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Fuel economy has been discussed heavily on the Internet, but I need to throw in my two cents. We all hear car mechanics and automotive experts say make sure your tires are properly inflated.

Yet how often do people actually check it. In fact most motorists will not even look at their tires until someone else points out a problem.

So what’s the big deal and why does tire pressure effect miles per gallon anyway?
The main reason for the reduced efficiency is that under inflated tires will have more rolling resistance.

This will force the engine to work harder to move the car the same distance. Left unchecked this condition can really raise your annual fuel costs much higher.

How to check tire pressure

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Premium Fuel Economy
One common mistake is people will pull into a gas station and check tire pressures after driving for awhile.

You should always let the tires cool down before checking pressure. Hot air expands and may cause false readings. Also the manufacturer specification is provided as a cold setting.

Car makers are required to place a tire information label in the car providing the correct tire pressures both front and rear.

This label may be found on the edge of the door or doorjamb. Sometimes they are in the glove box. Or I have even seen them on the inside of the gas door or cover.
 
 
Overtightening bolts can be a common error made by many Diy auto mechanics and professional technicians alike.
Every bolt has a torque spec, and some of these are very critical, and some not so much. 
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overtightening bolts
A good example of a non critical bolt torque spec would be a fender bolt. Yes it does have to be tight but slight over tightening will not affect the reliability of the vehicle.

An example of bolt torque specification that should be respected would be when you replace a water pump.

The individual retaining bolts will more than likely have at least one torque spec, but might even have multiple torque specs.

Water pumps that mount to a timing cover will have long and short bolts.

The long bolts that screw into the engine block will have much higher torque values than the short ones that just thread into the timing cover.

Over tightening the short bolts can damage the timing cover, and the gaskets or seals.
 
Water under car 08/16/2009
 
The water under the car situation. I see this every summer. As most of us know when you run your cars ac in the summer the condensation is released under the automobile.

When you park the vehicle after running the air conditioner a puddle of this condensation will collect underneath.

Some new drivers will see this water under the car and think a problem has developed. This next post is from a visitor that got sucked into this situation and how they got out of it.

I had water under my car

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puddle under car
I wish to thank you for your E-book regarding auto repair scams. I wish I had come across your work years ago.

I have a long commute, and I read the entire book in 2 sittings. I'll read it again just so some of your wisdom will rub off on me.

The book is very informative, and though I'm not a good negotiator, I would hope that I would be able to use some of your advice.

I recently heard some intermittent sounds in my car (sounds like screeching brakes?) When I looked under the car, I saw some water dripping.
 
Car ac repair 08/09/2009
 
Car ac specialty shops are popping up all over the country.

Automotive service retailers are realizing the pure profit involved in repairing automotive air conditioning systems. 
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car ac compressor
Car ac repair is also one of the commonly overcharged repairs on cars and trucks today.

It is also very common for automotive ac repair bills to reach well over $1100.

It is possible that an air-conditioning repair shop may overcharge the automotive consumer for simple a/c repairs unless they are savvy.

Many times the a/c repair shop will replace additional parts in the air conditioning system that may not need to be replaced.

When a car ac system stops putting out cold air, a very common cause of this is that the Freon leaked out.

This is where the diy car mechanic can jump into action, and actually locate where the refrigerant leak is.

Finding car ac system leaks