FAQs Q: HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CHANGE MY ANTIFREEZE? For "ordinary" antifreeze, the vehicle manufacturers generally recommend coolant changes every two to three years or 30,000 miles. Others say it's not a bad idea to change the coolant every year for maximum corrosion protection -- especially in vehicles that have aluminum heads, blocks or radiators.  But such recommendations may soon be obsolete. Several antifreeze suppliers have just recently introduced "long life" antifreeze formulations that claim to provide protection for four years or 50,000 miles.  CAUTION: These new long life coolants provide extended life only when used in a clean system mixed with water. If mixed with ordinary antifreeze and/or old coolant in a system, the corrosion protection is reduced to that of normal antifreeze (2 to 3 years and 30,000 miles). CORROSION INHIBITORS The life of the antifreeze depends on it's ability to inhibit corrosion. Silicates, phosphates and/or borates are used as corrosion inhibitors to keep the solution alkaline. As long as the antifreeze remains so, corrosion is held in check and there's no need to change the coolant. But as the corrosion inhibiting chemicals are used up over time, electrolytic corrosion starts to eat away at the metal inside the engine and radiator. Aluminum is especially vulnerable to corrosion and can turn to Swiss cheese rather quickly when conditions are right. Solder bloom can also form in copper\brass radiators causing leaks and restrictions. So changing the coolant periodically as preventative maintenance is a good way to prevent costly repairs. The basic idea is to change the coolant before the corrosion inhibitors reach dangerously low levels.  Following the OEM change recommendations is usually good enough to keep corrosion in check, but it may not always be the case. That's why more frequent changes may be recommended to minimize the risk of corrosion in bimetal engines and aluminum radiators. CHECKING THE ANTIFREEZE One way to find out if it's time to change the antifreeze is to test it. Several suppliers make special antifreeze test strips that react to the pH (alkalinity) of the coolant and change color. If the test strip indicates a marginal or bad condition, the coolant should be changed. CHANGING THE COOLANT Reverse flushing is the best way to change the coolant because draining alone can leave as much as 30 to 50% of the old coolant in the engine block. Reverse flushing also helps dislodge deposits and scale which can interfere with good heat transfer. The concentration of antifreeze in the coolant also needs to be checked prior to the onset of cold weather. A 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and water is recommended and will protect against freezing down to -34 degrees F and boilover protection to 263 degrees F. For maximum protection, up to a 70% mixture of antifreeze can be used for freezing protection to -84 degrees F. CAUTION: Do not use more than 70% antifreeze, and never run straight water in the cooling system because it offers no corrosion, freezing or boilover protection. Q: HOW DO I KNOW WHEN MY CAR REALLY NEEDS A BRAKE SERVICE? You need a "brake Service" when your brake linings are worn down to the minimum acceptable thickness specified by the vehicle manufacturer or the applicable state agency in areas that set their own requirements. The only way to determine if new linings are required, therefore, is to inspect the brakes.  You may also need a brake service if you're having brake problems such as grabbing, pulling, low or soft pedal, pedal vibration, noise, etc., or if some component in your brake system has failed. But if the problem is isolated to only one component, there's no need to replace other parts that are still in perfectly good working order. There is no specific mileage interval at which the brakes need to be relined because brake wear varies depending on how the vehicle is driven, the braking habits of the driver, the weight of the vehicle, the design of the brake system and a dozen other variables. A set of brake linings that last 70,000 miles or more on a car driven mostly on the highway may last only 30,000 or 40,000 miles on the same vehicle that is driven mostly in stop-and-go city traffic.  As a rule, the front brakes wear out before the ones on the rear because the front brakes handle a higher percentage of the braking load -- especially in front-wheel drive cars and minivans. So many service facilities advertise brake service "specials" that replace the linings on the front brakes only.  Doing the front brakes is okay and can save you money as long as the rear brakes are in good condition. But if the rear brakes need attention, they should be relined too. One of the problems with the brake specials you see advertised in the newspaper is that the price is very misleading. The price of a brake service depends entirely on the work that needs to be performed. So any advertised special is not a firm price, but only an estimate of the least amount of money it might cost you to get your brakes fixed. A price should not be quoted until after the brakes have been inspected. Then and only then can an accurate determination be made of the parts that actually need to be replaced. Q: HOW TO BUY THE RIGHT TIRES Buying new tires can be confusing. A major influence on tire life is how the tire is used, your driving style, the type of car you drive, where you drive and the tire maintenance you perform regularly. There are, however, several things you can do to select the best tires and take care of them. YOU NEED TO KNOW THE RIGHT SIZE, TYPE & TREAD SIZE: The vehicle owner's manual or the label inside the glove box, or on the door post, will give you the proper tire size. This is important information, because putting an undersized tire on your car can overheat or overload the tire, while an over sized tire can rub parts of the car. TYPE: This information is listed in the owner's manual or a dealer can tell you the type of tires your vehicle needs. Almost all vehicles today come equipped with radial tires. Generally, radial tires provide better performance and durability. The other types of tires available are bias-ply and bias belted.  