Archive for January, 2007

Moving around the engine bay to the engine coolant level, checks here will depend on the particular cooling system layout and in most cases will comprise the radiator, which may or may not have a filler cap, and a heater tank which will have both a filler cap and some method of indicating the correct level. Firstly, and of vital importance, never ever release the filler cap when the engine is hot, removing this cap may well result in the escape of steam and/or coolant at high temperature. This mixture will be sufficient to cause serious scalding to any area of skin it comes into contact with. Suffice to say that coolant level is best checked without touching the filler cap via the “see through” header tank, if this is not possible wait at least ½ hour before slowly releasing the cap, ideally when wearing a substantial glove or a quantity of rag placed over the filler cap. The level check is simple enough but what is not quite so obvious is the strength of the antifreeze/water solution which provides not only protection against the system freezing but also a high degree of corrosion protection for the cooling channels within the engine. Again, a simple device can be purchased from most motor accessory shops for a few pounds which will give a reasonable indication of coolant strength. In most cases 50/50 mix of antifreeze/water should be used for topping up and this is best done with a pre-mixed solution and not via the method of adding neat antifreeze and then adding water as this can give rise to pockets in the header tank/radiator area that have a lower level of protection.

Now to the easiest check of all, the windscreen washers/wipers. Simply add a quantity of screenwash additive to the reservoir and then fill with water and the job is done. There is however little point in topping up the reservoir if the washer jets are blocked or mis-aligned and we have all seen cars whose washer jets are aimed better at the vehicle behind rather than the one they are attached to! For the regular four jet system aim two of the jets to hit the screen approximately 1/3 of the way up and the other two 2/3 of the way up, this will give good washer performance at all speeds. Moving the jets is usually done with a fairly robust needle and to clear them of the usual build up of wax and road grime a short length of wire carefully prodded into the jet whilst the washers are operated normally brings them back to life. Washers, of course, are of little use without an effective wiper system and here all we need do is ensure that the blades are not split, not juddering or smearing on the screen. If any of these conditions are apparent change the whole blade, replacing the rubber insert is a false economy and a fiddly job to boot! From first hand experience I recall failing a car during an MOT test for having split wiper blades, seeing this owner wrestling for ages with various tools and a pack of wiper inserts then submitting the car for re-test only to find that the inserts are doing a worse job in clearing the screen than the originals!  Do yourself a favour and swap the whole unit it may cost a little more but takes much less time and is easier on your nerves.

Judging by the number of cars on the road with one or more lights not working makes me think that drivers rely on the annual MOT test for a lights check. It can take less than five minutes for a complete lights check with the aid of an assistant, so there is no excuse for this check not to be done on a weekly basis and if you find any lights to be out they can be cheaply replaced particularly for Vauxhall owners as used Vauxhall headlamps N/S or O/S can be bought for next to nothing and work just as well as new ones. Moreover, it is so easy for some lights to be checked whilst sat in traffic looking out for reflections in shop windows and the vehicles in front and behind. Obviously from a legal point of view lights need to be effective as well as working, headlights and rear lights can be rendered next to useless when covered by a thick layer of road grime and again it takes only a few minutes with a cloth and some water to make things clear. Lastly, and an item that causes some annoyance, is the subject of headlamp aim, under normal operating circumstances, i.e. not towing a laden trailer or caravan, the headlamp height control, where fitted, should be set at zero. I have come across many people that think this control is for brightness and move it to the highest number, all they are doing is lowering the headlamp aim, effectively reducing the useful light available for driving. The other aspect of aim is of course that of being too high, this usually causes drivers of oncoming vehicles to be dazzled and flash their main beam in retaliation. Should this occur get the headlamp aim checked at an MOT testing station and adjusted where necessary.

The final section of this article is on the subject of fuel, and all that is required is to check the gauge before setting out and ask yourself the question, "do I have enough fuel to get to a filling station before/after work/shopping etc" and "do I have enough money once I get to the filling station". It is never a good idea to regularly run the fuel level so low that the warning light comes on or the gauge shows empty, doing this increases the chance of the fuel pump drawing up some of the contaminants laying around in the bottom of the tank, it is far better to run the level to around quarter full or some other convenient marker on the gauge.

Please bear in mind that the weekly checks are done to help keep your vehicle in something like a safe and roadworthy condition showing up obvious faults in their earliest stages before they create a breakdown situation, thus causing hassle and expense. Remember Vauxhall car parts and parts for other makes can be much cheaper to purchase than new car parts.

If i was the owner of a nice car like the Spyker C8 Spyder (visit Petrolhead.nl for images) i would drive it rather carefully knowing i had spend a fortune on the car itself, any car parts needed would inevitably cost me both my arms, and the car engine not only would cost me a bomb but also could get me from 0 - 60 before i can say 60 seconds (it takes around 4 seconds in the Audi v8 car engine).

