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Thursday, October 25, 2007
The Best Time to Replace a Fan Thermostat
When you're stuck in traffic and your car gets too hot for comfort -- that's when you'll know that you already need to replace your car's fan thermostat. So how do you go about it? The first thing you have to consider will be what caused the car go running hot. It might be because the fan is simply cooling inefficiently or maybe because it totally became faulty. Fixing any kind of automotive problem requires you checking the symptoms that would surely give you the idea what would fix it. A few simple steps have been provided by ehow.com to guide us in knowing when would be the best time for you to have your car's fan thermostat replaced, which are as follows: - Secure the following things: specific or suitable thermostat for your model vehicle, jump wires and gloves
- Have your vehicle checked on a pleasant day. Take it for a drive to see if the overheating problem will reoccur. In your garage, open the hood and check if the cooling fan is running.
- Know if the fan is not running due to the fan motor or the thermostat. This step would require you some previous knowledge and skill or perhaps a few click on the web to search for info. Make use of a jump wire to verify if the motor is working.
- Unplug the wiring harness from the back of the fan. Have it affixed to the ground post with the jump wire and ground the fan. Attach the other end of the jump wire to the positive battery post.
- Run the other end to the positive post of the fan and take a second jump wire and attach one end to negative post of the fun. Have the other end affixed to any metal part of the body. If the fan is working, it should come on. If it does, pursue the plan on having the fan thermostat replaced. If not, stop here and look for a different problem.
That's it. Make sure to take note of these tips so you'll know what to do when it happens to you.
Posted at 05:47 pm by angiebroody
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Thursday, October 18, 2007
Make way for the 2008 Porsche 911 GT2 coming as the best Porsche ever . The Porsche 911 GT2 is actually a two-seat vehicle that has 530 horsepower at 180 mph with a top speed of 205 mph. The car is armed with efficient stability-management systems, suitably modified for the GT2's higher limits, on full alert, making it the most powerful, fastest, and costliest 911 ever. The 2009 911 GT2 was equipped with new titanium exhaust, which is mainly to lighten up a platform that was used before as the "standard" all-wheel-drive 911 Turbo. Walter Rohrl, former rally champ and current Porsche test driver, conducted the test of GT2 on an unused airport's runways. He said, "This car was ninety-percent done before I ever drove it." "It was that good, but the final 10 percent can be learned only by driving," he added. As Rohrl executed a perfect power slide, he said, "This is the best 911 ever." "Race car, street car, the best," he continued. Much more than that, the GT2's final suspension tuning has been formulated on the Nurburgring's Nordschleife, where Rohrl set a time of 7:32. That would be faster than the previous GT2's 7:46, the fastest for any production-series 911 and comparable with the Carrera GT. He said, "It has the power and stability of a good race car, but it drives more easily," as he shifted down through the six-speed manual gearbox. Such performance was made possible as the GT2 got 300 pounds of shed weight. It was through its composite front bucket seats, elimination of the rear seats, an aluminum rear-axle subframe, the plastic rear lid and wing, a composite intake manifold and lightweight front aluminum brake hats. Along with standard ceramic composite brake rotors, it has less weight at the nose, a valuable ingredient of the GT2's steering-quick, precise and the best of 911. However, I guess I won't be able to own one as I don't have $191,700 to buy it.
