Car Tuieng

Just about car information

Month: June 2018

How To Service Your Car (diy)

It is widely understood that despite a cars age, it should be serviced once every 15,000 klms/ 10,000 miles to keep them up to scratch. If there is any major problem with your car take it to a mechanic straight away as i do not recommend attempting to fix anything yourself.
Ideally to start a service, you will need a pair of car ramps and a drainage bucket, and then the first port of call would be to check the water level in the radiator. You can do this by looking at the header tank and checking that the water is in between the low and high level. If it is low, make sure that the car engines temperature is cold and then look in the top of the radiator. If it is full replace the radiator cap, then top up the radiator header tank so its on the full mark. When changing coolant, use radiator coolant only.
Also check the hoses connected to the motor are not soft and leaking, this should be shown by a powdery substance at the end of the hoses where the clip is situated. If it is not leaking, but is soft, you should replace it on your next service.
Follow this by checking on the fan belts for cuts and nicks that will develop into bigger ones resulting in fan belt breaks that could thus result in breaking down and calling the RAC.
The oil filter is one thing that should be changed every service. The main cause of wear and tear in a motor is dirt and sludge that comes with the running of the motor over a period of time. If the filter is not changed you could end up with a motor that blows smoke and is hard to start. Some car oil filters are in extremely difficult hard-to-reach areas and can be nightmares for beginners, but you can obtain a filter remover from any car parts store.
The oil itself should be of the highest quality and should be the same type as listed in your car service manual. If you do not have a manual, most auto part stores can tell you the amount of oil you need. Make sure you dont over fill capacity because too much oil is worse than not enough. Before you screw the oil filer on, smear the rubber lip with lubricant such as oil or a little grease for easy assembly and next time removal.
After changing the oil, all the air filers need to be changed every time the car is serviced if it is to run smoothly and more economically. Your petrol consumption relies on this very important point, despite the age or transmission of your vehicle.
The battery should be checked for loose ends and terminals and the battery post wipes and cleaning with a rag. Do not use any harsh cleaners, except when they are covered with green particles, then you can remove them with hot boiling water which will clean up the area and a small amount of Vaseline put around the bottom of the post, as this is where acid particles leak from.
The battery cells found under the battery caps have distilled water in them and this should just cover the top of the cells only, not be completely full. The terminals should be tightened firmly so they make good contact.
All the tyres should be checked for wear and tear, especially on the inside of the tire, and the spare checked for pressure and doors and bonnet hood should be coated in dry lube
Automatic transmission should be carried out by a transmission specialist because of the cleanliness involved, if any small particle gets inside the gearbox, it will play havoc with the gearbox. I made that mistake with a friends Kia in Poole, never again. However this should ideally be done every 30,000 klms/20,000 miles and doesnt need to be done every service.
Manual gearbox fluid should be just under the filler hole. If you take out the filler nut and you have oil pouring out all over the ground, it was obviously too full.
When checking the brakes and power steering fluid, ensure it is at the full mark and not over, and to complete the DIY service, check all lights and indicators and replace them if faulty.
After attempting this DIY service, be sure to take it next time round to an actual mechanic to make sure everything is looked over properly, but every second service, if known how, can be done quite easily yourself.
How to change a tyre
One of the most annoying things that can happen to you whilst driving is experiencing a puncture. Slow down to 5mph and pull over to a safe place away from other traffic, and if its dark, preferably near a light. Do not attempt to change a tyre yourself on the hard shoulder or any busy road, call your breakdown company like the AA or RAC to do this for you.
Ensure you have parked on level ground and remove all passengers from the car to a safe place away from any traffic.
If the tyre can be changed easily just follow these simple instructions to help.
1.Obviously make sure you car is parked on level ground with the handbrake on, with the hazard lights flashing.
2.Check that your spare tyre is suitably inflated and make sure you have a car jack, the locking wheel nut (for some cars) and a wheel brace. (All of which should be in the boot)
3.With the car still on the ground remove the hubcap or cover concealing the wheel nuts then use the wheel brace to loosen the nut holding the wheel in place by turning it in an anti-clockwise direction, for half a turn. This can be quite tricky as some nuts need all your body weight to loosen them, be careful of your back.
4.Continue to loosen the nuts by half a turn each, work on opposite ones so the left over support is even.
5.Using the car jack raise the car slowly till the weight of the wheel is high enough off the ground to get it off.
6.Finish removing all the nuts and put them somewhere safe. The wheel should be hanging and can freely be removed.
7.Lift the spare wheel onto the wheel studs, the air valve should be facing outwards
8.Replace the nuts, tightening them in the same pattern as you loosened them.
9.Slowly lower the jack and remove it, then tighten the nuts again, as much as you can. Stand on the wheel brace to make it as tight as possible, but this time in a clockwise direction.
10.Replace the wheel cover or hubcaps and youre free to go.
Changing a tyre on your Kia in Bournemouth doesnt always require calling your breakdown cover. I wouldnt recommend doing this alone for the first time, but if you are with someone else, it could be a learning opportunity, and it is always a handy skill to know should ever you get a puncture and you dont have breakdown cover.

