Understanding when something is wrong with your vehicle, including silent signs, can save you money on repairs and prevent a long stay at the auto repair shop.   Only 39 percent of Americans can comfortably cover an unexpected bill of $1,000, according to Bankrate, an online financial resource. Regular car maintenance is key to preventing breakdowns and ensuring your ride delivers you safely to your destination. Despite saving customers money, many Americans put off car maintenance, especially during the past year. Hectic work and childcare schedules can make it difficult to put car care on your to-do list.   Following the outbreak of the pandemic, many Americans did not keep up with maintenance schedules. They were driving less and coping with the stress of telework and remote schooling. According to the ... read more

If you head out to start your morning commute and your car refuses to reverse out of the garage, Mr. Transmission has the solution to get your day moving in the right direction again.   Putting your car in reverse to back out of a parking space is something we do every day without much thought. When your car decides backing up is for the birds, it can be a shock and a major inconvenience. If your car refuses to back up, the likely culprit is a problem with your transmission. The transmission is your car’s gearbox. The modern car transmission is made up of five or six gear sets that control the amount of power the car has without impacting the speed. Changing gears at the correct time improves fuel consumption and ensures your engine does not get strained while you are driving.   In cars with automatic transmissions, a built-in torque converter will automatically shift gears and transfer power to the wheels to enable acceleration. Drivers with manual transmissions ch ... read more

Summer of Gridlock: More Driving Around Town Means More Wear and Tear Many aspects of American society are re-opening. Droves of workers are returning from working remotely to working in offices or at job sites. People are taking vacations and visiting family and friends. But many of those people who are out and about again to commute to work are avoiding mass transportation, and the impact of that is substantial in many ways. Traffic expert and former New York City Traffic Commissioner Sam Schwartz—who coined the term “gridlock”—predicts an unprecedented level of traffic. Significant numbers of commuters in metro areas will choose to drive instead of take buses and trains where they could be too close for comfort with other passengers. Gas prices are low right now, adding addi ... read more