Rental cars- Are they good buys?

Are former rental cars good buys because rental fleets are well maintained and serviced according to strict "severe service" intervals?

NO! In order to hold down costs the rental car companies maintain their fleets following the least amount of maintenance, not severe service, in order to still maintain the manufacturer’s warranty. Most of these cars are used for short trips to and from the motel, airport, and can wind up with severe engine oil sludging. In addition many rental cars will always consume oil because they were never properly broken in during the first 500 miles of operation.

I had a great day

Just a quick note about something that happened to me that most of us old-timers could appreciate. It seems that some young boys in the area have been working on a 1968 Dodge Coronet that their grandfather had in the barn. They were cleaning it up and doing minor body repairs to it. They are taking body shop at the Votech School and this is their project. They were having problems starting and keeping it running. One of my neighbors told their dad and he told them that I use to work on those old beauties, so they contacted me.
I checked it out and to make a long story short, the car needed a major tune up, which consisted of points, condenser, plugs, plug wires, fuel and air filter. I never got rid of most of the stock I had when I was in business so I had most of the parts I needed, yes I even had a set of points and condenser. I dusted off the old tach and dwell meter and set up the ignition. The boys set the gaps on the plugs and put them in, I of course supervised. Fired up that old 318 and set the timing and adjusted the carb and it sounded pretty good. Were going to have to rebuild the carb as the accelerator pump and gaskets need replacing but for an engine that is almost forty years old, it sure sounded good to me.
If you could have seen the look on those boys faces when that car started and ran. It was worth more than words can say to this old boy.

Replacement bulbs for Xenon-headlight equipped cars

I have heard that Replacement bulbs for Xenon-headlight equipped cars might not match colors, making the headlights appear as if they are shining in two different colors. In order to get the same matching color characteristics, should I always replace both Xenon bulbs at the same time, in pairs?

No! At $180 a bulb, that can be a big mistake. All that's needed is to allow the new bulb operate for a week or so as they take some time to break in and develop their characteristic factory "blue" color.

Eight Biggest Do-It-Yourself Mistakes

Do-it-yourself repair work can save you time and money -- in addition to giving you a lot of satisfaction. But you have to be careful to avoid beginner's mistakes, which can end up costing you more in time and money than you would have spent farming the work out to a professional mechanic -- and sour you on the idea of ever getting under the hood yourself again.

These include:

* Randomly pulling parts before you know what's wrong -- This is a common beginner's mistake that quickly leads to frustration and an empty wallet. Doctors don't begin treatment before evaluating the patient and making a diagnosis. It should be no different with any automotive "operation." Find out what's wrong first -- then fix it.

* Attempting a repair without having a shop manual to refer to -- Easily the number two pratfall on any list of beginner DIY mistakes. Never disassemble components without knowing how they fit back together, etc. A shop manual will typically have schematics, photos, diagrams and so on -- as well as a step-by-step procedure for each repair. "Winging it" without the manual is about as bright as trying to prepare an elaborate gourmet dinner you've never made before -- without the cookbook.

* Not using the proper tools -- This is commonplace because few beginners have a full set of mechanic's tools; in particular, the often specialized equipment needed to properly perform certain diagnostic and repair procedures. Using the wrong tool can lead to physical damage of the part being worked on -- in addition to skinned knuckles and a lot of cursing. If specialized tools are required, be sure you have access to them -- and know how to use them properly.

* Not having the right place to work -- It's important to have a safe, secure area to work on your vehicle. The shopping mall parking lot isn't it. A covered space with good lighting is ideal. And if you need to raise the vehicle, make sure it is parked on a level (and solid) surface, not grass. Beginners get killed or badly injured every year when an improperly supported car either rolls on top of them or slips off the jack stands and crushes them.

