Autos - Car Battery Maintenance Tips

Car Battery Maintenance Tips

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A car battery.

 

Car Battery Maintenance Tips

Your car battery is the heart of your car and if it's not beating with power, your car will only sit still. So take care of your battery and it will keep your car running for a long time. There are some fairly simple tips for taking care of your car battery.

Test Your Battery

1. Regularly test your battery, particularly before a long trip and after it's been recharged. You don't want the battery to fail to start your car when you are far from home.

Park Your Car in a Garage

2. An insulated garage helps keep your battery warm in the winter. This means it will be easier for your battery to start your car. If you don't have an insulted garage, then insulate the battery itself with a blanket.

Keep the Battery Clean

3. When you test your battery, you might also want to clean it. This means removing the clamps and cleaning off the dirt and grease from the clamps and terminals. You want a clean connection so as not to weaken the charge. Clean the battery case itself with baking soda dissolved in warm water. Dirt can conduct electricity and discharge electricity.

Check the Fluid Levels

4. When you clean your battery, check the fluid level as well. If it is low, add distilled water to top it off. Keeping the fluid levels full, will help extend the life of the battery. If you don't see any fluid, you may want to replace the battery. The lack of fluid is an indicator that the battery is near the end of its life.

Secure the Battery

5. Secure the battery in the mounting bracket. A loose battery can slide around and become damaged. It might also cause a short circuit in some cases.

Autos - How to Know If Your Battery Cables Are Bad

How to Know If Your Battery Cables Are Bad

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Many car owners have had problems starting their car with what appears to be a dead or weak battery, only to have the battery tested and told that it is in good condition. Sometimes this symptom is caused not by the battery, but by corroded or damaged battery cables that provide such high resistance to the electrical circuit that it does not provide sufficient current to power the starter and fire up the engine. With the help of a friend, you can test your battery cables and determine whether they are bad or not.

 

 

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Digital multimeter

1. Attach the positive (red) lead from the multimeter to the positive battery terminal.
   
   
2. Set the multimeter to measure voltage. Have the person helping you start the engine now while you keep a close eye on the multimeter. The voltage reading should be very close to 0. If the reading is 0.3 volts or more for a small four-cylinder engine, or 0.5 volts or more for larger six- to eight-cylinder engines, the cables are bad and should be replaced.
   
   
3. Test the negative battery cable in the same way. Attach the negative (black) lead from the multimeter to the negative battery terminal. The voltage reading should be very close to 0. A reading of 0.3 volts or more on this negative side is reason to replace the cable.

Autos - Car Transmission Maintenance

Car Transmission Maintenance

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Transmissions are at the heart of every car.

 

Car Transmission Maintenance

In order for a car to function properly, the transmission has to be in good working order. If proper transmission maintenance is not performed on a regular basis, problems such as slipping gears or a complete breakdown of the drive train can occur. Regular transmission maintenance includes changing the oil at intervals recommended by the vehicle manufacturer and upgrading the transmission for heavier loads. Heavy loads include, for example, trailers and campers and for pickup trucks work loads in the rear bed.

Change the Oil

1. For both manual and automatic transmissions, change the oil on a regular basis. Most car manufacturers recommend changing the transmission oil between 30,000 and 50,000 miles and at each similar interval in the future.

Change Transmission Oil Filter

2. As this can be a tedious job, you may want to have this done by your auto mechanic. Auto shops can lift the car up for easier transmission access. Most car manufacturers recommend changing the transmission filter the first time and at each subsequent oil replacement.

Transmission Oil Additives

3. To prolong transmission life, specialized products can be added to transmission oil. These products can enhance vehicle performance, especially if the car has not had regular transmission oil changes.

Install Transmission Cooler

4. When a vehicle is hauling a heavy load, installing a transmission cooler can prolong the life of the transmission. The cooler connects to the transmission lines so that the oil will flow through the cooler and keep the oil at an optimum temperature. High temperatures will cause the oil's consistency to break down, resulting in the overheating of the internal mechanics of the transmission.

