Dos and Don'ts of Car Washing

If you're like most Americans, you want your car to look as
fresh and clean as possible.


Before you get out the squeegee, you should first ask the
all-important question, "What do I need to know about washing my
car?"


A great deal, it turns out.


According to ConsumerReports.org,...
continue reading

The Red Cross Says You Need THESE Items in Your Car!

As you pack up your vehicle for the next trip to the beach
or mountains, consider first adding the essentials you'd need if
something goes wrong.


An emergency preparedness kit, according to the

American Red Cross, can contain a variety of
items, some more specific to your personal ...
continue reading

RED ALERT: Are Your Tires Failing?

Tire health is a critical standard for overall vehicle
safety. It is also one of the easiest for the
mechanically-challenged to identify and monitor. Keeping an eye
on these critical points, itemized by
Consumer Reports, will help assure longer
tire life, better gas mileage and an ov...
continue reading

How to Translate a Vehicle Tire Size

When you need new tires, the first question is often, "What
size?". And though you may (or may not!) know the answer to that
question, there is a good chance you have no idea what it
means.


You know that the tiny print inside the sidewall mean
something, but "what" is the question.

...
continue reading

Industry Survey: 3 our of 4 Cars Need Service

From the Car Care Council:


If you own a vehicle, chances are it needs some work, according
to the Car Care Council. National Car Care Month in April is the
ideal time to give your car some extra attention.


The results of vehicle inspections held at community car care
events across ...
continue reading

Fix-a-Flat: Friend or Foe?

When the unthinkable happens - stuck, late night on the
side of a rainy roadway with a flat tire - nothing sounds better
than a fast fix for the damage. After all, we all want it fast
and simple, right?


Fix-a-Flat has been on the market for quite some time, and
in the absence of a sp...
continue reading

What's that Smell? 6 Vehicle Warning Smells

From the Car Care Council:


The new inforgraphic from the Car Care Council outlines six car
smells that could mean trouble for your vehicle. The infographic
is based off a recent press release titled "Six Vehicle Warning Signs Your Nose Can
Recognize" and a non-technical approach to und...
continue reading

How to Select Your Next Tires

There is a lot to consider when selecting tires for your
vehicle. Beyond the size and the variety (radial, snow, etc.),
it's important to take into account the various ratings on tires
that you are considering purchasing.


According to
Edmunds.com, the most important
consideratio...
continue reading

How to Use a Tire Pressure Gauge

Tire care is essential for the life of your vehicle, and
those who ride within it. Yielding better gas mileage and better
traction in inclement weather, there is no question that tires
can make a real difference in your driving experience.


Checking your vehicle's tire pressure is a sim...
continue reading

The One Essential Emergency Item Every Car Needs

According to a recent article in USA
Today, many vehicles being sold from American car lots -
especially smaller and economical models - are leaving without
something you definitely should have at all times.


Without your awareness, car makers are leaving the spare tire out
of the sale...
continue reading

Five UNDENIABLE Reasons for Your Oil Change

Cars are changing. Requirements for maintenance are
changing with them. But the benefits of regular oil changes have
not. It is essential that oil changes be administered regularly
for overall vehicle health. But according to
eHow, these are the most obvious:


Cleaner Engine


O...
continue reading

5 MUST-HAVE Road Trip Apps

When you're packing up for your next summer road trip
adventure, pack the smartphone
first.


You read that right - loading your smartphone with the
right apps can make your family trip to the shore less stressful,
faster and smoother.


