Your Monday Maintenance Tip: What Your Check Engine Light Is Telling You

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Don't Just Turn It Off; Fix the Problem


Check engine light

When your car's "Check Engine" light comes on, it's usually accompanied by a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. The light could mean a costly problem, like a bad catalytic converter, or it could be something minor, like a loose gas cap. But in many cases, it means at minimum that you'll be visiting the car dealer to locate the malfunction and get the light turned off.

The Check Engine light — more formally known as the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) — is a signal from the car's engine computer that something is wrong. The car dealer's service department can diagnose the problem.

The Check Engine light can even be turned off by some code readers, even though this action alone does not actually repair the underlying problem. In many such cases the light will simply come back on later.

Experts say that many drivers confuse the "service required" light on the gauge cluster for the Check Engine light. These warning lights are unrelated. The service required light just means the car is due for an oil change or other routine maintenance. It is not the indicator of trouble that the Check Engine light is.

Check Engine lights come in orange, yellow or amber, depending on the manufacturer. If the light begins flashing, however, it indicates a more serious problem, such as a misfire that can quickly overheat the catalytic converter. These emissions devices operate at high temperatures to cut emissions, but can pose a fire hazard if faulty.

Don't Ignore That Light
So if the Check Engine light comes on and it's steady rather than flashing, what do you do? The most obvious answer, of course, is to get the engine checked. But many people do nothing, perhaps fearing an expensive repair bill. Some drivers with older cars want to squeeze out as many remaining miles as possible without visiting a service garage. But before they can pass their state's vehicle inspection, they have to get the light turned off. And a state inspection is a good motivator for dealing with the problem. If the light is lit, there's a good chance the car is releasing excess pollutants or consuming too much gas.

Ten percent of all cars on the road have a Check Engine light on, and the drivers of half of these cars have ignored the light for more than three months, says Kristin Brocoff, a spokesperson for CarMD.com.

Courtesy of Edmunds

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OK Go - Needing/Getting - Official Video

The new music video from OK Go, made in partnership with Chevrolet. OK Go set up over 1000 instruments over two miles of desert outside Los Angeles. A Chevy Sonic was outfitted with retractable pneumatic arms designed to play the instruments, and the band recorded this version of Needing/Getting, singing as they played the instrument array with the car. The video took 4 months of preparation and 4 days of shooting and recording. There are no ringers or stand-ins; Damian took stunt driving lessons. Each piano had the lowest octaves tuned to the same note so that they'd play the right note no matter where they were struck. For more information and to download the studio version of the song for free, visit http://www.LetsDoThis.com/stunts and http://www.okgo.net. Many thanks to Chevy for believing in and supporting such an insane and ambitious project, and to Gretsch for providing the guitars and amps.

Director: Brian L. Perkins & Damian Kulash, Jr.
Director of Photography: Yon Thomas
Editor: Doug Walker
Producer: Luke Ricci

Chevy Nabs Five Kelley Blue Book Awards

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Best Resale Value Awards are yet another accolade in a stellar model year

Resale value. We understand that it’s a critical factor driving people’s decisions on what new vehicle to buy.

At Chevy, it means designing, engineering and producing vehicles that perform beyond expectations now and maintain their quality and value over the long haul. It’s because of this dedication that five of our 2012 vehicles received the Best Resale Value Award by Kelley Blue Book.

 

The 2012 Chevy winners by category are:

  • Sports Car: Camaro V6
  • Electric Car: Volt
  • High-Performance Car: Camaro SS
  • Full-Size SUV: Traverse
  • Overall Top Ten Cars: Camaro

Jack Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com says consumer research is especially important during tough economic times.

“When keeping every dollar in your wallet as possible, car buyers should carefully review this year’s 2012 Best Resale Value award winners,” Nerad said.

At Chevy we’re learned that even small changes can lead to big improvements.

For example, the Camaro V6 — the only winner in the best sports car category — now features a 323-horsepower V6 as its base engine for improved performance. Its sister model and winner in the high-performance category, Camaro SS, broke with tradition offering a multi-link rear suspension instead of a live axle to improve handling on twisting roads. The gas-electric Volt (available to order at participating dealers) and Traverse — winners in the electric and full-size SUV categories — have also ventured away from traditional thinking to meet the changing needs of drivers.

“Vehicle depreciation is a new-car buyer’s biggest expense, yet many shoppers don’t realize that resale value information is available for free on Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com”, Nerad said.  “Taking the time to research and choose vehicle makes, models and options wisely now can help new-car shoppers get as much money as possible when they sell or trade-in the vehicle in the future.”

To Chevy, the greatest reward is that drivers can turn to us knowing they will get the best value. That’s why we continue to push ourselves to improve each and every model every year. We don’t do it for awards, but it is nice to have something shiny to put on the shelves.

 

Courtesy of Chevrolet

Your Monday Maintenance Tip: Five Simple Ways to Save Money on Gas

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1) Replace the fancy gasoline with low-octane fuel
In filling up your car , make sure to buy the lowest grade of gasoline. However, choose the most appropriate gas for your automobile. Knowing which fuel works best for your car is always located in your owner's manual. Look it up.
Filling up your car with premium gasoline, even if it can be filled with low-octane fuel, is just a waste of money. Besides, not buying the high-octane gasoline won't boost your car's performance, anyway.

2) Remember to tighten the gas cap
Gas naturally evaporates from your car when the gas tank has an escape. According to the statistics, over 145 million gallons of gas evaporate yearly due to missing, damaged and loose gas caps. Why be one of those careless car owners? Tighten those gas caps now.

3) Air conditioning and shade
During summer, the intense sun can evaporate fuel instantly and make the insides of your car burn your skin up. For this reason, parking your car in the shade can be an effective gas-saving routine.
Besides, once you've parked your car in a shady place, using the gas-hogging air conditioning can be counted out. Just remember that air conditioning can drag your car's fuel economy by 10 to 20 percent.

However, when air conditioning is necessary, cool your car down by opening the windows, vents and sunroof. Turning on the air conditioning at full blast once you go into your car will definitely waste your money and gas.

4) Engine Care
A car that is out of tune or failed an emission test can drag your gas mileage down to up to 4 percent. Regular tune-ups as well as spark plug and air filter replacements can provide your car with over 30 percent of fuel efficiency.

5) Fast Cars with good mileage
Buying cars with a good mileage is probably the most important tip in saving money on gas. To know which car provides good gas mileage, check with an unbiased car dealer.

Believe it or not, these five simple routines can stretch up your gas dollar. Try it now and let it become your daily habit.

 

Courtesy of Fast Lanes

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OK Go & Chevy Sonic - Needing/Getting Music Video Trailer

The Chevrolet Sonic has been busy lately – taking part in a host of adventurous activities like sky diving, bungee jumping, kickflipping, and making a music video. We've seen snippets of a lot of the extreme sports activities the Sonic hatch has been involved in, but we have yet to see the music video for OK Go and its song "Needing/Getting." However, Chevy has just released a teaser to whet our appetites.

If you're hungry for more, check out what these masters of choreography are capable of!

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