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There are some things that you should let your mechanic do for you, but checking your tread and tire pressure are skills that most people can do themselves. Proper tire inflation can help you avoid a blowout, and enough tread depth can keep you out of the ditch when the roads are slick. Here's how you can check both.

To know if your tires have the right amount of air in them, the easiest way to check is to look for the warning light on vehicles that check tire pressure automatically for you. If you don't have a…

One part of today's internal combustion engines that has remained the same over the years is the alternator. You may have needed to replace one at some point over the years to fix a problem with your car's battery.

What is an alternator? The alternator is essentially an electric generator that's powered by a belt that's turned by your car's engine while it's running. This generates a continuous supply of electricity used to power the engine, lights, and cabin electronics. Most importantly, it provides the electricity that keeps your vehicle's battery charged so…

Most vehicle owners stay diligent about having their vehicle's motor oil changed. However, it is important to use a motor oil with the right viscosity for your vehicle. At Matt Burne Honda in Scranton, we want to help you keep your vehicle in optimal condition. Read our summary below to learn more about motor oil viscosity ratings.

A visocity rating measures how the oil resists flow and its thickness. A bottle of motor oil will have a number that is followed by a W. The number tells you its viscosity in hot temperatures, and the W tells you its…

Give your car a unique look by removing one or more of the original badges. This is an easy modification that doesn't take long to complete, but there are some guidelines to follow to avoid damaging your car.

Check your car to see how the badges are attached. Most vehicles use adhesive for the badges, but some cars connect the badges to the vehicle with rivets or clips. If your badge is attached with adhesive, apply hot water to loosen the adhesive, and then use an adhesive remover to take off the glue. Next, use a hair dry to…

The time has come for you to finally use that vehicle of yours and you begin to wonder what you have gotten yourself into. You know that your vehicle is capable, but you're nervous because you have never towed anything before. With a little research, the do's and don'ts of towing are easy enough to learn so that your first towing experience is a good one.

There are a few do's and don'ts that you can learn to make towing a trailer, boat, or anything safe and worry-free. One do that you should know is…

Using a clay bar to detail your own vehicle is a vital part to car ownership. That is why we here at Matt Burne Honda wanted to be sure you knew the basics. The process begins by spraying a lubricant on a small area of the exterior of your car. You then press the clay into this area and pull it up to remove contaminants. Then, you repeat this process over and over again until you've removed all dirt and debris from the exterior of your car.

The frequency of cleanings is dependent upon where you typically drive. Those…

One of the reasons that lead-acid batteries continue to dominate the automotive battery market is their ability to withstand very wide swings in temperature. Whether desert heat or arctic cold, a good performing car battery can be reliable for years of service in extreme conditions. However, when a battery begins to approach its end of life, the window of operating temperatures begins to narrow.

The chemical reactions taking place inside the cells of an automotive battery are mostly independent of temperature. However, as water is one of the primary ingredients in the lead-acid...

When the brakes in your vehicle are about to fail, you will get a soft brake pedal to give you a warning that you need to get the situation addressed as quickly as possible.

As soon as the brakes feel spongy, it is time to have an expert take a closer look at the brakes. This could be the result of air trapped inside the lines, and they will need to be bled by an expert to alleviate the issue.

The next thing that could be occurring with the spongy brakes is that the brake lines are damaged. Whether leaking…

Brake fluid is much like motor oil in that both fluids are required for your vehicle to operate correctly. One major difference is that brake fluid doesn’t need to be replaced as often as motor oil, which is why so many drivers tend to forget about brake fluid. Stop at Matt Burne Honda and let your service technicians check your brake fluid.

Brake or hydraulic fluid plays a major role in making your brakes work. When you step on the brake pedal, the brake fluid flows through the brake lines to the brake pedal, which makes the vehicle gradually…

Both towing and payload are based on the strength of your truck's frame and its Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, but they aren't the same, despite what many truck owners think. Towing capacity is simply what your truck can pull, and payload is how much weight the truck can support inside. Simple, but do you really need that information? Yes. You do.

Here's the deal. If your truck has a towing capacity of 10,000 pounds, that doesn't mean it can carry that much. The payload may be less than half of that, and if you put…