Autos - How to Test for a Bad Car Battery

How to Test for a Bad Car Battery

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Test your dead battery to see if it should be replaced or restored.

dead battery image by Katrina Miller from Fotolia.com

When your car battery fails to perform, you may think about charging it. There is, however, a good chance that your battery needs to be replaced and not simply charged. Modern batteries rarely fail to work properly unless there is damage to some component inside of the battery. Charging a bad battery might allow you to start your vehicle and drive it back to your home. However, it may not prevent you from being stranded on your next trip. Testing your battery will help you determine if the battery should be charged or replaced.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Workbench
• Protective eye wear
• Battery post/terminal cleaner
• Battery load tester
• 6/12-volt battery charger/starter

1. Open the car hood. Put on safety glasses. Remove the battery cables with a wrench. Remove the battery from the vehicle and place it on your workbench.
   
   
2. Clean the battery posts. Use a battery post cleaner to clean oxidation and corrosion from the posts. Push the cleaner onto a battery post and start twisting it back and forth until the post becomes bright and shiny. Repeat the process for the other battery post. For a side mount battery, use the wire brush on the reverse end of the cleaning tool to scrub the battery's cable mounting surface. Use this brush to clean the battery cable ends of either battery type.
   
   
3. Complete a load test. Connect the positive clamp from the load tester machine to the positive battery terminal and the ground clamp to the battery's negative post. Switch the load tester to the "On" position and push the test button. If the needle drops below 12 volts and remains there, the battery must be replaced. If the needle drops and returns to 12 volts, the battery can be restored.
   
   
4. Charge the battery. Place the battery on a slow (trickle) charger. Leave the charger on for a minimum of eight hours and ideally for 24 hours to restore a dead battery. When finished, remove the charger and reinstall the battery in your vehicle.

Autos - How to Do Car Maintenance & Car Repairs

How to Do Car Maintenance & Car Repairs

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Car maintenance

 

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A car is usually the second most expensive purchase someone makes, besides a house. So doing regular car maintenance and repairs is a good way to make this investment last as long as possible and to keep repair costs down. The average car owner can sometimes easily do maintenance and repairs, but there are some procedures that, if you are not comfortable with them, should be left to the pros.

 

 

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Owner's manual

1. Read your owner's manual. Your owner's manual should tell you the specifics of how often and with what type you should replace or refill basic fluids and how often to do other regular scheduled maintenance. This will include oil changes, antifreeze changes and to what level things like things like brake fluid should be. At the very least you need to know how often maintenance should be done.
   
   
2. If you want to know how to do a certain type of maintenance or a certain kind of repair, you can buy a Haynes or Chilton manual for your specific car type, which will show with some level of illustration how to do basic automotive work. These manuals are not written to the absolute beginner, though, so you may or may not find them completely helpful. They will, at the very least, give you a better idea of what to look for and a better understanding of what you are looking at on the car. The maintanence most people can do themselves include oil changes, replacing the air filter, replacing spark plugs and filling low fluid levels and tires to correct air pressure.
   
   
3. Know your limitations and be safe. Working on a car or other automobile can be very dangerous. For starters they are very heavy, and if you don't know what you're doing you shouldn't be jacking them up or driving on ramps. Do the work with the car on flat stable ground, with blocks on the tires keeping the car from moving. Also wait until the engine has been off for at least several hours to avoid getting burned. Wear gloves to keep your hands from being cut by auto parts. Be very careful where you stick your hands, especially in small places, so they don't get stuck. Most important, keep small children away from the work area. If you really don't understand or know what you are doing, you can really mess up your car, so if you're wary, get help.
   
   
4. Get the right tools. It may initially be expensive, but getting the right tools for the job will make it easier, save time and possibly keep you from installing something wrong or breaking it. Car parts are often under a lot of pressure, and not securing something properly can lead to it breaking or coming loose while driving. If you use the wrong wrench you may also easily strip the part and be unable to finish putting it on or taking it off. It can be very expensive to tow it to a mechanic to get it fixed. One item you should always have handy is a pair of safety goggles.
   
   
5. Take a class and learn. Community colleges sometimes offer courses in basic car maintenance. These classes will help you learn how to correctly do a lot of things that regularly need to be done on a car, from oil changes to changing brake pads.
   
