10th
March
2008
Traffic lights are a great way to control traffic flow in an intersection. They give each car the exact way to behave - who should go and who should stop. In theory, they should be the easiest intersection type for driving students to go through, before, during, and after the test. However, many students can’t comply with the simple rules of traffic lights and fail their test there.One big mistake students make is stopping after the limit line. Very simple, yet many examinees fail to do the right thing. They stop way over the line, causing a risk and of course a lost test.Another repeating mistake is related to pedestrians. Often students don’t notice them or not give them the right of way. This usually happens on right and left turns. When this happens, some students just go through the intersection without noticing there are pedestrians on the crosswalk. That is of course an automatic fail. Others notice the pedestrians on the last moment, make an emergency stop, and block the intersection. That is, of course, another major error and a failing result.Some drivers don’t know how to handle yellow lights. When it happens on the test, some just rush to the intersection, trying to beat the light, while others try to stop even where they have no chance to do it safely. This not only causes accidents, but it shows lack of practice. Drivers doing that on the test will be sent home to try again a few weeks later.And last, but not least, is a major issue that annoys other drivers and causes many accidents. This happens when the driver does not drive according to the light. Some drivers, especially on right turns, stop unnecessarily even if they have a green light. This often causes confusion for other drivers and might cause an accident. Running a red light is another issue, in which students don’t make a complete stop before turning, and simply “roll” into the intersection. This is an automatic failure and an extremely dangerous act.Traffic lights are great, but as a driver you need to practice using them. Also, you need something to guide you while you practice, so you will not practice wrong maneuvers.
posted in General Information |
10th
March
2008
Turn the nozzleWhen you have finished filling up your gas tank try turning the nozzle of the hose a full 180 degrees.
This will drain a bit more gas into your tank; in some cases up to an entire half cup that would otherwise be a bonus to the next gas customer.Once you get into the habit of turning the hose you’ll find yourself doing it without thinking. That extra half cup that you get each time that you fill your gas tank can add up to a lot of extra gas at the end of the year that you never have known about.>>> High octane gas!!!!! Please consult your Owner’s Manual before changing the grade of fuel you use. !!!!!For most cars these days, buying higher-octane gas is a waste of your money. Regular unleaded has approximately 87 octane already and is fine for your vehicle.By avoiding buying high-octane gas you’ll be saving a large amount of money over a period of time.High octane gas is always more expensive at the gas pumps so the next time that you feel guilty for filling up your SUV with regular gas you can be assured that no harm will come to your vehicle.Octane is simply a measurement of how difficult it is to ignite the gas in your car and has nothing to do with the quality of the gas. If you are experiencing engine pings, rattles, or knocks you can switch to high octane gas.However, you shouldn’t be experiencing any of those knocks and rattles if you are keeping your vehicle maintained and making sure that you don’t miss those scheduled maintenance checkups.
If you are driving a new model car you definitely shouldn’t be hearing any pings or rattles and if you are you should take your vehicle to a mechanic.>>> Avoid topping offTry to avoid “topping off” at the gas pumps. When you purchase just a bit of gas at the gas station the pump doesn’t have enough time to really activate, resulting in short bursts of fuel that may short change you from the amount of gas that you are purchasing.The best time to replenish your gas tank is when you have half a tank or less left in your vehicle, or when you find a gas price that you just can’t afford to miss.>>> Avoid running your gas tank too close to emptyTry not to drive your car when the gas gauge is on empty.You may think that you using very little gas when your car is on empty, but you are in fact using more gas because your vehicle is running less efficiently as it tries to accelerate and decelerate in a normal fashion.
