l know this may not be the place but feel I have to say a few words about Robert McNamara passing away. He was the point man for the Viet Nam war many of his ideas were not implemented by either the military or the government but he still stayed on point through several administrations. I was lucky enough to serve in the Air Force during these times. One little known fact about his was that he was also active in the Cuban conflict, It was him and General Curtis Lemay that hatched the famous phrase “ make the island into a self lighting parking lot” also they thought it would be a good idea to land all the aircraft in Florida and maybe the island would sink. The later was never accredited to him but his thoughts on the matter were well known. One last comment ,am I the only one that has heard enough about Michael Jackson, oh and Sarah Palin?
All posts by John
Auto Industry problems
There has been a lot of finger pointing in the auto industry so I think it is time put in my 2 cents. First I believe that the unions and retiree benefits became a financial burden that the industry could not handle. Many assembly line workers were making in excess of $60 an hour including benefits. I am not against unions but there has to be a line in the sand where the company cannot afford what the unions are asking for, I know a lot of the time the companies are crying wolf but this was not the case of the auto industry. Also the health benefits for the retirees were killing them and this is the case in many areas where the retiree’s health benefits are covered by the company. The older retired are an expensive part of our health careTo many cars designs were directed by what the executives liked and not what the public wanted. Yes it worked for Ford and the Mustang but very little success since then. The advent of cup holders started the decline of the industry. After the Chrysler minivan to many interiors were designed around the cup holder. Cars of today are designed around the fridge, cell phone and cup holder Bluetooth and DVD. We need to recall the reason is to move us from place to place in relative comfort. The Nissan cube is available for under 10K after rebates and that is exactly what it does is move people from place to place. They call it a mobile device and that is what it is it will be interesting to see how it sells. The last nail in the coffin of the auto industry was quality and warranty repairs. The major items such as drive train they improved on, many used cars are in excess of 150K but all the accessories killed them. I remember the early 90 alternator from GM some wouldn’t make it around the block.The answer I don’t have but I do think they are on the right track the only problem I have is waiting to replace executives, in some cases next spring, when the boat starts to sink and the Captain caused it you don’t wait until it sinks to replace him to do it now in hopes of saving the boat.
Shell Nitrogen Added Fuel
Shell is introducing the all-new Nitrogen Enriched Fuels, containing a unique, patented cleaning system designed to seek and destroy engine “gunk” (carbon deposits) in all three grades of Fuel. The new Nitrogen Enriched cleaning system protects and cleans up gunky build-up on intake valves and fuel injectors left by lower quality Fuels.Nitrogen is a key element of the active cleaning molecule in the new fuel, making it significantly more stable at higher temperatures common in modern engines, such as direct fuel-injection Fuel engines. The increased stability ensures that the molecule can work under much tougher engine conditions by resisting thermal breakdown better than conventional cleaning additives.In addition to developing the new fuel with the consumer in mind, Shell worked very closely with automotive manufacturers to gain insight into current and future engine technologies. These insights along with fuels technology leadership and a strong research and development program help Shell continually improve its products.Nitrogen Enriched Fuels were tested in laboratories, independent testing facilities, and on the road, accumulating more than a half-million miles in various vehicles and engines–including conventional, turbo-charged, and direct fuel-injection Fuel engines, hybrids, newer vehicles with low mileage, and older vehicles with high mileage. Shell scientists also used innovative testing technologies such as dual fuel engines to conduct head-to-head comparisons with other lower quality Fuels. In these tests, split engines simultaneously run on different types of Fuel in order to collect data under the exact same conditions. The results of these head-to-head comparisons proved that the Shell Nitrogen Enriched Fuels are more effective than lower quality Fuels in protecting against the build-up of harmful engine gunk.The Nitrogen Enriched formula