Car Maintenance

There are very many things that people do for their cars but hardly do they check the drive belt of the car. It is a very important part of the routine check and maintenance. This is because it runs the water pump, alternator, air conditioner, power steering, in addition to the cooling fan. It is normal for a belt to last up to 50,000 miles. It is time to change it if it is frayed, torn, brittle, or worn out. This is to avoid the belt breaking… next thing you your car breaks down and you are at the side of the road.

There are steps to follow when going about the business of the belt of the car. With the engine turned off, you ought to check the belt. You should be able to see the whole length of the belt immediately; if not you might have to bump the ignition switch. This makes it clear to see all the sections. Next you check the entire exterior length of the belt to see if it has any cracks or tears. Next it is advisable use your hands to examine the internal side of the belt. It should be supple and very flexible. If the belt is shiny and hard then that means that the belt is brittle and, unfortunately, old. This means it is time to change the belt… even though you may see no more signs. Since the belt is long, it is advisable to carefully inspect the belt section by section.

The belts have treads across the base to help grasp the pulleys. You should look for cracks, areas where the trend is worn out, and frayed spots. All these are signs of trouble; they are not easy to detect but carefully and closely perform this check. These are indicators that the belt could either fail or slip. Some vehicles have just one belt and some have two belts… ensure you check your model of car.

It is important to check the belt and replace it immediately. This leads to trouble with other parts of your car can malfunction. Regular checks are very vital. You should change it immediately should you suspect damage. It is not wise to rely on oil change repair centers to check the belt. A business or a garage has to be equipped and experienced to detect problems with the belt. Assumptions are not good. Without experienced supervision, an oil repair center may not even have checking your belt as part of their checklist. And if you have the right information and background, you do not always have to get an auto mechanic to tighten, check, and replace the drive belt. It is possible to check all the above by yourself.

There are precautions should you decide to do this yourself. The first is that the engine should be off. This prevents injury of getting your hands caught. The second thing is that you should never work around the electric fan when the engine is not totally cool. In order to be very sure that the fan will not engage, it is better to disconnect it before doing the belt check. Your safety is everything!

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Car Maintenance : How to Clean Your Car Engine

Timing Belt Cost

Every 6 or 12 months drivers are required to renew their car tax either on line, over the telephone or via a Post Office branch. There are some reasons though that you may not need to renew your car tax due to certain special circumstances.

One of the main reasons for there not being a requirement to renew your car tax is if your vehicle is no longer on the road, this means that you will either not be driving the car at all or you will be declaring the car as un-roadworthy and due to be scrapped.

If this is the case then you will need to complete a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) form to declare your car as officially off the road on your tax renewal. When you do this you are then no longer allowed to drive your car and further more you need to keep it off the road in every sense of the word.

You will need to park your car either in a private car park, on a driveway or in your garage in order to avoid getting your car towed and receiving a hefty fine. There are many reasons why you may need to file a SORN such as:

• The vehicle has failed an MOT and isn’t fit to run.

• The vehicle is not in use as it isn’t required (you must either renew your tax or declare it as off the road, you are not permitted to simply let your tax lapse) i.e. if you’ve been banned.

• In advance, should you be leaving the vehicle unused for an extended period of time and the car will be kept off the road i.e. extended holiday abroad.

The timing of making a SORN is important and you should do so as soon as you have taken your car off the road and don’t intend to drive it any more, by not renewing your tax OR making a SORN declaration you run the risk of being clamped, towed and even having your vehicle crushed at your own expense.

There are a few situations where your vehicle may no longer be on the road but don’t need a SORN such as:

• You have sold the vehicle and so the new owner assumes responsibility.

• You have scrapped the vehicle, possibly after an accident/MOT fail.

• Your motor insurer has written the car off.

• You are taking your vehicle abroad permanently (emigrating).

A SORN has to be filed every year like a tax renewal, each SORN lasts for 12 months at the end of which you must inform the DVLA again or purchase a new tax disc. There are cases where you may need to file a SORN because your vehicle has failed an MOT but you are unable to afford the necessary repairs.

You can re-apply for your tax disc at any point during your SORN 12 month period should your car become road-legal again, if your car will likely be off the road for longer than a month then filing a SORN is the best option, if it will only be off the road for a few weeks at the most then you may be better off renewing your tax disc.

