.

If your car DOES have ABS, then you want to push down the brakes with as much force as possible. Never release the pedal or pump the brakes. When you forcefully push down the brakes, you may feel a vibration and hear a noise, which is normal. With an ABS the system works for you – but you must keep the pedal pushed down until it comes to a complete stop. With the pedal fully pushed, you will have the control to either keep in a straight line or turn in order to avoid obstacles.

By following these simple steps, you can make sure that you brake effectively and safely throughout the winter season.

Change your coolant with every oil change
The coolant in your radiator actually has a much longer life than your engine oil. Always check your owner’s manual to know the specifications for your individual vehicle, but most cars recommend flushing your coolant every five years or 60,000 miles.

Premium gasoline will make any car run better
Premium gasoline (defined as having a higher octane number than standard) is designed to help hot running, high compression engines run with fewer pre-ignition problems. However, most vehicles are designed to run with standard 87-octane fuel. While putting in premium won’t necessarily hurt a vehicle that is designed to have regular gasoline, it won’t help improve the performance.

Dishwashing soap and laundry detergents are acceptable soap for a car wash
Both dishwashing soap and laundry detergent can strip off the wax finish of your car. You should only use specific car wash liquid on your vehicle’s exterior.

You should frequently flush your transmission system
Once again, the best guide is your owner’s manual. Most manufacturers recommend that your transmission system is flushed around every 60,000 miles.

Cleaning the fuel injectors helps your vehicle run smoothly
You should only clean your fuel injector if your manufacturer specifically requires it. Most cars are designed to work with the required detergent component in gasoline to keep your combustion chambers and injectors clean.

You should top off your brake fluid when low
The level of your brake fluid is designed to coincide with the wear on your brake pads. As your brake pads wear down, the level of fluid drops. When your brake fluid drops below the low level, it is time to check whether your brakes need to be replaced. If the level of fluid does not match the level of wear on your brake pads, then it is a sign that you have a leak.

You should change your oil every 3000 miles
The most important piece of advice regarding your oil changes is to check your owner’s manual. Most cars are actually designed to run for 7,500 miles between oil changes, and some can even go up to 10,000. The 3,000 mile mark is actually for vehicles that are used under extreme and severe driving conditions, such as frequent trailer-towing, mountainous terrain, consistent stop-and-go, and dusty conditions.

It only takes a few minutes to recharge your battery after you jump start it
In reality, it can take hours for your battery to fully recharge after a jump start. This is particularly true during the winter when cold temperatures have you running more of your power accessories. When in doubt, ask your local auto mechanic for a load test to see how much charge your battery can hold.

You should let your car warm up before you start driving
Modern engines actually warm up faster as they are being driven. Letting your car idle for several minutes before driving not only adds unnecessary air pollution, but also is less efficient for your car because the engine does not fully burn the fuel when it is idling.

You must go to your car dealership for service in order to keep your factory warranty valid
The most important part of the factory warranty is having the maintenance listed in your owner’s manual done at the specified intervals. As long as you follow the schedule, and keep accurate records and receipts, you can have your work done at any auto repair shop and the factory warranty will still be valid.

Karl Benz, a German mechanical engineer, used the internal combustion engine to build the first gas-powered, practical automobile in 1885. His first vehicle, which moved on three wheels, was patented in 1886, with his four-wheel vehicle following in 1891. By 1900, Benz’s company was the world’s largest manufacturer of automobiles.

Around the same time, Gottlieb Daimler took the newly invented (by Nicolaus August Otto) four-stroke internal combustion engine and turned it into the first gas engine. This small, fast, and lightweight engine revolutionized the possibilities of automobile design. In 1886, Daimler converted a stagecoach to hold his engine, creating the first four-wheel automobile the world had ever seen.

The work of Benz and Daimler became increasingly popular and by the early 1900’s gasoline powered cars were some of the hottest technologies in the market. However, the cost of an automobile made buying a car somewhat prohibitive for the average American.

Ransome Eli Olds was the first to create a mass produced automobile.  While automobiles up to that point had been mostly individually and uniquely made, in 1899 Olds created a factory in Detroit in an effort to produce a large number of low-priced cars. Olds’ ideas were improved upon by Henry Ford around 1913 when he created the first conveyor belt-based assembly line.  Ford’s new technology meant that he could greatly reduce the time needed to assemble an automobile, which reduced its price.

Since that time, car manufacturers have worked to greatly increase the efficiency, technology, and designs of motor vehicles.  Some of the most important improvements include:

• the invention of the electric ignition and the starter motor in 1911,
• introduction of independent suspension and four-wheel brakes (by Charles Kettering for Cadillac),
• the introduction of emissions regulations (in California in 1965),
• fuel economy (in 1973 in relation to the Arab oil Embargo),
• the creation of anti lock brakes (by Bosch for Mercedes-Benz in 1978),
• and the invention of the hybrid (in 1997 by Toyota and Honda).

The modern day automobile is an invention that has evolved across many years due to the genius and creativity of many people. In fact, it has been said that over 100,000 patented ideas work together to make up the modern automobile. So what is the road that this machine has traveled?

The earliest ideas of a motor vehicle have been found in the sketches of both Leonardo da Vinci and Isaac Newton. However, it was until the 1700s that the machine began to be a reality.

The very first self-propelled vehicle was invented in France. In 1769 a mechanic and engineer named Nicolas Joseph Cugnot used a steam engine to power a military tractor. That tractor was then used by the French military to transport their artillery from place to place. This first vehicle, which moved on three wheels, had the power to travel 2 ½ miles per hour and had to stop every 10 to 15 minutes to allow the steam engine to build up power.

Cugnot continued to develop his ideas, but a series of misfortunes (including the first motor vehicle accident) put an eventual stop to his inventions. Several other inventors continued to develop the idea of a steam-powered vehicle, using them in stagecoaches, tractors, and cars. However, in the early 1800s, the attention switched over from steam to electricity.

The early versions of the electrical car were clunky at best. Slow, heavy, and expensive, these cars used batteries that needed consistent recharging. The technology quickly moved over to streetcars and tramways and made room for the type of technology that would quickly dominate the market: gas-powered automobiles.

See next week’s article for part 2.