We're a nation that's addicted to convenience. It's probably the reason the U.S. has such a massive obesity epidemic. Still, we like things to be as easy as possible. That's why none of us wants to use a key to unlock our car doors or trunks anymore. Seldom do you see a keychain without some sort of keyless remote on it. They're great, especially in bad weather. As is the case with most modern conveniences, the moment they stop working will be the most inconvenient time. Keyless remotes show signs of dying batteries when their effective range begins to diminish. If you find yourself standing closer and closer to your vehicle for your keyless remote to work or if it's just plain dead, check out this tutorial on changing your keyless remote batteries and we'll make it easy and quick. We can even help you deal with the batteries in your Mercedes or similar luxury remote.

Does your car have the 3.2-liter or the 3.5-liter engine? Is it the dual overhead cam setup? These are questions that pop up all the time at the parts counter. It may not seem important, but many vehicles have different parts throughout and the engine size or transmission setup tells the clerk at the auto parts store which part you need. If you don't know offhand, sometimes it's as easy as walking out to the car. But what if your car is sitting on jack stands and you drove your son's car to the parts store? You can go back home to get the info, or you can buy all of the possible variations of the part and figure it out when you get home.

The key is to be prepared, and we've found a site that will tell you in 2 seconds what setup you have in your car. Pronto.net's VIN decoder makes it so easy to get your vehicle's details it feels like stealing. Nope, you're just taking advantage of a free service that happens to be ridiculously simple. All you have to do is enter your car's Vehicle Identification Number (or VIN) and it gives you the goods. You can find your VIN on your title, registration, insurance card, or through the windshield on the left side of the dashboard. Check it out, and be prepared for your next visit to the parts store.

**In case you're thinking this is some sort of paid link situation or there's a catch, like having to sign up, it's not! See for yourself, it's just a single screen with a place to type your VIN. Big thanks to Ted for digging up this gem!

It may not be snowing where you are, but the rest of use are at least ankle deep in snow and dealing with temps well below freezing. A day or two at home is no big deal, but eventually we end up having to navigate snow or ice-covered roads. I get a lot of snow in upstate New York, so all of my vehicles are all wheel drive. This may not be practical for everyone, but a less costly solution is out there -- snow tires. It may seem like a massive hassle to deal with different tires for winter, but the safety benefits are huge, so it's at least worth looking into if you live in an area that sees any amount of snow. You should check out this Snow Tire Q&A for an introduction to the art of seasonal tire swapping. If you live in South Florida, read it anyway. At least you'll have some idea what us poor snowbirds have to deal with every year.

I can't get enough of these stories of good will during the holiday season. If there's anything you can say about Americans, it's that when times get tough, we come together. Communities across the country are rallying to support the high number of people in need this year. Members of the Idaho Falls Custom Stock and Iron Car Club are just these kind of Americans. As a club, they wanted to do something to support the local food bank, but rather than get their members to throw a few canned goods into bags, they rallied local businesses and came up with a plan that would help everybody out. Thus the $5 old change was born. A local shop donated the hands and a local parts store donated the stuff, with all proceeds going to the food bank in the form of much-needed cash. They're helping on the other end, too, by offering such a large discount on the oil change. It's a win-win from any angle. Kudos to the Idaho Falls Custom Stock and Iron Car Club and the community of Pocatello for coming together during difficult times.

Read more about the $5 oil change at KPVI.com.