GM cuts Saab powertrain warranty down to four years/50,000 miles 1 year ago on Autoblog

As if selling a quirky Swedish brand wasn't hard enough, Saab dealers will now have to do it with a smaller powertrain warranty. Effective immediately for 2009 models, all powertrain warranties on Saab vehicles will be reduced to four-years or 50,000 miles. Most media outlets, including Automotive ...

Another automated fine - thanks, HAL 1 year ago on Autoblog

Sure, they'll say it's for safety, driving on excessively worn tires is dangerous, but something more sinister is afoot. German firm ProContour has developed a tire tread depth measuring system that beams a laser at the wheels of passing vehicles and takes 430 million measurements per second to ...

Click and Clack cartoon debuts tonight on PBS 1 year ago on Autoblog

If you've been dying to see animated versions of Click and Clack -- aliases Tom and Ray Magliozzi -- then you'll want to tune into your local PBS station tonight. Their new series, As the Wrench Turns, starts off with their presidential campaign, with one of the platforms being "America needs a ...

Mazda extends rotary warranty on RX-8 to 100k miles 1 year ago on Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Mazda RX-8. You've got to hand it to Mazda for its perseverance with the Wankel rotary engine design. Ever since it's engineers managed to make it semi-reliable, the turbine-like smoothness of the quick-spinning lump has seen duty in numerous ...

Cost of vehicle maintenance is escalading 1 year ago on Autoblog

The pains many automobile owners are feeling at their local service station isn't just at the pump -- prices for general maintenance is also increasing. Petroleum based products, such as oil and tires, are heading north with the price of gasoline. Demand for steel has also pushed up prices on ...

VW announces Carefree Maintenance Program for 2009 models 1 year ago on Autoblog

Volkswagen announced today that its entire 2009 lineup will come with a new Carefree Maintenance Program standard. What this means is that all scheduled maintenance for your 2009 Vee-Dub will be done and paid for by Volkswagen for the length of your limited warranty, which is 3 years or 36,000 ...

Toyota extends rust warranty on older Tacoma pickups to 15 years 1 year ago on Autoblog

Toyota had begun receiving a few reports from customers that excessive corrosion was occurring on the frames of some older Tacoma pickups, specifically 1995 to 2000 models. The Japanese automaker determined that during this half decade of production, some Taco frames may not have received the kind ...

New self-inflating tire constantly under pressure 1 year ago on Autoblog

We all know that keeping your tires properly inflated will prolong their tread life, help you burn less fuel and increase your safety. But finding a working air hose when you're away from your garage is like trying to find a working clock in an early-80's Buick. This is probably what led Coda ...

Catalytic Converters: Thieves target the pod of precious metal 1 year ago on Autoblog

Bulging in the exhaust system like a rabbit deep in the belly of a boa, the catalytic converter cleans engine fumes before they are released into the air. To the inexperienced, the oversized metal cylinder looks rather uninteresting. To a thief, it is a pod of precious metal worth nearly $200 on the ...

HiQ garage goes for Coolest Auto Repair Shop honors 1 year ago on Autoblog

click above for more images of the HiQ service center As some of us are pretty sharp with a wrench, we loathe taking our cars elsewhere for repairs. Most of the time, we want to watch the guy doing the work, and that's usually not possible so we end up chain-drinking burnt coffee in the waiting ...

Wisconsin man's '91 Silverado set to hit 1 million miles 1 year ago on Autoblog

Talk about finding a good used car. Frank Orsenick bought his '91 Silverado in 1996. At the time, it had 41,000 miles on the clock. After 11 years of service (and a lot of driving), the old pickup is about to reach a milestone. Frank had the oil changed last week, just as he has every 3,000 miles ...

U.S. recalls climb 25 percent in 2007 1 year ago on Autoblog

Problems with older vehicles have helped recalls jump 25% from 2006 to 2007, with over 14 million owners receiving the dreaded notice this year. Topping this year's list with 5.5 million recalls is Ford Motor Company, due mostly to a cruise control problem. Volkswagen also saw a rise in recalls, ...

