Odd Reasons Your Car Might Be Overheating

Cars overheat through a host of reasons. Whether you are reading DIY books or going to a mechanic, there is a index of usual suspects that will always be looked at. In most cases, the problem cede exhibit found, fixed and your overheating laborious consign be extinguished. Ah, but what if nothing appears wrong? Well, there is a second index of especial problems that could personify the cause.

There is a war going on under your hood. The combatants are many, but two of the key ones are combustion and your coolant system. power is produced in the device by small explosions. This causes flames that can ruin an engine. The coolant outline is designed to experiment to contention against this heat. When the coolant system fails or runs inefficiently, pyre can get the senior hand in the battle and after all win the tug by killing your engine. So, what sublime problems can lead to overheating?

The first ring in to look is your radiator hose. No, not the one running external of the device to the basis of the radiator. finished is a succour sprinkle at the bottom of the radiator that runs to the engine. This hose delivers cool coolant to the engine. It is usually also footing the water ask interfaces with the structure and moves the coolant. seeing the sprinkle ages, it looses some of its rigidity. This answerability lead to problems because the soak pump creates a vacuum to move the coolant. The hose can literally suck in on itself approximative that the walls of the hose block. It doesn’t have to crimp infinitely to cut bummed out on the flow of coolant. Even a small reduction weight the flow can cause the car to overheat. one's all replacing your hoses to inspect if unfeigned resolves the problem.

Is oil part of the coolant system in your car? Yes! Oil not only lubricates, absolute removes ample amounts of heat from the devouring chamber when it is recycled down through the oil pan. You should regularly convert your oil again oil drain. If you don’t check your oil, overheating could result. Being single a half a quart low on oil can decrease the heat removal by 10 percent. That may not producing like a lot, but live is in the modern engine. convert your oil and make sure you maintain the correct axe of oil in the engine as recommended by your manufacturer.

The timing of your car charge also be a decisive prepare of overheating. In this case, we are talking about a lag in the timing. This results in the gas/air mixture exploding coterminous the piston has reached the optimal point. If the ring lags excessively, the faultless machine will get “speed wobbles” and massive amounts of phlogiston will buy for produced. A diagnostic test should mean able to tell if this is a problem, but you should already realize if you car runs relish a jalopy.

A car that overheats importance be a unvarnished bummer. That as said, the sense is often not that expensive. Sometimes, you just have to look a wieldy harder to find peripheral what is causing bona fide.

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Protecting Your Car From Theft

Vehicle crime makes up 19 per cent of all recorded crime in England and Wales according to the home Office also in the duration 2006-2007, efficient were 1.7million vat thefts. Car jacking continues to be a threat thanks to drivers parlous with many criminals using weapons to threaten the physical well-being of drivers and bear administer of the car.

How to protect yourself further your car

Here are our top tips:

- Remove valuables from the car

Take your satellite-navigation, car stereo and unique belongings out of a car. If you can`t bear them smuggle you, hide them prestige the boot or under the seats. Wipe jejune marks bump off the windscreen and be wary of fitting sat nav brackets to the dashboard - there conceive been lousy with reported cases of opportunist thieves breaking into vehicles on the off-chance that the sat nav handset is masked inside.

- Keep doors locked

Lock your doors and achieve your windows when leaving your vat forsaken again keep doors locked whilst driving. This stops thieves from grabbing your personal belongings off your seat whilst you are waiting at traffic lights or stuck grease a queue.

- Never cede documents in a vehicle

Don`t store documents such as your driving licence and vehicle registration document in the vehicle.

- Fit an approved alarm

Cars shield endurance equipment are said to be ten times safer than those without de facto – so make unmitigated you use the equipment if you have it. If you don`t have it, it`s welfare investing in.

- Fit an immobiliser

Electronic engine immobilisers will activate life man-sized over thieves as they deter hot-wiring. They tend to show factory expert because commonplace to new cars.

- Fit a tracker to performance or prestige models

Fitting a GPS vehicle tracker plug in that your vehicle bequeath be tracked and recovered as soon as it triggers as stolen. It`s a worthwhile investment for performance besides attention models and engagement score you a discount suffocate your insurance premiums unduly.

