When you are in an emergency and you don’t know anyone in the area, it can be frustrating to find the right company for your needs. You might not even know where to start looking! Careful Towing Services is here for you 24 hours a day with reliable roadside assistance and long-distance towing service.

Why is it that some people hesitate to change the oil in their automobile until it looks pitch black and gritty?

Excuses range from inattention, laziness, being too tight with a dollar, and can't afford it, to just plain I don't care. Such attitudes are foolish. It's going to cost the car owner more in the long run when periodic maintenance is ignored.

Not changing motor oil regularly can drastically reduce the life of a car's engine. With proper maintenance, achieving driving mileage of 100,000 to 200,000 miles is relatively easy with the technology of today's automobile engines.

Ignore oil changes and your car will start giving you problems well before you may be ready to get rid of it.

Just let the oil be consumed without checking your fluid levels and you'll have an engine that seizes up when you least expect it to. Whether you are on a busy freeway, or on a rural road or a rural road in the middle of nowhere, if your engine runs out of lubrication it is deader than a door nail.

Oil is the lifeblood of your engine. How come then, a recent survey by the national Car Care Council shows a vast majority of mechanics - 87 percent - said they believe American car owners put off routine maintenance, mostly for cost reasons?

With automobile dealerships offering fast in-and-out oil-change specials, specialty shops running coupon specials, or your corner mechanic offering very competitive pricing, or being a back-yard do-it-yourselfer, an oil change is the best investment you can make in your car.

Many car owners are passionate about their pride and joy vehicles. They often have a special attachment to their car or truck and don't want to buy a new model. They know how to keep their vehicles going indefinitely.

When the seasons change, it's probably time for an oil change. Car manufacturers recommend an oil and filter change every three months, or 3,000 miles.

Some mechanics say longer mileage is possible if you use a high-grade oil, but few would recommend going more than 4,000 to 5,000 miles without fresh oil. The type of driving you do also matters. If you drive mostly just around town with many starts and stops, your oil will get dirty and lose its effectiveness faster, and you should err on the low side of the mileage limit.

Steady over-the-road driving takes less of a toll on your lubrication and you might be able to get away with the higher-mileage changes.

And, yes, don't forget to change the filter. Putting new oil through a dirty filter, with up to a quart of dirty oil in the filter that will circulate as soon as you start your engine, you really only done half the job to keep your engine happy.

In any case, you'll keep your engine happier and more efficient , and you can expect to be able to hold on to your vehicle longer if you make a wise periodic investment in routine maintenance.

Many car owners are passionate about their pride and joy vehicles. They often have a special attachment to their car or truck and don't want to buy a new model. They know how to keep their vehicles going indefinitely.

Why is it that some people hesitate to change the oil in their automobile until it looks pitch black and gritty?

Excuses range from inattention, laziness, being too tight with a dollar, and can't afford it, to just plain I don't care. Such attitudes are foolish. It's going to cost the car owner more in the long run when periodic maintenance is ignored.

Not changing motor oil regularly can drastically reduce the life of a car's engine. With proper maintenance, achieving driving mileage of 100,000 to 200,000 miles is relatively easy with the technology of today's automobile engines.

Ignore oil changes and your car will start giving you problems well before you may be ready to get rid of it.

Just let the oil be consumed without checking your fluid levels and you'll have an engine that seizes up when you least expect it to. Whether you are on a busy freeway, or on a rural road or a rural road in the middle of nowhere, if your engine runs out of lubrication it is deader than a door nail.

Oil is the lifeblood of your engine. How come then, a recent survey by the national Car Care Council shows a vast majority of mechanics - 87 percent - said they believe American car owners put off routine maintenance, mostly for cost reasons?

With automobile dealerships offering fast in-and-out oil-change specials, specialty shops running coupon specials, or your corner mechanic offering very competitive pricing, or being a back-yard do-it-yourselfer, an oil change is the best investment you can make in your car.

Many car owners are passionate about their pride and joy vehicles. They often have a special attachment to their car or truck and don't want to buy a new model. They know how to keep their vehicles going indefinitely.

When the seasons change, it's probably time for an oil change. Car manufacturers recommend an oil and filter change every three months, or 3,000 miles.

Some mechanics say longer mileage is possible if you use a high-grade oil, but few would recommend going more than 4,000 to 5,000 miles without fresh oil. The type of driving you do also matters. If you drive mostly just around town with many starts and stops, your oil will get dirty and lose its effectiveness faster, and you should err on the low side of the mileage limit.