   
   

Auto's - How to Pick Rims

How to Pick Rims

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*Vintage Car Wheels

wire wheel image by Edsweb from Fotolia.com

Rims, wheels, alloys---whatever you want to call them, they are the most noticeable aspects of your car and are one of the most common changes car enthusiasts (and car owners in general) make. There are also performance advantages that can come with installing a different set of wheels, including less weight and wider tires, both which will improve your vehicle's handling.

 

 

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

 

Things You'll Need:

• Wheel catalogs
• Ruler (for measuring wheel bolt pattern)

1. Choose the style you want. Thanks to the popularity of aftermarket wheels, there are many choices available, which can make the process confusing. It helps if you have some idea of what look you prefer. Maybe you want a purposeful race look, in which case you should select a three-piece wheel with a painted center while avoiding chromed or polished finishes. Or maybe you want a more "blingy" look, in which case a bright chromed finish is appropriate. Browse wheel catalogs, visit online wheel sources or visit wheel showrooms and tire stores.
   
   
   
2. Decide what size you want to use. When car owners install a new set of wheels, they usually install a wheel larger than the existing wheel for a performance and aesthetic upgrade. Generally speaking, it is safe to go with a plus-1 or plus-2 size increase, which increases the diameter of the wheel by 1 or 2 inches. It is possible to install wheels 3 or 4 inches larger in diameter, but keep in mind that you may run into fitment issues if the wheel is too large. You will also affect how the speedometer reads, and you may also negatively impact fuel economy and handling if you install a massive, heavy wheel. Keep in mind that you also need to install lower profile tires when you increase the wheel's diameter to keep the outer dimensions of the wheel and tire package the same.
   
   
   
3. Determine what your wheel's bolt pattern and offset is. The bolt pattern is easy to determine. Simply count the number of lug nuts holding your wheel on (there will be four or five on most cars; more on some trucks) and then measure the distance between two of the lug nuts that are across from each other. You will end up with a measurement like 4x100 (four holes, 100 mm across from each other), 5x108, etc. The offset of the wheel is where the wheel sits in relation to the hub when it is installed. Make sure you use the correct offset to avoid problems with the wheels and/or tires rubbing against the bodywork, brakes or suspension. Another measurement you want to determine is the center bore of the wheel, where the hub comes through the center of the wheel.
   
   
   
4. Decide what your budget is. There is a huge range of prices for wheels. Some are well under $100 per wheel while some high-end wheels can cost more than $5,000 for a set of four. The larger the wheel is, the more it will cost. Other elements that affect wheel prices are how light they are and how they are made (cast, forged, etc). How much you spend should in part be determined by what you are going to use the car for. If you are racing it or are trying to improve the handling, then you may want to budget more money. If on the other hand you are simply upgrading the appearance or even replacing a set of wheels that have become bent or damaged, you can spend less.

Auto's - How to Clean Your Auto's Rims/Wheels

How to Clean Your Auto's Rims/Wheels

If you love your car, and my thinking is who doesn't (at least it is a good investment) then you want to keep it looking as clean as possible. You probably don't want to spend hours doing so either. I love wheels. There are so many patterns and they seem to be the artistic part of the car. If you have a classic car or custom vehicle, then you probably spent many hours trying to pick the perfect wheel. Now you want to take care of it. The problem is that brake dust and road grime get on them and in the crevices and designs. It is very hard to keep it off. This "How To" will help you get your wheels clean and make it easier to keep them that way

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Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Steel Wool
• WD-40
• Rag
• Auto Polish
• Scrub brush

1. Spray WD-40 onto the rim/wheel. If you do not have chrome wheels, get your steell wool and start rubbing the wheel. You shouldn't have to use much elbow grease. If you have chrome wheels, use a scrub brush or rag. Something that is non abrasive.
   
   
   
2. Wipe away the gunk. Look at your wheel, do you still see built up road grime or brake dust? If so, do this again. Then wipe clean. You can usually tell by looking at your rag and wheel, if it is still getting dirt off, or just residue from the WD-40 and gunk. It should not take more than twice unless you have never cleaned your wheels.
   
