Aftermarket

Alaska has, without question, one of the most ruggedly beautiful landscapes in North America. From its numerous glacial lakes and rivers, dense forests, and mountain ranges, which include Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. Alaska is an adventurer’s dream.

Functionally, the cabin filter cleans the air entering your vehicle through the heating and air conditioning system. Airborne dirt, dust, pollen, and debris are trapped in the filter so they can’t enter the cabin area. It’s important to change them regularly, particularly for those with allergies or breathing sensitivities. Most automakers recommend changing your cabin filter at least once annually, or every 12,000 miles.

The EPA called out Cobb’s sale of “defeat devices” that allowed buyers to bypass some emissions restrictions on their cars in a lawsuit back in 2022.

The type of vehicle you have will help point you toward the right type of bike rack.

After picking up my Hyundai Ioniq 5 N in June, I reached out to the pros at Meguiar's to get some tips on how to care for matte paint. The team provided me with their product recommendations and a wealth of knowledge on how to keep my matte paint in pristine condition. Over the past couple of months, I've been testing numerous products and decided to compile a collection of my recommended products for matte paint care.

Last year was an unusually mild winter. There was hardly any snow to speak of. Although great for summer sunshine aficionados, it’s not so great when trying to accomplish a year-long, four season, all-weather tire test.

Dodge has finally delivered on its promise with the arrival of the Hurricrate inline-six crate engines.

The 911 Dakar, with its lift, big tires, and PDK dual-clutch gearbox is one serious machine. For just that reason, it’s not for everyone.

Nitto Tire has unveiled the Terra Grappler G3, the latest addition to its acclaimed Grappler lineup.

Skid plates are protective metal plates or panels installed on the undercarriage of a vehicle that are designed to shield important components from damage caused by rocks, debris, and rough terrain.

Being a car enthusiast on a budget can be tough. I know as I’ve firmly been a member of the limited funds for automotive fun camp since I got my license. But not having endless cash to throw at a weekend toy doesn’t mean it’s impossible to have fun.

Attending a local lapping day at the track is a great way to test the performance of a vehicle. We at AutoGuide take every opportunity we can to push our personal cars to limits in these safe, controlled environments.

If you’ve set out to do a bit of at-home auto maintenance, you’ve probably noticed some of the parts commonly found online can vary greatly in price.

A winch stands is an indispensable tool for off-roading. It serves a multitude of purposes in various work scenarios, too, but gains our appreciation for the ability to extract a stuck vehicle. While the process of selecting an appropriate winch is already a challenging endeavor, the decision about the type of line to use adds another layer of complexity. The traditional steel cable, a tried-and-true option, is contrasted with the modern synthetic line, each presenting distinct advantages and drawbacks. In this exploration, we delve into the pros and cons of both, shedding light on the considerations that users should weigh when making this crucial decision.

One of the more endearing characteristics of the legendary Jeep Wrangler is the ability to customize it. There isn’t a vehicle on the road or trail that has more options available than the Wrangler, and for some of the commonly swapped out parts, there are many different ways you can go. One of those part groups that gives you more choices is the front bumper. There are so many amazing Jeep Wrangler bumpers that is can be hard to pick from them. One company you should definitely have on your radar is Go Rhino, from RealTruck.

Trickle chargers and smart chargers with testing and maintenance capabilities serve the common purpose of charging batteries, but they differ in their functionality, efficiency, and features. So with an overwhelming number of options out there available through major in-person retailers and online retailers like Amazon, how can you decide which type is best for your usage case?

Few tires, if any, are as iconic and instantly recognizable as the BFGoodrich All-Terrain line. The original T/A KO helped bring off-road capable tires to the mainstream, and the KO2 has not only carried the torch but furthered the popularity and mission of its predecessor. A new BFGoodrich All-Terrain offering is a big moment in the tire world, and the company has just announced the launch of its All-Terrain T/A KO3, which builds on the legendary toughness and updates the tire for the modern era of off-road and street use.

