Essential Car Care

Good news for mums in Pennsylvania! Cloister Wash & Lube will treat mothers to a free carwash on May 11 in honor of Mother’s Day. All four Cloister locations in Ephrata, York, Lancaster and Sinking Spring will participate.

“I feel it’s very important to say a special thanks to our mothers for all they do” said Mike Mountz, president of Cloister Wash & Lube. “Treating mothers to a free carwash allows us to take care of them for a day. It is a way to show our appreciation for mothers within our community. Now, that’s a nice gift for mom and her car as well.

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The Ford Shelby GT500 is really different and not only because of its 500 horsepower. It’s extra subtle in appearance with a Cobra badging, has bland SVT-styled wheels, a bulging hood and a wide grille with angled-frame opening. Such is how a killer horsepower looks like and doesn’t resemble any of the other Mustangs.

No non-functioning extras or gimmicks in this baby. Do check-out the aero-lip surround at the front fascia and the span of diffusers at the rear end-all of which add down force for stability at high speed.

The GT500 went on sale June last year with MSRPs of $47,750, but dealers are selling cars online for $60,000 and more.

Was it worth it?

Fire it up and there’s a slight scream of the supercharger.  The clutch is all-business for transferring 480 foot-pounds of torque to the rear wheels. Then slip it into gear and the close-ratio shifter communicates, truly “grace under pressure”.

A showcase of performance engineering, much less harshness vibrating through the suspension, the GT500 seems more calculated than the Shelby GT, but still with the same pedigree handling. The three-link solid axle acts like that of an independent rear end. And has a calming force that makes the car feel more planted under power than stock Mustang GTs.

The signature color of Vista Blue with silver stripes of the 2008 model expresses the fun of this tough ride.

Concerns such as fuel price hike and global warming make the emergence of small cars a big hit. The biggest phenomenon of the small cars hasn’t come out yet but it’s sure to make waves in the market of micro cars – the Nano.

The Nano is a car with the price of a laptop computer and will surely allow a huge percent of commuters to own a four-wheel transportation, creating tremendous mobility for the masses. However, the Nano and other micro cars are foreseeing the consequence. With the expected boom in automobile ownership, there would be greater traffic congestion, higher risk of global warming, and more demand for highway facilities and oil. With the release of the Nano in the market, the rest of the world will soon buy cars the same rate as America alone does – a global traffic jam is sure to take place.

“The Nano will put the Third World on wheels, that will have far-
reaching implications. It’s going to affect every citizen of the
world,” says auto analyst John Wolkonowicz.

Despite the probable repercussions, consumers see the micro cars as a natural evolution. With the hype of mini mobile phones and iPods, they equate small with high tech. The mindset is now “just because it’s small, it doesn’t mean that it can’t be fantastic”.
It’s all about weighing down one’s wants, needs and priorities. If you care for the environment, remain a commuter for the rest of your life. But since you might not get to beat them, might as well join them.

Spark plugs are nothing more than two wires close together so that a spark can jump between them.  One wire is encased in ceramic to insulate it from the other; the second wire, which is connected to a ground.  The function of the spark plug is to introduce the ignition energy into the engine’s combustion chamber and to initiate combustion of the compressed air-fuel mixture.  It accomplishes this task by generating a spark between its electrodes, which then generates the required heat to ignite a smooth burn of the air/fuel mixture. 

The spark plug is an important factor in determining optimal performance and reliable functioning of an engine.  It plays a major role in fuel economy, in achieving a clean and efficient combustion, and the reliable operation of engines and catalytic converters. When they are worn out, your engine will misfire, be difficult to start, waste gasoline and degrade the performance which was designed into it.

During operation, the spark plug is subjected to both wear and to fouling and should be replaced at regular intervals.  In the course of its service life, the spark plug undergoes changes that increase the required ignition voltage. When the required voltage reaches a level that can no longer be compensated for by the voltage reserve, the result is misfiring.  These changes can be caused by:

-  Electrode wear
- Engine wear
- Abnormal operating conditions (pre-ignition, detonation, high oil consumption)

It is therefore very important to regularly check the condition of the spark plugs. As part of normal maintenance, spark plugs should be checked, removed, cleaned, re-gapped and re-installed every 5000 to 6000 miles to maintain proper performance.  This interval varies according to your driving habits and type of car.

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These are some of the symptoms which may lead to brake problem although this is not the complete list you have sufficient info on what symptoms to watch out for.