It’s important that as soon as the tax renewal letter arrives that you make a judgement as to whether you need to file an SORN or renew your tax disc, making the decision early will help avoid any potential troubles like fines, clamps and your vehicle being seized.

Phil Adams-Wright is an experienced online writer with experience in the following subjects: Car finance, Welcome Car Credit and bad credit car finance.

Change your timing belt EARLY and save BIG BUCKS!

Car Water Pump

Cars that run on water are becoming more popular each day. Why? Because people are frustrated and finding it hard to continue paying through the nose for fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel to keep their vehicles on the road. Instead, they are desperately searching to find alternative and inexpensive natural energy resources such as water to extend their gas mileage and reduce their fuel costs. Furthermore, energy-conscious commuters who drive cars that run on water to reduce their fuel costs are environmentally friendly because they release far less emissions into the atmosphere.

So What Exactly Are Cars That Run On Water All About?

So what exactly is this water car technology all about anyway? HHO, better-known as Brown’s Gas or hydroxy (which is 2 parts hydrogen plus 1 part oxygen) has been widely accepted by discriminating consumers who were fed up with the rising costs of fossil fuels. With a few minor modifications under the hood and a quart of distilled water and household baking soda, many commuters are reportedly enjoying a noticeable increase in fuel efficiency of up to 50%! This means for example if you own a Toyota Corolla that now gets up to 35 miles per gallon, you could quite literally increase your mileage up to 70 mpg after your car has been retrofitted with this device which equates to a huge savings at the pump.

Cars That Run On Water: Is This Technology Difficult To Install?

Will you need to be an experienced mechanic to install the HHO generator in your car? No, but having some rudimentary knowledge of cars is indeed a plus. Nonetheless, installing a HHO generator requires very minimal engine modification on your part and there are conversion kits available which include easy-to-follow installation manuals that will guide you every step of the way. Bottom line is, why spend hundreds of dollars to have someone else do it for you when you can do it all yourself?

Cars That Run On Water: Is This Technology New?

Is this HHO technology something new? Cars that run on water technology are not new. In fact, Burn water technology has been around for well over 90 years now. If you can recall from high school chemistry, you might remember an experiment you had to complete entitled “Electrolysis of Water”. Cars that run on water (or people who have converted their cars to run on water) have embraced the very same basic principles you were taught back in high school chemistry.

In regard to the automobile, water4gas technology uses a little electricity from your car’s battery to convert water into a gas called HHO. The HHO gas then burns and produces a large amount of useful energy as a supplement to the gasoline your car burns which results in harmless water vapor that is expelled back into the environment. The end results are a noticeable increase in your car’s fuel efficiency, less time and money spent at the pump, a cleaner, quieter and smoother running engine and a much cleaner environment.

Cars That Run On Water Are The Solution To Rising Fuel Costs!

The rising costs of gasoline and diesel fuel along with our dependency on it, demand that we seriously consider other viable alternatives to fossil fuel. Cars that run on water (or the people who own them) no longer have to depend entirely upon fossil fuels and are experiencing phenomenal improvements in fuel efficiency and far less trips to the pump respectively.

Can you imagine what would happen if each and every one of us embraced this technology and converted our cars to burn water? This would definitely send a message to the powers-that-be, thus forcing our government to take a serious look at this and other green gas technologies. Or at the very least, force OPEC to reduce the costs for production of gasoline and diesel fuel, thus reducing our costs at the pump.

Car Problems & Maintenance : How to Tell if a Car Water Pump Is Bad

Auto Repair Services

Most of our auto repair shop clients have been in business for well over 10 years. The working assumption is they’re good at their job that they provide quality auto repair service for consumers.

I believe everyone can track the logic: Good work = stay in business.

Why aren’t they as busy as they would like to be?

Maybe a better question would be: Would you change a flat tire with a spatula?

I hope the answer is no. Because changing a tire with a spatula would be insane. It’s the wrong tool for the wrong job. It would be like flipping pancakes with a tire iron or doing spinal surgery with a cantaloupe.

So why, in the name of everything holy, does auto repair advertising constantly resort to coupons? When we interview shops for our program, we always ask what they’re currently doing to bring in new business. Over 90% of the time, they tell us they are using coupons.

But what happens next blows our minds even more… they begin to rant about price shoppers.

Auto Repair Advertising Tip #1: Just Bought A House? Here’s a Free Oil Change.

