Taking care of your radiator and cooling system will save you tons of problems down the road. It will also save you money in repairs, ranging from a blown engine to warped aluminum heads.

It doesn't take a lot of time or money to maintain your radiator and cooling system. The two things you should do regularly only take a few minutes. The first and most important thing to do is make sure you are using the coolant recommended for your vehicle. Your owner's manual will tell you what type you should use. 

When you see a vehicle driving down the street and it's shiny and freshly washed, there's nothing that looks better than this. However, washing your car isn't just for cosmetic reasons. A frequent washing will help protect the integrity of your new car. Strive to clean your vehicle every two weeks or so, using appropriate soaps, sponges, and towels. You'll want to make sure you target spots that have a lot of dirt, dust, or road salt built up.

Washing the body of your vehicle is important, but be sure to pay attention to your tires…

In vehicles, there are some aspects of the maintenance othat you can do by yourself. However, there are other aspects of maintenance that are recommended to be done by a qualified technician so that you can rest assured that your vehicle is going to be properly maintained.

For jobs that require the work of a technician, the type of technicians to look for are ASE-certified automotive technicians. These are the types of technicians that can be trusted to solve the root issue to your vehicle as opposed to fixing a mere symptom.  

When you're driving on the road at night, try to shift your focus to something else on the road aside from the oncoming headlights. This will help to reduce the glare that you experience when you're meeting another car. If you're driving on a busy highway, then consider slightly looking to the right side of the road instead of the center of the roadway.

An option for reducing glare at night is to wear nighttime glasses. They are coated on the front of the lens and the back. This design is similar to sunglasses and reduces the…

It's getting more and more expensive every day to operate a vehicle. One of the major expenses is fuel. No one wants to pay more for gas than needed, so MINI of Portland wants you to know a few tips to get better gas mileage in your vehicle.

Driving in an efficient manner is one of the best ways to improve overall fuel economy. One way to drive more efficiently and save gas is to always drive at or below the speed limit. Driving at a slower speed saves gas and keeps you safer. Cutting down on idling time…

Suppose you were to drive upon any situation where public servants or an automobile were in the breakdown lane. Would you know what American laws expect you to do? At MINI of Portland, we want to help you be an informed, safe driver, and we can answer that question.

Every state in our nation has a Move Over Law. These laws heighten safety for police officers, emergency workers and motorists in breakdown lanes. Of course, each state's law contains unique wording, but all Move Over Laws expect you to give people and autos in breakdown lanes a cushion.  

There is a lot of work that goes into applying touch-up paint. While you may think it’s simple to cover up a paint chip or scratch with a touch-up kit, there are actually a few things that you have to do to pre-treat a spot on your vehicle so that it blends in all the way. The best way to use it for areas that are small, and when you have larger issues, such as a key scratch, you should buff and prime the spot first.

Most automotive touch-up paint doesn’t blend well. This is because it isn…

The expense and inconvenience of having to switch summer tires for winter and back again once the season is over makes the option of simply driving on them year-round very tempting. Winter tires are constructed differently, however, and driving on them throughout the year can be more expensive than the cost of replacing them with summer tires.

Winter tires can be studded or unstudded, but both varieties have deeper tread patterns and rubber that remains soft in cold temperatures. When temperatures rise, this rubber blend can become a liability, wearing out quickly on hot roads. 

When you're driving at night, you'll want every advantage to help keep you safe. Thanks to incredibly advanced technology, more such safety equipment is becoming standard on today's new vehicles. One of these technologies is the electrochromic rearview mirror.

These mirrors automatically dim when they detect light from headlights of the car behind you. Two sensors, which are either small cameras or photodetectors, sense the glare and sends a charge through an electrochromic gel.  

We love the snow! While winter can be exciting and fun, we want to make sure that our community prepares well for winter driving. An emergency kit is a wonderful way to feel like you can handle the situation if something happens while you are in the car.

When you make your kit, think of the things you need and then add a few things you'd want if you had to wait for help. A few necessities may be water, food, blankets, and boots. You may also want a cell phone charger, some extra clothing, and a book if…