Maintenance - Behind the Wheel

Quieting a Noisy Cabin: Better Ride Comfort on Any Budget

A noisy, jittery cabin makes even a short drive tiring, and a quiet, settled one makes a long trip relaxing.

Brake fluid is the most ignored fluid in the car, yet it's what actually transmits your foot'

An electric car's battery is its most valuable component, and how you treat it over the years decides

Cars talk to you through sound, and learning their basic vocabulary helps you catch problems early and describe them accurately

The biggest fear that keeps buyers away from used hybrids is the battery: the rumor that it dies early and

When the air conditioning blows warm on the first hot day, the repair lines get long fast. Understanding how the

Spark plugs are small, cheap and easy to ignore right up until they cause a misfire, a rough idle or

Wheel alignment sets the precise angles at which your tires meet the road. When those angles drift out of spec,

A single rubber belt, snaking around several pulleys at the front of your engine, drives some of the car'

Cloudy, yellowed headlights aren't just ugly; they scatter light and noticeably reduce how far you can see at

Few topics generate more outdated advice than oil changes. The 3,000-mile rule lingers from decades ago, but modern engines

Winter punishes a car with salt, potholes, freezing temperatures and grime. Spring is the natural moment to undo that damage