Valvoline.com

Preventive Maintenance

• Recycling Engine Oil and Other Automotive Contaminants

  Even pro auto technicians find themselves staring at things a government regulator (not to mention a tadpole or minnow) might consider hazardous waste and think, “What do I do with this?” The object o... Read More

• Top 10 Maintenance Mistakes

  To be quite honest, there are times when you really don’t have to care much about a car. Take for example, the classic rental. As long as it’s not a smoldering hulk and as long as there isn’t an extra... Read More

• Extended Drain

  Talking about motor oil is about as exciting as watching paint dry. But as a car owner, there is likely no subject that poses greater importance in the long-term operation of your automobile.... Read More

• To Every Season

  When it comes to traveling, nothing beats that initial moment of getting behind the wheel, gazing forward through the windshield at the road ahead and stealing a glance at the mundane evaporating... Read More

• Finding a Qualified Mechanic

  Finding a good family doctor to care for you and your loved ones is among the most difficult and frustrating tasks one can undertake. The same goes for finding a quality mechanic to keep your... Read More

• Wheel Cylinder Rebuild

  The easy way to visualize the difference between disc and drum brakes is that a disc brake pinches and a drum brake pushes. The disc brake caliper forces a pair of brake pads to pinch a rotating... Read More

• What's Stopping You?

  When you modify your vehicle with custom wheels and performance tires, you may need to upgrade your brakes at the same time. Stock brakes work fine with the factory rims and rubber, but as soon as... Read More

• 10 Tips for Choosing the Right Tires

  It's a toss-up as to which is more unwelcome, purchasing tires or getting a full physical exam. There may be more pain buying tires because most people wait until it's urgent—or even... Read More

• The Importance of Coolant

  Whether you call it engine coolant or antifreeze, the fluid in your radiator multi-tasks, circulating throughout your engine block and keeping the works purring like a... Read More

• Summer Road Trip Prep

  Ah, the summer road trip: an American tradition that's evolved from horse and buggy to Model T, from station wagon to today's SUV. Artistic interpretations of these traveling adventures are as varied... Read More

• Battery Bombs

  All car batteries come with warning labels. Most people are familiar with the cautions about battery acid, which can melt skin and cause blindness if it contacts eyes. As such, the sulfuric acid gets... Read More

• Bleeding Brakes

  Brake bleeding is one of the easiest, cheapest, and most effective forms of preventive maintenance for the do-it-yourselfer. Done every two years, completely renewing brake fluid will not only help... Read More

• Motor Oil Myths

  Misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and some downright myths surround motor oil. This is largely because motor oil is an extremely complex, heavily researched, continuously improved and extensively... Read More

• Bulbs and Lamps

  Even though the activity has been at the core of many jokes, changing a light bulb at home is by most accounts a fairly painless experience. Switch goes to off. A ladder or similar comes out. Out... Read More

• Top Five Misconceptions About Tires

  People know very little about tires. And a lot of what they think they know is flat wrong. Here are five commonly held misconceptions about tires.... Read More

• Camber Caster Toe

  A suspension alignment is one of those automotive maintenance chores that most of us put off until a set of tires worn to unusable tells us it's already too late. Bringing the three key alignment... Read More

• Car Care Quiz

  With the sheer number of automobiles in the world, it's only natural that a number of myths, untruths, and misconceptions surround modern motoring. Some of these myths are harmless, while others can... Read More

• Hands-Free Car Care Tips

  Effective car care doesn't require oil on your jeans, busted knuckles or burned fingertips. Just as you can keep your own body healthy without owning a scalpel, you can keep your vehicle running... Read More

• Top 5 Car Care Prep Tips

  If you're reading this you're likely one of those hearty few that revel in fixing things yourself. You enjoy the satisfaction in knowing that you made or fixed something. While that crooked spice... Read More

• Choosing Wiper Blades

  Replacing windshield wiper blades is a low priority task for the most of us. One only and suddenly remembers that the wiper blades are worn out when it rains or snows. This thought is usually and... Read More

• 6 Simple Tire Tips

  Here's a true story that highlights an important aspect of car care: A pickup is tooling down a two-lane highway. The driver notices something's not quite right when the truck hits 55 mph. There's a... Read More

