Making sure your vehicle lasts is important. Vehicles are large investments, and most motorists want to keep them safely on the road for as long as possible. Understanding the features of your vehicle and staying current on automotive news can help ensure your vehicle's longevity. We've assembled some helpful information to keep you informed and your vehicle running better and running longer. Auto technicians say the key to keeping vehicles running well -today and down the road- is routine maintenance. Yet many drivers tend to stall when it comes to keeping up with some everyday auto-basics.  Seasonal Tips (Winter)  General Tips, News & Information It's not too late to prepare your vehicle for winter. Oil n' Go recommends the following tasks be performed by our professional automotive technicians:  Check the coolant (antifreeze); coolant should be flushed    and refilled every two years in most vehicles.  Change oil every 3,000 miles and consider a synthetic    oil like Mobil One.  Check the battery and exhaust system.  Check the heater and defroster.  Check the brakes, both front and rear.  Make sure your snow tires are in good condition, with at    least 1/16 inch tread.  Check your wiper blades.  Make sure to have plenty of windsheild washer fluid.  Check all exterior lights, especially flashing hazards.  Keep a well-stocked emergency kit in your vehicle. ENGINE AND COOLING SYSTEM Winter only magnifies existing problems like pings, hard starts, sluggish performance or rough idling, so make certain the engine is in peak condition. Check the cooling system, too. Coolant should be flushed and refilled every two years. If your coolant is too diluted (a condition that occurs over time), the temperature at which the coolant freezes will rise and a cold snap could freeze the coolant mixture, expanding and rupturing expensive components like your radiator. OIL: SYNTHETIC OR CONVENTIONAL? Tests show that up to 80% of all engine wear happens during cold starts. During the cold Vermont winter, your car needs all the help it can get. Motor oil gets thicker as temperatures drop, and in extreme cold conventional petroleum-based motor oils become nearly solid, meaning your car's engine is being assaulted by friction, its engine components rubbing against each other without any oil to lubricate them. If your engine's oil is too thick, it will slow the starting RPMs and reduce the amount of oil moving to engine components. Slugglish oil in a cold engine increases the wear on bearings and rings, decreasing engine life. Thick oil also frequently contributes to starting problems. To combat winter's effect on your motor oil, use a synthetic oil like Mobil 1 instead of traditional, petroleum-based motor oils during the winter months. Some synthetic motor oils remain fluid and effective to more than 70 degrees below zero! BATTERY Excessive cold, heat and overcharging are the three main reasons for shortened battery life. In cold weather a battery that has a low state of charge can freeze and be damaged. Cold weather makes the power required to start the engine increase dramatically so a battery in a low state of charge cannot deliver the amps required to start the unit. Come in for a free battery check today. TIRES All season tires generally do not provide enough traction for Vermont winter driving. Make sure you have snow tires properly balanced and aligned on your vehicle, and that the tread is deep enough. To check tread depth, purchase a tire tread depth gauge. These gauges are inexpensive and fairly self-explanatory. Insert the gauge into several different portions of your tread. Measure the outer and inner portions of your tire to ensure that the wear is even. Read the gauge to determine how deep your tire tread is. Ideally, the tread should be 1/16-inch deep, though a little extra tread never hurt anyone. Also make sure your tires are properly inflated for your vehicle using a tire pressure gauge. During the winter, check your tire tread and tire pressure weekly to avoid problems. WINDSHEILD WIPER BLADES Use high-quality, winter wiper blades during the winter. Blades designed for winter will give you clean, smooth operation even in extreme conditions and enhanced visibility and safety. They are less likely to rot or crack in cold conditions and they can handle water, ice, mud and dirt. Wiper blades should be replaced every six months. Also, make sure to keep an extra bottle of wiper fluid in your vehicle at all times during the winter and make sure your defroster is in good working condition. LIGHTING Headlights should be able to clearly illuminate the road up to 150 feet away. Lights, back and front, should be inspected regularly. Check to see that all bulbs are illuminated, and headlights