is proven to prevent build-up of gunk more effectively than Fuels containing only the minimum amount of cleaning agents as required by the EPA. The new cleaning system is certified to meet the TOP TIER Detergent Fuel Standard — voluntary standards designated by some of the world’s top automakers. In addition, Shell V-Power® premium Fuel provides maximum protection with the highest concentration of the Nitrogen Enriched cleaning system and more than five times the minimum amount of cleaning agents required by federal government standards. It seeks and destroys engine gunk even faster than regular Shell Fuel, providing maximum protection to help vehicles maintain peak performance.Shell is supporting the launch of Nitrogen Enriched Fuels with a national marketing campaign, including national TV, radio and online advertising, as well as point-of-purchase signage at Shell-branded stations nationwide. The new campaign builds-on the current “Passionate Experts” platform, focusing on the company’s commitment to fuel quality and passion for developing innovative new products.For additional information on Shell Nitrogen Enriched Fuels, visit [url”>http://www.passionate-experts.shell.com. News source: Bob is the oil guy
To Buy A Car Or Not
Is now a good time to buy a car? As far as new goes it is kind of a tossup, many dealers are going out of business, some by choice some not, and there should be some deals. The manufactures are still out producing sales and this is causing inventory problems. Many would be buyers are waiting to see what the presidents plan of a refund on a new vehicle when you trade in a gas guzzler is going to be. The dealers need to move inventory so I would say this is a good time to shop, there are some excellent deals but they may be hard to find. I would set some parameters as to what I would spend and the least I would take for my trade in. Be ready to walk no run away if you don’t like the deal there is a lot of high pressure sales tactics taking place right now, it is a tough time for car salesman and some will do almost anything for a sale. Take some time and do a lot of shopping and don’t buy anything without sleeping on it. The one time offer translates to I will call tomorrow with a better offer. Waiting may be a mistake as the cost of new cars is going to have to go up to pay for the newer mileage and emission standards, but they are down the road at least a year or two.It seems to be a buyer’s market for used right now but as new car sales continue to fall the inventory has to suffer in time. The 2-5 year old market is prime for buyers a 2005 Pontiac Bonneville has decreased in price by over 25K from new. Many of the used cars also have a ton of miles on them over a 100K is not unusual. Here again shop hard and sleep on any deal unless it is a private party and a vehicle you like and a good deal as another buyer may swoop it up while you are sleeping on it. Beware of warranties many may not be around to honor them. They also tend to be expensive but more on this at a later time. Good luck and good shopping. warranty
CEL On
If your check engine light comes it is not the end of the world or at least it may not be as expensive as you may think. The first item to check is your gas cap is it tight or have you filled recently while the engine was running, if so wait about 6 key cycles, engine from cold to hot and a several RPM changes enough to cause a vacuum change, this should turn it off. If not then visit one of your local parts stores most will check for codes at no cost. Beware however it is there job to sell parts so if the code indicates a bad EGR valve they will try to sell you one. However check for other problems first, are all the hoses and electrical connectors secure. It is a good idea to unplug all electrical connectors to the effected sensor, this will sometimes help, rarely but it doesn’t hurt. Check to see if the item needs cleaning mainly in the case of an EGR or IAC also some vehicles have a filter, Honda does on many of their IAC and Ford on the Fuel EVAP system. Still a problem then it is time to check the manual, some you can find online or visit your local library, these can also be checked online in some cases. There is usually a tree to troubleshoot the affected item. Still at a loss replace the sensor they are usually cheaper than having a shop check it out. The only exception to this is the O2 sensor if you have no exhaust leaks if it throws a code they are usually defective. They also require special equipment to diagnosis.Do not put a match book cover or a piece of tape over the light as this will lead to more expensive repairs down the road. I have seen the light bulb removed in several cases. Just remember don’t panic your engine is not going to explode although I have heard of parts stores hinting that this may happen.
