Extend The Life Of Your New Or Used Car

You don't think much about your car do you? Your car sits outside 24/7, 365 days a year in all extremes of weather. You routinely drive it at speeds that exceed 70 mph. You stop, start, stop, start through city traffic. You sit idling in traffic jams day after day. Yet, you expect your car to start every time you get into it and turn the key. 

The best thing that you can do to extend the life of your car, and to potentially save yourself a bundle of money, is to have your car serviced on a routine basis. All car manufacturers have a schedule of recommended services for each vehicle they sell. Follow this schedule. The best place to have work done on a new vehicle that is still under warranty is the dealership. 

It's a bit different when you have an older, out of warranty car. At this point you can make a decision to continue to use the dealer for service, or find yourself a local mechanic. 

The first rule of thumb is to have the oil in your car changed every 3,000 miles. This is the simplest and most important part of routine maintenance for your car. At that time, whether you go to a "speedy" oil change business or to your mechanic, the technician will take a look at the overall condition of your engine. They'll check belts and hoses and fluid levels of your transmission and brakes. They'll check your air cleaner and the condition of your tires. Some of these drive through services also offer add on's such as engine cleaning and radiator flushes. If they think they see something that could become potentially serious they will tell you about it and suggest you take your car to a mechanic. 

Cars have really changed over the years and most technicians use computers to diagnose problems. You'll need to be able to describe the problem to the mechanic. They'll need to know things such as when you first noticed the problem and exactly under what condition it happens. Does it happen when the car is cold, or after it warms up? Does it happen when you're at an idle or when your accelerating? If you don't use the same mechanic have a copy of your car's service record with you so that the new mechanic can see what maintenance been done in the past. It's best to find a mechanic you're comfortable with and stay with him. Knowing your car's history can go a long way towards helping him diagnose and fix a problem. 

Learn to listen to your car. If you hear an unusual noise, notice a change in it's performance or handling take it to your mechanic. 

About the author:

This article courtesy of http://www.bmw-owners-guide.com

Famed OEM and Custom Motorcycle Fenders

Motorcycles evolve with time. Moreover, motorcycle parts also go with the flow of evolution. 

In addition, even fenders cope up with these moving changes. Buying Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) fenders is like buying the exact original fenders the manufacturer used to build. OEM fenders are simple, workable and widely available. Custom or aftermarket motorcycle fenders are becoming more and more popular. In fact there are a lot of motorcycle fenders manufacturers that specialize in this field some of them are Daytec and Jessie James. 

Daytec makes steel rear aftermarket fenders which are primered and undrilled. They are called Heritage or Bobbed. They are made available to fit 8-1/2 to 9 inch custom applications.

Jesse James, on the other hand, is also making nice custom fenders. These motorcycle fenders are made of rolled steel with welded radius contours wire loom and reinforced lower edges. These fenders necessitate custom drilling and mounting in order to accommodate the rider’s specifications. Any rider can incorporate these fenders to a new bike or the bike he is already riding. After incorporating and just before painting, pre-finishing is resorted to. Finally, these steel fenders are shipped to their destinations. 

The Steeler, which is made for custom narrow glides with 18 inch or 19 inch and 16 inch wheels, is the newest selection of Jesse James. It is made for both the front and the rear wheels. Aside from Steeler, Jesse James also have classic, tombstone, roller fenders, outlaw fenders, gunslingers. 

Classic fenders fit a custom for 6-3/4, 18, 19 or 16 inch front or a 7- ¼ to 9 inch rear. Tombstone, on the other hand, is for custom narrow glide fronts from 18, 19 or 16 inch wheels or rear custom 7-1/4 to 9 inch. With regards to roller fenders, they are made for custom narrow glides with front 18, 16 or 19 inch wheels or rear custom 7 ¼ to 9 inch wheels. Outlaw fenders are for front custom narrow glide 18, 19 or 21 inch wheels. Finally, Jesse James Gunslingers fenders are for fronts with 16 to 19 inch wheels or rears with 7 to 9 inch wheels. 

Nowadays, motorcycle fenders are made wider and more rigid. Thus, riders are already having a wider leeway for their ideal style and quality. Broader imaginations and wider applications result to exquisite looking motorcycle. Envision your bike and ride on it in reality…With today’s innovations, it’s easy to turn your dream bike into reality… 

About the author:

Visit http://www.motorcyclepartsbin.comfor comments and inquiries regarding this article. 

Employee Pricing from Auto Manufactures; Scam or a Sweet Deal?

With all the employee pricing being hyped and advertised  on the media I thoughtI would write a short article on the 
subject. I have also gotten a lot of questions in emails about the subject. 

Here’s the deal: Employee pricing is the lowest price you will ever be able to purchase a vehicle for period. 

