CarMax, Inc., one of the United States’ largest sellers of used vehicles, is keen on sharing tips on how to keep your vehicles running well. One of the most recent set of tips that they have shared is how to replace your car’s battery.

Do’s

• Wear proper eye, hand and clothing protection when around batteries.
• Check the terminals where cables connect to be sure they are tight and corrosion free. If corrosion is present, have terminals cleaned by professionals.
• Lubricate terminals with a dab of petroleum jelly to keep cables clean and free from corrosion longer.
• Make sure the battery is firmly secured to its mounting bracket. An unsecured battery can become damaged and cause short circuits.
• Check the fluid level unless it’a maintenance-free battery. If the fluid is low, add distilled water. If there is no fluid visible, then replace the battery.
• Keep your battery case clean. Dirt conducts electricity which can discharge the battery. Use a solution of baking soda dissolved in warm water to clean. Wet the case and agitate with a nylon bristle brush to scrub surface. Rinse well with plain water.
• Batteries come in many different sizes. When replacing a car battery, make sure you choose the right size for your vehicle. When it comes to car batteries, bigger is not always better.
• Always disconnect the negative cable first and reconnect it last. Charge battery in a well-ventilated area.

[Via The Auto Channel]

During the 78th Geneva International Auto Show, Japan’s Hitachi, Ltd. announced that it has had an agreement with the General Motors Corporation that the former would supply lithium-ion batteries which would be used by the automaker in its hybrid-electric vehicles. GM also disclosed that it would be manufacturing over 100,000 HEVs each year and these vehicles would be available in the North American auto market by 2010.

GM’s order for a supply of lithium-ion batteries reflect the car maker’s trust in the products that Hitachi manufactures. In the history of Hitachi, the company has created lithium-ion batteries and other technology using the mentioned batteries. These products have been known for their performance, safety, and durability. Despite having such a high reputation, these Hitachi products also come with an affordable tag price.

Since 2000, the automotive market has received over 200,000 units of lithium-ion batteries and technologies and has benefited greatly from these Hitachi products.

For the first time, a tire supplier receives the Outstanding Achievement Award. The award was given to the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and it was Penske Truck Leasing who gave away the award.

Goodyear was chosen by Penske as the deserving winner for the Outstanding Achievement Award because of the high quality tires that it has been supplying Penske. The tire company had been supplying Penske with truck tires of all types - from replacement tires to retread tires to everything else in between. Goodyear has also been providing tire services to Penske.

Aside from the Outstanding Achievement Award, Goodyear also received from Penske the Tire Supplier of the Year award. This is the 8th time in a row that Goodyear received such an accolade. Steve McClellan, the vice president of Goodyear’s commercial tire systems, have shared that the company looks at the recognition with much significance for it is a reflection of the kind of products and services and they offer.

Among the many control components installed in every vehicle is the window regulator. The window regulator takes charge of the window glasses. This allows both the vehicle driver and the passengers to raise or lower the windows whenever they need to or feel to. Normally, the window regulator is most accessible to the nearest person closest to the particular window. And with the new cars of today, the window winding mechanisms allow th e driver to have full control over all the windows of the vehicle.

There are two basic types of window regulators: the manual window regulator and the electric window regulator. A typical manual window regulator set up raises or lowers the window using a hand crank. The rotation of the various gears activates the mechanical plate, thus raising or lowering the window glasses. The window bar and the linkage arm function as the support of the window glass.

The electric window regulator, also coined as power or automatic window regulator, basically does the same thing, except that everything is performed automatically in a touch of a button. A small electric motor integrated with the switching components of the vehicle activates the functional gears that raises or lowers the windows.

Power windows are great… when they work. A bad power window motor or window regulator takes the fun out of driving. Motorists and passengers alike give utmost concern to comfort and convenience. Unfortunately, car window regulators sometimes give up the ghost, and you’re stuck with a car window that won’t open or close. Car window regulators and window motors can freeze up or get clogged and render your power windows useless. Worse, power window motors and window regulators are quite expensive to repair or replace.