How Not To Sell A Car
I hate selling cars. Actually I hate cars in general. I’m horrible at them, I don’t understand them, and I don’t do a good job of taking care of them. Luckily, I’ve been blessed the last few years by the gods of Japan, a.k.a. Nissan. I did nothing right for 6 years straight and this little thing held strong.I think it’s important as bloggers to admit when we suffer “epic” fail. I occasionally fall into the habit of preaching from a soap box (a.k.a. yesterday), but every now and then I take the time to step up and admit I suck. I sucked today. I just got lucky. I like being lucky.You can’t run a car into the ground for 6 years, ignoring check engine lights, changing oil, slowly leaking tires, broken headlights, and impending rust and expect to make a big profit when you sell. After all the car has 240,000 miles. How much longer can this thing go?Did I mention we waited until the last minute, threw up a rough ad (good picture thanks to wife, though), and just kind of closed our eyes? We thought we’d be lucky to get $1000. Actually we said told ourselves we’d take anything over $1000 and run. We put it up for $1500 “or best offer” (mistake). I was flooded with calls asking all kinds of questions, especially “what’s the lowest you’ll take”. I literally had a tough time keeping up with everything.The first 4 people who looked at it passed without even making an offer. They were out looking for a steal and weren’t willing to deal with a leaking brake line, leaking oil, power steering pump, weak transmission, dents in the body, rips in the leather seats, and 240,000 miles. Selfish pricks. I was starting to get really worried.Then the clouds parted and out dropped a young kid who just enrolled in technical school to work on cars. Guess what his dream fixer-upper was. Hallelujah! About an hour of looking under the hood and under the car, he totaled up what it would take to create the next inspiration behind Fast & The Furious and offered $1200. I countered at $1300, he declined. I thought for exactly 1.5 seconds before running away as fast as I could with $1200!I quickly sat down and jotted everything I did wrong in this process. It took up almost a full page, so I just kept the party going and brainstormed everything I could have done wrong. I’ll leave it up to your imagination which half of the following I actually did and which I made up. It’s more fun this way… News source: ManVSDebt 67 Ways NOT To Sell A CarDon’t worry when a little rust starts to form. Don’t wash the outside of the car. First impressions don’t matter. Don’t pick up trash from the back seat of the car. Who rides in the back seat? Clean the car, but don’t detail it. Don’t bother checking the fluid levels. Who cares about oil, brake fluid, and power steering? Don’t fix minor interior problems, such a knobs, switches, and vents. Don’t bother with adding an air-freshner. Let your pets have free reign over the car. Don’t worry about touching up paint. Don’t bother cleaning out the trunk. Instead assume they won’t pop it open. Add the 16th bumper sticker to your collection. Continually smoke in your car up until the day you sell. Don’t replace old, worn out floor mats. Let your kids eat food in the car. Would you like fries with that? Assume waxing your vehicle is over-rated. Sell your car to a dealer without checking the private party market. Don’t bother with keeping maintenance records. Everyone will take your word. Don’t mention that your car has been totaled… twice. Don’t bother paying off the title even if you’re able. Only advertise in one medium. Don’t bother with free online listings. They take too long and people hate the internet. Clean the car, but ignore the tires/rims. No one ever looks at the size or condition of tires. Don’t bother to check the air in all the tires. Don’t replace broken headlights. You can just sell it during the day. Don’t replace broken windshield wipers. You can sell it on a sunny day. Let people test drive your car alone. Tell everyone your reason for selling is “Time to move on from this one.” Print fliers in black and white. Forget to mention you’ve been the only owner. Grant a discount, because it’s “all the cash they have on them”. Put “Or Best Offer” on every ad. Forget to mention any other calls or appointments you may have. Sell your 4-wheel drive in the spring, right after all the snow melts away. Sell your rear-wheel drive convertible in November. Donate your car to charity without first testing the local market, solely for the tax write-off. Start your price slightly above-market, just in case. That works well for homes, too. Advertise your price as $13,000 instead of $12,900, even if you’re willing to take $12,000. Don’t bother getting that clicking noise looked at. Buyers probably won’t notice it. Don’t worry about a physical “For Sale” sign. Forget to mention that you are selling your car to family and friends. Have an annoying ring-back tone on the number you place in the ads. Everyone likes Soulja Boy. Don’t screen buyers by phone. Just put your address directly in the ad. Ignore how you look when you meet potential buyers to show the car. Sell your car on payments. Answer the question, “What’s the lowest you’ll take?” Just sign over the title, without checking your state laws. Isn’t that what Uncle Earl always does? Forget to look over the glove compartment and trunk one last time. Don’t cancel your insurance after selling the car. Don’t study the local market. Kelley Blue Book conquers all. Post an ad without any pictures. Ignore all calls from numbers you don’t know hoping they will leave a voicemail. Be the first to throw out a price once negotiations start. Accept a personal check as payment. Underestimate the leverage of an official car history report. Rush the buyer when he is looking over the car. Lose a deal over $50, with very little other prospects. Don’t list all of the obvious issues with the car in the ads. Over-promise, under-deliver. Don’t thoroughly include all the details and features. Who cares about power-windows? Fail to explicitly state that “car is sold as is” and definitely don’t get that in writing anywhere. List your car on Monday night. The weekend is usually too convenient for people. Wait until the last minute to sell your car. Don’t worry about getting seat covers for damaged interior. Lie about known problems. These things never come around. Lack knowledge of your car’s gas mileage. Grow attached to a particular buyer and forget you always have the option of walking away. Once the sale is complete, sport the Happy Dance in full view of the buyer.
