Jack Williams

5 Don'ts of Car Maintenance

1. Don't drive around with burned out lights. It's easy and inexpensive to replace light bulbs, so pull out your owner's manual and replace them.

2. Don't attempt a jump start without knowing how. First, get out of the way of traffic. Park the two cars close but not touching and ensure no cables or connector ends touch anything other than the correct terminals. Make sure the ignition is switched off in both cars before you start attaching cables. If the car doesn't start immediately, don't keep cranking.

3. Don't assume bald tires will last a little longer. If you don't know how old your car's tires are, you're probably need a new set. Even if the tread looks ok, tiny cracks may cause the tire to not perform as designed. If the rubber disintegrates where the tread joins the tire, the tread can separate.

4. Don't ignore warning lights. If one comes on and it's not familiar to you, look it up in your owner's manual. If a warning light indicates something more complicated is going on, have your car looked at by a professional.

5. Don't ignore safety recalls. Sometimes safety recalls happen because a car manufacturer finds a problem. Sometimes a recall is ordered by the NTSHA Major recalls usually make the news -- in that case, the car manufacturer or dealership will probably contact you by mail. You can also look online, or call your dealership. If you ever have to pay to fix a safety issue that isn't already part of a recall, save your paperwork -- you might later be eligible for reimbursement.

For more information, see How Stuff Works - 10 Serious Mistakes in Car Maintenance.

Jack Williams Tire and Auto Service Centers specialize in all of your vehicle's service

needs. Whether your vehicle needs factory scheduled maintenance, state inspections or

emission inspections, Jack Williams' ASE certified professionals know just how to help

you. Visit any of our 29 locations to meet with Jack Williams' team of experts for

alignments, brakes, shocks, struts, exhausts, batteries, fluid services, oil changes, filters,

belts, hoses, diagnostics and more! Jack Williams Tire is proud to employ ASE certified

technicians.