26th
May
2008
The purpose of a car’s cooling system is not only to remove excess heat. It is to keep the temperature of the car engine in tip top shape at that temperature to prevent excess damage and wear to your automotive engine and its components. Why chance excess wear and tear as well as expensive repairs to your motor vehicle – whether it is S.U.V., car, truck or van?
Rust will fill and clog the passages of your radiator over time. Why chance expensive engine damage? Why take the chance of ruining an otherwise good vacation or trip due to little more than heat damage to your engine. Damage to your engine from excess heat is created over time. By simple routine radiator and cooling system maintained you can prevent much of these troubles, cares and concerns. Preventive maintenance is how airplanes are cared for. Why not treat your car of SUV in this same manner? It all comes down to a regular maintenance and inspections schedule.
Rust may clog the passageways of your car or SUV’s radiator. Hard water deposits a scale much like the mineral scales that clog your coffeemaker, humidifier or kettle at the lake cottage. These mineral scale deposits reduce heat transfer in your radiator. Simply put your radiator will not be able to cool your car engine. Your car or SUV will overheat. Your car engine, trip vacation at least your day will be inconvenienced and perhaps ruined. Even more if two different metals touch inside your radiator system them electrolytic corrosion can and will occur. Further trouble and radiator damage is possible.If conditions are ideal or more than ideal for rust to form – rust is guaranteed to form and deposit in the waterways of your vital radiator. Rust makes up about 90 % of all solids that can choke up the water flowing areas if your radiator- including the water storage “water jacket” areas.Scale is a deposit of the solids left by the evaporation of the water and radiator antifreeze. These scales that are formed and deposited in your radiator and cooling system are very similar to the scale that forms inside a teakettle or coffeemaker after the boiling of hard water. What the solids are composed of depends upon the nature of the water itself but they most commonly include calcium carbonate, calcium sulphate and magnesium oxides.Electrolytic corrosion can result from soldered seams in older style copper radiator, copper gaskets in contact with other metals, brazed joints in steel tubes and imperfect plaiting on steel or other metal parts. An electrolytic current is set up and the metal most active electro chemically slowly dissolves.What can you do to prevent all this damage to your radiator and the grief and costs involved? As always the key words are prevention, prevention and prevention. An ounce of prevention is worth kilograms of cure.Radiator saboteurs can be averted by radiator cleaners and inhibitors used properly. You will prevent most of your troubles in your car of SUV’s vital and expensive to repair cooling systems.Fall and spring cleaning of a cooling system should always include- clearing out rust and scale with a chemical cleaner. It never hurts as well to have a competent auto repair shop conduct a thorough flush of your radiator. Basically your car’s radiator is flushed “backwards” with a strong flow of coolant to remove heavily trapped sediment and that horrible scaling. Lastly and in addition during these cleaning and preventative maintenance procedures you should insist that a radiator rust inhibitor be added to your radiator coolant. A Radiator Rust Inhibitor is a blend of rust inhibitors, lubricants and biocides that restores rust- and oxidation-inhibiting properties to coolant, promoting cooling system life. Furthermore, it provides lubricant to coolant that reduces and eliminates water pump noise.After all why cause yourself needless aggravation and car maintenance costs by not applying maintenance and inspection schedule to your vehicle’s cooling system. Your summer vacation and summer road trips will soon be here. Why not make your summer vacations road trips trouble free?