* Rushing it -- Deciding to tear your car apart late Sunday afternoon but needing to have it ready to make the commute Monday morning is a recipe for disaster. And a common beginner DIY mistake. Always allot sufficient time to finish the job; don't try to emulate a NASCAR pit crew. Those guys have it down to a science and have many years of experience. You don't. Expect delays as a result of things you didn't anticipate -- such as needing to get a part in the middle of the job, or spending an hour on getting at a bolt you thought you'd be able to remove in a minute or two.

* Getting mad -- This mistake often springs from the loins of the other mistakes already listed. You've got the car's guts all over the driveway and have no idea how to get them back together. Or you lost something. Or something's not fitting right. Whatever. This kind of thing happens to professional mechanics, too. The difference between them and a ranting do-it-yourselfer is the pro knows when to step away for a minute, have a cup of coffee, a smoke -- whatever -- and relax about it.

* Rigging it -- It can be tempting to "home engineer" a fix that isn't quite what the manual called for, but seems like it ought to work. This is ok in an emergency -- as when you're dealing with a broken down car in the middle of nowhere and just need to get it to run long enough to get you somewhere -- but don't do it otherwise. It can be tempting, sure -- but more often than not, the "fix" ends up causing more problems than it solved. Do it the right way, "by the book."

* Refusing to ask for help -- Pride definitely goes before the fall, in politics and car repair alike. Even the best of us don't know everything; the smart among us know it's no sign of weakness to ask someone who does. Just the opposite. If you can't figure out what the manual says, or are having trouble getting something to work, there is no shame in seeking the counsel of others, be they more experienced friends, online resources -- even a professional mechanic at a car dealership, etc. (They're often quite willing to help out; it just takes your having the guts to go up and ask them.)


(From an article by Eric Peters )

Do Synthetic oils have a molecular structure that can cause leaks?

It is widely known that all Synthetic oils have a molecular structure that is much smaller than conventional oils and therefore synthetic oils must use seal swelling additives in order to stop the oil from leaking out. Is this so?

NO! Synthetic oils are unique that there structure is more uniform then petroleum oils not smaller. In Petroleum oils the molecules are larger and not as even in size as synthetic oils. Just because synthetic oils have more uniform molecules in size, has nothing to do with seal failure or oil leaks. For example, the Olefins in Mobil 1 tend to cause seal shrinkage and seal swelling additives are used to counteract this tendency of like group IV synthetics. However ester based lubricants group V’s (example: Neo)tend to cause seals to expand, and the need for seal swelling agents is totally unnecessary.

Alternative Ticket Fighting Strategies

You've probably read articles about fighting traffic tickets -- but the reality is many of us (probably most of us) just don't have the money to hire a lawyer -- or the time/expertise (let alone gumption) to actually challenge a ticket on our own.

There are some alternatives, however.

* Plead "guilty -- with explanation":

Sometimes, you can get a reduced charged by pleading guilty -- but with an explanation. Provided you have an otherwise clean record --and the charge itself is relatively minor -- often, this can yield good results.

Remember -- what they want most is money. The charge itself is of secondary importance.

A great deal depends on the judge, however. Some are hard cases; others more reasonable. Before you decide to go this route, it's smart to get to court early and watch how your judge handles other cases -- especially those similar to your own. If you think, based on his actions, that he's going to throw the book at you -- you can always request a continuance; in many states, these are granted automatically upon request. Simply tell the judge you are not ready to go to trial. A continuance will push your court date off for another few weeks or so and give you time to prepare a defense -- or hire a lawyer.

* Bargain

Traffic court's a lot like buying a new car -- because there's lots of haggling involved. You can ask the judge (or the prosecuting/commonwealth's attorney) about the possibility of agreeing to attend driving school and/or pay a fine in return for dropping the charge against you -- or changing the charge to a non-moving violation, which avoids DMV "points" being assigned to your driving record. That means your insurance company won't have a pretext for a rate hike. In some counties/states, certain charges aren't reported to the DMV at all -- especially if it's an out-of-state ticket. (Mostly, these include non-moving violations such as "defective equipment" -- a common "lesser charge" that's often assigned in lieu of the original moving violation.)

