That is what we owners want to hear, but keeping our cars looking like the late models is tough, even with today's long-lasting finishes. Dents, dings and cracked glass are several items that age the appearance of a vehicle. Fortunately, technology has helped advance the solutions to these problems, making the fixes quicker and less expensive. With mobile repair units, these items often can be repaired on site at your home or work, adding to the convenience.

"Serious rust damage, including a hole right through the metal, can begin with a minor scratch in a parking lot from a shopping cart," said Rich White of the Car Care Council. "Steel is strong and lasts a lifetime when it's protected, but when that protection is invaded, the metal is exposed to the elements. That's when rust begins its invasion."

If your car battery is dead or even weak, you're not going anywhere. It is the leading cause of starting trouble, whether because of lights left on, a charging system problem or other cause.

Sometimes it is just that the battery has outlived its usefulness. But even at best, a healthy battery in 80-degree weather has only half of its output when the thermometer dips to zero.

Have you ever had your car just "die" on you, you try to start it and it just will not start. You end up calling a tow truck and paying those big tow bills, then to make matters worse the technician at the shop tells you that it will cost hundreds of dollars to make it run again, is that true? Maybe maybe not.

The engine is the heart and soul of your car, but instead of pumping plasma blood around veins, the engine pushes petrol and airl. The main focus of the engine is to transform the air and petrol into rotary motion so it can drive the wheels of the car. How does it do that ??.... Well let's start with a cutaway of the engine and see all the major parts then wewill get into the actual mechanics.

When the automotive industry was in its infancy, it used electricity only to ignite the fuel inside the engine. By the late 1920's, the electric starter replaced the hand crank, electric headlights made acetylene lamps obsolete and the sound of the electric horn drowned out the toot of the hand operated air horn. Today, a car uses an extensive electrical system just to produce, store, and distribute all the electricity it requires to allow it to run smoothly and offer the driver the comfort he now expects.

It always happens at the worst times! You need to know how to change a tyre even if you have an auto club membership. Depending on where you get a flat tyre, there may not be a phone nearby to call a tow truck. Let's take is step by step and always remember to read your owners manual, there will be detailed instructions relating to your car there.

If you are a car owner who occasionally works on his or her own car, please don't go out and spend thousands of dollars on high priced tools. Professional mechanics make a living with their tools and need the best. If you are doing minor repairs on your own vehicles a lower cost tool set will do just fine. Keep in mind that you can find most of these tools at your local parts store. Let's look at the basics you will need for most common jobs.

The function of the engine's cooling system is to remove excess heat from the engine, to keep the engine operating at the most efficient temperature, and to allow the engine to reach its ideal operation temperature in the shortest time possible. In an ideal world, the cooling system keeps the engine running at its most efficient temperature no matter what the operating conditions are.