posted in Maintenance |
26th
May
2008
Spring has arrived and it has quite possibly been six months since your classic car has been started. Hopefully before the snow hit last year you took proper steps to secure your vehicle to get it ready for its winter slumber. But even with proper preparation, there are important steps necessary to check your vehicle over before you turn the key for that first drive of the spring.VISUAL INSPECTIONStart with a visual inspection of the entire vehicle.Begin with the body, work your way around and get under the vehicle to look for leaks or any areas a critter may have nested. You can usually find nest particles that have dropped down on the floor or on top of engine. If you are lucky, no critters have nested. If they have, try to use a shop vac to suck out the debris instead of using your bare hands. Throughout the inspection you have probably noticed all of the dust and grime that has built up and you may feel inclined to wipe a few spots while you are overlooking the car. Stop right there. Do not do this until you can wash the car properly so as not to scratch or dull the finish.UNDER THE HOODBefore attaching the battery, test it and/or give it a charge. While it is charging you can check belts, hoses and wiring to make sure everything looks good. Pump the brake pedal a few times to make sure it has a good pedal and no leaks. Change your oil and filter; moisture has had time to gather and pool inside the block. The same can be said about all lubricants and fluids, but use your discretion; the longer the vehicle has been sitting the more crucial this becomes. Remove the spark plugs and check for moisture and measure the gap. While the plugs are out you may choose to add a small amount of oil to the cylinder walls to lessen damage on initial start. With oil in the motor, turn the vehicle over by hand to get the lubrication process started. Disconnect the “+” coil wire and attach the battery. I would recommend turning the key to the run position and inspect the cars wiring. Look, feel and smell for shorts. Once the wiring appears to be o.k. go ahead and crank the engine over and check your fluid levels again. With the plugs out it will turn easily and hopefully clear out any junk in the combustion chamber. Check your fuel lines, carburetor, clutch and shifter for proper movement and operation.BRAKES AND SUSPENSIONWith the weight of the wheels, wiggle the tires back and forth and up and down. This will make sure that the wheel bearings and suspension links are ready to roll. Remove the tires and check the brakes for rust, leaks, frayed hoses and adjustment. A wire wheel can be used on rotors and drums to remove rust without damage. With correct air pressure in the tires, torque the lug nuts back and roll the car out a few feet. This will assure everything is free and ready to go.INITIAL START UPGo easy on the cranking and do not be worried if the engine does not fire up right away. Never use starting fluid to help speed this process (it can crack your heads). If you have a mechanical fuel pump, it may take a few cranks to build pressure. It may be necessary to squirt a small amount of fresh gas in the carburetor and then try starting it (never squirt while cranking or running. This will start a fire). When the car starts, hold the throttle around 2200rpm to insure proper lubrication. This should be done for about 60 seconds. Let the car idle down and shut off and take another general inspection for any surprises that may have slipped past or occurred while running. If no problems exist, restart the car following the previous procedure. Run all the controls, lights and accessories and move the car back and forth a couple of times in the driveway. Once the temp gets close to operating range you are ready for a short trip around the block.No one knows your car better than you, so pay attention on the first drive and take it easy. After a couple of laps around the block, shut the car down and recheck everything again. Most failures will occur in these first few moments, so stay close to home. If everything is humming along great, put about 40 miles on the odometer (half city/ half highway) and you should be good to go.
posted in General Information |
24th
May
2008
You’re out shopping, and you return to find that your car has a dent. Awful isn’t it? What every car owner dreads is a dent in their vehicle, more so if it’s the first dent in their car. Somehow a dent in a vehicle just takes away the fun in the vehicle. No matter what anyone says, people care about how their vehicles look or appear. A dent spoils the show. However, a relatively new technique known as Paintless dent repair, can now take away the dent from your vehicle, without requiring to repaint. As the name suggests, it’s a paintless job, which means it’s a lot quicker than the traditional method of repairing a dent.With the traditional method of dent repair, a paint job was necessary, this meant that it would take a longer time to get your vehicle back. What’s more the end result was nothing to talk about, not to mention pretty heavy on the pocket. However a paintless dent repair job, promises all the things that a traditional dent repair job did not. You must note here, that it does keep it’s promise. Yes, with a paintless dent repair process – you’ll have your vehicle back in no time, less cost and without paint.Still not convinced? Then step into an experienced technician’s garage who handless these paintless dent repair jobs on a regular basis. You’ll probably get to see proof first hand, while they are doing the job, or they’ll show you some before and after pictures of vehicles. The before picture illustrating where the dent was, the extent of the dent etc. The after picture, is a dentless car…all thanks to paintless dent repair.Since this paintless dent repair process has high success rates, more and more people are getting aware of this. This has lead to an increase in the number of people opting for this procedure. There are many skilled and experienced people who perform these paintless dent repair jobs. Most of them have gone in for specialized training, since the task needs to be done by a skilled person, and not anyone can do it just as per their whim or fancy. Specially fabricated tools are also required to do the job. But don’t think that if you can get hold of these tools, you’ll be able to do it yourself. Nope, you definitely need a professionally trained person, to make sure that the job is done right.Local dealers as well as insurance companies are also advocating this process of paintless dent repair.There are a few exceptions to this paintless dent repair work. So, what can be worked on, you may ask. Here is a brief list.large to small dents,-
paint that has not been cracked or broken,-
a- panel that has not had any previous repair work done,
a dent that has- located near to the edge of the panel,
mostly the newer models of vehicles,- pretty much any vehicle manufactured from 1990 onwardsSo, it does hold true, that not everything can be taken care of by paintless dent repair procedure, but those dents which can be taken care of, is definitely worth using this process as the results are pretty astounding.
