Category: Automotive

The indicator lights can be found in the front and the back of the car. These usually shine bright orange so that drivers around you can see that you intend on turning left or right, or are about to change into the next lane. Sometimes, car manufacturers install the indicator lights on the side mirrors for other drivers to have better visibility of your car and the movements you are about to make.

Hazard lights are also orange but flash constantly to notify other drivers that there is a problem with your car. Other drivers will understand that you can’t move faster or at all. So they may safely overtake you.

The headlights are located at the front of the car. These lights are turned on when there is poor visibility of the road. Night time and rainy weather is the main reason for their use. There is barely any reflection on the car at night and it is best to let all night drivers know that you are present on the road.

Fog lights are located on the front of the car too. These are used to see through thick mist or fog and for others to see you. Nowadays, people use them to communicate with other drivers.

Reverse lights are located at the back of the car. It is necessary to have these lights as you have to notify other drivers that you are moving backwards. This will prevent drivers from ramming into you and it lets them know that they, too, have to reverse.

When you put the headlights on, the rear lights will also go on. These are usually a dull red that travels quite far for drivers further away to see. They can’t be very bright in case you blind the drivers.

Snow Tracks

This goes without saying, if you plan to drive your Jeep in a snowy area, you need to make sure that you have the necessary gear for yourself and your Jeep ready. Snow tracks are convenient and compact chain devices that you can fit on your Jeep’s wheels to help them get enough traction on the snow.

Jeep Cooler

If you are planning on going on a long journey with friends/family, you must carry some food with you. A Jeep cooler is a compact electronic device that derives its power from your Jeep’s cigarette lighter power source. This small cooler will help you keep food items as well as drinks for prolonged periods.

Grippy Strips

Grippy strips are fantastic devices that help you organize your stuff in the Jeep’s cabin. We all have gone through the pain of losing our cellphone between the seats during a long journey. If you are one such clumsy person who desperately wants to keep the interiors of your Jeep clean, you must try these grippy strips. The strips act like a double-sided scotch tape and they stick to your dashboard. You can now use the open surface of the strip to place your phone or other essentials at a noticeable position.

Basic Tool Kit and User Manual

Most Jeep owners carry a small toolkit with them that can help them tighten some screws or bolts. However, without the proper instructions, it is possible that you actually worsen the conditions of your Jeep. It is always advisable to place your Jeep’s user manual in a clear plastic bag with the toolkit to make it easily accessible in case your Jeep breaks down.

Window Covers/Blinds

Window covers are nifty devices that you can use in case you are going to drive all day long. These covers stick to the side of your Jeep’s windows offering sunlight protection to the passengers. Now, your co-driver/passengers can easily enjoy a sun-free environment to rest for a while.

Inflatable Jeep Jack

An inflatable Jeep jack is a device that replaces the work associated with using a conventional mechanical Jeep jack. This Jeep jack derives its power from the vehicle to lift it up so that you can easily change the flat tire.

Rain Covers

If you own an open roof Jeep Wrangler, it is always a good idea to carry a set of extra rain covers to protect the essentials. These rain covers will help you protect the costly speakers and navigation system in your Jeep on a rainy day.

It would be best to have the following supplies available; Both Heavy and Light Liquid Degreaser, some sheets of Plastic used in painting and for your body protection we recommend; goggles which protect your eyes, rain Gear and Plastic Boots.

When you hit areas of where the frame comes together or where there are holes in the frame, which have paint chips or rust, you will want to hit these with the zero tip. Be careful to wear eye protection because the deflected water will still be moving very fast. The non deflected water if it hits your body can easily break the skin.

It is best to work on one section at a time. It is also important to contain the dirty water flow once you start using the chemicals for cleaning. Many times you will be surprised at how well the pressure washer does without any degreaser or with light degreaser. To do this job correctly follow this easy step by step guide. First check the water flow to make sure dirty water will not enter gutter then lay down the plastic in the section to be cleaned and use two by fours to put under the outer edges of plastic to stop water flow. Rinse area to be cleaned prior to starting then spray at close range tough and stubborn stains and paint chips and rinse and see how good it looks,

If it looks great you are finished if not continue to the next set of steps. Spray degreaser on the areas to remove the hardened grease and oil. Allow about 30 seconds of dwell time for it to soak in and then Blast at close range with 15 degree tip and zero tip if needed. Rinse with wide angle tip and repeat until you are satisfied and continue this process on other sections.

Nexen Tyres is a well-known brand. Each one has a similar tread to the next but they all have different functions. They are perfect for the everyday driver who likes speed combined with performance. This option is definitely one of the more affordable ones.

