Whats Best For You ,Petrol,Diesel or LPG ?

LPG:
The newcomer to this is LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) this produces less emissions than the other two but consumption is worse.although it is
possible to convert most cars to LPG with some manufacturers producing dual-fuel vehicles,which are designed for LPG with a petrol back-up.
LPG has been seen as a cheaper alternative to Gas & Diesel but it is not as clean as people think with greenhouse gases being released as it is a fossil based fuel.

DIESEL:
Diesel engines have always been seen as slow and noisy, however technology has seen some advances in recent years; for instance Honda has developed their own diesel engine that is designed to be quiet, refined, clean and with instant response – fighting against all the old stereotypes.
It turns out that diesel engines are more economical than petrol ones,with direct-injection being the best on fuel economy.There was a time when diesel
was significantly cheaper than petrol,but now diesel is dearer than petrol.

Petrol:
This fuel type has been the staple form in the car world for years.Petrol engines are generally quiet and smooth, they are responsive and their performance
is good and although being a cleaner fuel than diesel it emits 10% (approx) more carbon monoxide.At the moment there is no single source of fuel which can
compare with petroleum in terms of its instant bulk availability.

On reflection it seems to be the vehicle owners own personal preference which type of fuel thye go for.

Dave Burton
www.bargain-motors.com

Safe Travelling On Vacation

The main thing to do before travelling on vacation is to spend a few minutes checking out your important vehicle systems before hitting the road to prevent your vacation travel from turning into a hassle.
The main concern is arriving safely at your destination.While winter weather, increased traffic, driver fatigue and shortened daylight hours can make driving more hazardous over the holidays, a poorly maintained vehicle shouldn't be added to that list of potential driving hazards.Therefore performing a simple vehicle safety check is neccesary.

Front windshield.
3/4 of all accidents that occur during severe weather are due to impaired visibility,its recommended to get new wiper blades every six months,and switching to high-quality winter blades in areas where snow and ice are expected.
Every vehicle should be equipped with an emergency kit that includes a flashlight, flares or reflective triangles, blanket, food bars, water, cell phone and charger, and a first aid kit.
LIGHTS
Its just as important to see as it is to be seen on the road,its recommended to check all vehicle lights, including headlights, taillights, marker bulbs, fog lights and interior lights.To make sure your turn signals and your brake lights are in working order have someone stand at the back of your car,turn your lights and blinkers on so your assistant can see that they are operating as they should.If the bulbs are not working as they should you can replace any that have burned out or are fading. Check your headlights too, both the low beams and the high beams. You want to make sure other vehicles on the road can see you coming. It is always handy to keep some fuses in your glove compartment. You never know when you may need one.
TIRES:
Check tire tread depth and look for signs of irregular wear. Measure tire pressure when the tires are cold. Inflate the tires to the pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer - information that can be found on the driver's side door posthandbook or manual - but never exceed the maximum inflation pressure printed on the tire sidewall. Proper tire pressure ensures maximum traction, fuel economy, handling, and stopping power.If you see your tires are wearing unevenly you can rotate them, which means switching the back tires to the front and the front tires to the back of the car. If you see wear patterns you may also need to get your car aligned,you also want to make sure you have a spare tire, or a donut tire, and the proper jack and equipment you will need to change a tire.

* Clean all mirrors and adjust them to cover as much of the "blind spot" as possible.

* Strap down all cargo. Even in low-speed accidents, gift boxes and travel supplies become projectiles inside the vehicle.

Always make sure your vehicle has working seatbelts for each passenger. Not all state require drivers and passengers to use seat belts. If your driving through different states during your holiday travel you may want to check the laws of the states you will be driving through. Ignorance of a law will not save you from a ticket if you are stopped.Accidents can happen even if you have checked and prepared your car for your holiday road trip. If you are involved in an accident your seat belts and/or car seats will help to reduce the chances of your being seriously injured.Just in case of an accident, put a disposable camera in your glove compartment. If you need to you will be able to take pictures of the accident scene for your insurance company. Be sure to carry your registration and insurance papers in the glove box as well.A pen and some paper can be of help if you need to exchange insurance and license information with someone. You will also be able to write down the details of the accident so you don't forget any details.
To ensure your vacation travel plans run smoothly you need to plan and make a little effort. The last thing you would want to happen is to have your car break down, so give your vehicle a little attention before you leave.You should give your car a complete going over. Give your car an oil change. While your at it check all the fluids including your transmission fluid, brake fluid and your windshield wiper fluid.While your working under the hood of your car check the hoses for signs of wear. If the hoses in your engine look worn, have them replaced. You don't want them to break down during your trip.
Today most of us have cell phones and carry them with us at all times. Remember to charge your cell phone or to bring your charger. For road travel it is a good idea to have a battery charger that can plug into your cigarette lighter. You don't want to get caught breaking down on the road with a dead cell phone.If you don't have a cell phone you can purchase one that has prepaid minutes already on it. You won't have to sign a contract for this type of phone and when the minutes run out, you can dispose of the phone or pay to have more minutes put on it.
Once you've completed the safety check, you can then focus on maximizing fuel economy, even though your vehicle may be loaded down with people and or presents, by having a clean air filter and by adding fuel injector cleaner to the vehicle's gas tank prior to departure is recomended.

