Monthly Archives: November 2009

Author : Victor Epand

When your kids start to drive, it can be a very scary time for you as a parent This is something that you may not have thought would happen Now you need to get your kid a car and it scares you to death! What kind of car should you get your child? Will they be safe really?

Getting your child their first car doesn’t need to be that bad You really just have to think about what you are doing and what they will be doing with the car that you are going to buy One of the first things that you should do is find out what your child wants in a car You can do this by talking to your child and seeing what they would like Most of the time it will be a sporty car with really expensive auto parts and a really this is not what you are going to be looking at for your child You can take your child with you to look at the different cars that you may consider for them and see what they would like to drive

The next real step is to look at the safety and the costs of auto parts for your child’s potential car This can really help you to decide what ones are going to fit with you and your child’s needs so that you are getting it right If your child is just going to be going to school and home, you don’t want a car that is to big or that is going to be too small for your child

Many cities now have a law that doesn’t let children under a certain age to drive with others in the car This is because of the potential of car crashes that are caused from teens driving on their own with other teens in the car You can also consider a black box that will let you know how fast they are going when they are driving and where they have gone in their car

There are many people that think that getting a car for their child will be easy, but this is really not that true You will need to think about the auto parts that you may need as well as the safety of the car and practicality that goes with it You want a car that will suit you and your child

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about motorcycle gear, used motorcycle parts, and used car parts. When shopping for motorcycle gear or used parts, we recommend only the best stores for motorcycle gear, used motorcycle parts, and auto parts.

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Author : Thomas Pretty

Audi are one of the four main German car makers in the market sharing it with Mercedes, BMW and Porsche It is only right that Audi have a big market in Britain with sales increasing each year, with numerous Audi dealerships scattered across the UK that are offering the latest models in the range including the new A4 and A5 saloon and coupe This means that even UK’s biggest Audi enthusiasts can find the latest Audi that suits them

The current models in the range include the smallest Audi the A3, the clever A4 saloon, the sleek looking A5, the business class A6 and the class leading A8 These are the main models in the range that are backed up by the other models which include the fast Audi TT, Audi’s new supercar the R8 and the off-road models the baby Q5 and the largest Audi in the range the Q7 With all dealerships selling the main models and some dealerships selling all the vehicles it leads to a tough choice on what Audi is right for you as there is such a range on offer

Audi have built up a reputation as one of the world’s leading car makers and their cars have always been considered some of the safest on the road They first built up a huge reputation with rallying when they brought out the Quattro and won everything imaginable To offer the public the same thrill and experience they brought the technology to the road This was almost 25 years ago and they have been improving and updating the system ever since to give you the most sophisticated Quattro system that Audi have ever produced

The straight competitors of Audi are BMW and Mercedes and from the UK Jaguar These four car manufacturers produce cars of the same ability across the range with the A4 going against the 3 series BMW Mercedes C class and the Jaguar XK This is the same with the Audi A8 going against the 6 and 7series BMWs, the Mercedes E class and the Jaguar XJ

The motor sport divisions of all companies compete too with BMW’s M division, Mercedes has AMG, Audi have S and RS versions and Jaguar have the R series of vehicles all giving the vehicle that bit more power and response offering a bigger thrill when driving All of these car makers are in a huge selling war ensuring that their vehicles have a leg over the completion and their cars are better This means that we can only expect the companies best efforts to produce the cars with the facilities that have been developed at their headquarters with all the expertise of designers

Audi have to create the best cars possible to ensure their cars have the edge over the competition and it is this that produced their infamous slogan Vorsprung Durch Technik, which translates into English: advancement through Technology Competition is very tough in the high end car market and it is only ever going to get worse Audi are in a tough battle with their rivals to be able to produce the best cars in their class and ensure people will buy the vehicles With more Audi franchise dealerships being opened across the UK it ensures that Audi are only going to sell more vehicles to people ensuring that they keep up the reputation they have gained over the years for tough, safe, reliable and fast cars

Motoring expert Thomas Pretty looks into how the cars in Audi dealerships strive to combat competitor’s models.

