If you’re the past or present owner of a 1995-2004 Buick, Chevy, GMC, Oldsmobile or Pontiac with a V6 engine, you may be eligible for a $400 reimbursement from General Motors.

The payment would be the result of a class-action settlement that alleges Dex-Cool, a long-life coolant, caused engine and cooling system problems and that certain parts were defective, including the lower intake manifold gaskets.

If you’ve had any of these repairs done on your vehicle, you may be entitled to a settlement, but you must file your claim by October 27. Click here for details.

For more information, visit our original blog post from August, “Drive a GM vehicle? You could be eligible for $400 settlement.”

Although we weren’t hit directly by the recent wave of destructive hurricanes, it probably feels like it to those whose homes and vehicles suffered flood damage in the record-high water that has choked the area in recent days.

And while assessing the level of damage when you’re standing knee-deep in a basement full of water may seem straightforward, dealing with a flooded or rain-soaked vehicle can prove to be a bit trickier.

If you’ve been having uncharacteristic problems with your vehicle, the extra moisture in the air and on the ground could be a contributing factor. We’ve seen numerous water-related vehicle problems since the drenching rains rolled in. “Service Engine Soon” lights came in on droves, engines began misfiring (not idling or running smoothly), and some cars stalled while others wouldn’t even start.

Problems like these often originate in ignition components, and common culprits include ignition wires, ignition coils and, on older models, the distributor cap and rotor. Except for ignition coils, these are maintenance items. To prevent problems in major storms and in extreme temperatures, follow your maintenance schedule and replace these items when recommended. Unfortunately, something like an ignition coil isn’t a maintenance item because it’s an electronic component and isn’t necessarily subject to wear.

Also, don’t take the condition of your wiper blades and tires for granted, for obvious safety reasons. These are maintenance items as well, and all it takes is one skid or hydroplane to find out—too late—that your tire tread is worn or that your beat-up wipers can’t handle the deluge.

Extreme storms can also cause problems to surface that wouldn’t otherwise, such as water leaks. There’s not much you can do to prevent them, unless you spot something obvious like a chunk missing from the weather stripping around your windows, doors or sunroof.

Whether your car develops a misfire or a water leak after a storm, our advice in these cases is: Don’t panic. Have our number handy. You can reach our towing provider 24/7 by calling (847) 816-0011 and following the recorded prompts. This system will also give you access to our service team via our emergency paging system, and this is handy when you need access to a loaner car after hours.

We try to avoid making obvious sales pitches in this forum, but in situations like these, this is the most sound advice we can offer. We can help you prevent breakdowns caused by worn ignition components, but if a coil shorts out or your car springs a leak, the only logical step is to find an auto provider to take care of it for you.

One million miles … it’s a feat that’s hard to visualize, especially on odometers that are designed to display up to 999,999 miles.

It’s a thrilling milestone for a vehicle owner when his or her car reaches 100,000 miles, so you can imagine the excitement generated when articles were written about two vehicle owners whose cars made it past 1 million miles on the odometer: Peter Gilbert in his Saab 1989 900 SPG and Frank Oresnik in his 1991 Chevrolet Silverado (Watch this video about Frank and his truck).

For most people, driving any car for more than 1 million miles seems like a long shot, mostly because owners want to sell or trade in their vehicles for the newer models after a number of years. Still, the milestone is a testament to the power of maintenance.

Both million-mile vehicle owners say they were religious about oil changes—and surely other preventive maintenance services, too. When you think about the cost of an oil change and other maintenance compared to the longevity it can provide for you and your vehicle, there’s just no reason why you’d want to neglect it.

With a little bit of maintenance and a lot of driving, we hope to read about even more vehicle owners attaining the distinction of being million milers.

Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , GM Next blog