7,500-mile oil change becoming new standard 2 years ago on Autoblog

As more vehicles come with synthetic motor oils from the factory, oil change interval recommendations have begun to increase. It looks like 7,500 miles is the new adapted standard. The synthetic oils experience less thermal breakdown and evaporative loss over time compared with conventional oil, ...

A shotgun does not a lug wrench make - Darwin contestant 2 years ago on Autoblog

What do you do when you've got a lug nut that just won't budge? While you might want to blast it to smithereens, lots of dirty words, some mechanical finesse, a breaker bar, and heat usually get the job done. Of course, swearing like a truck driver is wholly unsatisfying when you compare it to the ...

SEMA 2007 Spotlight: Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax 2.0 2 years ago on Autoblog

Some of us here at Autoblog actually care about how our cars look and take extraordinary measures to keep their finishes looking like a mirror. Meguiar's has unveiled its new line of car cleansing products for 2008, and they've developed an entirely new wax formula that caught our eye here at SEMA. ...

Man with 2.6 million-mile Volvo P1800 aims for 3 million 2 years ago on Autoblog

click above image for more pics of the 2.6 million-mile Volvo P1800 We've reported on high-mileage cars here before. There was the Jetta diesel that Volkswagen found in Ohio with 562,000 miles on its odometer. Then there was the Saab 900 that had traveled 1,001,385 miles in its lifetime. Finally, ...

Think you're sharp? Take the Ford Doctors mechanical aptitude test 2 years ago on Autoblog

UPDATE: I took the quiz again and scored a 92 - guess I do better when paying attention. This came my way from one of the listservs I subscribe to. A passing grade is considered 80%, and I'm disappointed to say that if you take it while trying to watch ER and finish producing a podcast, like I did, ...

Mercedes service history goes all digital 2 years ago on Autoblog

This will be excellent when you go to buy that used Mercedes. Rather than searching high and low for that needle-in-a-haystack owner who kept meticulous records and the car serviced to a T, Mercedes is rolling out a Digital Service Booklet. Mercedes says it will be more convenient and efficient to ...

Why lift a car when you can tilt it? 2 years ago on Autoblog

I need this. My back isn't what it used to be, so when it's time to fiddle with the undercarriage, I start thinking wistfully about lifts or pits. It'd also make it easier to hang off the end of the breaker bar for those monster-torque suspension fasteners. Exhaust work? No more lying on your back, ...

VIDEO: Maxiumum Bob Lutz answers questions about GM's reliability 2 years ago on Autoblog

The General's chief product guru, Bob Lutz, responded to questions regarding GM's reliability in the company's FastLane Blog's most recent video Q&A chapter. According to Lutz, who cites comparisons to company "H" and company "T" as being perpetual reliability yardsticks, GM has aimed at making ...

For the OCD in you: Ownersite lets you track vehicle history to a tee 2 years ago on Autoblog

var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/software/For_the_OCD_in_you_Ownersite_lets_you_track_vehicle_history_to_a_tee'; Before I owned the '99 Alero, there was the '94 Protege. I had a habit of keeping the receipt for every drop of gas I put in that car. They were all stuffed in the glove box with the ...

Keep track of your fuel use with My Milemarker 2 years ago on Autoblog

With gasoline prices sometimes spiking above $3, it's good to know just how much of the stuff you're burning. And as a good car owner, you know the best way to do that is to habitually keep track of how many miles you've driven, how many gallons you've pumped and how often you change your car's ...

Crumple zones save lives ... and hide damage 2 years ago on Autoblog

A study by AutoBild reveals that modern crumple zones can actually hide serious damage to a car's structural integrity because of the way they're designed. There are two issues: the first is that crumple zones don't just deform in the case of an accident, they are now constructed to bounce back ...

Coming soon to a TV near you: Click and Clack 2 years ago on Autoblog

var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/television/Coming_soon_to_a_TV_near_you_Click_and_Clack'; Tom and Ray Magliozzi might be the first to admit that most people on the radio have faces that suit the medium, to put it delicately. There's no place to hide when you make the jump to television, but the ...

