Do Your Car a Favor...

And follow these four simple tips, provided by Reader’s Digest, that could help to extend the life of your car.

Service it regularly: This may seem like a given, but getting your car serviced regularly will help it drive longer. You may not be able to tell when it is time for a service since your vehicle will probably drive exactly the same. The problem occurs when you wait too long and end up on the side of the interstate waiting for a tow-truck. In other words, stop ignoring that check engine light.

Park in the shade: Garages are always the ideal place to park your car, but if one isn’t available, you should look for a shady spot. This minimizes interior damage from UV sunlight while keeping your car cool when you get back in. There is nothing worse than grabbing a burning hot seatbelt on a summer day. Sun also breaks down your car’s paint and causes it to fade. Keep your car looking newer, longer by finding a shady place to park it.

Be kind to your battery: Draining your battery will cause your car to die earlier then you want it to. Make sure you take care of it by not leaving your lights on and making sure all cables are connected correctly. Also keep the battery clean. A dirty case can cause it to drain. Just wipe it with a damp rag every so often.

Pay attention to the filters: There are several filters in your vehicle that are important to preserving the car’s engine. Important filters that should be checked and changed frequently include the oil filter, air filter, fuel filters and transmission fluid filters. Ask your repair man to check these when you get your car serviced. It will save you problems with the engine in the long run.

There are many other tips Reader’s Digest has for drivers to want to extend the life of their car. As long as you have it serviced regularly and you take care of it, you should get the most out of your vehicle. If you are interested in reading more tips, check out the full article here.

Exchanging Spare Tire for Better MPG

Losing your spare tire is synonymous with losing weight, for people and now for cars. But will car buyers give up their spare tire in exchange for higher fuel economy and lower operating costs? Automakers around the world are weighing that question.

Customer and regulatory demands for higher fuel economy led to the creation of the compact temporary spare tire in the 1980s. The same pressures now may eliminate the spare tire entirely.

“The general rule of thumb is that a 10% reduction in (vehicle weight) leads to a 6-7% improvement in fuel economy,” said Jay Baron, president and CEO of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor.

Automakers are replacing spare tires with tire sealants and an inflation kit to fix most flats. The tire sealant and inflation kit weigh 5-6 pounds, compared with 30 or more for a temporary spare and 50 or more for a full-size spare and its tools, GM director of chassis engineering Terry Connolly said.

“Engineers sweat bullets to reduce a car’s weight by grams, and this is a way to shed 40 or 50 pounds,” said Bill Visnic, Edmunds.com senior editor and analyst. “Not every customer is comfortable with it, though.”

Although tire reliability has increased, drivers still fear being stranded. That’s become less likely because of the widespread use of cell phones. Tire-pressure monitors on all new vehicles also make drivers aware of most leaks before the vehicle becomes disabled.

A survey by General Motors found the average driver gets one flat tire every 30,000 to 40,000 miles. In two-thirds of those flats, the air leaked out while the car was parked in the owner’s driveway. About one-third of respondents to a study by tire maker Michelin hadn’t had a flat in the last 10 years.

Despite that, AAA Michigan makes 130,000 road service runs for flat tires every year, and there’s always the possibility of a blowout the fix-it kit can’t repair.

With help easily available through cell phones, many people choose not to change flat tires even if they have a spare.

The benefits from eliminating the spare are too big for most automakers to ignore, though. A 1 m.p.g. difference in the fuel efficiency of a compact car such as the Chevrolet Cruze or Ford Focus will save the driver $50-$100 annually at the pump at current prices, according to the Department of Energy.

Most automakers figure full-size spares still are mandatory for pickups and SUVs that will be driven off-road. For most other vehicles, including smaller crossover SUVs, the trend is to provide repair kits.

Many drivers probably would be surprised to find out they already have a repair kit rather than a spare, said John Rastetter, director of tire information services at online tire retailer the Tire Rack.

