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We often see customers who are a little overwhelmed by the tire buying process. There are so many types of tires for different vehicles and different driving styles, all at different price points. Here are a few things every driver needs to know about tires: ·   A tire is constructed from the inside out, starting at the inner liner. There are 20 to 25 different components in every tire; fabric belts are wrapped around the inner liner, with steel belts, more fabric belts and other materials lay...

The roly-poly figure of the Michelin Man is one of the most recognizable corporate mascots in the world…but what’s his story? How did he originate?    The Michelin Man, actually called “Bim,” goes all the way back to 1898, almost as far as the Michelin brand itself. In 1894, the Michelin brothers spotted a stack of tires that were reminiscent of a man without arms. A few years later, Andre Michelin met with a French cartoonist who had devised an ad for a Munich brewery: a robust man holding...

We see it all the time…people tend to not think about their tires until something goes wrong. Sometimes, this can mean sitting on the side of the road waiting for help, and other times it can mean more serious consequences. Here are a few things to remember for tire safety as the summer winds down and back-to-school season starts. • Check your tire pressure regularly. This one is really important. Your car’s tires will lose air through the valve over time, and an underinflated tire will hur...

The kids are going to be headed off to school again before you know it, and then of course, the holidays will start coming one after another between Labor Day and the end of the year. There’s a lot to stay on top of, and auto repair should be one less thing for you, the grownup, to worry about as the year marches on. Here are some suggestions for things you might want to take care of before it all starts rolling again:    • Oil Change – Can’t remember the date of your last oil change? Then...

Before you know it, it’s going to be time for your kids to be headed off for fall semester of college. While 18- and 19-year-olds have all kinds of smarts, they might not always be very well-versed in taking care of a car. Often, college students don’t do a lot of driving, except for their trips home…but here are some ideas to make sure that your student’s car is one less thing for you to worry about.  Before that student heads off to school, have the oil changed and the tires rotate and ...

We frequently get questions about all-season tires when consumers are trying to make the right purchasing decision for  a set of new tires. As the title of the blog asks…”are all-season tires really all-season?”   The answer is: it that depends on what part of the country you’re living in.   All-season tires are a compromise from the very start. They’re designed for a forgiving ride, low noise, decent handling and good road manners. Maybe not as much as what a good set of grand touring ti...

Time has a way of sneaking up on everyone, and so does mileage on a vehicle. If you have a long commute or regularly put lengthy interstate trips on your car, you can easily rack up 15-18,000 miles a year. Even though today’s cars don’t need as much maintenance as cars from a generation ago, it’s still something you can’t neglect. Here’s a reminder of some important milestones for service on your vehicle:    Monthly  • Check tire inflation • Check oil and transmission fluid levels • Ch...

Everyone likes a nice cool car…except on a cold day. If you’ve ever shivered and tried to keep warm in a car with a weak heater (not to mention trying to clear fog from the inside of the windshield with stray Taco Bell napkins), you know what a miserable experience it is.    The heating system of your car is pretty simple in principle; it uses heat from the engine by directing coolant through a mini-radiator called the heater core. The heater core is located behind the dashboard and is connec...

The days are getting shorter, there’s a snap in the air, and before you know it, the winter months are going to be upon us. Is your vehicle ready?    • Wipers: Even the best windshield wipers are only good for about a year; normal wear, the sun’s UV rays and the elements take their toll on them. Get a good look and check them for chunks, strips or chips missing, and replace if necessary for a streak-free field of vision in wet weather. Hint: a fresh application of  Rain-X on your windshield ...

Oh, the lowly spare tire. It doesn’t get much respect.    Today, a lot of vehicles don’t even come with a spare tire anymore, not even the little “donut” space-saver spare. Instead, to cut weight and free up space, they come with a compressor and a can of a Fix-a-Flat-style product in hopes that you can get back on your way again. Great idea, unless your tire has a sidewall puncture or is shredded… Anyway, if your car is equipped with a spare, you shouldn’t just ignore it. Tires have a s...