Jul 16
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If you’re planning a long road trip then you need to make sure you check your car over before you leave. This can prevent lengthy visits to the auto shop or worse still collision repairs. There are some basic checks you should carry out before you leave home. They only take a few minutes but can make the difference between an enjoyable road trip and a miserable one.
Check your tyre condition and pressures. These are the only contact point with the road so it is vitally important that they are in good condition. Correct tyre pressures will not only improve your fuel economy but also make the rider smoother and enable the car to hold the road better. Make sure you check the spare wheel too! Check your lights, headlights, brake lights, main beam and indicators. Some police are more stringent than others when it comes to broken lights.
Under the hood, check all your liquids. Make sure there is plenty of coolant, with the right mixture of anti-freeze for the conditions. Ensure windshield wash is topped up and that the nozzles are clear. Next check power steering fluid, brake fluid and oil and top up as necessary. Carry any spare oil you may have in the trunk.
While you are under the hood, quickly check all the hoses and belts. Turn the car over and listen for hissing noises which can indicate leaks. Run the engine for a bit to make sure the fan comes on. You can tell a lot from an engine just by looking at it and listening to it.
Just spending fifteen minutes doing these basic checks can not only prevent incidents but also give you confidence in your vehicle. Both or either of these will make your trip that much more enjoyable.
Jul 16
adminNaples Auto Repair auto body naples, auto body repair naples florida, body repair naples florida, naples, naples auto body, Naples Auto Repair
Imagine taking the off ramp of the freeway touching the brake to slow down for the tight corner and nothing happens. Even pressing the brake pedal as hard as you can does nothing. How do you avoid crashing and having to send your car to the collision specialist to be repaired?
Staying calm is the single most effective thing you can do in this situation. Yes, it’s easier said than done when you’re speeding down a road with no way to stop. But keeping calm and steering to avoid hazards and other traffic is the best way to stay in one piece. Turn on your hazard lights to warn the people around you that something is wrong, even if they don’t know what it is.
Keep pumping the brake as you go because you may be able to rebuild enough brake pressure to get them working, even for a little bit. Don’t worry if you have ABS as it only kicks in when you brake too hard, which won’t be the case here!
If you have a manual, start shifting down the gears, without wrecking the engine. Use your judgement when to change gear, being especially aware when you get to 2nd or 1st gear. If you have an automatic then switch it into low gear as soon as you can.
Use the emergency brake if you can. It isn’t designed to stop a moving car but will slow you down to a stop in time. Do it steadily, don’t snatch it or you could spin out. If none of these mechanical measure work, find an open stretch of road away from pedestrians and traffic and let the car coast to a stop. If you are lucky enough to be near a hill, head for it and let gravity do its thing.
If you aren’t slowing down much or worse, are heading downhill, look for a truck emergency lane or somewhere to run off the road. These are dangerous manoeuvres but may have to be considered if you aren’t losing enough speed. Grass, gravel, shrubbery or anything like that will help you scrub speed while remaining mostly in control.
Other methods such as using the central reservation or crash barriers are only advisable if you are confident you could remain in control of the car. If you lose it then an accident is going to happen and you will probably be hurt, or write off the car. A collision with other vehicles is also not advisable. It may look good on TV, but hitting an unsuspecting driver from behind is likely to injure them as well as you.
Avoiding an auto accident while not having any brakes is as much a matter of luck as it is judgement. By following these straightforward steps you can avoid disaster and hopefully only end up with the car in the shop rather than you in hospital.
Jul 16
adminNaples Auto Repair auto repair naples florida, car repair naples, naples auto body, naples car repair, naples collision, naples florida auto repair, paint
If you have ever been in an auto collision or a bump then you know that often cars simply won’t start afterwards. Even if the damage is nowhere near the engine. This has been an issue since cars were first invented and even now where most modern cars are more controlled by computer than the driver it’s still the case.
Bump starting a car isn’t rocket science but it can damage the engine if not done correctly. Here are a few simple steps to get your vehicle jump started with the minimum of fuss, remembering of course that this can only be done with a manual car!
If the car tries to turn over when you turn the key, you shouldn’t try bump starting it. It means that the problem is something other than the battery or starter. If this happens to you it would be advisable to get a tow home or to the shop.
You will need two people to effectively bump start your car, but it can be done single handed if you’re quick. Start by turning off all electrics, so the lights, washer wipers, radio etc and turning the ignition to the on position.
