Monthly Archives: February 2010

Automobile Brakes: Slowing Your Way to Safety

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Just imagine speeding down the highway. Just imagine the sun on your face and the wind on your hair. Just imagine the feeling of being one with your car and the road as well. Feels great, doesn’t it? This time, imagine trying to slow down your descent however finding out that your Rover brakes do not work. Now that would be a great misfortune.

An automobile’s brake system has been continually refined and redefined for over a century. Automobiles without brakes would not a great thing for drivers and passengers would be very much prone to accidents, collisions, and crashes. The modern automotive brakes system has now become extremely independent, dependable, indispensable, and very efficient. All these are due to the experiences of drivers and innovations of automobile experts.

The Rover brake system of an automobile generally consists of disk brakes. They are mounted and installed in the front and rear ends of the automobile. The disk brakes, or also known as drum brakes, installed in the rear is connected by a system of tubes and hoses. These then link the Rover brake at each wheel and connect them to the master cylinder. If a person looks more closely into an automobile’s brake system, he would be able to discover that there are other systems that are connected to this system. These other systems include the parking brakes, the power brake booster, and the anti-lock system.

If a person steps on the Rover brake pedal what actually happens is that he is actually pushing against the plunger found in the master cylinder. By doing such action, it forces the hydraulic oil or brake fluid to go through a series of tubes and hoses to the braking unit at each wheel. The concept behind this is that hydraulic fluid, or any other kind of fluid, cannot be compressed. By pushing the fluid through the pipe, this produces the same action and reaction of like pushing a steel bar through a pipe.

However, the main difference between the hydraulic fluid and a steel bar is that the hydraulic fluid has the capacity to be directed through many twists and turns on its way to its destination while a steel bar has no capacity to do so. Upon going through its own maze, it arrives back to its original location and state so that it could be used once again. What is essential, though, is to keep the liquid free from air bubbles. If there are air bubbles in the liquid this actually slows down and reduces the vehicle’s braking system’s efficiency. If this actually happens, the entire braking system must undergo a bleeding where the air can be removed. Each wheel cylinder and caliper has “bleeder screws” that facilitate the release of any air in the fluid.

With all the attention to details that the Land Rover and Range Rover company gives to the vehicles that they manufacture, it is only fitting that Land Rover Parts and Range Rover Parts offers top of the line brakes and brake system parts that will match Land Rover and Range Rover brake performance. Land Rover Parts and Range Rover Parts’ online store has everything covered when it comes to brakes and parts of the brake system.

Leading Window Graphics Company & Renowned Artist Headline Automobile News

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When you think of automobile news, you may not expect to read about a renowned artist. However, a recent automobile news release contained just that. An artist, his talent and an innovative company looking to change the way you look at windshields is the current focus of much media attention and automobile news.

In an automotive news announcement made, Window Canvas, the leader in Exterior Applied See-Thru Window Graphics for cars, trucks and SUVs, confirmed an agreement with well-known artist Jeff Wilkie. The exclusive contract was signed with Persistence of Vision, which gave Window Canvas the license to represent the art of Jeff Wilkie on their vehicle graphics.

If you have ever noticed a rear windshield with an impressive, and colorful, image covering the entire back glass, then you are already familiar with the concept of transparent window graphics. They prevent viewing the interior from the rear, but allow the passengers and driver to see out. Window graphics are often quite detailed and beautiful, which is the concept behind Windows Canvas and their new artwork license with Jeff Wilkie.

“Jeff’s breathtaking artwork is the perfect addition to Window Canvas and our image library,” commented Bianca J. Hennings, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Window Canvas. According to the recent automobile news release, Hennings concluded, “We are very excited about his imagery being displayed on people’s cars all over the country and even the world.”

Jeff Wilkie is an accomplished artist whose collections include both ocean and marine life images. Among the many depictions, Wilkie portrays an artistic image of dolphins, seascapes, whales and other wildlife. “I am very happy to have my artwork added to their line of products,” Jeff admits. His work has been licensed for a variety of products, including greeting cards, puzzles, t-shirts and computer mouse pads. To add even more credence to Wilkie’s art, his images have been offered as part of the fine art prize category on “The Price Is Right” televised game show. The products featuring Wilkie’s art are constantly ranked number one in sales. Beginning in the spring of 2006, his art will also be featured on checks, checkbook covers, address labels and wall murals throughout the United States.

