Advance Auto Zone

Summer has finally come. Bright sunny days, warm weather, and clear blue skies: This is the perfect season to go for long leisurely drives to your vacation destination or travel along the countryside with your family. But, before you head off down that road, you should make sure that your car is geared up for summer. The dust, hot weather, traffic jams and bad road conditions can wreak havoc to your car. Thus, you have to prepare your car to lessen the likelihood of a mechanical breakdown that could really dampen your summer trips. In addition, the effects of last winter can still lead to potential failure if not fixed on time. Here are some of the important parts you should check and fix before traveling.

In the warm weather, your car is extremely prone to overheating. Thus, you should check out the condition of your cooling system. It should be completely flushed and refilled regularly every two years. You should also check the level, condition and concentration of the coolant every so often. Have your mechanic check your cooling system for the condition of drive belts, clamps and hoses. As the engine needs cooling, so do the car’s occupants, so have your air-conditioning system checked by a pro. A defective A/C system can break down in hot weather, leaving you uncomfortable in your car.

If you are going on an extended trip or planning to tow a trailer, you should change your oil and your oil filter. Dirty or clogged oil filters can drastically diminish the performance of your engine. You should also replace other filters (air, fuel, PCV, and others) as dust, grime and other debris can lead to poor engine performance and potential breakdowns. If you are experiencing problems with your engine’s drivability such as hard starts, diminished power and rough idling, have it checked and fixed right away.

Have your innerauto.com/Pontiac_Parts/Pontiac_Wheels/ Pontiac Wheels and tires checked too. Check tire pressures and wheel alignment. You should also have your tires rotated after every 5,000 miles. Look out cuts, nicks, uneven wearing and cupping that could lead to more serious tire troubles. Do not forget your spare tire and jack. Brakes should be checked if it is still in good working condition. You should have your brakes fixed at the first signs of trouble such as pulsation, unusual noises and longer stopping distances.

Replace defective or damaged auto parts as soon as possible. You should not let car troubles spoil your family’s fun whenever going on a summer road trip.

You can get excellent quality innerauto.com/Pontiac_Parts/ Pontiac Parts from various auto parts stores, but it is better to stick with a trusted and reliable auto parts wholesaler. If you need to gear up your Pontiac for the summer, visit your trusted online auto parts store now. Pontiac parts are now available at Inner Auto Parts, a renowned source of automotive information that has garnered many accolades through the years. At innerauto.com Inner Auto Parts, you will find millions of Pontiac auto parts ranging from Pontiac catalytic converters to Pontiac window regulators. They even have an extensive array of Pontiac hoods and hubcaps. A visit to this excellent auto parts store is the solution to your problems if you need Pontiac parts that are affordable, durable and top quality.

Terry Brown is a 32 year old from Houston Texas, and an enthusiast for anything auto related. He is currently employed as a market analyst by one of the top car parts company.

Filed under: Uncategorized by admin No Comments »

I always enjoyed the feeling of wind whipping at me on the back of my cousin’s Yamaha as he tore through country roads in Northern Maryland, but I never put any serious thought into getting my own motorcycle. That was until about two years ago. My boyfriend and some of his friends decided that they wanted to get motorcycles so travel and parking would be much easier in crowded Baltimore City.

Even though they had all ridden motorcycles and/or dirt bikes before, three guys decided to take the motorcycle class at the local community college; I tagged along. The class was convenient; you didn’t have to have a learner’s permit. You show up for the weekend and spend half of the time in the classroom and half of the time on motorcycles. At the end of the weekend, you take the MVA test and if you pass, you get a certificate to get your license. This sure beat getting a learner’s permit and finding someone with enough experience to ride around with until you were prepared to take the test.

Saturday morning, we got up early and drove to Cecil County excited that today would be the first day we got to ride the motorcycles. I was nervous, now would be the time that I would break my leg dropping my bike on it. I was sure I would make a fool of myself.

We got started walking the bikes up and down the parking lot before we even turned them on. One of the guys in the class dropped his bike, and I sighed in relief knowing that it was not me to be the first one to drop my bike. After a couple of exercises we got to ride the bikes around the parking lot. I was doing my turns extremely slow; I didn’t know that on bikes you had less control at slower speeds. I go into one of the right hand turns at about 7 miles per hour and the bike didn’t turn with me, it kept going straight (I wasn’t looking into my turn; I kept looking straight so I didn’t hit anything). I was going straight for the curb. I tried to stop the bike, but pulled in the clutch, not the break. I panicked and the bike tilted towards the right. I jumped like Spiderman and the bike landed on the ground with the rear tire still spinning. The instructor came over and quickly shut off the bike and taught me how to pick it up. I stood there embarrassed, my eyes filling with tears. Here I was embarrassing myself less than an hour into my session. The instructor talked to me and explained that I can not panic on a bike. I said okay and explained my runny nose off with allergies.

I went on to drop my bike twice more during the class, only once while I was riding. The other time I didn’t put the kickstand down all the way. The most important thing I learned: how a small woman can pick up a motorcycle more than twice her weight all by herself.

