Car Audio

Archive for December, 2008

It seems highly unlikely that by simply fitting a water container in the engine compartment of your car, inserting some electrical plates and using the gas that is generated to add to the normal fuel in your engine, you can greatly improve your fuel MPG. However, many thousands have already done it. There are now plenty of guides and manuals showing you what to do to build and install a system. Manuals such as the Gas4Free plan, provide a complete set of instructions to put together such a system, fit it into your car and improve your fuel mpg enormously.

The internet abounds with very positive testimonials and there seems little doubt that the concept definitely works. But if that is the case, why don’t the mainstream manufacturers build it into every car they build? Obviously the technology is patented but that shouldn’t prevent the various interests from putting together a licencing deal. After all, the environmental benefits and financial advantages that would, accrue would be huge. Why would any manufacturer not want to include this modern technology in their cars to improve their fuel mpg? And just think how unit sales would improve when you’re selling a car that has double the fuel mpg of its competitors. 

There must be something preventing the car companies from taking the plunge.

Are the oil companies trying to protect their interests and applying pressure somewhere? 

Are they in a cartel? Is it likely that the government would be taking an interest? Does OPEC play any part in this and what is the political agenda on this type of thing? It’s not at all clear is it?

The web sites of the various systems provide hundreds of glowing referrals from drivers who have apparently got the fuel mpg improvements promised. 

Hey, I’m not so naive that I believe everything I see in the Web so I’m going to go ahead and a fit a hydrogen generator into my 2002 Honda to see if I can achive the fuel mpg savings promised. 

Fortunately, although I’m not a mechanic by any means, I do enjoy doing DIY projects and from everything I’ve read so far all the systems look pretty simple to build and install. In the fullness of time I daresay you’ll be able to find companies offering ready-made systems that you (or they) can fit in a very short time. There are a number of e-books available – this review seems to focus on the most popular ones and may assist you in finding the right one for you.

If you want to learn Stick Welding it will take practice and a little patience to learn to do it in a way that will produce fine welds. This is an important thing to remember although some people may say they never had to practice much.

Stick Welding is one of the basic methods of welding that many students learn as they are just beginning to learn welding. This is also a method of welding that is high in demand because people need this help whether they are working iron, pie, boilers or building ships.

You will find that you will need the skills of all types of positions including flat and horizontal and ventricle or overhead welding. All of these will take some time to learn and some will be more challenging than others.

Here are some tips to help you Welding :

1. The right electrode for the job — many people aren’t sure of the size of the electrode they should use and this is important to know. The size of the electrode will depend on the situation you are welding within. In this situation you will be fighting against gravity if you are doing the weld vertically so you will want to use an electrode that is AWS classified as 7018 because they are low in their powder content.
2. A weld shelf makes a good guide — if you are doing vertical or horizontal welding you will need something that the electrode can follow so you don’t loose any of it to gravity. You can do this by creating a serious of little shelves so you can do a section at a time so that you can continue to work above a weld that you have already laid. This will create a situation where one puddle will freeze in time to hold the next weld.
3. Don’t undercut if possible — this can happen because you have to weave the electrode and sometimes your work may be gouged and not have enough fill metal. When this occurs, you will be working against gravity because it will work to pull your fill metal away from the space you are working. You can reduce your puddle size to help you have more control in this situation.
4.You will be doing yourself a favor if you stay away from odd sizes of metal and stick with the standard sizes of metal. These metals will be easier to find and you can weld them fester. Stick with the ones that are AISI-SAE 1015 to 1025 so that you can be sure that you have what you need.
5. Make sure you know your arc length — a good rule of thumb is to use an arc length that is the same distance from the metal as your electrode’s thickness. As an example, if you have an electrode that is ¼” thick, then have your arc ¼” thick. Also remember that as you use the electrode, you will have to move it closer to the metal.

These tips will help you develop a more even weld and keep things more controlled.

Welder World is a brand new community website for weldering to connect with one another and gather free information on welding. Come by WelderWorld to get your free Ebook on Welding Basics just for joining the Welding community for free. You will Find lots of benefits to this welding community such as forums, blogs, and other community members plus you can get the free basic ebook on welding just for stopping by. Come be A part of our Welding Community.

Rising gas prices is certainly a sensitive issue right now. And the pertinent question on most people minds is will the cost of gas prices ever reduce or go back to levels of the past few years ?  Even if small price cuts are possible, a return to reasonable gas prices doesn't seem probable. Given the potentially bleak outlook for the economy, a continued high gas could worsen the economy and make it tough on many people who are unlikely to see a pay raise in line with the ever-rising cost of everyday goods. So what is the consequence of high gas prices for the motoring habits of the average family and what is the future for the gas price.