Posted at 11:58 pm by angiebroody
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Monday, October 15, 2007
The Volvo wagon has been symbolizing affluence, suburban comfort and of course, safety -- Volvo's persistent tradition, for the past years. Among the impressive wagons from Volvo is the XC70, also known as the "Cross Country" to the model's enthusiasts. Recently Volvo has introduced the all-new XC70 in the market, with a starting price of $36,775. That would be fairly good enough since Volvo has retained all of the qualities that has been part of the Volvo wagon for years, evident in the leather seats, solid construction and enough safety features as always to the customers the sense of impenetrable security. As with the styling, the XC70 still shows the cues of the past, including square shouldered profile, a Swedish spareness and elegant, timeless styling cues. Volvo's design Director Steve Mattin said, "With the help of the intelligent overlapping tailgate, which takes the taillights up with it when it is opened, the space inside the vehicle is larger than before and easy to load." As standard, the XC70 was made powered with a 3.2 L, in-line, 6-cylinder normally aspirated engine that can produce as much as 235 horsepower. It is mated with a six-speed "Geartronic" automatic transmission that allows the driver to shift manual when desired. Unfortunately, the estimated fuel mileage has not yet been revealed. The XC70 is held standard with all-wheel drive along with being comprised with the new electronic "Hill Descent Control", which makes use of the vehicle's brakes and engine torque in crawling to the bottom gear on sleep downhill slopes. Among the most interesting features include a new height-adjustable integrated child boosted cushion, which is considered the world's first. There are children who hate being seen in the booster seat. This matter is what Volvo hopes to eliminate as they created the feature. Volvo wanted to make the children more inclined to use them, as they made it for the children to look more "grown up" as part of the car seats. Safety, which has always been Volvo's primary concern, features the next generation whiplash protection system, dynamic stability and traction control, tire pressure monitoring system and enhanced protection for pedestrians as well as for cyclists. New optional features include adaptive cruise control with collision warning and brake support. The interior is comprised with "ortho-posture" supportive seats and ergonomically designed instruments. The backrests can be folded separately creating a larger load compartment with an entirely flat floor. In addition, the rear seat splits to 40/20/40. The luggage compartment is made up of aluminum rails along with movable anchorage points that are able to secure a load. The side panels were made with built-in load anchorage eyelets that keeps luggage securely in place. Those are only a few. You might want to test the vehicle yourself to discover the rest of its wonders.
Posted at 03:19 am by angiebroody
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Monday, October 08, 2007
Volkswagen’s Dieselution Tour
 Diesel was more than merely a phase to Volkswagen. For the past years it became a prominent fixture of Volkswagen's history. Other brands, such as those of General Motors and Volvo, guaranteed it during the '80s, while Volkswagen kept continuing to plug the diesel fuel for many years onwards. So, if you like getting an affordable diesel car, Volkswagen would be the best way to go. True, in 2006 Volkswagen was forced to withdraw its TDI Golf, Jetta and New Beetle from the line, as they do not have the capacity to meet the new extremely strict emissions regulations. These days however, Volkswagen has come up with ways of getting its latest engines past emissions regulations. The automaker wants its automobiles to come without issues and wants to get even more people interested in the fuel as they present it as an environmental and cost saving alternative to hybrids. The hard part is that not everyone is up for this kind of automobile saving. Some people require a lot of convincing for them to realize that diesel isn't a smelly, stinky and polluting fuel. Well, that is then the goal of the Volkswagen's Dieselution Tour. The Dieselution Tour, a traveling roadshow, aims to intorduce the wonderful world of diesel to all sorts of people through an informative and fun way. Volkswagen will be featuring A '77 Rabbit in good condition, America's oldest diesel, together with prototype of the 2009 Jetta TDI, Touareg 2 TDI, and a Polo Bluemotion. automobile.com describes the roadshow as, "Inside, the brightly colored trailer is a cross between a science fair exhibit and a video arcade with some really fun activities. Those who participate can see displays about VW's efforts in diesel racing, next-generation fuels (e.g. SunFuel), and even play with mileage and carbon calculators. For instance, one of the displays shows that driving a 2009 Jetta TDI from California to Colorado might save you enough money for a day's lift ticket and rentals at a ski / snowboard resort, not to mention several hundred pounds of carbon dioxide emissions when compared to an equivalently-sized gasoline-powered car." That makes it exciting to check out the Tour. It's not all about fun though as there are plenty of tidbits that are interesting and informative. There's a deconstructed 2.0 L TDI engine with all the visible parts. There are also informed and trained staff who are held to answer any questions concerning with diesel. The Dieselution display will go across North America, with stops at green events, auto shows such as SEMA, and even the Superbowl. This would mean that new TDIs can be expected in dealerships soon. The first one arriving will be the 2009 Jetta TDI. It will be followed by the Jetta TDI Wagon in the spring. By the end of 2008, the V6 TDI-powered Touareg, with a blend of economy and performance, will also be coming.
