CHARLOTTE – This is a reworking of an older article. For our full back catalog, check out www.autorepairminthill.com.

Here are a few things you should know about your car that most people never memorize.

1. License plate number

You should really have your plate number memorized. It’s very likely that whatever documents you own that list your plate number are stored… in the car. Knowing your plate saves you some time when entering your info online (paying your NC toll bills comes to mind) but is useful information to know in case your car gets stolen. You can tell the police and make it easier to identify your vehicle.

2. Tire Size

I cannot begin to tell you how many times we’ve had people call us for a quote on new tires, and then when our guys ask “OK, what size do you need?” the customer can’t answer. You should know your tire size so when you’re buying tires you aren’t asking for the wrong size. Wrong tires often can “fit” on the wheel because the diameter is the same, but your speedometer and fuel efficiency are thrown off. Your speedometer is calibrated based on the Original Equipment tire size. A tire size is three sets of digits like P275/50R17.

3. Engine size

This is useful for resale valuing. Most vehicles are sold with different engine options. For example, did you know the Cadillac CTS was sold with five different engine options in 2019? Don’t devalue yourself. Know what you’ve got.