Gas prices may well go down in the interim period. Fuel costs may actually go down in the interim if the need for gas decreases sufficiently. People will travel less or car pool more effectively. Cars may become more efficient with new fuels appearing on the horizon. Thus supply and demand factors will consequently keep prices stable, even if on the high side.

However, one reason that gas prices will remain high is that oil refineries will continue to spend millions of dollars finding new ways to refine gasoline so that it burns more cleanly. This is so that it can comply with the stricter emissions standards required. They also have to educate staff and to implement research and development for advances in the future.

So will the government act to regulate the gas price? Some countries around the world have implemented various plans but they have often proved difficult to administer as there are many different political agendas and huge levys are gained from gas usage by the government. So while the costs of everything in the United States inflates due to the impact of fuel prices, it is up to the people to make the difference to answer the question will gas prices ever go down.

People will travel less and spend less, hurting our economy even more, and as the cost of food rises, the quality of food people purchase will decrease which will probably result in higher health care and insurance costs. People will also have to get organized, for instance, by shopping once a week rather than driving down to the shop each day for groceries, traveling time and fuel consumption can be reduced.

The best asction is to raise your vocie and express your opinion on the issue. Quit moaning to your neighbors or work colleagues, get in touch with your elected officials. Write them, call them, email them, after all, your taxes pay their salary so they are on your payroll. Unfortunately big oil companies may hold great sway with our elected leaders, but many voices raised as one can initiate the changes needed.

So will gas prices get back to a price that is reasonable and affordable by average wage earners? Inevitably the factors that determine the price of fuel are complex and involve many different parties that it is unlikely that will all work together to reduce the price of fuel. However, with your opinion added to the growing numbers of people who want change, our country’s leaders may pay attention and take action to put a halt to the out-of-control, upward spiral.

Even if the governments and oil companies appear indifferent to rising gas prices, ther is something you can do to make your car more fuel efficient hydrogen conversion kits for autos. Effectively they change the mixture of fuel that  your car uses by mixing it with hydrogen gas. This is thought to improve fuel economy. There are many guides available right now that show you how to make and install such a kit in your car. Learn more about the leading hydrogen conversion kit guides, including run your car with water at water for gas review

We all have heard the old story about how driving a new car off the lot will cause the car to loose 2/3rds of its value instantly. Everyone knows this, but people still buy used cars constantly. Get this: depreciation of a new car actually costs you more than the gas ever will.

Allow me to tell you a story about my own car experience. I drive a 1990 Honda Accord with over 200,000 miles on it. It cost me $1700 six years ago when I bought it, and I've been driving it ever since. It fuel efficient, is big enough for most of my needs, and as been generally reliable all things considered.

Of course, I've had to put in a few repairs here and there. I've installed a new alternator, replaced brake pads, and swapped out old leaky coolant hoses. Total, I've spent about eight hundred dollars on repair parts over the time I've owned the car.

My insurance is cheap. Since the car is so old, I don’t need comprehensive and collision insurance, which save me a lot on my monthly premiums. On the whole, this car is amazingly cheap. Is it fancy? Heck no, but it does it job while letting me spend my money on more important things.

Let’s think about what a new car would cost to get us the same point A to point B functionality. Say you spend $20,000 or so on a new Accord. Already, you've spent over ten times the cost of my car. Add more to that if you didn’t pay in cash, and took out a loan.

You will have to have insurance. Since you just bought a shiny new car, you’ll need both comprehensive and collision insurance, which can be high, especially for younger drivers in newer cars.

A new car still needs to be maintained, which will cost money. All this time, the car will be loosing significant amounts of its value. Aren't there better ways to spend your cash?

Buying used will allow you to save a lot of money on the expense of owning a car. Imagine how much more free your monthly budget would be in the absence of expensive car payments and high insurance premiums. Buying a cheap used car buys you financial freedom.

A couple of months back I was sent a request to evaluate a new bunch of ebooks on hydrogen systems that greatly improve the fuel mpg of your car. This combination of hydrogen and oxygen is then fed into the inlet manifold of your engine and would, in some cases, double the fuel mpg of your car. This got me to wonder why all the hundreds of technical ideas that seem to offer real solutions to real problems have been completely ignored by the major car manufacturers. 

It seems that some had not been able to attract any funding to continue their research or they had been the subject of various sorts of threats.

Some had received offers of money to stop what they were doing and some, it was reported had died it ways that didn’t altogether stack up. Now, if these claims had been made by just one or two people then it would be simple to dismiss them and ascribe them to vivid imaginations or sour grapes. But you hear this sort of thing all the time. So what is going on?