Photo Credit: Mike Schlee and Thinkware

Portable tire compressors have become near-invaluable tools for car owners to keep in their vehicles. With countless options on the market, it can be extremely difficult to choose which to go with. Budgets, capacities, sizes, and more all impact the attractiveness of a compressor. Having owned and tested many other compressors in the past, we decided it was time to try one of the highest-rated compressors on Amazon, the EPAuto 12V DC Portable Air Compressor Pump with Digital Tire Inflator.

A car battery is a crucial component that plays a vital role in the operation of a vehicle. Its primary function is to provide electrical energy to start the engine and power various electrical systems when the engine is not running. Testing a car battery is a straightforward process that can help you determine its health, which can prevent unfortunate situations while keeping the vehicle in its best condition. In this article, we will explain the steps for testing a car battery, as well as what the battery does and why a healthy battery is important for your vehicle.

BFGoodrich’s All-Terrain T/A KO2 has been a dominant force in the all-terrain tire game since its launch. It carries the torch once lit by the original BFG A/T which helped develop the category and made its mark by becoming one of the most popular and easily recognizable choices in the off-road, truck, and SUV tire world. To see if the KO2 is worth the hype, BFG sent us a set to test on our ongoing Lexus GX460 daily-driver-meets-off-roader build.

A torque wrench is a valuable tool for anyone serious about their mechanical work. Professional mechanics understand the importance of properly torqued fasteners, which is why they keep a selection of ¼”, ⅜”, and ½” drive torque wrenches in their toolboxes.

The biggest difference between Michelin's most sustainable tire yet and its more conventional rubber is that there's no difference. That's the lesson I'm learning while braking hard into the notorious turn 11 at Sonoma Raceway in Northern California in the fastest track machine ever made: A rental Ford Explorer.

Technology has made an extreme improvement in the accessibility of diagnosing vehicular issues. Long gone are the days of timing lights and tearing apart carburetors (at least in the instance of modern vehicles), and now we live in the time of plugging a piece of metal and plastic into another piece of metal and plastic to learn everything happening with a vehicle. OBD2 scanners are a dime a dozen, and we recently tested the Carista EVO to see how it does. Can it stand out?

Clean windows are an important part of having a safe driving experience. Reduced visibility from dirty windshields and windows can increase the risk of an accident, especially during nighttime situations. Although it’s likely you wash your windows and glass each time you wash your car, sometimes you need a quick touch-up in between washes. That’s where auto glass cleaners come in, which are also great to use after a wash.

The home EV charger market has changed significantly since I took delivery of my first EV (Tesla Model 3) in 2018. Back then, buying a Tesla made it simple and straightforward when it came time to choosing a home EV charger because of its (at the time) proprietary plug. I did, however, shop around for J1772 chargers in the chance that in the future I decided I no longer wanted a Tesla. Back then, there weren't too many options to choose from, which is why I ended up getting a Tesla Wall Connector since I really didn't want to use an adapter.

As Spring approaches, millions of car owners will be looking to add a little shine to their wheels, giving their pride-and-joy some much-needed TLC. And whether you’re staring at the detailing aisle at your local auto shop/big box store, or going cross-eyed looking at Amazon listings, there’s no doubt that it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the increasing number of car care products available to purchase.

An OBD2 (On-Board Diagnostics II) scanner can provide information about the status and health of various vehicular systems. This information can help inform the user as to what the source of a problem may be, which can in turn help lead to what needs to be repaired or replaced. In this article, we will dig into the types of information that an OBD2 scanner can retrieve from the vehicle and provide for your interpretation.

For over 20 years, I've managed to wash and detail my own cars, whether for weekly maintenance or getting them ready for a show. In my early years, I bought any and all car care products I could afford from my local Pep Boys, which made me familiar with the different brands available on the market. This trend continued into my 20s and 30s, where I began to develop brand loyalty and learned what to look for when choosing a product. Initially, it was always exciting when something new hit the market, but over time, it became clear that many products were similar in performance and price.