posted in General Information |
24th
May
2008
You must have opened your car door in a space that was tighter than you expected and your hit the car next to you. It was a gentle hit, but your car door now has a small dent in the side. You also noticed on the other side, that someone was careless with a shopping car and you have what looks like a small gash in the middle of your door. This is a fairly new car. You don’t want to spend a lot of money to have it repainted, especially for such a small mistake. What can you do? The easiest way to fix this is with paintless dent repair.
What it is: Paintless dent repair is the system of manipulating the metal of a vehicle when it is dinged or dented, so that the original metal returns to its regular state of being. This can be done without causing damage to the paint job. The process is done using tools that were made specifically by this industry. This dent repair process will anywhere, between 30 and 60 minutes, which is less time than other methods.
Where to find it: Paintless dent repair has traditionally been used by used car dealers or insurance companies to prepare a vehicle for resale. It is an inexpensive option and one that isn’t time consuming. Many body shops and franchises are providing this service as an extra product. There are also a variety of “do it yourself” kits on the market, and websites to tell you what to do.Types of situations that can be fixed: Generally, small to large dings or dents can be fixed. It is easiest if the care is a 1990 or older car. When the dent is easy to get too, it’s easier to repair. Usually hail damage, small dings made by shopping carts or small dents made by the door hitting another vehicle, are good candidates for this type of repair.Positives and negatives of this repair: Generally speaking this is a very fast repair. With paintless dent repair, you won’t be at the shop all day. You won’t have to have your car repainted and the integrity of the car stays in tact, because you don’t have to change the look of the car. The few minor drawbacks are they don’t address the scratches or small chips in the paint that may also be a part of the damage. Some areas like the bumpers may not be able to be fixed by this technique because they are plastic. Check with your shop to see whether they can repair your type of damage.Training: According to many experts, Paintless Dent Repair is becoming a strong business within the automobile industry. People are looking for inexpensive ways to make their vehicles look good after they have had this type of damage. To keep with the demand, many businesses have added training to their list of services. There are a variety of training schools and it will depend on your learning style which one you choose. There are online and email courses if you are someone who learns quickly and doesn’t need hands on instruction. Check the Internet for training.
