Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) is pleased to announce longtime partner NAPA AUTO PARTS has extended their marketing relationship with the winningest organization in NHRA history through a multi-year agreement, beginning in 2019. “We’ve enjoyed an 11-year partnership with NAPA and are thrilled to be able to announce that relationship will continue into 2019 and beyond,” said team owner Don Schumacher. “The longevity of our relationship speaks volumes, and we look forward to many more wins, championships and years representing NAPA AUTO PARTS.” NAPA AUTO PARTS joined the DSR family as an associate sponsor in 2007 and became the primary sponsor of the Dodge Funny Car driven by Ron Capps in 2

Regular maintenance is key to engine performance, efficiency, reliability and longevity. Knowing when to change coolant, engine oil, transmission fluid and brake fluid, among other adjustments, will help you get the most out of your vehicle. Looking under the hood, though, it can be difficult to tell when to change coolant. Engine coolant isn’t always easy to judge by appearances alone. If you’re wondering, “Why do you need engine coolant, as opposed to water? What is engine coolant made of? How do you know when coolant is worn out?” don’t worry, because we’ll answer all of those questions and more. Even in the most efficient internal combustion engines, little of the explosive energy of the

Winter presents many unique hazards for drivers. Wind, sleet, ice and snow can make driving treacherous, with bridges and underpasses especially dangerous. The following winter safety tips will help keep you and yours safe as you traverse the frosty highways and byways: 1. Beware of Exhaust Fumes Never start your car and leave it running while parked in the garage, there is a risk that poisonous exhaust fumes can enter your home and prove deadly. If your car is parked outside and covered in snow, always ensure the exhaust pipe is uncovered before starting the car. A blocked exhaust pipe will cause noxious fumes to back up into the interior, posing another potentially deadly threat. 2. Unders

Tires don’t last forever, and changing them restores performance and safety. Some people might replace tires too often, while others don’t do it often enough. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA), only 19 percent of people check and adjust tire pressure properly, and roughly 700 people die in tire-related car crashes annually! Clearly, tires and tire maintenance are more important than many realize. Tire maintenance will help your tires last as long as possible. The NHTSA recommends rotating your tires every 5,000 to 8,000 miles. This evens out wear patterns from the front and the rear that can be caused by steering and trailing axle differences, as well

(Editor’s Note: Welcome to NAPA Knows New Cars with the 2019 Ram 1500. This is not your normal new car review. This series focuses more on the nuts & bolts of the vehicle that are not usually covered by other outlets. The intention is to inform, not endorse. Ultimately the decision to buy a vehicle should be based on an individual’s needs and situation.) Ram has been a stand-alone division of FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) for almost a decade, having formerly been part of the Dodge brand. In that time automotive technology has grown by leaps and bounds. Back in 2006 Ram embraced variable displacement technology to help raise fuel efficiency. Starting with the 2019 model year full size truck

You try to start your car, but the key won’t turn. This should be simple, but no matter how much you try, it’s not budging. Here’s what you should do if you find that your ignition key won’t turn. Whatever You Do, Don’t Force the Key! Your first instinct may be to use brute force to turn the key. This isn’t a good idea, because you can damage the ignition key lock cylinder. Forcing the key, especially if it’s an older metal one, could damage the key itself. It could bend or, worse, snap off. Once this happens, you’re stuck with half the key in your hand, half of it inside the ignition and a much more expensive and time-consuming repair. Is the Steering Wheel Locked? Steering wheels lock as

The benefits of premium gas can be difficult to separate from the marketing hype that goes with it. Presented as the “top tier” fuel at your local filling station, it can often seem like a question of “good, better, best” when choosing which option to pump into your own tank. The reality, however, is a little more complicated than that. There are very good reasons why you might want to pay more for premium gas, but most of them were mechanically predetermined long before you pulled in to fill up. What’s That Knocking Sound? The reason there’s more than one type of gasoline available is because car companies manufacture engines that require fuels with different resistance levels to “knock.” K

What do you get for the driver in your life? This can be a hard question to answer, but it doesn’t have to be the same old gift card this year. If you have friends and family who are always driving, think about something that fills a need they don’t even realize they have. Here are a few car gadgets that make great gifts for any driver and don’t require complicated modifications. Not only will these car gadgets make the driver’s commute more enjoyable and safer, they also don’t have to break the bank. Dash Camera Give your favorite driver peace of mind with a dash cam. Not to be confused with a backup camera, these little observers usually mount to the windshield or dash facing out towards t

The holidays are a time of joy and gift giving, but sometimes the one dearest to you is the hardest to find the right gift for. If your special someone is a certified car nut, then this car enthusiast gift guide is for you. Here’s a look as some of the coolest holiday car gear. Jingle Jump Jump start packs are a dime a dozen these days but most are big and clunky. With improvements in battery technology, multi function jump packs are not only compact enough to tuck into a trunk corner or door panel, but they also look cool — and even come with a roadside work light and smartphone charging port. For a more compact option that fits in a glovebox, the BlueFuel lithium power supply is a great st

Engine overheating can ruin your car’s powertrain. By using the guidance below, you can help keep things cool if it gets a little too hot under your car’s hood. Be Prepared Driving just a quarter-mile with an overheated engine can cause lasting damage, so it’s important to make sure you’re prepared to handle this situation every time you get behind the wheel. Plan to always have the following supplies on hand: Engine coolant: One of the most common causes of engine overheating is low coolant level. By keeping a bottle of it in the trunk, you’ll be able to refill the reservoir when needed. Towel: You may need to unscrew your car’s radiator cap if your vehicle overheats, and it can get extreme

