Car Maintenance Tips for the New Year

Have you ever forgot to care for you car? Starting the new year is an ideal time to make things right and commit to regular maintenance. Giving time and attention will result to improved performance, vehicle reliability and safety. Car owner will also save on costly bills that are often result of neglect.

Here is a list of recommended service interval schedule to use when making regular vehicle maintenance:

• Every month check tire pressure and tire condition, lights and windshield washer fluid. The vehicles should also be monthly cleaned.
• Every 3 months or 3,000 miles, change the engine oil and filter, check also levels of other fluid including automatic transmission, power steering and brake, and check battery and cables, belt and hoses. Exhaust and fuel filter must also be checked at this interval.
• Every 6 months or 6,000 miles, the chassis lubrication must also be checked and windshield wipers must also be replaced.
• Every 12 months or 12,000 miles, spark plugs, brakes, coolant, steering and suspension should also be checked.

If the "Check engine" lights comes on, vehicles should be immediately taken in for service to identify the problem.

For car care and maintenance and other various products, check it online at our "Car Accessories".

Singapore Top Buyer of Luxury Cars for 2006

Singapore turn out as the top buyer of luxury car in Southeast Asia for 2006 with strong economic growth resulting in high sales of Lamborghinis, Rolls-Royces, Bentleys and Porsches.

But the biggest passenger car market in the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) turned out to be Malaysia with 400,000 new cars sold from a total of more than a half million vehicles registered there, according to data published in Singapore's Business Times.

About 180,000 new passenger cars sold in Thailand out of 700,000 vehicles in an overall market while Indonesia hit 300,000 new vehicles.

An estimated 117,000 new vehicles registered in Singapore this year.

Despite a population of only 4.4 million people, a record 29 Lamborghinis were sold in the city state, up 53 percent from 2005. Ten of the Italian cars were registered in Malaysia and 15 in Thailand.

'This year has the highest sale we ever had because of the economy and two new models,' Rocco Basta, regional manager of Automobili Lamborghini, was quoted as saying.

He is referring to the new Gallardo Spyder which is price at 838,000 Singapore dollars (US$ 540,000), and the limited edition Murcielago LP640 at 1.18 million Singapore dollar.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars regional director Collin Kelly said that buyers in Singapore were influenced by the good economic climate.

'It is the feel-good factor,' he told the newspaper. 'In times when the economy is vibrant, the very wealthy people that buy our cars feel more comfortable.'

Porsche saw a huge jump with sales of 170 this year, a 35 percent hike over 2005.

80 Porsches was sold in Thailand, up 51 percent and 100 in Malaysia, up 5 percent.

The more accessible luxury makes such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW have powered ahead with the highest passenger car sales in ASEAN, which consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Mercedes-Benz was expected to end the year with sales of more than 2,100 units and BMW with 3,700 units, the report said.