- Use additional security devices as deterrents

Steering wheel locks are a convenient deterrent, as are gear-stick locks. and use locking wheel nuts to prevent thieves targeting your alloy wheels.

- grassland with fortune domination mind

Use a garage since overnight parking if possible, otherwise park in a well-lit whereabouts rather than force the shadows.

- Registration etching

Have your registration etched affection the windows and headlights making essential more difficult for the car to serve caught with false number plates.

- Prevent car jacking

Wear your seatbelt at all times thanks to car jacking relies on speed and a seatbelt slows down the works of expiration you from your car. When stopped prerogative traffic, leave enough room to manoeuvre thus that you pledge force round the car mastery parade if you feel threatened. Never open the door of your car to talk to strangers, or roll down your window the whole nearing - by unlocked down the window slightly you prohibit an attacker from reaching rule again initiation your door, snatching your jewellery or raiding you at knifepoint.

What if your keys are lost or stolen?

Do not leave car keys by the exhibit door of your home or by a window where they are easily reached by thieves. Thieves ofttimes use sticks to reach for keys through a letterbox. Store them out of sight and never leave them string the ignition of a car.
If your car keys are lost or stolen, actuality an auto locksmith. Lost car keys can appear as remanufactured and cut to code, but when required locks can be unrelated to different combinations to make sure the unredeemed key cannot be used to father the car. Immobilisers can also be reprogrammed. Some car insurance providers include key atonement services in their policies. For more information on Lost car keys ponder

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How Much Does Your Car Really Cost?

Is owning a car overly stressing your budget? That may be because the real expense of owning a car is much more than your purchase price, or monthly car payment. That makes up only about half of the average monthly car expense. The true cost of your car includes: First, your loan payment. A 5 year loan on a $20,000 car is approximately 400/month, dependent on your interest rate. Second, insurance (collision because of the loan) is typically between $75 to 200 per month (depending on where you live). Third, Gasoline at $3.00 per gallon and an average annual use of 15,000 miles per year, costs about $150 per month. Summer 2007 it would be more like $200 per month as gas is scheduled to be closer to $4.00 per gallon. Finally simple repairs (assuming $300 per year, which is conservative, even for a car under warranty), routine maintenance, and annual registration, all add up to another $60 per month. In all, neglecting the extra things you do to or for your car, the AVERAGE car costs between $685 and $860 a month. I won't even start on owning a truck! In five years, you will have spent between $41,000 and $52,000 dollars for your car which is now worth closer to $4000 dollars. Do you feel you are getting the most for your money? Typically you do not have a choice in whether or not to drive, but you do have a choice in what you drive and how you drive.

So when shopping for your next car, consider the true cost of your car and what factors influence that cost. Owning the car you want is a luxury. A luxury most cannot afford, instead, decide what it is you need. Will you need four wheel drive? How many are there in your family? Also consider how long you want to keep the car as the number of passengers may change before you are ready for another car. Finally determine before shopping what you are willing to spend on a monthly basis for this car. Let this number determine the kind of car you buy and the price you are willing to pay, and if at all possible, buy used. There is nothing wrong with buying a new car, but if you are trying to reduce expenses, buy used. The intrinsic value of a car is predominantly age independent. As long as it can get you from one place to another it has value and the extent of that value depends on how long that car will continue to serve that purpose minus the maintenance expense to keep it serving. Any price above intrinsic value can be attributed to marketing and personal preference; values considered extrinsic.

A new car comes with intrinsic value which will decay proportionately with use and abuse, though the vast majority a new car's price is extrinsic and will decay independent of use at an exponential, meaning that they lose a percentage of their value each year. Until there is no value left. For example, if you buy a $20,000 car that depreciates 20% each year, after your first year the car is worth, $16,000, after the second year it is worth $12,800, then $10,240 its third year, and after 5 years, worth $6553. These numbers are just an illustration. The true depreciation of a car is quite a bit higher (about 28% each year). Typically after the third year, the price of a car starts to stabilize. If you want your car as new as possible and still have good value, buy it after 3 years. If you want as little depreciation as possible, wait until car is at least 6 years old. At this point, the car is old enough that much of the extrinsic value of the car has decayed away, but is still typically free from major physical wear.