• Fighting Vehicular Rodent Damage

  Nobody believed my tale of woe.... Read More

• Head Gasket Basics

  Understanding why a relatively inexpensive head gasket costs so much to replace means first realizing what it sits between. In the engine block are pistons that travel up and down in cylinder bores.... Read More

• Oil Filter Form and Function

  Oil is often referred to as the lifeblood of an automobile engine. The thin layer of oil molecules that rides in between engine parts is in reality all that prevents the friction between these moving... Read More

• Air Filter Fundamentals

  There is no great mystery to the operation of an internal combustion automobile engine. An automobile engine is essentially an air pump. The pistons and valves work together to draw in and expel air... Read More

• Front End Rehab

  The myriad parts that comprise the steering system of an automobile are often referred to collectively as the front end. This phrase is often uttered by your mechanic directly before the word... Read More

• Low-Down on Lowering

  Anyone who watches car and truck building shows on TV knows that customizing vehicles is a snap. In TV land, custom and aftermarket parts always fit right, never require grinding, welding,... Read More

• Back-to-School Car Care Tips

  Selecting and maintaining back-to-school vehicles is a somewhat difficult undertaking, fraught with the usual battle of wills and wallets. Be it a high-school hauler or a college cruiser, this choice... Read More

• All Clear Ahead

  Summertime. Long, warm, breezy days, slightly cooler nights, and lots and lots of bugs. As anyone who has driven in the bug belt during the summer months can attest, the absolute worst time to find... Read More

• New-Age Tune-Up

  Once upon a time, people actually popped the hoods of their vehicles and tuned up the engines. They developed a fine ear for that distinctive purr, once described as a thousand little sewing machines... Read More

• Getting Towed

  If you log enough miles behind the wheel, one day you'll find yourself sitting on the side of the road—or in the middle of it—in need of rescue. Your vehicle may just have a flat tire, or... Read More

• Cabin Air Filters

  The crisp smell of early fall, the metallic twinge of mountain rain, the organic whiff of freshly turned farmland—all part of those bucolic family vacation trips of our youth. But, fast forward... Read More

• Radiator and Heater Hose Replacement

  Unless you're driving an old rear-wheel-drive Volkswagen Beetle or lucky enough to be carving up the pavement in a pre-'98 Porsche 911, the engine underneath the hood of your car keeps from... Read More

• Inspecting and Replacing Accessory Belts

  Even though the names may suggest otherwise, serpentine, and v-belts have little to do with Grandpa's plaid Sansabelt golf slacks. Grandpa may, however, have a serpentine or v-belt under the hood of... Read More

• Modern Catalytic Converters

  In a perfect world, the automobile engine would burn up its gasoline and produce the basic byproducts of combustion: carbon dioxide and a little bit of water, or good old H2O. The problem is that the... Read More

• Shock Tale

  It's easy to forget about what's going on as your car or truck hurtles down the road over potholes, railroad tracks and other road surface irregularities. While you wile away the commute listening to... Read More

• Knock, Knock, Who's There?

  Detonation is worse news than root canal treatment, and just as expensive. Detonation is related to pre-ignition, and their causes are similar. ... Read More

• Interstate Infernos

  A total of 266,500 vehicles burst into flames on our highways in 2005. These fires claimed 520 lives, caused 1,300 injuries and almost a billion dollars in property damages, according to a new report... Read More

• Holding Sway

  You're probably pretty familiar with "grab handles." No, not the ones on the waists of middle-aged adults, but those mounted on the interior ceiling areas just above the passenger doors on many cars.... Read More

• Exhaust Gas Recirculation Valves Explained

  Under certain temperature conditions inside a running engine, nitrogen and oxygen combine to form sky-darkening nasties known as nitrogen oxides, or NOx. These compounds combine with other tailpipe... Read More

• Power Window Switch Cleaning

  Back in the early days of the automobile, things got started by hand-turning a crank. A large crank was inserted into the front, or side of the car, and spun around by the soon-to-be driver. If all... Read More

• Putting the Power Back in Power Steering

  Power steering was first used on a vehicle way back in the 1920s. While systems have grown more refined, the operating principle remains largely unchanged. The power steering system brings together... Read More

