From components as vital as headlights and power steering to less-than-essential features like your sound system and heated seats, there are few parts of your vehicle that aren’t somehow reliant on an electrical current. While we might understandably assume that it’s the 40-pound battery under the hood that’s keeping our phones charged and favorite tunes […]
If you’re eager to hit the open road and you’re looking to pull a trailer, then you’ll need the right tires. Rest assured that there are cheap tires that can meet your towing needs without breaking the bank and still provide a safe and comfortable ride. However, if you have some serious towing planned, you […]
Although sometimes you need a professional to handle serious work on your vehicle, there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction that comes with working on your car and fixing something yourself. However, you need two things before you do any work on your vehicle: an understanding of how to do the task and the right tools […]
So you’ve just bought a new car, and you can’t wait to visit the tire shop, toss those factory all-seasons, and get some real performance tires. The only question is, which ones? There are a ton of tire manufacturers out there producing high-quality products, and we aren’t going to get into the minutia of which […]
Arthur C. Clarke, legendary science fiction writer and author of “2001: A Space Odyssey” famously said that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” While we all understand the inner workings of our vehicles in theory, that Clarke quote might seem particularly relevant to anyone who’s ever popped the hood only to be faced […]
If you have ever done any car work or seen a set of installation schematics, you’ve probably seen some strange abbreviations in the instructions. Some you probably find very useful, but some may seem irrelevant or confusing. While you may be tempted to write off torque specs as unnecessary, ignoring them can result in anything […]
Many vehicles these days are getting increasingly complex to the point where even basic maintenance requires special tools. Not so with the Silverado. This powerful truck is highly capable and powerful, yet still mechanically simple and quite easy to perform basic maintenance on. While a rocket scientist will scratch their head in distress when asked […]
If you are jumping into DIY car maintenance for the first time, good for you! It’s a great way to better understand how your car is running, and you can save a lot of time and money by fixing things yourself instead of taking your car to a mechanic. However, the secret to successful auto […]
You’ve got the keys to a shiny new car in the palm of your hand, and the last thing you’re thinking of is your vehicle’s maintenance schedule. Whether you just purchased a brand new car or you’ve found the ideal car on a used car lot near you, understanding maintenance intervals is imperative for the […]
Proper car care can mean a lot of different things; it can be as simple as checking your tire tread depth once a month and making sure your turn signal lights are working, or as elaborate as rebuilding an engine. One of the simplest ways to care for your own vehicle, and skip a trip […]
With any fast car, stopping power is essential. For Nissan’s high-performance Z cars, this axiom is doubly true, and any owner of a Z that plans to track their car knows to keep their brakes in peak condition. While Nissan brake service at your local Nissan dealership will keep your Z ready for street driving […]
To those not familiar with automobiles, brake fluid might sound like a fictional substance. But quite unlike the fictitious blinker fluid, keeping your brake fluid up to date and properly managed could mean the difference between stopping at a red light and plowing into oncoming traffic. When getting a Toyota brake service, one might ask […]
If you like old cars – whether “old” means a 1940 Ford Flathead, a 1969 Dodge Charger, or a 1993 Mazda RX-7 – then you may have discovered that finding one of these vehicles that’s still in good shape is easier said than done. When faced with the dilemma of wanting to own one of […]
I firmly believe in the importance of having the best tires possible on your vehicle to ensure you remain in control of your car and have it respond to your steering precisely. That being said, there’s no single “best tire” for every driver, vehicle, and road condition – it’s a matter of what you’re looking […]
Young drivers out there, I have good news: I’m about to share with you the most compelling and exciting information you’ve ever read. Are you ready? Well, too bad because I lied – this is actually going to be about the tires on your car, and there’s just no way to make that kind of […]
We’ve all been there at one point or another during vehicle ownership – something has gone wrong, but you’re not really sure what. When an unexpected problem occurs, what do you do? The majority of people will take their vehicle to a mechanic who will figure out what’s wrong and correct it. That is a […]
If you are a regular reader of Check Engine, then you are likely well aware of the importance of good oil in keeping your engine running smoothly. However, today we are going to go a bit deeper into understanding an important aspect of oil – viscosity ratings. On the surface, this may seem like a […]
One of the easiest ways to upgrade and customize your vehicle is to add aftermarket lights. However, if you are just getting started, then you may not be familiar with all the terminology. The three major types of bulbs on the market are incandescent, HID (high-intensity discharge), and LED (light-emitting diode). They all do basically […]
Brakes are the most important system on your vehicle, yet in the grand scheme of things are one of the easier systems to do maintenance on. Unlike the engine or transmission, there are no parts buried in the vehicle, nor are there requirements to use large machinery to do in-depth service on them, so you […]
What’s your favorite Nissan model? Whether you have a workhorse like the Titan sitting in your driveway, a family-friendly SUV like the Pathfinder, or an efficient and comfortable sedan like the Altima, one of the best ways to ensure your Nissan’s longevity is to stay current with its routine maintenance. While most drivers are pretty […]
Proper maintenance is certainly not the most romantic or exciting part of owning a vehicle, but it’s a very important part of it. Even if you like to work on your vehicle yourself, if you own a Toyota Sienna, it’s still important to make sure you’re following a proper maintenance schedule for your vehicle. Figuring […]
