Automotive News Seven Simple Auto Care Tips

How well do you love your auto? If you answer yes to this‚ then it follows that you know your car so much that you are familiar more or less‚ about auto care tips. Because many of us treat and think that automobiles are something we can just replace anytime we want to‚ little did we know that we can save a lot and become really wiser if we know how to take good care of our cars?

Many of us, in order to avoid all the hassle, just replace their entire car and purchase another one because they do not really know how to take good care of it. They know very little about auto care tips while in fact, these are very simple things.

As previously discussed‚ caring for your car is very simple. It all starts with one word – Maintenance.

This certainly reflects how good you are as an owner or what we call ownership. If you have your car for a long time‚ performing as good as before‚ and still reliable as the first time you purchased it‚ then you are indeed a good owner of our car. It is because you were able to maintain your car by being able to look after it not only externally but internally as well. Maintenance is absolutely taking good care not only of the external parts but more importantly‚ the internal parts as these determine the performance of your car. Below are seven simple auto care tips that apply to anyone regardless of age‚ sex‚ interest‚ socio–economic status and any other factor:

• Accessories and Appearance Check
• You must have a regular check–up of your tools for instance‚ once you got a flat tire while driving. Hence‚ it is a must that you always check your mechanical tools and basic tools so you can manage to survive once you get caught in trouble. Please ensure that you check your rear view mirror from time to time as these things are easily being moved or bumped out of it’s correct position.

• 3W Check (Water‚ Wheels‚ and Warm–up)
• Just remember the three W’s which stand for water check‚ wheels check‚ and warm–up check. Since our temperature keeps on rising‚ you should always be alert to check the water level in your car radiator. Another thing is to check your wheels all the time. You will never know what is on the road but you can always know when you are about to have a flat tire by regularly checking on it. Lastly is the warm–up check. By having this‚ you get yourself out of trouble remarkably.

• Air Check
• In relation to a flat tire‚ air check must be done from time to time as this will not only prevent you from the trouble of changing your tire but also‚ makes you’re driving smoothly and hassle–free.

• Lights and Leaks
• It is very important to check and make sure that lights are functioning‚ clean at the same time working. Different kinds of lights like parking lights‚ brake lights‚ emergency flashers‚ signal lights‚ fog lights‚ and hazard lights‚ among others must be replaced if they are not functioning. Leaks on the other hand play a vital role in order to keep the auto moving especially if it is fuel or oil that is leaking.

• Battery (fluids) and Breaks (folds) check
• Explosive gasses can be produced if the battery is not handled with extra care and caution. You are not allowed to smoke‚ produce any kind of spark or light a match near the battery. Breaks play a vital role in an auto especially the folds inside it. Break pads must be changed and checked in front and rear areas for it can produce accident is one neglect it. Break fluids must be monitored from time to time but do not overfill.

• Oil Check
• Oil plays a very important part for it can cause the auto to deteriorate. The engine must maintain the right and proper kind of oil.

Wiper‚ Washer‚ and Shock Absorbers

Wiper blades are very important especially at night and when it is raining‚ one must be aware of their ability to clean the windshield. Windshield washer fluid reservoir must be full and must be used as an aid to clean the wiper blades. Shock absorbers must be replaced in pairs at the same time must be checked and tested for it will affect the auto’s performance and comfort for the passengers.

Cars are part of our daily lives; it is a reflection of who we are as a person‚ and as a car owner. Having knowledge at the same time practicing the simple car care tips will definitely help us in our journey through life.

Automotive News Icar rumors?

There are rumors of Apple and Volkswagen getting together will it be the icar? Will it be all white, have propitiatory gas connector, scratch real easily, you wont be able to take it to a regular mechanic, the parts will be very expensive, none of the parts will be avalible at NAPA and you will not want a first generation. (Thanks to Tom and Molly at Buzz out loud)

Automotive News The new Jaguar XF

Pictures of the new Jaguar XF are out see lots of them at 4hweelsblog.com, and I have read that the first one will be actioned off for charity. The auction will be September the 7th just four days before the car makes it's debut at the Frankfort car show September the 11th.