• Flat-Tire Triumph

  Vulcanization has nothing to do with sci-fi or pointed ears of any kind. The process was discovered by one Charles Goodyear, and has everything to do with the modern automobile tire. Vulcanization is... Read More

• Fuel Pump Replacement

  An engine needs fuel to run. Since fuel is flammable and generally explosive, it is kept in a tank a safe distance away from the explosions going on inside the engine. This presents the problem of... Read More

• CV Joint Axle Replacement

  For many years, the much-ballyhooed invention of the wheel has overshadowed the most likely, near-simultaneous invention of an equally important modern innovation: the axle. Without the axle, the... Read More

• Big Wheels

  Custom wheels and cool tires adorn more new vehicles than any of the never-ending menu of aftermarket products. Makes you wonder why the auto manufacturers don't just have their new models sitting on... Read More

• Radiator and Cooling System Care

  In the same way one's arteries will clog up with the consumption of too many double bacon cheeseburgers and chocolate shakes, the passages in your vehicle's cooling system can get clogged due to... Read More

• Fan Upgrade

  An internal combustion engine needs three precious ingredients to create power: air, fuel and spark. On the path to more power, the automotive performance enthusiast will endeavor to squeeze more... Read More

• Maintaining and Recharging Your A/C

  Despite what you may have read on the Internet, or heard from certain late night AM radio hosts, there is no secret government agenda to make us all run banana oil or mind control serum cleverly... Read More

• Fuel Filter Swap

  Back in the days of carburetors and mechanical fuel pumps, changing out the fuel filter was a simple affair. A sharp knife or scissors, a few hose clamps, a foot or so of fuel line, and a new fuel... Read More

• Engine Compression Test

  An automobile engine's most crucial task is to make power. The engine performs this task by taking in a mixture of fuel and air, pushing the mixture into a confined space, setting the mixture aflame,... Read More

• High-Water Repair

  We've all seen this on the news: some poor schmuck being pulled out of the muck, with his sedan stalled in the middle of a flooded street. The imperious broadcaster always warns us that we're not... Read More

• Tune-Up Tips

  From the days of the first horseless carriages up until relatively recent times, automobile engines have required an inordinate amount of attention to keep them running in top shape. The various... Read More

• Degrease Your Engine

  We all know how hard it is to keep dirt and debris off the outside of our vehicles, but there's one essential part that often gets neglected. Ironically it's the very thing that enables you to keep... Read More

• Radiator Repair

  Engine coolant takes away the heat produced by internal combustion. The radiator channels the heat away from the coolant in order to keep the metal parts that make up the engine from turning into a... Read More

• Hatch and Hood Repair

  If the hatchback or hood of your vehicle isn't holding up its end of the bargain anymore, it may be time to replace those tired old lift supports. Using broomsticks, baseball bats, old family photo... Read More

• Getting Greased

  While regular changing of the motor oil and filter is the path to take for long engine life, it's also important not to forget the multitude of other wear items that require regular lubrication that... Read More

• Power-Bleeding Brake Systems

  Connected to the brake pedal is a rod that pushes a piston inside the master cylinder. When the brake pedal is pushed down that piston pushes brake fluid through the brake lines. Since this fluid has... Read More

• In-the-Octane-Know

  Every time gas prices creep higher, you might find yourself wondering if you really need to pay the extra change for the upgrade to premium or super duper grade gasoline. The answer to that question... Read More

• Custom Fit Performance Spark Plug Wires

  The concept behind high performance spark plug wires is simple. A stronger current to the plugs helps them to make a hotter spark, and burn the fuel-air mixture inside the cylinders more completely.... Read More

• Fan Appreciation

  It's no secret that engine accessories rob your engine of horsepower. Ever notice how the idle slows slightly when your air conditioning kicks on? That's because it's siphoning off power to operate... Read More

• What's the Difference?