Employee pricing is usually several hundred dollars below invoice. 

So how is the auto dealer making any money selling at employee pricing? 

It’s simple… They are reimbursed from the auto manufacture. For example General Motors gives $1500 to the dealer for every car sold at employee pricing. 

When you combine employee pricing with the rebates your getting the very best deal possible. 

Obviously the dealer is still going to try and up his profit margin in several other ways. 

If you are trying to trade in a vehicle then the dealership is going to try and offer you even less than he normally would. 

Because of employee pricing everyone and their brother is buying a new car right now and the dealerships are stuffed with used car inventory. Therefore unless they can “steal” your trade they are really not that interested in taking in another used car in their inventory. 

If you want to buy a car at employee pricing then this would be the best time to try and sell your trade in vehicle yourself  and save yourself the headache of muddying the water with your employee price purchase. 

Driver Education - Auto Insurance Tips

From the beginning, starting with your first contact with whatever is connected to driving and cars, you must have heard of the utmost important aspect:the car insurance. To a certain extent the driver education must deal with this aspect which is vital for the driver and the car in itself. 

There are many companies specialized in this field but you should know that there are many of them which make certain advantageous offers such as discounts for the good grades As and Bs, yet, for that you need to qualify;you should get in touch with your insurance company for it.Some discounts are given also for the application for some driver programs, these being quite advantageous too. 

In addition, if you can make a choice, replace the new teen driver or family driver on the oldest and least expensive automobile. This can and will save you the rates. Whenever thinking about buying a new or second-hand car, make sure you get in touch with your insurance company to see if the rate will suit you and your finances. It is likely for you, without checking with the insurance company, to think over a car which is too expensive for you or just not suitable. As general piece of information, you should know that sports cars or other high-cost cars are due to have higher rates, thus disabling you to pay in time. It is also important to know what you buy. If you want to buy a car, it is utmost necessary to know what that car can do. These technical aspects can be revealed to you by means of a driver education course or just specialized magazines, provided you already bear the basic information. 

Drive slower, save the planet!

The environment is a hot issue that we just can’t afford to ignore any longer. To some, being environmentally aware is a way of life, a necessary and fundamental aspect of existence. To others being ‘green’ is something to aspire to, a lifestyle that with a bit of guidance could be achievable. 

Young people have been brought up in a culture of ecological revelations, such as the depletion of the ozone layer and melting polar ice caps. We all know that these things are still happening yet we’ve still got a long way to go before the impacts of modern society on our planet are decelerated. Our parents weren’t particularly clued up about the effect that peoples’ actions have on their environment and recycling was certainly never an option in many houses in the 80s and 90s. However, these days we do have the resources and the knowledge to make little changes that can improve the planet for the better. If we can slow down on the road then we might be able to slow down climate change. 

High levels of Co2 emissions are one of the biggest influencers of climate change and environmental damage. Exhaust emissions contain a myriad of chemicals which clog up the atmosphere and cause long term damage to our surroundings. Aviation contributes to a large proportion of the damage. Each jet requires hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel to get to its destination. Short of getting to your holiday resort by rail, a bit tricky if you’re off to the Maldives, there is little that you or I can do about aviation emissions. However, drivers can make a massive difference to the environment by taking a few steps to reduce their emissions and help reduce harmful pollution. 

You can reduce the amount of fuel you use by up to 25% by changing some of your habits. Driving is expensive, with the cost of car insurance, road tax and fuel to consider. It’s not difficult to alter your lifestyle; we owe it to our future offspring and more importantly right now, we owe it to our pockets! Whilst we may not live long enough to see the benefit to the environment we can feel the immediate benefit to our pockets. 

By being slightly more conscientious drivers we can all make a huge difference. Follow these tips from www.hootcarinsurance.co.uk and you’ll soon help protect the planet and feel the immediate payback in your pocket. 

• Keep a steady speed when driving; by reducing the use of your pedals you reduce the use of fuel. 

• Anticipate conditions, and accelerate and decelerate efficiently. This is safer and uses less fuel. It is also proven that you won’t get to your destination faster by speeding. According to Earteasy.com the most fuel-efficient speed for your car is roughly 55 mph, or 90 km/h. Increasing your speed from 55 mph to 75 mph boosts your fuel consumption a stunning 20 percent! 

• If you are in traffic or caught behind railway gates, then turn off your engine. Idling uses up a great deal of fuel especially when some train gates stay down for as long as ten minutes. 

• Keep your tyres pumped up to the correct level. This will save you up to 4% fuel. 

• Maintain your car and change the air filter as recommended by the manufacturers’ guidelines. 

• If at all possible, car share to work, this will save you money and give you a clear conscience! Some companies arrange car share schemes as do some local councils. See www.nationalcarshare.co.uk and www.liftshare.co.uk for more information. 