posted in Auto Repair |
24th
May
2008
Paintless dent repair is a process of removing small dents and dings from an automobile. This method is an efficient method of dent repair which is also inexpensive. In paintless dent repair method, the dents can be repaired for less money and can be performed at the user’s house or automobile repair shops. A skilled technician is required for performing paintless dent repair. Minor dents in the body of a vehicle are scrubbed off with the help of a metal rod or pick. This work is performed from the inner panel of the vehicle. The process is faster and on an average it takes only 10-20 minutes for a repair.The dent can be accessed by several methods in paintless dent repair which depends on the location of the dent. If the dent happened at the door of a vehicle it can be accessed through the window ledge opening by rolling down the window. There is a manufacturing opening in all vehicles at the door jam area and the dent can be accessed through that place for doing paintless dent repair. Another method to repair a dent at the door is to access the dent through the door panel. Yet another option is to drill a hole at the door jam location and after performing the repair close the hole with a silicon plug. Thus depending upon the location of dents occurred at the door area different methods exist in paintless dent repair for accessing the dent. If the location of the dent is at the rear panel any one of the following options can be used to access the dent. One can access the dent through the opening at the rear door jam area or via the manufacture’s opening for paintless dent repair. Accessing via the trunk which may some time require the need the removal of inner time is another option. Back light assembly area is another place where you can access the dents at the rear area. Inner wheel shell can be removed partially and the dent can be accessed through the wheel well. If the dent is seen at the front area of the vehicle it is easy to access the dents. The dents can be accessed for paintless dent repair through the engine area. Another way is through the assemble area of headlights.The possibility of paintless dent repair depends upon the efficiency and skill of the technician. Nearly eighty to ninety percentage of dents found in vehicles can be repaired through paintless dent repair method. Most of the dents which can’t be repaired completely can be improved by minimizing the visual effect of the dent through paintless dent repair. The advantage of paintless dent repair is that original paint remains unchanged which helps to maintain the look of the vehicle and there by increasing the resale market value of the vehicle. The paint works and sanding needed in the traditional dent removing system is completely eliminated via this new system. Dents can be repaired quickly with this method. Paintless dent repair system can’t be done to dents occurring in parts which are not accessible. Dents occurring to plastic bumper can’t be fixed by paintless dent repair method since plastic materials can’t be fixed with this technique.
posted in Auto Repair |
24th
May
2008
Are you tired of the rising gas costs affecting everyday life financially? By now, I think we all are, and in the last year or two people have been looking into alternatives like the hydrogen generator car system. Unfortunately, the actual use of water-fueled cars are still years away, but in the meantime there are different avenues for you to take to save substantial amounts of money. This is where the hydrogen generator kit for car fuel comes in and all the benefits, in a time of economic indifferences.What Exactly Are The Benefits?Understanding what a hydrogen generator car system means you have to realize the savings these create financially. There have been documented testimonials of families saving as much as fifty percent in gas costs on a yearly basis. Others have also come forward expressing a more denominational savings of close to $1,000 a year.Using the hydrogen generator kit for car system also has other benefits which revolve around the car. It all starts with the mileage people get from having a vehicle working on half fuel and half gas. Those of you who have daily commutes back and forth would benefit more from sitting in rush hour traffic then those who wouldn’t use a hydrogen generator car system.Most of all it allows your car to run without so much effort and keeps the wear and tear down more than normal thanks to the hydrogen generator kit for car system. This occurs more in the engine area then anywhere else because as a whole the car is running smoother. Add the fact that it is better for the environment for a car to run this way, especially during a time where global warming has never been bigger is monumental in itself.Understanding How Its Possible and If Your Car Is CompatibleThe first question we hear all the time is how its possible to do this without hurting your engine. The answer is that the hydrogen generator car system is built to extract brown gas from water. Once it is burned it creates energy without getting too technical, but it allows the vehicle to basically run on water passing through the system.No matter what vehicle you have or how old or new it is, the hydrogen generator kit for car system works for them all. Its something that is easy to assemble and place on your vehicle, however if you ever want to take it back off it takes only a minute or two. One thing to understand about the hydrogen generator car system is that it will clean your engine on the inside which is only more of a benefit to keep it on.Also using water allows for the engine to stay cooler when its running, which is essential for the longevity of the vehicle. There are many other things the hydrogen generator kit car system can do like widening the torque range allowing the vehicle to accelerate at a faster speed. All the things this item is able to do it starts with the ability to extract the brown gas.Final Product OverviewThe hydrogen generator car system is something society needs during a time where something as simple as gasoline is affecting our everyday lives. Some people are having to cut out different financial areas just to be able to drive back and forth to work throughout the week and its truly unfortunate. However, with the newest innovation to combat both global warming and rising gas costs, its something everyone should really look into getting for their families in the near future.
