Constant velocity universal joints are one of those maintenance issues we rarely think about – until they start making noise. And when they start making noise, it is one of those things we’d like to turn up the sound and forget about. Though CV joints are intimidating, they’re easy to troubleshoot and fix. Ignore them and it can bite you in terms of safety and reliability. More...

When ordinary maintenance work is needed, we have a few choices. We can take the car to a franchised dealership for that make, choose an aftermarket chain store, bring it to an independent service shop—or do the work ourselves. In a webinar hosted by Automotive News magazine, representatives from DMEautomotive.com presented results from a survey meant to inform dealers how they can capture a greater share of the auto repair service business. The 1,924 respondents fell into three categories:

• Loyalists (23 percent of the total), who return to the dealership for most service work
• Swing Loyalists (50 percent), who bring their cars to the dealership frequently, or spend more there, but not both
• Disloyalists (27 percent), who have “no demonstrated commitment” to any dealership

“Disloyalists” are aptly named,” said Mike Martinez, chief marketing officer for DMEautomotive. The survey considered three common maintenance service needs: brakes, battery, and tires. When brake work was needed, 63.9 percent of respondents said they considered going to the dealership. For battery replacement, 45.9 percent leaned toward the auto dealer. To replace tires, the figure dropped to 35.7 percent of respondents. More...

The annual release of new car models makes a lot of people want to trade in their old cars, but not Joe LoCicero, who has resisted temptation for so long that his 1990 Honda Accord turned over a million miles recently.

LoCicero, a resident of Norway, Maine, is a master auto technician who inspects vehicles for warranty claims and lease terms in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. He bought the Accord in 1996 with 74, 000 miles on the odometer and has kept it running ever since. He recorded all the maintenance in notebooks, a dozen in all now, and says the engine and transmission are original. He has, however, had to replace several items, including the seat belts, the steering wheel (how do you wear out a steering wheel?) and the upholstery. The fuel pump died at 174, 000 miles.

At the average car’s annual mileage of 10,000 to 15,000 per year, it would take at least 66 years to rack up a million miles. LoCicero put 48,000 miles per year on his Accord.

LoCicero is the first person documented by Honda to have put one million miles on one of its cars. At a town celebration for “Million Mile Joe” in Saco, Maine, he was presented with a new 2012 Honda Accord by the local Honda dealer (see video below). He’s not sure what he’ll do with the old one, but factoring in standard depreciation rates, he’d probably have to pay someone to buy it.

Reuse, recycle, reduce applies not just to glass, paper, and aluminum cans, it applies to oil, as well. With more than 3 billion quarts of motor oil consumed by cars and trucks in the U.S. Each year, used oil is a valuable resource––too valuable to throw away. So Valvoline has created NextGen oil to take advantage of these untapped reserves.

The oil part of oil, called the base stock, doesn’t wear out, but the additives––usually accounting for about 15 percent of a finished motor oil––do, and when they do it’s time to change oil. Along with it comes the sludge and contaminants that build up in used oil. But because the molecules in the base stock don’t wear out, they’re reusable.

The recycled oil in Valvoline’s NextGen goes through a multi-stage refining process to remove the contaminants and worn-out additives and create fresh base oil. Then fresh additives are blended in to create new motor oil that’s ready for duty in your car or truck.

Because NextGen is 50 percent recycled oil, it reduces the amount of energy needed to find, drill, transport, and refine crude oil. Recycled oil uses 56 percent fewer resources compared to oil made without recycle content. Valvoline says NextGen could reduce the need for 1.6 billion quarts of oil every year.

NextGen is certified by the American Petroleum Institute (API), and is approved by all major car manufacturers for use in their engines. Valvoline recommends changing oil every 3000 miles, and that interval extends to NextGen, too. Valvoline’s Engine Guarantee covers your engine if it fails, and if you have 125,000 miles or less, using Valvoline NextGen can give you an engine guarantee up to 225,000 miles.

NextGen oil is becoming available in more locations every day. Click here to find a retailer or service location carrying NextGen.

Want to learn more about driving green? Check out the autoMedia Green Corner, with features and new car reviews for environmentally-friendly motoring.

Winter, with its cold and wet weather, drives most of us indoors until spring. But before you light the fire and settle in with a mug of chocolate, take some time to see to your car’s cold-weather needs. Mopar has some tips and a maintenance checklist for getting ready for winter driving.

After a long, hot summer on the road, your brake pads might be ready to retire. Check them, along with the rotors, calipers and parking brake, for wear, and replace worn-out parts before wet roads and poor traction are added to the mix.

Winter means rain and snow, so check the tread depth on your tires to make sure they can channel moisture on the road away from the contact patch. If you’re not sure if your tires will last until spring, don’t take a chance––replace them now.

Batteries fail more often in the winter than in the summer, so check yours for corroded posts, and look for a cracked or bulging case.

Wiper blades take a beating from the summer sun and from ozone and air pollution. Get new ones before the rains come.

Winter is pothole season, so make sure your shocks and struts are in good condition. Do the bounce test by pushing down on each corner of the car; if the car bounces more than once the shock on that corner might need to be replaced.

Change your engine oil, and if you live where it gets really cold, change the viscosity, as well.

Check all the fluids––ATF, differential oil, antifreeze, brake fluid––and refill or replace as necessary. Be sure to top off the windshield washer fluid.

Check all engine belts and hoses. Just because the weather is freezing doesn’t mean your car can’t throw a belt and overheat.

Check your air filter, which has been stopping summer dust for months. Check it frequently during the winter if you drive in the rain a lot; moist air carries a lot of contaminants that can clog the filter faster than if the weather were dry.

Shorter days and cloudy weather bring reduced visibility, so make sure all your headlights and taillights are working. Check the alignment of your headlights to avoid blinding oncoming traffic.

Sun and dirt do a number on a car’s paint over the years. In many cases the damage is only surface-deep and can be removed, restoring the paint to its original condition––but only if there’s enough paint left to restore. If the layer of remaining paint is too thin, you’ll likely work your way down to the primer level and have to repaint anyway.

Generally speaking, a little fading can be removed, but if the faded spots are a very different color compared to the good spots, you’re in for a repaint. Likewise, if there are spots of rust, head right for the paint shop.

The first step in restoring faded paint is washing your car. Park you car in the shade until the body is cool to the touch. Use a soap made for cars––dishwashing detergent can remove the oils in the paint, adding to your problems instead of reducing them. Use plenty of water to keep the dirt from scratching the good paint, and use a sponge or terrycloth towel to apply the soapy water. Rinse and clean them regularly to prevent dirt build-up.

If the damage to the paint is light, you can probably get away with touching up the affected area with a polish. There are two types, abrasive and non-abrasive. Check the label to make sure you’re buying the right one for your car’s paint. The determining factor is usually whether the paint has a clearcoat. A sufficient layer of clearcoat can withstand an abrasive cleaner, but a metallic paint without a layer of clearcoat over it probably can’t. If you’re not sure if a polish is abrasive, don’t buy it. Better to start with a non-abrasive and find out it doesn’t work well enough than to start with an abrasive and find it works too well.

Follow the directions on the polish container closely. Go slowly, and check your results often to make sure you don’t go further than you need to. When you achieve the desired finish rinse the area with clean water, dry it by hand, and apply car wax. And then maybe invest in a car cover to protect the rest of the car’s paint.