Our news
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Low tire pressure warnings waking up your mornings? Here's the 411
After months of sweltering summer heat, these cooler fall days are a welcome relief to many of us. But when it comes to our cars, rapid changes in temperature can trigger a troubling dashboard warning light: A glowing orange or red low tire pressure indicator. The good news is: Your car is doing exactly what…
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Our 5 top tips for maximizing tire life
Ensuring your tires are up to snuff is vital for the safety of you and your passengers. Not only that, tires that are in poor condition or underinflated have a serious drag on your vehicle’s gas mileage. Those considerations, plus the cost of new tires—a full four-tire replacement will cost hundreds of dollars and can…
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Back-to-school lesson: “S” is for safety
School buses soon will be returning to neighborhood streets as their summer vacation hibernation comes to a close, their orange presence as sure a sign summer is nearing an end as the ever-shortening daylight hours. That means it’s time to make a concerted effort to up the safety factor as kids often race care-free across…
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The bottom line on alignments
Out-of-whack wheel alignment can lead to all kinds of problems, ranging from safety-compromising premature tire wear to difficulty controlling a vehicle at highway speeds. Aside from the safety considerations (which should be enough), a misaligned vehicle will slurp excess gas due to the extra friction that misaligned wheels generate. Considering how vital proper alignment is…
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Why a transmission flush is never money down the drain
Chicago’s infamous summertime sweltering heat is back. Add in gridlock caused by construction zones, rush hour and too many vehicles sharing a major metropolitan road system, and you have a recipe for transmission troubles. When a transmission fails, it’s usually a four-figure affair to fix it. But you can fight back: flush. Automatic transmissions contain…
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Stretch your dollar with an extended warranty
Many carmakers’ warranties nowadays are designed for the long haul. But what if you’ve got your sights set on an even longer haul? Today’s new car warranties tend to fall into 3-year/36,000-mile, 4-year/50,000-mile or 5-year/60,000-mile versions, although there are some that are even longer. These warranties were fine during the trade-in-often days of better economic…
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Keep those shocks, struts shipshape with top value every day from Hong Kong Auto Service
Without shock absorbers or struts, your vehicle would easily become battered and bruised. You and your tires wouldn’t fare much better, either. When the rubber meets the road, the shocks and struts withstand the brunt of the punishment dished up by bumps and potholes. When shocks or struts aren’t in tip-top shape, your vehicle’s less…
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Stop! How bargain brakes often cost your more down the road
Brakes are central to a vehicle’s safety, yet many drivers let misinformed frugality grab the steering wheel when it comes to maintaining or repairing this essential automotive system. While an $89.99 brake job might seem like a real bargain, it often winds up being a costlier proposition in the long run. How? Central to the…
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Be cool when it gets hot: Check that air-conditioning system
Postcard-worthy image plucked from May through August: Five big guys stuffed elbow-to-elbow inside an SUV, heading out on the biggest fishing trip of the year. The storage area is filled to the gills with fishing poles, tackle boxes, “grain-based liquid refreshment” and sandwiches. It’s definitely a tight squeeze. One more thing: It’s about 70 degrees…
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Be ready for the open road with a warm-weather inspection
The warm weather that spring and summer bring means lots of great local activities, whether it’s strolls through the park, kids’ softball games, or tending to the lawn and garden. These bucolic pursuits sure are relaxing, but sometimes you just gotta break free and hit the road. Let’s face it: The road trip is as…
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Don’t squint when you can tint
Tinted windows aren’t just for young hoods or Mr. Big anymore. That juvenile-delinquent or crime-syndicate stigma is fading fast when it comes to tinted windows … and for good reason. For starters, they can counter the sunlight’s damaging rays and ease the burden on your vehicle’s air-conditioning system. With unseasonably warm weather dodging in and…
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In with the good air, out with the bad
We’ve all taken day-long road trips. Besides the depleted gas tank at the journey’s end, dust typically powders the hood and gook (formerly insects) glops across the windshield. Guess what? Those particles and winged things also have been sucked under the hood via your vehicle’s air-filtration system. The first line of defense for your engine’s…