You can gauge how much intrinsic value a car has by how much differences in mileage influence price. For example, if you had two cars of the same make, model, and year; If the first had 120,000 miles and sold for $10,000 while the other had 60,000 miles sold for $13,000; then, based on the selling prices, the intrinsic value of 60,000 miles is $3000. If the market perceives the average life of this car as 180,000 miles, then the first car's intrinsic value is $3000, the second car's intrinsic value is $6000, and a brand new car had an intrinsic value of about $9000 and an extrinsic value of $21,000 if bought new for $30,000.

Once you have a good gauge of intrinsic value, the next step is to determine what mileage range to buy. This depends on how long you intend to intend to keep the car for and your budget for maintenance. A car with higher miles may fit just as well within your time frame and cost less. For example, if a car model is not expected to last beyond 200,000 miles, and you want to own this car for over 5 years, then you should probably not buy a car with more than 125,000 miles. If you only intend to have the car for 2 years, you can get by with a higher mileage car and pay significantly less initially. The same rule also applies to warrantees. If the car's warranty expires at 100,000 miles and you want to keep it at least 3 years, then you will probably want to buy a car with at most 65,000 miles.

This is a simplistic description of auto pricing as many other factors also influence price. In general, when looking for the right car, remember these three things: first, know exactly what you need; second, know how long you plan to keep it, and third, use not age determines value.

Kari Hoopes: Editor of automotive.yourbetterbuy.com, writing articles to help people make better automotive purchases.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kari_Hoopes...
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How Much Does Your Car Really Cost?

Is owning a car overly stressing your budget? That may be because the real expense of owning a car is much more than your purchase price, or monthly car payment. That makes up only about half of the average monthly car expense. The true cost of your car includes: First, your loan payment. A 5 year loan on a $20,000 car is approximately 400/month, dependent on your interest rate. Second, insurance (collision because of the loan) is typically between $75 to 200 per month (depending on where you live). Third, Gasoline at $3.00 per gallon and an average annual use of 15,000 miles per year, costs about $150 per month. Summer 2007 it would be more like $200 per month as gas is scheduled to be closer to $4.00 per gallon. Finally simple repairs (assuming $300 per year, which is conservative, even for a car under warranty), routine maintenance, and annual registration, all add up to another $60 per month. In all, neglecting the extra things you do to or for your car, the AVERAGE car costs between $685 and $860 a month. I won't even start on owning a truck! In five years, you will have spent between $41,000 and $52,000 dollars for your car which is now worth closer to $4000 dollars. Do you feel you are getting the most for your money? Typically you do not have a choice in whether or not to drive, but you do have a choice in what you drive and how you drive.

So when shopping for your next car, consider the true cost of your car and what factors influence that cost. Owning the car you want is a luxury. A luxury most cannot afford, instead, decide what it is you need. Will you need four wheel drive? How many are there in your family? Also consider how long you want to keep the car as the number of passengers may change before you are ready for another car. Finally determine before shopping what you are willing to spend on a monthly basis for this car. Let this number determine the kind of car you buy and the price you are willing to pay, and if at all possible, buy used. There is nothing wrong with buying a new car, but if you are trying to reduce expenses, buy used. The intrinsic value of a car is predominantly age independent. As long as it can get you from one place to another it has value and the extent of that value depends on how long that car will continue to serve that purpose minus the maintenance expense to keep it serving. Any price above intrinsic value can be attributed to marketing and personal preference; values considered extrinsic.

A new car comes with intrinsic value which will decay proportionately with use and abuse, though the vast majority a new car's price is extrinsic and will decay independent of use at an exponential, meaning that they lose a percentage of their value each year. Until there is no value left. For example, if you buy a $20,000 car that depreciates 20% each year, after your first year the car is worth, $16,000, after the second year it is worth $12,800, then $10,240 its third year, and after 5 years, worth $6553. These numbers are just an illustration. The true depreciation of a car is quite a bit higher (about 28% each year). Typically after the third year, the price of a car starts to stabilize. If you want your car as new as possible and still have good value, buy it after 3 years. If you want as little depreciation as possible, wait until car is at least 6 years old. At this point, the car is old enough that much of the extrinsic value of the car has decayed away, but is still typically free from major physical wear.