Do you remember when you were a kid in school? What would you do if somebody offered you a cookie? They’d say, “Here, eat this, it’s good!” What did you do? You looked at the cookie and instantly said, “What’d you do to it? Did you drop it? What’s wrong with it? If I eat this, are those five people behind you going to start laughing at me?”

You just knew there had to be something wrong with that cookie. That’s because free is too good to be true. Welcome to what your customers think of your free oil change/tire rotation coupons. They know you put those out there to hook and drag them in. And they know you’re going to try to up sell them. Even auto repair advertising firms selling these services admit they get the most customer complaints from auto repair shops and their “welcome to the neighborhood” free offers.

Customers expect a bait and switch. To them, handing them a free offer and then trying to sell them other services is just too much like going to a time share meeting to get the free mini TV. The only thought in a person’s head is: “Just get through the presentation, say ‘no’, grab the prize and get the heck out of there!” Beyond the fact that using tactics like this breed mistrust; your shop is now paying for the privilege of losing money with every car that comes through their front door.

Auto Repair Advertising Tip #1: Kill The Coupons.

There are 3 major reasons for the seeming overwhelming prevalence of “Price Shoppers”:

1: True price shoppers account for 25 35% of every market anyway. There is no way to get away from them. If you have a business, you will see price shoppers.

2: The overabundance of options combined with public perception. In most major cities, consumers are able to find at least 23 service shops in line of sight. Combine this with the belief that scams and rip offs lay in wait behind every bay door… They think if they’re going to get ripped off anyway, why not go to the cheapest place?

3: Using coupons and offering discounts as advertising tools. Nothing attracts pure price shoppers than the call of a coupon. Moth. Flame. No other comparison. If you wish to cut down on price shoppers, you need to utilize information marketing rather than sales pitch/discount advertising.

The Perfect Comparison:

Coupon advertising is nothing more than panhandling. Conventional, status quo techniques are the equivalent to standing on a street corner with a cup of pencils and a sign begging those who pass to buy me, buy me, buy me. The problem is not that it does not work some of the time, but rather the sheer volume of exposure and spending needed for a ‘yes’ is freakish.

Ask yourself this: even when this person does come in, is he really a good customer? He isn’t in your shop because somebody said something good about you. He came because you’re cheap.

Auto Repair Advertising – Price Shopper Quick Fix #1: Become An Information Resource

Stop using coupons and sending out free offer mailings. They breed mistrust, further perpetuate the negative industry stereotype, and attract the exact sort of customer you don’t want. Start offering promos and services based around something which makes you stand out over your competition.

Auto Repair Advertising – Free, Powerful Promotion

In most markets, your shop is frequented by a majority of women drivers. In just about 98% of these cases women feel they’re being taken advantage of and/or being completely ripped off.

Why not do something to stop that? Where there’s a problem, there’s a solution. What if you were to offer free sessions where women could come to your shop and you teach them about how to avoid problems before they start? Who do you think would enjoy this? Women. Your customers. Everyone. In order to spread the word, you would have to create a quality press release and make sure every PTA group in your area got a copy.

Offer your time and information 100% free of charge. They don’t even need to bring a car. Teach them how to ask good questions, what to watch for, and answer anything they ask you. Don’t even mention your prices, your services, and/or the fact they’re even in an auto repair facility. Sell nothing. Do this 1x per month and you will find yourself so busy you’ll have to double your staff.

Total Cost: $0. Total Effectiveness: Infinite

Drew Turnbaugh is Americas leading authority on communication based auto repair advertising [http://www.ianauto.com/auto-repair-advertising-optin.html] and founder of The International Automotive Network (IanAuto). IanAuto is responsible for helping facility owners reconnect with consumers while growing their business by becoming local information resources.

Introducing the Government-Backed DMV Automotive Repair Center!

Brakes Service

Mountain bikes are designed to be ridden over rough terrain and over dirt trails. They differ from the average bike in the fact that they tend to have more knobby tires which are used for better traction and for shock absorption. Mountain bikes also have bar ends situated on the handlebars though these days not many riders actually use them.

Generally there are four main types of mountain bikes to choose from which include fully rigid bikes, hard tail, soft tail and full or duel suspension bikes. Hard tail bikes have a frame but no rear suspension, whereas soft tail bikes have a frame with a little rear suspension. Fully rigid bikes have a rigid fork on the frame and no suspension on a fixed rear. Finally full or duel suspension has a front and rear suspension as well as rear linkage and shock which moves the rear wheel on pivots.