posted in General Information |
23rd
May
2008
You did everything you were supposed to do. You put your best deal on the table and they accepted it. Now you move to the Finance Office. You think you are done negotiating and all you need to do is sign the paperwork and drive home. Not so Fast. The Finance office is the biggest profit center in the car dealership. That nice person behind the computer is a slick salesperson. It is his job to review the deal and see where he can squeeze more profit out of you.Do not be in a hurry to sign and get out or you will be very sorry. A good finance salesperson will nail you for $3,000 - $4,000 more dollars and hide it in your contract if you do not keep your guard up. First of all, learn to say NO to anything they try to upsell you on. You must read the contract very carefully to make sure the numbers are exactly what you agreed upon. There are many little scams that occur in the finance office but the one I hear from readers the most is the Subject to financing scam.Once you sign you are stuck. Too many people in their haste to get home, sign the contracts without reading them thoroughly. They get home and start looking through the paperwork and find items they didn’t want or loan rates that are higher, the length of the loan has been extended etc. Once you sign the contracts you are stuck. You already signed a form that stated that you read and understood all the items in the contract. No court is going to hear your case. Take your time and read everything. If you are not good at reading contracts bring someone with you that can. Never take the Finance salespersons word for anything!The Subject to Financing clause scam. This is a very common tactic finance salespeople use. If you see this on the contract do not sign and above all, do not drive the car home. Another common term is Subject To Loan Approval. What usually happens here is several days after you drive home with your car, you receive a phone call from the salesperson that your loan fell through and you need to come back in and resign through another lender for more money. They may say we have great news, we got you a lower payment, and all they have done is increased the length of your loan. They do this more often with bad credit or sub prime buyers who are usually more cooperative. This occurs quite often on weekends when the lenders are closed. Just tell the finance salesperson you will come back Monday after we have a confirmed approval.If they don’t have your loan approved, stand up and tell him that you will come back and sign when you have an approved loan with a payment book. Never sign a contract without knowing your lender, interest rate, length of loan and monthly payment. Once you sign and drive home with your new car you are at their mercy and you will end up paying more.
posted in General Information |
23rd
May
2008
By now you’ve probably heard about HHO gas and everything it has to offer. In a time when fuel is dictating the way many people live, a company has come out with an HHO generator system to allow us a way to save large sums of money by using water in place of gas. 100% usage is still years away, but a mixture of the two has become a national phenomenon.1. What Is HHO Gas?If this is all new to you, Hybrid Hydrogen Oxygen (HHO) derives from the days of Yull Brown and his water torches. It was a way for “Brown’s Gas” to be talked about amongst scientists from all over the world. Mixing hydrogen and oxygen eventually allowed for everyday people to utilize fuel enhancement systems in our vehicles, but it wasn’t until now it has become so popular.Since the cost of gas has skyrocketed, it is up to us to figure out how to save money on our own. Even though fuel costs more, it’s not like we’re all getting raises around our workplaces. So in order to combat the financial issues, environmental challenges, and the stress your vehicles are going through, “Run Your Car With Water” came up with a solution.2. What You Need To Know About HHO GasThe biggest question to ask is if you would love to recoup all that money you are shelling out every month for gas. We aren’t talking 100% refund, no we’re talking about the way for HHO Gas to be generated and sent through the carburetor or intake manifolds for many different benefits. Miles per gallon is the first thing that comes to mind as many people explain how they increase their mileage by as much as 50%-75%.A cooler running engine is extremely beneficial in lowering the wear and tear of your vehicle. HHO generator systems also help with making your engine cleaner thanks to the steam that is produced. This alleviates much of the carbon deposit buildup you usually find in an engine, which ends up creating problems down the road.Final Product ReviewWe could list several other benefits to HHO gas and the HHO generator system, but we’ll leave the rest up to you. Even though this article is information, there are videos you can watch that explains just what and how these work. Above everything, though, you finally learn that we can combat rising costs of gas, global warming, and car depreciation one person at a time through using one of these systems.