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Car Insurance For Young Driver – Ways To Obtain One

The bottom line is, young drivers are very costly to cover insurance wise. They’ve extra incidents and are less careful on the road than any other set of car owners. Getting the cheapest car insurance for young drivers isn’t an easy task, however there are methods to cut back premiums and make insurance much more within your means. Most young drivers won’t even contemplate the price of cover till they actually come to set it up, and by then they’re more likely to already have their auto and have no alternative to pay the insurance cover premium.

In the main one of the best ways to find the cheapest car insurance for young drivers is to do some groundwork and shop around. Make use of, use the price comparability net-sites which are available out there, with a couple of completed particulars and clicks of the mouse you could have a list of insurance companies to balance. Bear in mind costs will vary madly from supplier to supplier, and the cheapest quotation is not essentially going to be the best, however the most expensive is possibly not the best either. Upon getting your list for comparability it ought to be a relatively painless process to weed out the very best policy. It is a good idea to think about what you need before you have a look at insurance, don’t just go for the initial deal you come across that looks reasonable.

One thing I would say, and this is at the chance of sounding a bit round the bend or insane, don’t buy your automobile and then take a look at cover. You’ll be smart to have a look at the insurance for the type of automobile you are after. If you fancy a gasoline guzzling beast, or a sporty, racy car, then you might find the insurance cover premiums on such cars to be excessive. You may want to scale back the sort of ‘set of wheels’ you need, compromise a little. There’s totally no point in getting a fantastic automobile only to have it sitting within the drive or garage that you may not have out on the highway because of the fact you may not be able to afford to insure it, now that is total lunacy. Yes it could appear a bit silly to have a look at insurance when you do not actually have a car thus far, but to get the cheapest car insurance for young drivers it’s worthwhile to have an idea of what the cover price is for certain cars.

There are other things you would consider in regards to obtaining the cheapest car insurance for young drivers. Keeping your car in a garage gives you a reduction, as will an alarm and or immobiliser fitted on the vehicle. Insurance providers love automobiles being kept more secure, as there may be far less threat of the auto being nicked. If you wish to further decrease your insurance premiums you then would do well to take a look at having supplementary driving coaching, maybe there is a more advanced driving course you might take, insurance companies also like the fact that you’re obtaining extra advanced tuition as you are less more likely to have an accident. Anything that increases your safety out there on the highway, decreases the possibility of any accident being brought on by you.

Car Audio Speakers

Speakers Overview:
The car speakers you use will have the absolute say in how your system will sound. There are many different types of speakers available. A single speaker can be used to reproduce the full range of sounds but it is not ideal. If the speaker is too great it will have problems reproducing high frequencies which require rapid movement of the speaker. If it is too diminutive it will have problems reproducing low frequencies which require large amounts of air to be moved. Because a single speaker cannot reproduce all sounds accurately multiple speakers are used each of which imitates sound in the frequency range it was designed for. A speaker called a tweeter reproduces high frequencies generally above 2 kHz.

