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We spend a lot of time in our vehicles; keeping the interior clean and the air fresh can have more benefits than just the visual. It can create a welcoming respite from a hectic day and may even prevent an asthma attack if you're prone to them. While your vehicle may look clean, your upholstery can sometimes harbor hidden smells that say otherwise.

Be vigilant in cleaning up any used food containers instead of leaving them in your car overnight. If you're driving and spill a drink, pull over as soon as it's safe to swab up…

In an effort to assist our customers in driving safer on the roads, your friends at Acura of the Rio Grande Valley wanted to pass along some information about the differences when there is an oversteer and understeer in your vehicle.

Basically with an understeer, it appears there is no grip on the road and your vehicle tends to veer off the shoulder when making turns. When you have little response from the steering wheel and find you are working too hard to maintain your lane around turns, you'll want to have a mechanic take a closer look before…

If you are providing your vehicle with some routine maintenance, your tires are a part of your vehicle that require some attention. After all, your tires heavily contribute to the overall safety of your vehicle. If you want to check the tread of your tires to see if a new set is needed soon, you can use the penny test to see where the current life of your tires is at. You simply insert a penny upside-down in the tread of your tires. The amount of Lincoln's head that you can see will tell you the current life of…

Differential fluid is actually one of the most important fluids to have in your vehicle. One of the reasons that it is so important is that it serves a function when it comes to the gears. The function it serves is to transfer heat away from the gear to help it last longer.

Given that the differential fluid serves such a major function in your vehicle, it is important to know that it can breakdown. Therefore, you have to be on top of the fluid and be aware of the symptoms as they occur so that you don't have…

As an informed car owner, learning the inner workings of your car is a must. For this reason, our Acura service team wanted to ensure that you know about how a timing belt works in your vehicle. A timing belt can be thought of as a device used to ensure your gears shift seamlessly as you accelerate.

The length of time that a timing belt lasts is largely dependent on how hard you drive your vehicle but many experts agree that a typical timing belt will last anywhere from 70,000 to 100,000 miles assuming it is regularly checked…

Our staff at Acura of the Rio Grande Valley has a mission to help keep our customers informed about their vehicles. Your vehicle's starting system includes a battery, starter, and alternator. These are important pieces of equipment that help your vehicle perform well. Here is some helpful information about your vehicle's alternator.

Your vehicle's alternator is important because it keeps the battery charged when you are driving. It also helps the battery keep the electrical components in your car working properly, which include the headlights and windshield wipers.  

With the increase of rain during the summer, there is also an increase in automobile accidents. We want you to be safe on the road and understand how to handle hazardous conditions. Read further to learn how to stay safe during the rain!

It is important to make sure that your windshield wipers are in good condition. The inserts shouldn’t leave any streaks that could cause poor visibility. In addition, you should also be certain that all taillights, headlights, and turn signals are operating properly. To be prepared for the rain, you should also make sure that your tires…

Extreme heat can shorten the lifespan of your battery. Your battery may actually have greater capacity when it is hot outside. This may sound like a plus, but there is a downside to this. A higher capacity battery will run out of power sooner. This will lead to a decreased lifespan.

In the winter time, your battery may suffer from lower capacity. A typical battery will see its capacity reduced by about 20% when it is freezing outside. The colder it is, the less capacity the battery will have.

A reduced capacity can cause problems. If it is really cold…

Packing the right items in your roadside emergency kit will lessen the time you are stuck with a disabled car on the side of the road.

Road flares in the roadside emergency kit are key to keeping other drivers alert you are sitting roadside. Tire fix-a-flat will give you the chance to get a disabled vehicle off the road by lifting the tire just high enough off the rim to move safely. Jumper cables will give a driver the chance to pull over and jump-start your vehicle in less time.

Pack a small bag with assorted tools and keep in…

Today we break down the steps to jump-starting one car with another.

Begin by getting both cars nose to nose so that the jumper cables are able to reach both batteries easily. Turn off the engine once in park, then open both hoods and look for the plus and minus marks on each battery terminal.

Connect one red jumper cable to the plus on bad battery, then plus on good battery. Connect one black jumper cable to minus on good battery, then to exposed metal somewhere near the dead battery. Now you can start the one car and wait a…