F R M Blog

The Car Maintenance Checklist Here are 7 easy steps to a long-running car you can rely on. 1. Keep your tires in shape It's easy to take those tires for granted. But according to safercar.gov, more than 11,000 tow-away (that is, pretty serious) crashes annually are caused, in part, by tire issues. Check air pressure: Underinflated tires are 3 times more likely to cause a serious accident than their properly pumped counterparts. Use a pressure gauge to test them at least once a m …

Pre-Trip Check Helps Avoid Road Trip Breakdown School’s out for summer and your family is ready for a much needed summer vacation. But is your vehicle ready for the road? A new video from the non-profit Car Care Council explains the importance of a pre-trip vehicle check and the steps to be taken to be road-trip ready. “A pre-trip vehicle check helps determine if a vehicle is ready for the road so you can avoid the inconvenience, potential safety hazards and unplanned expense of breakin …

Spark Plugs Need to Be Replaced Periodically That little engine part called the spark plug performs a huge job in delivering a vehicle’s power, performance, dependability and fuel efficiency and, according to the non-profit Car Care Council, should be replaced periodically. “Spark plugs are one of the hardest working parts of a vehicle. A spark plug can fire 400 times per minute per cylinder or 1,600 times a minute on a four-cylinder engine,” said Rich White, executive director, Ca …

Top 5 Tire Myths Debunked They affect your car’s handling, ride, braking and safety. But most people don’t give much thought to them. Eighty-three percent of drivers aren’t “tire smart” (i.e., they don’t know how to properly check tire pressure), according to a 2015 survey from the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA). You may be thinking, Tires haven’t changed since I bought my first set. Wrong! Since they carry you and your car around on the road, taking proper care of …

It only takes a penny to see if your tires are worn or losing tread. Examining your tires for wear and tear, along with checking tire pressure and alignment, are essential to ensuring your vehicle’s safety on the road and helping to improve gas mileage and performance. The non-profit Car Care Council recommends that motorists be car care aware and check tire condition and pressure regularly.“The penny test is a simple, yet effective, way to check tire tread. If you see Lincoln’s head above the t …