The parking brake serves as a mechanical emergency backup brake system. Should your hydraulic brakes fail, the parking brake can be used to stop the vehicle. Many people who have vehicles with automatic transmissions rarely use their parking brake. They simply put the transmission into park to lock the drive wheels when they park their vehicle. Even so, it's important to use your parking brake periodically.

A steady miss indicates one of three things: a cylinder that isn't firing because of an ignition problem, a cylinder that isn't firing because it isn't receiving fuel (multipoint fuel injected engines only), or a cylinder that has lost compression. The first step in diagnosing this kind of problem is to identify the dead cylinder. A professional mechanic can do this quickly by hooking the engine up to an ignition oscilloscope and displaying an ignition raster pattern. The dead cylinder will show a firing voltage that is significantly higher or lower than its companions depending on the nature of the problem. He might also do a "power balance" test and/or a compression test to find the dead cylinder.

It will tell you if your engine has good compression. An engine is essentially a self-powered air pump, so it needs good compression to run efficiently, cleanly and to start easily. As a rule, most engines should have 140 to 160 lbs. of cranking compression with no more than 10% difference between any of the cylinders. Low compression in one cylinder usually indicates a bad exhaust valve. Low compression in two adjacent cylinders typically means you have a bad head gasket. Low compression in all cylinders would tell you the rings and cylinders are worn and the engine needs to be overhauled.

You try to figure out why it failed the test, get the problem fixed and then try to pass the test again. This may or may not be an ordeal depending on what's wrong with your engine, how easily the problem is to diagnose and repair, and whether or not you flunk a retest. The worst case scenario is spending a lot of money on repairs only to find that they didn't solve your emissions problem. You bounce back and forth between the repair facility and test station, wasting time and money all the while cursing the incompetent mechanics who tried to fix your car and the bureaucrats who created the clean air emissions testing program.

Yes, because your engine is burning oil. That, in turn, means your engine has worn valve guides, piston rings An engine that burns a lot of oil (more than a quart in 500 miles) is an engine that needs to be overhauled. Normal oil consumption should be a quart or less in 1500 miles. Most newer engines consume less than half a quart of oil between oil changes (every 3000 miles). So if your engine is burning oil, it's essentially worn out and needs to be repaired.

Not normally, but it should be if the steering rack or pump are ever replaced. Under normal circumstances, the fluid in the power steering system should last the life of the vehicle (or the life of the major power steering components, whichever comes first). But as the system accumulates miles, microscopic particles of metal and rubber can buildup in the fluid. These particles can act like an abrasive and accelerate pump and gear wear, so the fluid should be changed if the original pump or rack has failed to prevent contaminating the new parts with dirty fluid.

For "ordinary" antifreeze, the vehicle manufacturers generally recommend coolant changes every two to three years or 30,000 miles. Others say it's not a bad idea to change the coolant every year for maximum corrosion protection -- especially in vehicles that have aluminum heads, blocks or radiators. But such recommendations may soon be obsolete. Several antifreeze suppliers have just recently introduced "long life" antifreeze formulations that claim to provide protection for four years or 50,000 miles.

There are a lot of mechanic shops or performance stores which offer various auto parts. Some may tell you that they are offering products which are guaranteed to be of finest quality. However, when you install a certain auto part on your vehicle, it does not last long. In this case, you need an auto parts store which is reliable and provides products which last for a long time.

In today's market, there are more performance auto parts available than ever before. While finding performance auto parts can sometimes be difficult, finding a perfect match for your car can be immensely gratifying. There is a lot of satisfaction in knowing that you have found the best performance auto parts money can buy, and a lot of satisfaction in knowing your vehicle runs more efficiently because of your personal expertise. As such, the five principles below can help you navigate your way to better fuel efficiency and enhanced performance.

However, beyond the regular maintenance precautions, modifications with performance auto parts will notably improve speed and function without spending the thousands of dollars needed to upgrade an engine or install a turbo system.