To help answer some of the common car care questions you might have, take this fun and helpful quiz that may help you avoid a costly car repair. You never know: you may learn a thing or two that completely changes how you care for your vehicle.

#1: How Often Should You Change Your Oil?

The answer: Every vehicle is different, so you should consult your owner’s manual for your manufacturer’s recommendations as to how long you should go between oil changes. However, the answer will vary based on the size of your oil reservoir, how your engine burns the oil, how well it’s filtered, and much more. Generally, most cars need their oil changed between every 3,000 to 5,000 miles for conventional oil, and 6,000 to 7,000 for synthetic.

#2: How Often Should You Rotate Your Tires & Align Your Wheels?

The answer: It’s a good idea to have your tires rotated every other oil change, or in other words about every 6,000 to 10,000 miles. This will keep the tread wear on your tires even and predictable, and even extend their lifespan to even greater distances. That being said, only rotate your tires if your car allows you to—most do, but some vehicles have staggered setups where the rear tires are bigger than the fronts. Alignment is a different story—you should have your alignment checked every year and adjusted as needed.

#3: What Fluids Do You Need to Regularly Check In Your Car?

The answer: The fluids are some of the most important parts of your car, and thus they need to be checked for their quantity and condition regularly. Pretty much every important fluid that you should be checking regularly can be checked through a method beneath the hood of your car. The most important fluid is your engine oil, which receives the most wear and tear by far. However, you should also check your coolant/antifreeze, power steering fluid, brake fluid, transmission fluid and windshield washer fluid.

#4: What Are A Few Common Reasons For Poor Fuel Mileage?

The answer: There are so many different ways your fuel mileage could suffer, but some of the most common are poor engine care and a faulty ignition system. Dirty fuel injectors can prevent fuel from burning in the right mixture, old oil can create friction. Not to mention these reasons can make your car unsafe as well.

#5: What Do Squeaky Brakes Mean?

The answer: Your brakes communicate by the noises they make. Generally, properly-installed and high-quality brakes will be quiet and feel smooth on your foot. However, squeaky brakes are usually telling you that they’re starting to wear out. Pads have a squeal-making indicator on them which signals you when the pads are low and will need changed soon. This isn’t always the case—some high-performance pads naturally make more noise and produce more dust than others, but this isn’t a common situation.

#6: How Often Should You Change Your Wiper Blades?

The answer: Your wiper blades are incredibly important for driving in inclement weather. However, the rubber blade eventually stiffens, wears out, and cracks, leaving streaks and making it unsafe to drive. Replacement blades usually cost around $8 to $12, and should be installed on your vehicle once per year, usually at the start of the rainy season. You may even have to change them more often if you regularly use your windshield wiper fluid and wipers themselves to clean your windshield.

#7: How Can You Tell a Bulb Is About to Burn Out?

The answer: Unfortunately, there’s no way to tell if a bulb is about to burn out before it burns out.

#8: What Causes a Car Battery to Die?

The answer: Car batteries die because of a number of different reasons, some of which you can control and some you can’t. Among the ones you can’t control: extreme climates including those with harsh winters and brutally hot summers are particularly hard on batteries. Among those you can control, running your accessories without the engine running places a lot of extra strain on your battery. This added strain causes it to wear out faster and eventually need replaced.

#9: Can You Save a Dead Car Battery?

The answer: In many cases, a battery that dies due to continuous heavy use can’t be saved. The chemistry between the various battery components has altered so drastically that any amount of charging you do will only grant it a short lifespan that will just as quickly die again. However, a battery that dies from an accident, such as leaving your lights on all night, actually could be saved. In most cases the chemistry hasn’t changed drastically to the point where the battery is ruined, and a jump start paired with letting your engine idle for a while can actually put enough power back into the battery to bring it back to life.

#10: Who Is Christian Brothers Automotive?

The answer: Christian Brothers Automotive is your local neighborhood car repair shop that wants to change the way you think about car care. Our shops are staffed with certified technicians who service any make or model of vehicle. You can have the peace of mind of knowing your car is in the hands of people who care and want to keep you on the road. Plus we offer customer service that simply won’t be matched anywhere else.

Discover your neighborhood Christian Brothers Automotive today.

Posted by, Christian Brothers Automotive