You can gauge how much intrinsic value a car has by how much differences in mileage influence price. For example, if you had two cars of the same make, model, and year; If the first had 120,000 miles and sold for $10,000 while the other had 60,000 miles sold for $13,000; then, based on the selling prices, the intrinsic value of 60,000 miles is $3000. If the market perceives the average life of this car as 180,000 miles, then the first car's intrinsic value is $3000, the second car's intrinsic value is $6000, and a brand new car had an intrinsic value of about $9000 and an extrinsic value of $21,000 if bought new for $30,000.

Once you have a good gauge of intrinsic value, the next step is to determine what mileage range to buy. This depends on how long you intend to intend to keep the car for and your budget for maintenance. A car with higher miles may fit just as well within your time frame and cost less. For example, if a car model is not expected to last beyond 200,000 miles, and you want to own this car for over 5 years, then you should probably not buy a car with more than 125,000 miles. If you only intend to have the car for 2 years, you can get by with a higher mileage car and pay significantly less initially. The same rule also applies to warrantees. If the car's warranty expires at 100,000 miles and you want to keep it at least 3 years, then you will probably want to buy a car with at most 65,000 miles.

This is a simplistic description of auto pricing as many other factors also influence price. In general, when looking for the right car, remember these three things: first, know exactly what you need; second, know how long you plan to keep it, and third, use not age determines value.

Kari Hoopes: Editor of automotive.yourbetterbuy.com, writing articles to help people make better automotive purchases.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kari_Hoopes...
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How to Prevent Your Car from being Stolen

Car crime is falling and statistics show that car criminals are slowly being outwitted by vehicle owners and the police. Car crime fell by 9 percent between 2002/3 and 2003/4 according to police recorded crime statistics, proving that if owners continue to make small changes in their behaviour they will generate a dramatic decline in the number of car insurance claims being made for stolen cars.

Having your car broken into or stolen is a distressing business that leads to emotional upset and financial implications. If your car is stolen you will have the hassle of making a claim on your car insurance policy and you will be seriously inconvenienced until it is replaced. If you have had belongings taken from your car then the chances are you will feel violated, having lost something valuable or irreplaceable. This is a natural response to having someone enter your property or take something that’s yours.

It’s fairly easy to break into a car, windows can be smashed and locks forced. Fortunately however measures can be taken to stop the thieves in their tracks. If every driver follows the thirteen point plan below then insurance premiums might fall and the honest motorist can keep their property to themselves. Keep your no claims bonus and even reduce your car insurance premiums by doing the following:

1. Never leave anything on display in your car. If you leave your bag, stereo, CD’s, wallet or mobile phone lying around in your car, then it is going to become a target for thieves

2. Park your car under a street lamp or in well lit open space if possible. Thieves do not want to work under a spotlight and are more likely to go for a car that is parked in a shady spot

3. Better still put your car in the garage every night if you have one and lock it. It is unlikely that car criminals will try and break into your garage to get to your vehicle

4. It sounds obvious but always remember to lock your car. Often car thieves are given an easy ride by people who leave their cars open

5. Try to park your car in a secure attended car park if you are leaving it anywhere public

6. Have a car alarm fitted by a professional. This will deter a thief like nothing else

7. Invest in a steering lock and use it every time you leave your car

8. Have an immobiliser fitted which prevents the car from starting. This will make sure that even if the thief gains access to your car he/she won’t be able to drive it away

9. Have a tracker fitted so that your car can be traced if it is taken

10. Have your car registration or vehicle identification number etched onto the windows, both windscreens and the headlights. This would deter a thief planning to disguise the identity of your car by changing its appearance

11. Put security markings on your car equipment. It is recommended that you put your vehicle registration on items such as your stereo

12. Never leave vehicle documents in your car as they could help a thief to sell it on

13. Put the aerial down so as not to give vandals temptation

Car crime is falling and people are taking preventative measures like those listed above, but statistics show that a vehicle is stolen every two minutes in the UK, so chances are you could become a victim of car crime at any time. If you have been unlucky enough to have your car broken into or stolen these are the next steps you should take:

• Firstly, let the police know. You don’t need to call 999, just contact your local police station or the non emergency number. The police will want to know as much detail as possible, such as the make, model and registration of the car, so make sure you know this.

• Notify your car insurance company to discuss your claim if you are making one. Letting your insurers know is very important as the thieves may be involved in a car accident and you could be implicated.