Understanding Mountain Bike Disk Brakes

Various components make up the mountain bike and one of the most vital of all are the mountain bike disk brakes. They are mainly found on the newer mountain bikes and they are designed to have much better stopping power than other rim brakes.

You should find that mountain bike disk brakes work really well under adverse conditions. This is due to the fact that they are found in the middle of the wheel. This helps to keep them dry and unexposed to the environmental features. Now whilst there are a number of benefits to mountain bike disk brakes, there are also a few disadvantages too which you should be aware of.

The disadvantages include that they weigh more than ordinary rim brakes and they are also generally more expensive too. They are harder to maintain too, especially the hydraulic disk brakes. Hydraulic disk brakes basically work by pushing the brake fluid through a line or a hose in order to squeeze the pads together.

Generally the brakes are one of the most important parts of the bike and they do need to be kept in full working order at all times. Ideally you should check your bike once a week but you can get away with doing it once a month too. By keeping it regularly maintained you will be able to ensure that you are riding safely and that your brakes will last you for a long time to come. This can prove invaluable when you are travelling over rough terrain and when you are trying to go down steep hills on the bike too.

Did you like the article on mountain bike disk brakes??, Alison Addy is a syndicated writer of http://www.bikecyclingreviews.com . Read additional info on mountain bikes or bicycle brakes

Garage 101 1989 Fox front Brake service

Brakes Repair

You can easily get a free auto repair manual for whichever repair need you might have. You need an internet access and have to follow a certain procedure searching for auto repair manuals, but when you have done this procedure a few times it will be very easy to find the right instructions for do it yourself auto repair and it won’t cost you a dime.

There are four types of automotive description documents that you will need to choose from when you want to do a repair;

• General manuals
• Diagnosis descriptions
• Repair manuals
• Maintenance manuals

General Manuals

In addition to some general manuals, most of these are related to the make. Here you can get step by step guidance on how to repair most of the makes in the vehicle market. Let’s say you have a Honda Acura 2002 model and you want to find a manual for that make and model. What you do is perform the following search in a search engine: “free car manuals+Honda Acura+2002″. Then you will have a long list of sites that provide you with all kinds of descriptions for your Honda Acure 2002 model, and you can choose what you want.

Diagnosis descriptions

Automotive diagnosis manuals can also be sub-divided by make and model. But it can also be divided by the area of the vehicle that is affected, for example engine intake problems, brake problems, cooling problems, exhaust problems, start or stall problems, transmission problems etc. Let’s say you have a start problem. Your search would be “car diagnosis manual+ start problem”, then you should get more than enough repair information to choose from. You can even get diagnostic trees where all options are covered for nothing.

You have probably more than one time heard some annoying noise from somewhere in your vehicle, without finding the source of it. This is one of the most kinky situations to run into because you don’t know if it is a serious signal or just a small thing. Some websites gives you the opportunity to diagnose vehicle problems by the noise, sound and vibrating signals – and that is great. The sooner you find it the sooner you can fix it and then you can relax. When you search, you can describe the sound, for example “whine noise” or “shifter knocks” or “driveline vibration” plus car diagnosis manual plus eventually the make.

Repair Manuals

In addition to regular manuals you can also get very instructive and detailed descriptions in other internet document or websites like articles, etc. The natural way to sub-divide such repairs before searching, is by the area of the vehicle that is going to be repaired, for instance body repair, exhaust repair, suspension fix, interior repair and even general car repair.

You do the search the same way as above; “car repair manual (or description) + the area of repair and go through the list of resources you get.

Maintenance manuals

Though vehicle maintenance is closely related to your vehicle make and model, there are some maintenance issues that are pretty much common whether you have a Cadillac, VW or a Mercedes, for example changing oil, changing air filters, engine wash, fluid maintenance, tier maintenance etc. You can get access to maintenance descriptions by searching for the kind of maintenance plus “car maintenance manual (or description)” plus eventually your make and model.

I think you’ll be amazed of the amount of automotive repair free stuff online.