Posted at 07:28 pm by angiebroody
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Thursday, September 27, 2007
The 2007 AltWheels Green Pioneer Award Winners
Environment concern is a big issue in the automotive industry these days. Everybody wants their car to gain fuel efficiency and economy as well as achieve lower emissions. The AltWheels Alternative Transportation & Energy Festival recognizes the efforts of the regional leaders who contribute in creating such sustainable transportation. So, they are proud to present the winners of the 2007 AllWheels "Green Pioneer" Awards, which are as follows: - Four largest alternative-fuel users in Massachusetts, based on the number of gasoline-equivalent gallons (GGEs) consumed in calendar year 2006. Presented by Mike Manning, Account Executive with KeySpan, now part of National Grid.
- MBTA: 4,296,985 GGEs for CNG buses. - Accepted by Dan Grabauskas, General Manager of the MBTA
- Massport: 376,000 GGEs for CNG buses. - Accepted by Thomas Kinton, Massport CEO & Executive Director
- MassHighway: 330,000 GGEs for more than 200 CNG light-duty vehicles. - Accepted by Robert Cohen, Deputy Commissioner for Administration
- Pre-Flight Parking: 330,000 GGEs. - Accepted by Kevin Welsh, General Manager
- Four largest bio-diesel users in Massachusetts, based on the number of gallons, in B100 (pure bio-diesel equivalent) of bio-diesel purchased in the first half of 2007. Presented by Ed Burke, Chairman of the Board, Dennis K. Burke Inc
- National Grid: 17,154 gallons of B100 equivalent (8,770 gallons of B20). - Accepted by Joseph Callanan, Manager of Environmental Affairs
- Taunton State Hospital: 14,344 gallons of B100 equivalent (143,440 gallons of B10). - Accepted by Jim Condon, Engineer
- City of Boston: 12,231 gallons of B100 equivalent (244,620 gallons of B5). - Accepted by Mayor Thomas Menino
- Harvard University: 6,844 gallons of B100 equivalent (34,220 gallons of B20). - Accepted by David Harris, General Manager of Operations and Finance
- Highest Rated Municipal LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Project in New England
- Cambridge City Hall Annex: Gold certified LEED building. - Accepted by Susanne Rasmussen, Director, Cambridge Environmental & Transportation Planning.
- Highest Rated Non-Profit LEED Project in New England
- Artists for Humanity EpiCenter: Boston. Platinum certified LEED building. - Accepted by Susan Rodgerson, Executive/Artistic Director
- Highest Rated Private LEED Project in New England
- Genzyme, Cambridge: Platinum certified LEED building. - Accepted by Rick Mattila, Director of Environmental Affairs - Provincetown Art Assoc. & Museum: First LEED certified Art Museum in the USA. - Accepted by Christine McCarthy, Executive Director - Logan Airport Terminal A: First LEED certified airport terminal in the USA. - Accepted by Thomas Kinton, Massport CEO & Executive Director - Largest Municipal Producer of Wind Energy in MA & New England
- Town of Hull, MA: Hull's two turbines, totaling 2.4MW, are producing more than 1.6 million kWh of electricity for the town each year. - Accepted by Stephanie Landry, Hull Municipal Light Co. board member - Largest Private Producer of Wind Energy in MA
- Jiminy Peak, Hancock, MA: Their single 1.5 MW turbine produces more than 4.6 million kWh of electricity each year. - Accepted by Betsy Strickler, Director of Marketing - Largest Private Producer of Wind Energy in New England
- Mars Hill Wind Farm/UPC Wind Management, Mars Hill, ME: The Mars Hill facility in Maine produces over 145 million kWh annually of renewable energy. - Accepted by Steve Vavrik, Vice President of Origination - Largest Municipal Producer of Solar Energy in MA and New England
- Brockton Brightfields project, Brockton, MA: The largest municipal solar producer in all of New England they have a 425 kW solar array. - Accepted by Mayor James Harrington - Largest Private Producer of Solar Energy in MA
- Mass Innovation, Fitchburg, MA: Their facility includes a 140 kW solar array. - Accepted by Robert D. Ansin, CEO of MassInnovation - Largest Private Producer of Solar Energy in New England
- Staples in Killingly, CT.:The largest private, and the largest overall, producer of solar power in New England, the Staples facility includes a 433 kW solar array. - Accepted by Bob Valair, Director of Energy & Environmental Management - Largest Municipal Consumer of Renewable Energy in New England