Just think about the average fuel mpg of the average car. It has gone up by what? 30-40% in the last few decades, not much anyway. However, all sorts of teams, from professional engineers to garden shed mechanics have entered cars into competitions that are able to achieve well over 120MPG with little difficulty. With all the technology now available to car manufacturers it’s difficult to believe they are unable to develop engines that are both economical and powerful. One would have thought that the competitive advantage they’d reap from producing such a car would be huge.

I need to do a lot more digging to see what’s going on here, but, before I do, I’m going to put a system in my 2001 Honda to see if it does what it’s supposed to. Fortunately the parts and the instructions are very inexpensive. I’m quite confident becasue the technology is plausible and the guides themselve seem to have been well received. 

Of course, all fuel mpg economy systems have come under close scrutiny recently because, as the oil price has rocketed, improving fuel mpg has become a top priority for many drivers. There are dozens of potential ways to save fuel, some of them are worthless and so it will pay you to take your time when choosing the right one. However, you probably want to get on with it and for me, the best option seems to be the hydrogen generating systems that I’ve been discussing.

This review has much more information – have a look and see what you think

warranty company

I think you have to automatically assume a 100 percent markup,” Phil Reed, consumer advice editor at Edmunds.com, said about car dealerships offering warranty plans. The misconception about shopping around for an extended warranty quote online is that all the companies operate solely on the internet, with no formal establishment. However, car dealerships spend a good deal of time “shopping around” online as well. One of the most lucrative aspects of the car sales industry is the extended auto warranty. Many consumers are shocked to learn that car dealerships function like any other retail outlet, marking up not just the cars but all of the finer details as well. It makes sense, then, to do a little homework online and figure out what a reasonable price should be, prior to hunting for cars.

One common problem people run into is to fail to read and understand the agreement before they get work done. Knowing the right questions to ask your warranty company is crucial, experts say. For instance, ask if you can get the work done at any shop, or do you have to look for a certain certification, or in some cases return to the dealer? Additionally, is your car covered for “wear and tear” damage or just mechanical failure?

You should have a comprehensive list of all the parts that are/aren’t covered! Sometimes you’ll get a “bumper to bumper” warranty that covers everything except for the wear items, like brakes and tires, while other times you’ll get a “power train” warranty, which covers the engine and transmission. While it’s rare to find a company that offers coverage for everything, you should ensure that some of the most expensive repairs will be taken care of.

Additionally, beware of flyers and spam emails from companies offering warranty plans that seem almost “too good to be true.” If the prices are far lower than everywhere else, it’s probably not a good idea. If you can’t find information about the company from the Better Business Bureau, avoid them. One thing you should be aware of is that there are some “companies” out there that look to cash-in quickly, only to go bankrupt in a few years, leaving you with a useless automobile warranty that no one will honor. Even some legitimate companies just don’t have back-up financing, so if claims come pouring in, they run out of money and go belly-up. To protect yourself, look up as much information as you can before signing with a company and look for a longstanding track record.

Some people need warranty plans, while others can get by simply saving money each month for anticipated repairs. Regardless, the best way to protect your investment is to get regular oil changes, air filter changes, fluid top-ups and tire rotations. Don’t let things wear down until they wreak havoc on other parts of your vehicle. Before you visit your dealership to buy a car, do a little bit of internet research and get an extended warranty quote. You’ll be happy you had that bartering chip later.

seized cars

The majority of average citizens are not aware that most police agencies, including your local town’s police department, your county Sheriff’s department, as well as the law enforcement agencies at the state and federal levels, have massive amounts of property of all kinds in their possession. This property has either been seized or confiscated by the powers of the agency, or it was lost or abandoned by the former owners. When the warehouses and parking lots start to get filled up it is time for general police auctions and police auto auctions to take place.

While some of this property that goes into a police auto auction, or a general property auction, is there as the result of arrests, seizures and forfeitures, there is also a lot of property in the warehouses of public agencies simply because of the carelessness on the part of the property owners. There are many cases where someone absentmindedly leaves something like a bicycle behind and never takes the additional steps to see if it had been turned into the authorities. In addition, a great deal of personal property of all kinds is confiscated from theft rings and drug busts, and because the property was not marked with any identification, it was impossible for the items to be returned to the rightful owners.

Even though there is a vast array of different property that gets sold at the general government auctions, it seems to be the police auto auctions that get the most attention because you can walk away with a steal of a deal on a vehicle. There are often all kinds of automobiles, from cars and trucks, to vans and SUVs, and some police car auctions will even include boats, bikes, jet skis, motorcycles and recreational vehicles as well.