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Author : David Maillie

What is the safest, a forward or rear facing child safety seat? Everyone has a different answer on this and many states have different laws governing the age, weight or size of the child or infant in question By looking at and interpreting car accident reports and data it is an obvious finding that the severity of accidents were reportedly lower when a rear facing child safety seat was used properly

It is important to say when used properly here as data from fire department personnel through the years shows upwards of 50% of child safety seats are not properly installed This could be as simple as the belt tensioner not being pulled tight enough, but there have been instances where the child was sitting on top of the restraints (the restraints were only protecting the seat in this instance and not the child) The latest most famous instance of abuse of child safety seat laws is Britney Spears driving with her child in her lap There is a lot of literature available on how to properly install and adjust a child safety seat, but more needs to be done to reduce unnecessary injuries due to improperly installed child safety seats

Even though any child safety seat is better than none, a rear facing seat is especially important for babies and small children as they can face the highest risks of paralysis and permanent injury Babies and small children are at risk for more severe spinal cord and brain and neck injuries as their muscles are weaker and their head weighs significantly more in proportion to the rest of their body This increases the extent and severity of whiplash injuries According to the National Institute for Highway Safety:

Rear-facing car seats spread frontal crash forces over the whole area of the babys back, head and neck; they also prevent the head from snapping relative to the body in a frontal crash

So, it is obvious that we should use a rear facing child safety seat for as long as feasible and as required by our state and federal driving laws It is important to note that regardless of the child safety seat used, not all injuries can be prevented Unfortunately some crashes are unavoidable and unsurvivable Still, we can do much to increase our chances of survival for our children by properly installing the child safety seats It is a good idea to stop by your local fire department and have them look at your child safety seats They are trained to know exactly what is and is not safe in these safety seats and its free Besides, kids love firemen and fire engines, they will have fun and you will feel better about their safety

David Maillie specializes in automotive safety products and information. He holds numerous patents and awards for his patented headlight cleaner and restorer. For more informationfor your auto please visit MDWholesale.com

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Author : Tony Hill

The new Kia Cee’d was designed with one thing in mind: pleasing European motorists Yet things that are designed by committee usually emerge into production as something that hints at many applications but achieves none, putting a faint smile on most faces but really pleasing none

The saying “you can’t please all the people all the time” must have come from somewhere yet seems to go ignored So how do you go about pleasing as many people as possible, say a whole continent, for example?

Kia, the South Korean car maker, currently sitting happily as the fastest growing car company in the UK, set out with just that task in mind when it came to designing the Kia Cee’d

Rather than going for a low-competition area, Kia decided to take on the big guns and set their sights on tackling the much coveted Golf-category According to the marketing bumph, the Cee’d was designed by Europeans, tested on Europeans and made in a brand new purpose built factory in Europe It’s even named for Community of Europe and European Design

To ensure all-round satisfaction and to put their money where their mouths are, the South Korean manufacturer also decided to offer something they felt the European market really wanted – assurance With the Cee’d it comes in the form of a seven year warranty The longest on the continent, so that’s that base covered

So, with all that effort put into aiming at pleasing the European market, did they manage it? The motoring pundits were certainly impressed with the Cee’d; it rated higher than its direct competition in magazines across Germany and Austria including cars like Citroen’s C4 and the all-conquering Honda Civic

In Denmark, the new Kia picked up the first ever 6 out of 6 rating from the motoring magazine ‘Motor’ while in Sweden the Cee’d had the highest second hand value among all the cars it tested through the years Desirable even when used, then

Awards were also scooped from magazines such as Auto Express and Auto Car and the perhaps slightly less known, Camping Fritid – a camping magazine from Denmark of course

Since it was launched, Kia have made a few tweaks and changes to attract as many interested eyes as possible First they took away two of the doors and launched the Pro Cee’d, then they chopped the roof off it and launched a convertible version before putting the doors back on, slapping on a bigger boot and launching an estate in the form of the SW and now there’s talk of taking out the engine and putting in a wind turbine

Well, not quite Kia are set to launch the eco Cee’d with a mild hybrid tuning of the cars diesel engine with battery power management which means regenerative braking that charges the battery when slowing down and does all sorts of clever things to cut emissions and save fuel during stop-start city driving

In theory Kia went after making a car that was designed for Europeans and, in practice, have achieved just that The question now is whether in doing they’e eliminated the other big car market – the US Though, with numerous concept cars being unveiled that seem tailor made to the American market, Kia could well be aiming at becoming the biggest grower State side too

Tony is an online marketer and writer, he is currently researching the new Kia Cee’d and new Kia cars

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Author : Billy Whitmire

If you are contemplating motocross racing, then you need to know that it is tough There are going to be many bumps and bruises along the way You also need to know that you will have to be brave, because it will require that you face many of your fears, head-on

Right now if your fears are causing intimidation and you are freezing up, then it is time to re-examine why you want to race To get geared up and motivated toward become a winning racer, you need to know exactly why you are doing it This will open a wealth of motivation and courage necessary to achieve consistent racing results

Keep in mind that your fears are going to be more exaggerated than the actual experience will be Once you learn this, you can let the fears go, and move out in powerful courageous action toward becoming a successful racer