- City of Boston: With 11.7% of energy coming from renewable sources, Boston is the largest municipal consumer of renewable energy in New England. - Accepted by Mayor Thomas Menino According to theautochannel.com, all enlisted will be honored tomorrow, September 28 from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm during a public ceremony at Boston's City Hall Plaza. The event will be gathered by several leaders, including Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Massport CEO Thomas Kinton, MBTA General Manager Dan Grabauskas, Brockton Mayor James Hamington and a lot more others. This two-day celebration shall be offering participants and attendees the opportunity to see different, clean, effective transportation options, of which are now ready to be bought and used. It would be featuring the new technologies from several leading automakers in the industry such as Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen and others. As this event is hosted by Boston's Museum of Science, New England Aquarium and Children's Museum, there will be informative, fun exhibits on transportation and energy, including several interactive-learning activities that will focus on how to create a more sustainable world. Sounds fun and interesting, isn't it? Well, it would be nice to witness such an awarding, considering that it will also provide information well enough to be used in creating a greener future.
Posted at 01:42 am by angiebroody
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Thursday, September 20, 2007
Mandatory in Winnipeg: Anti-theft Devices
 Automobile theft has been prevalent these days, and Winnipeg has been named as one of Canada's worst places to park your car. Each year, the state suffers from a cost of as much as $1 billion with regards to automobile theft. Such cost includes $600 million for insurers for repairs or replacement stolen cars, $250 million for police, health care and court system costs and a lot more millions for correctional services expenses. So, the government opted to put the brakes on auto theft. Winnipeg, in this case, will be the first jurisdiction in the country to force the car owners to install anti-theft device in their older vehicles. Ignition immobilizers, starting first day of this month, was held mandatory for city residents who own and drive vehicles included on the province's list of vehicles "most-at-risk" of theft. They should follow; otherwise, they won't be able to get their insurance renewed until they've shown effort to install an immobilizer. The electronic device fits in the palm of your hand. It is placed in the car's engine and works to prevent the vehicle from starting unless a key fob is placed near the ignition or the engine computer recognized the specific-electronic code embedded in the key. The Manitoba Public Insurance program is said to cover the cost of immobilizer installation. The program is expected to cost taxpayers about $15 million. In addition, the new federal rules will require every new vehicle for production to have the immobilizer as a standard feature. According to Brian Smiley, a spokesman for Manitoba Public Insurance, the at-risk vehicles is five per cent of the province's vehicles. However, those are half of the stolen cars. Check on the Insurance Bureau of Canada's 2006 list of top ten most stolen cars: - 2000 Honda Civic SiR 2-door
- 1999 Honda Civic SiR 2-door
- 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX/WRX STi 4-door AWD
- 1999 Acura Integra 2-door
- 1994 Honda Civic Si 2-door Hatchback
- 1998 Acura Integra 2-door
- 1993 Dodge Shadow Convertible
- 1996 Honda Civic Si 2-door Hatchback
- 2000 Audi TT Quattro 2-door Coupe
- 1996 Chev/GMC Blazer/Jimmy S Series 2-door 4WD�
The 1999 and 2000 Honda Civics SIR 2-door holds the dubious distinction of being the top in this year's most stolen car list. These two models are also the third and fourth highest theft claims cost per vehicle. And, 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX/WRX STi 4-door all-wheel-drive is the absolute highest in the category. Probably, if you own one of these cars and you live in Canada, your car is at high risk. And, this is not about the cost of the car or how stunning it is. The big fact here is that those cars are the ones that thieves can easily get their hands on and get them running without the keys. Rick Dubin, Vice-President, Investigations, IBC, said, "The stats prove time and again that theft deterrent systems work. This year, we see that auto thieves continue to find it easier to steal older vehicles lacking an IBC-approved immobilizer� We've seen this trend developing for several