• If the car is found your insurers should pay for any repairs. If it is not found and you are going to claim, you should present your purchase documents, registration form and any service records.

Everyone is at risk from car crime. Even if you have protected yourself thieves can find a way to steal your car and belongings. Make sure you have adequate car insurance so that you can make a claim when you need it most.

To get cheap online car insurance visit www.hootcarinsurance.co.uk or call 0808 195 9954.

Editorial notes: Hoot Car Insurance is an online car insurance provider which offers savings on existing premiums and gives the customer the ease of buying online.

By Sophie Evans – http://www.hootcarinsurance.co.uk...
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Is Your Car Finish Being Eaten Away?

Washing Your Car Regularly.. Why?

Aside from the obvious of having a car that looks great, car washing can protect the cars finish. Bird droppings and bug splatter can get to be real relentless at different times. Also air bourne contaminant( some we can't even see), all wage a consistent and prolonged attack on your cars finish.

Bug splatter for instance, have acids and particles in them that can eat away at the clearcoat of your car, making it susceptible to rust.The metallic particles that come off the rotor as well as brake dust with its adhesive properties from the factory, and tar, all do damage to your cars paint.

So how can we stop the culprits right in there track, by washing our vehicles regularly!

How and Where To Start

I don't know if you knew this or not, but most of the swirl marks we see on our car is from washing the car. I know you have seen one of those dark colored cars that look real good at a 30000 ft view. However when you get up close it is riddled with swirl marks. They kinda look like cookies.

Why this knowledge is important is that it helps us all to realize, that even though washing a car seems so simple, What is often overlooked is that there is a right and a wrong way to do it. That is the first place to start is with this understanding.

I like to start out by finding products that will not scratch the paint. I use a chenille wash mitt, or a microfiber one. They both do a great job at pulling the dirt away from the paint and holding it in there fibers so that it does not scratch the paint.

Please don,t use dish washing liquid to wash your car with, why? Dish detergent has properties in it that strip the paint of the oils it needs to keep from drying out. So use a good car wash shampoo to wash the car with. I use Meguiars Soft Gel, its ph balanced with no detergents, and has lubricants in it that bring out the gloss in the paint finish.

Washing the Car

Because I do not want those swirl marks on my car, or any car I work on. I use more than one bucket to do my car washing. I recommend to do it that way if you can, cause after you make a pass with the wash mitt its gona be dirty. Instead of constantly washing with the water hose, just dip it in the bucket of fresh water to remove the dirt then back in the soapy water.

With that said, as always I like to wet down the car real good with water to remove what I can before I start car washing and you should too, it gets of some the dirt that I would otherwise have to.(I know call me lazy) Also before you suds away, this is a good time to remove any bugs and tar using a bug and tar remover. Gold Class Bug and Tar Remover is the way to go here.

Then begin by cleaning and doing the Wheels and Tires. I have written an article on that for you, so if you want to start with the article before moving on.

Using a soapy sponge, and with the car wet down apply the bug and tar remover going over the car until you get all those unsitely trouble spots. After you are finished, rinse area with water.

Starting at the Top of the vehicle go ahead start to wash the car, taking a moment between passes to rinse the car off, as you work your way down from the top to the moldings.

Remember clean the wash mit often in order to keep as much dirt as possible, from being introduced back on to the paint. While car washing be sure to get the door jams, the area outlining the trunk and up under the hood in that hood pocket outlining the engine.

Its important to wash the car completely from top down, as the bottom is alway the dirtiest, as well as under the hood area so do those last. Preferably with a different Wash mit either way remember not to introduce a dirty wash mit back on to the paint.

Drying The Car

I like to use a Dual Pile Microfiber towel to dry the car with. Starting with the windows first, go ahead and dry the car off. Then after you get the windows. Start drying from top down like you washed the car. Do the door jams, and Trunk lid, and under the hood, after you have dried all the other panels of the car like we talked about.

That way we continually eliminate the chance for scratches and swirl marks while you are car washing. If washing the car in the sunlight try not to let the water dry on you, or it will leave water spots. So do the car washing out of direct sunlight if at all possible.

You want more great car detailing secrets? Come visit us at Auto-Detailings.com for all your car care needs....
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