Automotive News The 50 dollar paint job

I can't really believe this is going to last very long and I could think of a lot of things I would do to improve it but maybe in the interest of fairness make up up your own mind. The 50 dollar paint job

Automotive News PPG Waterborne at NACE

If your going to NACE this year stop by the PPG booth and see their line of waterborne basecoat system or their seminar "Introduction to Waterborne," on Friday, Nov. 2.
PPG has had a lot of expericnce in Europe with their NEXA AutocolorAquabase and we will be compelled to use it soon.
According to Doug Beuke, compliant segment manager for PPG North America,
"Shops in California and Canada are converting to PPG waterborne systems right now. PPG waterborne basecoat systems are as easy to use as solventborne systems, require no special additives, and feature non-stir toners that make mixing colors particularly fast and easy. PPG waterborne systems also provide consistent color and metallic control across a variety of different application techniques"

Automotive News BMW Hydrogen 7

Cnet has a review of BMW's Hydrogen 7 The car runs on hydrogen by default but can switch to gasoline. A nice car but I can't imagine that this will be the model for the way most cars will be powered in the future. Sure would be nice to play with one for a week or so though.

Automotive News Web Work

just installed Flock the new web browser it is still in beta so it's still a little buggie but it is still interinsting

Automotive New Orleans and Global Warming

Now this is a harsh thought, and I do sympathize to all those people that lost so much, but given the realities of global warming and climate change. Are we going to look back in 50 or 100 years and say "New Orleans was the first great city we lost" See the Union of Concerned Scientists for a discussion on Global Warming Lending Strength to Hurricanes so the question is does it make sense to rebuild?

Automotive News

The Spray Max 2K clear has arrived and it's as good as advertised. This is the real stuff real urethane clear in a spray can. See my post about Spray Max 2K Primer

Automotive News New Hybrid Saab uses No Fossil Carbon

I think that there is a basic misunderstanding among many people about the global warming crisis that’s looming. The problem is not about heat production i.e. concrete gives off a lot of heat as it’s curing, it’s not about burning wood, it’s not about humans or animals breathing or farting. What it is about is pouring tons of fossil carbon in to the atmosphere. Fossil Carbon is the carbon that has been locked up as oil or coal for millions of years; we are releasing it faster than it can be locked up again.

The earth is not heated by human or animal activity it is heated by the sun. The sun warms the earth and that energy is radiated back off into space. Over the past million or so years there has been equilibrium between the amount of carbon that enters the atmosphere and the amount of carbon that is locked up again as plant and animal, biomass. Burning wood does not change this burning fossil fuels does change the balance. Pouring tons of carbon into the atmosphere changes the amount of heat that the earth radiates back into space.

The new Saab 9-3 is a hybrid that uses 100% ethanol. So here we have a technology that is carbon neutral. It is a technology that I hope General Motors, Saabs parent company, jumps all over. Read all about this new car at the auto channel

Automotive News Abralon by Mirka polish your clear coat

When we think of sanding we usually think of cutting the finer the grind of the rock the finer the scratch. Mirka the Finnish abrasive manufacturer makes an innovative 6 in DA disk that uses knotted nylon instead of aluminum oxide or Silicon Carbide. Abrilon (no I have no idea what it means maybe it’s Finnish for something) comes in 800, 1000, 2000, and 4000 grit. I don’t know the application of the 800 grit but the 2000 and 4000 have some very enthusiastic fans for polishing clear coat. There is real attration for me to use my DA rather then hand sand. However not every one that tries it likes it. Here are Mirkas’ suggestions for use

 The following information is designed as a starting point when repairing
 clearcoat defects such as dirt, orange peel and runs. Final grit selection
 may be changed to meet specific application requirements. Abralon should be
 used wet....
 Place sander on the part before starting. Using moderate pressure, level
 sand the surface....
 2000 grit Abralon must be used wet. Place sander on the part before
 starting. Using moderate pressure, feather the leveled area to match
 the sheen of the surrounding surface. Abralon will remove the grit marks
 and bring the finish of the repair area to the desired gloss level.
         For ultimate gloss, repeat with Abralon 4000 grit.    

