Q. How much air should I put in my tires?
A. Proper air pressure is the most important part of tire care. Tires should be inflated to the pressure recommended by the manufacturer of your vehicle.
The vehicle manufacturer's recommended tire size and inflation pressure are shown in the owner's manual. This information is also placed in one or more of the following areas:
- On the edge of the driver's door
- On the door post
- On the inside of the glove box
Under inflation is a tire's worst enemy. An under inflated tire can experience excessive sidewall flexing which results in high heat generation and a reduction in load carrying capacity. Under inflation also leads to a reduction in fuel economy. Inflating your tires to the pressure specified by the vehicle manufacturer can extend tire life and improve your fuel economy.
Q. Why should I rotate my tires?
A. The purpose of regular tire rotation is to achieve more uniform wear for all the tires on your vehicle. Before you rotate your tires, consult the vehicle owner's manual for the manufacturer's rotation recommendation. If no rotation period is specified, tires should be rotated every 6000 to 8000 miles. The first rotation is very important.
Q. Why do I need to have my tires/wheels balanced?
A. If a tire and wheel assembly is not balanced, uneven weight distribution may cause an unacceptable vibration. This will affect your riding comfort and may affect the overall performance of your tires. Uneven weight distribution is corrected by adding precision weights at the proper locations around the wheel rim.
Q. How important is wheel alignment?
A. Research indicates that the average car is driven about 12,000 miles per year. A car with toe alignment just 0.34 degrees (just 0.17 inches) out of specification has dragged its tires sideways for over 68 miles by the end of the year. This causes shortened tire life due to excessive tire wear, and decreased fuel mileage due to increased rolling resistance.
Q. What is the purpose of motor oil?
A. Oil plays an important role in engine operation. Oil is stored in the crankcase. From that point it is pumped by the oil pump through a network of passages to all engine parts. Once it is distributed throughout the engine, motor oil performs many valuable functions.
- It lubricates the metal surfaces of the engine, allowing moving parts to move freely and preventing metal from wearing away metal.
- It cools the engine by carrying away the heat created by the friction of moving parts.
- It cleans the engine by suspending combustion contaminants, dirt, and minute metal particles so they can be removed with the oil and filter at each oil change.
- It forms a seal between the engine's piston rings and cylinder walls, allowing pressure to build in the combustion chamber and reducing leakage (called "blow-by") between the combustion chamber and the crankcase. Excessive blow-by causes power loss.
Q. What is the purpose of my vehicle's air filter?
A. For every gallon of fuel your engine burns, it breathes 9000 to 14,000 cubic feet of air. Each cubic foot of air contains some 100,000 tiny particles of dust and dirt. Without your air filter, these particles of dust and dirt would cause severe wear on your engine.
The air filter is also important for maintaining the correct air-to-fuel ratio in the cylinders. If the filter is clogged, the cylinders will not receive enough air for efficient combustion. |
