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You rely on your car every day, and you have a lot of money tied up in it. It’s probably one of the more valuable things you own…so make sure you get the most out of that investment: Oil changes: Changing your motor oil at regular intervals will ensure long engine life by cutting wear and friction and helping to prevent the buildup of sludge and carbon on internal engine assemblies. Cooling system: Older cast-iron engines could overheat with no serious consequences, but not so with today’s a...

Every year, about 290 million tires are discarded; of those, about 233 million are recycled in one way or another. Shredded tires can be used for playground surfaces, welcome mats, hot-melt asphalt, bark mulch and even made into building material for “green” construction. But what can you do with your old tires? Here are some ideas: --Fill a tractor tire with sand to make a great sandbox for kids --Hang a tire from a rope as a tire swing --Stack a couple of tires on top of each other, bolt th...

Ever think about all the different vehicles that use rubber tires? Tractors, industrial equipment, everything else that rolls on rubber? Each specialized type of tire requires a specialized design for its specific purpose. Aircraft tires, for instance, have to be very robust and handle a great deal of weight and stress, but for only a short period of time. Aircraft tires are often filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen, for more stable inflation levels, and are designed with specialized fu...

You know that winter and bad weather are coming. Is your car ready? Here’s a quick checklist of things to get up to speed on: Motor oil: Motor oil has a tendency to thicken in cold weather, making it harder to circulate to upper engine parts at startup. If you haven’t ever used synthetic oil before, this might be a good time to start. The flow properties of synthetic oil are a lot more consistent, meaning it doesn’t thicken in sub-freezing temperatures or thin out when it’s hot outside. Wip...

Sometimes it pays to shop around...and sometimes it pays to stay loyal to the same people.

We've got a great town here in Bloomington -- why not go out and see some of what it has to offer this fall?

There are so many tire designs on the road -- all-season, high performance, touring, light truck -- and even within a specific tire design, there may be several choices of tread patterns. What differentiates them, and what are the pros and cons of each tread design?    -- Directional tread has a pattern of grooves and chevron shapes, all pointed in one direction. This design makes it easy to direct water away from the tire's contact patch and prevent hydroplaning in wet weather, and also offers...

Got a kid in college? Make sure that their vehicle isn't one more thing to worry over.