Servicing Hybrid Cars

In an effort to help protect Mother Nature, and to offset rising fuel cost, hybrid cars are becoming more and more popular. With so many drivers switching over to these environmentally friendly vehicles issues are beginning to arise not only with owners, but with mechanics and garages as well. These issues center on the servicing of the cars which can be so different yet similar to the more traditional fuel based vehicles.
Many garages are training their mechanics to deal with hybrids and how to properly service them. However, many owners may still be unsure how to handle the hybrid's unique needs when it comes to maintenance. This is why owners and potential owners of hybrid cars should look into the servicing needs of their new cars.

Before, with the traditional vehicles, owners were able to do many of the more routine maintenance in their own home garage. Changing the oil, checking the break pads and replacing the battery were common enough occurrences and posed little risk. Hybrid cars on the other hand are a whole different story and many do it yourselfers are better to let experienced and trained professionals take a look at their vehicles. Often mishandling of the Hybrid car's engine components can lead to serious if not fatal accidents.
Now the reason for this is that the Hybrid is more than an internal combustion engine, it is houses a complex electrical system that many, including seasoned mechanics, are just not aware of. It is this high voltage and power system that many are finding problematic when service on the car is required.
While it is unwise to perform even the most rudimentary service on your Hybrid, you may find out that the local garages are either unwilling on unable to deal with it as well. More and more garages are training their staff to perform the required Hybrid car repair as this car is no longer thought as a passing novelty but the problem still exists.
Since the Hybrid is the Chimera of the automobile industry, many aspects of the vehicle will remain the same. The differences, however, can be costly and the price owners must pay for proper auto service may be high. The benefits of owning a hybrid will probably be worth it to the owner in the long run and with the knowledge that they are doing their part to help the environment.
Some of the most drastic of differences will include common items like brake pads, fluids, and batteries.
Since the Hybrid car works differently from traditional vehicles it will require different fluids to keep it in tip top shape. These fluids will probably be new to the owners and even to the professionals commissioned with servicing the car. Whenever dealing with Hybrid cars it is important to consult the manual and follow the manufacturer's guidelines to the letter.
Traditional oil changes differ when dealing with hybrid cars as well. While there is no fear of an engine starting during an oil change on an internal combustion engine (as long as the car is turned off), a hybrid is a different story. The engine of a hybrid will start whenever the keys are in the ignition and when the car is in ready mode. The engine will also start when the battery needs charging and is in ready mode. So it is important to take the keys with you when changing the oil of a hybrid and not leave them in the ignition.
Brake system acts as generator when not in use. Break pads will not have to be replaced nearly as often as they would on traditional vehicles. Although, when the pads do require replacement, it will need some high priced equipment that can only be found at garages. The problem is that many smaller garages might not see buying the hydraulic system required for this job as economically viable. Changing the break pads is definitely not something that can be done one Saturday morning whenever the mood strikes you.
One of the key differences encountered while servicing hybrids are the battery packs. These battery packs house chemicals and will often retain current so carelessness while handling these devices can result in a serious chemical burn or electrocution. Following the manufacturers guidelines and safety concerns are essential.
Many of the new Hybrid car owners are unaware of the exact servicing and maintenance need for the vehicle. While some car dealers may not be forthcoming with this information, it is available online. Make sure that there is a garage nearby that can work on Hybrid cars and familiarize yourself with the car servicing needs as to avoid scams and ill managed garages.

Repairing torn car seat

There's probably nothing worse than a torn car seat. But it happens. And when it does you may be at a lose as to how to repair it. You could take it and have a professional repair the tear or hole, but it will cost you. There are some repair kits on the market to help repair cloth, leather and vinyl car seats, which will cost you minimum. Depending on the size of the repair, the results may be good or bad. These kits generally work better on small tears or holes and may be hard to match on colors other than black and white.