are properly aimed. Also be sure to check to make sure that your flashing hazard lights are in good working order. After a month or two of winter driving, many vehicle's headlights are so dirty that they fail to meet state or federal safety standards. Make sure your headlights are cleaned regularly. If you notice the plastic covering your headlights has become cloudy, you should purchase headlight restoration service. More than just a cleaning and polishing, restoration service replaces the damaged laminate coating, enhancing a vehicle's appearance and increasing visibility. KEEP YOUR CAR CLEAN On a sunny winter day, head to the car wash. The salt compounds spread onto roads are highly corrosive and should be removed before they damage your vehicle. Nationwide, vehicle owners spend $24 billion annually repairing corrosion damage. DRIVE SAFELY During winter, traction is everything. Drive slowly, as speed reduces traction. Try to keep your wheels from spinning or slipping by accelerating and deceletrating slowly, planning stops well in advance and using inertia to get you up hills instead of laying on the gas. If your front tires lose traction while trying to turn, remember to steer into the skid until your tires regain traction. If your rear tires lose traction during a turn, ease off the gas and turn the wheel in the same direction the rear tires are trying to go. This will keep you from spinning out of control. EMERGENCIES Even the most meticulously maintained vehicle can develop problems on the road, especially during inclement weather. That's when it pays to be prepared for an emergency. Use that big space for something more than a spare tire (which, incidentally should be properly inflated, just in case). Pack items that would be needed if you got stranded for a several hours. A cell phone (with a car charger) is a good start. Also include the following: flashlight, road flare, cell phone battery charger, road atlas, whisk broom, ice scraper, windshield washer fluid, extra wiper blades, jumper cables, small shovel, blanket, extra clothes, candle/matches, abrasive material like non-clumping kitty litter or sand to provide traction for tires stuck in snow, bottled water, high-energy snacks, first aid kit and needed medication. Keeping a half tank of gas in your vehicle at all times is also a good idea in case of emergencies.  Why Synthetic Motor Oil is Important During the Winter  Increase Your Fuel Economy with a Fuel System Cleaning  What is a Coolant Flush and Why is it Important?  Lubrication Isn't Just for Your Engine  Are Oil Change Indicator Lights Accurate?  Have Your Car Serviced Anywhere Without Voiding the Warranty  Cars by the Numbers: Vehicle Trivia WHY SYNTHETIC MOTOR OIL IS IMPORTANT DURING THE WINTER As the temperature drops, the motor oil in your engine thickens. When you start your car, your oil takes awhile to warm up and begin flowing as it should. During that brief “warm-up,” however, your car's engine is being assailed by friction. Without the protective layer of motor oil, your engine components are literally rubbing up against one another, wearing down parts and causing significant engine damage. As much as 80% of the wear your engine will experience occur as a direct result of cold starts. Thankfully, there is a way to protect your engine from the damaging effects of cold starts. Synthetic motor oil, like Mobil One, is specially formulated to stay viscus even at the coldest Vermont temperatures. Compared to traditional motor oils, synthetic motor oils start flowing and begin protecting critical areas of your car's engine much quicker in cold temperatures. This reduces wear, protecting your engine and extending its life. As an added winter bonus, synthetic motor oils allow for easier engine cranking, easing the burden on your car's battery during the winter months. INCREASE YOUR FUEL ECONOMY WITH A FUEL SYSTEM CLEANING Modern engines and fuel systems are incredibly complex, engineered to work together for peak performance. A clogged fuel injector will cause the other components of your engine to work harder and less efficiently. That decreases your gas mileage while adding unnecessary wear on your engine. Fuel system cleanings are an important step in making sure your fuel injectors and other critical parts are clean and functioning at maximum efficiency. By chemically scouring several parts of your engine and fuel system, including your fuel injectors, fuel system cleanings remove harmful fuel mileage-robbing deposits. There are two stages to a fuel system cleaning. During stage one, a highly efficient cleaning solution is introduced directly into the fuel intake system where it reacts to the heat of a running engine. This dissolves carbon build-up