Advance Auto Zone

Adding a turbocharger to your car will give you one of the biggest increases in horsepower over any other engine modification. Nitrous oxide systems can rival the power performance, but not the durability and constant gains associated with a turbo system. Turbochargers can be tuned to give you any amount of boost between 0 and 24 psi of boost, depending on the size of the turbine. When you have any type of forced induction system like a turbocharger, you want to make sure that the engine is tuned to it. Below we will discuss the importance of the air fuel ratio. I will revisit this again, because premature detonation is a major cause of internal engine damage, and detonation can be caused by a very lean air fuel ratio. Turbo kits should be coupled with an ecu that is tuned to deliver more fuel than the factory settings, and the fuel delivered to the engine should be increased proportionally to the boost pressure. You also should add an air charge intercooler, which will reduce the intake charge air temperature. The air coming from the exhaust has been heated tremendously, and should be given the opportunity to cool before being re-entered into the system.

Beware of bolt on turbo kits. They in themselves are not the all in all for horsepower. You will have to match these with an intercooler and ecu to build a system that will have durability and performance. These bolt on kits are great for the experienced installers who can tune an engine correctly. The true power behind a turbo kit will be unleased with some tuning to the heads, the timing and fuel ratios, and the intake manifold. We will be discussing each of these in future post, beginning with the heads. The heads are where the power is made because they are a direct path to the combustion chamber, which is where the magic happens.

Internal combustion engines are “breathing” engines. That is to say, they draw in air and fuel for energy. This energy is realized as power when the air-fuel mixture is ignited in the combustion chamber. Afterward, the waste created by the combustion is expelled. All of this is typically accomplished in four strokes of the pistons. What a turbocharger does is to make the air-fuel mixture more combustible by fitting more air into the engine’s chambers which, in turn, creates more power and torque when the piston is forced downward by the resulting explosion. It accomplishes this task by condensing, or compressing, the air molecules so that the air the engine draws in is denser. Now, how it does that is the real story here.

A turbocharger is a way to force air into the engine. Hot exhaust gas powers the turbine wheel of the supercharger to make it rotate. That turbine wheel is connected by a shaft to a compressor wheel. As the turbine wheel spins faster and faster, it causes the compressor wheel to also spin quickly. The rotation of the compressor wheel pulls in ambient air and compresses it before pumping it into the engine’s chambers. As you may have guessed, the compressed air leaving the compressor wheel housing is very hot as a result of both compression and friction. That’s where a charge-air cooler (or “intercooler”) comes in. It reduces the temperature of the compressed air so that it is denser when it enters the chamber. The intercooler also helps to keep the temperature down in the combustion chamber. All together, the engine, turbocharger and charge-air cooler form what is known as a “charge-air system”. Some systems also include a tip turbine fan which draws air across the charge-air cooler to further reduce the temperature of the compressed air generated by the turbocharger.

The basic principal behind turbocharging is fairly simple, but a turbocharger very complex. Not only must the components within the turbocharger itself be precisely coordinated, but the turbocharger and the engine itself must also be exactly matched. If they’re not, engine inefficiency and even damage can be the results. That’s why it’s important to follow correct installation, operating and preventative maintenance procedures.

When adding a turbocharger or other forced induction system to an engine, you need to pay close attention to the air/fuel mixture ratio, as running lean can cause damaging detonation. Also pay attention to how much air the heads can efficiently flow. This is more difficult to measure or calculate, but much like the diameter of a straw can effect how much liquid it can draw, the heads will limit how much air they can flow through the system.

Stay tuned for more in depth analysis on turbocharging systems. For great majesticmodifications.com Turbo Kits, visit Majestic Modifications online.

Majestic Modifications majesticmodifications.com Auto Parts and Accessories is the complete car customization concept, specializing in air intakes and turbo-kits.blogspot.com turbo kits, body kits and exterior accessories, glow gauges and interior accessories, wheels and tires, mobile video and electronics.

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A good number of the people with cars in the United States have their own radar detectors. Their reason is that they feel that the speed limit at present is very low. Most of the American people are not satisfied with moderate speed while driving. They want to be the fastest driver on the road as well as get to the places they’re going in record time; they want to be always in the race.

The radar detector serves as their alarm whenever there are police near them. Once the radar detector alarm sounds, they can ease off the gas and slow down their speed.

Because of the radar detectors being known to every motorist, cops are hiding, in alleyways or behind bridges in order to avoid being detected by the radar detectors.

Motorists on the other hand are being clever themselves, they are aware of these techniques from the police, so more enhanced, top-dollar detectors have entered the market.