Steady over-the-road driving takes less of a toll on your lubrication and you might be able to get away with the higher-mileage changes.

And, yes, don't forget to change the filter. Putting new oil through a dirty filter, with up to a quart of dirty oil in the filter that will circulate as soon as you start your engine, you really only done half the job to keep your engine happy.

In any case, you'll keep your engine happier and more efficient , and you can expect to be able to hold on to your vehicle longer if you make a wise periodic investment in routine maintenance.

Check if you have fuel in the tank. Fuel injected cars are very sensitive to proper fuel pressure. If the pressure is off, even by a few pounds, it will cause noticeable performance problems, or a no-start condition. To check for proper fuel pressure, use a test gauge to make sure you have sufficient fuel supply. If your Anti-Theft light is flashing, the anti-theft system is disabling the fuel pump to prevent the engine from starting.

Why is it that some people hesitate to change the oil in their automobile until it looks pitch black and gritty?

Excuses range from inattention, laziness, being too tight with a dollar, and can't afford it, to just plain I don't care. Such attitudes are foolish. It's going to cost the car owner more in the long run when periodic maintenance is ignored.

Not changing motor oil regularly can drastically reduce the life of a car's engine. With proper maintenance, achieving driving mileage of 100,000 to 200,000 miles is relatively easy with the technology of today's automobile engines.

Ignore oil changes and your car will start giving you problems well before you may be ready to get rid of it.

Just let the oil be consumed without checking your fluid levels and you'll have an engine that seizes up when you least expect it to. Whether you are on a busy freeway, or on a rural road or a rural road in the middle of nowhere, if your engine runs out of lubrication it is deader than a door nail.

Oil is the lifeblood of your engine. How come then, a recent survey by the national Car Care Council shows a vast majority of mechanics - 87 percent - said they believe American car owners put off routine maintenance, mostly for cost reasons?

With automobile dealerships offering fast in-and-out oil-change specials, specialty shops running coupon specials, or your corner mechanic offering very competitive pricing, or being a back-yard do-it-yourselfer, an oil change is the best investment you can make in your car.

Many car owners are passionate about their pride and joy vehicles. They often have a special attachment to their car or truck and don't want to buy a new model. They know how to keep their vehicles going indefinitely.

When the seasons change, it's probably time for an oil change. Car manufacturers recommend an oil and filter change every three months, or 3,000 miles.

Some mechanics say longer mileage is possible if you use a high-grade oil, but few would recommend going more than 4,000 to 5,000 miles without fresh oil. The type of driving you do also matters. If you drive mostly just around town with many starts and stops, your oil will get dirty and lose its effectiveness faster, and you should err on the low side of the mileage limit.

Steady over-the-road driving takes less of a toll on your lubrication and you might be able to get away with the higher-mileage changes.

And, yes, don't forget to change the filter. Putting new oil through a dirty filter, with up to a quart of dirty oil in the filter that will circulate as soon as you start your engine, you really only done half the job to keep your engine happy.

In any case, you'll keep your engine happier and more efficient , and you can expect to be able to hold on to your vehicle longer if you make a wise periodic investment in routine maintenance.

Why is it that some people hesitate to change the oil in their automobile until it looks pitch black and gritty?

Excuses range from inattention, laziness, being too tight with a dollar, and can't afford it, to just plain I don't care. Such attitudes are foolish. It's going to cost the car owner more in the long run when periodic maintenance is ignored.

Not changing motor oil regularly can drastically reduce the life of a car's engine. With proper maintenance, achieving driving mileage of 100,000 to 200,000 miles is relatively easy with the technology of today's automobile engines.

Ignore oil changes and your car will start giving you problems well before you may be ready to get rid of it.

Just let the oil be consumed without checking your fluid levels and you'll have an engine that seizes up when you least expect it to. Whether you are on a busy freeway, or on a rural road or a rural road in the middle of nowhere, if your engine runs out of lubrication it is deader than a door nail.

Oil is the lifeblood of your engine. How come then, a recent survey by the national Car Care Council shows a vast majority of mechanics - 87 percent - said they believe American car owners put off routine maintenance, mostly for cost reasons?

With automobile dealerships offering fast in-and-out oil-change specials, specialty shops running coupon specials, or your corner mechanic offering very competitive pricing, or being a back-yard do-it-yourselfer, an oil change is the best investment you can make in your car.

