Car Tips

Drive Trains

The drive train is the heart and soul of an automobile and drivetrain dysfunction is the main cause of owner dissatisfaction. Barring mechanical defects, the following will all but eliminate drivetrain problems allowing you to drive your car indefinitely.

Motor Oil & Filter:
The single most important item effecting engine longevity is motor oil and the frequency of servicing or changing the oil. There are two critical points to remember about oil changes. The first is the frequency of oil changes and. the second is the type of oil that is used.
All oils are not created equally. As a matter of fact they are not even close in most cases. The following is a ‘primer’ on oils and will cover mineral oils and all of the synthetics that are used for automotive application.
Mineral OilsMineral oils are refined by various processes from crude oil. Most are paraffinic crudes, which contain lots of ‘wax’; some are naphthenic crudes, which have little wax and lower pouring (temperature) points.

Distillation of crudes gets us gasoline, petroleum distillates, asphalt and lubricating oil.
All crude oils have molecules of various sizes; some of these shear easily and some do not shear easily. Also, they usually have different boiling points. Multi viscosity oils are usually a blend of several of these base stocks with viscosity index improvers and other additives.

Toyota Camry

A good car that we must test !!

When a car becomes more, it surprises you at every turn. And, with an EPA highway rating of 34 mpg [2], Camry’s surprise is a pleasant one. Even better, the Camry Hybrid has an EPA rating of 40 mpg [3] in the city. So, while Camry rejuvenates the senses, it does so sensibly. Every Camry—the race-inspired SE, the impeccable XLE and the ultra-efficient Camry Hybrid—is engineered to change not just the way you feel about cars, but the way you feel, period.

What is biodiesel?

A mix of modified vegetable oils (that's the "bio" part) and conventional diesel fuel. There's a small but growing market for biofuels, which supply about 1 percent of the world's transportation fuel.
How is biodiesel sold?
Biodiesel is usually sold in ratios of 10- or 20-percent modified vegetable oil and 80- or 90-percent conventional diesel. These fuels are called B10 or B20. The B factor tells you the percentage of modified vegetable oil. In other words, B100 is pure modified vegetable oil, while B20 is 20-percent modified vegetable oil and 80-percent petrodiesel.
Soybean oil is usually the raw material in the vegetable part of the fuel, but rapeseed oil and animal fats can be used, too. Experiments with Vitalis, Cheese Whiz and Soy Pez remain inconclusive.

Fuel

It used to be that cars just ran on gas. And not premium unleaded with a proprietary blend of cruelty-free, hypoallergenic, antioxidant detergents. Just plain, old... gas.
Not anymore. A growing number of today's cars can run on E85, a mix of ethanol and gas. And diesels can run on regular diesel, biodiesel or, if you've got time, some money, a bucket of parts, and a warranty to kill, even straight vegetable oil.
Until manufacturers figure out a way to power cars on compost, rocks and discarded junk mail, those are our choices.
Are any of them right for you? What are the risks and benefits?
We've got all the answers... or, at least, some of them, right here