While many of us worry about our car batteries dying in the frigid subzero temps of Chicago winters, more batteries actually fail in the high heat of summer. And with record-breaking heat across the nation this summer, it seems there’s no better time than the present to take a look at some battery basics.

The myth is that cold weather is harder on batteries because it takes more power to crank a cold engine, but the opposite is true because batteries are chemically more active when they’re hot than when they’re cold. Batteries in very cold climates have an average life expectancy of 51 months compared to 30 months in very warm climates. (Only 30 percent of vehicle batteries overall last for an average of 48 months.)

A car battery will actually start to discharge on its own within 24 hours in hot weather. It takes several days in cold weather. When batteries are left too long in a state of partial discharge, the discharged portion of the battery plates actually, for the lack of a better word, ‘die.’ Recharging the battery will not restore the dead part of the battery plate.

This is a challenge for motorists who drive short distances with several starts and stops. Their batteries are often partially discharged. As you may know, the battery’s primary job is to start the car. After starting, it takes some time for the alternator to recharge the battery. When you drive short distances, your battery may not fully recharge.

Another burden on our batteries is that vehicles are coming equipped with more and more electricity hungry accessories like navigation systems, DVD players, CD and MP3 players, heated seats, heated steering wheels and so on. And we often plug in cell phones, computers and other gadgets. Combine that with short trips, and it’s no wonder that our batteries are partially discharged.

A protective measure you can take is to avoid deeply discharging your battery. For example, don’t run the headlights and stereo with the engine turned off. That will take months off the battery life every time you do it.

As we discussed earlier, heat is hard on a battery. A dirty, greasy battery holds more heat. You can wipe off excess dirt with a paper towel or ask your service advisor at Star Auto Authority to clean it for you. Star Auto Authority can even test your battery and tell you if it’s time to replace it.

When it is time to replace it, always make sure you get a new battery that meets the factory specifications for your vehicle. If you feel you need more battery capacity than what came with your vehicle, talk with your service advisor at Star Auto Authority about appropriate upgrades.

Caution: Most of us have had a dead battery at one time. If try to jump start it, be careful to inspect it first. If the case is bulging, cracked or leaking, do not jump start it. Damaged batteries can explode or catch fire. Also, deeply discharged batteries can freeze. Do not jump start a frozen battery. Finally, there are a lot of theories out there about the best way to jump start a battery. If you are uncertain, do not attempt it. It’s not worth the risk to yourself, others  or your vehicle’s computer system if you do something wrong. To learn how to properly, safely jump start a vehicle, sign up for one of our upcoming Car Care Clinics.

When you buy a new pair of shoes, do you look for fashion, fit, quality or price? What if you’re buying a running shoe vs. a casual summer sandal? Does durability matter as long as the shoes look fabulous? Would you rather have one pair of long lasting shoes or two pair of lower quality shoes at the same price?

No, we haven’t gone into the shoe business. We’re simply asking as a segue to today’s blog topic—buying tires. When you choose new tires, what are the most important factors for you?

Buying tires for today’s cars is a big deal. It’s a big ticket item no matter which brand you choose, and generally, you want to know that it will be a long time before you need new tires again.

But how important as safety to you? As a tire professional, I think it’s important for people to understand the effect of price on a tire’s performance and durability. When I was a kid, my Dad had a saying, “Pay twice as much and buy half as many.”

While I wouldn’t blindly apply that saying to everything, Dad knew which products his saying was appropriate for. He thought that one high quality suit would last longer and look better than two cheap suits. The same holds true for shoes, boots and tires, too.

The major tire brands that you’re familiar with are known as Tier 1 tires. These tires are well-engineered and very high quality. Comparable tires are usually in the same price range from brand to brand.

Stepping down in price, you come to private label tires. Some large tire store chains carry tires with the chain’s own brand. It’s important to know that most private label tires are built by the same Tier 1 brands that you are familiar with  so they are a quality product. You can ask your tire professional who makes their private brand.

The lowest priced tires on the market are Tier 3 tires. These tend to be imported from China or South America. Since you get what you pay for, you can’t expect a Tier 3 tire to deliver the same performance and durability as the others.

