Shade Tree Automotive Diagnostics And Care – Part I – See No Evil

Learning a little more about how to better care for your vehicles is a good idea for any number of reasons. It allows you to know if an unscrupulous mechanic is attempting to gouge you on your repairs – and that will save you money. It can prevent you from making unnecessary repairs – and that will save you money. It can help you locate a problem and fix it early, thus saving more money – sometimes a whole lot of money. It allows you to be more independent in an era where people are entirely too dependent on others to survive.

We need to get started now, so that we have time to cover everything…

First, do a visual check of your vehicle. The following will assist you in where to look, and for what:

Eric Scribener
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/shade-tree-automotive-diagnostics-and-care-part-i-see-no-evil-83174.html

House Hold, Personal Accessories, Cell Phone Accessories, Car Accessories, Automotive Accessories

We are an esteem provider of personal & house hold accessories which includes  buckets, mug, hand fan, truck bed covers, tonneau covers, grill accessories, leather accessories, auto accessories, running boards, truck accessories, chevy accessories, car accessories, truck parts, nissan accessories, pickup accessories, t – shits, ford accessories, accessories parts etc on the basis of market promotion and customer satisfaction.

   Promotional personal & house hold items are an essential for many businesses. In media, radio and television stations use logo items to increase their audience and to bring people into remote events. The logo mug or tee shirt is a favorite item to win during media contests, and are proudly used thereafter. Insurance companies will offer a small piece of personal & House hold equipment bearing their logo as an incentive for even making an inquiry into their services. They may give away a small calculator or clock as a gift when you send in a return card asking for more information. In that sense, the personal & house hold accessories are door openers for a company.

The advertising specialty companies have been around a long time, since early in the 1900’s in the US. The heyday of personal & house hold accessories was more towards the last half of the century, when brand consciousness also began to be prominent. Today, there is an endless list of items that can be purchased with logo imprints, showing how the acceptability of advertising specialties has bridged over to commercial interests as well. The imprinted personal & house hold accessories are very sellable besides being useful in promoting a product or a company.

    Print4Half.com  with the intention to bring  high-quality, low-cost printed products to global market and to other customers . As a small business we know first hand the importance of receiving quality printed products for all business needs. The goal is to provide an online printing service that is easy to use, high quality, at a reasonable price.

Mindbees
http://www.articlesbase.com/online-business-articles/house-hold-personal-accessories-cell-phone-accessories-car-accessories-automotive-accessories-747294.html

Ford to Make Human Body Model Available to Automotive Consortium

Traffic safety is one of the major concerns of auto manufacturers. That is why a group of car manufacturers have been formed to continually develop safety devices for their vehicles. One of the newcomers to the group is Ford Motor Company.

The Dearborn based company announced just recently that they will be sharing their expertise to the group’s effort. The Global Human Body Models Consortium LLC, as the group is named, was formed on April of last year. The group’s aim is to develop human body models which will allow them to design better life saving devices.

Ford has joined other car manufacturers in the group. DaimlerChrysler AG., the General Motors Corp., Honda Motor Co., Hyundai Motor Co., Nissan Motor Corp., the PSA Peugeot-Citroën, Renault s.a.s., Takata Corp., the Toyota Motor Corp. and the TRW Inc. are the other members of the consortium.

Ford made known that they would be making their human body model available to the group. For 14 years now, the company has been developing computer human body models which they have been using to develop restraint systems for their vehicles which complement Ford bumpers which are designed to absorb most of the energy generated during a front end collision. The company has developed the most advanced computer human body model which shows the bodies of human beings in microscopic details.

The said model allows researchers to study how certain car crashes affect a person. The full human body model is the most advanced model ever developed by a car manufacturer. The model’s most advanced feature is the detailed representation of the human brain and internal organs.

In 1993, the company started the model bit by bit. Through the years, the company has created computer models of different body parts. The head, neck, ribcage, abdomen, thoracic and lumbar spine, internal organs of the chest and abdomen, pelvis, and the upper and lower extremities were developed from 1993 until 2004.

In 2004, the different parts were brought together to form a detailed and very complete human body model. During the construction of the model, researchers for Ford gathered data from MRI scans and human anatomy texts. After the construction of the model, Ford researchers validated it by cadaver testing. Volunteer human testing was also done to make sure that the model indeed represents the human body in a very detailed form.

