automotive blog

Quick Ways to Maintain a Car's Cooling System

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 07:30:38 +0000

automobile's cooling system is essential to your car engine's long life. Replacement of an engine's coolant (or an engine cooling fluid) ensures that the radiator effectively protects the engine from overheating during hot season by circulating coolant through the engine. Furthermore, overheated car engines are prone to experience a blown head gasket, which can cost quite a fortune. Once replaced the fresh coolant lubricates and protects corrosion in heater cores.

Flushing your car's cooling system is a fairly simple procedure and has big benefits. You can perform it on your own and to do so you'd need a help of a few common tools and supplies.

The Supplies:

Procure the necessary supplies before you lay your hands on the car. You would need a catch basin, a screwdriver, cloth rag, radiator flush solution, coolant, funnel, used coolant receptacle and a crescent wrench.

The Process:

First, you would need to drain the old coolant from the radiator. Before, you touch the radiator, ensure that it's not hot. If you've been driving previously then the radiator is sure to be scalding hot, if it is, wait till it cools down.

Once ready, take help from the owner's manual and locate the radiator's drain plug. Based on the make and model of your vehicle it could be located anywhere along the radiator's bottom. Additionally, they come in different types, as a screw plug, bolt plug or a petcock. Now, position the coolant receptacle underneath the drain and open up the drain plug.

Second, wait till all the coolant has been emptied from the radiator. Once it's over replace the drain plug and take off the radiator cap. Now is the time to pour the radiator flush solution to the radiator, and fill in the rest of the radiator with water.

Close and tighten the radiator pressure cap, start the engine and let it run. Wait till the time it reaches its operating temperature. Operating temperature is the marking on the temperature gauge at which it normally stays.

Now switch on the heater and bring the temperature control to the hottest grade. After which run the engine for 10 minutes, while the heater remains switched on.

Follow this up by switching off the engine, while you wait for it to cool down. Again, let the engine cool down before you proceed.

Now, when the engine has cooled down enough, remove the drain plug away and completely drain the radiator.

This brings us to the last step of flushing an engine radiator. Since, the flush operation has already been completed, all you need to do is to refill the radiator with fresh coolant, using the funnel. But do ensure that you have replaced the radiator drain plug before you pour the coolant.

It is always best to use a ready-made 50/ 50 mixture of coolant and water as it saves you from erring to get the right proportions. Checking your radiator coolant level in a day after you have performed the operation is a good idea as sometimes an air bubble pops up making room for more coolant. If you see that happen, fill in more coolant.

Precautions:

While it's quite exciting and instills a great sense of achievement to take care of your car by yourself, your safety during the procedure is paramount.
Make sure that you safely carry out the flush and refill of your car's radiator and observe the following precautions:
Don't touch the radiator or approach the engine when it's hot, let the engine cool first.
Don't let the coolant spill on the ground, as it's dangerous to pets. It becomes all the more dangerous as it tastes sweet to animals.
Get down and have a look, whether or not the coolant receptacle is placed right under the petcock or not.
Wear eye protection gear and waterproof gloves, while opening the radiator cap.
Don't lean over the radiator when pulling out its cap, since the contents can be under pressure and can spew out with force when you open it.
Keep the radiator cap away on a clean spot, as it's not needed till the flush is over.
Dispose of coolant in a proper container.
Regularly taking care of you vehicle will go a long way to make it last long, and perform at its peak as long as it lasts.

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Automotive Recycling - A Win-Win Game

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 07:23:13 +0000

Over 10 million vehicles are dumped in salvage yards and scrap facilities each year. Of which about 82 percent of an average vehicle's weight gets recycled, paving the way for putting scrap to better use and saving the environment from unnecessary damage.

Car makers from the automobile industry; are prudent seize the opportunity to manufacture recycled parts out of used car materials. However, today's automakers aren't quite satisfied with only 82 percent of a vehicle getting recycled, and they are constantly looking for ways to chip in to include more and more from the remaining 18 percent of the scrap. In addition they also try to increase the amount of End-of-Life material that finds its way into an automobile's production cycle.

The Process of Automotive Recycling;

When it's sunset time for a vehicle, an average owner takes the vehicle to see it off at hundreds of junk yards, salvage yards or dismantlers spread across many developed countries including the U.S.

After dismantlers take over the abandoned pieces of metal they recycle 95 percent of these automobiles.

First off, the outer body parts amenable for reuse are stripped out viz. headlights, taillights, fenders, hood, doors, etc. Since the re-manufactured parts comprise about 85 percent of the original materials, the manufacturer are able to make the new parts at a cost that's about 50 percent less than making a completely new part.