A police auto auction can be a very practical place to search for a reliable car that is in good condition, especially if you would like to make it yours for just a fraction of the real market value. Many of the seized cars at these police public auctions tend to be a mixture of vehicles that are later models, as well as many that are 5 to 15 years old. Most of the cars were impounded because the owner of the vehicle committed some type of crime that gave the law enforcement agency the right to seize the vehicle and sell it.

Because most of the seized cars that have been impounded by police were operational at the time that they were taken off of the street because of driver infractions, many people feel more secure about buying from a police auto auction. In contrast, there are many repossessed cars that are sold through auto actions by banks and finance companies because people stopped making payments on the car due to some kind of mechanical malfunction.

If you are interested in the police auto auctions in your area, then you can contact your local police agencies in your town, your county and your state, and request a listing of all of the auctions that are scheduled. If you have never been to a car auto auction before, then it is a good idea to go and observe one and try to meet people who have a lot of auction experience and pick up some helpful pointers.

Interested in buying a used car on the internet, but aren't sure where you should start? You can find a lot of used car resources on the Internet, but it helps to know where the best deal lie.

First of all, you can find used car listings on your local newspapers website. These are nice, because they are all typically sellers in your local area which makes it easy to stop by and take a test drive, which is critical for getting the best possible deal on a used car.

Stepping out a little more, you can check online classifieds sites, such as Craigslist, which will expose you to a broad range of sellers, many of whom will be near you, though not to quite the same extent as a news paper might. These sites can be gold mines, though, so be sure to give them a look.

If you’re looking to broaden your scope further, try sites like eBay Motors, which brings sellers from all over the country into one convenient location. You can find these listings in auction and buy it now styles, so you have several options to choose from when buying. You will find sellers from all over the country, but you can narrow your search to include only those in your area. Ebay also helps prevent scams by offering basic buyer protection. Certainly worth looking at.

By look on car enthusiast forums, you can find specfic models easily. For example, if you want to buy a late ’80s Toyota pickup, then visit some Toyota forums to find sellers. Getting a car from an enthuisaist seller can work well, since they will know a lot about the car. By choosing this type of seller, you can accurately assess the condition of the car.

You can find used cars online from many different sites. In fact, there are many other car listing specific sites you can buy from. The places I've just discussed have a of listings, and will be the best places to look when buying a used car online.

As always, be careful when shopping online. Keep your common sense about you to be sure you getting the right car at a good price. If you do your research, check multiple sources for pricing, and check the car over thoroughly for buying, you can certainly buy cheap used cars online and get great deals for it.

paintless dent repair

What is Paintless Dent Removal?

Paintless dent removal is the specialized art of repairing car dents without having to repaint the surface of the automobile. The great feature about paint dent removal is that it is non intrusive in its process. Paintless dent removal experts use specialized tools and gadgets to slip behind the damaged surfaces and massage the damaged metal back to its original form.

How Well Does Paintless Dent Removal Work?

Paintless dent removal works great. Most of the dings and dents are removed completely and the car would look as good as new.

What are the Advantages of Paintless Dent Repair?

Paintless dent removal has many advantages. Firstly, the cost of paintless dent removal is very low compared to the traditional auto mechanics. Also, paintless dent repair takes only one day. You could even wait on the side as the paintless dent removal technician repairs your vehicle. Furthermore, unlike traditional repair work, no painting, sanding or respraying is required. In addition, the structural integrity of the body panels of your car is not tampered with. 

A quality paintless dent repair job is many times an effective substitute for those considering the traditional way of car repair. Whenever possible, it’s always best to not tamper with the original paint work. Good paint dent repair coupled with a professional detail can restore vehicles to show room condition for less than five hundred dollars.

What are the Disadvantages of Paintless Dent Removal?

However, there are various limitations where the paintless dent removal methodology is concerned. For example, paintless dent repair does not solve issues like scratches or paint chips and in such cases, respraying is required.

Furthermore, many areas of the car body panels are not accesssible making paintless dent repair unviable. Lastly, since only metal components of the car can be fixed by paintless dent repair, the plastic components of the car cannot be repaired by paintless dent repair. This makes paintless dent repair an unviable option many times since the plastic bumper of the car is often the part that gets damaged.

London is chock-full of unique landmarks and Vauxhall have added another.Its not an addition to Big Ben or the Millennium Dome , I’m on about the four wheeled type of Vauxhall, in this case the Vauxhall Corsa Capital.  Only by visiting a London Vauxhall dealer will you be able to pick one up, as Vauxhall aims to show its city car can take on the biggest conurbation in Britain.  To help you deal with not only the congestion, but the charge that goes with it, Vauxhall are enticing Londoners to the Capital – pun intended, with (deep breath): 15” alloy wheels, a CD player that’s MP3 ready, rear spoiler, body coloured bumpers, electric front windows and air conditioning to name but a few, for only a slight price hike over the standard model.