But as we all know accidents do happen, like this one shown in Belgium. the drivers claims he simply turned to harshly, we reckon drunk or an absolute idiot.

Imagine the damage, you can see from the picture several car parts are wasted including the back passenger (N/S) wing, front bumper and who knows whether the car engine survived or not. one thing is for certain and thats the vehicle is now vehicle salvage
Please if you can afford a nice car such as the Spyker C8 Spyder, do all of us who can only dream of the car a favor and don’t crash it. But if you do and want car parts the why not use CarSpareFinder. If you wish to try your look and find nice vehicle salvage (the only way i could afford a car like this) then try SalvageSpareFinder.

photo and facts from Petrolhead.nl

Robots have had a active involvement in cars and car parts for many years, from assembly of car parts and cars to analysis of car problems and modifications such as spray painting.

It was only a matter of time before robots took more involvement in our lives and after reading a article in the jalopnik blog that day has already come. How, well robots can now actually park your car and almost triple the amount of cars you can fit into a garage.
The first garage to do so is in New York (i though it might have been japan since they love their robots and car parts and cars) and the only human involvement is the taking of cash from the customers (robots would not know if you short changed them) and obviously to monitor the robots should they start to become bad workers (e.g. throwing car parts around or letting tires down) or stop working in some way.

So robots now make car parts, make cars, change cars and now park cars. next will be robot to drive cars

According to the RAC you are more likely to crash if your overweight, in fact twice as likely.

They claim it is due to fatter drivers get tired more easily, are harder to remove from vehicles and don’t get the full use of car parts such as air bags and seat belts.

Personally i would not thought it would make a difference, i’m am a little chubby myself but i have never crashed (touch wood). People will blame accidents on anything and sometimes its just down to bad luck. Next they will say i’m more at risk since my hands are chubbier and i have trouble using car parts such as the steering wheel or the small head of a car gearbox. Give me a break.

So if you wanted to loose weight for the new year, the RAC is giving you another reason to do so.

When driving sometimes you think your invinsible and we do silly things which put us at risk and we dont even acknoledge the fact that it could be our last drive. You maybe thinking what is he on about so let me clarify. Have you ever took your eyes off the road to alter car parts such as tune a radio station, change your ipod, pick up the lolly pop you dropped etc.

All these stupid little things we do could in-fact kill us or damage us and others and increase the change of a vehicle accident, we just don’t realize it. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety did a experiment in which over 200 drivers were recorded with cameras to monitor driving behavior. You may think people would drive more carefully with cameras on them however the experiment recorded over 80 traffic accidents and just under 800 near misses.

The findings were common sense in that if your tired, drowsy the chances of crashing is nearly four times and other factors include aggressive driving mentioned in my previous post ‘winter driving‘ and taking your eyes off the road for more than 2 seconds (yes that means fiddling with car parts such as changing the tune turning on).

So what can we do, well for starters take brakes when driving, if you have a colleague near by try splitting the journey or taking turns and be sensible and don’t fiddle with car parts yourself or do dumb things since tis not worth it. The biggest thing is to remember your in a 2 tone vehicle which can travel over 80 MPH and if you hit someone at 35 they will almost certainly be killed, so if your at 70 there is a massive change that if you crash you will no longer be with us.
There is a good report on the web for road crash statistics such as 1 in 4 people killed in a road accident are under 25

Remember if your unfortunate to be in a accident and you need car parts then try CarSpareFinder, or if you wish to look at vehicle salvage then try SalvageSpareFinder

I currently travel on a morning down the a19 from Durham to the offices near Middlesbrough. I would consider this road a dangerous road, there is always a turned over lorry, a 3 car pile up etc at least once a week and this is in the summer.

Now its winter and its getting freezing out there, there has been one episode of snow and the amount of accidents will triple. but there are things you can do for the winter driving.

there are 2 types of prevention here. one involves car parts. for example putting chains round you tires so they become snow car parts, using de-icer on car parts such as head lamps or windscreen and the other is driving sensibly (i call it winter driving).

you should now be checking your water levels on the car engine, your oil and top up your windscreen solution every week and use the recommended winter guidelines on the back of the box

Another simple one is don’t be a a*** on the road, you see cars doing 70MPH on a motorway and theres a constant movement. Then a guy in a powerful car doing 90, goes to within a inch of the guys bonnet and the first car cannot move over till he is passed the lorry but the guy wont budge. This apart from being annoying is dangerous. we should be leaving at least 3 to 4 seconds between the car in front because if the first guy brakes the second car would go strait into him and i would be late for work again and someone would need a new car bumper.