Terje Brooks Ellingsen is a writer and internet publisher. Terje gives advice and helps people with automotive issues like auto repair and online car auctions.

redneck brake repair on the moldsmobile

Synthetic Oil Change

In 1923, one of the most helpful car parts was invented. This was the oil filter which was invented by Ernest Sweetland. Its name that time was Purolator which came from combining Pure Oil Later. This is the origin of the very oil filter that your Mercedes Benz car is using right now.

Before 1923, cars had to have oil changes so frequently that it became very expensive and inconvenient. They did this to prevent engine damage due to the oil contaminants. During these days, oil filters were mostly made of wire meshes or screens which were used in the oil pump intake. Although incorporated into the lubricating system after the oil pump and before the oil flowed into pressure lubricated bearings of the engine, these oil filters were still not that effective.

The main purpose of the Mercedes Benz oil filter is to “filter” as many particles and contaminants as it could from the oil to protect the engine from being damaged. Since every moving part of your engine needs lubrication, it is therefore a given that this requires clean oil for proper lubrication and lasting life. The Mercedes Benz oil filter does this and therefore prevents abrasive contaminants in the engine lubrication system from causing engine damage.

There are basically two-types of oil filters. These are the primary filter or the full-flow filter and the secondary filter or by-pass filter. Most engines used primary filters because in a normal operation, a hundred percent of the engine oil passes through them. However, the full-flow filer allows passage of smaller particles since it must work without the introduction of a lot of restrictions to prevent oil from flowing into the engine during cold start-ups. The secondary filter acts separately form the primary filter. Only ten percent of the engine oil passes through it.

The anti drain-back is considered as the most important to look for when it comes to oil filters nowadays. Its function is to prevent the oil from draining out of the filter inlet holes when the engine is shut off. This is also especially beneficial when the oil filter is mounted in a horizontal or inverted position since it also provides a seal between the clean and the dirty oil at the upper end cap.

The filter media are the materials used in screening the particles. They essentially determine the efficiency, performance and useful life of the oil filter. Nowadays, the most wide-used filter media are made of synthetic materials like fiber glass and metal fabrics. Old oil filters used wool, cotton and various fabrics like line. Others also used cellulose and paper.

The ideal Mercedes Benz oil filter must be very efficient in filtration by having a large dirt- holding capacity and a low initial restriction to oil flow.

It is highly recommended that you change your Mercedes Benz oil filter every 30, 000 miles to prevent particle build-up that could clog-up your engine. If not immediately prevented, this could cause further engine damage which can cost you five times the worth of an oil filter replacement.

Dwyane Thomas is a part time cook and full-time auto-enthusiast. This 31-year old Civil and Environmental graduate is a consultant at one of the engineering firms in Pennsylvania.

Amsoil Synthetic Oil Change, Extended Drain Intervals

Air Filter Change

The fact is the automotive air filter is one of the most important parts of an engine, but is also one of the most taken for granted also. Air filters actually act like an engine’s lungs, filtering the dust and dirt from the air to keep it from affecting the performance of the engine. Imagine an athlete having an asthma attack because of too much pollution. He won’t be able to perform very well. Likewise, if your auto filter has clogged up, your engine won’t be able to function well. As a matter of fact, a clogged up air-filter can cause more emissions and can make your car sluggish. That’s why it’s important to find out more about this part of your engine to keep it and your vehicle always running smoothly.
What is the connection of an automotive air filter and the engine’s fuel economy?

The connection is actually very simple. The harder your engine works to draw in air through the tubes and the air filter, more gas is wasted. It means that the more clogged your air-filter is, the more gas you waste.

How much horsepower can I expect to increase from my use of the replacement automotive air filter?

The horsepower increase may range from 1 to 4, depending on the type of vehicle you have, your air system restriction, and much more other factors.

How often do I need to clean the automotive filter?

The only time you need to clean your air filter is when you notice that there’s a decline in your engine performance. When this happens, it just means that your air filter is already too clogged up with dirt and dust and needs to be cleaned.

Do air filters come pre-oiled or must I be the one to oil them before I can use them?

Most automotive filters like Green Automotive are already pre-oiled and ready to use. However, there are also those which don’t come pre-oiled but with a separate kit for oiling. In any case, you will know when you purchase the air filter of your choice because there’s always a label for everything and the instructions are always easy to follow.

For more information, check other Green Air-Filter Reviews.

Erika Ayala writes part-time for Aquarium Coupons.

How to Change Your Air Filter