Auto Technology and Lifestyle » Car Maintenance

How to decide an Automotive DMS organization?

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 11:13:54 +0000

DMS is an abbreviation for Dealer Management Software (or occasionally related to as Dealer Management organization) in a nutshell a DMS organization is a backing up software that shall get whole the essential functionalities for a trader to run and purpose in the actual reality.

There are a lot of serve suppliers and software’s away there in the market nowadays, how deciding the correct one could be hard. Here are some contemplation factors one had better be alert of antecedent creating the plunge and obligation.

Price – there’s a broad distance of outputs with really dissimilar price factors implied. Utmost of the DMS organizations are every month subscription supported.
Engineering – do not fool yourself into considering “whenever I paid further, it must be a ameliorate output.” That’s not real at whole; utmost of the payment shall possibly finish up in back up staff due to the pitiful plan.
Plan – looking for by DMS serve supplier nowadays on the market, you’ll shortly recognize a lot of DMS organizations are badly programmed and planned correct since the acquire run. Quantity of the software’s gets badly planned interfaces, and superfluous functionalities.
Web consolidation – Due to the engineering implied to grow the program, a lot of suppliers away there can’t be instantly consolidated with your living website. This is due to a few causes.
- Outdated database that’s unsuitable with nowadays criteria.
- Safety jeopardizes, due to the expired software there are a lot of safety traps whenever the organization is attending consolidated with web.

Air Deflectors For Your Vehicle

admin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:13:06 +0000

Placing a new air deflector on your car is a wise decision. Bugs, road debris, and rocks can all macerate your hood or even break your windshield. Within moments your trip upstate has come to a screeching halt because of what was tossed up in the air by the vehicle in front of you while you were cruising down the highway. An air deflector might have sent that stone harmlessly to the side or up and over the roof of your car. Instead, your windshield took a direct hit. Let’s take a look at all of the advantages of an air deflector and how installing one is a cost effective solution.

An air deflector doesn’t have to cost you a bunch of money and when you consider what you save in replacement glass, it pays for itself right away.

Air deflectors also help manage bug splatter the same way. You understand how it is to drive around at dusk in some areas of the back country: you get hit by swarm after swarm of the largest insects. Your wipers work overtime and, yet, still the bugs still come. An air deflector pushes bugs to the side, away from your windshield so you can see clearly.

An air deflector is easy to install; no special tools are needed.
Air deflectors are stylish too.

When purchasing an air deflector for your vehicle, you can order one that will fit your particular make and model. There is no one sized fits all air deflector; they are custom sized to give you the right fit every time.

Deflectors are made of polycarbonate construction to ensure that they last long and can withstand all weather and road conditions.

By: Matthew Keegan

Quality Cadillac Alternator

admin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:13:06 +0000

Cadillac, one of the finest names in the automobile industry, is known for its high performance vehicles which include features for added comfort and safety to its users. And these features include a car stereo system, car air conditioning system, defogger and various lighting components. All these operate because of a vital car component called the Cadillac alternator.

The Cadillac alternator is a part of the charging system of your Cadillac vehicle that produces electricity for many devices. It is used to charge the battery and to power all the car’s electric systems when its engine is running. The main function of the alternator is to convert power from the gasoline engine to electrical energy in order to keep the battery in superb condition. It creates alternating current rather than direct current. Although it generates electricity by the same principle as DC generators, it is considered to be simpler, lighter, and more rugged because it does not require a commutator, an electrical switch that reverses the current in an electric motor or electrical generator from time to time.

The main function of the alternator contains different components which include mainly the rotor and the stator. The rotor is the rotating field winding which consists of a coil of wire wrapped around an iron core. It is driven by the alternator pulley and rotates when the engine runs. The stator, on the other hand, is a stationary induction winding which consists of another set of coils, particularly three in number. These three stator windings three stator windings are spaced inside the alternator and produce three separate sets, or “phases,” of output voltages. The two remaining components are the rectifier bridge which is also known as the diode assembly and a control device which is the voltage regulator.

Even when a car is idle, an alternator is capable of producing a constant, high voltage because of how it works. But it is rather hard to tell when your alternator has problems because when it dies or malfunctions, the vehicle will not suddenly stop since the battery still has stored power. And once all the battery’s power is consumed, you can expect this to happen.

By: Joe Thompson.

