For auto questions, dust off your car's owner's manual

Have you looked in your vehicle owner's manual? Try -- it's a best source of information on your vehicle maintenance. You will be amazed how much useful info you can find in this book.

Auto Service

• Performance Service Locator
• NASCAR Performance Network

• About the show
• TV Listings

If you want to know how to check -- and how often to check -- the engine oil or how to change a bulb, your owner's manual can guide you. Need to know how to use an overdrive when towing a trailer, or how to change the tire and where is the jack located? What about recommended intervals for engine and transmission checks? Well, all this type of information is in there.

While owner's manuals don't make for exciting reading, they are indeed packed with valuable instructions, information and important warnings.

If your manual is buried in a long-forgotten pile of papers, find it, read it and store it in your glove compartment for future reference.

The best way to keep your vehicle running clean, lean and green is to follow the maintenance instructions in the owner's manual. Failing to follow the maintenance regime in your vehicle owner's manual could void your warranty or worse, leave you stranded with a roadside breakdown.

If you don't have an owner's manual for your vehicle, contact the dealer or manufacturer and ask for a copy. Don't guess at maintenance, and don't rely on the advice of friends, neighbors or family members. Maintenance requirements vary widely from one vehicle to another.

To ensure maximum fuel economy and to keep the manufacturer's warranty valid, your vehicle must be maintained to the standards recommended in the owner's manual. A poorly maintained vehicle can boost fuel consumption by up to 15 percent and increase toxic emissions by even more.

October is Fall Car Care Month. What a perfect time to dust off that owner's manual.