Tweeters are small and lightweight so they can respond fast. Very little power is required for powering tweeters because they are very efficient. Woofers are the exact opposite because they usually require considerable amounts of power to really move air. Woofers are meant to produce sound at frequencies below 250 Hz and often just below 100 Hz (in the case of subwoofers). Because a woofer must move considerable amounts of air they are usually large with typical sizes of 10″, 12″, 15″ and even 18″! On the other hand tweeters are usually very small ranging in size from 1/2″ to 2″ in size. Typically, tweeters larger than 1″ in size cannot respond fast enough to sound good and are too directional. In between are midrange speakers which handle the frequencies between the woofers and tweeters. Further separation can be done but is usually unrequired and just complicates the crossover which must separate the full audio signal into multiple parts for each speaker.

Things to look for:
Power Handling: Just as with amplifiers, RMS or continuous power is pivotal here. Some manufacturers will assert very high power handling figures but they are usually for very short peaks only. Granted music is not continuous but the continuous power handling gives you a much better impression of how much power a speaker can really handle. For tweeters and midranges, power handling is not as critical since it does not take much power for them to play loudly. For woofers though a rough match should be made between the woofer and the amp driving it.

Sensitivity: This is a very important specification for a speaker. It gives you an idea of how loud a speaker will play given a certain input power. If a speaker is insensitive then it will require greater power to play at the same volume level than a speaker that is more sensitive. Figures between 85 dB and 95 dB at 1 watt RMS at 1 meter are regular. If you use anything outside of this range you may have trouble matching the output levels of the speakers relative to each other. .

Physical Size: You must pay attention to the size of the speakers you choose. Tweeters are very small but need to mounted where they fire nearly directly at you or they may not be heard correctly. Some tweeters have better off axis response than others. If you will not be on axis with the tweeter when you audition tweeters in a store listen to how their sound variates as you move around them to see if they will work in your car. Midranges should fit in the door or dash spaces provided or you will have to do some cutting or fabrication. In general the greater the woofer the larger the enclosure required to hold it. Some woofers are better optimized for modest enclosures than others (Kicker Solobaric, JL Audio W6 for example). Make sure you have enough room in your trunk or hatchback for the woofer. Kickpanels for midranges and tweeters or coaxials typically offer better imaging than locations in the door however the soundstage is sometimes lower than when you have the tweeters mounted high in the doors or on the A pillars.

How Do Speakers Work?
Moving Speaker Speakers are air pistons that move back (on the negative cycle of the signal) and forth (on the positive cycle), creating varied degrees of air pressure at different frequencies. The amplifier (either separate or built-in your radio), produces electrical impulses that change from positive and negative voltages (AC). This current reaches the voice coil inside the speaker, forming an electro-magnet that will either be repelled, or attracted by the fixed magnet at the bottom of the speaker. The voice coil is attached to the cone, moving it back and forth, creating sound. The surround (rubbery circle that joins top of the cone and metal basket) and the spider (usually yellow corrugated circle joining bottom of cone to magnet) make the cone return to its original position.

Speaker Sensitivity, measured in dB, is how loud a speaker plays (usually 1 Watt, 1 meter). A higher Sensitivity rating means that the speaker will play louder using the same power as a speaker with a lower rating.

The back and front parts of the speaker should be separated from each other. When the front of the cone is pushing air, the bottom is pulling air, creating a cancelling effect. Ideally each speaker should be in an enclosure. If you are mounting a speaker in a big hole, make certain you build a panel to isolate the front and back of the speaker (baffle).

Imaging, Staging and Directivity
Imaging – is being able to pick certain sounds from different places. The singer would usually be located towards the middle of the car, guitars, trumpets, and other instruments towards the sides of the car. If you scatter speakers all around the car your imaging would be very bad, since you would be producing the same sound at different places. If you have a system with flawless imaging, the sound should seem to come from different instruments and voices, not speakers.

Staging – is the ability of a system to “fool you” into feeling that everything (including bass) is in front of you. The sound should be identical to a stage in a concert, where the singer would be in the front center, and the rest of the instruments and background vocalists would be located to the left and right (but always on the front).

Good staging and imaging are not so easy to implement. It takes a lot experimenting with speaker location and direction.