Toyo Tyres is another brand that is known by many drivers. They are multifunctional in different weather conditions and suitable for any vehicle. They are also affordable if your car is of the heavier type. Distance is not a problem either. No matter how far you drive they will not wear away as fast as you would think, so they are quite durable.

Barum Tyres come in different varieties. These include winter tyres which work well with snow and have proper grip and summer tyres which work well with high and intense heat. These were also made for bigger cars and are strong enough to withstand the force of the car. This option is functional yet affordable.

BF Goodrich is a well manufactured and engineered tyre to fit any car. They are affordable and work well for all types of driving. It’s also suitable for street racing. The treads have been perfectly designed to assist you while driving.

Continental Tyres are one of the most common tyre brands in this world. They also come in a silent option. It might sound crazy but many people prefer silent tyres. This option is great for any type of car and is available for the sports versions as well. They also handle well under intense heat or summer weather. They are also made with rolling resistance which means you won’t need as much torque to drive up a hill after being stationery.

To begin the buffing on a cool clean surface, lay down a strip of compound and run buffer at a fairly high rate of speed between (1800 to 2500 rpm) to break the abrasives down and get a brilliant shine. As you finish the section that you are buffing, back off on the pressure as you start to see the compound disappear. You’ll get a higher gloss when you perform this properly. Imagine a grid pattern as you buff the hull, side to side, then top to bottom. This helps to ensure you don’t miss a spot. To get the product to work a little longer you can mist, distilled water only, on the product itself as you’re buffing. It will work a little bit longer and you can actually a little more gloss out of it. It will make the abrasives in it work just a touch longer. You can get some really nice results by doing this.

Be very careful when working near exposed antennas, lines, horns, and as mentioned before, especially striping. Slow the speed down when buffing on stripes and use less pressure on the buffer. Remove as much of the product as possible, then wipe residual by hand. It is also recommended that you tape off areas, tops, exposed seats, etc. that may be in the path of flying compound. You can do this using towels, old sheets. There are also different areas you may want to cover up like the dash if it’s an exposed top boat. It just saves time on cleanup later.

Optional Second Step

If you follow the buffing step with Blue Magnum Carnuba from Monsters, you will achieve a brilliant reflective shine and long lasting protection. In the buffing process an optional second step is to add Meguiar’s #45 polish by hand or orbital polisher to the area just buffed. This will help feed the pores of the gel coat and add an additional amount of gloss to the surface. With this you have to use the product as directed and do one section at a time. It does not work well as a wax to just let it sit on there, haze, and then try to remove it. It’s something that you put on and remove almost immediately. As mentioned, it is an optional step to use in this process. This also is a product that you’ll want to keep away from the anti-skid portions of the boat, usually the side railings or the top deck where the anti-skid is mostly found. It just does not work well with anti-skid.

Before you have the window tinting done make sure that you know the laws in regards to what is legal. In most states, there are medical necessity exemptions to the window tinting laws. This exemption is for those that have a valid vision or medical related condition that requires the person to limit their exposure to sunlight. Some of the medical conditions include sunlight allergy, lupus, melanoma, and phosensitivity. If you windows are tinted darker than is legally allowed and you are stopped, you need to have documentation showing that you have an exemption.

Provided that you have side mirrors, some states will allow every window to be tinted. Other states may not allow you to have your two front windows and the windshield tinted. If you have illegally tinted windows and are stopped you will generally pay a fine from $50 to $500 and will have the windows retinted to what is considered legal. All states have separate laws that legislate tinting for windows. This is why it is very important to follow what your state’s laws say in regards to tinting for windows.

Most people have window tinting done to protect themselves and their car from the sun’s damaging UV rays. There are two basic styles of window tinting; traditional non-reflective film and metallic performance films that have a reflective surface. You can get tinted windows in gold, gray, bronze, amber, and other colors.

Window tinting has many benefits, which include:

• Blocking ninety-nine percent of the damaging UV rays and sixty-five percent of the sun’s heat
• Protects your skin from sun damage and your eyes from eyestrain and glare
• Protects the upholstery and interior of your car
• Makes your glass safer if it gets broken by holding the shattered glass in place
• Can prevent people from seeing into your vehicle

Please not that working below a lift is a potentially dangerous condition if you do not take precautions to avoid accidents. Badly maintained lifts with faulty controls can malfunction and action is so quick that the person can consider himself/herself lucky with injuries no matter how serious.