   
   
3. Get your auto polish-Turtle Wax or your preferred brand, and rub it on the wheel with a rag. Polish it as you wax a car. Wipe it off and Wow! your wheels appear brand new again! After you have done this entire process 2-3 times, you will get a nice build up enabling you to usually just drive through the car wash and let the blasters clean your wheels.
   

Auto's - Automotive Antiques: 1950 Ford Coupe

Automotive Antiques: 1950 Ford Coupe

The 1950 Ford Coupe had the same classy body style as the 1949 model
except for a few minor changes. The Ford lettering on the hood was
replaced by the Ford "Coat of Arms" emblem. Turn signal lights were
added to the lower front grille. The shiny bullet nose remained.

*The major changes Ford made in 1949, brought sales up tremendously
for the auto maker. They dropped their use of the cross style frame for the

ladder style frame chassis. Coil springs replaced the traverse leaf springs.

They advertised their new chassis design as "The Lifeguard Body". The
wheelbase of 114 inches remained the same, with the engine moved
forward by 5 inches, allowing for more passenger room.


*The 1950 Ford Coupe was sporty as well as stylish. It came with the
newly designed six cylinder 95 horsepower engine, or the powerful
flathead V8 at a 100. The transmission choices were 3 speed manual,
or optional overdrive. The Ford Coupe came in two body styles. There
was the six passenger Club Coupe with a back seat and front split bench
seat, and the single bench seat Coupe that was advertised as the
"Businessman's Car". The area where the back seat should have been
gave the owner added cargo space.


*The convertible Ford Coupe was a beauty. It had two more interior and
exterior color choices than the other Coupes. You could choose Matador
Red Metallic exterior paint, with Matador red leather interior, and
Sportsman Green Metallic with black leather interior. Some optional exterior
body features were wheels in the same body paint color, and chrome trim
around the windshield and back window.


*Standard interiors in the Club Coupe had gray metallic instrument panel
and dash. Standard interior upholstery came in gray and rust striped mohair,
or gray and blue stripes on gray broadcloth. The one seater Coupe standard
interior dash color was also gray. The standard interior colors were almost
the same with the exception of the broadcloth color being tan instead of gray.
More expensive interior choices were two tone tan leather, tan leather with
Bedford cord, red and black all leather, or the combination of leather and
Bedford cord. Many custom body colors were available.


*The newly designed chassis, body, and powerful engines of the 1949-1951
Fords were reputed to be the cars that saved Ford. It was the post war boost
that the industry needed. Ford began its new slogan, "There's a Ford in your future".
These Cars were loved by hotrodders and the general public alike for their sleek
look and powerful engines.

Auto's - Automotive History: Ford Model T

Automotive History: Ford Model T

*The major myth that persists about Henry Ford's Model T is that it represents the "invention" of the automobile. It doesn't. Nor is it true that Ford invented the moving assembly line. The credit goes to William C. "Pa" Klann who got the idea from watching operations at a slaughter house in Chicago in 1913. The Model T is, however, the car that put America on wheels and the product that perfected the use of the moving assembly line to an art form.

*October 1, 2008 marked the 100th anniversary of the first Model T rolling out of Ford's Piquette Avenue Plant in Detroit. That first year Ford produced more than 10,000 vehicles, each hand assembled. When he installed the moving assembly line, the time needed to put together one Model T went from 12 hours and eight minutes to just 1 hour 33 minutes. In 1914 Ford produced 308,162 cars, more than all of the other automakers in the Unites States combined - all 299 of them. By 1927, the last year the Model T was produced, the company completed one vehicle every 24 seconds.

 

*The Model T boasts the longest production run of any model except the Volkswagen Beetle. For $850, buyers drove away a mechanical innovation equipped with a four-cylinder, four-cycle, 20 horsepower engine. The advance 1908 catalog described the wheels as "artillery wood type" with extra long hubs. The wheel base was 100 inches with 56 inch tread (60 inch available for drivers on "southern roads.")

*To anyone taking the wheel of a Model T today, the controls are baffling. The original models were hand cranked, although an electric starter was added after 1919. If crank handle wasn't appropriately cupped in the palm, a twisted wrist or broken thumb usually resulted if the engine kicked back. A wire to operate the choke came out of the bottom of the radiator. The operator used it with the left hand while cranking with the right.