According to Complex.com, you need:


1. Roa...
continue reading

Three Fantastic Car Care Gifts for Mom

Flowers may fade away, chocolate is overdone, and she probably
has enough crafts from you to last a lifetime. Why not think
outside the box this Mother's Day and get mom an upgrade to her
car? Here are a few fabulous options to make this Mother's Day
even more special for the person who t...
continue reading

Six Tips to Keep Gas Costs Down

It's inevitable. As temperatures climb, so too do gas
prices! As more people venture out of doors and to the roadways,
the price at the pump seems to increase by the minute. To offset
the pain of the prices at the pump, the
Car Care Council makes the following
recommendations:



...
continue reading

Summer Safety Tips: Cars and Kids

Nothing is more important than your child's safety,
especially with summer around the corner. This season can be a
carefree time for all, but danger lurks in the most unexpected
places, just like your car. www.safercar.gov
tells all when it comes to vehicle heat safety for your
kids t...
continue reading

Car Care Council: The Road to a Long-Lasting Automobile

A recent report from the Car Care Council has several helpful
tips to help your vehicle last for many spring seasons to come:


Auto technicians say the key to keeping vehicles running
well-today and down the road-is routine maintenance.


Auto technicians say the key to keeping vehicles...
continue reading

Spring Car Care Tips

The weather is changing, the birds are back in the trees. Here
are the top three car care tips to help your car look it's best
and last longer:


1. Change your wiper blades- Wiper blades can
get worn out from months of salt and snow. With all those April
showers, spring is the perfect ...
continue reading

Another Sign of Spring: Potholes

What are potholes?


Potholes are, by definition, is a failure of the asphalt
pavement. Usually caused by water under the asphalt, the pressure
of thousands of cars can make already weakened spots give way. We
see more potholes appearing in the spring as the ground begins to
thaw.


W...
continue reading

The Basics of Brake Maintenance

You might first notice it during a completely unremarkable
stop at a traffic light: a faint squealing noise as you apply
your brakes. In the following days, it gets louder and more
insistent. That's by design: your worn-down brake pads are
telling you they need replacement. Don't put it o...
continue reading

Pothole Season Is Upon Us

As winter drags towards spring, you're likely to notice
that your daily drive is getting a little bumpier (or maybe a lot
bumpier). Pothole season is upon us.


A pothole can form when water seeps into cracks and
crevices in a road surface that has suffered wear and tear from
passing tr...
continue reading

NEED FOR SPEED

Continental Tire need for speed tire rebate, March 7, 2014
through April 4, 2014, Purchase any set of continental tires
($499.00) and up and recieve a mail in rebate for $70.00 VISA
prepaid card or an ION Air Pro HD camera. Some exclusions apply
stop by or cll for details.
...
continue reading

Do You Subject Your Car to Shocking Neglect?

If you do, it's okay. We can't really blame you if your
vehicle's suspension isn't exactly the first thing on your mind.
On most vehicles, it's completely out of sight unless one of the
wheels is removed.


Many drivers, if they think about their car's suspension at
all, imagine that it...
continue reading

Car's Filthy? At Least Clean Your Headlights

You already know that the melted rock salt that splatters
onto your car from treated roadways in the wintertime can leave
an unsightly, translucent white and grey film all over the
exterior of your vehicle.


You may also be aware that, if left unwashed, that rock
salt film can have a c...
continue reading

Your Tires Are Trying To Tell You Something

If it were time for you to replace your tires, would you
know? The majority of drivers wouldn't, according to an tire
industry group.


The Rubber Manufacturers Association found
that 13 percent of vehicles on the road had at least one bald
tire,
according to a recent ABC News
repo...
continue reading

Are Your Tires Resisting You?

Are your tires resisting you? If so, it could be costing
you money at the fuel pump.


It might seem odd to consider, but even when properly
inflated and rolling in dry conditions, your tires encounter
friction as they move along the road surface. Yes, they have a
lot less friction than...
continue reading

Essential Tips for Driving in Fog

Fog can form whenever a humid air mass is cooled, either by
dropping temperatures at night or when the warmer air moves over
cold ground. Large temperature swings between day and night (from
the mid 50s to the low 30s, for example) are ripe for the
creation of dangerous, foggy driving con...
continue reading

Frigid Temperatures and Your Tires

Frigid, life-threatening cold weather is one of the worst
times to be changing a tire on the shoulder of a roadway.
Unfortunately, it's one of the times that it's most likely to
happen.


