Motorist Checklist for Fall Car Care Month in October
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By juliaanderson
Hi everyone,
I've noticed that many drivers don't think much about their car battery until it suddenly fails to start the vehicle.
Over the past year, I've started checking the battery terminals, cleaning off any corrosion, and testing the battery before long trips. It only takes a few minutes but can help avoid unexpected breakdowns.
I'm curious how everyone else handles battery maintenance.
Do you test your battery on a regular schedule, or do you only replace it when you notice signs like slow engine cranking or electrical issues?
I'd love to hear what routine has worked best for you and whether you've found any simple maintenance tips that really make a difference.
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By juliaanderson
Hi everyone,
I've noticed that many drivers don't think much about their car battery until it suddenly fails to start the vehicle.
Over the past year, I've started checking the battery terminals, cleaning off any corrosion, and testing the battery before long trips. It only takes a few minutes but can help avoid unexpected breakdowns.
I'm curious how everyone else handles battery maintenance.
Do you test your battery on a regular schedule, or do you only replace it when you notice signs like slow engine cranking or electrical issues?
I'd love to hear what routine has worked best for you and whether you've found any simple maintenance tips that really make a difference.
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By abenleulmi
Hey everyone,
With the summer heat hitting hard, I've seen way too many drivers—both everyday commuters and even some DIYers—making the exact same mistakes under the hood that end up completely wrecking their air conditioning systems.
Replacing an A/C compressor or a blown blower motor at a US dealership can easily cost you $1,200+ out of pocket. The worst part? Most of this damage is caused by simple, everyday habits we do without even realizing it.
Here are a few quick, costly traps you need to avoid right now if you want to save your compressor and save some cash at the pump:
Blasting the A/C on Max at Startup: Doing this the second you turn the key places a massive, sudden parasitic load on a cold engine and slips your serpentine belt. Let your RPMs stabilize first!
Cruising with Windows Half-Down: This creates a non-stop thermodynamic tug-of-war. Your cabin sensors will force the A/C clutch to stay engaged indefinitely, burning through your gas.
The Continuous Recirculation Trap: Leaving the recirculation button on for hours traps interior moisture and turns your evaporator core into a literal breeding ground for mold and that foul "gym-sock" smell.
I’ve put together a completely free, breakdown guide that covers the step-by-step pro mechanic method to cool down a scorching hot car cabin in under 60 seconds without straining your engine. It also includes a breakdown of real-world repair costs if these habits are ignored.
If you want to keep your ride icy cold and stop burning extra fuel this summer, check out the full guide here: 👉
<a href="https://autoskil.com/things-not-to-do-while-cars-ac-is-on" title="Read the full guide on things to avoid while driving" style="color: #1a73e8; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">5 Things Not to Do While Your Car’s AC is On</a> Would love to hear your thoughts or any under-the-hood hacks you guys use to beat the heat! Stay cool out there.
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By NAPA
Ron Capps and the
link hidden, please login to view Funny Car team delivered a standout performance Sunday at the NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, racing to the final round of the milestone 1,000th NHRA Funny Car event before a narrow loss to Matt Hagan. After qualifying No. 2, Capps ran a series of passes in the 3.80-second range, including low E.T. of the event, on the way to his 159th career final round. With the runner-up finish, Capps is now tied for the Funny Car points lead with Hagan following race three of the 20-race NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Funny Car’s first qualifying session on Friday was a challenging one for Capps and his fellow competitors, but with Dean ‘Guido’ Antonelli turning the knobs, he charged to a 4.007-second pass at 314.17 mph in the second session. That was the third-quickest performance of the round, rewarding Capps with one championship bonus point and the provisional No. 3 position. By reaching the semifinals at the NHRA Arizona Nationals, which he ultimately won, Capps earned a spot in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge during Saturday qualifying. Capps left the line first against Paul Lee, but he started to lose traction and backed off the throttle. He then rebounded to a 3.919 E.T. at 330.88 mph in the final session to grab two more bonus points and climb up to the No. 2 position in the final qualifying order.
