Sue's Car Care Tips

This year is especially important to keep your car’s routine maintenance up to date. At Highway Tire we’ll make it easier for you to maintain your vehicle so it’s running at top performance. Whether you’re gift giving for your grandparents, parents, or children, we are. . .

Are your wiper blades performing to your expectations? It’s one of the car’s most important accessories we can’t drive without.

When you see corrosion on the positive terminal, this means the battery may be overcharging. The substance can be either greenish blue or white depending on the type of metal of the terminal ends. If the substance is greenish blue, its copper sulfate. The copper from the terminal clamp reacts with the lead in the battery. If the clamps are aluminum, it’ll be whiter in color creating aluminum sulfate. You may notice the battery quality start to degrade.

Tire sizes have increased over the last decade, and with that so has the price. To protect your investment there are a few things you should do to care for your tires.

If you’ve ever brought your car to a shop for new tires, you’ve probably been asked if your vehicle has a wheel lock key. Newer vehicles come with a locking lug nut on each wheel. Also, sometimes people that get custom or aftermarket rims put them on. They are like regular lug nuts but have a cut out in them and need a key to be removed.Each set of wheel locks have their own key. They are used to deter criminals from stealing your wheels. The key usually comes in a set which can be found with...

Everyone has had to go through the inconvenience of getting a flat tire at one point in their lives. It is not fun to say the least. The first thing that comes to mind is how you’re going to fix it.If possible, it’s best to put the spare tire on and take it to a tire repair facility.Temporary Rope PlugsThey do not properly seal a puncture and can be dangerous to drive on. Sometimes rope plugs can make the hole larger therefore making the tire unrepairable. They also don’t seal the hole proper...

 A vehicle can overheat for many reasons, but one thing is for sure; if you drive vehicle when it is above normal operating temperature, it can turn a small problem into a catastrophic issue. Even driving for as little as one minute with the temperature gauge on the red line can cause engine damage. Some signs of overheating include the temperature gauge being higher than usual and smoke, coolant or steam coming out from under the hood.If your vehicle is overheating, we recommend pulling over im...

 Many car manufacturers are now using Gas Direct Injection engines or GDI in most of their vehicles. The benefits of Direct Injection engines are increased fuel efficiency without compromising performance and cleaner tailpipe emissions. These engines spray fuel directly into the combustion chamber instead of over the intake valves and mixing with air. Over time, carbon can build up rapidly on the intake valves since gasoline no longer washes them off. This carbon can cause issues over time.Commo...

 When purchasing a new vehicle, sometimes a dealership may imply that the vehicle needs to be serviced at their location to keep the Manufacturer’s Warranty in effect.Under Federal law, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975, title 15, chapter 50, section 2301-2312, it prohibits a new car dealer to deny warranty service or imply that warranty service will be voided if routine service or repairs are not performed at the dealership. Your owner’s manual also says this.If you choose to take your v...

 What is an Alignment?An Alignment is an adjustment of a vehicles suspension parts. This is the system that connects the wheels to the vehicle. The angles of the tires are adjusted so they make proper contact with the road.Signs you Need and Alignment:Your vehicle pulls one way or anotherYou have abnormal tire wearThe Steering wheel is off centerTypically, your alignment should be checked about once a year. Every vehicle manufacturer has recommendations on how often an alignment should be perfor...