years, and these results confirm it." He further said, "Immobilizers are highly effective at deterring car thieves. In terms of this year's stats, you have to go down the list to the 28th most-frequently stolen spot to find a vehicle, the 2001 Audi S4 Quattro 4-door, that registered a high theft frequency despite the fact that it is protected by an immobilizer. It just underlines the reality that theft is much more likely when a vehicle is not equipped with an immobilizer." That's why they are in strong dedication to get the use of such device mandatory to older cars, new cars, light trucks and SUV's. For that, it will not be a choice, but a need for the people to do, not a hard choice if you want auto theft to be at least something to worry less about.
Posted at 06:34 pm by angiebroody
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Friday, September 14, 2007
With the number of cars soaring, so as the number of vehicle accidents, it is a must for every car to be insured. Risk is always a part of life, and so it's also a part of your car. It is a not a matter whether you do it or not, rather it's a matter of how well you can save from your insurances. So, here are practical tips on “how” (courtesy of chathamjournal.com): - Research the make, model and age. – These factors greatly contribute to how much you will be paying. Before getting a new car, take into consideration the probable insurance costs. Usually, when the insurance premium is high, the car is more prone to be incurred in serious collision damage, which will cost you surging hike on repair costs. Safety features might give you insurance discount.
- Save with safety. – Age, experience and driving, and insurance records are the factors involved. The best thing here is to maintain a clean driving record, as it lowers down your monthly premiums. Defensive driver training course could pay itself through lower rates.
- Know your neighborhood. – Where you live and how many miles you drive annually are in the line. Prevalence of auto thieves and accidents in the community is bolted in this category.
- Understand your deductible options. – Monthly premiums are most likely lowered by raising collision or comprehensive deductibles. However, such deductibles also elicit you to pay more on loss.
- Know your credit history. – Several insurance companies take credit scores as a basis in setting the price.
- Keep your information current. – Make sure you provide your insurer accurate information regarding changes such as if you add or remove drivers from your policy, you got a new car, you change your address, the distance you drive daily has been altered or if you will not be using your car.
Be smart and you’ll know you’re on the right track.
Posted at 01:44 am by angiebroody
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Monday, September 03, 2007
Because all the automakers are securing the safety of their drivers on the road, they are looking for more technology that could further make their cars safe from accidents. One major cause of car accidents is alcohol intake and drug abuse. This is why more car makers are studying ways to develop new systems that could prevent accidents when the driver is under the influence of alcohol. Nissan started a system that could identify alcohol consumption in the driver of a new Nissan car. It was released in Japan a month ago. The system actually identifies the amount of alcohol on the driver's body. And if the system identifies 80% alcohol on the human body, the system automatically shuts the car off to prevent the driver from propelling the car. The world may be occupied with doing more hybrids but they say it can also cause harm to drivers. Too much ethanol gas can cause headache during a drive. Volvo discovered a new car gadget called Alcoguard, a fuel cell breathalyzer. This particular system is now being used by the European police "which render more accurate readings because the membranes react only to ethanol and nothing else," according to the news from Autoblog. The system also identifies fuel consumption through driver's breath and if the driver is highly intoxicated with alcohol, the system automatically stops the car. Autoblog also included on their news that, "In Sweden, the unit is tuned to let the car start at readings of less than 0.2 g/l. Above 0.1 g/l, the car will start, but it lets the driver know that he shouldn't drive." The new Alcoguard will be seen on Volvo models such as S80, XC7 and V70, which adds a coast of 900 euros on the new system installed.
