Five Less Obvious Signs That Your Car Is In Need of Service

While most of the time your car will be intelligent enough to let you know when it's time for service, there are instances when you may need to identify signs a little less obvious than a blinking orange light on the dashboard.

Here are five more subtle indications that your car needs a trip to the doctor.

1. You notice a sudden drop in gas mileage. This could be a direct cause of a bad fuel injector, dirty fuel filter or a problem with the spark plugs.

2. Strange sounds. There are many different noises that cars make; some natural while others not so much. Knocking, thudding, squealing, droning: these are some common indicators that something is wrong. 

3.  Leaks. Automobiles require a litany of fluids to properly function. Not all leaks will indicate a problem. For example, in the summer when the A/C is running, water may condense and drip on the ground. The same is true for exhaust pipes. Oil is one particular fluid that you do not want to see accumulating on your driveway. A good way to test if it is just water, or perhaps something else, is to dab a bit of the fluid on your finger and smell it. 

4. Spongy Brakes. Are you having to apply more pressure when braking your vehicle? It may be time for a brake inspection. 

5. Smells. Use all of your senses when operating your vehicle. Burning or metallic scents coming from the vehicle are good signs of overheating, or brake issues.

If you think your car is in need of service, schedule an appointment with us online!

Honda Developing Technology to Make Pedestrians Safer

In the U.S. almost 4,500 pedestrians are killed in collisions with cars and just under 70,000 are sent to the hospital each year. Honda has made it a priority to improve these numbers. 

Honda Motor Corp accepted this challenge and has devised a system aimed at providing a solution to the problem.

"The system consists of a millimeter wave radar scanner and a high-resolution camera, which work together to spot passengers and apply the breaks if necessary, and if it is safe to do so.  What's particularly impressive about Honda's claims is it says it can bring a vehicle hurdling towards a pedestrian to a dead stop in most cases at speeds up to 60 kph (via dailytech.com)." 

Initially, this feature will be sold as an add-on. The first car to come equipped with the system will be the 2015 Honda Legend, or the rebranded Acura RLX in the U.S. 

Honda hopes that the implementation of this safety system will boost safety-ratings in 2015.

The entire Honda fleet should receive the upgrade as early as 2016 or as late as 2017.

Honda Gives Us “One More Thing to Love about Today” in New Campaign

 
To bring attention to the significantly enhanced 2014 Civic Coupe and Si Coupe, Honda is launching an uplifting multiplatform campaign—"One More Thing to Love about Today." The work features blues rock band Vintage Trouble and pop culture favorites Adventure Time, Nyan Cat and other Internet sensations. 

To contrast the typical negative news cycle, the new Civic campaign features a collection of inspiring print, digital and TV spots, speaking to the optimism of today's youth.

Take a look at the video:

 

Honda Had Highest Fleet Fuel Economy and Largest Fuel Economy Gain Among Major Full-Line Automakers for Model Year 2012 in New EPA Report

American Honda had the highest fleet-average fuel economy, largest year-over-year fuel economy increase and lowest CO2 emissions of any full-line automaker in the U.S. for model year 2012, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in its just-released fuel-economy trends report, "Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 Through 2013."

Among major automakers selling cars, trucks and luxury vehicles in the U.S., American Honda -- including both the Honda and Acura automobile brands -- achieved the highest fleet-average fuel economy of 26.6 miles per gallon for 2012, representing a 9.7 percent, or 2.5 mpg, increase over 2011 results.

Moreover, while achieving top-level fuel economy performance, American Honda also is leading in the area of automobile safety with seven models that achieve a top safety pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety – the 2013 Accord Sedan and Accord Coupe, the 2013 Civic Sedan and Civic Coupe, the 2014 Odyssey minivan, and the 2013 Acura TL performance-luxury sedan, the most of any automaker.

Last month, the 2014 Accord was chosen as the 2013 "Green Car of the Year" by the editor's of Green Car Journal. At 50 mpg, the 2014 Accord Hybrid has the highest EPA city fuel-economy rating of any five-passenger sedan sold in America.

5 Engine Oil Myths

We all know that our cars need engine oil in order to operate smoothly. The role of engine oil is to keep the moving parts of the engine lubricated, to protect them against rust corrosion, and -- with modern detergent oil additives -- to keep them free of sludge and general engine gunk.
But most of us also know some things about engine oil that aren't actually true. For instance, isn't it always necessary to change your oil every 3,000 miles (4,828 kilometers)? And when the color of your oil starts becoming dark, doesn't that mean that it's about to fill your engine with harmful sludge?

Well, no. These ideas are myths and over the next few pages we'll debunk them, along with a few other engine oil "facts" that don't happen to be true. A little knowledge isn't necessarily a dangerous thing, but a little knowledge that doesn't happen to be true could quite possibly ruin your engine, or at least cost you a lot of unnecessary expense.

Click here to get the truth behind the 5 Engine Oil Myths from HowStuffWorks.com.

From One Second To The Next A Film By Werner Herzog

Shows the Consequences of Texting While Driving

This past August, legendary filmmaker and historian Werner Herzog released "From One Second to the Next", a short, but poignant look into the consequences of texting while driving.

The film is a PSA sponsored by four major phone companies-- AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile, who originally approached Herzog to make the film in an effort to combat a growing cultural phenomenon where texting-related accidents are becoming increasingly all too common.

For Herzog, it's a sharp turn outside the norm from his usual works, which often focus on themes of isolation and wilderness, as can be seen in films like "Grizzly Man" and "Encounters At the End of the World". Nonetheless, "From One Second to the Next" is as much an accomplishment in cinema as it is an important message that should be adopted by anyone who gets behind a wheel.

Watch "From One Second to the Next" here

What The Halloween Candy You Give You Says About You

Every Halloween millions of Americans purchase their favorite candy to hand out to trick-or-treaters as they make their way around the neighborhood Halloween night. But, does the type of candy you give out say something specific about you as a person or your personality? Check out the infographic below to see what exactly each candy option says about you. Let us know if you agree in the comments section!