In the first round of eliminations on Sunday, Capps left the starting line ahead of young gun Dylan Winefsky, and though he lost traction, pedaled, dropped cylinders, and shut off early, he crossed the finish line first with a 4.977 E.T. Capps came back stronger in the quarterfinals, where he fired off low E.T. of the round, a 3.884-second pass at 332.34 mph, to defeat Alexis DeJoria. Capps and Antonelli lowered the boom yet again in the semifinals with a 3.863 E.T. at 330.31 mph – low E.T. of the event – to hold off rookie Jordan Vandergriff and his 3.889 E.T.
Following a quick turnaround to race under the lights in the 1,000th NHRA Funny Car final round, Capps lined up next to fellow multi-time world champion Matt Hagan for the 85th time in eliminations. The NAPA Auto Care machine moved off the starting line first, but Hagan pulled ahead at the finish line, with Capps recording a 3.893 E.T. at 334.32 mph to Hagan’s winning 3.876 E.T.
“You really couldn’t ask for a better final in a lot of different ways,” Capps said. “It was really mano a mano with both teams – ‘Stretch’ (Mike Knudsen, Hagan’s crew chief) and Guido and then Matt and me. I get up for racing Matt. He was a teammate of mine for a long time and I know how good he is. To me, that’s like a ‘Snake’ and ‘Jungle Jim’ race back in the day. You’ve got a great car, you get up there and you throw down, then you add the fact that it’s Pomona on a late Sunday night under the lights and the 1,000th win in Funny Car is on the line. There’s so many cool things about it. I’m bummed it didn’t go our way, but at the same time, we have a good hot rod, and we moved up in points. I’m just so proud of Guido and the guys.”
Capps will look to solidify the points lead at the next stop on the NHRA Mission Foods Series schedule, the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, April 24-26, at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina.
Start / Finish: No. 2 / def. in final round
Points Standing / Total: No. 1 / 251 pts. (tied)
Next Race: April 24-26, NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, Concord, NC
How to Watch or Listen: FS1,
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By Counterman
The Auto Care Association announced the release of ACES 5.0 and PIES 8.0, the latest updates to the industry’s data standards, along with supporting reference database schema updates. The new versions follow a comprehensive, yearlong industry review and introduce enhanced capabilities designed to support more accurate, flexible and scalable data exchange across the automotive aftermarket. Updated schemas in this release include VCdb 2.0, Qdb 2.0, PCdb 2.0, PAdb 5.0 and Brand Table 2.0.
Standardized data for evolving global and regulatory needs
ACES (Aftermarket Catalog Exchange Standard) and PIES (Product Information Exchange Standard) serve as the industry’s standardized, machine-readable (XML) methods for exchanging product fitment and product information data across the Americas. These standards are used by manufacturers, distributors, retailers, e-commerce platforms and solution providers across multiple sectors.
“ACES and PIES are foundational to how the aftermarket communicates product data,” said Jonathan Larsen, vice president, digital products and standards,
link hidden, please login to view. “These updates are focused on helping the industry to deliver richer content, improve data accuracy and adapt to evolving global and regulatory needs.” New in ACES 5.0
Support for vehicle- and part-specific non-diagram digital assets within the App Segment; Multiple descriptions for a single digital asset; and Expanded multilingual capabilities for the “MfrLabel” field. New in PIES 8.0
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) packaging data to support regulatory compliance; Multiple package configurations at a single pack level; and Digital asset file hashing and record sequencing to improve data validation and organization. Increased accuracy and efficiency across the supply chain
Together, these updates to ACES and PIES make it easier to deliver richer product content, improve data consistency across partners and better support compliance and evolving market demands. The result is more accurate product listings, fewer errors and a more efficient flow of data across the supply chain.
Compatible with Catalog Assessment Reporting Tool
In addition, the AutoCareVIP.com Catalog Assessment Reporting Tool now supports ACES 5.0 and PIES 8.0 files. This free tool helps users evaluate and improve the quality of their ACES and PIES data.
Full details on the ACES and PIES release are provided in the Auto Care Association’s latest
link hidden, please login to view To learn more about Auto Care Data Standards and book a complimentary meeting with an Auto Care data expert, click
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