“For most flats, a can of sealant and an air compressor does a great job,” he said. “Despite that, we hear from some customers who like the spare tire as a security blanket.”

For that reason, some automakers sell an optional spare tire for vehicles that come without one.

“It’s a question of trade-offs,” Visnic said. “Carrying a spare tire you never use 100,000 miles burns a lot of gasoline. It’s like driving around carrying a fully packed suitcase with a week’s clothes, just in case you have to go to the airport and don’t have time to pack. How often does that happen?”

Akerson Puts 1958 Corvette on Auction Block for Habitat

General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson with his 1958 Chevrolet Corvette.

One of America’s classic sports cars is going to help pave the way for rebirth in a renowned Detroit neighborhood.

General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson said Thursday he plans to auction off his 1958 Chevrolet Corvette with proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity Detroit and its efforts to rebuild and revitalize the Morningside Commons neighborhood on the city’s lower east side.

Auction details will be announced shortly. Interested parties can get an up-close look at the Akersons’ 1958 Corvette this weekend at the Woodward Dream Cruise sponsored by Chevrolet and get more details at www.facebook.com/corvette. 

Akerson and his wife, Karin, made a personal, cornerstone $1 million donation in February to help launch “Leaders to Rebuild Detroit,” Habitat Detroit’s three-year, $25 million initiative to serve at least 500 families in Morningside Commons through house construction, rehabilitation, critical repairs and energy-efficiency upgrades.

“A strong America is built on strong communities, and building those communities starts with one hammer, one nail and one person – and from there it’s contagious,” Akerson said. “My wife, Karin, and I want to see this effort to rebuild our headquarters city catch on, spread out and draw scores more volunteers and millions more in contributions.

“The 1958 Corvette is a great example of American passion and ingenuity, and my hope is that the auction will help bring attention and resources to Habitat’s efforts to revitalize a historic Detroit neighborhood,” said Akerson. “I love this Corvette, and if putting it on the block can help rebuild the heart and soul of a neighborhood, I am all for it.”

The Regal Turquoise Corvette, powered by a 245-horsepower V-8, will be front and center at the 60^thAnniversary Corvette Display at the familiar Birmingham Triangle along old and new Woodward avenues in downtown Birmingham.  More than 200 classic Corvettes spanning 1953 to present will be on display.

“We continue to be overwhelmed by the generosity and leadership of Dan and Karin Akerson and the entire General Motors team,” said Vincent Tilford, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Detroit.  “We are extremely grateful for their ongoing commitment and support for our efforts.  Parting with a classic Detroit vehicle like this is above and beyond the call of duty.”

The 1958 Corvette included new body panels, a new instrument panel and new upholstery.  External distinguishing features included dual headlamps – a Corvette first – and twin chrome trunk spears.  In a sign of changing times 54 years ago, safety belts were factory installed for first time. Chevrolet built 9,168 Corvettes for the 1958 model year, but only 510 – just over 5 percent – were painted Regal Turquoise.

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets.  GM’s brands include Chevrolet and Cadillac, as well as Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

Reduce Noise? Chevrolet Malibu Engineers are All Ears

Sound experts use advanced technologies to make 2013 Malibu cabin quiet.

A room full of audiophiles may not agree on a single style of music, but most concur that ordinary MP3 player ear buds don’t have the technology to deliver concert-quality sound. Likewise, Chevrolet noise engineers threw out conventional tools to evaluate the interior sound quality of the all-new 2013 Malibu sedan.

In the intensely competitive midsize car segment, customers expect refined, quiet interiors. The challenge for engineers is that sound – like music – is very subjective, and people respond to it differently. “To tune the sound properties to appeal to the widest possible audience, we need to make sure everyone hears the same thing,” said Kara Gordon, Malibu’s lead acoustic engineer.

Gordon and her fellow engineers are using better sound reproduction in the lab to help make the 2013 Malibu sedan one of the most refined and quiet midsize sedans available when it launches early next year.