Keep your gas level above the quarter tank mark if at all possible.>>> Avoid buying gasoholYou should never purchase gasohol for your car since it contains only two-thirds of the energy of gasoline.This means that you would need to buy much more gasohol to go the same distance on a tank of gasoline.Gasohol is a mixture of ethanol (alcohol made from grain) and gas, and is used by some farmers to help cut the amount of pollution in the air.Even if you are traveling and it seems like the only fuel choice for miles is gasohol try to avoid buying this type of adapted fuel.
posted in Driving Tips |
10th
March
2008
In order to discourage the occurrence of theft in various cities, car alarms are being installed by car owners. By definition, car alarms are devices attached in vehicles which will emit sound of high volume when circuits are cut or when triggered as a sign of warning. One might wonder as to how a sound, such as a klaxon, siren, horn of the vehicle or verbal warning, is triggered and hence, produces a sound.Car alarms are very sensitive that it emits sound just by the sense of vibrations produces when a person touches the car. The sound can also be triggered when it senses loud sounds, infrared radiation, ultrasound and even microwave. The benefits that are being offered by the car alarms have somehow relieved the many vehicle owners in different countries especially in the
United States.However, because of the sensitivity of the car alarms not just to vibrations but also from thunder and even the passing of large vehicles, many car theft false alarms were recorded. The occurrences of false alarms have numbed the people from its sound and have not been doing anything to fight incidences of car theft.With this, the purpose of the production and manufacturing of car alarms has been defeated with the increasing incidences and occurrences of car theft. Police records have shown that despite the fact that cars have car alarm installed on it, car thieves were able to penetrate and stole car.In the end, the consumers and vehicles are the ones suffering. Many people have stopped caring about what crimes are transpiring in the neighborhood. It is in this situation that many have suggested the abolishment of car alarms with a so-called simple noise-making alarms. Hence, it can be concluded that many people are still in need of car alarms but only with a different features. The need for car alarms is increasing because of the incidences of car theft but then again, it should be enhanced in order to prevent false alarms.Car alarms are being enhanced nowadays for it to better suit the tastes and needs of the consumer. Producers and manufacturers need not only produce and manufacture car alarms just for the sake of money. The need for car alarms is not only a matter of business but rather tackles a more in depth problem of the society more particularly of poverty and crimes. The issue on car alarm passes through the problem of poverty that triggers people to steal cars to earn money. Due to poverty, there is a rampage of car theft not only in the
United States but also in various other countries and increases crime rates.The police officers now need to address crimes more than ever so as to protect the people from losing their properties. Car alarms signify the need for the people to become vigilant in all the things that are happening in the society rather than being oblivious.
posted in General Information |
10th
March
2008
Every year hundreds of children and adults are injured and some are killed as a result of vehicles backing over these victims. Most back up accidents involve children under the age of 5 and elderly persons over 60 years of age. These backing up deaths occur in SUVs, passenger cars, trucks and commercial trucks as well.In 2003 there were 91 deaths associated with people backing over people (although only 44 were from cars, SUV’s or pickup trucks). We’ve spent millions of dollars developing back-up alarms and back-up cameras - some cars even come equipped with them.But, in that same year, 143 people died as a result of a rear end accident to a passenger car or truck. So why don’t we make stronger rear bumpers or relocate the gas tank to protect the 143 people that die from fires resulting from a rear end accident?Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all in favor of backup cameras and backup alarms. But I want you to take a close look at these statistics to see if we need stronger bumpers or tank relocation before we get backup alarms or backup cameras.Fires occur in approximately 2.4 percent of all fatal crashes. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates approximately 310 deaths per year are caused by post-collision vehicle fires. The largest cause of these fire-related fatalities, are rear impacts.Although fires are rare, they are not as rare as accidentally backing over someone. If you just take the statistics from 2003, and you consider only passenger cars, SUV’s or light trucks, you are over 3 times more likely to burn to death in a rear-end collision than you are to kill someone by backing over them!When you consider just pickup trucks, you are over 2 times more likely to burn to death in a rear end collision than you are to back over someone driving a pickup truck. And it’s a gruesome death. Usually the frame of the vehicle gets crushed to the point where the doors jam shut. And, because it’s almost impossible to punch your way through the safety glass, you end up trapped.77% Of Fuel System Ruptures Were The Result Of Rear End Collision Damage. Why? Because The Fuel Tank On Most Vehicles Is In The Rear! And, rear-end impacts are three times as likely to result in fatal fire crashes. Although today’s gas tanks have protective bladders, the tank sometimes ends up separating from the filler hose and the gas starts leaking.There are only two ways the problem can be fixed? Relocating the gas tank and/or shielding it from rupture or puncture. These are the two single and most practical solutions to fuel fed fires.The rear end collision is the most frequent accident on the highway today. Shouldn’t we consider stronger bumpers, a better shield and/or tank relocation before backup alarms and cameras?