To be a successful racer, you will have to learn how to get into the zone and direct all of your energy into what you do This means totally committing your actions toward what needs to be accomplished-right now Remember, fear is not about the present, it is usually about the future, one possible future

The skill of concentration will give you the ability to focus with laser precision on the task at hand, and not allow anything to interfere Concentration is crucial toward achieving success in any field, including motocross racing

When you are out on the track practicing, this is the time to develop your concentration abilities and apply them Proper bike control, track awareness and awareness of other racers must be within the scope of your concentration practice It may be difficult at first, but with practice it becomes easier

Even if you know racers whom seem to take to new skills very easily, and might be considered a natural, remember natural ability can only take them so far They, just like anyone else, must eventually commit to the development process This means training, practicing and taking responsibility, both on and off the track

Through practice, you learn to control your bike over jumps and around obstacles by applying the right technique Learning to control you mind is not different The race game is 80% a mind game and must be won first, before you will win on the track

Those racers who have not won the mind game first, will walk away from a loss destined to quit the race before the challenge has begun Your level of commitment to become a champion must be strong enough to withstand the losses in the beginning Your motivation must have depth, and you must constantly invigorate your desire to win

The more you practice and the more you race, the more you will begin to develop a strong sense of confidence in your abilities This includes the ability to adjust to circumstances and it also includes dealing with a few lost races Those racers that can bring to bear the highest level of concentration in challenging times go on to be champions

Take the time to develop your courage, concentration, commitment and confidence to the highest levels possible, as these qualities will help you to win not only the mind game, but the racing game as well

Learning to ride a dirt bike is fairly easy, but mastering the art of motocross racing is an extremely difficult challenge. Check out GIO Bikes for low priced dirt bikes, ATVs and electric motor scooters.

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Author : Chris Jensen

When they found the door to be sufficiently tall, they bought a bright red VW bus with an air cooled engine in the back and about a quarter of an inch of metal between the driver and the next car should there be a collision It was a four cylinder car, but the size of the interior fooled us As a result, we consistently overloaded it with people and things

One time, in the untroubled days before seatbelt laws, we had fourteen high school kids in it from a field trip, sitting on the seats and on the floor and screaming out the windows When you got to a hill, everyone in the car would hunch forward to ‘help’ the van make it You had to get a good running start at the bottom of a hill if you wanted to be going faster than about 15 miles an hour at the top

This was also the vehicle in which I learned to drive Or attempted to Standard shift eluded me at the time, so the bus and I spent many an hour lurching forward about ten feet and dying I couldn’t make it around the block! That might have been one reason why it had to have at least two clutch jobs during its tenure at our house

Then there was the time we went to Maine from Kentucky Oh, it’s a big car, so throw in everything you want to take But it died in Massachusetts and needed about a week for repairs, which necessitated renting a car A small one Our family was crammed in and difficult decisions had to be made about precious stuff And winter, an air-cooled engine doesn’t warm up very fast and a van has a lot of interior space You had to bundle up

Despite all the problems with the VW bus, I loved that car It had that wonderful sound of the German airplane engine that VW used in its rear-engine cars That was a great engine It had plenty of space for three kids a middle seat, a back seat, and the way back space over the engine There was no arguing about whose elbow was hitting whose side And, it’s really fun going on a trip with all your friends in the same vehicle (and a tolerant parent)

Also, it had a cool factor that our previous station wagons and later Dodge K-cars most definitely lacked They make better cars now, and nicer vehicles and safer vehicles But no vehicle that is cooler than a VW bus

Chris Jensen is a contributing author of Jetfly Blog. For more related articles and views visit Jetfly Automotive Blog now. Also, for the best up-to-date related online products, check out Jetfly Electric Scooter Shop for todays current online deals.

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Author : Mike Selvon

The hobby of slot car racing is enjoyed by both adults and children While it is technically a hobby, rc car racing is considered by some to be a sport The cars used in a slot car race are typically just miniature versions of the real-life stock cars

Similar to a “Hot Wheels” automobile, these cars have an electric motor in them and they run on a slot car race track While many people enjoy this hobby just as a fun past-time, others take it very seriously and will go to great lengths to fabricate their own cars or modify a commercially built one so that it will perform optimally

The slot car racing world is made up of a variety of different racing enthusiasts Some, like little boys, choose to just race commercially built slot cars in the basement or a garage somewhere Others will go to any extreme to participate in highly publicized races that require specially built or modified cars that perform at high levels not normally seen in hobby rc car racing

