Remember that if the car is too close to the other motorists, you can drive on the rim a few feet to get to a safer location to change the flat tire. On a level area, use your lug wrench to slightly loosen all the lugs on the flat tire.

Jack the vehicle up so the tire clears the road, now loosen and remove all the lugs and take the tire off the studs. Place the spare tire on the lugs, then hand-tighten the lugs and use the lug wrench to get the tire snug. Lower the vehicle until the…

Roof racks can be quality car accessories if you know how to use them properly. Ideally, you will check your owner's manual to determine how much wait your car's roof can support. When the rack is not in use, take it off the car as it can reduce its performance.

Be sure that any items that are placed on the rack can fit under bridges and overpasses. Otherwise, you may need to plan a route that does not have these features. 

Driving in the rain can be extremely dangerous. Roads become slick, and as water puddles, you may not know how deep some of those puddles are. There are a few tips to keep you safer when it starts raining.

The first thing you want to do is slow down. Although the speed limit may say 50 mph, you may want to drop your speed down to 45 or even 40 depending on traffic levels and how hard it is raining. Turn your headlights on, too, so that people can see where you are at all times.

The crew at Volvo Cars Charlotte wanted to share some warning signs that the tires on your vehicle could be close to failing.

Take the time each week to at least look at the tire treads of all the tires carefully. What you want to look for are any signs of things that are abnormal to the tread of the tires. Cracks in the treads or bulges along the sidewalls are early signs of something that could go terribly wrong.

Look at the wear in the treads, it should be uniform from end to end. If you begin to see…

We at Volvo Cars Charlotte are dedicated to answering any questions you may have about how to load cargo in your vehicle for a safe trip. Not all vehicles are the same, and loading cargo correctly can help keep a vehicle safely on the road.

Checking your tires is the first step to staying safe on a long trip with a lot of cargo. The heaviest items should be flat in the cargo area and on the bottom or closest to the floor. 

The ignition system in your vehicle is much more than just a battery and a key. The ignition system is similar to the nervous system in your body. It sends pulses to the individual cylinders at precise intervals allowing the fuel and air to combust and power the vehicle. Without this vital spark, your engine is dead in the water.

Diagnosing ignition problems is not always easy, but there are a few key things to look for when you suspect you may be having a problem. 

Testing the car battery in your vehicle using a voltmeter is easy if you know how. Before doing any type of work near the car battery, be sure that you wearing some heavy-duty gloves and protective eye-wear.

Don't do any testing around the car battery until the engine and lights are all off.

Headlights are an important component of your vehicle, especially when you’re driving at might. If they’re not functioning as they should, you won’t be able to see clearly in low-light situations. Stop at Volvo Cars Charlotte and let us take a look at your headlights.

If you’re having difficulty seeing at night, your vehicle may be in need of headlight maintenance, which may include one of the following.

There's lots of well-meaning advice about motor oil that no longer holds up. For example, back in the 1970s, synthetic oils were new technology. At the time, they could sometimes cause leakage. Today, this is no longer an issue, but many older people are still wary of synthetics.

Another myth about your car's oil is that it must be changed every 3,000 miles, like clockwork. Instead of following that arbitrary guideline, follow the guideline set by your car's manufacturer. Some cars don't need an oil change until they're around the 7,000-mile mark.

To quickly get a car jump-started, you'll need to have some jumper cables and some safety glasses. Be sure to bring the front of both cars as close to one another as possible. Turn off the car lights and engine, open the hood and unravel your jumper cables.

Start with the red clamps, one to the positive terminal on your good battery, the other end will go to the positive terminal on the dead battery. The clamp on the black cable now goes to the negative side of the good battery. The remaining black clamp is going to be…