Make sure you take good care of your ride . Proper maintenance pays off some good bucks.

The idea behind an engine is to burn gasoline to create pressure and turn the pressure into motion. A small amount of gasoline is needed during each combustion cycle in the car’s internal combustion engine. With fuel injection, the fuel is delivered as a liquid, compared to a carburetor that emulsifies the fuel (pre-mixed the fuel with air) before introducing it into the engine’s main air intake. With the electronic fuel injection system, making sure that your gas flow is not blocked is vital to getting the most mileage. For optimal use of your gasoline, you must get rid of the fuel injector deposits getting into the fuel system. Today’s modern engines are more susceptible to deposit build-up than ever before. As few as 1,500 miles, studies have shown that deposits can decrease your fuel efficiency.

A fuel injector acts as the fuel-dispensing nozzle. It is designed to accurately meter fuel into the engine in a fine spray. Along with a pump, the electronically-controlled injector injects liquid fuel directly into the engine’s air stream. When the injector is energized, an electromagnet moves a plunger that opens the valve, allowing the pressurized fuel to squirt out through a tiny nozzle. The nozzle is designed to make the finest mist possible so that the fuel can burn easily. The amount of fuel supplied to the engine is determined by the amount of time the fuel injector stays open.

Fuel injector deposits can reduce fuel flow and alter the spray pattern of gasoline to the engine. This results to loss of power, reduced fuel economy, and increased exhaust emissions. Therefore, proper maintenance should be taken into great consideration in order to clean-up the deposits that accumulate in the fuel injector. A number of gasoline additive products are formulated with different amounts of specially-designed detergents that help clean the fuel injection system. There are also a number of fuel injector cleaners available in the market that help protect engine parts from the accumulation of the harmful deposits and help keep the engine running at optimum performance. Moreover, these fuel injector detergent products unclog dirt from the fuel injectors and restore the lost power and acceleration by softening and dissolving the existing deposits – sweeping them away into the combustion chamber and harmlessly burning them with the gasoline.

The fuel filter removes contaminants including rust and corrosion from the fuel before it enters the fuel injectors. And therefore, keeping it on top condition shall definitely extend the optimal life span of your car. In order to keep the whole electric fuel injection system of your ride always at its best, make sure you change your fuel filter once every two years or every 30,000 miles (whichever comes first).

As the consumer demand for safer and better cars increase, a plethora of safety gadgets and gizmos have been introduced. Dozens of safety options are available ranging from airbags, warning systems, navigation systems, and other innovations. Although most of these technologies are definitely helpful and valuable as a “lifesaver” in any vehicle, some are nothing more than expensive gadgets that actually do little to ensure the safety of the vehicle’s passengers. Money Magazine reported on the two sides of auto safety gadgets: those that are more of a distraction than an aid and those that have proved to be really useful in any vehicle.

Most of these safety technologies come standard in new vehicle models while some are offered as pricey safety options packages. The report listed the safety options that are really useful and are worth the cost. The must-haves include side and side-curtain air bags, electronic stability control, winter tires with rear-view monitors, pre-collision systems, and active braking as highly recommended. Meanwhile, adaptive headlamps, lane departure warning systems and night vision are touted as life-saving but are actually nothing but pricey distractions.

Today’s cars are well-equipped to protect drivers and passengers in the event of a frontal collision. However, the risk is far greater in side impact collisions since only a thin door is between the passenger and an oncoming vehicle. Side and side-curtain air bags greatly improve your safety and protect your upper body and head from injury in side impact collisions. Side air bags are now offered as a standard option in recently introduced cars. Unfortunately, in most car models you will still have to pay extra for these air bags.

Electronic Stability control or ESC prevents skids before it happens. It uses motion sensors and software to detect skids and applies the vehicle’s existing anti-lock brakes and adjusts the throttle to restore your control of the vehicle. This is especially useful for SUVs which are difficult to handle in emergencies and have a high tendency to rollover.