FTC cracking down on 'gas aid gadgets' 2 years ago on Autoblog

A recent test of 93 so-called 'gas gadgets' - devices or fuel additives that allegedly improve fuel economy - has found that almost all of them simply don't work. The results of the test, which were conducted by the EPA's Ann Arbor laboratory, have led to the Federal Trade Commission issuing a ...

Need a paint job? $50 will do it 2 years ago on Autoblog

click above image for a gallery showing the paint job's progression var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/offbeat_news/The_50_paint_job_for_your_car_n_apply_in_driveway_with_rollers_PIC'; I'm a big fan of the flat-black rat rod scene. A 1930s-era Ford with minimal aesthetic improvements contrasted ...

Cambridge engineers develop "talking" Fiat 2 years ago on Autoblog

Who would have thought that Pixar would turn out to be a prophet of the automotive industry? In creating its talking automobiles for the computer-animated film Cars, the Disney-associated studio might have done just that, as a group of engineering students in England have demonstrated. The team at ...

Consumer Reports puts cheap tire monitor under pressure 2 years ago on Autoblog

In September, all new cars sold in the U.S. will be required to have tire pressure monitoring systems. But for all those cars built without them, owners must rely either on their trusty gauge, or one of the new valve-stem monitors. If you've been wondering how well these things work, Consumer ...

Chrysler considering upping warranty coverage 2 years ago on Autoblog

What's the hottest new trend in Motown? Increasing the length of your warranty coverage. Hyundai turned up the heat when it began offering its 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty back in 2000 before passing it on to Kia. Last summer Ford increased its powertrain warranty to 5-years/60,000 ...

Michelin claims new tire comfortable, sporting, economical 2 years ago on Autoblog

Michelin says there are two touring-tire-buying camps. One drives BMWs and Audis and goes shopping for performance touring tires. The other group drives Camrys and Accords and is somewhat surprised to learn they'll be shopping for more expensive performance tires. The tire company hopes to capture ...

Hyundai offers big warranty on certified pre-owned vehicles 2 years ago on Autoblog

Hyundai has just announced a new Certified Pre-Owned Limited Warranty on used (sorry, "previously owned") vehicles that are up to five years old and have less than 60,000 miles. Known for being the first to offer a 10-year/100,00 mile powertrain warranty on its new cars, Hyundai will now be ...

Columnist discovers used Civic more frugal than new Prius 2 years ago on Autoblog

A columnist for The Economist confirms what many of us thought was obvious. New is not necessarily better and it's good to keep your nose clean. Moving from London to Texas (what a shock that must have been), the writer needed a car, and wanted one of the (what was then) shiny new Priuses. But not ...

Autoblog Maintenance 301: Part II of our front suspension/steering refresh 2 years ago on Autoblog

With Part I out of the way and the front end of our Buick Roadmaster in pieces, the next logic step is to start putting things back together. In this installment, we'll get the control arms buttoned up, and pay some loving attention to the steering gear. Click through for more ...

Average cost of driving remains flat at 52.2 cents/mile 2 years ago on Autoblog

According to the AAA, it costs an average of 52.2 cents/mile to operate a new vehicle, which is about the same it was last year. On average, the association figures you'll be spending $7,823 to drive 15,000 miles. While you may have noticed that gas prices have been a little lower lately, any ...

Autoblog Maintenance 301: Front suspension/steering refresh, Part I 2 years ago on Autoblog

Suspension components, charged with providing articulation while withstanding a constant beating from rough roads, live an incredibly tough life. Proper maintenance that includes regular lubrication helps, but once the odometer clicks over the sixth digit, it's often time for some fresh components. ...

Ford officially extends oil change interval to 7,500 miles 2 years ago on Autoblog

Ford has been studying the question of when to suggest oil changes, and they've hit upon 7,500 miles for 2007 and newer cars. Not only are modern oils better, modern engines are also better. You don't have carburetors metering poorly on winter mornings, tolerances are a lot tighter, and operating ...

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Autoblog Podcast #155: 'Twas the night before LA...

Chris, Dan, and Editor Paukert go over some LA Preview action and quietly whoop it up on the podcast.

 
 

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