• Walk to work if you live nearby. Not only will this keep you fit but you’ll also save fuel and money. 

• Buy a car with a small engine. This will not only cut emissions but also means really cheap car insurance, cheaper tax and manoeuvrability in busy towns. Driving a 4x4 means 50% less fuel efficiency, so unless you are a farmer and regularly go off road, there really is no need to drive a gas guzzling vehicle in urban areas. By the way spray on mud is a dead giveaway! 

So, we can all cut our costs and save the planet at the same time by making a few changes to the way we drive, but what about the future of fuel? Surely driving more slowly can’t be the only solution? 

The future of travel 

There are some innovative new energy solutions, new engine designs and hybrid car concepts which are set to take off in the years to come. 

Hybrid cars are vehicles that have an ordinary combustion engine combined with another energy source such as batteries or electricity. The alternative energy source takes over from the engine when it is inefficient, such as during long slow drives. These hybrids are extremely efficient and half as polluting as normal cars with petrol engines. The good news is you don’t even have to change your beloved car because it can be converted as long as it’s less than six years old. This can be costly but long term it could save you money. There are also several government schemes running that can help you to convert your car. Some manufacturers have already caught onto the benefits of hybrid vehicles. For examples of hybrids look at the Toyota Prius, the Ford Escape and the Honda Accord to name but a few. 

Electric cars may be the way ahead for city dwellers. With no emissions and using a quarter of the energy consumption of a similar sized petrol car they may revolutionise driving in the longer term. Although the cars currently on the market only drive at a maximum of 40 mph, they are exempt from tax, some congestion charges and great news for young people… they are in the lowest car insurance group. After the initial outlay of around £8,000 the car is cheap to run and extremely eco-friendly. 

The future of fuel 

Sulphur free fuel: We can expect to be able to buy this by 2008, in fact this will become compulsory by that date. 

Biodiesel: This is a blend of 95% low sulphur diesel and 5% rapeseed oil. This reduces CO2 emissions by as much as 5% and can be used in an engine that hasn’t been converted to this type of fuel. 

Durable and Long-lasting Radiator Parts now on sale at Parts Train

Your car radiator is the primary cooling mechanism for your engine. Parts train's Radiators are a simple and elegant solution to the need for engine cooling. Parts train's Radiators are mostly made of aluminum. Light and strong, aluminum is great for making radiators. It is the material of choice for most of today’s radiators. Light and intelligently designed, aluminum radiators are standard on many of today’s new cars and trucks. 

A small leak on your Radiator can be indicating a larger problem. A cooling system that runs low too often is less efficient and you can damage your cooling system by letting the coolant level get too low. Too little coolant flow can be bad, but at normal and high operating temperatures, the rate at which coolant moves through the radiator does not change the amount of heat that is dissipated by the cooling cores. The amount of cooling will not be reduced even when the mean temperature of the coolant rises and flows faster. 

Many cheap coolants do not have the corrosion protection, PH balancing, or sediment prevention that the top-quality coolants do. These low quality coolants do not have the same additives of name brand coolants. To help your engine stay cooler, rev up your engine slightly when you are overheating in traffic to help push more air across the cooling cores and more coolant through the engine. 

Driving Safely in the Dark

Safety is a primary concern for all drivers, especially at night. Although there are fewer cars on the road, most fatal car accidents happen at night than any other time of the day. Our ability to see the road ahead is seriously impaired at night. Darkness can dramatically alter the driver's ability to cope with even the most normal driving conditions. As we are more vulnerable to dangerous road situations at night or in low visibility, we should double our preparedness, alertness and common sense when driving at night. Preventive maintenance is one of the best ways to protect ourselves from potentially dangerous situations on the road. Here are some of the most important points to consider when driving in the dark.

The most important difference in night driving is visibility. At night, we become completely dependent on artificial sources of light to help us see and show us where we are going. Highway signs, pedestrians, and other vehicles are more difficult to see at night. Thus, lights, mirrors, and windows are doubly important at night. We should maintain clear, clean and scratch-free mirrors and windows. They should not be clouded by steam, frost, water droplets or tarnished by cracks or scratches.

Your entire car's lighting equipments must be in good condition to ensure safety when driving in the dark. Headlights, Tail Lights, Corner Lights , signal lamps, license plate lights and others all play a big role in your safety when driving at night. Your lights should be turned on during the night especially during periods of rain, snow, hail, sleet or fog. Make sure that your headlights are properly aimed. Have it checked by a professional to make sure that all the lights work. Keep your headlights and your windshields clean. Remember that your lights are your only communication with other drivers on the road. Make sure that your windshield is clean, clear and unobstructed so that you can see what's ahead of you. One of the most hazardous habits that that drivers do during the night is "overdriving" the headlights of their vehicles.