While working under a raised car make sure that,

• You know where the controls are located and know the controls properly. Untrained persons can be dangerous in times of emergency. Such persons aggravate the situations instead of bringing it under control.
• Make sure that unauthorized persons and customers are not allowed in the area.
• The feeder that feeds electrical power to the hydraulic pump should be in off position and the switch locked to prevent the power being fed to hydraulic pump.
• If it is possible lock the lift in that position with mechanical lock.

1. Ensure that the lift does not go beyond the maximum position where it might be unsafe for the lift and mechanic.

2. Ensure that lifts are used only for jobs for which it was made. Using it for any other work can be deadly.

3. See that the controls get the manufacturer’s checks regularly. Get these checks done by the manufacturer or a mechanic trained at manufacturer’s training institute.

4. Get the hydraulic lifts checked regularly and check for leakages from the seals or hydraulic hoses. If you detect any leakage any time, keep clear of the raised lift. Bring it down as early as possible consistent with other condition. Attend to the lift and test the system and then only use the lift once again.

5. Keep a watch on hydraulic pressure when lifting the load. If you notice that the pressure is higher than the normal, do not use the lift till it is certified safe by the maintenance personnel.

6. Check the fluid level regularly and top up with recommended oils.

7. Remove any dirt around pistons and cylinders.

8. Check the structure of the platform and see if any defects are noticed during inspection

9. See that the weight being lifted is within the capacity of lift.

10. The dimensions of car being lifted do not go beyond the frame of lift structure.

Metallic Brake – Advantages

• These brakes can handle higher temperatures which mean that you will have longer lasting brake pads.
• They can be used in any type of weather condition because of how stubbornly the compounds react to temperature. They are also suitable for every day driving as well as track and race driving.
• They don’t wear easily because of its strong construction.
• Metallic brake pads are significantly cheaper than the ceramic counterpart.

Metallic Brake – Disadvantages

• Metallic brake pads are known to be a bit noisier than ceramic brake pads. This isn’t a major problem but it can be slightly annoying if the brake pads are made of metal.
• They release more dust which can be lodged in the crevices of your vehicle. It’s also an unpleasant part to clean.
• The brake pad itself might not wear easily but it can damage the rotors over time. This could be a costly factor.

Ceramic Brake – Advantages

• Compared to metallic options, ceramic produces less noise making the drive quite pleasant for the person behind the wheel.
• Ceramic doesn’t produce as much dust because it is a stronger component compared to that of metal. The dust is so fine that it just slides through the treads and gaps of the wheel.
• Because ceramic material is technically rock, it has a longer life span than metal. It also handles higher temperatures better than any other types, which means high speed is fine for them!

Ceramic Brake – Disadvantages

• Ceramic brakes are by far the most expensive material to get this component in.
• Although it can handle high temperatures, it is not compatible with cold climates. The chances of it becoming brittle are quite high.
• They have a limited use because they can only be used of day-to-day vehicles. It’s not suitable for heavy duty vehicles and race cars.

As a backgrounder, your oxygen sensor works like this: placed inside of your exhaust pipe, the oxygen sensor detects the ratio of air and gasoline your engine is fed. If the mixture is too rich or too lean than the oxygen sensor adjusts the amount of fuel entering your engine accordingly. The wrong mix of gasoline and oxygen can increase pollutants that exit your vehicle – thereby harming the environment — as well as potentially causing your catalytic converter to fail or even damage your engine. So, a properly working oxygen sensor is a must for any vehicle.

There are some clear signs that your oxygen sensor is no longer functioning. They can include:

–A rotten egg odor emitting from the exhaust.

–A reduction in fuel economy.

–Your catalytic converter fails unexpectedly.

–Exhaust emissions reach undesirable levels.

–Your engine surges or hesitates.

You can diagnose the problem yourself if you have access to the right tools including a digital voltmeter, an oxygen sensor socket, and a propane enrichment device. These specific tools, along with a proper Haynes or Chilton manual by your side, should be all that you need to determine if the oxygen sensor is no longer working. If it has failed, than consider ordering your replacement part online through a reliable wholesaler such as the Oxygen Sense shop to obtain a high quality OEM part at discounted prices. Once your part has arrived than all you will need is one or two automotive wrenches to accomplish the job. Again, reference your car’s manual for exact instructions.

With the abundance of sensors and technical gadgetry on today’s vehicles it can seem fairly intimidating to do the work yourself. Fortunately, an oxygen sensor is one of the easier parts to replace, so if you do the work yourself you will save time and money as well as gain an important sense of achievement. Go ahead you weekend mechanic, you can do it!