*The Model T has three pedals with two levers on the steering column and another on the floor to the driver's left. The feats of memory required for their operation is beyond many modern drivers. If the floor lever is upright, the Model T is in neutral. If the lever is pushed forward and the outside left pedal is up, you're in second. (If the pedal is depressed, you're in first.) Take that same lever all the way back and it becomes the emergency brake.

*The middle pedal activates reverse, while the one on the far right is the brake. The gas is the right lever on the column with the remaining lever being the spark advance. And, with a kind of manic genius, in moments of confusion, stomp all three pedals down and the vehicle stops because the transmission bands lock the drive train. The brakes are considerably less than responsive and a Model T accelerates sluggishly. They were built for rutted dirt roads and that's still where the famous "Tin Lizzy" delivers its best performance.

*By the end of the production run Ford made approximately 15 million Model Ts in multiple configurations - roadster, touring, coupe, sport coupe, sedan, pickup, roadster pickup, and flatbed. The use of lightweight vanadium steel with three times the tensile strength of the conventional steel of the day gave the Model T a degree of durability that has carried it through almost a century of life. While it was replaced by the Model A in 1927, the Model T never fully disappeared from the American roadways. Somewhere, every day in the United States, someone takes a beloved old Model T for a drive. They remain well-loved and cranky, magnificently eccentric, and epic in their historic impact.

Auto's - An Automotive Golden Age

An Automotive Golden Age

Serious classic car collectors will tell you the "Golden Age" of the automobile was in the late twenties and the thirties, when the very rich ordered bespoke coach-built bodies to clothe prestigious, powerful luxury chassis and create the cars recognized at Concours in the "Classic" categories.

That does not keep aficionados of the mass-market chromium and steel ebullience of the fifties from calling their cars "classics," of course. For them, the early days of the Rocket 88 Oldsmobiles, small block Chevy V8s, Chrysler 300 Hemis, and Thunderbird "Y-Block" V8s were a Golden Age of their own.

But there is an era that produced some of the most beautiful high performance cars ever made. There were more stunningly attractive modern cars designed and produced in this period than in any other. I refer, of course, to the sixties.

 

*This is the era of the split-window Sting Ray Coupe, the Jaguar XK-E and XJ-6, and the best of the Buick Rivieras.

*Muscle Cars from Detroit dominated the era in the US, starting when Pontiac equipping the compact Tempest under the table with a 389 cubic inch (6.4 liter) V8 to create the GTO. That started a drive to see who could put the biggest engine in their lightest chassis. By the time that era waned, Chrysler was shoehorning 440 cubic inch (7.2 liter) V8s with six carburetors into Plymouth Barracuda pony cars.

*Even the truck segment produced memorable examples, like the 1969 Chevy El Camino SS 396.
And it was the style in which they wrapped the best of those cars that makes them memorable.

*In the Steve McQueen crime drama "Bullitt," the better lines of the carefully restyled '67 Mustang are on prominent display, along with the muscular rumble of its unrestrained 390 Cubic Inch (6.4 Liter) V8, as were the bulging haunches and sweeping roof buttresses of the '68 Dodge Charger that shared the famous chase scene.

*Meanwhile overseas, engineers, coachbuilders and Carrozzerias were producing some of the most graceful, sensual, and powerful cars yet seen.

*It is no coincidence that this is the time during which the Maestro Giorgetto Giugiaro was working for Bertone and Ghia, and Marcello Gandini at Bertone. Each produced icons that enthusiasts today salivate over.

*Along with the mass-market but perfectly proportioned Alfa Romeo GTV, Giugiaro penned the sensuous Canguro ("Kangaroo") with its fenders rippling with muscle, the elegant but aggressive Maserati Ghibli, and the menacing-looking mid-engine De Tomaso Mangusta ("Mongoose") with its baleful stare and those butterfly engine lids over its Ford V8.

*Working at Bertone, Marcello Gandini designed the gorgeous and technically brilliant Lamborghini Miura, with its sideways-mounted V12 and skyward-staring retractable headlights.