Remove the parking or handbrake, depress the clutch pedal and put the car into 2nd gear. Leave the gearbox in neutral if you’re pushing yourself. By either pushing yourself or other pushing, get the car rolling as quickly as you safely can. As soon as you get a bit of speed put the car into 2nd gear if you need to and release the clutch while giving the car a bit of gas. If the engine fires, pop the clutch again and keep a light touch on the gas pedal to keep the fuel flowing. Thank your helpers if there were any and get yourself home as quickly as possible.
Depending on what happened to the car you may find that the engine starts normally again after that. If it doesn’t then it is probably going to need professional help.
Jul 16
adminNaples Auto Repair auto body repair naples, car painter naples, car painting naples, naples auto body, naples auto painter, Naples Auto Repair, naples car painting, naples collision, paint car naples
When it comes to auto repairs there is nothing as convenient as handing it over to your local auto repair shop or collision repairer and letting them handle it. Often drivers are a little daunted by the apparent complexity of the car and are put off working on it themselves. If you drive an older car, finding the parts is often the biggest roadblock to working on it yourself.
If you do want to fix your own vehicle then it is often much easier to do than it first appears. Older cars often have sentimental value that belies their actual value. Often owners only part with their cars when they truly have to, either when they or the car can no longer drive.
Finding parts for older cars isn’t as difficult as it may seem at first. Especially with the advent of the internet. You will need the exact part type and preferably the model number to get anywhere though as there are literally millions of car parts available out there.
Your first port of call should be the manufacturer of the car. They may have old parts in stock or know somewhere that has them. If the car is a classic, they may be able to fabricate a part or again, know someone who can. This is an expensive option though, and should only really be considered once all other avenues have been explored.
If you local car store doesn’t have what you need then your next step is your local junk or scrap yard. A quick call can often save you hours of fruitless searching as the owner will generally know if they have your part, or model of car around. If they don’t have what you need then buy a local paper with classified ads in it. Some private sellers list spare cars and parts only in the paper, so its definitely worth a look.
Check online, in auto forums, or forums or chatrooms specific for your car if there are any. You may find when chatting with other owners that a part may be interchangeable with another, which can broaden your search. These places are a literal goldmine of information and resources. Check Google, EBay and other listing and auction sites for the parts too. These are another popular way for private owners to clear out their garages or storage while making some money.
If after all these options have been exhausted and you have had no luck. The last port of call should be to a local engineering firm to see if they can make one for you. If you have the old part they can often use it as a template for a new one. Be prepared to pay for this as it won’t be cheap!
Jul 16
adminNaples Auto Repair auto body, auto paint, car painting, collision repair, naples auto, naples auto body, Naples Auto Repair, naples car painting, naples collision repair, naples mechanic
We Americans love our cars. We’re famous for it, well that and the cheap gas prices anyway. Even with the slow demise of the auto industry in recent months, we are still stalwart supports of our vehicles.
With increasing gas prices, traffic, and pollution we are still driving everywhere we can and enjoying (mostly) every minute of it. The Transportation Department reports that there are over 107 million households with an average of 1.9 million cars and 1.8 million drivers. They are big numbers. They equate to 204 million vehicles and 191 million drivers to drive them.
There has been a steady increase in cars over drivers for the past twenty five years as families disintegrate, commuting increases, family wealth increases and more teens wanting to drive. The cars themselves have become longer lasting in this time, with a typical car doing 200,000 miles in its lifetime.
The main reason for having a car is to commute to work or the school run, however people are increasingly acquiring vehicles for specialized purposes. Many families have a “weekend car” which is generally a sports car or SUV. They may drive an efficient car during the week and something a little more fun at the weekend.
A survey carried out by the Transportation Department in 2002 found 91% of commuters use their own cars. 57% of these are cars or station wagons, 21% are vans or SUVs and 19% are light trucks. Only 8% of American families don’t own vehicles.
Since 9/11 more people than ever have been taking to the road for their vacations. Flights are down overall with many people electing to stay closer to home and drive where they need to go. With hundreds of thousands of miles of road, there is no shortage of vacation destinations in the country and just about everywhere has a gas station or garage for auto repairs.
Choice may be becoming more limited and gas prices might be getting slowly higher, but there is no perceived change in our relationship with our cars any time soon. The type of vehicle we purchase is slowly shifting away from gas guzzlers to hybrids or more fuel efficient cars, but we are still driving nonetheless.
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