Your shift interlock feature, which requires you to step on the brake pedal to prevent unintentionally shifting out of Park, could be malfunctioning. Alternatively, the shift cable or linkage connected to the shift lever could be gummed up with grease or corroded so that it can't operate...
When the temperature gauge on your dashboard reads high or a temperature warning light comes on, you have a cooling system problem that may be caused by a leak — be it in the radiator itself or some other component. First, make sure it's coolant that's leaking, not another...
If it's cosmetic or superficial damage, such as from scraping a curb, the wheel is probably still round and has no bent sections or chunks of metal missing. On the other hand, if the wheel is bent, cracked or structurally weakened from hitting a massive pothole, running over a steep curb or...
CARS.COM — Temperatures this June hit higher than average on all but three days in parts of the U.S., according to the National Weather Service and The Weather Channel, and this pattern is expected to continue throughout the summer. How can you help your car beat the heat? Here are some tips to...
This is a great question, but we must examine what "acting funny" means when referring to one's drivetrain before recommending a course of action. Do any of the following seem familiar to you? Slipping When an automatic transmission seems to slip in and out of gear, or the...
If you're lucky, the squealing (or squeaking) noise that your brakes make when you first drive your car in the morning, particularly after rain or snow, is just surface rust being scraped off the rotors by the pads the first few times you apply the brake pedal, or the result of moisture and...
Manual transmissions are usually cheaper to maintain and repair than automatics because the latter are far more complex and have more parts and functions that can fail, but it may depend on your driving style. An automatic has hundreds of mechanical, hydraulic and electronic helpers that have...
A loose bracket, rubber hanger or connector, or one that is badly corroded, can allow a muffler to rattle when you accelerate or drive on bumpy roads, or even when the car is stationary and idling. A loose muffler can allow excessive movement in other components as well and increase the stress...
If your car's owner's manual says it does, you do. For many consumers, whether to spend extra money for synthetic oil for an oil change is a difficult question to answer. Manufacturers of synthetic oil promise more miles and better performance when compared with conventional motor...
We recommend driving every two to three weeks to make it less likely that you wind up with a dead battery, flat-spotted tires or other issues that can be caused by letting a car sit for weeks. We've heard many people say they let their cars sit for months with no problems, but you're...
When it comes to brakes, there are no good vibrations. The most likely reason that you feel vibrations through the brake pedal is because a rotor — the rotating disc that the brake pads are pressed against — is unevenly worn, or what some call "warped." (It's...
When you apply the brakes to stop the vehicle, the brake pads are the friction material that gets pressed against the discs that spin along with the wheels. Eventually they wear down and need to be replaced. How many years or miles before that happens depends on where and how you drive, as well...
The water pump, often referred to as the coolant pump, circulates liquid coolant through the radiator and engine cooling system, and is powered by the engine itself. It ensures that the engine temperature is maintained at a safe level while operating. If it fails, the engine may overheat,...
Transmission fluid keeps the parts in your automatic transmission moving smoothly together. Like other vital automotive fluids, it can deteriorate over time. Hard use -- such as frequent stop-and-go city driving, hauling heavy loads, trailer towing -- will accelerate that deterioration. That...
Many automakers recommend that your car's tires be rotated on the same schedule as its oil changes. In most cases, this means every 7,500 miles or six months, though some automakers have stretched the oil-change interval to 10,000 miles. Rotating your tires when you get the oil changed is...