Automobile News

Do you need to use the parking brake (also called the emergency or handbrake) every time you park your car, even if your car is an automatic? The answer is yes, and here is everything you need to know about the parking brake and why you should use it. What you need to know about the parking brake The parking brake is an essential component of your vehicle's safety system and it should be used on a regular basis - not just when the car is parked on a hill. While a parking brake is usually recognized as essential in a manual transmission vehicle, it should be considered just as important in an automatic transmission vehicle as well. When a car with an automatic transmission is put into park, a device inside the transmission called a "parking pawl" engages. A parking pawl is a metal pin that engages into a notch ring that is attached to the transmission's output shaft. When engaged, the pawl restricts the transmission's output shaft from turning. ...

Wheel alignment and Wheel Balancing are two totally different things, but many people often get them confused.   In a nutshell, wheel alignment consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other. The purpose of these adjustments is maximum tire life and a vehicle that tracks straight and true when driving along a straight and level road.    Wheel Balancing , on the other hand allows the tires and wheels to spin without causing any vibrations.  This is accomplished by checking for any heavy spots on the wheel-tire combination and compensating for it by placing a measured lead weight on the opposite site of the wheel from where the heavy spot is. The symptoms of a car that is out of alignment are: Uneven or rapid tire wear Pulling or drifting away from a straight line Wandering on a straight level road Spokes of the steering wheel off to one side while driving on a straight an...

When making a turn while driving your car, you may have noticed that your body tends to move toward the outside of the turn. The same thing happens to all the parts of your vehicle during a turn. Additionally, the parts of the vehicle on the outside of the turn get pushed down toward the road, and the parts of the vehicle on the inside of the turn lift up and away from the road. If you take a turn fast enough, the tires on the inside of the turn could actually lift off the road and the vehicle could flip over.  Body roll occurs when more weight is placed on the outside tires and less weight is placed on the inside tires, which in turn reduces traction and vehicle control. Ideally, the body of the vehicle will remain flat throughout a turn so the weight stays evenly distributed on all four tires. An even more ideal scenario would be a fine-tuned vehicle suspension that would reduce body roll, keep the vehicle flat, and not impair the independent movement of each tire....

In your car a majority of the important systems, like the alternator , water pump , power steering and even the air conditioning will depend on the function of a serpentine or v-belt . It keeps the components moving and functioning properly to avoid any metal on metal collisions or damages. As such, any issues with the belt itself can lead to extensive damages to various crucial components throughout the entire vehicle meaning staying on top of the health and condition of your serpentine belt is vital. There are a few signs to look for that your serpentine belt may be wearing and in need of replacement, identifying these signs can help to make sure that you catch it before any further damages can be caused. Most common signs & basic maintenance tips Loud Drive Belt – If there is a noisy squealing coming from the serpentine belt then it is important that you have your vehicle inspected immediately. Before taking it in consider if you have recently driven through r...