Do you stress out when December rolls around, and you struggle to find the perfect gifts for the car lovers on your list? We feel your pain. You can only give someone so many dashboard bobbleheads and “funny” bumper stickers (My Other Car Is an [Insert Reference to Hobby of Choice] before your car enthusiast giftees will start giving you the stink eye (or, worse, asking for gift cards). But don’t despair! We’ve compiled a list of some unusual and cool gifts for your gearhead friends and family members. Car Seat Gap Filler Did you even know that this is a thing? It’s a thing! Car seat gap fillers fit in between the car seats and the center console to keep small items from falling into the gap and disappearing forever. If you’ve ever dropped your cell phone in between your seat and the center console of your car, you can probably appreciate the car seat gap filler. Maybe your car enthusiast will, too! No Blind Spot Rearview Mirror This mirror shows a ... read more

It’s hard to believe it’s November already. Are you and your car both ready for the cold weather? It’s not just a matter of staying warm inside your car as you drive through the snow or navigate icy roads. You need to make sure that your car can handle the chilly and sometimes slippery or visibility-limited conditions. There are a few things you can do every Autumn to keep you and your family safe on the roads in Winter. Keep an emergency winter supply box in your car. Last month’s post enumerated everything that should be included in a well-stocked emergency car kit, so please refer to that post for the full list. Important winter-specific items should include an ice scraper and a small shovel; a carpet remnant, kitty litter, or sand for traction; blankets, gloves, and changes of warm clothes for you and your passengers; and some high-energy snacks like nuts, chocolate, and beef jerky. Other items that are important to have with you year-round include a flash ... read more

  Did your family take road trips when you were a kid? Do you remember how you tried to deal with the boredom of a long, hot car ride with your brother always putting his foot on your side and your sister yelling “Mom, he keeps looking at me!” Did your mom or dad glare at you in the rearview mirror and growl “Be quiet or I’m turning this car around and taking us home!” Ah, the good old days, right? Well, now those of us who are parents can be happy that finally we get to be in charge of the car trips, plan the itinerary, pack the games and snacks, and even occasionally get to be the ones yelling at the kids to SHUT UP! Actually, we’re joking. We love to take long car rides with our kids! There are a lot more ways to entertain children now than back in the day. Spending time as a family on a long car trip can actually be a bonding experience and a way to create fun memories. If you’re planning a long road trip with the kids any time soon ... read more

The primary job of the serpentine belt is to provide vital traction to spin the accessories. As the belt wears it loses some of its grip and the accessories may not spin at best speeds. For example, if your alternator doesn’t spin fast enough, the battery will not completely recharge while you’re driving and you could end up stranded with a dead battery. In short, a worn serpentine belt will stress all of the accessories it powers leading to premature wear and possible early replacement. When as little as 5% of belt material is lost, the serpentine belt cannot provide the proper traction for the accessories. Your friendly and honest. CARS of America technician can review your belt for excessive wear and replace your serpentine belt system if it’s excessively worn. Give us a call CARS of America 847-724-6724 1727 Chestnut Ave. Glenview, IL 60025

Before you purchase a used vehicle, save time and money by getting a pre-purchase inspection. Whether buying a second car for the family or your college bound son or daughter, you’ll want to do more than just take the car for a test drive. Take it in for a used vehicle inspection before you buy. Before you buy, get it inspected One of our ASE-Certified Master Technicians at CARS of America in Glenview or Evanston can outline the good, bad and ugly of your used vehicle. Your technician will determine what (if any) preventative maintenance is due now or should be scheduled soon. The technician also will tell you what auto repairs are needed and share his expert opinion on the overall state of the car. Is it impeccable? Probably not! That’s why you’ll want to get an expert opinion on any hidden defects. Our methodical inspection includes a review of the su ... read more

Late summer and returning to campus go hand-in-hand, plus a bicep-straining stack of textbooks. Make sure your driving student’s mandated reading also includes your vehicle’s owner’s manual. Whether your student is staying close to home in Glenview or Evanston, or trekking to a far-away college, hunkering down and thumbing through your owner’s manual will help ensure your car is roadworthy and in tip top shape for back-to-school commuting. Parents, it’s never too early to school your kids on car-care maintenance, so the following info is good stuff for the new high school driver or college bound freshman. It’s important you share not only the rules of the road, but car care tips. Teaching good maintenance practices early leads to lifelong skills that will maximize the vehicle’s longevity and keep your young driver and his passengers safe. Students: Hear this! The car’s sound system isn’t your vehicle’s most important featur ... read more

There are a lot of things in life that Glenview residents have to do on a regular basis. We wash dishes every day, do our laundry and mow our lawns every week, and pay the bills every month. We should go to our Glenview dentist twice a year and see our doctor for a check-up once a year. When we don’t stay on schedule with these routines, it can lead to embarrassing, painful or expensive consequences. Scheduled maintenance is also part of good car care. Glenview drivers should take their minivans in regularly for a good check-up. But many Chicago folks struggle to remember, or actually even ignore, this auto advice. When it comes to our cars, we’re more likely to listen to “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” than “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Yet it is the second adage that is the more applicable one. Regular brushing treatments prevent cavities. Filling a cavity prevents a more painful and more expensive root canal. In the same way, replacing coolant ... read more

There’s all kinds of automotive information out there that many of us accept as gospel. But it turns out that much of what we think we know isn’t true. Here are some of the most frequently heard automotive myths and their corresponding truths. Myth: It’s more dangerous to drive while talking on a cell phone than driving drunk.Fact: Actually, this one is true, according to MythBusters on the Discovery Channel. Two of the MythBusters drove through a driving test course that included a brake test, a parallel parking test, a timing trial and an accident-avoidance challenge. After they both passed the control tests sober and cell phone-free, they went through the course talking on the cellphone, and again after drinking enough to have a blood alcohol content almost to the legal limit. Both failed the course while on the cell phone and while drunk. But they failed the cell phone test by a much bi ... read more