posted in Future Fuels |
23rd
May
2008
According to The Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre (Thatcham) around 250,000
UK motorists received whiplash injuries every year and in around 25,000 cases the whiplash injury leads to some kind of permanent disability. However, the figure may actually be much higher with many whiplash injuries going unreported becomes of the low velocity of the accident.It’s a common misconception that whiplash injuries can only occur when vehicles are traveling at speed. As a result there are many accident victims suffering in silence from whiplash injuries caused at speeds of less than 10 mph.Known as a Low Velocity Collision, accidents below 10 mph may have shown little or no damage to your vehicle due to the robust design specifications of modern car manufacturers. However, while there is no damage to the car, you could have sustained an injury that could, if left untreated, lead to long-term debilitating consequences.There is a great deal of evidence to support the low velocity claim. A study by Jean-Sebastien Blouin of the
School Of
Human Kinetics at the
University of
Columbia has shown that the natural human “startle” response can cause sudden contraction of the neck muscles when you are startled during a car accident. Blouin staged car accidents at very low speed (4mph) and found that the incidence of injury was far higher in those with a more pronounced startle response.Low velocity whiplash injury has a more pronounced affect on vulnerable people. The Brault Study of 1998 found that whiplash injury could occur in a minority of cases at speeds as low as 2.5mph. In this case most symptoms had disappeared within 48 hours and had no long-term affects. However, there a number of factors that increase the likelihood of injury at low speed: women, the elderly, and those with a history of neck and back problems are all at greater risk and if your head is turned at the moment of impact this can also mean a greater risk of whiplash.If you sustain any kind of injury in a car accident, regardless of the speed you were traveling or whether there has been any vehicle damage, you are advised to seek medical attention as soon as possible. Sometimes whiplash symptoms may not appear until after the accident; again due to the low impact speed many people are inclined to right off their symptoms as a pain in the neck and avoid seeking medical attention. Not only could this lead to long-term problems but it may reduce the effectiveness of any claim which you may wish to put forward at a later date.Whiplash, even at low speeds, can have long-term affects on your ability to work and on your lifestyle; if the accident was not your fault you may be able to receive compensation for any treatment you need to have and any reduction in your normal lifestyle such as loss of earnings. A reputable claims company such as 1stClaims, can advise you on your position and help you to achieve a fair settlement commensurate with your injuries. Our expert whiplash solicitors will also ensure that you receive treatment if necessary.
posted in Driving Tips |
23rd
May
2008
During some point in time, vehicles will be able to run using 100% water. When that might be is anyone’s guess, but the hydrogen car plans have been in the works for quite some time. There are still issues, especially with the machine generators and other aspects like only having twenty-five refilling areas in the
United States. So while companies and scientists try to figure all this out, there is an alternative with hydrogen generator plans.1. What Are You Spending Now?Its pretty safe to say that 99% of the
United States population is spending more on gas then ever before. Realizing this, people have come forward expressing their concerns about it hurting the economy and how far away the hydrogen car plans are to becoming a reality. We are still years away, but in the meantime people are paying in between $3-$4 for one gallon of gas. Meaning to fill up for the week is getting extremely costly and hurting other areas of our lives. Even though hydrogen generator plans will save us tons of money down the road, many of us want to know what we can do now to keep costs down.2. Bringing The Future Back To The PresentYou will be excited to know that while the world is trying to come up with the best hydrogen car plans, there is a system that can help us now. Its called “Run Your Car With Water” and we came across it looking for ways to save money on gas a long while ago. Its a small system you can put in your vehicle under the hood where brown gas can be used as energy when it is burned after being extracted from the water. This allows your car to run smoother, be cleaner for the environment, save you money on gas, and ultimately allow your vehicle to last longer.The Final OverviewThese are only a few tastes of what this system can do for everyone, but its enough to make us all look forward to the day when the hydrogen car plans are turned into actual cars. However, the future isn’t going to help us now unless we figure out ways to save money with the economic challenges in recent years. “Run Your Car With Water” can do this along with many other benefits as well, leaving the hydrogen generator plans as one of the most popular inventions of our time. All it takes is a short amount of time where watching videos will make it easier to understand.
posted in Future Fuels |