“The Human Body Model will help reduce physical testing on component and full-scale levels during vehicle development,” says Dr. Saeed Barbat, the manager of the Passive Safety Research and Advanced Engineering for the Ford Motor Company. “It will also be used to develop more sophisticated instrumentation that could lead to more human-like crash dummies,” added Barbat further. The human body model’s most notable characteristic is the very detailed spine model. The company has succeeded in creating a model spine with all the vertebrae segments and cartilage present. Aside from that, the detailed human brain model also allow researchers to study how a person’s head can be damaged by certain crashes and thereby allowing them to create a device or safety feature to prevent severe brain damage caused by car crashes.

The consortium will be able to use this technology developed by Ford to create better restraint systems to further protect motorists. The group has already asked for proposals from different research and university groups all over the e world. From these proposals, the group is planning to select five which will be tasked to study the reaction of different body parts in cases of crashes. The group has announced that the Phase One of their plan is the development of six computer human body models. Large, medium, and small male and female models will have to be created which will be used in the next phase of their plan. The group projects that the six models will be developed by the year 2011.

KatieJones
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/ford-to-make-human-body-model-available-to-automotive-consortium-133179.html

Automotive Performance Parts – a Way of Increasing Efficiency

What are Performance Parts? First you should know this. Performance Pats are mostly engine and surrounding parts, which is used to get better fuel mileage and more horsepower from your vehicle. These Performance parts are made by using advance technology. These Performance parts can easily increase your vehicle efficiency.

There are many types of Performance parts which are used these days. These Performance parts are available for every vehicle. Some of the common performance parts are:

- Air Intake System – Air Intake System are designed for every vehicles. These systems are beneficial in many ways such as for increasing horsepower, for increasing throttle response and for increasing efficiency for more mpg. By doing this your vehicle’s engine will be come more responsive.

- Stainless Steel Muffler – These mufflers are made up of high quality T-304 stainless steel. This special quality steel resists rust, corrosion and heat. By using this muffler you can get deep throaty exhaust tone by putting the pedal to the metal. It can add 8-15 HP more. And 8-12 TQ also.

- Power Performance Speed Chip – This is most important thing in enhancing and upgrading a vehicle. These special Power Performance Speed Chips is designed by highly specialized R&D staff for your exact model and make. These Power Performance Speed Chips serves only one purpose and that is to increase the output of an engine in a safe way and without expending too much money behind it. The Power Performance Speed Chip has many benefits also such as it increase in power up to 50 HP, faster acceleration time, it increases engines efficiency and it also extends life of spark plug and the engine too. These chips come in fully adjustable mode and are unique for every vehicle.

- Performance Fuel Ionizer – These Performance Fuel Ionizers are just made for increasing the fuel economy. Anyone can increase the fuel economy by 25%, just by using this Performance Fuel Ionizer. These Fuel Ionizers are made up of high quality Neodymium – The Earth Magnets. These magnets get mixed with the molecules in gas and improve the overall combustion. Due to this engine gets more optimal and efficient burn and hence good mileage.

- Iridium Spark Plugs – This high performance Iridium Plugs can prove more than 8 HP on various vehicles. In this set you will find various types of spark plugs specially made for your vehicle model and engine. Till now Platinum was used in spark plugs because it is more durable but not most. Iridium is 8 times stronger, 4 times harder and it has a melting point of 1200 degrees. And this quality put it over Platinum. This gives long life to the spark plugs. The smaller size of Iridium electrode with the tapered ground electrode, allows more room to flames for producing more efficient combustion. With an Iridium Spark Plug you can travel up to 120,000 miles. Many big automobile companies such as Lexus and Toyota are using this technology in their new models.

