Without cars there would be no suburbs, no car trips, no endless child drop-offs and pick-ups. Heck, without cars, there would be no backseat conceptions. (I mean who hasn’t gotten busy in a car?) But I digress.

And now for a little useless but interesting car trivia…

1. The first Ford cars had Dodge engines.
2. The first cars did not have steering wheels. Drivers steered with a lever.
3. The city with the most Rolls Royce’s per capita is Hong Kong.
4. In 2009, New York and New Jersey were surveyed as having the Worst Drivers in America.
5. It’s rumored the Chevy Nova sold poorly in Mexico because the word “Nova” is close to the Spanish phrase “doesn’t go.” Maybe it didn’t sell because it was a Chevy…or because it was Mexico.
6. The New York City Police Department used bicycles to pursue speeding motorists in 1898.
7. The first speeding ticket was issued in 1902.
8. In 1916, half of ALL the cars in the world were Model T Fords! A record that has never been beaten.
9. The first gas gauge appeared in cars in 1922.
10. In 1923, 173 new inventions by women for cars had been reported. Among these inventions were a carburetor and an electric engine starter.
11. The first car radio was invented in 1929.
12. Buick introduced the first electric turn signals in 1938.
13. Most American car horns beep in the key of F.
14. The automobile is the most recycled consumer product in the world today.

Ok, maybe those car factoids weren’t all that interesting – probably should have rethought #9 and #10.

Consider the following:

-Properly inflated tires will improve your gas mileage by around 3.3%.
-Replacing a dirty air filter can improve your vehicle’s gas mileage by as much as 10%.
-Use the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor. It will improve your vehicle’s gas mileage by 1-2%
-Slow down, Buddy. Driving 20% faster than the posted limit increases your gas consumption by roughly 20% as well.
-Buy cheaper auto insurance! Insurance rates vary wildly from insurer to insurer-for basically the same coverage.
-Drive less – much less if you can.

So there you have it – maintain your vehicle, don’t be a speed demon, drive less, and for Godsakes, shop around for cheaper auto insurance!

Hurry - Offer ends Tuesday at Midnight

Another great sale at OilFiltersOnline.com. Get 20% off your entire order for the next 48 hours. Use coupon code CYBERMONDAY20 during check out.

Clearance Pricing On Overstocked Filters

OilFiltersOnline.com is offering huge discounts on all overstocked FRAM products including oil filters, fuel filters, hydraulic filters, and air filters.  Get them while supplies last!  Here are some of the filters on sale:

C31P, CH33APL, CA3501, P1105, PH3682, PH3567, CH8213, PH2865A, CH10295, PH30, CH820PL, PH3335, PH49A, PH9116, CA1596, CA6696, CA7438, CH10075, CH8158, PH2921, PH8942, PS8687, P1107

Oil filter containers are also on sale for $10.95

Fortunately, FRAM has taken away much of the oil filter guess work. Read below to determine which of FRAM’s four oil filter lines is best suited for your vehicle.

Extra Guard: This is the basic Fram orange filter people have been using for years. It has the SureGRIP bottom for easy install and removal as well as the 95 percent single-pass efficiency, market-leading filtration. This means in a single pass, ninety-five percent of dirt particles that are 20 microns and larger are filtered out.

Tough Guard: This filter is designed for heavy duty, tough driving conditions. The Tough Guard filter has a dirt trapping efficiency of 99% and utilizes a silicone anti-drain back valve. Further, it uses a combination of cellulose and synthetic filtration fibers – giving you 6x more engine protection than the average leading economy oil filters.

Xtended Guard: When used in conjunction with synthetic oil, this 10,000 mile filter gives protection for the longer oil change interval. It features a higher percentage of synthetic glass fiber in the filter blend than Tough Guard. This means even more dirt carrying capacity (about 70 percent more dirt can be collected while maintaining filtration). Both the Xtended Guard and Tough Guard feature anti-drainback technology to keep oil in the top end of the engine. This protects your engine by retaining oil when the engine is off so your engine benefits from a full filter at start up.

High Mileage: This filter line is designed specifically for cars over 75,000 miles. The FRAM High Mileage filter packages a patented time-released gel additive that gradually dissolves over its life expectancy, balancing oil PH and maintaining viscosity. The treated oil flows back into the engine, protecting against corrosive wear, deposits and viscosity build-up. The HM filter delivers a 95% dirt trapping efficiency.

So what oil filter do I plan on using? I’ll be checking out the Tough Guard and the Xtended Guard. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at melissa@oilfiltersonline.com. Thanks!

Did you know that recycling two gallons of used motor oil can generate enough electricity to run the average household for almost 24 hours? Here are some other facts about used motor oil:

• Used oil is insoluble, slow to degrade, sticks to everything from beach sand to bird feathers, and contains toxic chemicals and heavy metals that pose a health threat to humans, plants, and animals.

• One gallon of motor oil can ruin a million gallons of fresh water – a whole year’s water supply for 50 people.

• One gallon of used oil provides the same 2.5 quarts of high quality lubricating oil as 42 gallons of crude oil.

So now you know that motor oil is extremely valuable even after it has been drained from an engine, but did you also know it’s easy to do? Here’s what you do:

1. Purchase an Oil Drain Pan Recycling Container for $14.  Or better yet, invest in a DIY Oil Changing Kit for $39.00

2. Watch this How to Change Your Oil Video and change your oil in a flash.

3. Now find the nearest Oil Recycling Center and recycle that shiz! Pretty simple, huh?

By taking your oil to a collection center, you are saving energy and protecting our environment!  Get ready for the warm and fuzzies…

This short video goes over the basics and explains the entire oil change process from start to finish. It includes what tools you will need and key points that will make your oil change fast and efficient. We have also included a checklist of the tools and key points mentioned in the video that you can keep handy during your oil change!

Oxygen sensors eventually need to be replaced in all vehicles. If your vehicle’s O2 sensor is faulty, chances are there will be signs! Check this list to see if it’s time to replace YOUR vehicle’s oxygen sensors:

1. Sudden decrease in fuel mileage. A defective O2 sensor will likely cause your air-fuel mixture to be too rich and directly affect your fuel economy.
2. Flashing check engine light or malfunction indicator lamp in the vehicle’s dash board. Of course this can happen for other reasons as well (and a defective oxygen sensor is one of them!)
3. Failure to pass smog. According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and CARP (California Air Resource Board) 50 to 60% of all smog test / emission test related failures are attributed to defective oxygen sensors, causing either low or high CO emissions.
4. Overall poor vehicle performance; rough idling, stalling, hesitation on acceleration, etc.
5. And the most accurate diagnosis is achieved using an OBDII code checker. All cars made in 1996 and after are equipped with an OBDII interface. An OBDII code checker identifies defects in the exhaust system of the car. If your oxygen sensor has failed, the code checker will generate a diagnostic trouble code that specifically indicates your oxygen sensor is bad.

Guidelines for replacing the oxygen sensors in your car, courtesy Bosch.com:

• The unheated 1 or 2 wire O2 sensors, used in vehicles from mid-1970s through early 1990s, replace every 40,000 to 50,000 miles.
• Heated 3 and 4 wire O2 sensors, used in the vehicles from mid-1980s through mid-1990s, replace every 60,000 to 70,000 miles.
• Newer vehicles made in mid-1990s and later, replace the oxygen sensors every 100,000 miles.

Conclusion, properly functioning O2 sensors are critical for optimal fuel consumption and good car performance. When in doubt, it is best to replace your faulty oxygen sensor at most, every 100,000 miles.