Next, the dismantlers subject the vehicle through shredders, somewhat similar to a paper shredder, it breaks up the vehicle's material it into small pieces. In addition it separates the metallic parts (steel, iron, etc.) from other materials. Constituting over 75 percent of a vehicle, these metals are essential to the metal supply chain. While sometimes this material is mixed with virgin materials before being sent out to the manufacturers, at other times it is sent as it is, provided it meets the predefined industrial standards. Once they reach the auto makers they are labeled as chassis, automobile engines, sides, or as appropriate.

What remains after the shredder's done its job are materials such as plastic, rubber, glass, tires, automobile fluids, etc. Technically known as Automobile Shredder Residue or ASR, these items are hard to recycle. Even though plastics are increasingly being used in car making, car makers too have gotten cleverer and have devised ways to re-use some of this material.

Automotive Recycling and Its Benefits

Increasingly, vehicles are being designed after giving recycling a consideration and this has further help reduce the solid waste stream, made dismantling easier and cheaper. In the end further encouraging recycling.

Among the many benefits of automotive recycling some are the following:

The manufactures save money by using scrap material in car making as it saves them the cost of manufacturing car parts anew.
Recycling implies less mining for virgin material, which inturn prevents dust and waste gases such as sulfur dioxide from harming the environment.
It saves landfill space.
Recycling leads to less energy consumption needed for manufacturing. This leads to the conservation of oil, gas or coal reserves, and also reduces the release of CO2 gas into the atmosphere.

Some Examples of Thinking Recycle While Designing Autos

Volkswagen's (VW) Golf was designed after considering recycling. The company, in order to facilitate the car's recycling, replaced contaminating adhesives with clips and used standardized plastic materials. GM too has increasingly made use of clips as.

On similar lines the BMW Group makes instrument panels from standardized plastic that prevent degradation. During recycling these panels are re-molded into fresh instrument panels with a staggering 99.5 percent purity.

Many other automakers now incorporate recycle friendly designs into their products. Given the strides car makers have taken to help recycling of automobiles, it can be said that the practice will be a win-win for both the environment and car makers.

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Tips to Make Your Car's Battery Last Longer

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 07:21:13 +0000

It's the powerhouse of your automobile's electrical system and if there's no supply from it you aren't going anywhere! Your car's battery isn't just important to have the auto moving, but serves several other purposes too and perhaps the most important is to keep you safe while you drive at night with the help of fully functional indicators, head and brake lights.

Car batteries are an expensive piece of equipment, an average automobile battery life is around 3-5, and it depends on many factors including, climate, usage, etc. Extremely hot and cold climates can reduce battery life. Battery being the powerhouse for your vehicle needs to be cared for and maintained well, for the most part you can do it yourself to make it last longer. You'll find below some basic but essential battery care tips to keep your car's batteries alive.

Understanding an Automotive Battery

A battery meant for use in a car is a type of rechargeable battery that supplies electric energy for its electric power requirements. An auto battery is commonly known as an SLI battery (Starting - Lighting - Ignition) to power the starter motor, the lights, and the ignition system of a car's engine.

The starter batteries are usually of lead-acid type and provide a nominal 12-volt potential difference by connecting six galvanic cells in series. With each cell producing about 2.1 V, the total voltage is roughly 12.6 V. Made up of lead and lead oxide, the battery plates are submerged into an electrolyte solution of sulfuric acid and water, a chemical reaction is triggered within it. Consequently, electrons are released to produce electricity.

As the battery discharges, the acid reacts with the materials of the plates, but once restored to its original condition the battery is recharged and ready for a repeat of the process.

Purchasing A Battery:

First things first, your fruitful and long-lasting association with your battery begins with you buying the right one based on your auto's specifications and usage in addition to environmental factors.

Extreme temperatures can have a high impact on you battery's performance, for example when the temperature is zero degrees, even the healthiest of batteries give out only half of their output. Always keep in mind that batteries are rated by cold cranking amps (CCA), which indicates its power and the reserve capacity rating (RC). This rating is a good measure to assess for how much time you car's accessories would stay alive on the battery while the battery still has enough charge inside to rev up the engine. So if you are an inhabitant of a cold terrain, where double the electric power would be consumed to start the engine, you should benefit quite a lot from high CCA ratings.