on metal surfaces, burning the deposits up in the combustion chamber and increasing your fuel mileage. During the second stage, another cleaner is added to the fuel tank, slowly cleaning your fuel system while the fuel is burned by your engine. This cleaner scrubs your fuel pump, fuel lines and injectors. Although poured into your fuel tank like the pour-in fuel system cleaners available in gas stations, this second-stage fuel system cleaner is different as it reacts with the cleaners already introduced to your engine during stage one to provide a full cleaning. Fuel system cleanings don't take very much time and are important aspects of proper engine care. One fuel system cleaning every 15,000 miles can more than pay for itself in improved fuel economy for most vehicles. WHAT IS A COOLANT FLUSH AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Your car's cooling system's main function is to remove heat from the engine. If heat is not removed, the engine can be seriously damaged or even destroyed. The cooling system protects your engine by circulating coolant throughout your engine and then back through the radiator, where it is cooled by fresh air. Years ago, water alone was used as coolant. The problem with water, however, is that it freezes, especially here in Vermont. If water freezes inside the cooling system, it will expand and rupture expensive components. The freezing problem is solved by mixing water with antifreeze (usually a type of alcohol) to produce a coolant mixture that stays liquid in below zero conditions. Most coolants are also designed to inhibit corrosion of the system. Industry experts estimate that 40% of engine downtime is caused by cooling system problems, so it's critical that the cooling system be maintained. A coolant flush removes the old fluid from your system, cleaning deposits, corrosion and contaiminants. Once the flush is complete, new fluid is put back into your clean system. Coolants come in many different formulations, usually differentiated by color. Green coolant, a phosphate and silicate formula, is the most common type of coolant. This type of coolant should be drained, flushed and replaced every two years or 30,000 miles. Orange coolant, which is phosphate and silicate free and often referred to as Dex-Cool or organic acid coolant, is considered to be an extended-life coolant. Depending on the chemical composition, coolant can also come in fuchsia, red, blue and yellow. Experts recommend that drivers ask their auto service technician to check the color, clarity, freeze point and chemical protection of their coolant at every maintenance interval. These simple tests can tell whether the coolant needs to be replaced. LUBRICATION ISN'T JUST FOR YOUR ENGINE You're probably diligent about changing your motor oil because you know that your engine needs lubrication, but what about the other parts of your vehicle? Parts on the outside, like your windows, doors hinges, door locks, truck latch and hood latch? If you're planning on keeping your vehicle for years to come, you want to make sure that these important parts get lubrication too. Failure to properly lubricate door hinge pins can cause the entire door hinge to be replaced, a costly repair that a quick and cheap lubrication can help prevent. There are bushings and pins inside inside door hinges (which are what door actually rotates on) and without lubrication the metal grinds against metal, causing wear which eventually causes the door to stop functioning. Door latches and door locks can get rusty and freeze up, but lubrication can take care of that problem too. A squeaky window can also be solved with lubrication. In rural areas like Vermont, with many dirt roads, dust and dirt can get into the window mechanisms and can cause the window to not to operate smoothly. Lubricating the window run strip with a penetrating oil will help your window glide up and down easier. Each time you get your oil changed, make sure to remember the other parts of your vehicle that need lubrication too, from the hood to the doors to the trunk. Maintaining these parts will keep your vehicle squeak-free longer. ARE OIL CHANGE INDICATOR LIGHTS ACCURATE? Oil change indicator lights are popping up on dashboards in many makes and models of vehicles. You probably assume that these indicators are diligently testing your vehicle's motor oil, and suggesting changes only when appropriate. If you indeed assumed this, you would have assumed wrong. Regardless of the automaker, oil change indicators do not physically measure the condition of the motor oil in the crankcase. So how do they work? One of two, less-than-accurate ways: checking the calendar or following a computer model. Some vehicle's indicators are set to