TREAD: There are several kinds of treads. "Mud and snow" tires (with the m+s symbol) are all season tires, capable of providing good traction in snow, slush, rain, and mud. "Snow" tires are for areas with heavy or frequent snowfall. Standard highway treads are for normal driving conditions. Ask your tire dealer for advice on the best tread for your type of driving. TIRE QUALITY GRADING All tires must meet Federal safety standards. In addition, all new vehicle tires, except snow tires, temporary-use spares, and tires for off-road use, have three ratings on a paper label and molded on the tire sidewall. These ratings are treadwear, traction, and temperature resistance. The grading system is designed to help buyers make relative comparisons among tires. It is not a safety rating and not a guarantee that a tire will last for a prescribed number of miles or perform a certain way. It simply gives tire buyers additional information to combine with other considerations, such as price, brand loyalty, and dealer recommendations. Tire quality grades can be used to pick the best tire for your needs. Grades are assigned by manufacturers after performing tests designed by the government. All tire dealers are required to provide you with a booklet explaining these grades and showing the grades of the tires they sell. TREADWEAR: The treadwear grade lets you compare how long different tires would last if driven by the same driver under the same road conditions and if the tire is maintained properly. A tire rated 100 will last approximately twice as long as one rated 50. TRACTION: The traction rating, scored A, B, or C, tells you how well the tires can stop your vehicle on wet roads. An "A" has the best traction. TEMPERATURE RESISTANCE: This rating, also scored A, B, or C, measures how well the tire will resist overheating during sustained high speed use. In general, the lower the running temperature, the less likely the tire will fail. A tire graded "A" represents the best performance, and is better than a "B" tire. A Consumer Guide to Uniform Tire Quality Grading, is available free from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This guide lists the grades of all tires and will help you compare various brands. To obtain a copy, write to NHTSA, General Services Division (NAD-51), 400 7th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C., 20590. MAINTENANCE & DRIVING TIPS Maintain the proper air pressure in the tires. Check pressure every week for routine driving. Also check pressure before taking any long trips. Measure the pressure when the tires are cold. Keep your tires at the recommended inflation pressure. This can be found in your owner's manual or on the label either in the glove box or near the door latch on the driver's side. The maximum inflation pressure is shown on the side of the tire. With the recommended air pressure, tires will last longer and be less likely to fail, and the car will use less fuel. Serious injury may result from tire failure because of under inflation or overloading. When you check tire pressure, make sure there is enough tread on the tire to operate safely and that the tires are wearing normally. All grooves should be visible and deep enough to at least touch the top of Lincoln's head on a penny. Look for even wear. If you see the treadwear warning bars across the tire, it's time to replace that tire. Bald tires are unsafe. If some spots on the tire seem to be wearing faster than others, see your service station or mechanic. You could have mis-aligned wheels, worn shock absorbers, or other potential problems. Make sure your wheels are balanced and aligned properly. Avoid "jack rabbit" starts and stops and fast, tire screeching turns. Never overload your car. Your car and tires are designed to operate safely only up to their load limits. These limits are shown in your owner's manual and on the certification plate on the edge of the driver's door. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT The main purpose of the check engine light (also known as the Malfunction indicator Lamp, or MIL) is to alert the driver of possible power train/emissions control failures or problems through a computer self-diagnostic system. These types of problems can be as simple as a loose gas cap or refueling with the engine running. though these items will not cause vehicle breakdown, they can lead to greater problems. the light will not go out by itself. The fault codes will have to be retrieved with the use of a computer scan tool that interfaces with your vehicles computer. Failure of oxygen sensors can set off a check engine light and can in turn cause excessive fuel consumption and poor performance. Ignoring the check engine light can cause multiple code settings, causing diagnosis of main failure to be more complicated. All vehicles manufactured after 1995 are On Board Diagnosis (ODB II) compliant. OBD is supported by  federal law, and is required on all vehicles post-1995, as many had them before then as well.  In short, it enables today's complex vehicle systems to be diagnosed with greater ease through this diagnostic process by a professional. Your check engine lights are your friends! In the past, a problem had to become very serious and sometimes very costly before you knew you had a problem and were calling a tow truck. If your light is coming on, get the symptoms diagnosed before it causes other problems!