So let’s say you need new tires. You’ve determined the features you need. So you have several options, including price options. Now, you’ve probably heard the phrase, “It’s a 40,000-mile tire” or “It’s a 60,000-mile tire.” Simply put, the manufacturer warrantees the tire for “X” number of miles. If that’s important to you, look for the warranty.

What’s the difference in the tires with higher mileage warranties? It’s the rubber compounds and the amount of tread material. As you might expect, you’ll pay more for the longer-lasting tire.

Now the cheapest tires you can find won’t have a manufacturer’s mileage warranty or if it does, it’ll be relatively low. That brings us back to Dad’s saying: If you buy the cheapest Tier 3 tire you can, you will likely go through two sets in the time it would take to wear out one set of good quality tires. And the good tires won’t cost twice as much, so you’ll end up paying more per mile driven with the cheap tires. You’ll also sacrifice some performance. The lower cost tires may not ride as smoothly or quietly, and they may not handle as well in heavy rain or snow.

I realize that sometimes the budget will only allow for a Tier 3 tire. I make them available for my customers who need them because I would rather see them driving with safe, new tires than pushing their old tires beyond their safety limits. But I always counsel my customers to buy as much tire as they can afford because it will be much less expensive and more enjoyable in the long run.

Your tires are the only part of your vehicle that touch the road. You’re only as safe as your tires are well built. Buy value—not price.

If new car buying habits are any indication, U.S. consumers are doing more than giving lip service to the notion of downsizing and tightening the budgetary belt in this economy.

The record high gas prices of the past three years are likely influencing their purchases as well. Compared with consumers in the first half of 2007, Americans now are buying:

• More cars, fewer trucks and smaller vehicles in general.
• Smaller and less expensive cars within segments.
• Ordinary rides that replace bigger or more luxurious vehicles.

Cars are outselling light trucks again, taking 53.4 percent of the market in the first half of 2010. Compare that with 49.2 percent in the first half of 2007. Perhaps not surprisingly, SUVs have fallen more than any other segment since 2007: from 12.8 percent to 7.9 percent. Meanwhile, the car-based crossovers have grown by 5.2 share points — up to 19.6 percent this year.

Today, let’s talk about fuel system cleaning. The  first thing to know is how important it is to have a clean fuel system. You need fuel to go, and the cleaner your fuel system, the more efficiently the fuel will burn. That means more power and better fuel economy. And as we all know, better fuel economy means you’ll save money at the pump.

The average car on the road is at least 9 years old. That means it has had time for dirt and rust to start accumulate in the fuel tank. It’s critical for this debris to be filtered out of the fuel before it reaches your engine, and that’s the job of the fuel filter.

If the fuel filter is not replaced on a routine basis (see your owner’s manual), it can become clogged. This will allow dirty fuel to bypass the filter and head into the engine, where it can clog fuel injectors and get into the cylinders. This could cause some damage, or at the very least, cause your fuel injectors to perform inefficiently and reduce your gas mileage.

During it’s travels, your fuel also passed through the throttle body. This is another area where varnish and gum can accumulate and cause trouble. Your idle may be rough or erratic, or perhaps, too low. A professional fuel system cleaning will use a combination of special cleaning chemicals and old-fashioned swabbing to clean out the throttle body, as well as the fuel injectors.

They are the last stop in the fuel delivery system, and it’s critical for the fuel injectors to be clean. They deliver a precise amount of fuel, at exactly the right time, in a particular spray pattern. If they’re dirty or clogged with debris, they just can’t perform the way they’re supposed to. Dirty fuel injectors will rob your car of power and will waste fuel. Again, a professional fuel system cleaning can work wonders for the fuel injectors. Ask your Star Auto Authority service advisor or consult your owner’s manual for more information.

The bottom line: You’ll save money and enjoy better performance from your car when the fuel system is maintained. Replace your fuel filter when recommended and rely on a professional fuel system cleaning to take the carbon and varnish buildup from your throttle body and fuel injectors.