If you are going to be one of the thousands of people traveling the roads for the holidays in your own car, rather than a rental vehicle, make sure you have done all you can to prepare your car for the trip. Car maintenance and repair will help to insure your vacation trip is a happy and successful journey.

Dave Burton
www.bargain-motors.com

How to Choose the Battery for your Car

Replacing your car battery can save you money with attention for the proper disposal of your old one.
The car battery is the first point of power under your hood of your car. It provides electricity needed for lights,entertainment,electric windows and other car accessories.If your battery dies so does your vehicle.
Rrecycling stations and automotive supply stores give you ample oppotunities for disposal of your old battery.

There are 5 major things to consider when choosing a car battery:
1,Age
2,Cold-cranking amps
3,Size
4,Brand
5,Reserve capacity

1,Age
The age of the battery gives you an idea on how long it should be able to perform. A battery is considered ‘fresh' if it is less than 6 months old.
Look for the manufacturing date. Most date codes are stamped on the battery case or label. Important battery information usually starts with 2 characters:
Letter - indicates the month (Example: A is January; B is February; C is March...), and
Digit - indicates the year (Example: 9 for 1999, 0 for 2000, 1 for 2001...)

2,Cold-Cranking Amps:
Cold-cranking amps (CCA) measure the battery's ability to start your car even on an extremely cold weather. During freezing condition, your car will be hard to start (or to ignite) because the car's engine oil thickens and chemical reactions, in turn, slow down.
The cold-cranking amps also refer to the number of amps a battery will be able to support for 30 seconds at 0 degree temperature (until battery voltage reaches below minimum level).
Choosing a battery with a high number of CCA is better; particularly to those vehicles being driven in a cold climate. A higher cold- cranking amps assure that your car's engine will start obediently even on snowy mornings.
Car Battery - is a type of battery that can be recharged. Its main purpose is to supply electricity to a vehicle. Car battery is also referred as an SLI battery. Starting-Lighting-Ignition: to give power to the starter motor, the lights, and the ignition system of a car engine.
Cranking (starting) - also known as shallow cycle type, intended to release rapid surges of energy to start a vehicle's engine.
Obviously, you won't have to bother with much CCA if you're living in a tropical or warm climate. Since the sole purpose of your car battery is to spurt electricity to crank your car's engine and also to supply power other car's accessories.

Difference between CCA and CA
CCA (cold-cranking amps) - indicate how much electrical power the car battery can deliver to the car's starter engine, at zero degree Fahrenheit.
CA (cranking amps) - This is another measure of electric current in the battery, taken at 32 degrees Fahrenheit or at freezing point. When seen on battery case or label, the CA rating is usually higher than the CCA rating.
Tips on Choosing the Suitable Cold-Cranking Amps Rating for your Car Battery:
Check your owner's manual and follow the CCA rating specified for your car battery.
Do not choose batteries with CCA rating which is much lower or much higher to the rating recommended by your car's manufacturer, as well as those CCA rating of 200 amps or more.
If both your car's battery brand and exact CCA rating level are not available, you may choose a bit higher (not much and not lower) your car's CCA requirements.

Different Group Sizes for Different Car Models:
Size 75 - General Motors cars;
Size 65 - big-bodied Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury cars;
Size 35 - latest Honda, Nissan, and Toyota cars;
Size 34 - Chrysler cars; and
Size 34/78 - with 2 sets of terminals to fit some Chrysler and some General Motor models.

3,Size
Size or Group Size refers to the height, width and length of the battery. They come in different group sizes to fit most car's battery tray. It is important that the battery should fit snugly and securely. Always refer to your car manufacturer's manual to know your car's specific battery group size. You may also consult the reference guides, which battery retailers provide, find out the appropriate battery size for your car.
Buying a wrong-sized battery will just be a waste of money and might just set off more damage to your car.
In the States, a new car battery might cost up to $200, or more. To save money more efficiently: it is best to do a research for battery prices first before buying. Also learn to remove and to install your own car battery, to save on the installation fee.