All these things together makes a perfect combination of Performance Parts and if you are using all these parts in your vehicle then nothing can stop your vehicle from giving better performance, high efficiency, fuel economy and more power. And the acceleration rate will also increase. All you have to do is to choose the right performance parts for your vehicle. Many big automobile companies may advice you not to use these performance parts and there is a reason for this advice. The reason is that automobile companies will never prefer using performance part which is made over their technology by some other companies. If this happens then no one is going to replace their vehicle parts with the companies produced parts which are extremely expensive. So it is on you to decide which part will be best for you, a cheaper of best quality or an expensive one.

abicarsy
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/automotive-performance-parts-a-way-of-increasing-efficiency-722657.html

Some Automotive Sound System Ideas For The Budget Minded Consumer

Despite popular belief it is possible to get a premium sound system with a budget. I completely understand what being on a budget can mean. I can tell you that you can get a quality sound system for under $300.

There are many things you can do to lower the price of the sound system you are wanting. First of all the competition in this area is quite big. As a result of that you will see that prices at every store will tend to be the same or a little higher so your best bet may be to look online. Look around online because that’s the only place you’re going to find the cheap system of your dreams.

Once you have found the cheapest online price, get on the phone with local stores. Many local stores feel the need to compete with online prices. As a result of your findings many stores will lower the price throwing in freebies and upping the installation fee. Once you have received a few upgrades, continue making calls and watch them compete for your business. Take into account the value of the freebies and upgrades to you. If you really have no use for the things they offer you then take the better offer on better speakers and what not. Be sure to agree with the upgrades they are giving you. Also consider the value of the upgrades they have given you and match the bargain with others.

Another truth when it comes to buying a sound system you do not have to buy the best one there is in order to get quality sound and music you can spend much less on a product just as good and get the same results. Spend your money where you think it matters the most. Sometimes you are paying for nothing more than the name on the product most others are better.

I’m a big fan of Bose. I love the sound and have yet to discover a better product at lower cost. That does not mean that I wouldn’t get a different brand if the other brand was cheaper and produced more power and better sound. In fact, I have held on to my car just so I could have my sound system. A Bose sound system is not a budget grabber but it is good quality, but you can find deals for cheap that offer the same thing so don’t buy the name brand just cause its cool buy the brand that has better quality and price.

In reality, there are many discount deals you can find online and off that offer premium sound and music. You can keep looking for the cheapest or go with the best but it’s good to keep looking for what you really want because something else expensive may have caught your attention and you could have waited and had the cheaper better version of what you wanted.

Gregg Hall
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/some-automotive-sound-system-ideas-for-the-budget-minded-consumer-153898.html

Shade Tree Automotive Diagnostics And Care – Part Ii – Hear No Evil

Learning a little more about how to better care for your vehicles is a good idea for any number of reasons. It allows you to know if an unscrupulous mechanic is attempting to gouge you on your repairs – and that will save you money. It can prevent you from making unnecessary repairs – and that will save you money. It can help you locate a problem and fix it early, thus saving more money – sometimes a whole lot of money. It allows you to be more independent in an era where people are entirely too dependent on others to survive.

We need to get started now, so that we have time to cover everything…

Some people are incredibly sensitive to the sounds their vehicles make. This is especially true of motorcyclists, those who refurbish vintage automobiles, and experienced mechanics. It’s a very worthwhile skill to develop. There are mechanics who can listen to a running car engine and tell if the timing is slightly off, or the injectors are not operating properly. While this is a very neat thing to be able to do, you do not have to elevate your listening skills to that lofty place in order to get benefits from listening to your vehicle.

Listen To the Engine
(This is best done in relatively quiet surroundings until you get really good at it.) Open up the hood of your vehicle’s engine compartment. If necessary on your model, be sure to use the metal rod to lock the hood in the upright/open position. Now, start your engine. Allow the engine to run for 30-60 seconds before you start listening too hard. Also, there are many moving parts inside of engine compartments, don’t wear loose clothing, and mind all your fingers and hair! Safety first.

A brief word about engine sounds…
All engines make sounds. Some sound like jets, and other have constant clicking noises, or humming, or clattering. Which sounds are consistently made, and are okay, are unique to your specific vehicle’s engine. The point being, don’t be alarmed the first time you really take a good listen to your engine. You’ll quickly learn the sounds that are okay, and the ones that are not.

You’re going to listen to your engine from three different positions: 1) Directly in front of the car. 2) On the left (driver’s side) side of the engine compartment. 3) On the right (passenger’s side) side of the engine compartment. I like to start I like to start on the left – right in front of the driver’s door.