posted in Driving Tips |
10th
March
2008
Hydrogen can appear to be the answer to our fuel problem, unless we’ve looked at the big picture. I saw a comment to an article I was reading about BMW and a hydrogen car they were supposedly going to market next year. The person asked why we didn’t have a full-on hydrogen car in the
US. I guess my question is: where are you going to get fuel? The infrastructure for hydrogen, as a stand alone system, is beyond the horizon. We should be looking for alternatives, in fact we should have started doing that in the 1970’s with the first energy crisis. Hydrogen, even small amounts, increases the efficiency of other fuels. Most automotive hydrogen is produced by splitting hydrogen and oxygen from a water source that includes a catalyst. The overall gain, from working with various systems of that type, is 5% to 8%. Any gain is good, but that’s a long ways from stand alone.
The key is efficiency, which brings us to other items that aren’t as difficult to obtain, like octane. A simplified explanation follows. The higher the octane, the more efficient the combustion. The slower the burn, to a certain point, the higher the octane. Water vapor slows the burn and increases octane. On a foggy day there is a higher percentage of water vapor in the air, increasing horsepower. The horsepower increase on a foggy day is due to increased efficiency which is due in a round about way to the octane increase. When octane is increased, the timing can be advanced, which contributes to an earlier spark and the opportunity for a longer burn.Computerized cars, after 1996, have OBDll, and later, compliant computers. Computers, if matched to the right system, will due all the changes. You don’t have to advance and retard the timing or reject the carburetor for different altitudes and conditions because the computer does that for you. With the right system you don’t have to do anything to the computer. The computer sensors monitor the exhaust and lean the mixture if the engine is running cool enough. 60% to 80% of the fuel that goes into the engine is used to cool internal parts. Water is about 200 times more efficient at cooling than gasoline or diesel.I was watching a NASCAR race and one of the commentators made the statement that “all the horsepower is in the camshaft and cylinder head(s).” That statement, in the way it was worded, in not correct. A large percentage of the horsepower is in the camshaft and cylinder head(s), but not all. There’s a reason the fuel they burn is rated at 99 octane. The slower the burn, the more complete the combustion.A engine has to “breathe” to be efficient. Like the human body, if the airways are fouled or restricted, the human body and the engine aren’t capable of reaching maximum efficiency. Water vapor steam cleans internal engine parts. It breaks carbon off the valves and pistons and flushes it out the exhaust while cleaning the exhaust system in the process. If water vapor is introduced at the right place in the intake system, it cleans the passages, mixes with the fuel and increases octane. Higher efficiency results in more HP and better fuel economy.Going back to hydrogen, there is a hydrogen producing system that’s as close to free energy as you can get. It seems to make sense to use what’s already available, as opposed to wasting it and expending other energy to produce more. A high priced, high tech vehicle isn’t necessary. But, to make everything work at the optimum, you need to have all the information and not just one piece of the puzzle.
posted in Maintenance |
10th
March
2008
The police forces in England have, for some time had Automatic Number Plate Recognition System cameras at their disposal but until recently had not realized just how widespread the problem of uninsured drivers was ( some estimates put it as high as 2 million ) and just how effective the ANPR system can be in detecting these law breakers.
