While taking your kids for a long drive on their vacations in your favorite car, you might have come across the nuisances of engine overheating at times, followed by desperate search some coolant – preferably water. Further, if you are on a deserted highway, the situation gets dicier, as you would unlikely to find any suitable coolant immediately. Being an auto amateur, the situation often seems to be messier to you, and all you can do is to wait for a tow truck with the opened hood, and steam blowing out of it. However, in spite of your low familiarity with automobile intricacies, you can do a lot to ward off the curse of overheating. Here are some handy tips that would help you in countering the overheating issues effectively.
? Always keep observing the temperature gauge, and see if it is crossing the optimal mark. Don’t drive continuously for hours, and few minutes rest is recommended after some specific time period.
? One of the major causes of overheating is improper circulation of antifreeze within the engine assembly. The coolant pays a vital role in keeping the engine of your vehicle cooler during warm season. So, it is advisable that you keep checking for any impurities into the antifreeze periodically. Also make sure that it should be at an optimum level.
? If the engine gets heat up while on the move, just turn up the heat in the car to its maximum temperature, this would drop the temperature by far, and hence checks overheating.
? If you know about the antifreeze compartment, then just pour half-a-cup water into it. This will dilute the antifreeze, and help in its smooth circulation into the assembly.
? Sometimes overheating also occurs because of poorly fitted hoses into it. This can be fixed by replacing those ill-fitted hoses by new ones. This can be temporarily corrected by proper torquing of those hoses. Sometimes the hose may get blocked or dislocated, in this situation, just take out the hose and clear up the debris deposited into it, which can be done with the help of flowing water through it.
? In case of heavy traffic, just keep fair distance from the other vehicles, as congested traffic blocks the airflow into your car’s assembly, and thus causes overheating.
? Check out the radiator’s overflow tank to find if it’s empty, in this case, your car is demanding extra coolant. Moreover, if you observe boiling coolant into the tank then it is an alarming situation for the thermostat of your car.
? If your radiator’s overflow tank is fitted with the non-pressurized cap over it, you can anytime add water into it. Don’t put-off the cap when the engine is hot, and wait for the engine to cool down by turning the keys off.
In addition to these useful tips, it is suggested that you always keep few essential things, such as – water, flashlight, breaking liquid, antifreeze, etc – in your car. Additionally, keep your tool box full of necessary instruments to deal with various issues.
Car Reviews March 6th 2010
If you do not want to contribute to the environmental pollution and degradation and feel guilty for using your polluting vehicle, some new options have popped up for you. Hybrid cars have become a popular and alternate option to common vehicles. Hybrid cars are known for their environment friendly operation and minimum use of natural resources i.e. gasoline.
There is a huge variety of hybrid cars available in the UK market. The actual number of these cars would be at least in dozens as every company is trying to catch up with the popularity of hybrid vehicles. Lexus is among those companies who first ventured into this business and have carved a strong niche for themselves. Luxury sedans of Lexus, branded under Lexus LS 600h sell like hot items due to their excellent driving record and less emissions.
If you have decided to buy a Lexus LS 600h for yourself then you will first need to inspect the vehicle. A test drive is the best way to do that. This way, you can understand the vehicle on a personal level and can test all the devices, speed and performance of the car. Test-driving a Lexus LS 600h requires some smart approach from your side.
You can look into the braking power and transmission system of the car. Try applying quick brakes in a succession and changing gears rapidly to understand the dynamics of the car. Also, try to look into the steering wheel and its attitude. LS 600h cars have a firm, but comfortable steering wheel that is very easy to navigate. Additionally, the automatic transmission means that you will have minimum hassle in driving the vehicle.
Another thing to look for in a test drive is the fuel economy. These cars are equipped with advanced fuel trackers that help you in getting information about the total amount of fuel used and remaining. Additionally, the emission factor is also displayed on special monitors. These monitors are updated as you drive through and give you exact details of the gases emitted from your car.
As you will be driving a hybrid vehicle, it would be a best idea to switch quickly to electric mode. After all, hybrid cars are meant to be driven on electric driver-motors in most cases. These electric motors have specially designed batteries that are strong enough to last for 300,000 miles or more.
You can test the power of these batteries by taking a longer test drive and fully utilising the electric system to find more about the vehicle. You can check the speed, acceleration, brakes, and transmission system while on the electric mode.
You should not panic or return the car quickly. Test drives are meant to be the actual litmus test before buying a vehicle. Take some time to examine every aspect of these cars so that you can understand their specifications. Lexus LS 600h will most probably past all these tests as they are built near to perfection.
Car Reviews February 27th 2010
I have to reveal up front that I own an older 3-series BMW, so I am quite aware of its abilities and drawbacks. And as many different types of cars that I drive, I am always happy to return to my baby. But when I got behind the wheel of the new 330i (Edmunds pricing at $39,184) I could tell that this machine was a sharp step up in performance within a quarter mile.
At my first ride in the driver’s seat, I couldn’t get over the ergonomics of the steering wheel. Every car has one, and I’ve handled a few unusual ones, but my grip has never felt more at home than with this 330i. (Unfortunately, it wasn’t a heated steering while like the 7-series, and it was quite cold outside.) Then BMW mates this steering wheel with very precise steering for a sedan-level car.
The German automobiles avoid the low-end torque that American makers’ design, instead they offer a slower launch, but smoother, linear acceleration. And the silky 6-cylinder engine is particularly noticeable with a manual transmission in this car. BMW finally added a 6th gear for the stick shift, and I say it is overdue. My old one has 50,000 miles and the gearing still makes me look for 6th when I run up through the gears – but sadly there are only 5 to be had. Since the 330i generates 255 horsepower, far more than I am used to for daily driving, I may have to upgrade my radar detector.
Yes, the car basics are spectacular – engine, ride, steering (even the steering wheel), but the electronics controls are a comical disappointment. Anyone that has driven this car has a story about turning on the turn signals from one side to the other and back again, during a vain attempt to turn them off. I know people in the area gave me a wider berth, thinking I was a confused and lost driver. The turning signal lever doesn’t ‘click’ into place as the rest of the world has come to commonly expect turn signals to function. With the 330i, you tap the signal, such as for passing, and it automatically flashes three times and then turns off. But you can hold the lever a little longer, and you get your normal-action from the turn signal. But on a soft turn, where the signal doesn’t turn off, you have to flick it the other way to turn it off. But in the hurry of the moment, if it is more than a flick, then you just indicated from your signals that you are turning in the opposite direction. And this goes back
Car Reviews February 26th 2010
