The air filter stops airborne contaminants from getting sucked into your car's engine. It's a paper filter that stops debris such as dust, leaves and wayward pelicans before they get inside the engine and do damage.

If you notice any of the following signs and symptoms when you brake ... flashing brake warning light squealing, chirping or grinding noises pulsations in the brake pedal shaky steering wheel increased stopping distance car pulls to one side when you stop

Coolant is the fluid that absorbs heat from the engine and then dissipates it through the radiator. It is also dissipated through the heat exchanger in the passenger compartment when you crank your heat in the winter.

The rubber cover that protects the drive axle joint is commonly known as the CV boot. Cracks or tears in the rubber can cause leaks and expose the CV joint to the elements

Tiny cracks in a serpentine belt aren't necessarily bad, but the deep ones here mean it's running out of time. Because this belt was removed to replace an alternator, the mechanic replaced it with a new one to save trouble down the road

An oil and filter change involves draining out the old motor oil and replacing it with fresh, new motor oil. The oil filter also gets replaced at the same time.

You're on the road this summer and a rock bounces up and puts a big crack in your windshield. No big deal, you can you wait until winter to fix it, right? No. A car's windshield acts as one of its most important safety features during an accident, rollover or collision. In a collision, a properly installed windshield keeps you in the vehicle and acts as a backboard for the passenger side airbag. In a rollover accident the windshield supports the roof of your vehicle and prevents it from collapsing and injuring the vehicle's occupants.

One of the most irritating occurrences for a driver is to lose their rear view mirror. Not lost exactly, just that it is no longer attached to the windshield. Besides being illegal and unsafe, not having a rear view mirror is a serious inconvenience to a driver. The good news is it is fairly easy and inexpensive to reattach the mirror.