5-Minute Guide To Basic Car Maintenance

The key to your vehicle’s longevity is applying basic maintenance on a regular schedule. That includes checking the fluids, cleaning the battery, and taking a close look at your tire treads. Properly maintaining your car is not only simple, but quick. Fifteen minutes each week is sufficient for making sure important parts and systems, such as your engine and transmission, are in good condition. And that pays long-term dividends in performance, fuel efficiency, and less-frequent repair bills.

Unfortunately, most drivers neglect the basics. And of those who address automotive maintenance, many approach it haphazardly. For example, they watch for the indicators on their dashboard to flicker on, or wait until their tires are so bald, they’re hydroplaning on the road. Below, I’ll give you a 5-minute crash course on maintaining your vehicle so it will keep you on the road as long as possible.

Maintaining The Exterior

Consider your vehicle’s exterior a priority. Over time, the environment can break the paint down, allowing air and moisture to creep in and cause oxidation. If left unattended, rust will spread. Washing, waxing, and when necessary, applying touch-up paint, not only improves your car’s appearance, but it also prevents rust from settling in. Also, your car’s exterior will likely sustain small chips, scratches, and dents due to road debris or unmindful passersby. These, too, can set the stage for oxidation, and thus rust.

While you don’t need to wash and wax your car every week, doing so periodically will help protect the exterior.

Check The Fluids

Your car depends heavily on a number of fluids to ensure major assemblies under the hood operate efficiently. It’s important to check the levels of these fluids regularly, and replenish them when they decline. For example, your engine depends on motor oil for constant lubrication of its moving parts. If the level declines too far, these parts will create friction and heat, and cause your engine to seize.

Your engine also relies upon coolant to transfer heat away from the assembly. If the coolant level is low, your engine will overheat, causing damage that will be expensive to repair.

You’ll also need to check your transmission fluid. Your transmission needs an ample supply of fluid in the same way your engine requires oil. Starving the assembly of this fluid will cause damage. Expensive damage.

Clean The Battery

You’ll notice corrosion accumulating on your battery’s posts. This corrosion affects the connection between the posts and the connector cables. It can become so problematic that the connection is unable to conduct the battery’s voltage. For this reason, take the time to unhook the cables and clean off the corrosion. You can buy a simple wire battery post and terminal cleaner at most auto supply shops for less than $5. Cleaning the posts and terminals only takes a few minutes.

Check Your Tires

As you know, your treads wear down with use. They also allow a tiny bit of air to escape over time. Hence, you’ll need to check the tread depth and pressure on a regular basis (usually, every two or three weeks is sufficient). You can purchase a digital tread depth gauge for less than $20, and a digital tire pressure gauge for another $10. Both are worth the investment, and you’ll use them (hopefully) for the life of your vehicle.

Keeping your car’s exterior in good condition, checking the fluids, cleaning the battery, and inspecting the tires are all critical maintenance items. If you do these four things on a regular basis, your vehicle will last much longer than otherwise. Given the cost of repairing your engine and transmission, the time spent maintaining them is one of the best investments you can make in your car.

Environmental Green Cars

Related posts

• Simple Car Repair & Maintenance Using Household Items Part 2 (0)
• Simple Car Repair & Maintenance Using Household Items (0)
• What Is A CVT? (0)
• Should You Purchase Rebuilt Auto Parts? (0)
• Reasons To Purchase A Certified Pre-Owned Car (0)

Should You Purchase Rebuilt Auto Parts?

If you own your vehicle long enough, you’ll eventually need to replace various components. As I’ve mentioned in past articles, auto parts suffer wear and tear just like your tires. Given enough time, they’ll fail and need to be replaced. The question is should you purchase OEM (original equipment manufacturer) units or rebuilt parts? The former are more expensive than the latter, but are you truly getting your money’s worth?

In short, maybe. A new alternator produced by a dependable manufacturer is unlikely to fail anytime soon. However, a rebuilt will often have an even higher level of quality than an OEM product. A lot depends upon the work of the rebuilder. Below, I’ll explain how and why quality can vary widely. We’ll also explore remanufactured components as well as who is actually rebuilding the products.

Why Quality Varies

As in most industries, price leads quality. In other words, the lower the price for a replacement starter, master cylinder, or fuel injector, the lower the workmanship tends to be. Consider the job of rebuilders. They want to produce the best rebuilts possible; their reputation depends upon it. At the same time, prices have been driven into the ground by many retailers who do not place a high value on quality.

Some rebuilders stick to their proverbial guns and focus on producing reliable products that will last for years. Others go for the quick money and recondition units to look new, but are actually built shabbily. There is no standard in the industry. As a result, workmanship can differ greatly. The lesson to take away here is to avoid shopping purely on price when you’re in the market for replacement components.

What About Remanufactured Units?