Lean over the engine compartment (again – be careful with clothing, hair, and appendages) and listen carefully. Try closing your eyes to heighten your hearing. Listen for things that don’t sound ‘right.’ Such things might include: clattering, metal rubbing metal, clanging, and squeaks. If you hear such a thing, open your eyes and try to focus in on it – moving the position of your head and ears as your track the sound to its source. Repeat this process at all three positions previously described.

This method of checking your engine can reveal loose caps, loose fan belts, loose fans, missing bolts, nuts, and many other things. Correct what you are able to, and have anything else dealt with by a service technician. Don’t put your hands into your engine compartment to tighten something or check something while it is running. If you notice that the stays on the overflow tube are loose and rattling, turn off the engine before tightening.

Driving your car for a short distance over a good road with the radio and air conditioning off and the windows down is a good way to hear some other sounds. Clattering might mean you have a lug nut that came off, and it’s stuck inside the hubcap. A metal-rubbing-metal sound may be a stuck brake.

The last listening project/technique is the best – or at least so people tell me. This one requires a willing and able assistant. The two of you climb into the vehicle together – you drive, the assistant rides shotgun. The assistant will require four things: some WD-40, a notepad, a small can of 3-in-1 oil, and a good rag. Head for a road that isn’t so smooth, and simply drive along. The assistant listens for those irritating squeaks, squeals, and rattles.

The assistant should move around inside the vehicle, focusing on the sounds to locate their sources. One of the two lubricants will fix almost any squeaking – and the rag ensures a nice, tidy application of the chosen lubricant. Some things, such as loose or missing screws or bolts, should be recorded on the notepad for maintenance or repair later, when you get back home to the tools. You won’t believe how quiet your cockpit becomes after you perform this process once or twice.

Okay, you’ve completed another step in becoming a full-fledged automotive diagnostician – or something like that, anyway. You’ve definitely gotten your vehicle in much better condition, and you should have learned a thing or two. Check out Part I – See No Evil, and Part III – Smell No Evil.

Eric Scribener
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/shade-tree-automotive-diagnostics-and-care-part-ii-hear-no-evil-83175.html

Demand for Automotive Magnetic Sensor Growing

The automotive industry has gone along way in terms of developments made in the design and performance of automobiles. Year after year, different car makers introduce more and more feature on their cars not only to appease their customers but also to provide good performance and enhanced safety.

Currently, more and more electronic control systems are being employed in the production of automobiles. In the production of the said advanced features, sensors play key roles.

The most common areas of a vehicle which is equipped with the electronic control systems are the safety and driver convenience features. For these to function properly, the presence of sensors is vital. These sensors act as switches for other electronically controlled feature of a system in an automobile.

As a result of the increasing demand for advanced safety and driver convenience features, the demand for sensors also increases. These sensors are commonly used to detect position, displacement, rotary position, linear position, timing, and angles. Navigation and safety features like the anti-lock braking system are also where these magnetic sensors are widely used.

In a typical anti-lock braking system, a central electronic circuit and four speed sensors are needed. These sensors play a key role in keeping a car’s occupants safe in emergency braking. The sensor, tells the central electronic unit how fast the wheels, are going while braking. It is the job of the central electronic unit to monitor and keep all the four wheels of a vehicle running in almost uniform speed.

The sensors, four of them, one for each wheel, tells the central electronic unit which wheel is slowing down at a faster rate than the others, the unit will then ease the brake on that particular wheel. This technology allows a vehicle to slow down easily without locking the wheels. Locking the wheels means the driver will loose control over the car. This will then translate to heightened risk of being involved in an accident.

With more and more car buyers looking for safety features on vehicles, car manufacturers continually improve the safety of their vehicle. To improve the safety of a car, certain features are added to it like electronic stability control. The system is designed to aid a driver on situations where there is a possibility of one loosing control of the steering system.

The ESC as it is called helps the driver by controlling oversteer and understeer and also controlling the amount of pressure exerted on the brakes. With this technology, drivers face less risk of oversteering or understeering their car. In this technology, sensors also play a major role since they are the components which tells the main electronic control whether the driver is steering properly or putting excessive force on the steering wheel as well as the brakes.

