Everybody who drives a car knows that turning the engine and not getting it to run is enough to ruin your day. Hold your horses for there are a few things you can check assuming you know your way around the engine (even if you don’t, “You can do it!”) and know the basic parts. First thing you do, is there electrical power in the car, a quick flip of the interior lights would indicate that there is indeed power coming from the battery. If no lights come on, pop the hood and wiggle the battery terminals for they might simply be loose. Next, is that power enough to kick the starter and thus start the engine? Turn on the headlights and see if they are as bright as they should be (give a couple of bursts with the horn to add load to the battery). If they are dim, then you have a dead battery that is easy as a phone call to the nearest batter center for a quick change. A quick boost from the battery of another car may do the trick but be sure you know how to do it for if not, you risk damaging both your car’s electrical components. Quick Tip: To save you all the trouble – If you don’t have a clue what I’ve just said, call for a mechanic!
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There are a few reasons why the brake warning remains lit. It can simply be a minor problem, and sometimes the underlying reason can be a big braking system trouble. Firstly, if the light is turned on even when you’re already starting to move, you may have forgotten to release the hand break lever. The emergency parking brake is there to remind you that the system is engaged. But if you have released the lever and the brake warning light remains lit, there must be something wrong worst than just forgetting the lever. It may mean that you have a critical amount of brake fluid left in the master cylinder and that you should refill it with brake fluid immediately. IF it still persists, there might be a leak within your braking system, professional help from a technician is needed.
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In the new ages of high fuel process and environmental awareness, the days of conspicuous consumption are over. There are ten tips for efficient Driving:
- Accelerate gently: start of smoothly rather than accelerate suddenly that use up a lot of fuel.
- Plan your route: by p-planning you itinerary you cut down excess mileage.
- Get going: Modern vehicles don’t need to be “warmed upâ€.
- Maintain proper tire pressure: Do a weekly tire checkup to minimize rolling resistance if tire is under-inflated.
- Travel light: Unnecessary onboard weight can decrease in fuel efficiency. Cut down on excess baggage!
- Keep a constant speed: Always drive in the highest gear possible to get the lowest engine speed.
- Maintain speed for fuel-efficient driving.
- Maximize engine break: Releasing the accelerator stops the fuel supply leading to increase in fuel efficiency.
- Use your air conditioner efficiently: set the temperature to a level that’s comfortable and efficient for air conditioner relies on the engine for power.
- Kill the engine: Ten minutes of engine idling wastes 130cc of fuel.
- Respect parking regulations: illegally parked vehicles cause traffic that slows down average speed that decreases fuel efficiency.
By Melvin | September 30, 2008
The first thing that comes into mind when you hear “American Cars†are those engine roaring, gas gulping American muscle cars. Cars made legend by the Mustang, Camaro, and the Corvette just to name a few. They rely on their “Big Block†engines to generate tremendous amounts of horsepower. But in recent times the makers of these cars are gearing to a more conservative stance. Fuel economy is their main concern. With the soaring price of gas they have followed the path of imported cars, namely Japanese cars. Even though this is the case you can be rest assured that American cars will still posses the power that these cars have been known how to have.
One example is the 2009 Ford Focus, a 2.0L-4 cylinder compact car that produces 140 hp in sedans and 143 hp in coupes. It has an EPA rating of 28 mpg combined. It comes as a 2-door coupe and 4-door sedan. Both body styles offer a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission.
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No matter how expensive or gorgeous a car is it needs undergoing maintenance and renovation from time to time. But, not every car service and repair company is set with enough trained manpower and machinery to deal with the high end cars like Jaguar and Audi. A car owner who has a luxurious car needs to choose a car Service company that will take care of his car with extreme care and professionalism.
Audi is an excellent carmaker that is known for its avant-garde and feature loaded cars. The Audi owners should take their cars to a repairing company that has staffs trained by Audi itself. The cars from the firm of Audi come with high end and complex diagnostic systems installed. A mechanic dealing with the Audi cars should have enough expertise in these systems.
Another very costly car is Jaguar that has a niche buyer segment. This car stands for the perfect blend of craftsmanship and engineering. They are built to stand the test of time, and expert maintenance can lengthen their life. If a person is looking for an ideal car repair and maintenance company for taking care of his luxury car, he must choose a Service company that has the certification and infrastructure to cater to the luxury cars.
Most carmakers today display hybrid models, where conventional engines are coupled with electric batteries that are always getting smaller and lighter, thus increasing the possible range travelled by electric cars.Some shows feature biofuel powered diesel, some show all-electric powered commuter cars, some hybrids, some feature a $100,000 electric roadster. It’s all over the place just like it was over 100 years ago when Henry Ford’s assembly line annihilated all his hand built competition and created the automobile age that is just now ending.
It’s quite common to read an article about how good this car is, how fast that one goes. How about we talk about something else for a change?
Let’s talk about the worst cars ever made and why they were even reproduced in the first place. (Don’t get too offended if the cars mentioned could be your dream car. At least now you’d know what other people think about it.)
Enter the ZASTAVA KORAL “YUGO†(Yugoslavian)
First on the list, the YUGO. Known for its lack of speed and power, this car has been highly and widely criticized. And for that, the car even holds the title, WORST CAR OF THE MILLENIUM (Car Talk).
Its tagline was this: “Everybody needs a Yugo sometimes.†It was marketed as the car that everyone should have, just in case. To be that second choice, if the family’s main car can’t be used. Honestly, it shouldn’t even be a second choice, nor a third, or a fourth, for that matter.
The car was so horrible, many people believe that it was made to be criticized. Out of the hundreds of bad feedback on this car, the only few compliments can be counted by the fingers of your hand.
The new Mini looks very much the same with the old Mini but it’s better and faster. It is exactly how the engineers at BMW, Mini’s parent company, planned it. The new version is bigger in every way, but the proportions and deep-fried retro styling cues haven’t changed to preserve the good things about the Mini.
The new Mini is definitely larger then the old one with its exterior length goes up by nearly three inches. The use of aluminum for the engine construction and the rear suspension gives the ‘07 Mini Cooper a weight similar to the ‘06 model. Its driving power comes from a 1.6-liter, aluminum-block four-cylinder that generates a 172-horsepower with direct injection and a the newly designed twin-scroll turbocharger that gives 11.6 pounds of max boost.
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Honda is known in this country with small cars, cheap to buy, cheap to run, and seemingly allergic to repair shops. It has responded to the demands of car users to build smaller vehicles that consumes less fuel. With the high prices of gasoline, the new Honda Fit Base, small in size, inexpensive and easy on fuel consumption that provides big savings on fuel.
When performance and fuel efficient is your first priority, then Fit is the car for you. It has excellent division of space between the front seats and the back seats plus the cargo area, great fuel economy and is equipped with standard safety features for great riding comfort.
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Cruising through the wind at 8400 rpm with the brand-new BMW M3 Convertible with the seven-speed M DCT double-clutch transmission is probably all the intensity most of us will ever experience.
The new $2700 M DCT transmission has seven gears, you get a stubby “gearlever” as a giant switch with R and N on one plane, N in the middle, and +/- signs to the right. Like any other competition-car practice, it’s forward for down, back for up. There are also steering-wheel paddles with nice firm metal jobs attached for navigation with – on the left and + on the right.
A Drivelogic button controls the degree of aggression of the shifts which runs from 1 to 5, plus a position 6 for launch control that would you get an enhanced feeling of speed. Thus, with this design, you get plenty of choice as to how the thing operates and maximize your intensity.
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