Winter tires are very important for driving in the snow. Another safety innovation that is worth considering is the rear-view monitor. This provides you with a view of the area surrounding your car displayed on a monitor on the dashboard. This proves to be useful when backing up to avoid running over anything you might overlook. However, rear-view monitors will set you back by several thousands of dollars.

On the other hand, some expensive safety gadgets put in the cool factor to a vehicle but actually do nothing to improve safety, and instead can cause distraction on the part of the driver. Adaptive headlamps, which pivot in the direction you turn the wheel, do nothing to enhance nighttime view. Meanwhile, lane-departure warning systems are more of a nuisance than a necessity. Nighttime vision systems that display objects beyond the range of headlamps on dash mounted screens can distract drivers from the more important job of watching the road ahead.

All these equipments were invented with the safety and security of the vehicle’s passengers in mind. However, with the prices of these products in the range of thousands of dollars as additional options, you should reconsider and think carefully before deciding to purchase. These may not be worth your investment. However, some do play an important role in protecting your safety while driving. These options are the ones that can really save your life.

Up until now, communication between drivers on the road is limited to impersonal light signals, a few honks perhaps, sometimes hand signals - and the occasional curse. Slowing down or cutting off another driver’s path accidentally may be viewed as hostile behavior by other drivers. The apparent lack of courteous communication between drivers is regarded as one cause of road rage, or the deliberate violent behavior by motorists influenced by heightened emotions such as anger and frustration. Now, a company called AutoPlas Corp is aiming to help reduce road rage dramatically by allowing drivers to communicate with each other through an LED electronic display panel.

Dubbed as the Vehicle Courteous Message Display or VCMD, the LED device displays preprogrammed messages such as “Sorry”, “Thanks”, “Please”, and “Help” through the press of a button whenever the need arises. The VCMD is actually very easy to use. It includes a small remote control, which can be placed in an easily accessible location, and an LED electronic display, which can be mounted near the rearview mirror of any vehicle. Words, phrases, signs and combined messages are stored into the display’s memory and can be displayed with the simple press of a button. The display is viewable up to 50 feet away.

The VCMD can also be used for a wide range of situations. Simple messages, like ‘Thanks’ and ‘Sorry’, can make a lot of difference on the road. Displaying messages such as “Baby on board” will help alert other drivers to exercise caution around the user’s vehicle. The device can also prove useful in case of emergencies - users can display messages such as “Please call 911”. The VCMD comes in two categories: the basic model comes with preprogrammed messages while the advanced model lets the user express his own words and phrases. The advanced model is also programmed not to accept offensive words.

The VCMD was met with positive reactions when it was introduced at the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) two years ago and was awarded as “Outstanding Achievement in New Product Design and Innovation” by Popular Mechanics.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reversed its previous interpretation of federal lighting standards and has virtually cleared the way for vehicle headlamp replacement systems that are not from original equipment manufacturers of lamps and components. The NHTSA had previously asserted that replacement headlamps must meet all appropriate photometry requirements and use the same light source as the original equipment.

This earlier decision would have disallowed the replacement of a halogen-based system with high-intensity (HID) lamps that would otherwise have met all FMVSS 108 standards. NHTSA issued its first interpretation in draft opinion subject to public comment back in 2003 and stuck with it in a final October 2004 letter despite the objections of over 25 organizations and businesses.

The Specialty Equipment Market Association immediately appealed for reconsideration reasoning that the decision will inhibit the ability of aftermarket businesses to improve their vehicle lighting equipments. Finally, in a Nov 1, 2005 notice, NHTSA reversed its previous decision and agreed with the challenge from SEMA that the FVMSS 108 or Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 is a performance standard that allows for replacement variations provided that an overall system will comply with specified photometry and functionality requirements.

Excellent quality replacement headlamps and headlight from Parts Train are available here

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