A winch is a fantastic tool for off-roaders to get themselves unstuck, and it can also be used as a tool by those who need a device for pulling on something with force. However, winches are inherently dangerous due to the pressure created by the line when under tension, so avoiding this danger is best done by use of a winch blanket damper, also known as a winch dampener or simply a winch damper, which is a safety device used in conjunction with a winch during vehicle recovery operations. It is designed to enhance safety by minimizing the risk of injury or damage in case of a cable or rope failure during winching.

When judging the quality of a product, most popular doesn’t always mean best. But there’s clearly a correlation between the value of an item and how many people vote for it with their wallets.wallets.

LG Electronics has announced a new factory, opening today in Fort Worth, Texas, that will produce Level 2 and Level 3 EV chargers. The chargers will be part of a production operation that will churn out a claimed 12,000 chargers a year. The chargers themselves are set to be owner-operated, meaning hotels, restaurants, and other businesses can buy the chargers directly from LG and operate the units themselves. Owners can set their own rates for charging, and the profits will belong solely to the venue that owns the chargers.

Off-roading brings together vehicular and outdoor enthusiasts in a meshing of worlds perhaps unlike any other. And that scope is enormous: From races like the Baja 1000 to weekend warriors out with their friends and family, four-wheeling is absolute to those who partake. And so it extends to smaller scale hobbies, and radio-controlled rock crawling in particular. The scene isn’t new, but RC4WD’s C2X is a relative newcomer. Is it any good?

Being a dog owner is a great thing. It’s something everyone should try to experience once in their lives. Part of that, however, may not be so fun. Especially if you care about your cars, putting your dog into one can be an ordeal. Obviously, the best solution here is good training habits. Assuming that’s been handled, there are still steps owners can take to ensure their companions don’t damage the interior of a car, and more still that will keep your pet safe in the process. Today we’ll get into what you can do to dog-proof your car and keep your pet safe in the process.

There’s a lot of gross, nasty stuff on the road. We’re not just talking about poorly modified Jeeps and de-catted Mustangs here, either. The road is a dirty place, and that’s obviously why your car needs a wash every so often. Little bits of dirt, debris from trash, tarmac, and even organic um… “material” can stick to your paint and make your car dirty. Just like dry-shampooing every so often isn’t as good as a real shower, eventually your car will need more than just a wash.

The BFGoodrich HD-Terrain T/A KT tire is designed to be a durable tire for towing/hauling not just on the road but in off-road conditions as well. Dual purpose commercial type tires like these have been around for years from various companies, Toyo, Firestone and Bridgestone to name a few. To see how the BFGoodrich HD-Terrain T/A KT tires stack up, I was sent a set for a full, extensive evaluation.

The phrase “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” has about 4 billion applications in the automotive world. One of them is driving during winter. While how you prepare your car for snowy (and salty) conditions is one thing, what you keep in it can be just as important. Here, we’ll go over all the supplies you might need in an emergency, plus some nice comfort items to make the season a little more bearable. Depending on your vehicle, we’d also recommend storing all these items inside a single “Oh S@#%” bag for easy access. If you’ve got a smaller car, distribute them throughout the interior, keeping essentials nearest to you.

Going Skiing (or snowboarding, if that’s your jam) takes a lot more than just the gear you need on the mountain. With resort prices soaring lots of folks are resorting (get it?) to making their cars their primary base camp while on the mountain. That means you’ll want lots of the comforts of the lodge in your car, in addition to your gear. Today, we’ll take a look at all the skiing (or snowboarding) essentials you’ll need for your car this season.

Fantastic Hardware, Promising App

When it comes to washing my car, I prefer using a pressure washer, but I'm well aware that isn't feasible for everybody. One of the main reasons why I enjoy using a pressure washer is because of the foam cannon, which blankets my car with a nice layer of soapy car wash. But if you aren't able to use a pressure washer with a foam cannon, the Foam Blaster 6 from Chemical Guys is a great alternative.

The brightness of your vehicle’s interior lights usually doesn’t cross your mind until something goes missing in the cabin’s depths or you need to buckle a squirming baby into her car seat at night. Most vehicles come with standard, inexpensive bulbs to light the passenger compartment; they do the job, but little more. Having experienced both of the aforementioned circumstances over the last few months, I decided to spend the time and money to upgrade my vehicle’s incandescent interior lights to LED bulbs.