Window Canvas is the recognized leader in exterior applied see-thru window graphics for automobiles. Their website features more than 2,000 images, including patriotic, flags, sports, personal expressions, nature, military and camouflage scenes. In addition to their many options, Window Canvas also offers website visitors with an opportunity to customize their own rear window graphics using a patent pending technology feature called “Create Your Own.”

An artist who loves to create images and a company who loves to incorporate them into windows have come together to generate widespread automobile news attention. Websites and various industry publications are sure to be among the first to report automobile news and especially when it’s as beautiful as Wilkie’s artwork.

Using Automotive Touch-Up Paint

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Here’s news you may want to brush up on: Using touch-up paint on your car can be an inexpensive way to protect its value. Some scratches can remove all the paint down to the metal and the area can begin to rust, causing permanent damage.

There are several choices for applying touch-up paint. Spray cans can be used for large areas and with patience and practice you can achieve excellent results. For smaller chips and scratches, you can brush the paint or use a paint pen. Often, a paint pen will be easier to apply to very small chips, as you can apply the paint more precisely.

Women find using touch-up paint is easy because they have had so much practice applying nail polish. In fact, according to paintscratch.com, some women have even painted their nails with automotive touch-up paint to match their vehicles.

The easiest place to find touch- up paint is on the Web. First you have to know your color code. There are sites where the paint colors are broken down by year, make and model, so finding your color code is easy. With the correct paint and good instructions, applying touch-up paint should be no more difficult than coloring your nails.

With the right paint and good instructions, applying touch-up paint to your car can be as easy as coloring your nails.

Shade Tree Automotive Diagnostics And Care – Part III – Smell No Evil

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Learning a little more about how to better care for your vehicles is a good idea for any number of reasons. It allows you to know if an unscrupulous mechanic is attempting to gouge you on your repairs ? and that will save you money. It can prevent you from making unnecessary repairs ? and that will save you money. It can help you locate a problem and fix it early, thus saving more money ? sometimes a whole lot of money. It allows you to be more independent in an era where people are entirely too dependent on others to survive.

We need to get started now, so that we have time to cover everything?

It may sound strange that smelling your vehicle can be a useful maintenance activity, but believe me it is. And I’m not just talking about needing to buy one of those cute little green trees that permeate every inch of your vehicle’s interior with the smell of pine ? or something like that. Actually, you really already do this in at least one instance ? the smell of gasoline. And we’ll cover that herein.

Let’s begin with the smell of smoke. If your vehicle is smoking anywhere at any time it’s time to get some service ? immediately. It doesn’t matter if you smell the smoke, or see it ? you need to deal with the problem ASAP. Smoke coming from anywhere is never ‘okay’ in a vehicle, though you may just have some spilled fluids on a hot engine surface, or some oil that splashed into your wheel assembly. No matter ? get it checked and make sure.

The smell of gas is most often associated with a flooded engine: too much gas for the spark to ignite. The gas sits in the engine, and the odor becomes more noticeable for a short time, and then starts to rapidly dissipate. This tends to happen only when you are starting the engine. The smell of gas at any other time, or the constant smell of gas is indicative of another type of problem, and one that is potentially serious, or dangerous: a leak in the fuel system. You should have this checked out by a qualified mechanic as soon as possible.

The smell of rotten eggs, usually associated with sulfur or burning sulfur, is likely a problem with your catalytic converter. Servicing a catalytic converter is highly technical, and will require the attention of a trained technician or mechanic. You should make an appointment for your vehicle as soon as possible. A maladjusted or failing catalytic converter can be costing you precious mileage!

The smell of burning bread, sometimes referred to as ‘burnt toast,’ is most often associated with an electrical short circuit or possibly the burning/melting of the insulation around the affected wires, fuses, or connections. If there are any secondary signs, then you should not run the engine until a qualified technician resolves the issue. Left unchecked, electrical shorts can affect many of the systems in your vehicle.

