Give your car some TLC and save money, lives

Roland Jones Business news editor • Profile • E-mail

Spring is in the air and drivers’ thoughts are turning to relaxing summer jaunts and extensive road trips. But while you’re planning your vacation, you also need to think about a tune-up, experts say. After all, the physical state of your vehicle can save you money and cut the odds of a nasty road accident.

In case you hadn’t heard, April is National Car Care Month, and if you’re not the sort of vehicle owner who’s obsessed with checking every fluid level or lug nut on your car, this month the Car Care Council has you covered.

The not-for-profit car care awareness group has teamed up with independent repair shops, auto parts stores, and local businesses and civic groups to offer car owners free vehicle inspections and safety checks. The events, referred to as Vehicle Check Ups, are held in parking lots at shopping malls and schools.

Car Care Month might sound like a marketing gimmick dreamed up to sell more car care products, but there are economic, safety and environmental benefits to performing regular vehicle maintenance, notes Rich White, executive director of the Car Care Council.

“Neglected vehicles do cause accidents, or a breakdown on a highway, which in itself can be dangerous,” White says. “During last year’s National Car Care Month we found that about 85 percent of the cars inspected had some sort of problem and needed some work, whether that’s low oil, frayed belts, battery cables that need cleaning or a dirty air filter.”

With gas prices expected to rise to the dreaded $3-a-gallon level in some parts of the country during the key summer driving season, good car maintenance now is all the more important. “There are things you can do to keep your car running efficiently, and you can squeeze out a few more miles to the gallon,” White says.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE ROAD? PDF: What to service on your vehicle Quiz: Are you ready for the road? Source: CarCare.org

“A vehicle’s air filter is very important because it keeps dust and dirt out of fuel system, so if it’s dirty is can decrease gas mileage,” White added. “Last year, about one in four of all the vehicles we checked need a new air filter — that’s a lot of wasted fuel.”

Data collected by White’s organization in 2005 also show many car drivers are traveling America’s roads with defective lighting. Thirteen percent of vehicles inspected needed work on their left, right or third brake light, while 9 percent of vehicles needed work on at least one of their license plate lights. Six percent had their “Check Engine” light on.

Tires are also important, says White. If they are not inflated properly, it’s like driving with the parking brake on. Twenty-one percent of the vehicles inspected by the Car Care Council in April 2005 had improperly inflated tires, he said, and 16 percent had worn tread and were in need of replacement. Another 11 percent of vehicles had damaged tires.

“One in every five cars is running around without the proper tire pressure, so it’s wasting gas and wearing its tires out,” White said. “The thing is, most of these issues are relatively simple and inexpensive to fix. I think of it as preventive maintenance; it’s a lot like going to the dentist regularly — it’s a whole lot better to keep your teeth clean and go for regular checkups rather than go through the pain of having a crown, or a root canal.”

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