If you’re in the market for saving money and avoiding the Black Friday rush, you can start taking advantage of the best Black Friday automotive deals.

When it was time to replace the budget off-brand all-terrain tires on my 2008 Ford F-150, I decided to go with a set of BFGoodrich T/A KO2s. It’s a decision I should have made years ago, but I found a deal on a set of budget tires and regretted it as soon as I pulled out of the shop. They were squishy, loud and the shop had challenges balancing them.

The dilemma over whether your trusty truck needs a tonneau cover has plagued truck owners for years, sparking heated debates among the automotive aficionados and leaving many a pickup owner pondering the pros and cons. So, does your truck really need a tonneau cover, or is it just another overhyped and needless accessory in the world of vehicular extravagance? Let's delve into the reasons behind using them and not.

The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) is a crucial safety feature in modern vehicles. It’s designed to alert drivers when the pressure in their vehicle’s tires falls below the recommended PSI. When the TPMS light comes on, it's essential to take quick action to ensure the safety of you, your passengers, and the other drivers on the road. Correct tire pressure also helps to maintain fuel efficiency and prolong tire life. Understanding the importance of the TPMS light and knowing how to respond when it illuminates is key to being a responsible and safe, responsible vehicle owner.

The nature of owning and/or operating a vehicle comes with the inherent likelihood that at some point the amount of air in one’s tires will need to be adjusted. This can be up or down; certain weather and climates or circumstances may dictate the need to remove or add air. Luckily, this is a relatively easy process done with simple, inexpensive tools.

You’re hurtling down your favorite highway, foot planted on the accelerator, engine playing its sweet song of mechanical harmony when an auto enthusiast’s most feared sights: Blue and red flashing lights. Speeding might be the means to an enjoyable end, or at least cutting down the time spent commuting, and avoiding traffic stops is a trick of the trade for knowledgeable drivers. Doing so can mean employing the tried-and-true tech known as a radar detector, which has been leaned on for decades to help prevent expensive tickets. Yet skeptics remain, questioning the efficacy and relevance of these electronic chaperones.

The usefulness and purpose for a dashboard camera extends well beyond catching quirky or interesting auto accidents on camera. Even a mediocre dashboard camera, or dash cam as they have come to be known, can help with defending oneself for insurance purposes or even in aiding the authorities when valuable footage is captured. But the world of wiring and installing technology into vehicles is a wild one; Is installing a dash cam difficult, or can an amateur do it?

Dash cams are nothing new, but they are growing in popularity. Whether it be over concerns of in-car assault, car theft, road rage, or car collisions, a lot of people want the added security of having any incident caught on camera.

Not all tire tests are equal.

It's 10 pm instead of 10 am thanks to flight delays, I'm headed two hours out and seven thousand feet up into the San Bernadino Mountains, and the temperature display on the dashboard of this Ford Bronco Raptor is quickly dropping toward the low 30s. My tires are a set of big and chunky Xtreme All-terrains from a brand I've never heard of. Hit it? Or is this going to be a very hairy drive?

Cold Air Intakes (CAIs) are among the most popular modifications enthusiasts make to their cars. Of course, like anything popular, there’s a fair bit of discourse surrounding them. Claims range from big horsepower gains on some cars to cool noises and improved aesthetics. So, do they really work?

As the garage door rises from the floor revealing just how much snow has fallen overnight my first thought is how bad my back is going to feel after I finish shoveling. My second thought is if I’m about to regret my all-weather tires.

To a small group of people, the metal cylinder that interrupts the otherwise perfect circle of your exhaust pipe looks like a big ol’ bag of money. It’s the reason we’ve seen frequent coverage of catalytic converter theft over the last year.

If you're planning on heading off-road, then it's time to upgrade the tires on your SUV or pickup.

Help is there when the worst happens off-road

Getting out of cell service is more than just a side effect of exploring the outdoors. Sometimes it's the point.

Keep Cool This Summer