Directivity – of sound is related to frequency. At higher frequencies it is simpler to pinpoint where the sound is coming from than lower frequencies. This can be used to our advantage in car stereo. Tweeters are the most important part of getting good staging. They should be aimed towards the middle of the car. A way to “bring” the bass to the front of the car is to fool our ears by overlapping frequencies played by midbases and subs, so that your midbases actually “pull” the bass to the front, since lower bass in not too directional. You should crossover your midbases as low as you can (without getting distortion). Then cut your subs at a bit higher frequency (preferably 60 HZ or less). This will mix the bass coming from the front and rear, making the bass seem to come from the front. Adding a center channel also improves staging, if it is set up correctly.

Types of Speakers
Coaxials – Coaxial speakers (or three-ways) are two (or more) speakers built-in the same frame. They are cheaper than separate woofer and tweeters and also easier to install. There is no need to worry about crossovers, since they are already built-in (you might still need to add a crossover to block bass if you are using high-power amplifiers). A disadvantage of coaxials is the lack of flexibility. For example, if the coaxial is all the way in the kick panel, or door panel aiming at your feet, you will not have good staging or imaging. You should usually consider coaxial speakers for the back and the front of the car, unless you only have one speaker hole and don’t plan to cut any more holes in the car.

Separates – Separates consist of a tweeter and woofer, and [most of the time] come with an external crossover. The woofer is usually mounted in the factory hole in the door or kick panel. The tweeters can be mounted in different places. Typically they are installed towards the top front corner of the door panel, in the dash or the in the blank plastic piece on the top front side of the doors (where the mirror is on the outside). You would have to experiment with angle and location to achieve the best possible imaging and staging.

Horns – Horns are very good at directing sound and have high efficiencies. Horns are typically mounted under the dash. By doing this, difference in distance from left and right speakers are greatly reduced over conventional mounting locations. Since horns play mids and highs, tweeters are not needed. Horns cost more than conventional speakers and require customization. Horns are not for everyone though. It is not easy to properly setup a set of horns.

Midbases – Midbases are usually 5, 6 or 8 inch speakers that are designed to go lower in frequency and are part of a three way system with a mid and tweeter. Midbases are usually mounted in the doors.

Subwoofers – Subwoofers add lower frequencies to the system. They have to be enclosed in a box, with the exception of free air subwoofers, which use the trunk as an enclosure. There are many different types of boxes and implementations discussed in the “subwoofers” section.

Car Speaker Mounting Locations
Front Speakers – The best place to mount speakers in the front, in custom kick panels. If this is impossible, try to point the speakers towards the center of the car, and try to minimize the distance between the right and left speakers to your ears. Custom kick panels are usually built from fiberglass or molded plastic, and are available from some manufacturers .

Rear Speakers – Rear speakers should give a sense of space to the music, but not overpower the front speakers. You should be able to barely hear the rear speakers. Most high end systems don’t have rear speakers. Tweeters are not essential for the rear, a set of coaxials will work well for rear fill.

Center Channels – Center channels consist of a midrange speaker (3 or 4 inch) mounted in the middle of the dash (usually) on the top. Center channels play a mono (Left + Right) signal between 350 – 500 and 3500 Hertz (voice range). The need of the center channel is to raise the sound stage, by causing the sensation of the singers “being” in the front of the car, and not in the door panels. Center channels are hard to implement.

Sizes and Shapes
There are many speaker sizes ranging from 1-inch tweeters to 18-inch (or bigger) subwoofers. A smaller speaker will reproduce higher frequencies better than a bigger one.

Do round speakers sound superior than oval-shaped speakers (i.e. 6×9’s)? The answer is yes for most practical purposes. A round cone is more rigid than an oval-shaped one, so at higher levels, an oval-shaped speaker will distort more. The reason why there are oval-shaped speakers is because of rear deck space considerations by manufacturers. An advantage of a 6×9 speaker over a 6-inch speaker is that it has a bigger area, so it will move higher air volume, producing more bass.

Power Considerations
Most people think that if they use a 50 watt per channel amplifier on their factory speakers, the speakers will be damaged. This may be true if the speakers do not have crossovers blocking off frequencies speakers were not designed to play. What destroys speakers is distortion. A high power amplifier allows the volume in the system to be higher, while the volume control on the radio is down in the range where no distortion is present. It is better to have more power than what you need to get cleaner sound.