go off based on calendar dates or mileage levels. When you reach a certain predetermined date or mileage level, regardless of driving conditions, the indicator light goes off. When you have your oil changed your reminder system resets itself and begins counting days and miles again. Computer models are also used in oil change indicators. For decades automotive engineers have been studying the effects of temperature, engine speed, load, trip duration, etc. on motor oil. Based on all of this collected data, engineers have devised computer models that take these factors into account. Your vehicle monitors how you drive and in what conditions, and based it's oil change recommendation on that data. Neither of these methods is accurate. The best way to determine if your oil needs changing is by physically testing it. Checking your motor oil level and condition every time you refuel is a good idea. Is the level on the dipstick in the correct range? Is the oil still yellow or has it turned black? Is it smooth or gritty to the touch? If you're not comfortable checking your own oil, stop in a see us for a free oil check. HAVE YOUR CAR SERVICED ANYWHERE WITHOUT VOIDING THE WARRANTY One of the most common misconceptions in the automotive world is that to maintain your new car's warranty, you have to bring it to the dealership for service. This is simply not true. You have the freedom to bring your vehicle anywhere you like for service, and your warranty will remain intact. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act was enacted in 1975 and prevents warranty restrictions like service choice options. Through this act, you have the freedom to choose where you want your vehicle serviced, without worrying about voiding the warranty. It explicitly empowers the Federal Trade Commission to prohibit car manufacturers from voiding a vehicle's warranty because service was done by a non-dealer. Specifically, the language states, “No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumer's using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subsection may be waived by the commission if – (1) the warrantor satisfies the commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted products, and (2) the commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest.” To put it in layman's terms, this means that if the automaker that built your vehicle was going to require you to have that vehicle serviced at the dealership as part of a warranty, the dealership would have to provide that service at no charge. The act also applies to the parts required for service. If an automaker requires a specific part in order to maintain the warranty, then that part must be provided free. Although it is not illegal for dealerships to suggest owners maintain their new vehicles at particular facility, requiring owners to do so is. You have the freedom to choose where you want your vehicle to be serviced, and thanks to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, you don't have to worry about voiding your warranty. CARS BY THE NUMBERS: VEHICLE TRIVIA According to the Car Care Council 1897 -  Year the first auto insurance was purchased. 1902 -  Year the first speeding ticket was issued; by an officer on a bike. 1905 -  Year the windshield wiper was patented by a woman named Mary Anderson. $3,000 -  Price of a new Buick Le Sabre in 1960. $28,500 -  Average cost of a new car in 2010. $2,210,000 -  Price of a new Koenigsegg Trevita, the most expensive car in 2010. $5,000 -  Cost of a new vehicle engine, depending on model. $34.99 -  Cost of an engine-saving oil change at Oil n' Go. 29 -  Number of weeks the average American family must work to afford a new car. 4 -  Number of registered automobiles in the U.S. in 1895. 254,400,000 -  Number of registered automobiles in the U.S. in 2007. 330 -  Number of original Volkswagen Beetles sold in the U.S. in its first year. 46 -  Average speed in miles per hour of the winner of the 1901 Grand Prix. 1,445.7 -  Number of miles driven by Eco-Drivers in a Ford Fusion Hyrbid on a single 17 gallon tank. 15 -  Percent of U.S. vehicles that need new license plate lights. 90 -  Percent of car owners who admit to singing while driving. 10 -  Percent of U.S. vehicles that currently have a "check engine" light on. 27 -  Percent of U.S. vehicles with low, overfull or dirty motor oil. 9 -  Percent of U.S. vehicles that need new tires. 26.4 -  Seconds between car thefts in the U.S., on average. 40 -  Milliseconds it takes for the average airbag to inflate. 238,857 -  Miles to the Moon, on average. 2,800,000 -  Miles driven by the world-record-holding high mileage car, a 1966 Volvo 1800S. The engine has never been replaced, which the owner credits to frequent maintenance.