For more information please visit:
http://www.mycarcraze.com/car-accessories

Clutch Kit Essentials

admin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:13:06 +0000

If your vehicle’s clutch has failed, then you could be faced with an expensive repair bill depending on the make and model of your car and the garage doing the work. Between high parts prices and labor costs, you could easily face a bill of $500, $700, or even $1000 or more. Perhaps you should consider doing the job yourself? If so, let’s take a look at clutch kits and the best way for you to obtain one at a reasonable price.

All clutch kits come with three items standard, with a fourth item included with some kits.

Your clutch kit will contain:
Clutch friction plate
Clutch pressure plate
Release bearing

Some clutch kits also come with pilot bearings or bushings.
For the performance car driver, there are specialty kits available that contain superior friction materials, stronger springs, and more exact engagement than stock clutches. Without a doubt, a stock Acura clutch kit or BMW clutch kit would be adequate as they meet all stringent OEM requirements.

Popular manufacturers of stock and performance clutch kits include: Valeo, Sachs, Centerforce, ACT, and Exedy. Most of these types of kits are what your garage will use for your vehicle and they are available through your dealer’s auto parts department as well.

To save money, you can also purchase clutch kits from wholesalers. A wholesaler deals directly with the manufacturer which ensures that you receive the best price without the mark ups and the parts you receive are genuine.

Wherever you choose to purchase your parts, make sure that you can return them if there is a problem and, that the manufacturer stands by their product. Unfortunately, with counterfeit parts “industry” is a multi-billion dollar per year problem. It goes without saying that you should avoid generic or no name brands when shopping for any automotive replacement parts.

By : Matthew Keegan

For more information please visit:
http://www.mycarcraze.com/car-accessories

Add-on Accessories To Enhance Your Ride

admin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:13:06 +0000

There are many add-on devices and gizmos for cars that can provide features to make your ride better. A power cord plugged into the cigarette lighter socket will keep your cell phone running without draining its battery. An iceless cooler will conveniently keep a drink cold. A heated mug will keep coffee hot as long as the car is running. There are other useful functions that add-on accessories can provide to make time in your car more enjoyable. Many car accessories are low enough in price so that they may be well worth installing. This article concentrates on accessories priced under $50.

Below is information and comments about each type of accessory. At the end of the article is a link to a web page that provides online sources to purchase each product mentioned in this article. Details on each individual product are given at the purchase sites.

12 volt heated mug
A mug with a plug for getting power from the cigarette lighter socket. It keeps a liquid, such as coffee, hot for as long as the vehicle is running. Some models have a thermostat to set the temperature.

Example models:
Wagan Tech Heated Travel Mug,about $30.NexxTech™ Travel Mug with Thermal Control, about $20.Power Up Thermal Mug, about $20.

Cooler/warmer
These give the choice of keeping food or beverage hot or cold. Some are sized to hold a can of soda or a mug of coffee, larger units might hold a six pack or more.
Wagan Car Cooler/Warmer, about $75Koolatron 8 quart Food Cooler/Warmer, about $80Vector 6-can Portable Food Cooler & Warmer Chest, about $50.

Cell phone charger
Plugs into the cigarette lighter socket to power or charge your cell phone. Example models: Custom Accessories Deluxe Power Cord Charger – Motorola, about $20. Custom Accessories Power Cord Charger – Motorola, about $10. Radio Shack 273-1288 Car Power Adapter for Hitachi SH-P300 Wireless Phone, about $30. Quick Cell 3900 Car Charger Nokia, about $15 12 volt coolers – These range in size to hold 2 soda cans up to full size refrigerators for recreational vehicles.

Example models:
VDP Road Chill 2-pack Cooler, about $30. Multipurpose lights – Can be incandescent, flourescent or led. Some plug into the cigarette lighter socket, some are wired directly into the car’s power circuits, and some are battery operated and portable. If used while the vehicle is not running, a consideration may be that LED models will drain the battery the least (but in general produce less light).

Example models:
Bonatrade International 6-Watt Single Tube 12V Fluorescent Light, about $15.Custom Accessories 10716 Power Lite: Magnet Mount. Plugs into cigarette lighter jack, about $10. Custom Accessories 76665 Utility Light 12v, about $3. Voltec Industries 0800255 Trouble Light: 12 Volt, about $4. Alert HC20 Halogen Worklight 12v, about $20. Compass – Some are mechanical; some are electronic and battery powered with digital displays, some are lighted to read at night, some have additional features such as time, date, and/or temperature.