A sweet odor, especially when mixed with the smell of hot rubber, usually means there’s a coolant leak, or a problem with the cooling system. If you are driving, stop and visually check the engine and the radiator. Driving a vehicle with an overheated engine can do untold damage to all sorts of things, and turn a simple repair with a modest cost into a nightmarish expense that prevents you from using your vehicle for days, or even weeks.

The smell of burning oil is a pungent, acrid stench that can be very slight, or quite pronounced. In either case, you need to check your engine to make sure you don’t have an oil leak, and also to ensured that you have the recommended amount of oil in your engine. Usually, the smell of burning oil is something minor, such as a small spill on the engine, a slight overflow that got blown onto a hot engine part, or low engine oil. Be sure that when you change your engine oil you insist on an Engine Sentry®.

Okay, you’ve completed the final step in becoming a full-fledged automotive diagnostician ? or something like that, anyway. You’ve definitely gotten your vehicle in much better condition, and you should have learned a thing or two to keep it running great for a long time to come. If you haven’t already, check out Part I ? See No Evil, and Part II ? Hear No Evil.

How To Save Money And Get Discount Automobile Insurance In New Jersey

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Everyone wants to save money on their automobile insurance and fortunately there are several simple things almost anyone can do that will allow them to save money and get discount automobile insurance in New Jersey.

Let’s start with you – or, more precisely, with the way you drive, because your driving habits can have the biggest effect on how much you end up paying for your automobile insurance.

Do you drive safely and legally at all times? Your driving record is probably the biggest factor in how much you’ll pay for your automobile insurance. Even one speeding ticket or other moving violation and you will no longer be able to find automobile insurance at the best possible price.

If you manage to get convicted for a DUI (Driving Under the Influence) or for a DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) then you can kiss saving money on your automobile insurance good-bye for a minimum of 3 years – and maybe longer. If you are convicted for either offense a second time you’ll be lucky to get automobile insurance at any price.

That’s what not to do – here’s what you can do to put together a car insurance package that will save you the most money month after month.

If you’re under 25 you’re going to pay among the highest rates for automobile insurance. Besides keeping your driving record clean there are two things you can do to keep your rates down. Purchase your insurance through your parents’ policy. This will cut your price somewhat.

The other thing you can do is to stay in school for as long as possible and get good grades. If you maintain a “B” average you should qualify for about a 5% Good Student Discount on your insurance every month.

If you can park your car in a garage at night you should get a discount. Let your agent know about your nighttime parking arrangement.

If you’re over 55 you may notice that your rates are getting higher. Many companies (though not all of them) now offer older drivers the chance to take a Driver’s Refresher Course. Pass it and you could save as much as 10% each month on your premiums.

How much do you drive each month? If you can keep your driving down at around 500 miles a month or less you probably qualify for a special Low Mileage Discount on your insurance. Using public transportation whenever possible can help keep your driving miles down.

If you have other insurance policies with the same company you can probably qualify for a Multi-Policy Discount.

If you’ve had your automobile insurance with the same company for at least 5 years you should qualify for a Long-Term Discount.

If you drive an older car, especially one that has no Kelly Blue Book value any longer, you are wasting your money if you continue paying for collision or comprehensive insurance. Save your money and cancel those two portions of your policy.

The last thing you need to consider before putting together your perfect auto insurance policy is how much you can afford to pay as a deductible if you should have a claim. Think long and hard about this because the amount you choose is how much money you will have to pull out of your own wallet any time you file a claim. The more you are willing to pay for a claim – that is, the larger your deductible – then the less you will be asked to pay each month for your insurance.

O.K. You’ve looked at all of the ways to save money and get discount automobile insurance in New Jersey and you’ve put together an insurance policy that should save you as much money as possible. Now it’s time to get online and see exactly how much you’re going to save.

Find at least 3 different websites that allow you to compare the prices of automobile insurance among various insurance companies and look for the best price you can find for the policy you’ve put together. Remember that you’ll need to make your comparisons on at least 3 different websites if you want to be sure of finding the absolutely lowest rate possible. But once you’ve done that you can rest easy knowing that you’ve saved as much money as possible and gotten the best discount price available on automobile insurance here in New Jersey.