It was Sunday and time for the test. I passed my figure eight only putting my foot down once and made it through the other obstacles without dropping the bike. I was proud, but not confident that I had passed. They called me back to the private room first and I was sure it was to tell me that I had failed and they were telling everyone else that they had passed. The instructor brought me back to the room and told me that I definitely was not ready to go out on the roads yet. I thought “Stop sugar coating it and just say it,” but to my surprise he told me I passed. If I would have lost one more point, I would have failed. The instructor made me promise to spend some time in a local parking lot before moving to uncongested roads. I made sure to get my license the next day, just in case they realized they had made a mistake and I hadn’t really earned my license.

My first day riding was on a few of the streets near my boyfriend’s house. They were not well traveled so they would make a great place to start. I was still hesitant to bring the bike up to normal speeds. When I was riding down one of the streets riddled with potholes, a child on a bicycle passed me. I think he was shouting and laughing at me, but I couldn’t hear him over my concentration on those pot holes.

Eventually I got better. I managed my way through Baltimore City without hitting any main roads. One day while riding a man in an SUV didn’t see me and switched lanes almost right into me. I had to use my emergency stop so he didn’t run right over me. I pulled up behind him and revved my engine to let him know that he had pissed me off. Having a few rust holes in my exhaust left my bike extremely loud. I revved and revved until the light turned green; then I stalled my bike. Yeah, I showed him.

As my abilities grew I started to drive through the more populated areas of town. When ever I rode through the square in Canton there would invariably be a man who would put out his thumb as though he was hitchhiking. He would usually scream something lewd about women on bikes. At first, I merely ignored the men, then I thought it would be more fun to ride right up to them. Whenever I saw a guy with his thumb out I would slow up right in front of him like I was going to let him on the back, but as soon as he moved towards me I would take off laughing the whole way.

Although playing with people was fun, it was nothing compared to having a cheering section. We were riding down York Road, and I had the place of honor in the front. I came up to a yellow light and slowed down to stop. When I pulled up to the light there was a group of people waiting at the crosswalk.
They started cheering and screaming “a woman rider!” I revved the engine and they cheered louder.

Woman often find it easier to sit on the back as their husbands or boyfriends ride, but this takes much of the fun out of riding. Don’t get me wrong, it is still fun, but you have a big head taking up most of the view. You can really only see the scenery to the sides so you miss out on the best view. You don’t control how fast you go or when you pull over for a break. When you ride the bike yourself, you are in complete control and it is exhilarating. Sure, there will be times when you do something embarrassing, but you will have a sense of accomplishment as your skills improve. Plus, you will feel empowered when you hear the roar of your engine as you crack the throttle. There’s nothing like the bond between you, your bike, and the road.

Aimee Therres has been published in multiple literary magazines and is the author of a novel, My Affair with Alfred . You can find out more about her at aimeetherres.com aimeetherres.com

Filed under: Uncategorized by admin No Comments »

The spiraling costs of fuel prices has driven many car owners to seek alternative solutions that will help them get more miles for their bucks. With the emergence of fuel-saving devices like the aTornado Fuel Saver, increased mileage and better engine performance are just a few dollars and a couple of minutes of installation away.

The Tornado Fuel Saver is a stainless steel, non-moving air-swirling device fitted inside the air filter housing in carbureted vehicles or inside the air intake/air inlet hose in fuel-injected vehicles. Using the Tornado Fuel Saver leads to better fuel atomization thus resulting to an increase of gas mileage anywhere from 7-24%. These figures have been confirmed by an independent road test done at an emission lab licensed by the EPA. Further testing with a device called the “dynamometer,” the Tornado Fuel Saver adds 4-13% extra horsepower as well.

Various information garnered from fuel economy tests conducted for the Tornado Fuel Saver have shown an average increase of 22.5% miles per gallon (mpg). An older test done in 1998 by the manufacturers of Tornado Fuel Saver using a Chevrolet Suburban over several thousand miles both with and without the Tornado Fuel Saver has paved way to an average increase of 15.8% mpg with the Tornado Fuel Saver. Going further back, a 1994 test on three vehicles manufactured from 1985, 1986 and 1969 has resulted to an average of 19.5% mpg increase with the Tornado Fuel Saver installed.

There are numerous fuel-saving devices currently available in the market and all make the same guarantees and promises. So how does the Tornado Fuel Saver measure up against the competition? Again extensive road and labortory testing has become the main yardstick to compare the performances of the products.

With regards to Tornado’s claim of enhanced engine power, a different test has been utilized using a chassis dynamometer to test automobile engine performance in a laboratory setting. Four varying vehicles have been tested both with and without the Tornado Fuel Saver installed to ascertain the horsepower increase produced at highway speeds (70mph). The results have reflected an average increase of 26.4 horsepower or a 29.8% increase in horsepower.

The various tests conducted on the Tornado Fuel Saver make a strong case for the product’s consistency and efficiency. Although fuel economy is dependent on numerous road and driving conditions, the significant savings and improved performance offered by the Tornado Fuel Saver merit some serious consideration.

autopartswarehouse.com/shop_brands/tornado.html Tornado Fuel Saver

James Russel grew up in Los Angeles and is 35 years old. He works as a marketing analyst for a supplier of automotive parts in the United States. On his spare time, he loves to spruce up his vehicle.

Filed under: Uncategorized by admin No Comments »