Automotive News Paint match problems

Now that spring is upon us it’s hard to work inside. But I’m lucky enough to be able to walk out into the parking lot to look at paint codes or admire or to customers paint jobs. I always tell my customers to bring in their cars when they get them done. I like to see great looking cars and I learn a lot.

In the past week I’ve taken a close look at two cars with the same problem. One was a 2004 Buick and the other a 1934 Ford Hot Rod.

It is my understanding (and please correct me if I’m wrong) that Buick bodies are made in one plant and the doors hood and trunk are hung on at the Flint Michigan plant. The Buick was a pewter color that had a warm reddish cast to the fenders and roof and a gray green cast to the hood and doors.

The old Ford was a bright Yellow that a green cast to the body and a more orange shade on the doors. I asked the Ford owner if he had painted the doors separate from the body and he said he had.

When you have the car apart paint under the hood and do your door jams and any other parts that need to be painted but put it all together when you paint the outside. The other point I’d like to make is if you’re doing a repair and are having trouble getting the paint to match it may not be your fault.

Automotive News Lacquer Primer does not Protect

Every year some one comes into the store and wants to buy a gallon of lacquer primer and says, " I'm just going to prime it now and I'll paint it next summer."
Sounds good, seems to make sense the thing is lacquer primer does not protect the metal and because it is porous it actually holds water against the metal. This is the result.

Automotive News OSHA alert

If you have a shop in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas or Missouri you could have a visit from OSHA. Dupont Refinisher News reports that "OSHA's Wichita office began randomly selecting area auto body shops for comprehensive site inspections".
The article goes on to say that the main thrust of the OSHA crackdown is isocyanate comliance.
Keep those MSDS handy and make sure all labels are clear.
Just a heads up

Automotive News Slow for Summer Fast for Winter

Now that summer is here we increase the stock of slow reducer and slow urethane hardener at the paint store. There seems to be a good deal of confusion as what slow means.
Automotive paint has a mixture of different solvents and we can adjust the solvency so in the winter when were painting at 60 degrees Fahrenheit we want the solvent to evaporate fast so the paint doesn’t run on us. Now that summer is here and were painting when the temperature is getting up to 90 or 95 we want to slow that solvency way down so the paint droplets will flow out one into the other so we have gloss.

I don’t think it is a good idea to paint when it’s colder than 60 because the chemical process of urethane just about stops at 50 degrees and your paint may never get hard.

And you don’t want to paint when it’s hotter than 95 or so it’s just too uncomfortable wearing protective clothing and respirator. And there is nothing to ruin a good paint job like a drop of sweat falling onto the hood of the car.

Set your self up with 3 or 4 different reducers and cocktail them together to give yourself good flow out and good gloss to meet the conditions of the day.

Automotive News Best Looking Car Ever

Hope to see one in the flesh soon.

Automotive News German Design, American Engineering

We invented the Jeep. They made it look like a Mercedes.

Automotive News Like a Bathtub

2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
A bit of a bulbous thing, isn't it?

Automotive News The 2006 Gold Wing Has an Airbag

But you gotta be going only 31 mph for a straight-on collision.

Automotive News Find Me One of These

Supposedly it gets 80 miles to the gallon, but they stopped making it due to lack of demand.

Automotive News Self-etching Primer

When doing major or even minor work on older cars your going to run into rust. The steel that is your car wants to turn itself back into the puffy red iron oxide that it was when it was mined. Whether you’re sanding, sand blasting or chemical striping to get rid of the paint and getting down to the metal the first thing you need to apply to the steel is self etching primer.

Self-etching primer is composed of an acid and zinc. The acid, usually phosphoric acid, forces the zinc down into the top couple of molecules of the steel. Chemically impregnating the steel like this cannot reverse the rust but it can stop in from getting worse. So it’s important that you get all of the scaly rust off.

Wipe the surface with wax and grease remover to get it clean enough so nothing interferes i.e. fingerprints. The self-etching primer is usually gray or olive drab gray but the color is just there to show you where you’ve put it on and it is very thin and one thin coat is enough. Putting more of the primer won’t make it work better. You can apply it over paint or bondo but it is only effective on bare metal. You can apply your high build primer or body filler over the self-etching primer but be careful it is not a finished product by it self.