They are doing this by equipping pre-production Malibus with a mannequin-like recording device called an Aachen HEAD. Named for the headquarters of Head Acoustics GmbH in Aachen, Germany, the head is a digital recording tool that closely matches the way humans process sound with both their ears. The Aachen HEAD technology preserves the binaural attributes of the sound, regardless of whether it’s inside or outside of a moving vehicle.

The device mimics the head of an average-sized person and incorporates specially calibrated, highly accurate digital microphones in each ear position. The microphones use a precise, 24-bit recording resolution to enable dynamic range equal with human hearing.

The Aachen HEAD is typically belted into the passenger seat or rear seat farthest from the driver. The recordings are made as the test Malibus are driven on a variety of road surfaces at a range of speeds.

At General Motors’ “Jury Room” in Milford, Mich., groups of engineers listen to the Malibu’s interior noise recordings and rate them on several criteria.

The Jury Room is equipped with a high-fidelity audio playback system that features Stax SR-303 electrostatic ear speakers. Unlike those little white buds, the large, rectangular Stax units fit over the ear and feature a large, translucent electrostatic film for precise sound reproduction.

The stock ear buds that come with a digital music player can reproduce sounds from a low end of 20 Hz to a maximum of 20,000 Hz, but all audio devices experience distortion as they approach the limits of their range.

In contrast, the Stax ear speakers’ range goes from just 7 Hz all the way up to 41,000 Hz, well beyond the range of the human ear. However, that extra head room means the speakers are always closer to their sweet spot for the sounds we can hear. That means everyone evaluating the sounds of a Malibu or any other Chevrolet hears the same sounds, regardless of which set of ear speakers is used, giving the engineers more consistent feedback on sound quality.

“The typical acoustic memory of the human ear to discern subtle yet important differences is about 10 seconds – or about the time it takes to go from one vehicle to another. The Aachen HEAD, our Jury Room and high-tech headphones make it possible for us to give our Malibu customers the quietest, most pleasing interior sound quality possible,” said Gordon.

The new Malibu will feature components that prevent tire, wind and road noise from entering the cabin.  Several components such as noise-reducing outside rear view mirrors, laminated side glass and noise-absorption pads are strategically placed to make the cabin quiet and improve the overall quality inside.

About 2013 Malibu

The new Chevrolet Malibu will be sold in nearly 100 countries on six continents. It will be available in LS, LT, ECO and LTZ models in North America. Malibu production in the United States is scheduled to begin in early 2012 with the ECO model. Malibu will be built in multiple locations around the globe, including the Fairfax, Kan. and Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plants in the United States. Pricing will be announced later this year.

Applebees, Taco Bell invade the world of food truck

By Chris Tutor, Automotive Consultant for AutoBlog.com

As if to prove the inevitable evolution of all things cool to pedestrian commercialism, the hipster trend of high-end food trucks is being invaded by cookie cutter chain names.

As the headline says, Applebees and Taco Bell are two big names cashing in on the roving restaurant trend. But there are also now trucks from Sizzler, Jack in the Box and Red Robin. If those big fish weren't enough to have you wondering if food trucks had jumped the shark, consider that NBC (yes, that NBC) recently had a food truck at SXSW and several U.S. cities have reported seeing a food truck selling Gap-branded tacos.

Some of the big chains see their trucks as supplementary to their brick and mortar stores, while others use their vittle-vans as mobile test kitchens. Sizzler, for example, uses an electronic menu on its truck because its offerings changed so frequently. Some items proved so popular that the steak chain incorporated them into their regular menu.

So is this the beginning of road-going restaurants? Or the beginning of the end for what was for a bit a fun little trend? Adweek's story points out that some people theorize that food trucks will become as ubiquitous as mobile phones. When first introduced, mobiles were novelties, but soon evolved to replace land lines.

The Importance of Servicing Your Vehicle

As drivers, we each carry certain responsibilities. We ensure we adhere to the road rules, provide courtesy to fellow motorists and, importantly, put safety first – and this includes ensuring that your vehicle is in roadworthy condition.