At first glance, gasoline and diesel engines are incredibly similar. Both take fuel, make small explosions and move cars. While both motors have similar designs and do the same basic thing, there are a few key differences between the two. Keeping It Simple A diesel engine takes a very simple and direct approach to internal combustion. Its design involves compressing the air as much as 2-1/2 times more than a gasoline engine. Compression causes heat. So when the fuel is delivered, through a high-pressure fuel injection system, to the compressed air, the heat, which can reach as high as 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit thanks to glow plugs, causes the fuel-air mixture to explode all by itself. A gasol

You’re driving when you notice the temperature gauge start to creep up. You pull over, safely check the coolant overflow reservoir and find that it’s bone dry. You’re not carrying coolant, but you do have water. You might be asking yourself: “Can I put water in my car radiator?” Yes, you can. And in that situation, you should. Water in your car radiator beats nothing, hands-down. Water Versus Coolant A long time ago — a really long time ago — cars ran with water in their radiators most of the time and people added antifreeze when it got cold. Back then, cars were simpler, engines ran cooler and, unless something was wrong, the boiling point of water (212 degrees Fahrenheit at sea level) was

When considering engine maintenance, it’s important to understand whether your vehicle has a timing chain vs. timing belt or timing gears. Managing the ballet of the engine’s pistons and valve timing is a matter of transferring and halving the rotary motion of the crankshaft, and transmitting it to one or more of the motor’s camshafts. To do this, engineers use timing chains, timing belts or timing gears. cam Timing Chain Vs. Timing Belt Basics For decades, overhead valve (OHV) engines used timing chains or timing gears to rotate the camshaft. Through the 1980s, timing chains powered many overhead cam (OHC) engines. Timing belts were especially common from the mid-’80s through the ’00s, but

Stop-start technology (SST), also known as stop-start engine, auto stop-start, idle-stop or anything similar, is a feature many associate with hybrid vehicles. The key to hybrid vehicle efficiency is that it takes advantage of the opposing strengths and weaknesses of internal combustion engines (ICE) and electric motor-generators. At a stop, unless the hybrid battery needs charging, SST cuts the engine, leaving the battery pack to power lights, the radio and the air conditioning system. Vehicles with SST are sometimes referred to as mild hybrid vehicles for this reason. One might think SST somehow seeped over to conventional vehicles, but the designers of hybrids didn’t invent stop-start tec

Leaf blowers are used to clear landscape debris, and they can help keep your property looking its best. There are several kinds, and they each come with different benefits and drawbacks. Below, we’ll break down what each leaf blower type has to offer. Consider the Power Source One distinction that separates leaf blowers is how they’re powered. Some run on electricity, while others are fueled by gas. Electric Leaf Blowers Electric leaf blowers provide the benefit of a relatively quiet, emissions-free operation. They’re typically easy to start, and their light weight makes them mobile and maneuverable. There are two types of electric leaf blowers: Corded blowers need to be plugged into an elec

The primary responsibility of the battery is supplying cranking power to the starter, which turns the engine. Once the engine gets going, the alternator takes over and supplies power both to run the vehicle and recharge the battery. Startup is very draining for a battery, however, and it takes at least 20 minutes to recharge it fully. Add these complications to a range of car battery issues in cold weather, and you could be looking at a very chilly stranding. Here’s how to get through the winter without car battery woes. Who’s in Charge Here? Batteries tolerate a range of temperatures, but both extreme hot and cold are damaging. The internal process that supplies electricity slows in very co

Learning how to tie down an ATV is one of the most important parts of all-terrain vehicle safety. After all, if you can’t reliably get your rig to the trail, you’re not going to have a lot of fun during the ATV season. Fortunately, it’s not difficult to properly secure your four- or six-wheeler to a trailer, provided you have the right gear and a few minutes to double-check your work. Use the Right Straps If you want to learn how to tie down an ATV properly, you’ll need to invest in a quality set of hand ratchets and straps. For most vehicles, you’ll want to find straps that are one to two inches wide, depending on the weight of your quad. You’ll also need to make sure that you have tie-down

Winter is just around the corner so you better be ready. But do you know how to prep your snow blower, before the first snow falls? Now is the time to make sure your snow blower is ready for a full season of snow, ice, slush, sand and salt. Aside from the difference in parts, making sure your snow blower is ready for the season is fairly similar to taking care of your car. You already have the tools, and maybe even a little garage space, so there are only a few things left to do. How to Prep Your Snow Blower: Pre-Season Before the snow even starts flying, and then sadly settling, here are five things to check before winter puts your snow blower to the test. Torque, tension and pressure: Your

Cooler weather is an important signal to classic-car owners, reminding them to get their autos ready for winter. Unless you store your vehicle in a climate-controlled building, it will be subject to temperature variations that can take a toll on the radiator or the engine, possibly leading to repairs. Therefore, an annual radiator flush is one of the necessary winter storage preparation tasks that safeguard your classic car. Radiator Flush: Once Annually While some people replace their antifreeze annually and flush the system every other year, a yearly flush makes sense. This becomes especially important when you consider the alternatives: replacing a radiator tank, core or an engine block.

The holidays are coming and soon you’ll be shopping for your friends and family. Chances are one or more individuals is a car enthusiast, perhaps a weekend mechanic, and shops for what they need. Everyone else, including new drivers, will appreciate automotive gifts. Here’s our car novice gift guide for the car novice recipient. Stocking Stuffers Not every gift will sit under the Christmas tree. Stockings are a fun way to give miscellaneous gifts. Best of all, they don’t have to be wrapped! A set of wiper blades would be a welcomed gift as winter sets in. Bonus: Install the blades for your recipient! Cloudy headlamp lenses aren’t just unsightly, but they can cut visibility — and that’s dange