Choosing a Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyer

If you are the victim of a car accident and feel that you need to get compensated for the injuries caused, then the next step you should take involves looking for a Los Angeles car accident lawyer.

If you are the victim of a car accident and feel that you need to get compensated for the injuries caused, then the next step you should take involves looking for a Los Angeles car accident lawyer. You may sometimes feel that the accident was too minor to get into trouble for. However, it is important to understand that it is your right to get compensated for any stress or injury caused.

In the unfortunate event that you get involved in a car accident due to work related reasons, you are eligible for workers compensation. It is important to look for a Los Angeles auto accident lawyer who has expertise in this field. A quick online search should yield various lawyers who you can choose from. Before settling on any Los Angeles car accident lawyer, it is imperative to check whether they have handled cases that resemble yours and what the outcomes were.

If you do not have a personal injury attorney already, it is advisable to shortlist two or three lawyers who you can pay a visit. Before you head down to the lawyers office, make sure you have formulated questions you will ask them. You need to clear your doubts about the lawyer who will be handling your case. One way of doing so is by asking them the right questions. If you feel satisfied by the answers your prospective Los Angeles injury attorney gives you, go ahead and hire them as your attorney.

It is always important to check how many cases the Los Angeles auto accident lawyer will be handling so that you can gauge how much time they will devote to your case. If you are worried that your case will not be given the time it deserves, then it might be time to start looking for an alternative.

Another important consideration to bear in mind is the location of the attorneys office. You might need to visit the office of the personal injury lawyer Los Angeles several times, especially in the beginning. It is therefore advisable to choose a location that is convenient for you. Remember you do not want to expose yourself to the trauma of driving long distances when you have not even healed from the car accident that necessitated a lawyer.

A Los Angeles injury attorney will give you legal advice on what you are entitled to as the victim. For example, if you cannot work for a while as a result of your injuries, you may be entitled to temporary wage benefits. Also, if you suffered disability from the accident, you will receive disability benefits from your employer.

Always go for a personal injury attorney who is licensed to practice in your state. They should also be fully conversant with the state law as far as your condition is concerned. You cannot afford to ignore the very important role played by an attorney who knows and is sure of what they are talking about.

The academic qualifications of the Los Angeles car accident lawyer that you choose are also very important. Be sure to ask about their educational credentials.

Resources: Jimmy Jones is the author of this article on Personal Injury Lawyer Los Angeles. Find more information, about Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyer here

Car Parts The Importance Of Wheels

Weve all noted at some point or another that a particular thing is the best invention since that of the wheel. Or perhaps weve laughed as someone has tried to make a simple process unnecessarily difficult for themselves by reinventing the wheel. Though man had made and implemented a wide variety of tools before the invention of this one, the wheel has assumed an iconic place in the way we look at the world. And unlike many historic inventions which, though important at the time of their genesis, have since fallen by the wayside, the wheel continues to remain an important part of our lives today, forming an essential linchpin upon which one of the most important tools of modern life is built.

These days, it is easy to take for granted the great mobility we enjoy, choosing as we do from a multitude of ways to travel. One of the most frequently used methods of transport remains the car, from its humble beginnings as a self propelled vehicle in the eighteenth century to the vast array of shapes and makes we find today. Like several other modes of transit, the principle of the car is based upon that of the wheel, which, combined with an axle, allows for the forward motion that is such an intrinsic part of the human condition.

As has occurred with other elements of the car, a combination of technology and a preference for the finer things in life has resulted in a choice of wheels and tyres that is quite astounding. Different types of tyres have created greater diversity in the terrains upon which cars may be used, and made use of increased technological knowledge to ensure the safety of a cars passengers. Meanwhile, such accessories as hubcaps have been added to this important car part to personalize them to both car manufacturer and the driver.

While historians cannot agree entirely upon the exact point at which this important tool was invented, there is little doubt that this remains unimportant to todays modern motorist. We rarely give our wheels a second thought, but without them, our cars would be entirely useless, and we would be left sitting on the road, in a pointless metal cage.