It is essential that we all know how to check air pressure and keep an eye on our engine oil levels, but cars are complex pieces of machinery that need to be regularly maintained by an experienced professional. Without correct maintenance, your car is a potentially dangerous machine. In addition, regular servicing can save you a lot of money long-term.

1) New car warranty protection

Here are a few more reasons why regular servicing of your vehicle is absolutely essential.

All new cars come with a warranty. However, these warranties are only valid if the service requirements of the vehicle are met.

Service requirements of individual vehicles vary depending on the manufacturer’s specifications (outlined in your vehicle owner's manual). While it is true that new vehicles should be more reliable than older vehicles, you cannot assume that this means they do not require regular servicing. New car warranties require regular and specific servicing, and not adhering to these conditions (such as having your service carried out by qualified staff, according to the manufacturers’ specifications, and using genuine or appropriate quality parts where required) may void your warranty. Over time, this could be a very expensive mistake!

2) Save on gas

Cars are complex pieces of machinery, and small changes can often result in a large impact on a vehicle’s performance. These changes are inevitable over time due to natural wear and tear, but regular servicing can ensure that these changes are addressed before they become significant. Natural wear and tear can lead to a gradual but significant loss of efficiency, resulting in your car using more and more fuel to travel the same distance.

Regularly servicing your car will mean fewer visits to the gas station and leave more money in your bank account – for a new pair of shoes or a carton of beer!

3) Prolong the life of your tires

Minor and major services should always include a tire rotation and balance. This involves moving the rear tires to the front of the vehicle, and the front tires to the rear. The front tires should be balanced to prevent vibration at high speeds.

Tyre rotation is essential to not only ensuring you always have the best tyres on the front for safety purposes, but will also increase the longevity of your tyres by evening out their wear. Tyres aren’t a cheap investment, so you really want to maximise their lifespan with regular rotation!

4) Ensuring safety for you and your family – and others

Every day we buckle up automatically, without remembering that we are behind the wheel of a potentially lethal machine. Sometimes we need to take a breath and reflect on our responsibilities as drivers - these extend not only to the manner in which you conduct yourself on the roads, but also to maintaining the condition of your car. Poorly maintained vehicles significantly increase the risk of serious accidents, and while there are a number of things that you can do yourself to keep your car in good condition, these should be seen as a supplement to a professional service and not a substitute. Regular servicing by an experienced and qualified mechanic will ensure that you have done everything within your power to ensure the safety of your family and fellow motorists.

5) Prevent breakdowns

A car is similar to the human body. Unless it receives enough of the right fluids, it will break down. But your car doesn’t just need fluid - it needs clean fluid to run at its peak performance.

It is amazing how many breakdowns could have been avoided with simple and regular car maintenance. That seems obvious, however it is common to see a car stranded on the side of the road with the owner impatiently waiting for assistance.

Many breakdowns are not related to the fact that today’s car engines are more complex or involve sophisticated components – a large number of cars still break down today because fluids are allowed to reach low levels or simple repairs are not taken care of in a timely manner. Regular servicing can pick up any irregularities and ensure there are no safety requirements that could develop into a problem – such as worn brakes, shock absorbers or tyres, oil and coolant leaks or worn wheel bearings.

Regular servicing will ensure the most basic functions of your vehicle are maintained, and the general checkover of all vehicle components will ensure that any visible issues will be reported before they cause you a problem.

6) Preserving the resale value of your vehicle

How many times do we hear about how much our vehicles drop in value the minute we drive off lot? This doesn’t have to be the case! No matter how long you have your car for, you will almost certainly want to sell it in the future. A complete, regular service history will make your vehicle much more attractive to prospective buyers, and you not only find it easier to sell but will most certainly receive a higher price if you have looked after it properly.

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Mel Leyshon: http://www.productionautomotive.com.au