London police have been engaged in operation Reclaim since the end of 2007 and have been surprised at the high number of expensive cars they have seized due to them not being insured. The trigger for the increase in ANPRS policing has come from a recent change in legislation which allows a beat officer to impound a vehicle whereas previously this was the duty of a specialized traffic officer whose time could better be spent on more serious offences.The system works by photographing the number plate of each passing car and through special software comparing the car registration number with the database of 35million legally insured drivers provided by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau. If the photographed car is not on the database the vehicle is stopped and if the driver cannot produce proof of insurance the vehicle is impounded. Owners have 14 days to reclaim their car and pay a fee of £105 plus £12 per day . They also face a £200 fixed penalty fine and up to six penalty points on their license. Simultaneously the system also checks the DVLA database to see if the vehicle is taxed and has a current M.O.T. certificate as it has been found that offenders driving without insurance very often have no tax and don’t bother with M.O.T. tests. Each of these offences also carry fixed penalty fines and penalty points on their license so it is conceivable that, under totting up rules a driver could lose his license immediately.Cars that are stopped and found to have no insurance are impounded and if the owner fails to pay the necessary fees and fines to have it released are either crushed or sometimes auctioned. Surprisingly some of these cars are high end luxury and sports models. It is thought that the owners of these, faced with very high premiums decide to risk driving without insurance, reasoning it is cheaper to risk being caught and pay the fine than pay thousands each year to be insured. Now however if they are stopped they will lose their car as it is so much easier for the police to seize it. The police hope that this new deterrent will be enough to convince these owners that insurance is absolutely mandatory.Five
London boroughs are trying the scheme now and it should be extended to cover the whole capital by the end of 2008. Other forces are following suit with North, South and
West Yorkshire forces joining Humberside in a crackdown on this type of offence. The days of the uninsured driver look to be numbered, which has got to be a good thing for all motorists as a collision with an uninsured driver costs the innocent party though no fault of his own.
posted in Insurance |
10th
March
2008
The Lights In A Mercedes Car Are Very ImportantThey show you the way and warn others about your actions preventing accidents and keeping things in the safe side. The primary function of the lights is to provide safety and convenience to the driver. Mercedes made their lights to be one of the most important things in the car. Without the lighting assembly installed a Mercedes is as safe as a blind driver.Lights give the ability to see during darkness providing a good illumination. If your lights are good enough the dust on the road or the foggy day won’t be such a big obstacle. Rain-filled weather conditions will be a piece of cake for you too because even if you feel like swimming in the whole water around you there will still be enough visibility for you keeping you informed about everything that is happening around you.The Mercedes tail lights are another very important lighting system that is available for you when you drive. They are attached at the front and rear part of your vehicle. They come in pairs - left and right. The signal lights or also called turn lights are usually yellow in color and they are one pretty important part of the Mercedes tail lights. They are available to indicate if the vehicle is turning and on what direction it will go next. Everyone who is interested in knowing where you will turn will see indication of that before you turn no matter if he is in front of you or on you back.This simple thing prevents collisions with other cars or accidents with the people walking on the streets. It is good for these lights to be used not only when you make a turn but also when you change lanes because sometimes other drivers will not see you on time especially when you are in the blind zone. It is also considered polite because you provide information on your action and let others know you intentions and the way you will achieve them.One very important aspect of these tail lights is the emergency condition. If you push the “hazard” button beneath the dashboard you will activate a simultaneously blinking of both - the left and the right tail lights. This will inform the people around you that you are having troubles with your car. When an emergency instance occurs the people around you should know that you may not have the full control over your car and accident is likely to occur. Warning them with the lights will help them manage the situation and it will safely let you call for help.On the side view a parking lights are available. They make the vehicle more visible and they are pretty useful when going into intersections or making turns. It allows drivers to see others from greater distances and keep them informed on what is going on around them. This is very important especially in low visibility because of fog, dust and rain or any other thing which could reduce the visibility. On breaking situations the parking lights could also serve as a break lights.One pretty cool solution for Mercedes lights is called Euro Altezza Lights and it is available for many models. It will add the sporty look to your car and it will enhance the prestige of the vehicle. These are performance tail lights with clear or smoked lens in red or amber color provided by special lamps.To benefit from and use the wonderful features of these lights you should insure proper replacement when necessary. You may want to check up with your service provider from time to time to see if everything is fine. This is important because many things on the road could damage or reduce the effectiveness of the lights. For example this could be the dust. Stray objects, snow or rain could become hazardous too. Everything that is interfering with the lights could become a problem. You could not keep all problems away but you could see if you lights need special care after the busy day.There is also a way available for you to protect you tail lights from all the scratches and damages that could happen on the road. With all the stones and stuff flying around it is impossible for something to not hit your tail lights. The solution for you could be to use a proper protection.The Mercedes tail lights guard will keep the scratches to their minimum saving you money on replacement parts. This protection unit is usually made by durable steel designed to fit your tail lights perfectly. The easy installation will help you buy it and install it yourself.This protection will not only help you protect you tail lights. It could add the look you want for you car. Mercedes have that sleek look when you buy it but is it what you want? And what about some cool rugged look to tell the others about you sporty way of living?The tail lights guard will not reduce the illumination of your lights and it won’t help for any dangerous situation to occur and it could be a fine investment. Buy it once and you may not need to wander if you lights are good after a long ride. No matter if you want style for you car or simply some protection the tail lights guard is what you need.If you are a car style enthusiast you should know that there is nothing cooler than a nice lighting system for the car. It doesn’t matter how nice your hood is looking or what a nice wheel rims you have. The lights are what get the attention. This is so even during the day. Just imagine some nice reflection from a car and what it could feel like even in the bright sunny day.
