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All cars have moving parts. To keep these parts separate, oil is used as a lubricant that creates a thin film of protection between moving parts. Without the lubricant, the parts would grind together and break. No matter where you look inside your engine, the moving parts demand oil to keep them from breaking. Manufacturers of automobiles test their engines to find the right viscosity, or thickness, of oil to lubricate the parts properly.

The Society of Automotive Engineers began testing oil viscosity in 1911. The Society passes oil through a "viscometer" to determine its viscosity.  

Today, many automakers equip their vehicles with compact spares rather than full-sized tires. The compact spare increases interior room. Saving space is an important part of the design of compact vehicles. The difference between the compact and full-sized spare also involves driving. Compact spares have limits on speed and distance. Automakers design them as an emergency tire to get the vehicle back on the road.

Most drivers know it is essential to have a spare in good condition. A full sized spare works like a regular tire.  

When you are in a position where your car payments are too much for you to handle, you have the option of refinancing your car or trading in your car for something that will give you payments that are within your current budget. There are positives and negatives to going either way.

If you refinance your vehicle, you may be able to get a better interest rate than you originally had. This will help reduce your payments. However, you may not be able to refinance an older vehicle. You also have the option of trading in. 

Jeff Smith Kia wants you to be smart as you are picking out a vehicle for a teenager. As a parent, you probably worry about your teenage driver, and we are here to help you get that kid into a safe vehicle.

When you are searching for a vehicle for your teenager, you want to give special attention to vehicles that are big and heavy. Those can protect your child and help them stay safe. When you are shopping for a vehicle for your teenager, you should pay attention to the safety ratings of each option that you come across…

Gathering before sporting events for food, refreshment, and discussion has long been a source of goodwill and fun times. It's an opportunity to create some great moments and experience great food from the tailgate of your pickup. There are a number of tips to know that can make tailgating more pleasurable.

There is a lot that goes into a great tailgating event. Planning ahead can be advantageous in helping things run smoothly. For instance, you should slice and pack your burger toppings to avoid having to do so at the event. 

Like it or not, there are times when you must paint a larger area on your vehicle with a touchup paint to get it back to its original look. Repainting an area for around 2" to 5" in diameter is considered a large area.

The first step to touching up a large area is to match your existing color. Every car manufacturer has a different aura to their colors. By ordering a can of paint in the same color from your car manufacturer, you are assured of getting the right color. Regardless, you should always run a test before applying…

If you are in the market for a new vehicle, you have probably thought about a sedan. You also know about the other types of vehicles you can choose from, particularly the hatchback. While the sedan is very popular, the hatchback is also a popular vehicle which even outsells the sedan in certain countries.

The cooling system is more than the radiator in your vehicle, it is made up of several parts that all must work as one to be able to keep the internal engine parts from getting too hot and seizing. Here are some of the areas of concern the service center will inspect during the back-to-school maintenance check.

The thermostat must be working, or the temperature of the coolant cannot be maintained. 

Do you want to purchase a car, but need a little more information on it? We at Jeff Smith Kia want to make sure you make an informed a decision, which is why it is necessary to obtain a vehicle history report.

A vehicle history report can provide a myriad of information including (but not limited to) the vehicle's liens, rollback alerts, past ownership, and even its accident history. You can get a free vehicle history report, or a paid one, which involves more detailed information that is broken down into multiple categories to make it easier to understand…

Chances are you want to keep your car in great condition for as long as possible; a car cover could help with that. You could use a universal or custom option, and it can be a lot more beneficial than some may realize.

Using a car cover can have quite a few benefits such as that it can help protect your vehicle from bird droppings, pollen, debris, and more that may happen to land on your car while it's parked.