Read time: 2 minutes Hybrid cars are not high maintenance; they require the same amount of maintenance as almost any other car. Hybrids have internal combustion engines, cooling systems, brakes, and transmissions too. To simplify, let’s compare hybrid cars to hybrid dogs. Dog lovers know that every puppy has a unique personality from the time more…
Read time: 6 minutes Lower oil levels at oil change time used to be an indicator of either an oil leak outside the car or burning oil inside the engine. Locating an oil leak under the car was a simple affair, and an engine that was burning oil suffered other symptoms, including wear on pistons more…
Read time: 3 minutes You gasp and wheeze, start to waiver, and feel faint. What is happening?! What’s happening is that you’re an engine and your heart and lungs aren’t getting enough air to operate effectively. But you do have a heart and lungs, and that will help you understand an engine’s induction system. Here’s more…
Read time: 3.5 minutes As vehicle owners, we assume our vehicles will be reliable. We trust that the brakes will stop the car, every time. Most people don’t really question how the brakes work. Leave that to the engineers. After all, we paid a lot of money for this assumed sense of security. That’s a more…
Read time: 4 minutes In 1974, Southwest Oil & Grease was originally the packager for BG before it grew into BG Products, Inc. As the name implies, Southwest specialized in grease. Grease originates as far back as ancient Egypt. We’ve come a long way since then! Advanced processes and chemistries allow greases to drastically outperform more…
Read time: 2.5 minutes I am a vehicle owner who prizes a clean engine. I own a truck, a passenger car and a Harley Davidson motorcycle. All my vehicles are equipped with fuel injection. So, I don’t pinch pennies when it comes to buying gas. To keep my engines operating at peak efficiency, I use more…
Read time: 2 minutes Have you ever killed a cat? I have. I’m talking about a catalytic converter. I’m not a monster! Every vehicle on the road today is required by the Federal Government to have a catalytic converter. It’s necessary for keeping our air free of poisonous contaminants which lead to things like smog, more…
Read time: 4 minutes Like many questions in the automotive world: It depends. Classic Car Tommy would say: Yes. I have a few cars that are carbureted. In those older model engines, it’s necessary to warm up the engine for drivability reasons. With a carbureted engine, the air/fuel mixture is not responsive to outside temperature more…
Read time: 3 minutes How do you stay cool in this summer heat? Many Midwestern gearheads, like me, live for the outdoors, especially during the summer. It allows us to work and play with our piston-powered vehicles. Everything goes well until I hit that first 90-plus-degree day, switch the A/C on, and get a blast more…
Oil sludge is a murderous foe that looks a lot like a burned marshmallow. If you love toasted marshmallows but don’t have the patience to toast them (or if, like me, you like them burned), you’re probably familiar with the black, bubbly surface that develops once the marshmallow is on fire. Blow it out, let more…