  It's time to face facts. Every once in a while your rear end needs a little help. Whether you drive a rear-, front-, or all-wheel-drive vehicle the wheels spin by way of a differential. The gears... Read More

• Inspect, Repack and Replace Wheel Bearings

  Every wheel on every vehicle spins around thanks to smaller wheel bearings. The bearings themselves contain rollers that spin around inside a cage to bear the load of the vehicle on the axles. The... Read More

• Rust Prevention

  The joys of winter also bring along a lot of ice and snow-melting salt poured onto the roadways of the states that comprise what is known as the rust belt. While salt is an inexpensive and effective... Read More

• PCV Valve

  Countless explosions occur every minute your engine runs. While the good majority of this internal combustion is confined to the combustion chambers, a small amount of the controlled explosion sneaks... Read More

• Changing Your Air Filter

  Think of your engine as a giant air pump. It takes in air, mixes the air with fuel and ignites this mixture in order to produce the power to get your vehicle down the road. Over the course of even a... Read More

• Keep Your Eye on the Thermostat

  The sudden failure of an inexpensive part can leave you and your vehicle stranded by the side of the road. This is especially true of the cooling system thermostat. The thermostat resides in between... Read More

• Operational Guidance, Part 1

  In auto racing, good drivers know that to finish first, they must first finish. Achieving this goal requires more than good driving skills and watching out for fellow competitors. The vehicle must... Read More

• Automotive Gauge Selection

  Installing aftermarket gauges can give you an eagle's eye view into what's going on deep inside your vehicle. Monitoring your engine's oil pressure, coolant temperature, and keeping tabs on your... Read More

• Automatic Reaction

  Like the human body, your vehicle runs on fluids: gas, engine oil, lubricants and the lesser-known transmission fluid. Without a sufficient supply of all the above, your vehicle can come to a... Read More

• No-Toil Oil Check

  Of all the fluids in your vehicle, one is absolutely crucial to the survival of your engine—oil. A thin layer of oil molecules rides between every surface inside your engine. These molecules... Read More

• Don't Get Con-Fused

  The electrical system in your vehicle is something you never think about until something goes wrong. Wipers stop wiping. Blowers stop blowing. Mirrors stop adjusting. Then what? Any number of things... Read More

• Fan Fare

  It can slowly creep up, intensifying with each passing day, or hit from seemingly out of nowhere. It can be barely noticeable, easily ignored, or so hugely annoying that you don't even want to turn... Read More

• Tire Talk: What Are They Telling You?

  Tires, like windshield wipers and oil filters, are parts of your car that wear out as a result of normal use. Tires, however, have a tremendous impact on the safety of your car every time you head... Read More

• Pickup Storage

  Axioms like, "A tidy desk is the sign of an empty mind," and, "Housecleaning makes you ugly," were undoubtedly coined by messy people. Even those of us who thrive in what we defend as organized chaos... Read More

• Smog Test Prep, Part 2

  In our first installment on getting ready for an emissions exam, we covered the many splendid facets of smog check and its application to your vehicle. We also touched on the first part of the test:... Read More

• Engine Cleaning

  When cleaning your car, you normally think in terms of washing the outside and sprucing up the interior. How about under the hood? There are a number of practical reasons to include engine cleaning... Read More

• Mirror, Mirror on ...

  Towing a trailer can be a challenge. With the added length and width of a trailer behind your tow vehicle, there's a lot to keep track of so having adequate mirrors is essential. Without them, your... Read More

• Smog Test Prep, Part 1

  Nobody likes to fail a test, even if it's just the emissions check on your vehicle. For those of you who have been traumatized by, or wish to avoid the trauma of failing a Smog Test—we have good... Read More

• Service Intervals

  You've probably heard all the excuses: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" "Don't they check all that stuff at the quick-lube when I get my oil changed?" "I know it's time to change my oil when the... Read More

• Road-Trip Tips

  The trunk is packed, the family is buckled up, you're headed out of town on a long-anticipated vacation with the open road calling you to new adventures. The family vehicle was sent for a thorough... Read More

• Vehicle Repair Safety, Part 2

  In our first installment on car-repair safety, we focused on the person doing the repairs, both their mindset and proper apparel. Now we'll get down to the nitty-gritty list of flagrant, bone-headed,... Read More

• Vehicle Repair Safety, Part 1

  Combat, you say? Aren't we exaggerating a bit here about the potential dangers of car care? Not when you consider that, even for what professionals refer to as "light duty" repair work (such as an... Read More

• Clutch Play

  Is your manual transmission getting harder to shift? Does it feel like it just doesn't grab like it used to? Or maybe it's starting to chatter or vibrate? A worn clutch may be the culprit here. Or it... Read More

