KNOWLEDGE IS WEALTH

Cars are found in nearly every country in this world. They can take the harshest of terrains or the smoothest of race tracks. Cars are not always as reliable as we think though, but there is a lot you can do to keep it running. This site is dedicated to car maintenance and improving the life expectancy of it. The site promotes ways to increase your fuel economy, keep a safer ride and make the driving experience
more enjoyable.

We discuss ways that can help promote alertness when driving (but this is not a reason to keep driving when you are sleepy)

SAVE ON FUEL - TIPS TO SAVE MONEY

Ensuring certain conditions before driving can ensure a better fuel economy

Wheel alignment can have a big impact on the life of your tires. An in correct tire alignment will cause more friction and wear away the tires much sooner. A wheel alignment will cost roughly 45 dollars for front and back.

Correct ignition timing will also help in keeping your car running optimally. If the cars ignition timing is not set right it will cause the spark plug to fire earlier before the piston is in its correct position and as a result the fuel used will not give its optimal output. A mechanic can correctly set the timing for your car with the use of a timing gun. Using the correct fuel grade for your car can also have a big impact on the fuel economy of your car.

You will be quite suprised how much of an impact your throttle control will have on your fuel economy. Heavier acceleration from the lights and heavy stop and start style driving are expensive ways of driving. Driving in traffic can't always be avoided but moving a few inches each time to get closer to the car in front won't help much either.

Having your injectors professionally cleaned is a great way to improve the flow of injectors

Here is a comparison of 2 injectors
CLEAN INJECTOR	DIRTY INJECTOR

An explanation of the traditional litres/100km rate.
How to measure your fuel economy.

The best way to measure your fuel economy is by filling up a full tank of fuel. Only fill it up till the pump clicks once and releases. Before leaving the petrol station press your trip meter or if your car does not have one you can note down the odometer reading. You can now drive the car as normal till you have to fill up again.

A note - Try fill up from the same place you filled up the first time, the reason behind this is each fuel pump will can have different cut of points where the fuel will stop filling. This can interfere with your reading.

Once your ready to fill up again till the pump clicks once. Take note of your trip meter reading (or odometer reading) and the amount of litres it took to fill up the tank.

Its now just a matter of doing the sums:

Litres/100km = litres used to fill up DIVIDED BY trip meter reading MULTIPLY BY 100.

You now have your litres per 100 km.

Most 4 cylinder cars under 2 litres will average between 6-10L/100km on average

6 cylinder cars will average around 9-13L/100km

8 cylinder (or V8) cars can average between 10-18L/100km

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A CAR

The most beneficial aspect of buying a car is taking it for a test drive. This will happen either with the current owner/dealer or on your own. It will depend on what the owner feels comfortable. Either way though they can ask to see your drivers licence is legal. Before leaving to test drive the car, ensure the seat and steering wheel (if there is adjustment) is adjusted right for you, if the car is uncomfortable you are less likely to enjoy the car.

Try take the car around an area that is not too busy, when braking make sure there is no noises or squealing. If the brakes squeal then they might be old, this is often an expensive exercise to replace so if there the brakes are squealing enquire to the owner about this.

Test all the features of the car to ensure they work. Don't necessarily dismay a car because of some problems, if you are willing to fix them yourself it can save you some money. Most people though understand that the car is second hand and that not everything on it is perfect. With a roadworthy certificate supplied by the owner the safety aspects of a car are covered. the roadworthy check covers aspects such as tyres, brakes, windscreens, seat belts and suspension.

A few things to note before arranging a test drive.

- Make sure it is done in daylight hours

- Ensure you have your licence with you

Get more out of your tank of fuel

With the rising fuel prices, there is no better time optimise how much fuel you get out of your tank. This article explains some tips to get more out of your tank of fuel

Self servicing your car

Thinking about fixing your car? Have a read of this if your unsure.

Modifying Your car

Heres a guide to some tips and tricks when modifying your car.

Guide to Buying a car

This guide is designed to help you buy a car, its a simple guide that gives tips on finding that dream car, not the lemon car that will cause problems for you.

Guide to Selling a car

This guide explains some steps to take that can help you sell your car quicker

Finding a decent mechanic

A guide to finding a reliable mechanic that will be there for you for years to come.

Getting a roadworthy

Heres a guide to getting a roadworthy and why you might need one.

BATTERY CARE - QUICK EASY STEPS TO ENSURING A RELIABLE BATTERY

A battery that is well taken care of will be more reliable when you need it most and will cost less money in the long run.

This is an upcoming article that will be released shortly