By Aaron Gold, About.com - Whether you drive a two-seat hybrid or a three-ton SUV, chances are you can squeeze a bit more distance out of each gallon of fuel — and at today’s gas prices, an improvement of just one or two miles per gallon (MPG) can really add up.  These ten fuel saving tips have served me well over the years, and they can help you improve your car’s fuel economy and take some of the sting out of high fuel prices.  Most of these tips will give you a very slight increase in MPG — but use several together and the gas mileage improvements will really add up. Read the rest of this entry »

Whether you’re travelling by car, heavy-duty truck, snowmobile, boat or motorcycle, ACDelco makes a battery that’s maintenance-free and long-lasting.  It’s part of our All Seasons, All Reasons philosophy.

Professional Battery: Real Car Guys know that if you want your battery to last longer, get the one built for the long haul: an ACDelco Professional Battery.

60 Series Car and Truck Battery: For long life and maintenance-free convenience, Real Car Guys look no further than the ACDelco 60 Series Car and Truck Battery.  Manufactured for most vehicles on the road today, the 60 Series is tough enough to handle your demanding performance needs.

ACDelco 60-Series Marine Batteries: ACDelco’s new 60 Series Marine batteries are specially designed for outdoor and recreation use.  The new series offer high quality batteries with an exceptional warranty - all at a value price.

Heavy-Duty Battery: When they work and play hard, Real Car Guys know the ACDelco Heavy-Duty Battery can help keep up.  For staying power in off-road vehicles and line-haul trucks or construction, farm, marine, and industrial applications, get the battery that meets your demands.

All Seasons, All Reasons: No matter what time of year it is, ACDelco has a battery for you.

Wheels, hubs and bearings are one of the most underserviced components on today’s vehicle.  Unless they fail, most drivers take them for granted and do not realize the true importance of having good wheel bearings.

Wheel bearings are designed to:

• Support the entire weight of the vehicle through the hub, wheel and tire
• Provide low rolling friction while travelling over the road to increase fuel economy and provide a smooth ride
• Withstand the extreme thrust (side to side) and front to rear) loads generated by high-speed cornering, hard acceleration and braking
• Operate in extreme temperatures ranging from -20C on a cold start up to more than 200C during heave braking
• Operate in a hostile environment of road debris, splash, dirt, moisture and corrosion

How do I as a vehicle owner know that I need a new bearing?

• Worn wheel bearings usually cause excessive wheel bearing play that results in a growling or knocking noise to occur
• At first the knocking or growling will usually start to be heard only at a certain speed - i.e. 80km/H.  As the bearing wears out further, the noise will be constant and will becoming louder as wheel speed increases
• Worn wheel bearings can also cause excwss pad-to-rotor clearance which can result in a low brake pedal, a brake squeal and/or clicking on disc brake vehicles

Wheel Bearing Facts:

• A classic symptom of a bad wheel bearing is noise, so if a wheel is making “funny” noises when driving (squeaks, chirps, squeals, moans, etc.) or you hear a grinding noise when turning, it may indicate a bad wheel bearing.  Other symptoms include steering wander or possibly a pull to one side when braking
• If one wheel bearing has failed, pay close attention to all of the other hubs on the vehicle, too, especially if the vehicle has a lot of miles on it.  Chances are some of the other bearings may also be nearing the end of their journey
• There is no way to disassemble and repair a sealed hub assembly.  If the internal ABS sensor has failed or if the external ABS tone ring on the hub is damaged or badly corroded, the whole unit must be replaced.  The same goes for any other sealed wheel bearing and hub assembly.  If anything is wrong with it, the whole assembly must be replaced.  It cannot be rebuilt or repaired
• A bearing failure can be dangerous because it may cause the wheel to separate from the vehicle and/or cause a loss of steering control!  It’s not something to ignore or put off because there is no way to know how many miles the bearings will go before the unit fails completely
• The other safety issue involved is the ABS system.  As long as the ABS warning light remains on, the ABS system is disabled.  This does not affect normal braking, but it will prevent the ABS system from helping out in an emergency or when braking on a slick surface
• On a vehicle equipped with anit-lock brakes and hub assemblies with an integral ABS sensor or tone ring, the ABS warning light will come on if a wheel-speed sensor is reading erratically or the signal is lost.  The ABS system will set a fault code that corresponds to the sensor location and disable the ABS system until the fault is fixed.  On these vehicles, the only way to get the ABS light to go out is to replace the hub assembly

By using some of the worlds’ most sophisticated filtration technology and materials, ACDelco offers an oustanding line of filters.  Choose from:

Air Filters - Regular use of ACDelco Air Filters for the engine and cabin is important for you and your car.  Cabin air filters help eliminate common airborne pollutants from the interior of your vehicle, while the engine air filter helps block particles that are harmful to the combustion chamber.