The key thing, however, is to avoid the moving violation conviction -- even if it means paying a larger fine than you'd otherwise have paid for just the ticket/offense you were originally charged with. A one-time hit to your wallet is infinitely preferable to having that ticket held against you for anywhere from three to five years -- the length of time it will be on your DMV record -- and used by your insurance company to justify higher premiums. The total cost of a single moving violation on your DMV record can easily exceed the one-time hit of a fine for "defective equipment" (or whatever) many times over. And keep in mind: If you should be unlucky enough to receive another ticket before the old one "drops off" -- your jeopardy has just doubled. The points stack up -- and your insurance goes through the roof. How likely is it you can go for another five years without gettting nailed again? For many of us, that's a virtual impossibility!

(As an aside, it's possible in some states to take the DMV-authorized "driving school" online -- and avoid the hassle of spending an entire Saturday re-living high school detention. See http://www.trafficschoolonline.com for more information.)

Bottom line: Either of these alternatives -- pleading guilty with an explanation or bargaining your way to a lesser charge -- can be more cost-effective than hiring a lawyer or spending days/weeks of your own time doing what's necessary to fight the ticket yourself. Most of us have jobs and responsibilities that make that very difficult, if not impossible. And it can be very intimidating for a layman to go up against the system, subpoenaing records, questioning the ticketing officer in open court -- and so on. By challenging the system in this way, one also runs the very real risk of antagonizing the court -- and becoming the target of an angry judge looking to "teach someone a lesson." It's true you can always appeal a conviction (in many states, a traffic law case may even entitle you to a jury trial, if you want to take it that far). But that involves yet more time, yet more expense. How much of either can you afford to spend on a traffic ticket beef?

Yes, there's the principle involved. If it's a really unjust ticket, you may be motivated to go all the way -- and do whatever it takes to beat the rap. But sometimes, it's smart to pick your battles -- and go for the best outcome you can realistically hope for given time and other constraints.

Refueling Fires

Not to be argumentative but, I take exception to
the answer and the reasons given.

Safety is my foremost goal, I want to be sure that
everyone still shuts-down their car while refueling
for the utmost in safety.

While I do agree that static discharge is probably the
most common reason for refueling fires, I disagree with
a "mythbuster" type attitude that refueling fires don't
or can't happen because of a running engine.

Gasoline is NOTHING TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY!

I've personally been in two gasoline fires in
my career and want you to understand that there
is NO WARNING of the ignition and fire and NO TIME
and NO WAY 'undue' the event!

Here is the question and rationale that goes with the answer for those
that may have missed it in the monthly quiz:

***QUOTE***
3)True or false:

A car could catch fire if you don't turn off the engine while refueling.

False: In the old days that was a problem because of the potential of the
engine back firing, with gas fumes present. Today, modern engines do not
backfire. Outside of static electricity problems modern cars could have
a problem with evaporative emissions systems sensing a problem and
turning on a check engine light, which in most cases would reset itself
in time once the gas cap is replaced.
***END-QUOTE***

Now some real world FACTS to consider.

In my decades of servicing automobiles and trucks I have
personally witnessed:
*More than a dozen cars or light trucks that unexpectedly and
spontaneously suffered a wiring fire IN MY BAY.
*AT LEAST ONE CAR A MONTH that is backfiring (dismisses the above
assumption that modern cars don't backfire).
*Many dozens of cars or light trucks that unexpectedly and
spontaneously began leaking or spraying fuel IN MY BAY.

You guessed it, they were all running!


Some reference info...
www.pei.org
http://www.quiktrip.com/gasoline/gasoline_safety.asp

Both of the above sites are authoritative.
You'll find that both of them recommend to turn off the engine
while refueling.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3988/is_200410/ai_n9470573

Here is a quote from the findarticles site:
* As of March 2004, 39 states had reported fires to the Petroleum
Equipment Institute (PEI). The number of fires that have occurred may
not be accurate as some fires are extinguished quickly and never
reported. However, fires continue to occur.