Have an emergency kit. i don’t mean car parts such as 4 spare wheels or a snow plough, but a blanket, and stuff to change a flat tyre, some band aids etc. you never know what will happen

One dangerous car part is a car windscreen. If you get a small chip then get it fixed, it costs nothing. It will develop into a crack which will cost you and in the winder cold it will crack sooner, so be careful

upgrade some car parts such as tyres mentioned earlier and get winder wiper blades. they all come in useful.

Also never let you petrol tank be less than half full. not many people know this but your gauge line can actually freeze thus not telling you a real representation of your petrol level and you might run out of petrol.

As for winter driving leave plenty of space, set off 10 minutes earlier on a morning, be more patient, if other people are being stupid it does not mean you have to etc.

There are many things you can do from modifying existing car parts, to driving sensible. the two combined should ensure safe journeys all winter. however if you do run into problems and need some car parts then use CarSpareFinder to get your parts, its free and easy and you should be back on the road in no time.

image from www.freeimages.co.uk

Honda know for its catchy phrase ‘power of dreams’ which gives a idea of enthusiastic and passionate people working to create a better future in cars and honda car parts.

Well dreams either die or become a reality and Honda has started churning out reality from its dreams in the form of car concepts shown at the LA auto show in december.

The models shown were the Honda FCX, Honda REMIX and the Honda STEP BUS, with the Honda FCX being named the future of automobiles with its wonderful HONDA car parts and next generation fuel cell technology to boost performance (like car steroids but not illegal).

As concepts you would think these futuristic car parts and cars would go on sale in around 5 to 10 years but the FX is set to ship as early as 2008 (of course not for england but yes for japan and the US)
The HONDA remix is a stylish looking 2 seater sports car for those fans looking for style and claims it will also have good functionality for everyday use. apparently and it will look good with nice expensive HONDA car parts such as twin exhausts and a flash HONDA ENGINE.

The HONDA STEP BUS concept was aimed at younger audience who live aggressively on the road, however for me the name makes it sound more like a hippy van but ironically it is called this because you get the space of a bus within a small car, much like the TOYOTA YARRIS.

facts from www.partstrain.com (some nice images too)

The reason CarSpareFinder works so well is that people are always trashing or damaging cars and thus need spare car parts whether it will be used car parts or new car parts, there still needed.

Several reports around the web are stating there are fears since over 30% of all vehicles written off are too damaged to return to the roads and there is a increase every year in the amount of vehicles involved in accidents.

For most people this is bad news, but for us it keeps us in business. We can break car parts down and use them, we sell vehicle salvage at SalvageSpareFinder, all of which can be fully repaired and produce a profit.

Its much like doctors, although people being ill is bad news, if they were not then doctors and nurses would be out of business. or if people stopped committing crime we would not need policemen.

So if your unlucky and involved in a accident and need a spare car parts (used car parts or new car parts) then give us a go, or if you wish to check out our vehicle salvage then visit SalvageSpareFinder.

ps drive safely

Here at CarSpareFinder we get many car parts requests every day, on a wide variety of cars. Some times we get usual makes of car for example ford escort car parts or nissan micra car parts which you would expect since they are the average joe car. and these average cars tend to request average car parts such as car engine, or car gearbox.

However recently the more unusual cars have been rolling in, for example jaguar car parts, including the nice jaguar xkr car parts (2 door coupe) and the car parts requested were a cream arm rest and a headlamp wiper.

And why not put irregualr cars through, everyday we contact breakers to get them on our system and some are specialists (we have a jaguar specialist who only deals in jaguar car parts).

so the moral of the facts is that no matter what the part, how unlikely it seems that you will get one, try our system, its free and you never know, you may get the car part you always wanted, and for cheap!

image from autoimage.autoweb.cz

We all know there are some bad car parts out there such as neon lights, or car exhausts which are the same size as my head, however if the government gets its way one device will win the baddest car parts contest….The car tracker AKA travel tax
If the governments plans go through everyone will be made to purchase a car tracking device costing over £200, if this is not bad enough the govenment will track how much you travel and bill you extra tax. BBC recently did some tests and the cheapest bill was £28. So as well as your normal car tax we will pay a monthly extra.

This means bad news for certain professions as in the BBC test a delivery driver had to pay £194 a month extra. This is just not acceptable!

On top of this it means the government will know where every car is, where you have been etc and even how fast you were going, thus a small increase over 30MPH means a automatic speeding ticket

So i expect all of you out there, even if you don’t own a car to sign this partition and if needed we will all go down to 10 downing street and protest and we will beat this nasty car parts situation before it happens!

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/traveltax/

Remember our human rights tony blair. oh and yes i bet the pri-minister and all the MP’s are void from this tax situation, and even if you were you would wangle a massive tax rebate or something.