Car care 101

While we're on the subject of motoring, CNN Money has an excellent list of car care misconceptions.

Odd source for car care information, but these six tips are spot-on.

I especially like the tip about "letting your car warm up" before you drive. It's true that engines run their least efficiently when cold. But guess what? If your car is idling in the driveway, the engine will take about 10 minutes to warm up. If you just start driving immediately, it'll be warm in half that time. That means that your engine runs cold and inefficient for a much shorter period, saving a great deal of engine wear in the long-run. (Side note: if your engine is turbocharged, it may still be a good idea to let it idle for 30 seconds after driving before turning it off, to cool the turbo components.)