In other words you can’t apply it and then push the car back outside, it has to have a sealed surface over it, water will reverse the reaction and will pull the zinc back out.

Self-etching primer comes as two parts or ready to spray and also comes in aerosol.

I use it when ever I see bare metal or if I’m putting one metal against another. For instance steel screws in aluminum or on welds.

Automotive News Cadillac Sporting it up - Sporty Caddy’s in the future

Cadillac has a rather “sporty” outlook into the future all incorporated into most of the new car lineup. From the infamous side gills/vents to the sporty front once-was bling bling grill they have revamped some of the old stogie bland caddy look we grew to know years ago.
Excerpt from AutoWeek:
FUTURE PRODUCT PLANS
2008
CTS restyled, re-engineered
STS refreshened
2009
CTS-V restyled, re-engineered
CTS wagon possible
XLR refreshening
BRX crossover likely
2010
CTS coupe expected
CTS sedan refreshening likely
2011
Small rwd sedan likely
Large rwd sedan possible
Rwd flagship sedan or coupe possible
SRX re-engineering, restyling possible
Cadillac is convinced it has found a winning formula: sporty handling rear-wheel-drive cars that can compete with European luxury sedans. Gone are the luxo-barges of old - at least in Cadillac’s car lineup.

The bigger-is-better crowd can always buy an Escalade, a vehicle that has brought new meaning to the word “bling.”
Small Cadillac: Expanding the rear-drive lineup is a key to boosting sales in North America and abroad. GM executives have said Cadillac will get more products, but sources inside the automaker say the front-drive BLS sedan sold in Europe is not destined for the United States. The BLS shares parts with the Saab 9-3.
A small rwd sedan built on GM’s new Alpha architecture will join Cadillac’s U.S. and global lineup. That car probably will debut in the 2011 model year, at the earliest.
CTS: GM is getting serious about competing against BMW and Mercedes-Benz and may take on the Germans with a family of CTS-based Cadillacs.
The restyled, re-engineered 2008 CTS sedan will be in dealerships by year end. Styling and performance are greatly refined. The bold exterior has dramatic lines, a large grille, sculpted fenders and a wider track. Inside, an all-new interior mimics European luxury models.
The high-performance CTS-V will skip the 2008 model year. When it returns as a 2009, expect a big horsepower boost tied to GM’s six-speed automatic transmission.
Also for the 2009 model year, a wagon variant is being considered. For the 2010 model year, a coupe variant, called the CTC, is expected to debut. And GM likely will freshen the CTS sedan.
DTS: The current generation will be the last fwd Cadillac.
New sedan: With the eventual demise of the DTS, Cadillac likely will develop a large sedan on a premium version of GM’s global rwd architecture. The car could arrive as early as the 2011 model year; it will be priced to attract DTS and DeVille owners.
STS: Sales have been sluggish, and the more stylish 2008 CTS won’t help. GM insiders say the STS probably will be dropped. But the final decision has not been made, and no time frame was available.
For the short term, the 2008 STS will be freshened. Its grille, inspired by that of the 2007 Escalade and adopted for the 2008 CTS, features a detailed chrome treatment that includes subdued mesh housed within individual grille slats.
Flagship sedan/coupe: This 2011 vehicle has been on GM’s wish list for a few years. Given the success of the BMW 7 series, the Mercedes-Benz S class and the considerably more expensive Bentley Continental GT, GM continues to study developing an ultraluxury rwd sedan or coupe for Cadillac, priced around $120,000.
Production is penciled in for April 2010, but GM executives admit the vehicle is a low priority because the automaker’s engineers and money have been refocused on achieving the expected boost in corporate average fuel economy standards.
XLR: A freshening is scheduled for the 2009 model year; a redesign is planned for the 2012 or 2013 model year.
BRX: Cadillac plans to market a small, five-passenger crossover, probably as a 2009 model. GM plans to develop the BRX on a blend of GM’s next-generation Theta and Epsilon vehicle architectures.
SRX: GM insiders say Cadillac has delayed plans to re-engineer and restyle the SRX, blaming disappointing sales.
Three options for the crossover are being considered:
1. Restyle and re-engineer it for the 2011 model year.