Most of these slot car race competitions pay good money to the winner Those who are not really interested in competitively racing slot cars may choose to simply collect the cars and will work on creating a custom automobile racing slot track, similar to the ones produced by model train aficionado’s

There is a special kind of track that is used in slot car racing The track is flat with a groove, or slot, that runs down the middle of it Metal strips run the length of the track on either side of the slot and provide a source of power for the automobile as it moves along

The low voltage electric motor receives its power when it comes into contact with those metal strips on the track The driver has a controller that he holds in his hands; however, it only controls the speed of the automobile This is vitally important, however, for the purpose of keeping the automobile on the track Leaving the track will disqualify the driver in a competitive race

Magnet traction is used to help keep the automobile in its track during slot car racing It is legal, but it is not liked by many rc automobile racing enthusiasts This is because many feel that it takes away the advantage of the rear swing of the automobile and the ability to use propulsion to an advantage around curves They also feel it takes away from the original notion and challenge of rc car racing

A free gift awaits you at our portal site, where you can enrich your knowledge further about the slot car racing. Your comment is much appreciated at our car auto racing blog.

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Author : Mike Trudel

There’s been a lot in the press lately about lithium-ion batteries Conference panelists, energy researchers, car manufacturers and, of course, environmentalists are discussing the possibility of running vehicles entirely on battery power

Most of us are more familiar with lithium-ion batteries in consumer electronics – laptops, MP3 players, cell phones, digital cameras, rechargeable battery kits But, uh, what exactly are they again? Straight lithium batteries are little packets of extractable power which use lithium in its pure metallic form Straight lithium batteries are considered a “primary battery,” or a battery that cannot be recharged Secondary batteries or cells can be recharged

Lithium-ion batteries, on the other hand, are a fairly new development in which more stable lithium compounds are used One of the primary advantages of lithium-ions, or Li-ions, is that they can be recharged hundreds, sometimes even thousands of times Two or more secondary cells are restored to full charge through electrical energy in this process

But perhaps we should backtrack Why are some batteries rechargeable and others not? It’s actually fairly simple Rechargeable batteries can recoup their precious energy because they contain electrochemical cells in which the electrochemical reaction that releases energy is reversible These cells are a type of accumulator In the case of Li-ions, the ions move between two parts – the anode and the cathode Anode to cathode movement charges; cathode to anode movement recharges Other types of secondary cells include lead and sulfuric acid combos, nickel cadmium (NiCD), lithium-ion polymer and nickel metal hydride (NiMH), the last of which is used in most hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) batteries

The advantages of lithium-ions over non-rechargeable and other rechargeable batteries are numerous For one, Li-ions have a higher energy density than their counterparts, meaning they store much more energy for their size and weight than other rechargeables More energy means fewer cells are needed to accomplish the same task More cells in the same space as, for instance, NiMHs means more energy They also operate at higher voltages – three times that of NiMH batteries – and have a lower self-discharge rate, so they lose energy slowly while not in use

The implications for the auto industry are profound What if cars really could run without gasoline? Could this go so far as to affect the world economy? How powerful are these things, really?

A prominent energy researcher for a government agency believes Li-ion batteries will soon replace NiMH models in HEVs Major auto manufacturers are already planning to release full plug-ins (cars that run on electrical energy often stored in Li-ion batteries) by 2010

While these little powerhouses can come at a premium of up to $10,000 by some estimations, many experts believe that number will dramatically decrease as the law of supply and demand takes effect

Lest the battery world becomes unrealistically rosy however, Li-ions do have disadvantages One, they’re dramatically more expensive Two, Li-ions require more sophisticated chargers – again, creating the problem of increased cost and low supply Three, Li-ions are sensitive to the environmental conditions Temperatures that are too hot or too cold can reduce their functionality and life Four, Li-ion batteries slowly but predictably degrade over time reducing their capacity

Certain manufacturers for the auto industry are foreseeing the coming of this technology and beginning to produce hybrid vehicle battery pack systems designed for single or multi-element battery cells that can be globally integrated with any lithium-ion or NiMH battery The best of them have reusable building block technologies, can accommodate a range of voltages, have systems that maintain the health of the battery cells and are applicable to mild hybrids, full hybrids, or electric vehicles These “packs” are an important part of what could make quicker mass integration into the hybrid market possible

Times they are a changin’ Who wouldn’t want a fuel-free car? Regardless of certain disadvantages, Li-ion innovations – and accommodations to suit them – are coming They’re just too promising

Mike Trudel, Freelance Writer.

Delphi is committed to contributing state-of-the-art technologies and innovations in order to help make our roadways greener. For more information, visit www.Delphi.com/4green.

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