Oil Filters - ACDelco Oil Filters help capture harmful contaminants that can harm your engine, therefore, helping to improve the quality, performance, and lifespan of your engine.

Fuel Filters - For consistent fuel flow, count on ACDelco Fuel Filters, mile after mile, to help keep dirt, rust, and other contaminants from getting into your vehicle’s engine.

Transmission Filters - ACDelco Transmission Filters are made of quality materials and offer excellent flow combined with long filter life.

Why ACDelco Shocks and Struts can help support you and your ride like no other:

• Proven reputation for quality - ACDelco has over 100 years of automotive experience providing quality shocks and struts for all kinds of vehicles.  Today, ACDelco Shocks and Struts are industry leaders in reliability, durability, and performance.
• Perfect choice for most makes and models - ACDelco offers a complete line of aftermarket shocks and struts to fit your vehicle and your budget.  ACDelco Shocks and Struts fit 95 percent of vehicle makes and models from the 1980s on.
• Suspension parts to fit your style and budget - ACDelco Shocks, Struts, and other suspension parts are available at various price points and for most applications, from economical to premium performance.  Smart engineering - aftermarket ACDelco Shocks and Struts perform well with existing suspension parts as they are specifically designed to help compensate for the normal wear of these parts.
• Excellent warranty - ACDelco Shocks and Struts feature a competitive limited lifetime warranty for passenger cars and light-duty trucks.

ACDelco Professional Platinum Spark Plugs are perfect for engines that run on conventional plugs and newer engines that require platinum plugs.  ACDelco Professional Platinum Spark Plugs can provide up to 160,000 kilometres of service before requiring replacement.*

Professional Platinum spark plugs also feature:

• Dual platinum tip for improved resistance to spark erosion, fouling, and corrosive combustion chamber environment
• A ribless insulator that improves the plug-to-boot seal
• A platinum centre electrode and a platinum pad lower the ignition demand voltage and reduce possible flame kernal quanching
• One-piece integral suppressor seal helps reduce radio frequency interference, meters spark plug energy to help provide long electrode life, and seals against compression leakage
• Maximum engine performance over time
• A corrision-resistent shell to keep up with the demands of any vehicle
• Spark gap remains virtually unchanged during the life of the plug
• Meet increased auto industry performance and reliability requirements
• Available for most makes and models
• 160,000-kilometre limited warranty

*service life varies with individual driving conditions

General Motors of Canada - The lifespan of your tires depends on how they are used:  average driving speed and weather, as well as the types of roads driven on.  Eventually, even the toughest tires wear out so knowing when to replace them is an important part of proper vehicle care.

The best way to check your tires is to check the treadwear indicators.  These will appear when your tires have only 1.6 mm (2/32 of an inch) or less of tread remaining.

Replace your tires if:

• Treadwear indicators are visible at three or more places around the tire
• Cord or fabric is showing through the tire’s rubber
• The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut, snagged deep enough to show cord or fabric
• The tire has a bulge or is split
• The tire is punctured, cut or has other irreparable damage

Wheel (rim) replacement:  knowing when to change the entire wheel/rim is a key element of keeping your tires and vehicle in good shape.

Replace wheel/rim if:

• It is bent, cracked or badly rusted or corroded
• The nuts keep coming loose
• The wheel/rim leaks air

Your GM Goodwrench dealer will know what kind of replacement wheel/rim you will need and when you need it.  The replacement wheel should have the same load-carrying capacity, diameter, width and offset, and be mounted the same way as the one it replaces.

Tire Tip! The wrong wheel/rim can cause problems with bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer or odometer calibration, headlight aim, as well as bumper height and ground clearance.

General Motors of Canada - Wheels, hubs and bearings are one of the most underserviced components on today’s vehicle.  Unless they fail, most drivers take them for granted and do not realize the true importance of having good wheel bearings. Read the rest of this entry »

• General Motors sells far more cars in Canada than Toyota, Honda, Mazda or any other competitors
• In 2007, GM sold 69,000 more cars than Honda and 48,000 more cars than Toyota
• General Motors offers more vehicle models with 7L/100km more than any other auto company in Canada
• General Motors offers more hybrids than either Toyota or Honda, 8 models by the end of 2008
• GM and Chevrolet are winning more new product awards than Toyota or Honda
• Chevy Malibu- 2008 North American Car of the Year
• Chevy Tahoe Hybrid- 2008 Green Car of the Year, Green Car Journal
• Chevy Silverado- 2008 AJAX Truck of the Year
• Chevy Tahoe- 2-Mode Hybrid and Chevy Malibu Hybrid- 2008 CAA Pyramid Award

Vancouver, BC, August 21, 2008 — Following these fuel economy tips from GM Canada can help drivers reduce their impact on the environment and save themselves a few dollars at the gas pump.

Read the rest of this entry »