Benefits of Using an Independent Repair Shop Over a Dealership

This is a guest post by Ron Haugen who is the owner of Westside Auto Pro’s in Des Moines IA.  Named “Best Place for Auto Repair” in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014 by the Des Moines Business Record. You just barely bought your car and it’s already time to think about whether to be […]

Tires – Inflation DOT Other Information

What do you know about your tires? – Tire information series Inflation Pressures Today in our series on tire information we will look at some more important information contained in the fine print on the side of your tires. Every tire has a rated maximum inflation pressure.  Often it will be found in small print […]

Tires – Treadwear, Traction, Temperature

What do you know about your tires? – Tire information series Treadwear, Traction, Temperature It isn’t just size that matters when choosing tires for your vehicle.  There are some other numbers and letters on the side of the tire that you should pay attention to.   You will find the treadwear listed in three digit numeric […]

Tires – Size, Load and Speed Ratings

What do you know about your tires? – Tire information series Tire Size For safe performance and good tire life it is very important that the tires you put on your vehicle are the right size.  On a label found on the door jamb of your car you can check to see what size tires […]

Tires – Brand, Model, Features

What do you know about your tires? – Tire information series Usually the most prominent markings on a tire are the name brand and model.  Tire manufacturers such as Michelin, Cooper, Firestone, B.F. Goodrich, want to make sure their name is featured prominently on the tire.  These companies also make a variety of tire models.  […]

What do you know about your tires?

What do you know about the tires on your car? The automobile tire is possibly the least understood part of a modern vehicle. With all the technology that is employed in today’s vehicles, the tire is, and continues to be, the one component that few people truly understand. It is often overlooked and dismissed as […]

When was the last time you had the transmission in your vehicle serviced?

For many people the transmission in their car is something they don’t think about until it quits shifting properly or until their transmission completely fails leaving them stranded. All transmissions whether automatic, manual, or Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT), use special fluids to lubricate and cool the transmission. In automatic transmissions the fluid is also used […]

When To Check Your Timing Belt & Chains

An often overlooked maintenance item on vehicles is the replacement of engine timing components on vehicles. Some vehicles are equipped with timing belts to drive the camshafts of the engine. Others have timing chains to accomplish the same purpose. The advantage of timing belts is that they run very quietly and efficiently under a wide […]

How often should I change my oil?

One of the most common questions that we get asked is how often an oil change should be scheduled for a car. The answer is – it depends. The first answer that many people are given is what their father or grandfather told them. “Of course you should change your oil every 3,000 miles.” The […]