Sensors are widely used in an automobile. Different systems of a car use sensors. There are sensors that measure the pressure inside the combustion chamber – there are sensors which detects the temperature of the engine. There are many uses for sensors currently. But the advent of technology has made the sensor even more important.

As consumers look for more and more features that will improve the safety, handling, stability, performance, comfort, convenience, and other attributes of a vehicle, more and more sensors will surely be developed to be used on different applications which are yet to be developed. The market for these sensors will continue to grow as car manufacturers find more ways to integrate sensor-related features on their production vehicles. The sensors are as indispensable as a Ford Hedman header is in a Ford vehicle, and that fact makes the sensor one of the most in demand vehicle component in the market.

Mike Bartley
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/demand-for-automotive-magnetic-sensor-growing-115302.html

Automotive Advertising Adversaries Announced

A car is only as good as it sells. That is why car manufacturers take efforts in the way they advertise their cars.

One marketing strategy is to showcase one’s car in a motor show. Some of the more famous motor shows in the world are the Detroit International Auto Show, the Tokyo Motor Show, and the currently ongoing Geneva International Auto Show. These events offer a place for car makers to strut their stuff to the media, to automotive experts, prospective buyers and the general public.

While events such as the aforementioned motor shows offer a place for auto makers to show off their goods, a limited number of people can really afford to come and see the show.

Another way to sell cars is through ad campaigns using the media and the Internet. Scion, the youth brand of Toyota, is the foremost car maker to use Web ad campaigns in the hopes of attracting the younger generation who are more commonly linked to the Web.

Car makers also launched ad campaigns on newspapers and the television. Different approaches have been used by the players in the auto industry to sell their vehicles. Volvo, for example, launched a Freewill ad campaign to promote their C30 and their ad centers on the love it/hate it story line.

Another approach being used on ad campaigns is the Challenge strategy. Ford is currently using this approach to promote the Ford Fusion.

In connection with the way ad campaigns are shaping the auto industry, IAG Research, the ad effectiveness TV ratings company, has announced that they will be giving advertising awards to car makers in connection with the forthcoming New York International Auto Show on April 4. The finalists for the advertising awards have already been announced recently. There are five categories in all and the awards are based on viewer response collected by IAG from more than 20 networks.

The finalists for the Most Effective Overall Ad for non-luxury vehicles are the Ford Escape Hybrid, the Volkswagen Jetta and the Volkswagen Passat. The Ford Escape Hybrid ad features Kermit the Frog who talks about being “green”. The Jetta ad, meanwhile, features an African-American male asking a white Jetta owner to teach him how to dance. And the VW Passat’s ad features women in the sedan being hit by another car.

On the other hand, the finalists for the Most Effective Overall Ad for luxury vehicles are the Lincoln Navigator, the Lexus LS 460, and the Hummer H3. The Navigator ad features Miami Heat superstar guard Dwayne Wade helping to build an inner city court. For the Lexus LS 460, the company opted to highlight the no-hands parallel parking ability of the luxury car. The Hummer H3 meanwhile was turned into a submarine by a man in its ad campaign.

Another category in the advertisement award is the Most Liked Ad both for luxury and non-luxury vehicles. The finalists which have captured the attention of audiences just like a Nissan brake shoe attracts the attention of auto enthusiasts are the Honda Pilot, the Jeep Wrangler and GM’s ad for their warranty. The Pilot’s ad features a troll stopping a family in the said SUV. Meanwhile, a lizard stares down at the Wrangler in the ad for the SUV. Cars flying above the street are featured on GM’s ad for their warranty.

The IAG will also give out an award for the Most Effective TV Launch Campaign for an Established Nameplate. The category’s finalists are the Nissan Sentra, the Lexus LS, and the Volkswagen Passat Wagon. The last category is for the Most Effective TV Launch Campaign for a New Nameplate. The finalists of the latter are the Dodge Nitro, the Nissan Versa, and the Toyota Yaris.

RyanThomas
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/automotive-advertising-adversaries-announced-114870.html

Automotive Career Month Commence Next Week

The upcoming month of April is Automotive Career Month which is supported by the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA). The group will sponsor the observation of the Automotive Career Month by allowing students all over the country to gain knowledge of the possible careers in the auto industry. The association will be focusing on jobs on truck and car dealerships in the United States. This initiative is aimed to encourage students to take interest on the field of auto dealership.