Rebuilding components is a craft. A lot of people are under the mistaken impression that one brake caliper is the same as the next. As you’ve seen from the last section, that’s untrue. There’s yet another option that muddies the water even further: remanufactured parts. For a particular product to be “remanufactured,” it must be restored to the original equipment specifications. That usually means that only the pieces that have officially failed are replaced.

By contrast, a rebuilder might strip down a steering rack (for example) and replace everything, even if the pieces are merely worn and haven’t failed yet. In this case, the quality of the rebuilt steering rack will generally be higher than a remanufactured alternative.

Who Are The Rebuilders?

Think of the auto parts rebuilding industry in the same manner as the accounting industry. There are national firms, regional agencies, and individuals who cater to a small group of clients. A rebuilt component can come from any one of them. Some rebuilders work only in their area and supply parts to local repair garages. Others produce thousands of rebuilt units each year for nationwide repair shops.

In the end, rebuilt auto parts can represent a significant bargain when compared to OEM components. Look for quality and don’t balk at paying a few extra dollars for it. It will usually be worth it in the long run.

Environmental Green Cars

Related posts

• What Is A CVT? (0)
• Reasons To Purchase A Certified Pre-Owned Car (0)
• Make your car more eco-friendly (0)
• Catalytic Converters The Latest Target (0)
• Basics Of How Hybrid Vehicles Work (0)

Basics Of How Hybrid Vehicles Work

Automotive engines that rely solely upon gasoline may one day be a memory, though that day is likely to be many years down the road. Hybrid-electric vehicles (HVs or HEVs) are more efficient and environmentally friendly than their fuel-driven counterparts. They are designed around a configuration that takes advantage of an internal combustion engine (ICE) and an electric motor (EC). In doing so, they yield better fuel efficiency, more power output, and by most owners’ accounts, a quieter ride.

Below, we’ll explore how HVs work. You’ll discover what occurs under the hood that allows these disparate parts to work together. We’ll approach it methodically, beginning with starting the car, cruising, and bringing it to a stop.

Starting And Delivering The Initial Power

With most HEVs, the internal combustion engine does most of work. It delivers the majority of the propulsion power while the electric motor functions as a supplemental source. The motor places resistance on the vehicle’s drivetrain, thereby slowing the wheels. That creates kinetic energy which, in turn, rotates the motor. As the EM rotates, it converts the kinetic energy into an electrical current and stores it in the battery. The electricity remains in the battery until it is required by the motor. This design is called regenerative braking.

When you turn the key in the ignition, the ICE comes to life. If necessary, the EM will retrieve electricity from the battery to provide a secondary power source.

Cruising Down The Road

While you’re driving, a computer is constantly monitoring the performance of your vehicle. Its purpose is to determine your driving conditions, your intent, and ultimately, when it is appropriate to engage the electric motor.

For example, suppose you’re cruising down the road at a normal speed. Because the driver in front of you is moving too slowly, you change lanes and push your accelerator pedal to gain speed. You are essentially placing your engine under a heavier load. The computer identifies your intent and engages the electric motor to deliver a boost of power.

When you begin to cruise along at a normal speed again, the computer switches the EM off in order to conserve energy. By doing this, your car is far more fuel-efficient than would be the case if it were relying solely upon a traditional gasoline engine.

Stopping And Idling

The regenerative braking design mentioned earlier works to slow your wheels and bring your hybrid to a stop. When your vehicle comes to a full stop, the computer switches the engine and the motor off in order to avoid wasting energy while idling. The auxiliary systems (i.e. stereo, power windows, air conditioner, etc.) continue to receive power from the battery.

When you press on the accelerator to resume driving, the computer engages the internal combustion engine to produce the initial propulsion power. It then continues to monitor your hybrid’s performance to determine whether the electric motor should be engaged.

Why Hybrids Are More Fuel Efficient

There are several reasons why HEVs can deliver the same power output as a traditional internal combustion engine with greater fuel economy. First, the computer conserves gas by turning the engine off while idling (described above). Second, the kinetic energy normally wasted while braking is captured by the EM and stored in the battery. Third, hybrids are usually lighter than conventional vehicles, which requires less energy to propel forward. Fourth, most hybrids have been aerodynamically optimized to reduce drag.

This fuel efficiency is a compelling argument for the technology, and has motivated millions of people to buy hybrid vehicles. In fact, as gasoline prices have risen over the past few years, more people than ever are considering the same purchase. Over the next decade, we’ll likely witness a transformation in automotive design as cars, trucks, and even SUVs begin to integrate advanced hybrid technology.

Environmental Green Cars

Related posts

• What Is A CVT? (0)
• What are “Green” Cars? (1)
• The Quirky Honda Insight 2010 Hybrid (0)
• The Hybrid Song (0)
• Should You Purchase Rebuilt Auto Parts? (0)