NHMS
Record purses totaling more than seven million dollars are up for grabs as NASCAR drivers compete in this weekend’s Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Drivers racing in four NASCAR series races will be chasing their share of $7,005,549 in prize money, the highest in New Hampshire Motor Speedway history. The NASCAR Sprint Cup purse is $5,423,189, up from last year’s track record. The Lenox Industrial Tools 301 features the sixth-highest purse per-mile on the series schedule to date [of 17 races”>. The NASCAR Nationwide Series will be racing for the $1,197,559. The chain-link fences at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be replaced with welded wire fencing in time this weekend’s race partly in response to Carl Edwards’ airborne accident at Talladega Superspeedway. Burton Smith finally spent a little money $400,000 when there was not a profitable upside. He is also trying to add lights but has a problem with an agreement signed by the previous owner that they would not night race.Many have picked Kasey Kahne to win 2 in a row, this is a possibility but it is really tough to do in the present NASCAR climate where all your ducks have to fall into a row to win and his last win at California was really a pit strategy win. If I was to go out on a limb I would have to pick Jimmy Johnson, he is overdue, Mark Martin is also a possible winner and Dale Jr is a dark horse and he has to win one soon, super speedways are coming up on the schedule if he doesn’t win there I just don’t see how he can hold a sponsor, of course he is still the most popular driver but Tony Stewart is close behind.
Battrey Protectors
Many aftermarket parts stores are selling a corrosion preventive kit that mostly consists of a set of felt washers. Their main purpose is to insulate the cable end from the battery and to some extent they do work. You simply install the washers under the proper cable end install the terminal and you are done. Do not use any grease or petroleum jelly here as this can melt and cause problems. The only drawback is on an older battery you may block the vent doubtful if there are many batteries around that would have this problem however. The other problem may be that the terminal will not go onto the post far enough to secure properly and of course these are only for top post batteries. I would not recommend them for rice burner cables that have the thin terminal as they tend to come apart and may cause a problem when used with this application. FYI After cleaning the cables and top of the battery, always clean off the top when cleaning cables, spray some clear lacquer on the terminals you will be amazed at how long they will stay clean when sealed this way.
Noisy Brakes
After a recent topic on brake squeak there have been several questions about the swishing or maybe even a slight grind during the first few applications. This is not a problem it is the crud, rust or whatever that has built up on the rotor while sitting. This can be worse if you have driven through a rain storm or on a gravel or even a dirty road such as one in a construction zone. Under certain conditions, hot rotors humid and cool conditions more rust then you would think builds up on your rotors when sitting. When you first apply your brakes the pads are cleaning off the gunk and this is the noise you are hearing. When driving next to a barrier on the driver’s side apply your brakes slightly you will be amazed at the noise you will hear bouncing off the barrier. This is one of the reasons I recommend synthetic brake pads they are quieter in these situations. I once hit a post with my convertible by turning a corner to fast, after I had just removed it from storage, the gunk mostly rust affected the brakes to a point where I had very little stopping action. This was an extreme situation but none the less possible.
AC Service
It is that time of year when you try your AC for the first time and no cold air. Don’t panic; listen for a clicking which will be the AC compressor clutch. If it is clicking on and off you are probably a little low on Freon. If it not engaging you are probably still low on Freon. More than likely you will have a 134A in your system, if your service valves have threads and are small take it to a shop and have it retrofitted. Purchase a kit from the parts store, keep the gauge and hose and next time you will only need Freon.Be sure to clean the service valve before attaching the hose even a grain of sand can damage a compressor. The hose slips unto the valve and locks in place with a click. Attach the hose to the low pressure side this will be the larger of the two hoses. Holding the can hose end down tighten the valve to pierce the can and then back it off to start filling, shaking the can will speed up the process and assure getting all the contents out. Continue filing until the pressure is in the green, if the compressor was not running you may see the gauge jump and hear the compressor kick on and off, this is normal. When the gauge is in the green shut off the can and remove the hose. You should now have cold air if not it is shop time unless you have some AC experience and a set of gauges. When servicing the AC it is a good idea to also check the belt for condition and the condenser for any blockage between the radiator and the condenser, easy to clean at the local car wash with a pressure wand. Also check the area to the front of the windshield this grate area should be free of debris.Have seen numerous vehicles with crud on the evaporator blocking air passage this usually have a musty odor, some vehicles can be cleaned by simply removing the heater blower motor other take drastic disassembly. If you have an odor and good air flow there are several products on the market that do a fair job of removing the odor. I am usually not cautious enough when performing repairs but I always wear gloves and a face shield when working on AC, Freon is really cold and it hurts when coming in contact with skin this I can tell you from experience.