Furthermore, always consult the original equipment manufacturer's (OEM) minimum requirements for the requisite CCA rating, as you might be monetarily at a loss with an unreasonably high CCA rating. However, an extra RC (reserve capacity) is always desirable. The size and number of plates in a battery determine how many amps a battery delivers? This is also one of the parameters that differentiates a battery with a 3 years and a 5 year warranty.

Taking Care of the Battery Trays

Perform this routine every six months. Shut down the engine plug off the terminal caps, and disconnect the black terminal battery cable (negative). Similarly, disconnect the positive terminal battery cable, and pull out the battery bracket hardware, before lifting the battery out from the battery tray.

Make an assessment of the tray; do you see any signs of corrosion? Make use of a wire brush to clean any dirt or deposits with it. In case you have a metal tray then apply an acid-resistant paint on it, let dry before you put the battery back in.

In case you find that the tray has been badly corroded and is brittle, get a new vinyl tray as a replacement. If the tray was bolted in, then use a chisel to chip it off, mark the location, drill new holes and complete the replacement. Ensure that you firmly fix it back in place.

Taking Care of the Bracket

Similar to the tray, the brackets too can be affected by corrosion. You need to check for the slack as well as corrosion on a regular basis. Sometimes corrosion can lead it to become loose causing the battery to shake and vibrate more, thereby reducing its life. If you observe signs of corrosion to the bracket, then fix the problem right away. First off tighten any loose screws, clean the area with a brush and finally apply an aerosol solvent. It's quite possible that the brackets have been badly corroded, if so then replace them on the first go.

Taking Care of the Battery Cables

Once you've cleaned the top of the battery, clean up any corrosion from the cables using baking soda (1 tablespoon), a cup of water and a nonmetallic brush. Then wash up with water.

Taking Care of the Battery Cable Terminals

Perform the same cleaning operation on the battery terminals just like you did for the tray, brackets and the cables. Remove any deposits, it's a good idea to use a wire brush dipped in baking soda and water. This would not only clean the terminals of corrosion but also ensure that the deposits do not block the flow of electrical current.

Recharging the Battery

Batteries are one of those car accessories that are bought once in a while; moreover they're quite expensive as well. Therefore, it makes sense to take the maximum out of your battery before you replace it. Sometimes, extreme cold temperatures and small trips can cause a battery to lose power, in such a case you can resort to recharging it so that it may last several months more.

Once you observe that your car's charge indicator is showing a weak battery you can go about charging it with a trickle charger for an all night charge that it requires. Shelling out some bucks on a trickle charger is worth it, as they're don't cost much.

To recharge you battery, shut down the engine, position the red charger clip to the positive and black/green charger clip to the negative terminal. The maneuver is fairly simple, however take extreme care that you don't allow the connector clips to come in contact with anything or else it might lead to a spark. A small spark by itself is quite harmless, but if you battery has been spewing hydrogen it might lead to an explosion. Next, turn on the charger, let it charge overnight, and take it away when the meter shows less than one amp of charge. In case your battery still shows signs of weakness, get a new one.

Checking Cable Ends for Tightness: The battery cable ends need to be tightly fastened to the terminals, if they're not, the connections won't be proper and cause the battery to malfunction or not function at all. Hold the cable and move them, if you easily can then they're loose, tighten them as soon as possible.

Checking the Water Levels: Always ensure that water levels in the battery are at right levels. If you're on a conventional battery then you can make an assessment by taking out the plastic cover to see whether the water reaches the plastic filler necks or not. Fill it up with distilled water if needed. In case you're on one of the maintenance-free types then you can rely on the indication by the indicator lights going black when a service is due. A mechanic should best handle this type of a battery.

Preparing for Cold Weather:

Load Test: As has already been mentioned that it your battery's output dips down to its half in cold weather, always get a 'load test' performed on you battery for the upcoming winters. This test would reveal whether the battery could generate enough charge at sub-zero temperatures or not. In case it can't it won't it's time to replace it.
Battery Heater: Just like you want to remain cozy and warm in the winters you car battery does too! Kidding aside, it makes good sense to purchase a battery heater if you live in an area with a cold climate. The heater can considerably bring down the power needed to rev up your car's engine.

An early diagnoses and first aid is what can save you from trouble at the wrong time. Just as the old saying goes "a stitch in time saves nine," your battery might give you good cues when it's low on charge or failing.

Your battery could need help if you notice that the headlights are a bit dim and they regain the sheen when you throttle up the engine. Similarly, with a battery low on charge you could find that the starter is slow to start the car. Furthermore, if you'd forgotten to turn off your car's lights and accessories, you battery would have lost charge. Lastly, if you battery begins to trouble you in its fourth year or fifth, it could be a good indication of being just the right time to replace it with a new one.]]>...

