Latest News From Bumper Radio

Date codes are engraved into the cover of each Interstate battery at the time the battery is shipped from the manufacturing plant. This is how you can tell the age of your battery.

Reading the date code on an Interstate 12-volt and 6-volt automotive, commercial or marine battery

With these types of batteries, you're looking for a four- or five-digit shipping date code engraved into the cover. This code can only be seen when looking down on the top of the battery. The code is not on the battery's label and it is not on the rim around the cover. The code is usually near one of the corners of the battery. This code tells when the battery was shipped from the factory to the local Interstate Battery wholesale distributor. The additional digits tell where the battery was made.

Has your car been noticeably slow or jerky getting out of the driveway with the cold weather?

"Business increases without fail by over 50% whenever we see extreme cold in the Valley," said Dave Riccio, owner of Tri-City Transmission. 

Transmissions react poor to extremely cold weather because that’s when the transmission leaks show up. If you have red puddles in your driveway, this may be you.

"Never ignore a transmission leak. You can take a simple problem and make it much worse by doing this," Riccio said. 

Don’t automatically think the worst if your transmission is misbehaving with the cold. Minor transmission leak repairs and topping off transmission fluid are everyday business at Tri-City Transmission when it’s cold.

Your car's "black box" or Electronic Data Recorder (EDR) collects information on your speed, steering, braking, passengers and much more. BMW has recently declared that it will not share its customer's data with anyone. What about other manufacturers? Automotive expert Lauren Fix discusses driver privacy with Gerri Willis.

It is that time of the year when many motorists let their vehicle “warm up” or idle before driving. In fact, today’s modern cars are ready to drive in cold temperatures without excessive idling, says the Car Care Council.

“Unless you are trying to defrost the windshield or warm the interior of your car, idling is not required for today’s vehicles,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “In most cases, idling longer than 30 seconds is unnecessary. The best way to warm up your car’s engine is to drive gently at the start. Remember, a vehicle gets zero miles per gallon when idling and the result is lower fuel economy and wasted money.”

Winter storm Juno has the potential to create hazardous road conditions for many drivers. Automotive expert Lauren Fix, The Car Coach appears on The Weather Channel to caution those navigating winter driving.

You may not see them, or know much about them, but engine belts are always working to keep your vehicle moving. Losing a belt can mean immediate trouble for the engine and a breakdown for you. The Car Car Council recommends motorists “be car care aware” and review the owner’s manual to ensure that belts are inspected and replaced at the proper intervals.

A vehicle’s belts are essential to the cooling, air conditioning and charging systems of the engine. Serpentine belts are used to turn the water pump, alternator, power steering and air-conditioning compressor. Older cars use V-belts for various accessories and failure of this belt could strand a driver.

Gas Prices Increasing After Dropping to Lowest Levels Since 2009

• U.S. average gas prices have increased seven days in a row for a total of two cents per gallon. Gas prices had declined a record 123 consecutive days to $2.03 per gallon before increasing last week for the first time since September 25.
• “Many drivers are noticing an uptick in gas prices for the first time in months,” said Avery Ash, AAA spokesman. “It is typical to see gas prices increase this time of year due to refinery issues, yet hopefully the consumer impact will be less problematic given how low prices are today.”
• Today’s national average price of gas is $2.06 per gallon, which is about $1.22 per gallon less than a year ago. AAA estimates that Americans are spending about $365 million less per day on gasoline compared to this time last year.
• The national average price of gas reached a current 2015 low on January 26 of $2.03 per gallon, which was the lowest average since March 27, 2009.
• Gas prices have dropped about $1.64 per gallon since reaching a national average of $3.70 per gallon on April 28, 2014.
• The average price of gas in January was $2.11 per gallon, which was the cheapest monthly average since April 2009. Gas prices in December 2014 averaged a much higher $2.51 per gallon, while the average was $3.30 per gallon in January 2014.

IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- CarMD.com Corporation, a leading provider of car repair data and software as a service solutions, today released its 2014 CarMD® Vehicle Health Index™ Manufacturer & Vehicle Reliability Rankings delineating the manufacturers and vehicles with the lowest combined "check engine" repair incidents and costs. The Index ranks the top 10 manufacturers, top 100 vehicles, top vehicles by category and the most common repairs by make. This year's Index is based on more than 40,400 specific repairs performed on model year 2004 to 2014 vehicles in the United States from Oct. 1, 2013 to Sept. 30, 2014. Current and archived indices are available at http://corp.carmd.com.

"This CarMD Index, now in its fourth year, is the only report to offer an annual ranking of manufacturers and vehicles with the lowest combined check engine repair incidents and costs, which is very different from survey-based reliability lists," says Doug Sobieski, chief marketing officer, CarMD. "While this index is based on in-use vehicle repairs needed over the past year, it has also proven to be a useful tool in helping car and truck shoppers make informed decisions about the vehicles they are considering. This data further empowers our software as a service partners to provide information to help their clients minimize the cost of vehicle ownership."

Over Three-quarters of customers that haggled were successful in negotiating a discount.

YONKERS, NY—Consumer Reports latest survey of repair service satisfaction found the odds are consumers will be more satisfied with an independent repair shop than with a franchised new-car dealership.

The one automaker that outscored the independent shops was the electric carmaker Tesla, which earned high praise for its on-time repairs, courtesy, price, quality, and overall satisfaction. But part of Tesla’s current success might be because it’s new to the market, and it has a relatively small number of customers to satisfy compared with the established luxury brands.

The survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center in 2014, was based on subscriber satisfaction with repairs on more than 121,000 vehicles—80,000 of which were repaired at franchised dealers and more than 41,000 at independent shops.

Used Car Standouts from the 2004 through 2013 Model Years

YONKERS, NY — With prices at historic highs – even for models with high mileage and seemingly excessive wear – and with so many vehicles from which to choose, shopping for a used car can be a challenge. To help Americans choose the best used car for their money, Consumer Reports compiled a Best & Worst Used Cars list for model years 2004 through 2013.

The full report is available in Consumer Reports’ Annual Auto Issue, which is on newsstands now, and at the 2014 Autos Spotlight page on ConsumerReports.org. Highlighted are the best small cars, sedans, and SUVs available in four price ranges: from $10,000 or less up to $25,000. Each performed well in CR’s testing when new and had above-average reliability for the model years shown, based on CR’s Annual Auto Survey. And all models came standard with electronic stability control (ESC).