Top Automotive Innovations Of 2012
Every new model year brings new bells and whistles from the auto industry. Here are the biggest changesand the unofficial rating for how it will affect you personally, either lame, game, or undecided.
Lame. Okay, so air bags were a good idea when they came out. They added safety with virtually no effort on the part of the driver. Even passenger side air bagsstill a good idea. But knee air bags? Seriously? Carmakers are even talking about making air bags to prevent back seat passengers from hitting the front seats. What will they think of next, giant padded walls inside the car to keep you from hurting yourself?
Game. Greater smartphone integration into all aspects of the car, from streaming your mp3s stored inside the phone straight into the car stereo, to projecting the navigation system in your phone onto the car’s DVD player. Now that’s smart: taking an already existing technology and adapting the car to use it without any additional effort on the part of the owner.
Lame. Apparently, the executive boardroom tables at Ford suck all the common-sense right out of the room. That’s because in spite of well-earned criticism for the MyFordTouch touch screen layout, they’ve decided to add it to more models for 2012. Touch screens work great for some things: smart phones, iPadsbut for turning up the heat in your car, it’s easiest just to have a knob. Or a switch.
Undecided. The auto-stop feature, which turns off your engine automatically at things like stop lights, is being added to more models than ever. In theory, it is designed to be imperceptibleto turn back on as soon as you go again. In practice, if it means having to wait for your car to turn on again, it could turn lame real fastor it could mean saving a few bucks on fuel with no perceived difference if it works as advertised.
Game. Secretariat would be proud. The fastest horse ever was always underestimated because of his smaller sizeand today’s engines are smaller and more powerful than ever. GM’s Buick Regal has a 4 banger that puts out 270 horsesjust about the same horsepower as a new 289 V8 produced in a 1965 Ford Mustang when they came out.
Grab The Led Motorcycle Light Bulbs
Light Emitting Diodes or LED bulbs are a recent innovation in the lighting world. They are very powerful yet consumes very less energy. You can save so much of battery power by installing the LED lights for your motorcycle. No one would have imagined that LED lights would storm the automobile world when it came into the market in the 60″s or so. Today they are a craze amongst the motorcyclists and more and more people want to be proud owners of LED lights.
LED lights emit light when they are connected to an electric circuit. As it lights up, it provides an excellent bright light, which will make the night rides on your motorcycle very comfortable. It is not just about the lighting. Installing LED lights for your motorcycle also means that you are upgrading the look of your bike. It will look very sleek and elegant with these lights on. Can you resist the temptation f looking glamorous and stylish?
Once you install the LED lights for your motorcycle, you can forget all worries about the headlamps. It gives you the freedom to ride any time during night or day and in any weather. The light produced is so bright that you just don”t have to worry about visibility before taking your bike out. These lights are also very sleek in design. It does not look messy or huge on your bike. It gels well with the overall look of the bike and gives a very elegant look to your bike.
LED lights are very strong in their design. They are solid in their make unlike conventional lights. Conventional bulbs are very fragile and you have to ride with the fear of damaging them. LED lights are strong and can withstand shocks and impacts to a great extent. You can ride on those bumpy roads without the fear of damaging your motorcycle”s headlamps.
Led lights have a really long life. it is not easily damaged and hence you can forget replacing it once you install them. They have found place not just as headlights but also as taillights and signal lights.
LED lights are available in many colors. If you want to create style statements of your own, you can choose from the different colors available and create a unique look for your motorcycle. What is more? It lights up in seconds, bringing out the beauty of your motorcycle in seconds!
Using LED lights can also help you conserve the environment. These are environment friendly lights, which consume lesser power and generate lesser heat. In an era, where people are becoming more and more eco friendly as well as fighting issues such as global warming, using LED lights is a small way to contribute for that cause. The initial investment cost of these lights is offset by the longer life and the many other benefits it offers. LED lights have a very promising future in the automobile industry. Get LED lights for your motorcycle and be part of this change!
[Top]Car Care Tips To Ensure Smooth Holiday Travel
Holiday travel can be a bust if your vehicle breaks down on the way to visiting friends and family.
With today’s busy schedules and high-tech vehicles, most drivers are left with neither the time nor inclination for an afternoon of tinkering on their car. But motorists can still do their part.
According to the experts at the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), good communication between the repair shop and the customer can help ensure satisfactory service.
ASE offers the following tips to help make the repair process go smoothly.
* Do your homework before taking your vehicle in. Read the owner’s manual to learn about the vehicle’s systems and components. Follow the recommended service schedules and keep a log of all repairs and service.
* Don’t ignore your vehicle’s warning signals. There may be explicit dashboard messages or subtle changes in performance. Make a note of any problems – and under what conditions they occur.
* Inspect your car frequently. Check for unusual sounds, odors, drips, leaks, smoke, warning lights and gauge readings. See if you notice changes in acceleration, engine performance, gas mileage or fluid levels. Also, check for worn tires, belts or hoses, and problems in handling, braking and steering or vibrations.
* Communicate your findings. Be prepared to describe your car’s symptoms. Carry a written list of those symptoms to give to the technician or service consultant. Do not suggest a specific course of repair; let the technician diagnose and recommend a remedy.