Though the policemen are always improving their chances of catching the radar detector users, they are unable to make the streets of the United States radar detector-free.

Radar detectors are legal in many cities and states in the United States. But this does not mean that radar detector units are legal in all of the states in the US.

Here are some of the states that deem radar detectors illegal:

1. The usage of radar detectors are prohibited in the Commonwealth of Virginia. They have laws banning the use of radar detectors. Not only are radar detectors illegal to use in Virginia, they are also illegal to have in the vehicle.

2. Radar detectors and radar jammers are illegal in the District of Columbia. The passing of their laws to ban the use of radar detectors was set in 1995.

3. In Illinois, radar detectors are only regulated in commercial vehicles of over 26,001 pounds.

4. On US military bases, they are legal to have but illegal to use.

5. Radar jammers are illegal in the states of Utah, California, Oklahoma, Colorado and Nebraska.

6. Radar detectors are not specifically regulated, but things hanging from windshields are not permitted in the state of Minnesota.

7. For motor vehicles over 18,000 pounds and any other commercial motor vehicles over 10,000 pounds in New York, radar detectors are illegal.

And other states that prohibit the use of radar detectors are the following:

• Alabama

• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Delaware

• Florida

• Georgia
• Idaho
• Indiana

• Iowa
• Kansas

• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland

• Massachusetts

• Michigan
• Mississippi

• Missouri
• Montana

• Nevada
• New Hampshire

• New Jersey
• Mew Mexico

• North Carolina

• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania

• Rhode Island

• South Carolina

• South Dakota

• Tennessee

• Texas
• Vermont
• Washington
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

The state of Connecticut on the contrary has cancelled its anti-radar detector law in 1998 which make this radar detector now legal in this state.

Nicola Kennedy publishes articles and reports and provides news, views and information about

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Getting your oil changed is something that the pros promise they can do in a jiffy, however, with every three thousand miles you drive, the price can add up quickly. You can save yourself some money by doing it yourself. An oil change is not as hard as you may think!

Prior to changing your oil, you will need to pick up some supplies at you favorite parts store. The first thing you will need is six quarts of oil. If your car manufacturer recommends a certain type, you should stick with that. Otherwise, choose a brand you know and trust. (Note- do not mix oil. If you have a quart or two of one brand already at home, make sure you purchase additional quarts of the same kind.) With every oil change, you should always change your oil filter as well. So, you will also need to pick up an oil filter for your particular car. In addition, you will need an oil pan to empty the old oil into. Your best bet is to purchase one that can seal so that you can easily take it to be recycled. And, if you don’t have one already, you could use an oil filter wrench.

After you purchase the necessary items, you are ready to start the oil change. First, elevate the vehicle off the ground using your car jack, just enough to access the underside of the engine. (Note: For added safety, make sure you are using a jack stand.) Remove the oil fill cap on the engine. Then, get underneath the engine. The oil pan covers the entire bottom of the engine, and this is what you will be draining from. Find the engine pan drain plug, which is shaped hexagonal (six sides). Place the oil pan you bought underneath. Next, use a socket wrench to loosen the drain plug. The oil will start to come out. Let this drain completely. Once drained, replace the plug and tighten.

Next, move the drain pan so it is under the oil filter. Use your oil filter wrench to rotate the filter counter-clockwise until it comes off. Once loosened, you’ll need to unscrew it from the engine with your hands. Once off, place in the oil pan- oil will drip out from the filter. Now, it’s time to put on the new filter. When you remove the new filter from the box, you’ll see a rubber gasket on the base. A good trick for easy removal in the future is to coat the gasket thoroughly with oil. When that’s done, screw the new filter onto the filter pipe tightly.

At this point, you’re done underneath, so you can let the car down. But first, get the oil pan and any tools out from under the vehicle. Next, fill the engine with five quarts of oil and put the cap back on. Then, check the oil level. You should see that it’s one quart high, and this is just because the filter is not yet full. Next, start the car and let the engine idle for about five minutes. This will allow the oil pump to pick up the new oil, and get it circulating. Also, check under the car to make sure the filter is not leaking any oil. Then, you can shut off the car and check the oil level once again. This time it should read, “full.”

You’re done! Just repeat these instructions in 3,000 miles!

Michael Walker is a freelance author providing tips and hints on engine related topics such as enginestar.com/ JDM motors, enginestar.com/jdm-engines.html used import engines and enginestar.com/used-honda-engines.html engine swaps. His articles are a valuable source of information for the auto enthusiast.

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