Posted at 08:16 pm by angiebroody
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Tuesday, August 21, 2007
The US car market is going crazy over cars that produce lower emission of CO2 to compensate with the stricter emission standards of the US. If ethanol is a gasoline, Biodiesel is also a kind of diesel. It is a renewable alternative fuel that produces low CO2 but at low cost. It can also be used by a conventional powertrain part although without modifications. But how are you going to use a Biodiesel? I found these guidelines on ehow.com. The first thing you need to do it to know whether your engine is capable of running on a biodiesel fuel. If your engine is only for unleaded or ethanol, do not try to attempt using the biodiesel. Be able to identify the proper source of your biodiesel. There are several kinds of biodeisel. B5 is a combination of 5% biodiesel and 95% petrodiesel. The B20 is composed of 20% biodiesel and 80% petrodiesel and the B100 which is 99% biodiesel. Then call around and search around the biodiesel Web page for a map to locate which part of your area sells this particular eco-friendly fuel. Now, stick to the normal maintenance schedule. Make sure that your car is performing well after biodiesel is used. Biodiesel is not only a fuel efficient diesel but it is also a cleaning agent that could clean your fuel filter which might get plugged up soon if you continuously us diesel fuel. Remember to avoid buying home made bio diesel. There also several ways to do it yourself but it is safer to buy it on gasoline stations. Make sure that you are using the biodiesel properly especially during climate change. This can have a harmful effect on your car. Always refer on your user's manual before deciding on using biodiesel on your car. this can ruin the functionality of your car if it is not for it.
Posted at 05:58 pm by angiebroody
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Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Happy 40th Birthday Mazda
Ford's partner in hybrid car making, Mazda Motor Corporation celebrates its 4o years of being in the business. And to thanks its legions of fans, Mazda is building 200 RX-8 Rotary engine vehicles for sale in Japan. The picture shows the complete front view of the 200 RX-8 Rotary Engine 40th Anniversary edition cars. The Japanese car maker gave the new car a special edition Marble White paint job matched to a special badge and the unique leather on its seat as well as the Alcantara interior completes the look of the anniversary car. The leather trimmings inside the car are also given a slightly retro image. Aside from all these, a classic image is also boosted by the installation of foam-filled front cross member and the Bilstein dampers which gives the new car a sporty look. These are the engine specifications of the 200 RX-8 Rotary Engine cars I found on autoblog.com: Engine/Chassis Rotary engine:
By using rotors that have been finely balanced for their weight and rotation characteristics, the smooth performance of the rotary engine has been further enhanced. Bilstein dampers:
The Bilstein dampers were exclusively designed for this limited edition RX-8 in order to achieve higher levels of performance and comfort. The front suspension cross member is filled with urethane foam:
The urethane foam filling provides the ideal amount of vibration suppression to deliver a desirable degree of direct feedback, ensuring a high quality steering feel. Brakes:
Large diameter disc brakes (These are special equipment for the 6-speed AT, but are standard equipment on the MT base model.) Wheels:
225/45R18 91W tires and 18-inch alloy wheels (These are special equipment for the 6-speed AT, but are standard equipment on the MT base model.) Body color:
The classic shade, Marble White, is offered exclusively.
According to Mazda; the cars will be available at the standard RX-8 Type S (6MT) as well as Type E (6AT) models including RX-8 specials. All these versions will sport the same interior and exterior car parts and accessories. If you wish to see more about the new car from Mazda, log on to their official website or visit autoblog.com now for more pictures and information.
Posted at 10:53 pm by angiebroody
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