There are many products in the market that promise car show quality finishes. All you need to do is to look for products that you think will work best for your car. Go online and look at the reviews about these products. You’ll surely find one that you will be perfect for your needs and for your car.

“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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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.

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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Did you know that constant car washing not only makes the car clean, it also protects it from the natural elements that harm the finish? Yes it does! The Car Care Council recommends the following so that you would know what to do and don’t when you wash your car by yourself.* Don’t wash cars in direct sunlight. Do wash cars in shade or in cooler temperatures in the early morning or late afternoon.* Don’t use dish detergent. Do use a formulated car wash.* Do fill your bucket with warm water.* Do use a soft terrycloth towel or washing mitt.* Do spray the car often with water.* Don’t scrub the car all at once. Do complete one section at a time, rinsing repeatedly to prevent the soap from drying on the paint.* Do use soft terrycloth towels or scratch-free fabric to dry the vehicle.* Don’t neglect waxing the vehicle. Do prep the car for waxing using cleaner/polish to remove contaminants.

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Things You’ll Need:

• Hand Soaps
• Brake Fluids
• Car Manuals

Step 1:
Find the brake master cylinder. This is usually located under the hood on the driver’s side of the car, toward the back of the engine compartment. Imagine where your brake pedal would end up if it went all the way through to the engine. The brake master cylinder is a small (about 6-by-2 inches), rectangular piece of metal with a plastic reservoir and a rubber cap on top, and small metal tubes leading from it.

Step 2:
Check your manual if you aren’t sure that you’ve found the master cylinder. The rubber cap will usually read “use only DOT 3 or 4 brake fluid from a sealed container.”

Step 3:
Note that on most newer cars the reservoir is translucent and you can see the fluid level without removing the cap. There will be a “full” line, the brake fluid should be at this line.

Step 4:
In older cars (pre-1980) the brake master cylinder reservoir may be made entirely of metal so that you must take the top off to check the fluid level. The top is held on by a metal clamp, use a screwdriver to pop off the clamp and lift the lid.

Step 5:
Add brake fluid to the “full” line. Use the correct brake fluid for your car: Check the rubber cap and your owner’s manual to find out what grade of brake fluid your car requires. Most cars use DOT (Department of Transportation) 3 or 4. If the reservoir has 2 parts, fill both halves.

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via Honda Cars DIY

If your car is well maintained and tuned-up properly, it will go a long way and you will be saving a lot in your gas budget. At the same time, it is equally important that your tire pressure is maintained properly and it must be one area that should not be overlooked. It may not seem so but a slight difference in the tire pressure can generate resistance. This will cause the engine to exert more work. As a rule, tire pressure should really be checked on a regular basis to avoid further damage to the vehicle. Actually, it is not just the tire pressure but the all areas as well.

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• Park your car on level ground along the shoulder, or somewhere safe, and apply the hand brake. If it’s a manual transmission car, put it in gear (first gear is good). If automatic, put it in Park. Turn off the engine and activate the hazard lights. You can open your hood to help people see you’re fixing your car. If you have an early-warning device (EWD), place it at the rear and front of your car. This lessens the likelihood of people mistaking your car for a moving vehicle, and possibly hitting you.

• Place a wheel chock or a large rock behind (if facing uphill) or in front (if facing downhill) of the wheel with a flat tire to prevent the car from rolling. You can now get out the spare wheel, a lug nut wrench (tire iron) and the car jack.

• Remove the hubcap or wheel cap, if necessary. Some brand cars have a special tool for doing this. Before jacking up the car, loosen (but don’t remove) the lug nuts, by placing one end of the lug nut wrench over a lug nut. Use a hollow pipe as a lever by slipping it over the end of the lug nut wrench. Lug nuts are loosened with a counter-clockwise turning. Loosen the lug nuts in a star pattern–first loosen one a few turns, then loosen the one opposite. Do this until all the nuts are slightly loosened.

• Carefully jack up the car. Check your owner’s manual for the correct and safe place to put the jack. You can usually put the jack somewhere below the car’s underchassis (and not under the body, as you might dent it. Check your manual for correct jack usage. Pneumatic and screw-type jacks may have different instructions. Jack the car up until you have about four to six inches ground clearance, so you have room to put the new, full tire on.

• Remove the lug nuts all the way and set them aside at a safe place where they can’t roll away. The flat tire should be hanging from the studs now.

• Remove and set aside the flat tire. Set it underneath the car, just in case your jack fails.

• Lift the new tire onto the wheel studs. If you’re confused about which is the right way, check for the valve where you add air–it always faces out.

• Replace the lug nuts the same way you loosened them. Tighten them first, and then give each nut a few turns–first one, then the one opposite, working around the wheel in a star pattern. Try not to tighten adjacent nuts consecutively, as this might result in an unbalanced tightening.

• Slowly lower the jack and remove it.

• Tighten the lug nuts again as much as you can, again in a star pattern.

• Put the hubcap or wheel cap back on, if necessary.

After this, you can already stow your flat tire in the trunk. Be sure to have it checked at the nearest service station.

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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