Example models:
Wayfinder V100 Digital Compass, about $24. NexxTech™ Digital Compass with Calendar, Clock and Temperature, about $30. Radio Shack 63-1221 Digital Vehicle Compass, about $20. Custom Accessories 18100, about $10. Custom Accessories 55558, about $5. Type S Compass, about $5. Flashlight – Dozens of types available including windups that don’t require batteries, solar rechargeables, flourescent tube (bulbs last much longer), and LED models that will run many hours on one set of batteries.

Example models:
Energizer Folding LED Compact Mini Lantern Model # LED4AA1BP, about $15. Dorcy Waterproof LED 4AA Flashlight, about $15. Dorcy Mini LED Zoom Spot or Area Hanging Lantern, for about $15. Himount Windup LED Flashlight, about $20. 4 point safety harness – Has four anchor points with a restraint for each shoulder. These are more likely to get you through a crash with less injury than if you had been using a standard belt (across one shoulder and across the lap). Many are made to attach to a roll bar, so make sure the one you are getting is appropriate for your vehicle. example models: Peak Racing Equipment PEK-507-2, about $75.

Power inverter
Plugs into the cigarette lighter socket, clips to battery, or wire it in. The vehicle’s 12 volts dc is changed to 120 volts ac to power things like laptop computers, coffee makers, cell phones, camcorder battery chargers and other small appliances. Don’t go bigger than 400 watts unless you want to go directly to the battery with heavy wire. Even then, using high power devices will drain your battery quickly and could fry the alternator if the engine is running.

Example models:
Coleman Powermate CMN-PMP400 400 watt, about $60. Motor Trend power inverter HDL-MTI-12-3716, about $60. Xantrex X Power Mobile Plug 75, about $30. Go Power GP 175 Modified Sine Wave Inverter, about $30. Other accessories that can be used to enhance your car include seat covers, floor mats, steering wheel covers, sun shades, head rest covers, litter bags, can and cup holders, inside/outside thermometer, gps/map devices, extra loud or novelty-sound horns. Items to keep in your car for repair, emergency, safety – Jack, lug wrench, trouble light, flares, jumper cables, maps, cell phone and phone numbers, emergency alert radio, coolant for radiator, drinking water, long storage food, empty container for gasoline, various hand tools, gloves, coat, hat, blanket, rain poncho, and a first aid kit.

By :Alan Detwiler

For more information please visit:
http://www.mycarcraze.com/car-accessories

Modern Materials in Hubcaps and Wheel Covers

admin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:13:06 +0000

Our father’s and grandfathers’ wheel covers were gleaming orbs of chrome plated steel, glittering wire spoke patterns, or flat chrome Frisbee look-alikes. Before 1980, chrome plated steel was the only material light and strong enough to do the job. Unfortunately, plated steel thin and light enough for hubcaps was easily dented, and if scratched or driven in winter, i.e., in salt conditions, was likely to rust.

ABS plastic (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) was introduced as a standard material in plumbing pipe in the 1970s, and became the universal material in hubcaps by the mid 1980s. ABS has the attributes of rigidity, strength, and high resistance to salt, chemicals, heat, cold, pressure, and impact. It has excellent resistance to breaking, scratching and chipping, even at low temperatures.

Parts made of ABS plastic weigh only a fraction of their steel counterparts. They can be painted or chrome plated to produce a range of visual effects. Scratches or dings on the surface of plastic are stable, and look the same years later as they did the day the scratch occurred. Whereas, when chrome plated steel is scratched, it will then rust. These qualities make ABS plastic an ideal material for hubcaps, wheel covers, and many other automotive parts.

Today, nearly all wheel covers for passenger vehicles, including original equipment and aftermarket replicas, are made of ABS plastic. In fact, the majority of non-structural auto trim items, including company logos, lettering, grills, cowlings, bumpers, frames, light reflectors, bezels, etc, have been made of (chromed) plastic for nearly 20 years.

One category of modern hubcaps still made of metal is known as ‘Wheel Simulators’, which are made of highly polished stainless steel. Wheel simulators are designed primarily for the larger wheels supporting heavy utility vehicles, dual wheel trucks and RVs. A few models are available for single wheel trucks and trailers. ‘Simulators’ are so named because they look like, but they are much less expensive than, chrome plated wheels. Further, stainless steel is highly corrosion resistant, which can not be said for chrome plated wheels.