When a record breaking cold snap hit much of the
continental U.S. in early January, motorist assist...
continue reading

New Year Car Maintenance: Check Your Belts

The new year is upon us. It's time to go through a
checklist of easy auto maintenance tasks that you can do in your
driveway. Among these is checking your car's belts.


Your vehicle's engine belt or belts should be replaced
about every 50,000 miles. For a typical American driver, that's
...
continue reading

New Year Car Maintenance: Check Your Coolant Level

The new year is upon us. It's time to go through a
checklist of easy auto maintenance tasks that you can do in your
driveway. One of the things you should be doing at least once a
year, if not more often, is to check its level of coolant, or
antifreeze. You don't need any tools.


The i...
continue reading

New Year Car Maintenance: Check Your Coolant Level

The new year is upon us. It's time to go through a
checklist of easy auto maintenance tasks that you can do in your
driveway. One of the things you should be doing at least once a
year, if not more often, is to check its level of coolant, or
antifreeze. You don't need any tools.


The i...
continue reading

New Year Car Maintenance: Check Your Belts

The new year is upon us. It's time to go through a
checklist of easy auto maintenance tasks that you can do in your
driveway. Among these is checking your car's belts.


Your vehicle's engine belt or belts should be replaced
about every 50,000 miles. For a typical American driver, that's
...
continue reading

New Year Car Maintenance: Check Your Coolant Level

The new year is upon us. It's time to go through a
checklist of easy auto maintenance tasks that you can do in your
driveway. One of the things you should be doing at least once a
year, if not more often, is to check its level of coolant, or
antifreeze. You don't need any tools.


The i...
continue reading

New Year Car Maintenance: Check Your Coolant Level

The new year is upon us. It's time to go through a
checklist of easy auto maintenance tasks that you can do in your
driveway. One of the things you should be doing at least once a
year, if not more often, is to check its level of coolant, or
antifreeze. You don't need any tools.


The i...
continue reading

New Year Car Maintenance: Check Your Belts

The new year is upon us. It's time to go through a
checklist of easy auto maintenance tasks that you can do in your
driveway. Among these is checking your car's belts.


Your vehicle's engine belt or belts should be replaced
about every 50,000 miles. For a typical American driver, that's
...
continue reading

Event: CHICKEN BBQ - Feb 2 @ 11:00am

Hop Bottom Hose Co. Annual Chicken BBQ


Super Bowl Sunday February 2, 2014 11:00 am until 2:00 pm


Dinner $9.00 Half Chicken $6.50
...
continue reading

Snow Isn't The Only Reason for Winter Tires

If your vehicle is fitted with all-season tires, and you
managed to drive unscathed through the early and mid-December
snows, you may be thinking that you don't really need winter
tires this season.


You may want to reconsider that. Winter tires are not
merely "snow tires." It would be...
continue reading

"Socking" It To Your Tires

A winter storm warning was just declared. Do you have snow
socks in your trunk?


No, they're not for your feet. Snow socks are commonplace
in a number of European countries, but only recently have begun
to catch on in the United States.


These lightweight tire coverings provide a vehi...
continue reading

Snow Chains: A Primer

The snowy season is upon us, and if you've spent any time
at all driving in heavily falling snow, you may be wondering
whether it's time to invest in a set of tire chains before the
next snowstorm.


Snow chains or cables will vary widely in cost, ranging
anywhere from $30 - $200 per pa...
continue reading

New Year Car Maintenance: Replace Your Wiper Blades

As the new year gets underway, it's time to go through a
checklist of easy auto maintenance tasks that you can do in your
driveway. One of the easiest and least expensive things you can
do to make your vehicle safer (and easier to drive!) is to
replace your windshield wiper blades.


Wi...
continue reading