*And one cannot ignore the Pininfarina Ferraris, particularly the shark-like 275 GTB, and the consensus "most beautiful" Ferrari, the 250 GT Lusso. Steve McQueen's recently sold at auction for $2.31M.

*There were flashes of design brilliance in later years, but US Government safety and emissions requirements had a stultifying effect that took a long time to abate, leaving the sixties as one of the true golden ages of automotive design.

Auto's - Guide To Antique British Cars

Guide To Antique British Cars

Some of the greatest, most stylish and popular cars of the twentieth century were built by British car manufacturers. Unlike earlier vintage vehicles, which can be seen in heritage museums and automotive history collections, many antique British cars are still in use and a pleasure to drive. These are cars designed for luxury, speed or popularity.

• The Austin A30

After having success in the 1930s with a range of small cars, Austin developed the A30 in 1951. With its 803cc engine, this car was originally known as the baby Austin. By 1953 this popular little car was available either with 2 doors or with 4 doors. Austin also introduced a similar light van, the Countryman, in 1955, and the Austin A30 continued in production up until September 1956.

• Aston Martin DB5
In 1947 David Brown acquired both Aston Martin and Lagonda car companies, and in 1955 he started production of the DB series. The Aston Martin DB5 was launched in 1963 and is best known as the silver sports car driven by James Bond, when the fictional British secret agent was played by Sean Connery. In the movies Goldfinger and Thunderball, James Bond drives the ultimate DB5, fitted out with many additional gadgets and extra devices. Regular FB5 production ceased in 1965, and only a total of 1021 cars were ever made.

• Bentley Silver Cloud
When the Silver Cloud was introduced by Bentley in March 1955, this luxury car was highly acclaimed by the press. Those reports are justified in the amount of prestige still associated with driving a Silver Cloud, and the fact that a chauffeur driven Bentley Silver Cloud is often the first choice of car for a bride and groom at a traditional wedding. More than 2,000 Silver Cloud Bentley cars were built between March 1955 and July 1959. Out of a total 5,460, or an average of 1,260 cars a year, almost half the Bentley "S" cars built were Silver Clouds.

• E-Type Jaguar
It was the predecessor to the E-type Jaguar that inspired the company slogan; Grace, Space and Pace. By 1950 the Jaguar Car Company had made its reputation for producing sports cars of excellence. The E-Type was launched in 1961 and was designed for the road rather than as a racing car. Jaguar is well known for its pioneering development of the disc braking system, and by the time the E-Type was launched, Jaguar had been perfecting this braking system for almost ten years. The speed and performance of an E-Type Jaguar was outstanding for its time.

• MG Midget
In 1961 the original design of the MG Sprite was replaced by a new design for a new sports car known as the Austin-Healey Sprite Mark II. This little car was renamed as MG Midget when a new version was launched, designed to be fast, safe, predictable and fun to drive. Around 230,000 MG Midgets were built, in four marks, until production ceased in 1979.

• Mini Cooper
One of the biggest icons in automotive history, and also one of the smallest cars, has been beloved by owners and drivers since the 1960s. The original Mini was designed to be tiny, but what made it different from other small cars is that at just over 10 feet in length the Mini can comfortably carry four people, that is three passengers plus the driver.

John Cooper developed the first racing version of the Mini in 1961, and the Mini Cooper went on to be hugely successful, not only as a rally car. The Mini Cooper was a three times winner of the Monte Carlo Rally, winning in 1964, 1965 and 1967, and also performed well on other race circuits. Several of these cars appeared in the movie The Italian Job, and the Mini Cooper remains one of the most popular British cars of all time.

• Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
The Silver Shadow was the most successful car ever produced by Rolls-Royce, and it is still one of top prestige cars. The Silver Shadow was produced in various forms between 1965 and 1980, including the Bentley Silver Shadows manufactured by Rolls-Royce. In total, more than 38,000 Silver Shadows were built. These remain popular as luxury cars, and are also used as traditional wedding cars.

The majority of antique British cars on the market have been around since the middle of the twentieth century. These include some classic designs, a few of the fastest sports cars, and the most luxurious prestige cars of all time. The best British cars in automotive history continue to be much sought after by specialist auto collectors, and many antique British cars increase in value when they are lovingly cared for by enthusiasts.