Many car owners are passionate about their pride and joy vehicles. They often have a special attachment to their car or truck and don't want to buy a new model. They know how to keep their vehicles going indefinitely.

When the seasons change, it's probably time for an oil change. Car manufacturers recommend an oil and filter change every three months, or 3,000 miles.

Some mechanics say longer mileage is possible if you use a high-grade oil, but few would recommend going more than 4,000 to 5,000 miles without fresh oil. The type of driving you do also matters. If you drive mostly just around town with many starts and stops, your oil will get dirty and lose its effectiveness faster, and you should err on the low side of the mileage limit.

Steady over-the-road driving takes less of a toll on your lubrication and you might be able to get away with the higher-mileage changes.

And, yes, don't forget to change the filter. Putting new oil through a dirty filter, with up to a quart of dirty oil in the filter that will circulate as soon as you start your engine, you really only done half the job to keep your engine happy.

In any case, you'll keep your engine happier and more efficient , and you can expect to be able to hold on to your vehicle longer if you make a wise periodic investment in routine maintenance.

Having your car not crank up when you need it can be a real bummer. This is a guide to help you get your car started and get you back on the road.

Winter is upon us, so if you live in snow country it's time to put the hot rod away for winter. This can sometimes be a sad time for true car-guys, but the bright side of the situation is that you can eat your Christmas dinner happily knowing that your car is tucked away from the snow, salt, and any evil sand that might hurt it. Besides, spring is just around the corner.

Here are a few tips that will make your spring time retrieval of the car a happy reunion instead of one filled with four-letter words.

1. Put it away clean

This step going without saying... so we'll go ahead and say it anyway. Any dirt you leave on the outside of the car will harden during the cold winter months, and it will be a serious pain to take off in the spring. If you're in a rush and can't get this done don't worry; it won't be impossible to get the crud off in the spring, just annoying. Remember, just like your mom told you, a little time invested now will save you a lot of time later.

Be sure to clean out the interior as well, mainly to remove the incentive of any mice looking for some chow. Plus, it's always nice to hop in a clean car in the spring.

2. Store it on concrete in a clean garage

A clean concrete garage is the ideal storage location for two reasons: 1) Unlike a dirt or gravel surface, moisture can't easily move up through the concrete into your car, and 2) unclean/cluttered garages attract varmints.

Moisture that gets into your car may cause all sorts of little electrical problems come spring time (think cap, rotor, plug wires, etc.), and every single bolt on the car that had a little bit of exposed metal will not have a nice thin coat of surface rust on it.

The varmint issue should be a pretty obvious one. The less reason they have to be near your car in the winter, the better. An empty garage with a concrete floor that only contains your car is your best bet to avoiding them.

3. Put a cover on it

A car cover will keep your car covered from the unavoidable dust that will settle on it. If you've been following the steps outlined so far (i.e. the car is clean and in a clean concrete floored garage), a simple cheapo breathable car cover is all you'll need. It's just a dust cover.

If you really can't get it on the concrete for winter, your next best bet is to either leave the car completely uncovered (so the moisture won't be trapped under the car cover) or to get a sandwich-bag style cover. These are more expensive than regular covers, but they're basically huge car cover bags that you lay on the floor, drive your car onto, and then zip it up inside of. Nice and simple.

As an alternative, you can make your own using a big plastic drop cloth (to drive the car onto) and a regular breathable car cover. The drop cloth will be your vapor barrier, so tuck it up into the car cover and hold it there with duct tape (you'll essentially build a cocoon where the drop cloth is the base, and the car cover is the top).

4. Fill the tank and change the oil

A full gas tank is a happy gas tank... and it also means that there will be no room for air in the tank (which would lead to moisture in the tank). Just fill it up at the pump and throw in a little fuel stabilizer and gas-line antifreeze (like HEET) for good measure.

An oil change is just a good method to ensure the oil pan won't become filled with sludge. It will also make sure that the engine components aren't coated in old contaminated oil for several months without moving. Be sure to change the oil as soon as you pull it out of storage in the spring though as moisture can build up in the crank case. It's cheap insurance.

5. (Optional) Put it on jack stands and squirt the cylinders

For the hardcore auto storer, it used to be a golden standard to put the car up on jack stands and to squirt all of the cylinders with a little shot of oil.

