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Owning a car comes with a lot of responsibilities, especially if you own the best of the best. When it comes to the upkeep on your vehicle, a BMW or Mercedes may take a little extra effort to really ensure it stays in tip-top condition. You already know it’s the quality of the ride that makes all the difference, but are you sure you’re treating your car the way it needs to be treated? Instead of spending this summer in the shop with one problem after another, we’ll tell you how you can spend your time on the road where it can actually be of some use. One Stop, One Shop Most people don’t necessarily look forward to seeing their mechanic, but there’s definitely a smarter way to do it if you have to go see yours. Instead of repairing things as needed with single parts, you’re almost always better …

Although Benjamin Franklin concluded that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure before the automobile was invented, the old saying certainly applies to regular car care and maintenance. Surprising Car Habits In a survey by the Car Care Council, it was found that 89% of vehicles needed at least one repair or service. A full 25% of vehicles had insufficient oil levels or dirty oil that required an oil change. Frighteningly, 18% needed new belts and 13% had low or contaminated brake fluid. Others needed new air filters or more coolant. A Host of Issues Oxidation, thermal degradation, and compressive heating are all processes that occur in a car’s engine over time. However, oil slows down those processes, while insufficient oil speeds them up considerably. The consequences of increased heating and friction of engine parts due to insufficient oil can be severe. Some of the first parts …

The dashboard on your vehicle is the information center where you can see the vehicle’s performance.  Indicator lights provide you with warnings when there is a problem and are triggered by the central computer on your vehicle. Most of the indicator lights are illuminated briefly when you start the vehicle but go out within seconds. Regardless of you car’s make or model, many warning lights are relatively universal, so a Check Engine light is going to look the same on a Buick as an Audi. The following are some of the most common warning lights and what they mean. Airbag The airbag indicator lights up when the car is started and goes out a few seconds later. Should this light come on or stay on, it could mean that there is a fault in the airbag system, and vehicle’s computer has issued a code that will determine the fix. A …

Fuel efficiency begins simply with great cars that are designed to save gas.  When you buy a new car, research what gas mileage you can expect to get on city and highway driving.  Without the luxury of buying an electric car or hybrid, let’s explore fuel-saving secrets that you can control from behind the wheel of your car. Curb Your Driving Style There are common situations we all face as drivers that waste fuel.  Sitting idly in city traffic, for example? Total waste of fuel.  Or, those days when you catch every single red light on the way to work.  All of that stop-and-go seriously swallows your fuel like chugging cola. Your daily routine has a direct impact on your gas mileage.  It’s extreme, but you could re-route your commute to avoid as many stop lights as possible.  Or, adapt that heavy foot from accelerating quickly at green lights.  Coasting buys extra gas mileage, sparing you from having to stop …