2. Redesign it using GM’s global rwd architecture, called Zeta.
3. Keep the current SRX until the BRX debuts, then drop it.
Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT: The vehicles will be restyled and re-engineered for the 2012 model year.
Cadillac has a rather “sporty” outlook into the future all incorporated into most of the new car lineup. From the infamous side gills/vents to the sporty front once-was bling bling grill they have revamped some of the old stogie bland caddy look we grew to know years ago.
Except from AutoWeek:
FUTURE PRODUCT PLANS
2008
CTS restyled, re-engineered
STS refreshened
2009
CTS-V restyled, re-engineered
CTS wagon possible
XLR refreshening
BRX crossover likely
2010
CTS coupe expected
CTS sedan refreshening likely
2011
Small rwd sedan likely
Large rwd sedan possible
Rwd flagship sedan or coupe possible
SRX re-engineering, restyling possible
Cadillac is convinced it has found a winning formula: sporty handling rear-wheel-drive cars that can compete with European luxury sedans. Gone are the luxo-barges of old - at least in Cadillac’s car lineup.
The bigger-is-better crowd can always buy an Escalade, a vehicle that has brought new meaning to the word “bling.”
Small Cadillac: Expanding the rear-drive lineup is a key to boosting sales in North America and abroad. GM executives have said Cadillac will get more products, but sources inside the automaker say the front-drive BLS sedan sold in Europe is not destined for the United States. The BLS shares parts with the Saab 9-3.
A small rwd sedan built on GM’s new Alpha architecture will join Cadillac’s U.S. and global lineup. That car probably will debut in the 2011 model year, at the earliest.
CTS: GM is getting serious about competing against BMW and Mercedes-Benz and may take on the Germans with a family of CTS-based Cadillacs.
The restyled, re-engineered 2008 CTS sedan will be in dealerships by year end. Styling and performance are greatly refined. The bold exterior has dramatic lines, a large grille, sculpted fenders and a wider track. Inside, an all-new interior mimics European luxury models.
The high-performance CTS-V will skip the 2008 model year. When it returns as a 2009, expect a big horsepower boost tied to GM’s six-speed automatic transmission.
Also for the 2009 model year, a wagon variant is being considered. For the 2010 model year, a coupe variant, called the CTC, is expected to debut. And GM likely will freshen the CTS sedan.
DTS: The current generation will be the last fwd Cadillac.
New sedan: With the eventual demise of the DTS, Cadillac likely will develop a large sedan on a premium version of GM’s global rwd architecture. The car could arrive as early as the 2011 model year; it will be priced to attract DTS and DeVille owners.
STS: Sales have been sluggish, and the more stylish 2008 CTS won’t help. GM insiders say the STS probably will be dropped. But the final decision has not been made, and no time frame was available.
For the short term, the 2008 STS will be freshened. Its grille, inspired by that of the 2007 Escalade and adopted for the 2008 CTS, features a detailed chrome treatment that includes subdued mesh housed within individual grille slats.
Flagship sedan/coupe: This 2011 vehicle has been on GM’s wish list for a few years. Given the success of the BMW 7 series, the Mercedes-Benz S class and the considerably more expensive Bentley Continental GT, GM continues to study developing an ultraluxury rwd sedan or coupe for Cadillac, priced around $120,000.
Production is penciled in for April 2010, but GM executives admit the vehicle is a low priority because the automaker’s engineers and money have been refocused on achieving the expected boost in corporate average fuel economy standards.
XLR: A freshening is scheduled for the 2009 model year; a redesign is planned for the 2012 or 2013 model year.
BRX: Cadillac plans to market a small, five-passenger crossover, probably as a 2009 model. GM plans to develop the BRX on a blend of GM’s next-generation Theta and Epsilon vehicle architectures.
SRX: GM insiders say Cadillac has delayed plans to re-engineer and restyle the SRX, blaming disappointing sales.
Three options for the crossover are being considered:
1. Restyle and re-engineer it for the 2011 model year.
2. Redesign it using GM’s global rwd architecture, called Zeta.
3. Keep the current SRX until the BRX debuts, then drop it.
Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT: The vehicles will be restyled and re-engineered for the 2012 model year.