Below are just a few most common symptoms that indicate a brake system problem:
- brake warning lights comes on while driving
- brake fluid level is low
- ABS warning light comes on while driving
- the vehicle pulls to one side during braking
- the brake pedal pulsates and (or) the vehicle vibrates during braking (mostly you can feel it from the steering wheel)
- the brake pedal is too hard or too spongy
- the brake pedal goes down too far
- any kind of noise while braking (e.g screeching, squeaking, grinding)
- the brakes drag (the car does not roll freely)
- smell of burnt brakes

Parking brake operation
Many people who drive automatic transmission vehicles rarely use parking brake. This may cause parking brake mechanism and cables to seize up. To check, try to set the parking brake – it should prevent vehicle from rolling. Once released, the vehicle should roll freely.
Regular mechanical inspection
For your safety, We recommend to have your car inspected regularly, at least once a year, by a qualified mechanic in a garage. I mean not just visual inspection by one of the fast lube places, but by a professional mechanic that can lift your car and check major components such as brakes, suspension, etc., while having your tires rotated, for example. This is because many components (e.g ball joints), can not be inspected visually.

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Via Honda Cars DIY

The Mercedes Benz C-Class has come out to be the winner of Germany’s vote for the most popular car. As such, Adac, a motoring organization has presented the much-coveted award called “Yellow Angel 2008″ to this ultimate crowd favorite.

Adac annually presents the “Yellow Angel” for the car with the most exceptional performance and this is one of Europe’s most desired motoring awards. To qualify, cars are judged according to the following criteria: price / performance ratio, practicality, economy safety, and environmental compatibility. There were 36 cars who were up against each other and 340, 000 people placed their votes and awarded the first place to the C-Class Mercedes. As the C-Class has established new standards since its launch at March 2007, it had an addition to its already appealing design, which also was a characteristic refinement of the Mercedes: a set of the latest technical advancements. Some examples are the Intelligent Light System and the anticipatory occupant protection system called PreSafe.

Looking back, people looking for street-smart yet luxurious cars can never go wrong with any of the Teana, the Camry or the Accord. These three have all what it takes to be smartly deluxe: safety (Intelligent lighting systems), security (engine immobilizers with rolling codes), performance (variable valve timings, cruise control options), styling (leather seats, woodgrain interiors accented with chrome), and convenience (profuse cup-holders, storage spaces, smart keys, rear air-conditioning vents, retractable shades, dual climate controls). Truly, these sedans are worth showing off, having their owners as proud parents of well-behaved “kids”.

(Taken from Business World Highlife magazine, Issue 30)

Restraint systems such as seatbelts, air bags and head restraints work along with the structure of the vehicle itself to protect passengers from serious crashes in an event of an accident. These restraint system keep us secure in our seats and shield us from impact during crashes when accidents occur.

• Head restraints are now required in the front seats of all passenger cars to keep your head from injuring your neck in a rear-end crash (usually whiplash-related injuries). Some head restraints are adjustable, while some are fixed.
• Seat belts are standard on all vehicles sold in America today. These secure us to to our seats during hard braking or in a crash, but seatbelts also allow mobility and of freedom of movement during normal driving.
• Airbags are a very important and very effective safety feature because it prevents us from hitting the dashboard or the steering wheel on the event of a crash.
• Side airbags are designed principally to protect your chest and keep your head from hitting interior or intruding structures.

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For the year 2007, a triple threat of sedans came out to outdo each other. First, the Nissan Teana: it’s unmistakably a head-turner with its metallic sapphire blue shade. It’s a quiet ride going on at 170-horsepower and 2.3 liters, which proved to be above satisfactory. A favorite feature of the Teana would be the onboard monitor which gives out a number of important information: mileage specifications, temperature, approximated fuel range and the like. It also has a rear camera that provides video feedback for safe turns while on reverse. The sunroof is a cool bonus, not to mention the spacious leg room.

(to be continued)

When Shiro Nakamura, an international artist and musician, became Nissan’s design chief, he has pushed that the company must be “looser and more creative” with their design concepts. Nakamura saw to it that hindrances between design and development were remedied and from then, engineers and designers were collaborated, and not anymore waiting on each other.

Koji Nagano, Nissan’s project design director, notes that, “Design is very emotional stuff.” On a more personal take, Nagano feeds his creativity with art and music. He shares in particular that he has a large aquarium at home and relates that the fish help him see colors he never saw before. “It is very organic, how the colors interact with one another.”

As with Nissan, a growing number of car designers aimed their “creative fires to animate cold, lifeless metal”. With the aesthetics and design in mind, it is best to also keep the end user in mind.

(Taken from Business World Highlife magazine, Issue 31)