• Inexpensive Wheel Upgrade

  Not long ago 16- and 17-inch tall wheels were found only on exotic cars. Today, minivans have 17s as standard equipment. Also, many spend thousands to replace perfectly good 16s and 17s with 18-,... Read More

• Car Care Resolutions

  As long as you're making lists of New Year's resolutions, go ahead and add a few to help your auto make it through 2007.... Read More

• After-Winter Car Care

  Every region has its version of spring. For those who live in snow-free Southern California, it's the March Santa Ana; in the South, spring starts when the dogwoods bloom; Midwesterners look for the... Read More

• Cold-Weather Comfort

  Cold is relative. To prove that little axiom, tune into the SuperBowl when (and if) the Green Bay Packers are playing in a warm-winter stadium, like the Qualcom in San Diego. January temperatures... Read More

• Cool Tools: The Advanced

  If you've read other "Cool Tools" articles about the different types of tools, you'll be familiar with a variety of basic hand tools and some simple diagnostic ones. Here we address some more... Read More

• Heater Care

  The eternal optimist in all of us anticipates that a simple flip of the heater switch on that first really cold, blustery day of winter means that our vehicle will instantly be as warm and cozy as... Read More

• Winterizing Your Vehicle

  A carpet of fresh snow, crisp air, icicle-decorated trees—all very heartwarming concepts when viewed from in front of a roaring fireplace. Yet, whatever your view of winter may be, one reality... Read More

• Cool Tools: The Diagnostics

  Having covered some practical hand tools in earlier "Cool Tools" articles for repair and maintenance of your vehicle, we now can scope a few simple diagnostic tools. In spite of the fact that... Read More

• Cool Tools: The Specialized

  In "Cool Tools: The Basics," we addressed some necessary tools that make a wide range of jobs go much faster and easier. Now we'll move on to tools with a more narrow purpose. While these tools may... Read More

• Cool Tools: The Basics

  For want of a nail, the kingdom was lost. Now, if you've ever experienced the automotive equivalent of this old saw (or wrench, if you prefer), then you know that for want of the right tool, a repair... Read More

• Nuisance Noises

  Perhaps one of the most annoying problems you'll find in a vehicle is a nuisance noise. While not necessarily a hazard, that irksome rattle or squeak can drive you batty on even a short trip. Maybe... Read More

• Tire Rotation 101

  Most people judge their vehicles' tires by a common sense set of parameters: Will they be safe from blowouts and tread separations? Will they be rugged enough to deal with potholes and other road... Read More

• The Weighting Game

  Anyone who has purchased motor oil is familiar with those numbers on the front of the container, something like 5W-30. Most folks may even have some idea of what those numbers mean, and how that... Read More

• Oil Grading 101

  Probably most folks who do their own oil changes are at least somewhat familiar with the oil viscosity ratings. What may be less understood, however, are the service grades. Just as it's important to... Read More

• Auto Theft Prevention

  Every 26 seconds someone in the United States becomes a victim of auto theft. If you become one of the statistics, the chances of your vehicle being recovered are slightly more than one in two, so... Read More

• Battery Care

  Unlike most toys, your vehicle actually comes with a battery. But, unlike that energetic little bunny, your car battery won't keep on going and going without some diligence on your part. Before we... Read More

• Maintaining Your Vehicle May Make Financial Sense

  Although you may want to get rid of your present vehicle in favor of a new car, taking better care of your current set of wheels may make much more sense in the long run—helping you achieve a... Read More

• Drum and Drummer

  Even though four-wheel disc-brake systems are the preferable way to go—or rather, stop—many vehicles still come equipped with front disc/rear drum systems. And while rear brakes only handle... Read More

• ABS Speed Sensor Service

  One of the most common omissions in maintaining a modern Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) is checking out the speed sensors. These sensors are often located at each wheel hub/rotor on four-wheel disc... Read More

• Steering You Right

  Pint-for-pint, the one or two quarts of power steering fluid required by your passenger car are probably some of the least appreciated fluids under the hood. Considering what it does, and how much a... Read More

• Malfunction Indicator Lamps

  My, how times have changed. Back in the days when leaded fuel was sold at "service stations," as they were quaintly called, motorists had to be concerned with only a few warning lights that each... Read More

• Auto Emissions in the U.S.