* Stay involved. Do not be embarrassed to request simple definitions. Professionally run repair establishments recognize the importance of two-way communication in automotive repairs. However, don’t rush the technician to make an on-the-spot
diagnosis.
* Leave a telephone number where you can be reached. Ask to be called and apprised of the problem, course of action and costs before work begins. Before you leave the shop, be sure you understand all shop policies regarding estimates, guarantees and acceptable methods of payment.
ASE is dedicated to improving the quality of automotive service and repair through the voluntary testing and certification of automotive technicians. ASE-certified technicians wear blue and white ASE shoulder insignia and carry credentials listing their exact areas of certification. Their employers often display the blue and white ASE sign.
[Top]Compare Auto Care – Automotive repair and maintenance
How many of you have gone through the frustrating turmoil of having your car breakdown, and that feeling of helplessness and dread sets in because you have absolutely no knowledge of where to turn to find information about local automotive repair shops. Without a relationship with a mechanic or repair shop you can trust, each visit to have your vehicle fixed can be an uncertain experience. Will the shop treat me fairly? Will they only fix whats broken? How can I find information on shops so I can make an informed decision about where to take my car?
This is why some basic knowledge of auto repair, maintenance and especially the car repair shops you use are vital. Listed below are some of the basics of car care and maintenance that will help increase your auto repair IQ, and help you make better decisions regarding your car.
Synthetic Oil isnt always better.If your vehicle has been running fine with conventional oil for years,and your owners manual doesnt recommend it,stick with regular oil for your oil changes.Some shops want to switch you to synthetic strictly for more profit.
Change your timing belt on its recommended interval.It doesnt give you any warning before it breaks,and depending on the engine,can cause massive internal damage as pistons crash into valves after it breaks.
By replacing your serpentine belt or drive belts when your replace your timing belt, you can save all the labor charges, as the belts must be removed to complete the timing belt replacement anyway!
Cleaning windshield wipers with alcohol and a soft rag can extend the life and improve the performance of your wipers
Learn how to check all your vehicles fluid levels including engine oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid, engine coolant, and washer solvent. Dropping fluid levels is an early warning sign of potential problems.
Check your remaining brake pad life regularly. Replace the pads before they wear out and grind into the brake rotors and triple the price of your brake job.
Keep your battery posts clean.
Each vehicle has a different interval for the replacement of the cars spark plugs.Check your owners manual for your cars interval.Dishonest mechanics may recommend replacing spark plugs every 30,000 miles, when the life expectancy of those spark plugs may be 100,000 miles to increase profits.
Check your tire pressure regularly.Correctly inflated tires save fuel and increase tire longevity.Decreasing air pressure is an indication of a leak that should be repaired.
Inspect your air filters.Dirty air filters decrease fuel economy and performance, and can sometimes be blown-out with a high-pressure air hose instead of replaced.
Check your engine oil regularly. Older vehicles may begin to burn oil, and a vehicle can run dangerously low on engine oil without ever showing signs of a leak.For most of us however, the days of being able to work on our own vehicles is far behind us. Almost all vehicles built in the last 10 years are controlled by an array of electronic sensors and computers. The good news is that the vehicle is always making adjustments to maximize fuel economy, reduce pollution, and deliver maximum performance all by itself. The bad news is that it now requires constant specialized training, and expensive testing equipment to properly diagnose and repair vehicles.
Custom Billet Upgrades Are The Baywatch Boob Jobs Of Automotive Style
The average man dreams of the day when he can tell his special lady to get a boob job and follow it up with an at home install simply by going online, ordering breast implants, and waiting a couple of weeks for delivery before busting out his tools, slicing her open, and doing a home install, but until that day your going to have to make do with treating your car like that pretty darling you wish you could take to bed tonight minus a couple ton of course. With Custom Billet Upgrades you can swap your factory built door handles, dome lights, window cranks, steering column trim, and other parts for shiny chrome and aluminum replacements that can make any descent vehicle start turning heads like Pamela Anderson running down the beach in a Baywatch swimsuit chased by a hairy man from Kazakhstan. You could buy the best car off the lot, but without Custom Billet Parts your car will be like Paris Hilton in her Bently. Flat chested and the butt of cruel jokes by people like Sarah Silverman who once said “People say ‘Pamela Anderson’s nothing without her tits!’ And that’s not true! That is ‘not’ true!… She’d be Paris Hilton” while riding in a car that high end Billet parts and accessories would transform into a thing of exterior beauty as if the driver herself got a boob job or swapped cars with Pamela Anderson. Your exterior door handles, license plates, and windshield wiper arms will look very nice, but wont need any future replacement implants or face lifts.You may be thinking so what if my ride has no special assets, it looks just fine after a few beers and a bong hit. Maybe exterior beauty doesn’t matter to you, but what about your inner beauty? Brake fluid reservoirs need love too just like window cranks and dome lights. You won’t impress a special lady with a binged out exterior and used car lot soiled cushion bling free interior. With a good foundation vehicle, Billet interior, and Billet exterior it won’t be long until the Billet Specialists at BilletBuilder.com turn your hairy Kazakh beast of a ride into a babe magnet with rock star sex appeal to make your dreams come true.
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