* Wearing rubber soled shoes does not protect the consumer during
refueling. It insulates the wearer, making it more difficult to
discharge static buildup to the ground.

* On the average, it takes only 1 to 3 minutes to refuel an automobile
(a full-size SUV, 3 to 5 minutes).

* Gasoline vapors are heaver than air. As gasoline is dispensed into
the vehicle fill pipe, the vapors fall to the ground. If a vehicle is
running, these vapors can migrate under the vehicle where the engine
fan can circulate the vapor/air mixture over the engine and other
ignition sources. Beyond the issue of static, a running car presents a
number of "ignition sources" for fuel vapor:

* The exhaust components of a modern car literally can glow red hot
during normal operation.

* The typical ignition system creates above 40,000 volts.

* Starting a vehicle during refueling can result in a flash fire if
the gasoline vapors are near the starter and alternator when it is
engaged.

* One gallon of gasoline is equivalent to 20 sticks of dynamite.

* Gasoline can produce vapors than can ignite at all temperatures,
even at -45°F
...*End of quote*...

Also, there are still vehicles that are equipped or sometimes
retrofitted with "spark arrestors" on the tailpipe.
That should tell us something...

Be safe,

Mike.

Is there a difference between brands of gasoline?

It doesn't matter what brand of gasoline you use in your vehicle today, because all gasoline is about the same? This is not true anymore with the advent of Top Tier Gasoline. Currently, many gasoline retailers provide fuels with lower-quality additive packages that can build up deposits on fuel injectors and on intake valves. Others can build up deposits in combustion chambers and may lead to intake valve sticking. These lower levels of additives can have negative impacts on engine performance and vehicle responsiveness.

Here is a list of Top Tier Gasolines. Make sure your buying your gas from one of them, to avoid the problems mentioned above!

QuikTrip
Chevron
Conoco
Phillips
76
Shell
Entec Stations
MFA Oil Company
Kwik Trip/Kwik Star
The Somerset Refinery, Inc.
Chevron-Canada
Aloha Petroleum
Tri-Par Oil Company
Shell-Canada
Texaco
Petro-Canada
Sunoco-Canada

To learn more visit http://www.toptiergas.com

What To Avoid When Buying Your Next Car

Buying a car can be quite a process. Not only do you have to find a car you like and haggle for the best price, you have to worry about how you will pay for it. So many people have such high car payments that they struggle to pay their bills. They fall back on credit cards. They think that the cards are the problem, when in fact the car payment is at the foundation of their troubles.

When you are looking to buy a car, you need to know how much you can really afford to spend. You should spend no more than 15% of your after-tax monthly income on your car payments. Your car payments shouldn't exceed this amount.

If your family must have more than one vehicle, focus on having one good family vehicle that has a loan on it and one that is paid off. Two car payments at once are really pushing it for most people. For example, if you make around $40,000 before-taxes each year, you shouldn't be spending any more than $400 a month on your car payments. That doesn't get you to far.

Keep in mind that there is more to a car than the monthly payment for the loan. You will also have insurance to pay for. This can vary depending on the make, model and your area. Some vehicles also have higher repair and maintenance costs. Consider these costs when choosing the type of vehicle you are looking to purchase. And don't forget gasoline expenses!

If money is an issue for your family, a used car is really the best deal out there. New cars depreciate so quickly within the first two years. A used car really is a better deal. If you really want a new vehicle or are concerned about warranties, look for a vehicle that really holds its value well.

You need to know how to handle yourself when it comes to financing. You should always be prepared. Go home and work out the figures before you sit down with the finance manager. Know if the rebate or low interest rate is a better deal. Look closely at choosing the shortest loan as possible. If you can pay off the loan in 36 months, you are choosing the best financial option.

Be careful when buying a car. If a manager pushes you to move too fast, walk away for a while. Slow things down and really let the numbers add up. Don't let them change the numbers around for tax purposes (to save you money). Take your time and make sure that you are getting what you want.