Repairing Torn Leather Seats
You may have paid the extra cash for those leather seats. They look great and there's no need to vacuum or clean them but when they get torn then you have a problem. One solution is to buy a leather repair kit to repair the seat. Here are the typical instructions for using one:
• Buy a standard leather repair kit.
• Scuff the damaged area lightly with the sandpaper provided.
• Clean the area with the alcohol swab that is also provided.
• Secure cuts or holes with a subpatch and adhesive that are provided in the kit. Fill in larger holes first with a piece of scrap leather that is also provided and fasten it in place with adhesive. With upholstery, it may be necessary to separate the tear slightly and slip the leather scrap or a subpatch into place inside the tear.
• Mix the color compound to match the color of the item you want to repair. Follow the color-matching guide that is provided in the kit. Spread the compound over the area and allow it to dry.
Another option for repairing torn leather seats is to sew them yourself. For instance, if the seat is ripped at a seam, you might be able to remove the cover from the seat and repair the seam. You'll need a heavy-duty sewing machine with large needle and heavy thread. Or hand stitching the seam can be done, but it is a challenge since pushing a needle through genuine leather is difficult. This task requires removing the cover from the seat often requires the removal of the seat itself, from the vehicle. After getting the seat out, you'll have to disassemble it, separating the seat from the back.
Repairing Torn Vinyl Seats
There are also repair kits for torn vinyl car seats or you can buy what you need and make the repairs. Here are is what you need to repair vinyl seats:
• Vinyl patch piece
• Vinyl adhesive
• Vinyl color (if you don't have the right color patch piece)
Steps to Repairing:
• Cut around the hole to make it even. This will make it easier to put your patch in.
• Find a piece of vinyl that matches in color and is big enough to over fill the spot where the hole is so that no gap will appear later in your repair.
• Tuck the patch piece of vinyl into the hole gently so you do not rip it and make it bigger. Smooth the patch out so it is spread out evenly.
• Lift the damaged vinyl section up and apply the vinyl adhesive to the original vinyl upholstery. Put the adhesive on the patch piece to secure the adhesion.
• Press the two vinyl pieces together carefully. If you press too hard a gap could appear from the pieces sliding apart.
• Allow upholstery to dry for 24 hours and keep out of direct sunlight or extreme heat.
Repairing Torn Fabric Seats
There are kits available to repair rips, burns and holes in fabric upholstery seats. Here are the steps to repair:
• Kit comes with 7 fabric fiber colors, fabric adhesive, spatula, mixing bottle, screen applicator, color mix chart and complete instructions.
• Fill the damaged spot with clear adhesive.
• Apply color fibers to applicator, lay over adhesive and move gently to disperse color fabric fibers.
• Let repair dry then spray with bonding adhesive.

Reliable Mechanic

1. Car clubs and car forums. This is by far, without a doubt the number one place you should try first. If you ignore all on the list except one, make this the one you use. Talk to the local chapter of whatever car you own. There are national level clubs for every car from Datsuns, Hudsons, Packard, Ducati, BMW, Mustangs, to Hondas and Toyotas to Trucks and Motorcycles. Search the internet for those chapters and find a phone number. If you can get in touch with a member of the club, speak to them about your problem and you might even have someone from a club willing to help out with small problems. Internet car forums like Bimmerforums, honda-tech.com, ls1.com and other model specific forums are the greatest wealth of knowledge you as a car owner have. Search " forums" and replace with whatever sort of car you have. You'd be surprised what sort of clubs are out there! Most forums that have a regional section of the board will also have a thread that's always at the top of the board that gives a list of recommended and reputable mechanics. These people are experts and won't do you wrong.
2. Talk with your dealer. Cars out of warranty oftentimes won't bring in as much money as those being brought in for warranty work. So, talk with your local dealer and see if they know of any independent shops that specialize in your car who might be worth a call.
3. Speak with friends. Your friends have cars too and getting a feel for their experience at various shops may help you determine who to take your car to, or at the very least, who NOT to take your car to.
4. The internet! Here's the no brainer. Google dealers in your area and see what comes up. Often times you'll come across sites like Kudzu.com or epinions.com that gives options as well as user reviews. Though many sites still don't have the majority of shops out there (because there are so many), most of the good ones will be spread quickly by word of mouth and become well known in your area.
As you can see, there are plenty of options out there to find your perfect match. So, next time you find a great mechanic, help a friend out and recommend them. It's hard to come by a good repairman and passing along a reliable "wrencher" is a valuable to anyone driving a car!