posted in Auto Repair |
10th
March
2008
I saw a comment to an article I was reading about BMW and a hydrogen car they were supposedly going to market next year. The person asked why we didn’t have a full-on hydrogen car in the
US. I guess my question is: where are you going to get fuel? The infrastructure for hydrogen, as a stand alone system, is beyond the horizon. We should be looking for alternatives, in fact we should have started doing that in the 1970’s with the first energy crisis. Hydrogen, even small amounts, increases the efficiency of other fuels. Most automotive hydrogen is produced by splitting hydrogen and oxygen from a water source that includes a catalyst. The overall gain, from working with various systems of that type, is 5% to 8%. Any gain is good, but that’s a long ways from stand alone.
The key is efficiency, which brings us to other items that aren’t as difficult to obtain, like octane. A simplified explanation follows. The higher the octane, the more efficient the combustion. The slower the burn, to a certain point, the higher the octane. Water vapor slows the burn and increases octane. On a foggy day there is a higher percentage of water vapor in the air, increasing horsepower. The horsepower increase on a foggy day is due to increased efficiency which is due in a round about way to the octane increase. When octane is increased, the timing can be advanced, which contributes to an earlier spark and the opportunity for a longer burn.Computerized cars, after 1996, have OBDll, and later, compliant computers. Computers, if matched to the right system, will due all the changes. You don’t have to advance and retard the timing or rejet the carburetor for different altitudes and conditions because the computer does that for you. With the right system you don’t have to do anything to the computer. The computer sensors monitor the exhaust and lean the mixture if the engine is running cool enough. 60% to 80% of the fuel that goes into the engine is used to cool internal parts. Water is about 200 times more efficient at cooling than gasoline or diesel.I was watching a NASCAR race and one of the commentators made the statement that “all the horsepower is in the camshaft and cylinder head(s).” That statement, in the way it was worded, in not correct. A large percentage of the horsepower is in the camshaft and cylinder head(s), but not all. There’s a reason the fuel they burn is rated at 99 octane. The slower the burn, the more complete the combustion.A engine has to “breathe” to be efficient. Like the human body, if the airways are fouled or restricted, the human body and the engine aren’t capable of reaching maximum efficiency. Water vapor steam cleans internal engine parts. It breaks carbon off the valves and pistons and flushes it out the exhaust while cleaning the exhaust system in the process. If water vapor is introduced at the right place in the intake system, it cleans the passages, mixes with the fuel and increases octane. Higher efficiency results in more HP and better fuel economy.Going back to hydrogen, there is a hydrogen producing system that’s as close to free energy as you can get. It seems to make sense to use what’s already available, as opposed to wasting it and expending other energy to produce more. A high priced, high tech vehicle isn’t necessary. But, to make everything work at the optimum, you need to have all the information and not just one piece of the puzzle.
posted in Future Fuels |
10th
March
2008
A number of car owners have not yet tried cheap car insurance and they are missing a lot of benefits. A car owner, in one way or another, will be encountering troubles with the high cost of regular auto insurance premiums. This is where the greatest advantage of cheap auto insurance comes in.