With modern tires this isn't so much a necessity anymore as the big reason to get the car off of the ground was to prevent flat spotting the tires. If you're running bias ply tires on your car, it's still a good idea to put the car on stands. For those of you running modern radial tires that have never had any air leakage problems, feel free to skip this step.

Squirting the cylinders with oil is sometimes done to get a little extra lubrication in the cylinder chamber. For those of you running original spec engines, this step really can't hurt. Simply pull each spark plug out, squirt a little shot of oil in (using an oil can with a hose) and put the plug back in. That's it.

With automobile dealerships offering fast in-and-out oil-change specials, specialty shops running coupon specials, or your corner mechanic offering very competitive pricing, or being a back-yard do-it-yourselfer, an oil change is the best investment you can make in your car.

Winter is upon us, so if you live in snow country it's time to put the hot rod away for winter. This can sometimes be a sad time for true car-guys, but the bright side of the situation is that you can eat your Christmas dinner happily knowing that your car is tucked away from the snow, salt, and any evil sand that might hurt it. Besides, spring is just around the corner.

Here are a few tips that will make your spring time retrieval of the car a happy reunion instead of one filled with four-letter words.

1. Put it away clean

This step going without saying... so we'll go ahead and say it anyway. Any dirt you leave on the outside of the car will harden during the cold winter months, and it will be a serious pain to take off in the spring. If you're in a rush and can't get this done don't worry; it won't be impossible to get the crud off in the spring, just annoying. Remember, just like your mom told you, a little time invested now will save you a lot of time later.

Be sure to clean out the interior as well, mainly to remove the incentive of any mice looking for some chow. Plus, it's always nice to hop in a clean car in the spring.

2. Store it on concrete in a clean garage

A clean concrete garage is the ideal storage location for two reasons: 1) Unlike a dirt or gravel surface, moisture can't easily move up through the concrete into your car, and 2) unclean/cluttered garages attract varmints.

Moisture that gets into your car may cause all sorts of little electrical problems come spring time (think cap, rotor, plug wires, etc.), and every single bolt on the car that had a little bit of exposed metal will not have a nice thin coat of surface rust on it.

The varmint issue should be a pretty obvious one. The less reason they have to be near your car in the winter, the better. An empty garage with a concrete floor that only contains your car is your best bet to avoiding them.

3. Put a cover on it

A car cover will keep your car covered from the unavoidable dust that will settle on it. If you've been following the steps outlined so far (i.e. the car is clean and in a clean concrete floored garage), a simple cheapo breathable car cover is all you'll need. It's just a dust cover.

If you really can't get it on the concrete for winter, your next best bet is to either leave the car completely uncovered (so the moisture won't be trapped under the car cover) or to get a sandwich-bag style cover. These are more expensive than regular covers, but they're basically huge car cover bags that you lay on the floor, drive your car onto, and then zip it up inside of. Nice and simple.

As an alternative, you can make your own using a big plastic drop cloth (to drive the car onto) and a regular breathable car cover. The drop cloth will be your vapor barrier, so tuck it up into the car cover and hold it there with duct tape (you'll essentially build a cocoon where the drop cloth is the base, and the car cover is the top).

4. Fill the tank and change the oil

A full gas tank is a happy gas tank... and it also means that there will be no room for air in the tank (which would lead to moisture in the tank). Just fill it up at the pump and throw in a little fuel stabilizer and gas-line antifreeze (like HEET) for good measure.

An oil change is just a good method to ensure the oil pan won't become filled with sludge. It will also make sure that the engine components aren't coated in old contaminated oil for several months without moving. Be sure to change the oil as soon as you pull it out of storage in the spring though as moisture can build up in the crank case. It's cheap insurance.

5. (Optional) Put it on jack stands and squirt the cylinders

For the hardcore auto storer, it used to be a golden standard to put the car up on jack stands and to squirt all of the cylinders with a little shot of oil.

With modern tires this isn't so much a necessity anymore as the big reason to get the car off of the ground was to prevent flat spotting the tires. If you're running bias ply tires on your car, it's still a good idea to put the car on stands. For those of you running modern radial tires that have never had any air leakage problems, feel free to skip this step.

Squirting the cylinders with oil is sometimes done to get a little extra lubrication in the cylinder chamber. For those of you running original spec engines, this step really can't hurt. Simply pull each spark plug out, squirt a little shot of oil in (using an oil can with a hose) and put the plug back in. That's it.