Fel Pro Gaskets

A felpro head gasket is a gasket that is located between the engine block and cylinder head for a internal combustion engine. A fel pro head gasket seals the cylinders to ensure maximum compression and avoid leaks of coolant or oil into the cylinders.
Head Gasket Types
These typically gasket consist of three layers of steel. The contact faces are usually coated with a rubber-like coating such as Viton that adheres to the cylinder block and cylinder head.
Solid copper -- A solid sheet of copper, copper gaskets are extremely durable.
Composite -- these are made from asbestos or graphite and are more prone to blowouts. Asbestos gaskets are rare due to health concerns.
Gasket Problems
Occasionally, the compression in the cylinder will cause a leak to form in the gasket and the gasket will have to be replaced, I would use a felpro head gasket or a gasket set. The use of aluminum rather than iron cylinder heads makes this problem more prominent but aluminum has a much greater thermal expansion, which causes more stress on the head gasket. Engine makers have reduced this problem by adding Teflon to the surface of the head gasket.
If the gasket fails, problems will, from compression loss, to exhaust gases being exposed to the cooling system and causing the engine to overheat. I had this problem with one of my cars and how I found the problem was my motor oil was white. This is a sign that antifreeze is mixing with the oil. Coolant can also end up in the cylinders causing steam that can damage your exhaust.
A damaged head gasket can cause leaks between cylinders so use a pressure gauge, or do a leak-down test, to see what your compression loss is. Driving with a blown head gasket can cause extensive damage from overheating and loss of oil. Burning oil is usually Blue exhaust smoke.

Tire Maintenance

A proactive approach to tire maintenance is best -- if you address potential issues before things get ugly, or as soon as they become apparent, the better chance you have of staying safe.
Here are a few easy ways to care for your vehicle tires.
Inflation (The Good Kind):
It's usually a given that proper inflation gives you more efficient fuel usage. And it is certainly true for street driving, that under-inflated tires can greatly decrease your mileage, make your car more prone to skid in wet conditions, and cause uneven tire wear.
But for a vehicle that you take off-road, there are different considerations and conditions. So many Jeep owners actually prefer softened, aired-down bias tires. But, these are definitely not street tires, so there is additional maintenance required is you use these types of tires.
You may wish to consider off-road savvy radial tires. These would seem to provide the best of both worlds. However, you will need to adjust the inflation depending on whether you are on paved streets or negotiating off-road conditions and obstacles.
Either way, one tool you cannot afford to be without is a portable air compressor. This allows you to inflate or deflate your Jeep tires on the go, all from a compact and easy-to-use compression unit.
As The Tires Rotate:
Once again, what you know about automobile tire rotation doesn't directly correlate to what should be done for a 4-wheel off-road vehicle.
Generally, off roading tires require more frequent tire rotations than a street vehicle. This is because an aggressive tread wears faster. Given the wear discrepancy between front and rear tires, tread balance becomes uneven quickly, resulting in major loss of performance.

Generally, off road vehicles require tire rotation every 6,000 to 8,000 miles, but more use and wear may necessitate rotations as frequently as every 4,000 to 6,000 miles. This is where being proactive in maintaining your tires comes in handy. If you are actively monitoring your tire wear, you will be able to judge best how often to rotate your tires.
Keep in mind that for new tires, the first rotation is the most critical. You will want to pay particular attention to tire inflation and alignment. You can do a lot of damage quickly if you don't take the time to make the required adjustments at the start.
Also, tire rotations in a Jeep should not be done front to back, as with a street vehicle. Rather they should be done in an X. This means that front-left goes to rear-right, and vice versa, while front-right goes to rear-left, and vice versa.
Consider Nitrogen:
Essentially, nitrogen gas tire inflation is nothing more than replacing the air in your tires with nitrogen gas. This modification provides improved gas mileage, longer tire wear, and better performance. Best of all it is also environmentally friendly. So you can go off-road and go green at the same time.
Nitrogen gas tire inflation for your Jeep tires is becoming more common as it becomes more readily available. If it is not available to you now, keep watching your favorite auto supply store. It should be available soon. This is one enhancement you will want to adopt.

The Secret To Door Panels And Door Speakers

For some, the prospect of changing out speakers is a daunting one, since you have to remove the door panels to access the speakers tucked away within its walls. They are not a tricky as they seem, if you know the right techniques.The first thing to do is to locate any screws holding the panel in place. These are generally found in or under the armrest piece, in the door opener latch, or near the bottom of the door panel. Remove as many as you can find to start.With the screws removed, you will need to carefully pry the door panel off the door. Start in the bottom corner nearest the speaker. Gently pull the panel until it pops loose.