4,Brand
Brand refers to the trademark given to a certain product. Sometimes it is the same with the manufacturer's name (i.e. Exide company produces batteries with same name).
Buying the battery brand specified in your owner's manual is the best way. But if that particular brand is too expensive and you want to do some cost-cutting, follow the specification requirement also found in the owner's manual.
Do not be tempted to buy the cheapest brand because it could turn as the most expensive battery you've ever bought. Cheap batteries may also be loaded with defects and can also be poor performers. A frequent battery change, which also entails repeated installation, will just definitely sucks up the money you've initially saved when you chose a cheap car battery.

Battery Service Centers that Install and Sell Reasonably-Priced Car Batteries:
Firestone
Goodyear
Pep Boys
Sears

4, Battery Manufacturers and their Battery Brands:
Delphi - AC Delco and some EverStart;
Exide - Champion, Exide, Napa, and some EverStart; and
Johnson Controls Industries - Diehard (Sears), Duralast (AutoZone), Interstate, Kirkland (Costco), Motorcraft (Ford), and some EverStart.


You can also buy car batteries from local service stations and tune-up shops; however, the selection is limited and the stocks may not be fresh.
Battery Stores that Sell Very Low-Priced Car Batteries but sometimes No-Install:

Kmart
Target
Trak Auto
Wal-Mart
Sam's Club

5,Reserve capacity rating (RC) refers to the battery's ‘standing power'. This is the amount of minutes the battery can continuously supply minimum voltage needed to run a car should the car's alternator or fan belt fail. With an excellent reserve capacity rating, your car can run on the battery alone when the alternator stops working.
The RC rating of a battery is listed in minutes. You may not find the RC rating on the battery because it is not usually printed on the label. Check the product literature or ask the store assistant to find out the true RC rating of a particular battery.
The longer the operating time of the battery' reserve capacity, the better; because this is the one quality of the battery that could save you from getting stranded. Consider the RC rating as your car's emergency kit. In times of unexpected trouble, you can still run to safety instead of getting stuck somewhere.

IMPORTANT: You cannot just pick and buy a battery with the longest reserve capacity you can find. Consult your owner's manual to learn the recommended reserve capacity rating for your particular car model. It is best practice to choose the exact RC rating that your vehicle can handle.

If you see this date code on a battery ‘L8', which means December 2008, grab this battery because it is really fresh. (It's only 4 months old, if you're buying this April 2009.)

More Tips on Car Batteries:
Warranty-covered cars and trucks - If your battery is covered by your vehicle warranty, go to your car dealer to claim some discounts. You must check thoroughly that everything is in order before buying though. Otherwise, the discount you got will be paid for purchase and re-installation fee of replacement battery.
Older models of cars and vehicles which should be beyond their warranties must go to any service centers which could cater to all your battery needs at reasonable prices. If you have no choice but go to your car dealer, prepare a higher budget for your new automotive battery because these services tend to be more expensive.
Do not install used batteries. It will be extremely dangerous.
When your car coughed during start-up, pull over to a garage and ask a mechanic to ‘load' your battery. It should be able to hold a charge properly.
At first sign of battery trouble, start scouting around for a new car battery. You won't get a good buy when you're stranded with a dead car battery.
A new car will normally need a battery change after more than 3 years.
If your battery's the unsealed type, you must add water to avoid drying up. Here's how to put water in the battery: twist open the cap and top up with distilled water. This will give your battery a longer life.
Put back the battery hold properly to secure the car battery on its tray, if your car has one.
Car batteries are NOT ‘maintenance free'. You must check the battery regularly. Keep the terminals, cables, and connectors clean and free from corrosion. Here's how to clean the battery: use a wire brush and baking soda/water mixture to scrub away the growth of whitish, greenish, and bluish stuff on the battery terminals.
Check the battery connections. Make sure that the cables and posts are well connected. To keep off corrosion much longer, rub a bit of petroleum jelly to each battery posts. This will help the cable slip back easily.
Carry a portable battery charger inside your car for emergency use, but be sure to know how to use the gadget.
‘Jump starting' a dying battery is known to save a car battery-and some money, too; but do not attempt this without complete knowledge on the correct procedure. Wrong wiring connections will cause damage to engine control and other electronic parts of your car.

Dave Burton
www.bargain-motors.com