By :Phil Sollecito

For more information please visit:
http://www.mycarcraze.com/car-accessories

Where To Find an Easy Car Loan

admin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:13:06 +0000

An easy car loan can be found on the internet. Online car financing is actually the most simple, easiest and less time consuming way to get financing for your vehicle purchase and in addition, you are able to do a thorough comparison between the best offers on the market. According to reliable sources (Consumer Federation of America), vehicle buyers are often overcharged by 3% or more on loans they are taking through a dealership. This can mean an extra loan cost of $1,000 or more. The best loan websites are the cheapest, your job is to find those sites and select the loan that fits you best with regard to interest rates, fees and other terms. On these quality sites you don’t have to pay application fees, or down payments and your new or used auto loan is approved in minutes.

Here is how you do it:
You must decide which vehicle you are looking for, what it cost and how much you need to borrow. Also, do some calculations upfront to find out how much you are able to pay on a down payment and what monthly payments can be, along with interest and fees. Then determine how long a period of time you’ll need to pay it back. Use an online car loan payment calculator.

With these figures written down, go to the internet and
either look for a recommended online car finance company or
do a search for ["car loans"+review]. Then you will get a list of loan companies and references from other people that have dealt with these companies before.

Select 3 to 5 of the companies that appear to have the best offers and apply. The application process is very easy; in most cases you only have to fill in 4 to 5 cells of information, that’s all. Then sit down and wait a few minutes and you will receive their offers either by email or directly on the website.

With all the offers in front of you, start the comparison process: You should compare interest rates, fees, and other terms that might affect your loan costs, especially the part in small print.
When this is done select two lenders and contact them over telephone. This will give you a feeling of which people you deal with; whether they are friendly and service minded; ask yourself “would I like to do business with them?”

Then you should have a good platform for choosing your vehicle lender. Choose the one you like best. Give them a feed back either by phone, email or via their website.

Now, sit down and wait for your money to come; it will take only a few days.
In the mean time, go to the dealership and start the price negotiation. When you know you have the money, you are in a much better position for negotiating a really great auto deal.

By: Terje Ellingse

For more information please visit:
http://www.mycarcraze.com/car-loan

Exercise Does a Car Good

admin — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 19:26:55 +0000

Older cars should also be “exercised” regularly by opening up the throttle on the highway and letting the car breathe. After warming up the engine, take the car up to 50 or 60 miles per hour, and keep it there for several miles. The workout will prevent staleness in the car’s mechanics and alert you to any problems that could have developed while the car sat dormant.

“You have a lot of gaskets in the motor and the transmission in the rear end, so if it’s not warmed up, driven to proper temperatures … what happens is those gaskets contract,” Begley says. “When they contract, then you’re getting transmission leaks, engine oil pan leaks, intake manifold leaks, exhaust leaks, everything.”

On the exterior, replacing headlights and even side panels will give the car a new look without requiring too much outlay. Headlights cost several hundred dollars plus labor (checking your owner’s manual could save some money here; some models have lights that are relatively easy to replace yourself). And while it can cost $1,500 to replace a dented or scratched side panel, it’s cheaper than buying a new car and looks much better than trying to “fix” it with spray paint and Bondo.

The cost of general maintenance and fixing small dents or cracks may feel like unnecessary expenditures. But if you do each thing right the first time, the car will run for years to come, saving thousands over the long haul.

How to check the engine oil

admin — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:15:15 +0000

Place your car at the level spot. Stop the engine. Wait for a while to let the engine oil to pour down to the oil pan. Pull the engine oil dipstick. If you don’t know where is the engine oil dipstick, check your owner’s manual, usually it has a bright handle saying “engine oil”.

Wipe it off with a clean rag or tissue. Then insert it back all the way down into its place.

Now, pull the dipstick again and check the oil level. Normally it should be at “FULL” mark. For example, here you can see that it’s a bit lower. It’s not a big problem yet, but it’s better to top it up. Check the oil condition: If it’s way too black, it’s definitely time to change it. If it’s slightly-brown, it’s O.K. If it’s dark-brown, but still transparent, it’s admissible but it’s better to change it soon.
If it’s white (coffee with milk color) it means the engine coolant mixes with the engine oil because of some internal engine problem, for example, blown head gasket – have your car inspected.

How to top up the engine oil:
It would be better to add the same type and brand of the engine oil as you already have in the engine. Add a little amount of the oil as it’s shown in the image. Wait for a minute to let the oil to pour down. Check the oil level again with the dipstick. If it’s still low, add some more. But don’t overfill it. Don’t forget to install the dipstick back and close the oil filler cap when you finished.

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