The only way to ensure your wheels are as tight as needed without stretching the wheel studs or weakening them is to torque the lug nuts to the manufacturer's recommended setting.

The 3,000-mile oil-change interval was a product of the quick-lube industry to get you to visit their shops regularly. Each manufacturer has its own recommendation for oil-change intervals that generally fall between every 5,000 and 10,000 miles.

The rubber surrounding the cords that make up your engine's belts breaks down slowly, and its first signs of excessive wear are small cracks on the grooved side of the belt. This is an indicator it's time to replace them.

Tire rotation is less of an exact science than other maintenance items on your vehicle. Most manufacturers and experts recommend rotating the tires every other oil change to keep tire wear even.

Automotive soap manufacturers specially formulate their soaps to remove dirt and grime without damaging your vehicle's paint. All other soaps have mild abrasives to help them clean better, and these can cause scuffs and scratches in your vehicle's paint.

Waxes differ in chemical compound, making some last longer than others. In general, you'll want to refer to the instructions on the wax to determine how often to reapply the wax. Applying too much wax can cause a buildup and lead to paint damage.

Your brake system requires multiple items to work at peak performance to maximize braking longevity and efficiency. Replacing just the pads and ignoring the condition of the rotors and calipers can result in premature pad wear, brake noise, or even brake failure.

Brake fluid is hygroscopic, which means it absorbs water from the atmosphere. This fluid is designed to prevent boiling even at extremely high temperatures, and water lowers this resistance to boiling. If brake fluid boils, it can damage brake seals and introduce air into the system.

The coolant in your engine is just as important as any other fluid, as it not only cools the engine but also lubricates the cooling system components and helps prevent freezing in cold weather. Using the manufacturer-recommended coolant -- you can find what the manufacturer recommends in your owner's manual or online -- keeps this system in top shape.

Manufacturers engineer vehicles to operate within a range of settings, including tire pressure. Inside the door you will find a placard that lists a "Cold PSI" setting. This is the temperature your car's tires should be at before driving. Anything more or less can negatively affect fuel economy or ride.

Most tires have built-in wear indicators in the form of rubber bars in the valleys between the tread. When the tread is even with these bars, the tires have lost their ability to effectively cut through water and maintain maximum traction.

Radiator hoses wear out slowly from constant heating and cooling. Eventually, the semi-hard rubber loses its rigidity, which can allow them to expand and potentially burst while driving. If the hoses collapse under light pressure from your hands, it's time to replace them.

Spark plug life varies greatly between manufacturers and engines, as it's based mostly on tolerances of the engine and the type of spark plugs they use. With most cars now using platinum spark plugs and running cleaner than ever, many have 100,000-mile spark plug intervals. That said, always refer to the owner's manual to see exactly what the manufacturer recommends

Though spark plug manufacturers pregap their plugs, they can fall outside specifications from an impact during shipping or any other outside force. Because we are dealing with tolerances within thousandths of an inch, you always want to check and adjust spark plug gaps before installing them.

Everything inside your engine has been tuned to perfection, and engineers spend countless hours determining the right engine oil to maximize lubrication, fuel economy and performance. Straying from the recommendations in your vehicle's owner's manual can reduce fuel economy, lower lubrication effectiveness or reduce performance.

There was a massive old mechanics tale that claimed switching from synthetic oil to conventional oil would cause engine issues. The stories range from congealing oil to leaks to immediate engine failure, but none of them are true. Synthetic oil is still just oil, but engineers have synthetically modified it to provide better flow rates and lubrication. Mixing them will cause no issues -- they even sell these mixed oils in stores.

Tires are naturally out of balance -- it's just how they are built. Tire installers use small weights to offset the heavier parts of the tire. As the tire wears, these heavy spots can move, and rotating the tires can expose an out-of-balance issue you never noticed before. Save yourself the stress and your tires the excessive shaking and balance them while having them rotated.

Our roads are tough on our cars, and they are especially tough on alignments. Because of this, it is best to have a professional check your vehicle's alignment every six months. Most shops will handle the check for free. Keeping your alignment within specification will help reduce tire wear and save you cash in the long run.

Manufacturers design vehicles to run on certain types of gas, and most run on regular unleaded fuel (AKA 87 octane). Cars designed to run on regular gas will see no improvement by switching to a higher octane as this fuel simply resists preignition in the engine. The only time you will notice a difference is if you drive a vehicle that has different output ratings for the different fuel types, which is rare. Always defer to the manufacturer's recommended fuel for maximum performance and savings.

The rubber seal on the oil filter keeps oil from spilling out when driving. Always remove any debris from the seal and apply a thin coat of oil to it before tightening the filter to prevent the seal from bunching and leaking.

Starting the engine allows the oil to cycle through the filter and the engine. Checking the oil after running the engine verifies there is plenty of oil left in the pan after the oil filter sucks some into it. Failure to check this way could result in a low oil level and cause engine damage.

Torquing the drain plug to its proper tightness ensures it seals completely against the pan to prevent leaks. It also saves you from the stress of accidentally stripping the oil pan.

There are hundreds of oil-filter tools that remove various filters without causing damage. Using channel-lock or slip-joint pliers can result in you crushing the filter and pieces of the filter contaminating the oil system.

Used oil is highly toxic and damaging to the environment. There are recycling centers that refine this oil and convert it into other useful chemicals. Many auto parts stores will take your old oil to these centers for you.

Water is fine to get you home in a pinch, but running only water all the time will cause rusting within the cooling system. It also can freeze in cooler climates, causing major internal engine problems.

Once a transmission starts slipping, there is already internal damage, Forcing new, clean fluid into the system can exasperate the issue. It is best to let a professional repair the transmission and start fresh with regular maintenance.

Transmission fluid has many jobs. It acts as a hydraulic fluid, a lubricant, a coolant and a cleaner. Over time, this fluid gets dirty and loses its effectiveness. Most manufacturers set a specific schedule for changing this fluid to prevent damage.

When you change your engine oil, you cannot remove all the old, black oil. When you start the engine, this old oil mixes with the new oil, making it look darker. This is no issue at all.

Every engine has a large oil-filler hole on top of the engine, and this is where you fill the oil. Always use a funnel, though, as spilling oil on the engine can cause smoke as the engine warms up.

The cooling system operates under pressure to prevent boiling. If you remove the pressurized filler cap while the engine is hot, the fluid can immediately boil and shot out of the radiator reservoir. This hot fluid can contact you and cause severe burning.

As you drive, the tires warm up and pressure inside them rises. You should always check tire pressure when they are cold for the most accurate readings. You should also fill the tires when they are cold.

Waiting until your brakes squeal or grind may be too late, as this means there is potential damage already being done. You should inspect your brake pads when rotating your tires and replacing them when there is less than 1/8-inch of pad material left.

Salt causes rust, and in cooler climates, you'll encounter a lot of this on the road in the winter. The most important maintenance item after a long winter is to have the undercarriage pressure washed to clear off all that rust-causing salt.

Some brake manufacturers put grease in with their brake pads, and they do this for a reason. This grease lubricates the brake caliper slides, preventing the calipers from sticking and causing excessive pad wear. If the pads have this grease included, make good use of it.

Spark plugs have ceramic caps that break easily, Using a power tool can snap them off during installation. This can also result in you stripping the threads in the engine and causing expensive damage. Hand-tighten the spark plugs and tighten them only to the manufacturer's recommended torque.