Monthly Archives: June 2011
6 Simplest Gas Saving Tips to Remember
All motorists aim to increase gas mileage as much as possible in order to save money, especially in these tough economic times. Fortunately, you do not need fancy equipment or advanced technology to do so. All you need are a few very simple tricks that you may not even realize.
- Park your car in the shade. If you live in an area where it’s mostly sunny, parking your car in the shade would help keep your car cool. This is an advantage because when you re-start your car, your air conditioner would not need to work as much, consuming less power. Remember that your car’s air conditioner is operated by the car engine’s drive belt. This means that when you turn on your air conditioner, the drive belt works double ways—running your aircon and propelling your vehicle. If your engine needs more energy to work, you will also burn more gas. So when the weather is cooler, it can also be good to use the vents and keep the natural air flow inside the vehicle.
- Keep windows closed at highway speeds. As mentioned before, it is sometimes better to keep windows down to let air in. This is only more fuel-efficient when you are in stop-and-go city traffic. But when you are driving at very high speeds, it is better for gas mileage if you would keep your windows up and the air conditioning. This is because the car’s aerodynamics can improve because keeping your car closed lessens the vehicle drag.
- Avoid long idle times. If you are expecting long waiting times, it is better to turn off the engine than let it run. Idling burns more gas than restarting the engine. So if you know that you will take a long time in drive-thru windows, it might be better to park your car and go inside.
- Keep the tires properly inflated and aligned. Gas mileage is influenced by other car components. Having regular wheel alignments and properly inflating your tires can help improve your gas mileage. For instance, if your tires are not properly inflated and you go around a curve, your tires would not be able to properly grip to the road and you will find yourself braking harder. This lowers your fuel-efficiency.
- Avoid carrying unnecessary items in your car. The heavy extra weight can also decrease your gas mileage. Even worse than excess weight, is if you would place that extra weight outside or on top of your car, because of unnecessary wind drag. Thus, if you must carry some items, it would be better to put it inside.
- Tighten and replace your gas cap. If this part is not tightened enough, or if you maintain missing or defective gas caps, some of the gas can vaporize into the atmosphere, which when accumulated, can amount to millions of gallons per year.
If you would like to purchase vehicle components that will help you extend your gas mileage, check out autopartsway.com.
Tips for Power Windows Repair
Have you ever had to reach outside your car window, for instance, to pay for a parking ticket or a tollbooth, and when you switch your window, it’s just stuck? Then, you try to push the switch harder, and still nothing happens, not even a tiny noise that your window motor is still functioning. Thus, you resort to the more inconvenient way and end up opening your car door. Then, you wonder, how expensive it would be to repair your windows? The good news is that you can actually repair your power windows, if you know the secrets. This way, you can save a lot on dealership repair, especially if you know a reliable source of auto parts online.
Some people almost automatically assume that the window regulator is defective. However, you should first check for some possible dirty electrical contacts. Often, all of the car’s switches, including the power window switch, goes through the master switch that is located at the driver’s console. There can be times that it can catch dirt, which can cause it to malfunction. In this situation, you can follow certain steps to clean the contact in order to solve your problem.
First, you should make sure that your contacts are clean and that your switch is functioning properly. If so, it is possible that the motor has burned out and needs replacement. Just remember that whether you are installing a regulator for Honda or Volkswagen or just about any other car brand, the steps for replacing a window regulator are often quite similar. Simply follow the steps that are outlined below.
- Take off the door panel for the defective window side.
- Check and remove the bolts that are attaching the regulator to the door. Then, you might have to manually lower the window so you can gain access to the said bolts.
- Then, remove the old or defective regulator, as well as disconnect all the wirings. After that, you can replace the regulator with the new one, which you can easily purchase from any online parts supplier. As an additional tip, shopping online can help you find the best deals for high quality parts, like autopartsway.com, where you can buy the components you need for a cheaper price compared to actual dealerships.
- After replacement, you must tighten the bolts holding the new regulator, and then re-install the moisture barrier. You must also ensure that all the wires are safely put back into their proper places before you close the door panel.
- Then, engage the power window switch, and your new regulator should now work normally.
For more detailed and model-specific instructions, it is always advised to perform these replacements while checking your car manufacturer’s manual. And if you would like to purchase high quality car components with great discounts, check out autopartsway.com.