There are usually several clips holding it in place. Work around the bottom of the door panel popping the clips out. Be careful to not break them, because you will need them to reinstall it. Continue around the outside of the panel until you have removed as many of the clips as you can. If you have power windows, doors, etc, remove the control panel from the door panel. It is usually clipped in place, and can be carefully pried out. Look for small notches that may give away the position of the clips. If you have mechanical windows, you will need to push the door panel into the door at the window crank, and look for the snap ring clip holding it in place. With a thin flathead screwdriver, pop the clip loose, taking special note of where it goes, as you will need it to secure the piece back in place. Once this is removed, you should have enough clearance to reach the speaker. If not, you can attempt to completely remove the door panel by sliding it upwards and out of the window compartment. You may be caught up by the door opener latch. These can be a little tricky, as some will slide in place horizontally, screw in, or pop out. Look for screws, and if you don't find any, try sliding it horizontally towards the inside. If that doesn't work, see if it pops straight out. It will be connected to the bars that pull the door latch, so they will have to be positioned correctly for the door panel to be removed. If there is a triangular piece of trim in the top corner of the door panel, you will need to remove it also. It also clips in place and can be removed. This should allow the door panel to slide out, assuming you have disconnected the control panels electrical wires.You should now be in full view of the door speaker. it can be removed by removing the four screws holding it in place. You may also find that the connectors on these speakers won't work for your aftermarket ones, so you will have to clip the wires and attach the end connectors provided with your speakers. Pay attention to positive and negative here.

If you are unsure of what is what, there are a few ways to check. Look at the terminals on the factory speaker. It may have a "+" and "-" sign designating positive and negative. If it doesn't tell you, you can log on to installdr.com and look up the color codes for the speaker, or try the battery test. Take a good charged battery and place one of the factory speaker wires (attached to the speaker) on the positive, and one on the negative of the battery. If the speaker pushes out, the polarity is correct as you have it, and attach the wires accordingly. If it pushes in, the polarity is reversed, so reverse the battery and try again. If it pushes out, wire the speakers following that polarity.Install the speaker in the door by replacing the 4 screws and securing it in place, and reinstalling the door panel. be sure to slide it back down in place, and line up the clips exactly before applying pressure to reattach them. You don't want to break any of those. Finish screwing the door in place, then attach the window control panel/window crank, and congratulations, your done!

Refresh Engine with Radiators

Automotive radiators are the important components of a vehicle's cooling system. A vehicle's cooling system is intended to protect the engine from the destructive forces of too much heat. Radiators take charge of removing excess heat from the engine even under the most extreme conditions. Cooling the motor helps it last longer, taking the vehicle to the distance. If the system isn't in good repair, simple tasks such as sitting idle in rush-hour traffic can cause a vehicle to overheat even when temperatures drop below the freezing mark.Radiators extend engine life, and keep the vehicle's engine at a safe and efficient operating temperature. Without passing the hot coolant through the cool metal grates or cooling cores of the radiator, the incredible heat under the hood of the car or truck would cause the vehicle to very rapidly overheat, potentially leaving the driver stranded. Intense heat could also destroy other parts of the engine that can be very costly to replace. The radiator is a heat exchanger designed to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating.
After which, it transfers the heat from the fluid inside to the air outside, thus cooling the engine. This heat-dissipating device is connected to channels running through the engine and cylinder head, through which pumps a liquid.On some cars, the radiator fan is electrically driven and comes on automatically even after the engine has been turned off. Disconnect the ground wire from the battery before starting to work to keep away from injury. Since the engine works harder than most of auto parts, it has a tendency to overheat; therefore, it needs a cooling system that would keep it operating at the right temperature. Radiators protect the engine from the destructive forces of too much heat.When you find a leak because of a rock, a hose, or sometimes because of an accident, replace the radiator to allow motor to continue working and be cooled as it should. Overtime, dirt, dust and rust can build up and clog the essential components of the car's radiator. Therefore, routine maintenance can slow this process and makes the life of the radiator temporarily longer. Timely radiator replacement is also important when the current car radiator wears out.Be aware of the serious responsibility that comes with driving and car maintenance. Reduce much of the risks with cars by simply being safety conscious and always check radiators to guarantee protection and long time performance of automobiles.