Automotive News Pimp My Ride

1974 Volkswagen Thing

Automotive News Id Hot Rod One of These Up

1947 Oldsmobile 98 Club Sedan


If I could find a good one.

Automotive News Saw One of These By the Side of the Road

1985 Chevrolet Silverado 20 "Suburban"

For sale for $700. I don't actually know the year and it has no tags. It does have a 6.2 diesel. And it says "10" not "20" over the "Silverado".

My guess is it's originally a Canadian car: liter spelled "litre" (that I recall), cord coming out of the hood for warming the oil, and rust in the back panels.

Wonder if it's worth it. Call 540/289-8221 to find out.

Automotive News Aluminum Repair with Mike West

Mike West likes to say "Aluminum repair isn't difficult it's different" read his great article in this months Body Shop Business were going to see more aluminum parts and Mike's article with great photos will be a great help to any one taking on this new challenge.

Automotive News I Know Where One of These Is

Honda CB200

Just waiting for someone to come along and ask if it's for sale. Hasn't been registered since 2000.

Automotive News Billions Upon Billions of Savings

Richard Wagoner seems mighty proud of cost savings he's enacted at General Motors, saying essentially "Who else could save $8 billion over 18 months?"

The real question is, who else has got $8 billion to save?

Automotive News Who Wouldnt Love One of These

1963 Ford Galaxie convertible

Automotive News How much does all this cost?

I recived an e-mail that asked just that question and this is in substance my answer
Are you down to bare metal anywhere? You will want a spray can of self-etching primer for the bare spots. Lets say $9.00 maybe a spray can of adhesion promoter to help paint stick to those problem plastics say $12.00 per spray can
You will probably need some bondo (generic name for polyester body filler) $10.00 to $20.00 /gallon.
Some polyester glazing putty (same thing as bondo but very much more refined very creamy and very smooth for easier sanding) $20.00 to 26.00 / qt
Primer I recommend urethane primer the generic primers are pretty good say $50.00 to $60.00 a gallon they mix a hardener $25.00 to $35.00 a qt and reducer $10.00 a quart. The name brand primers are going to be way more expencive but only marginally better.
Now you may not need to use any bondo or primer but you will need some wax and grease remover to get it really clean $12.00/qt
Okay now to the important question the paint. Dupont, PPG and Sherwin Williams all have thier top of the line paint that is great for color match and if you were painting the fender on a 2004 BMW I'd say go with the paint that is going to match the best. It's the hours of paint matching tecnology that you pay the premium for. But you're doing a complete paint job onan old Chevy Pickup right? Lets use the lower priced paint in Dupont Nason is the economy brand for PPG it's Omni and Sherwin Williams it's Dimension. These paints are substantially less money.
White and black are less expensive than red and yellow and any color that has a lot of pearl is going to be expensive. A gallon of white base coat is going to cost about $100.00 and a gallon of the premium red is well over $500.00 Urethane Clear coat sells from $45.00 to $300.00/gal or more for the high solid European clears. The paint and clear need reducers and hardeners that range from $35.00 a gallon for reducer and $25.00 to $85.00 a quart for clear hardener. Confused yet? I'm not even considering custom paint like House of Kolor or Alsa the sky's the limit with them.
Where I work at Allen Paint we sell a paint kit that has 3 quarts of color 2 quarts of reducer a gallon of clear the hardener for the clear and we throw in a couple of rolls of tape and a couple of sheets of sandpaper for $189.95. We can't make all the colors for that price but we can make about 12,000 colors. We are not the only or even the first paint store to put together a paint kit like this it has been good for our business, we sell a lot of kits every week.
When your shopping for supplies remember that the big paint companies want you to use their system from top to bottom and that makes a lot of sense to them if they are selling to big shops that want the paint companies to stand behind them if there is a paint failure. However no mater what they say any urethane clear coat will work over any urethane base coat and any base coat will work over any urethane primer.
There are lots of little things little expenses sandpaper, tape, masking paper, tack cloth, lacquer thinner for cleaning your gun and please wear a good charcoal respirator. These are serious chemicals not to be taken lightly in some people breathing this stuff even once has been know to bring on chemically induced asthma

Automotive News Now It s Got a Diesel

Jeep Liberty CRD