  While the emissions released from a single car in the United States may seem insignificant compared to those of, say, a chemical processing plant, vehicles are, in fact, the single greatest polluter... Read More

• Bolt-On Brush Guards

  In another article, after installing a bed extender we briefly covered how to bolt on brush guards for the taillights since those are relatively easy to install. Front brush-guard installation is... Read More

• Engine Bay Billet

  It's been said that the last five-percent of a project vehicle is the hardest. That may or may not be true—it depends on what you're trying to accomplish. If you're just adding some trim pieces... Read More

• Keeping Your Cool-ant

  Draining and filling your cooling system used to be a whole lot simpler. Back in the early days of ethylene glycol coolant/antifreeze, all you had to do was reach for the drain petcock at the bottom... Read More

• Exterior Fabric Cleaning

  Whether your automotive top is canvas or vinyl, dirt will accumulate there in the same way it does on your paint and other exterior surfaces. But, unlike your paint and other exterior surfaces, a... Read More

• Oxygen Sensor Replacement

  Tune-ups aren't what they used to be but, in a sense, that's good. These days, one of the few things that needs to be replaced on a regular basis in a late model vehicle is the oxygen sensor. Putting... Read More

• Align It Yourself

  Most people think that wheel alignment is best left to the professionals. This is true in many respects, but some alignment specs are easy to check yourself, and toe is one aspect of alignment that... Read More

• CV Rehab

  Front-wheel-drive vehicles transfer the power from the transmission to the wheels through drive axle assemblies. These drive axles have constant-velocity (CV) joints at each end. The joints are... Read More

• Distributor Cap Replacement

  In automobiles, most plastic parts have finite lives. The distributor cap is a prime example of a component that eventually succumbs to heat and vibration. But even if its plastic housing hasn't... Read More

• Servicing Wheel Bearings

  Re-packing wheel bearings isn't nearly as bad as getting a lower GI, but it isn't most people's idea of a good time either. Bearings make the wheels go 'round and 'round, and lack of lubrication will... Read More

• Headlight Replacement

  Oddly enough, many of us will drive with a non-illuminating headlight for weeks—until someone alerts us. (With any luck, it won't be a person wearing a badge.) There's no reason for this: most... Read More

• Distributor Rotor Replacement

  Technology often improves performance and efficiency. Automotive ignitions received a notable technological advance in the Seventies when "points" type systems began giving way to more-modern... Read More

• Air Filter Maintenance

  Oil-coated cotton-gauze air-filter elements tend to free up horsepower because they allow more air to flow into the engine than standard paper-type filters. These oilable elements trap even minute... Read More

• Clutch Decisions

  For the average auto owner, farming out major repairs is usually wise. Sure, saving on labor charges can be enticing, but hidden costs often undermine good intentions. (As a worst-case scenario, one... Read More

• Catalytic Converter Replacement

  To car enthusiasts, catalytic converters are often viewed as a government conspiracy to limit horsepower. This is because catalytic converters are the least-understood emissions-system component. In... Read More

• Performance Filters

  Spring is the perfect time to reclaim your vehicle from the ravages of winter and to prepare for some carefree summer road trips. One of the first places to start is with your vehicle's filters.... Read More

• Winter Prep

  Winter driving can be trying on both the vehicle and its pilot. As with many other things in life, preparation is the key to success. A few cold-weather parts and preparatory procedures can make the... Read More

• Oil-Pan Gasket Replacement

  Puddles of oil on the ground beneath your car's engine are annoying. For the lucky few, the source can be a loose oil-pan drain plug, a dipstick tube that's come unseated from the engine block or an... Read More

• Oil Change 101

  Note: Be sure to read filter packaging for proper removal and replacement of oil filter.... Read More

• Flushing Your Radiator

  Most motorists know it's recommended that our vehicle's oil should be changed about every 3,000 miles. Drivers are less educated, however, about proper intervals for their vehicle's other vital... Read More

• Car Care Tips

  Most people take pride in owning a reliable, attractive car or truck. The key to keeping a vehicle dependable and aesthetically pleasing is a normal maintenance regimen. To some, taking their vehicle... Read More