Where to Get Tires Cheap 10/10/2011
You already know where to get tires cheap but may be hesitant to give it a try. I know how you feel because I finally made my first tire purchase online. It just seems easier going to a local tire store and put on what they have in stock.  09 Cadillac SRX What pushed me over the edge was nobody in town had matching tires for my 2009 Cadillac SRX in stock ready to go. When they tried to hard sell me into bogus house brand with all kinds of extras like a lifetime alignment package, I wrote an article about getting tire estimates and what to look out for.
Since my vehicle only needed two tires I wanted to match the ones that I would be keeping on the vehicle. Even though they where a popular Goodyear Eagle model tires the size was a bit odd and no one in town could get them quickly. When I got price quotes I was shocked at the cost and the wait time. We know where to get cheap tires online. The Tire Rack runs ads on TV and is probably the most popular site in operation when it comes to getting tires online. A quick side note: I wrote a popular article a couple months ago about how to know when to replace tires it can shed some light on tire replacement. Add Comment Idle Speed Problems 07/08/2011
On older vehicles idle speed problems are common. Learn how to set base idle on cars from the 80's and 90's below. The complaints can be a low engine idle that might be causing a stalling condition at times. There can also be a complaint of high or fluctuating engine RPMs with your foot off the accelerator.  throttle plate In a fuel injected computer-controlled situation idle speed is being regulated by controlling the amount of air that is allowed to enter the engine with the throttle plates closed. Some engineering types would call this a calculated vacuum leak. If you're idle speed problem is a stalling condition when coming to a stop, start by looking for the obvious problems like vacuum leaks from deteriorated gaskets or broken vacuum hoses and lines. On vehicles from the 80s and 90s many were equipped from the factory with plastic vacuum line that joined a small rubber hose where it was then mounted onto a vacuum fitting of varying types. Do I need to clean engine carbon? 04/26/2011
A popular auto repair service up sell when you go in for an oil change would be cleaning carbon deposits from the engine. Sometimes they want to remove carbon from the throttle body or the throttle plates and usually make claims about improved idle or fuel economy.  In other cases they talk about cleaning deposits from the cylinder which is a much different process than removing it from the TBI air inlet. The throttle body service in my opinion has become a much more common auto repair up sell then cleaning cylinders and Pistons.
Again this is just my opinion but I believe there is a time and place for throttle body services. Chances are you would be asking for one if you really needed it, instead of being up sold the service during a scheduled oil change. For one thing the engine control module is capable of compensating for some deposits. When to Replace Tires 02/03/2011
I do not write about tires on this blog very often. But after a record breaking slippery winter driving season I decided to put my two cents in about when to replace tires. The motivation for this article was watching some videos on the weather Channel showing vehicles slipping and sliding on the ice.  Although no tire is good for driving on a solid sheet of ice except maybe a studded snow tire or ones with ice chains installed, it sure would be a good idea to check your tires when you plan on driving on snow and icy roads.
They actually make a measuring device for checking tires called a tread gauge. This is a handy little tool that only costs a few dollars. It works a lot better than using a penny that may have been recommended in the past. A lot of friends and family ask me when to replace tires. In my own personal opinion I believe it is time to replace tires when there is less than 3/32 of tread remaining. If the winter driving season was approaching I might up that to 4/32 seconds. Cigarette lighter problems 12/02/2010
Cigarette lighter problems can be a big issue because this power outlet is now used for so many other devices. It is also this fact that makes cigarette lighter problems more common today than ever. Most of the times this circuit is protected by a 20 amp fuse.  blown fuse Spikes in amperage can cause this fuse to blow and the outlet to become inoperative. If you depend on the cigarette lighter to charge your cell phone or run iPod car accessories and other high-tech gadgets you may find yourself banging on the dashboard in frustration. You can check with your owners manual to find out the location of the cigarette lighter fuse. On some vehicles is not called the cigarette lighter fuse and may be considered a courtesy fuse. In the old days most fuse panels were under the dash near the drivers area. On modern vehicles fuse panels can be commonly found in the engine compartment. Cigarette lighter blows fuses
Turn Signal Flashers 09/02/2010
The turn signal flashers is what is responsible for the blinker light turning on and off. It is also responsible for the speed the light flashes. Often when people have problems with their turn signal they think back to the old days when the most common cause was a bad flasher.  Turn Signal Flasher This device is used in both the hazard warning lights and the turn signal systems. The turn signal flasher itself will look different depending on the year make and model of the vehicle. General Motors vehicles most commonly use an aluminum cylinder type housing to contain the flasher assembly. Ford and some other foreign car manufacturers make their flasher assembly look like a standard relay. In either case they contain a temperature sensitive bimetallic strip and a heating element. This bimetallic strip is connected to one side of a set of contacts. Leaking Engine Gaskets 07/18/2010
Sometimes when our cars begin to leak fluid we can blame leaking engine gaskets. Often these fluid leaks begin as seepage and developed into a problem that needs to be addressed for the health of the vehicle and the driveway or parking area.  Engine Gasket Leak For as long as there have been engines there has been a gasket. Over the years the technology has advanced that makes these sealing components more efficient. But every once in a while when they try a new technology sometimes it's actually a step backwards. A quick example of this is just my personal opinion. The latest in Gasket technology sometimes referred to as a composite looks and feels like plastic. An example of a step backwards is in the reliability of the Gasket in the General Motors V6 intake manifold. This part looks like a strip of plastic with embedded rubber seals. Importance of good sparkplugs 06/09/2010
In a gasoline engine the importance of good sparkplugs cannot be denied. The electrical arc between the electrode and the ground strap is like a miniature bolt of lightning that ignites the air fuel mixture and in turn generates the power that drives the wheels.  good sparkplug These miniature lightning bolts are commonly called sparkplug firing by most mechanics. If the sparkplug doesn't fire, the engine doesn't start. When diagnosing a no start condition some mechanics will say the reason the engine won't start is because there is no fire. It is the ignition system that produces the electrical energy that fires the plug. Spark also must be maintained long enough to allow complete combustion of the air fuel mixture in the cylinder. The ignition system then has to deliver this electrical energy to each sparkplug at the right time. Facts About Airbags 06/02/2010
Some helpful facts about airbags. A brief history of the available systems but more importantly what to do after an airbag deployment from an auto repair point of view. A quick education can help assure that after the repairs are completed your airbag is ready to deploy as per design intent.  Daul Airbags As you might know an airbag is much like a heavy-duty plastic balloon that inflates fully within fractions of a second during a collision. A deployed airbag protects the driver or passengers from injury by limiting and cushioning movement during a crash. One of the biggest things to remember is that the airbag was designed to be used in conjunction with a seat-belt. The seatbelt holds the person in place so that the airbag provides maximum protection. These restraint systems have been around for quite some time and therefore vary greatly in the types of technology they use to deploy the bag. Recycling car batteries 04/18/2010
Recycling car batteries is not as popular as it should be. When you think of the battery in most cases you would not consider it environmentally friendly. Not only can they be broken down and recycled but they can also be efficiently reconditioned to be reused again in cars and trucks.  recycling car battery In fact reconditioning batteries is a good business. I worked in several used-car lots where we used reconditioned batteries exclusively. We would pay $15-$25 in some cases for a reconditioned battery that would last for several years. Although the gentleman that we bought the batteries from was in it for the money and not to save the environment he was actually doing both. In some cases he was paid to dispose of the batteries or received them at no charge. | Car Repair Help
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