Students across the country will be given the chance to tour dealerships around the country. These students will be given the chance to see what exactly goes on inside the facility. Every facet of dealership operations will be bared for students who will grab this opportunity. They will also have the chance to ask questions from employees and these employees would be given the chance to learn more about the trade. This will play a major role in the students’ choice whether they will opt for a career in the auto industry. They will also learn what attributes they should have in order to become successful in the field.

Dale Willey, the National Automobile Dealers Association chairman, has this to say about the initiative: “Dealerships offer a wide variety of rewarding positions, and this is the ideal opportunity for both students and parents to explore a rewarding career path they may not have considered. Many dealerships have good jobs for good pay available, and they’re actively seeking the next generation of workers.” Willey is also the owner of a new-car dealership in Kansas. The number of dealerships in the country and the number of employees they hire will serve as an encouragement to students across the country.

In the United States, there are more than 20,000 new-car and truck dealerships. These dealerships, as Willey said that they are looking for the next generation of dealership employees. In fact, in a survey conducted recently by Harris Interactive, it was found out that more than 104,000 positions in the dealership industry needs to be filled in the near future. Among the vacancies, there are strong growth potential positions which new employees can take advantage of. Students can also hone their skills to fit those aforementioned positions.

With the help of this initiative from NADA, the auto dealership industry will continue to grow. The association is showing the way for students just like a pair of Nissan headlights showing the way ahead of a vehicle. To date, more than 1.1 million people are employed in the auto dealership industry. This number will continue to grow as more and more car manufacturers are looking to expand their operation in the United States. One concrete example is the Audi of America which has expressed their intentions to increase their dedicated dealerships in the country.

RyanThomas
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/automotive-career-month-commence-next-week-125729.html

Automotive Navigation System Making Driving Less Stressful

Driving has become a lot easier with the introduction of automotive navigation system. Now you do not have to worry while you drive because this system makes sure that you reach your desired destination without wandering aimlessly. It was first designed by Honda in 1983 but an accelerometer was used along with to judge locations as GPS was not available then. The commonly used navigation systems today are Garmin Street Pilot, Navman iCN Series, Etak, Gizmondo, Hertz Neverlost, Nextel TeleNav, Tom Tom and Pioneer.

It is a navigation system which is used especially in automobiles and help in determining their position with the help of signals from satellites. Automotive navigation system uses the technology on GPS, though it differs from other GPS systems in using position data to locate the vehicle on the units map database.

The essential components of a navigation system are top view for the map with the map rotating like the automobile (the most important component), next curves birds eye-view, to ensure your safety; linear distance gauge, and distance numbers.

The navigation system uses a road data base that contains all the names and addresses of the particular area encoded as geographical coordinates. The information gets updated via the internet as one move from one place to another. Basically it contains a vector map of the area with the help of which it becomes easy to locate someone just by their name or address.

The database used in this system can be stored easily on a magnetic media like hard disk, on a read only memory which comes programmed form the factory or an optical media like CD or DVD. Mostly base map is stored permanently in the ROM and it is accordingly used to extract detailed information about the region in which the user is interested. A combination of all these can also be used.

The first GPS based automotive navigation system was claimed to be developed by Pioneer in 1990.This navigation system helps in finding the location of the vehicle, but in addition to that they offer several other advantages like they give information regarding nearby restaurants, gas stations or cash machine. They can be used to view your favorite TV show or DVD since they use LCD screens. SMS messaging and hands free talking is also possible on some of the advanced systems. These systems also keep one updated about the traffic jams and suggest alternative routes to avoid these jams.

The base maps are created by map vendors like Tele Atlas and NAVTEQ in a standard format GDF. But later they are changed in an optimized format by the electronics manufacturer, which are then used in the navigation system. The format used is uniformly proprietary; as there is no standard for satellite navigation maps.

The automotive navigation system provides excellent services and that is the reason that its demand is increasing all over the world.

George Wood
http://www.articlesbase.com/gadgets-and-gizmos-articles/automotive-navigation-system-making-driving-less-stressful-77029.html