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safety

White smoke on start up is typically due to steam clouds, that is condensation in the engine and exhaust vaporizing. Only if the white smoke doesn't go away as the engine warms up and/or if this white smoke in the...

You should use SAE 5W-20 engine oil.

It’s imperative that your vehicle is equipped with the coolant, especially if you use the air conditioning. The ideal coolant mixture for your car is 50% water, and 50% ethylene glycol antifreeze.

A key number will be given to you with your set of keys. This number can be used to produce an authorized duplicate key. Write down the number and keep it somewhere safe, but outside of your vehicle. Tips You...

It’s vital that you and your passengers are buckled up for safety. Not only is it the law in most US states, but it’s just good common sense. Your Altima is designed to detect when there’s a seat belt not...

Your Altima is equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). It’s designed to keep track of the amount of air in your tires. If one of them drops below the threshold, the system turns on the Low Tire Pressure...

The electric stability control (ESC) indicator is located on the instrument panel. When the ESC light blinks, then system has detected adverse driving conditions, and the ESC is turned on. If the indicator illuminates and stays lit, then the ESC...

The AdvanceTrac Warning Light is located on your instrument panel. This light will illuminate when your AdvanceTrac traction control system is currently in use, or when the system is malfunctioning. If the light stays on during normal weather conditions (when...

Seat belts are lifesaving devices, but technology has evolved beyond the point where these were just static belts that held you in place during an impact. Seat belt pretensioners are used on the driver and passenger front seat belts to...

It sounds like you may have an issue with your idle air control valve (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/idle-control-valve-replacement) on your 2011 BMW 328i. The idle air control valve is responsible for keeping the RPMs within a certain range during idling at a stop....

While the air bags in your car are designed to enhance safety during accidents, you do need to take a few precautions to ensure that you don’t damage the system, or increase your risk of injury. Here’s what you should...

You should use unleaded gasoline, with an octane number of 87 or higher.

While it’s important to wear your seat belt and have your seat back in the proper position, it’s just as important to sit in the right position while driving or riding. Sit upright, completely against the back of the seat...

The Traction Control Off message comes on the driver information center (DIC) when the traction control system (TCS) has been turned off. When the TCS is turned on again, the DIC alert will disappear.

The Passenger Air Bag On light is located on the center console, with the rest of the front passenger indicators. The light will illuminate when the seat sensor detects that an adult is in the front passenger seat, and it...

The electric stability control (ESC) off indicator is located on the instrument panel. This light is illuminated when the ESC has manually been turned off. Tip The ESC off indicator briefly illuminates when the car is first turned on. The...

There are several important lights in your dash, including the anti-lock brake system (ABS) warning light. This light should come on briefly when you crank the engine, but it should turn off after completing a short self-test. If the light...

The AdvanceTrac off Warning Light is located on the instrument panel. This light illuminates when you have manually turned off the AdvanceTrac traction control system. When you turn the system back on, the light will disappear. Tip The AdvanceTrac off...

Hi there. Assuming that the battery is good, the connections are clean and tight, the replacement starter is good, the security light is turning off. There are several things that still can affect starter operation. If, the vehicle will start...

Hello. The throttle cable (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/throttle-control-cable-replacement) could be sticking causing the RPMs to increase excessively if the throttle cable is holding the throttle open when it shouldn’t be. There also could be a bad throttle position sensor (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/throttle-position-sensor-replacement) or idle control...