Of course the Capital is just one derivative of the all-new Corsa range and the new cars find themselves in the middle of the most competitive sector of motoring – the hatchback.  Crucially then, the new Corsa must score highly in likeability, drivability and price (ability?).  With Vauxhall dealers pitching the Corsa range directly at big rivals Ford and Volkswagen it has to be very good indeed to become the market leader.  Those cutesy little fellas in the advert seem to be having fun mind - but you can’t trust cuddly fabric, so crucially how is it to drive and how does it look in the flesh?

As I am still the new boy when it comes to road testing cars, I am faced with the daily anguish of opening my letterbox to find a distinct lack of keys to the latest Ferrari or Lamborghini, with a “have this for a week” note attached from Mr Lamborghini.  I have however, had the joy of driving the new Corsa and I don’t use the word ‘joy’ lightly.  Firstly however an anecdote…

My own car is a Hyundai Coupe, the automotive equivalent to Kelly Brook – pretty to look at with racy curves aplenty and great handling (particularly dancing the Salsa).However thanks to the balance of the universe , the stunning looks come at a price - it’s very slow and drinks like George Best did back in his more boozy days.  Despite this fact, one rain-drenched evening when all the sensible people were fast asleep, I found myself meandering around the twisty back roads on the outskirts of Cardiff, when what looked like a B & Q shed with wheels pulled up alongside me. 

It appeared the four youths had been on the sun bed, as there was a blue neon glow emanating from the shed and that’s when my inner eight year-old took over.{I strained the small rodent in its little wheel to run quicker than ever before and the engine jumped into action}.  As I left the shed and sun bed combo behind with Kelly’s wonderful handling, I thought to myself “nothing could handle this well”.To my surprise six months later I was proven wrong.

If my Coupe is Kelly Brook, then the new Vauxhall Corsa is Kate Thornton.  The design doesn’t rip your eyes clean out or make you go weak at the knees but it’s still an attractive hatchback.Importantly though, this car has brain power as well it features: CBC, ABS, EBA, DTC and SLS.You don’t need to concern yourself with what all the different acronyms mean, they pretty much all relate to safety and importantly for a city car handling.  I drove a 1.2 litre Corsa derivative during my high-brow summer break to Ibiza and fell in love. 

The island is split into the two best environments for testing a car: twisty mountain roads and city driving.Thinking of this I left my hotel high up on a sun soaked hillside and set of for Ibiza Town.  The air conditioning instantly cooled the car, although I admit I leant out the window on occasion, to smugly show the face of a man who still had all 4 wheel trims on his car.  I didn’t however shout “C’MON!”  The 1.2 litre engine was surprisingly willing and the car gripped as tightly through the hairpin turns as it did through the s-bends.

Hitting the main road towards the capital gave me time to reflect on the interior.The car seemed to be well built (all the parts fitted together well) there were no annoying noises to speak of and the driving position was also good.  At times, I really did think I was in Beirut, as no-one seemed to understand the old adage of ‘don’t crash into another car, it’ll do neither me nor you any good’. 

Emerging unscathed with a combination of cheeky handling and dumb luck, I arrived at Ibiza Town, wheel trims and all.  Parked against the backdrop of a billionaires’ playground of yachts in the harbour, the Corsa seemed somehow prettier.The good looks appeared to me to fit in well with the nearby fashion houses and the vibe of the big city.  As night descended, the light steering and responsive gearbox came into its own.There was a point when i took the wrong turning.  Well by wrong turn I mean turning into a dead-end street complete with drug dealers, ladies of the night and no La Policia in sight.

For some this may seem like a perfect night out, not for me and Kate though.  It was a ludicrous situation really, these burly druggies being crept up on by the Corsa, with its lop-sided grin and surprised eyes.  I’m pleased to announce that the excellent turning circle allowed me to deliver a swift three-point-turn and chirp off onto better climes within the big smoke.The next day with a heavy heart I had to return Kate to the rental company she truly will be the envy of that rental companies car park.

The small hatchback market is one of the toughest to conquer, but I really think Vauxhall have produced a worthy competitor.  When I think of the Corsa I think of chirpy, cheeky, cute and cuddlesome.  Coupled with the handling this is a fun car and ideal for any urban jungle.So if you want to get yourself a nice city car just remember: city plus fun take away cost equals Vauxhall dealer.  “C’MON!”  Ah damn it.