Just like a good tailgate party, your engine requires three basic things to get cooking, fuel, oxygen and heat. In your engine — hold the bratwurst — oxygen is delivered by the intake, heat by spark or compression, and fuel by the fuel pump. Before fuel gets to the cylinder, though, it passes through tubes and fuel filters, maybe one or two fuel pumps, and finally to the fuel injectors. If you’re having trouble starting your engine, a failure in any one of these areas could b

Many of the tools needed to change brakes are probably sitting in your toolbox or garage already. If not, purchasing these tools is something of an investment since most can be used for a multitude of other tasks. Here are the tools needed to change brakes. Start With the Right Protection Before you start any project on your car, make sure that you are properly protected. You should have a pair of mechanic’s gloves to protect your hands, protective eyewear and a dust mask so

Valve stem seals control the lubrication of the valve stem as it slides in the valve guide. Too little oil causes stem and guide wear. Too much oil increases oil consumption and can cause a buildup of carbon, leading to valve seat damage and an early valve grind. Faulty valve stem seals increase oil consumption. Increasingly stringent emissions regulations make it imperative that oil not enter the combustion chamber. These regulations, combined with today’s engines running ho

There are so many parts, practices and procedures in car maintenance, it’s hard to keep track of them all. So don’t feel bad if you’re asking yourself: “What is an oil flush?” An oil flush is a liquid that breaks up harmful deposits in your engine so that they’ll drain out when you change the oil. Are They Necessary? Yes, but not for every car. An engine oil flush is a quick way to clear out years, maybe even decades of accumulated gunk from an engine. By that very definiti

Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS team raced inside the top five for much of Sunday’s 500-lap race and led a total of 49 laps en route to a second-place finish at Martinsville Speedway. Elliott and the NAPA AUTO PARTS team took the green flag in the seventh position on Sunday afternoon at Martinsville Speedway. The 23-year-old driver wasted no time moving forward as he jumped to third on Lap 12. Halfway through Stage 1, the first caution of the race brought Elliott

When finishing a trip, you place the transmission in park, turn off the ignition and take your keys with you before exiting the vehicle. But there is another step you should include: engage the parking brake. The parking brake supplies an extra measure of insurance when your vehicle is stopped. We’ll answer, “how does the parking brake work?” and explain the potential consequences of not using one. The Purpose of a Parking Brake A parking brake is sometimes known as an emerge

Tire balance and wheel alignment are often micro adjustments with macro consequences. Beyond being a part of routine tire maintenance, keeping everything rolling smoothly affects steering, suspension and ride feel. So it’s worth learning about and keeping an eye out for when things might be out of whack. Rough and Tumble A wheel alignment and tire balancing often go hand in hand, but they are not the same thing. An alignment deals with all of the tires on the vehicle, specifi

Here’s a question: How many miles can an oil filter last? You’ll probably get some amazing answers to that question, especially on the internet where there’s bound to be some guy who’s on his vehicle’s original oil filter at 100,000-plus miles. But the real answer is how often should you change an oil filter? An oil filter isn’t something you use until it gives out. So resist the urge to put the question “How many miles can an oil filter last?” to the test. That is, unless yo

Every year, Americans put over 3 trillion miles behind them, enough to drive to Voyager 2 and back almost 300 times. At all hours of the day, short trips and long trips, across town or across the country, drowsy driving is a serious problem. A recent American Automobile Association study calculates nearly 10 percent of car crashes are related to drowsy driving. Considering driving long distances can be mind-bendingly dull, driving while tired can make it difficult to stay awa

Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS team finished 11th in Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway. Elliott and the NAPA AUTO PARTS team took the green flag from the eighth position. The driver of the No. 9 was shuffled outside the top 15 after being stuck in the unfavorable inside lane in the opening laps. After Elliott radioed to his NAPA team that the grip close to the wall wasn’t as good as during Saturday’s practice sessions, the team elect