Are Stronger Cars More Dangerous than Weaker Ones?

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 07:20:01 +0000

Given the status quo of road accident figures, car manufacturers feel the pressure to make cars safer than ever. Aside from newer technologies appearing on the scene such as side-impact airbags in some of the latest designs and other features like the intelligent side-impact protection system still in the pipeline, car safety efforts seem to be moving ahead space.

However on the flip side, in the quest to make car bodies sturdier than ever, reinforced alloys are being made use of. They do make the cars hard to break, but does this lead to an undesirable fallout as well?

Very often car bodies are deformed following an accident and the passengers become trapped within. This is the time when extrication measures are made use of by the emergency rescue teams. However, of late it has come to light that many a times rescuers find it tough to cut through the metal to evacuate the passenger because the metal cutting tools have gotten obsolete in the face of reinforced alloys. Consequently, arranging for more appropriate and latest tools for the purpose leads to loss of critical time when providing First Aid to the injured makes all the difference between life and death.

Another challenge faced by the rescuers are the airbags, as while cutting through the frame the emergency crew has to make sure not to activate the bags. Deployed at the wrong time, the bags can cause more injury to the trapped occupant, worse still the bag might rupture and burst harming the passenger.

Moreover, the rescue workers have sought to disconnect all battery wiring, so as to prevent accidentally triggering airbags, but presence of laptop battery pose a similar threat. As the newer reinforcements used in cars require latest and more befitting equipment to cut through, the emergency crew also find themselves faced with the exorbitant price that such equipment demands. Consequently, government funded departments may sometimes find it tough buy and do so in the right quantities.

Despite the odds put up by stronger than ever materials used in car making for the rescue workers, these materials might actually end up saving more lives as the occupants come out unharmed and unaffected from these “unbreakable” autos. ]]>...

Tips to Maintain Your Car's Braking System This Summer

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 07:13:56 +0000

Winter's gone and by now you must have experienced the effect for approaching summer season. According to the weather forecasts, its gonna be hotter this year. Therefore, its better to keep yourself and your dear vehicle ready to beat the heat. Various automotive parts need extra care during different seasons. Apart from regular car maintenance tips, one needs to follow a number of special car care tips for summer season.

Automotive braking system is not only an essential part but the most important safety device of any automobile that needs to be taken care of through out the year. During summers, one has to pay extra attention on the damage, repair and maintenance this auto part. Here's a list of braking system maintenance tips that will surely help the car owners during summer season.

Disc Brakes Maintenance – Every automobile consist of this auto part that are on the front and rear wheels. Frequently usage of the brake pedal causes brake pads to wear. You need to keep an eye on the disc brakes of your car. Get them checked at regular intervals and replace them if required.

Pairs of Brake Discs Should be Replaced – Its important to remind you that the replacement of brake pads in pair assures you of smooth driveability of your car.

No Worn Out Brake Shoes – Brake shoes or drum brakes are as important as the disc brakes. Cross check these brake shoes while replacing the disc brakes.

Get the Brake Pedal Checked – When you use car's brake pedal, make sure it works smoothly. Incase the brake pedals are mushy, they won't function smoothly. You can experience the difference yourself while driving. Get these auto parts repaired, if you need to exert extra pressure while using them.

Listen to Any Kind of Squealing or Griding Noise – It's common and needs to be rectified as soon as possible. When you depress the brake pedal, there should not be any grinding noise or sound of squealing.

No Air in the Brake Lines – Get the braking system checked for this at a trusted or recommended auto repair center.

Important And Not To Forget – Brake Fluid – Make sure you do not ignore this. Proper check and change (if required) of brake fluid keeps your braking system smooth and functioning. Its not safe to run you car if the contamination in the brake fluid is above a certain level.

Watch Your Vehicle While Braking – One needs to be a little observant for this. Make sure when you apply brakes, your car does not pulls towards one side. If such is the case, then get your car's braking system checked immediately for avoiding further damage.

Brake Warning Light Gives Clear Indication – Its an easy way to find out any damage on braking system. If there is some damage, the brake warning lights comes on.

Try these braking system maintenance tips this summer to keep this auto part in best condition and cut down on any major repair in future.]]>...

I just finished installing Movable Type 4.01!

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:30:58 +0000

Welcome to my new blog powered by Movable Type. This is the first post on my blog and was created for me automatically when I finished the installation process. But that is ok, because I will soon be creating posts of my own!...