So, how do you take hold of cheap car insurance? Well, the steps are simple but will require some thinking and patience. Here are some the most important tips on how you can get cheap car insurance.First, take pains in comparing policies offered by several auto insurance companies.Though the essential features of auto insurance companies are more almost the same, there would still be some discrepancies and differences. And in these differences the crucial factor lies in terms of how you could find cheap car insurance.Some auto insurance companies will offer comprehensive or limited coverage while some other companies will have policies that depend on how many persons will be using the car or for what purpose the car will be utilized under normal circumstances. Generally, a car used to take children to and from the school and one used to and from the office will be taken into consideration.Second, look for companies that give due consideration to anti-theft devices installed in your car. There are insurance companies that will be willing to give you cheap car insurance if your car has these devices installed. In connection, there are insurance companies that also take into account the nature of the neighborhood where you live in. This is usually in line with the crime rate of the location. The higher the crime rate the higher the premium.Third, try considering offers made by independent car insurance agents but make sure that they have authority and sufficient credibility to deal with these matters.
Every State generally has its own set of rules in relation to car insurance policies. There are quite a number of States that make auto insurance mandatory. That is definitely not a problem among rich citizens but for middle class citizens it is important to look for cheap car insurance in terms of coverage, premiums and reliability.Fourth, discover possibilities of accessing relevant data regarding various auto insurance companies. You may have access from these companies’ official websites or offices. While visiting their branch offices is feasible, doing it is generally not practical because that will consume lots of time and effort. In this regard, surfing the Internet is more advantageous.Finally, please make some notes about your findings. This will help you remember offers and rates more conveniently and accurately when you are ready to make your decision.
As a conclusion, getting cheap car insurance is really a matter of being procedural and patient. It does not really mean that you have to buy policy from established and big companies, although that is usually advised. The more important consideration is whether or not the company will be able to pay you and answer for the expenses when the time comes.
posted in Insurance |
10th
March
2008
Hybrid cars are taking the world by storm - figuratively, literally. If you want an eco-friendly hybrid car that not only drives like a dream but is a weight off your conscious too, then you must see the PGO Cevennes Turbo-CNG. This nifty little hybrid car will run on bio gas making it essential in today’s fight against global warming.You may be forgiven for thinking that hybrid cars are going to end up looking, well, ugly. This is simply not the case where the PGO Cevennes Turbo-CNG is concerned. Looking at the car’s rounded edges and the sleek design you may as well be looking at one of the top sports cars in the world. With a soft top to boot, you can make sure your next luxury car is a hybrid one.The PGO Cevennes Turbo-CNG has been developed by BRA GmbH. This company has been at the very forefront of the development of hybrid cars for well over ten years now. They are based in
Germany and they have developed not only environmentally-friendly hybrid cars but cars that have excellent style and design, as well.
The car itself isn’t due to be released until March 2008, but you can be sure it will open to a fanfare of utter amazement! The car is only likely to cost around 48,000 Euros making it not only environmentally-friendly but also friendly on your pockets, as well.The Cadillac Provoq concept
America has realized that the gas-guzzling, environment-harming vehicles are not going to save the world any time soon. The eco-drive and style brought by hybrid cars have finally found their way to
America and they have managed to do it in amazing degree… Not that we expected anything less of course.
As the flag bearer of hybrid cars, the Cadillac Provoq concept car has two main points. On the one side, it clearly shows the style, class and beauty that is renowned with Cadillac cars. It also has in its favour the hybrid car technology that is actually making the car a sure heart-stopper.The Cadillac Provoq concept car is made to appeal to the luxury car owners; it oozes class and style and is sure to stand up in its own right against other luxury cars. If it is luxury next to hybrid car technology that you are looking for then you need not look any further.The Cadillac Provoq concept hybrid car has wheels that are powered by the car’s 94bhp motor, which of course is electric. The car’s rear wheels have the 54bhp motor each. These features enhance the Provoq’s mileage for every small amount of gas it consumes - saving the planet and your pocket from hundreds of dollars spent on fuel. This is something that Cadillac Provoq owners would be very much proud of.The PGO Cevennes Turbo-CNG and the Cadillac Provoq concept will fit right into any city or town and with their sporty look and sleek design they are simply head turners.
posted in Future Fuels |