There can be a host of reasons for needing to replace your car seats. From unfortunate accidents with travel sick kids through to prolonged wear and tear, it’s very easy to know when your seats are nearing the end of their lifespan. If you are the type of driver who spends many hours travelling round the country then remember that having the right kind of support can mean hours avoided at the osteopath’s in later life having those little niggles hammered out on the massage table. You can often find aftermarket seats that are not produced by the manufacturer of your vehicle at a good price. These could save you money and you can usually purchase a modification kit appropriate to your vehicle that will ensure they fit correctly into the available space.
Continue readingGuide to Buying Replacement Car Parts
Cars go wrong all the time. The stresses and strains created by modern motoring on today’s vehicles means that parts naturally wear out due to no fault of the owner. Getting faulty car parts diagnosed and replaced by professional motor shops can be expensive and time consuming, so you’ll be pleased to find out there is another way. Purchasing and installing second hand car parts is now easier than ever with internet sites that link you to a network of sellers. This can help you find even the trickiest-to-source parts.
In this guide to buying second hand car parts, we give you all the information you could possibly need to find a good source of reputable parts and install them yourself.
Continue readingReplacing an Alternator
The alternator is used to convert rotational energy from the car’s engine into electrical power. This recharges the battery, ensuring that there is always enough current to run your vehicle’s electric circuits. Due to the large amounts of stress and friction on this part, it can go wrong or fail every 60,000 – 100,000 miles, requiring you to either visit a repair garage or replace the part yourself. This is one of the more simple tasks you can perform easily at your own property.
Changing a Gearbox
The gearbox is a vital part of all car engines. It allows the driver to change the ratio by which power is applied to the car’s driving axle in its simplest form. Over time the gears and the gear trains can become worn down by repeated stress and friction causing the box to malfunction and cause problems when selecting gear. Changing a gearbox is one of the more complex tasks that you can perform in your home garage, but with a little preparation and planning it can be completed in around a working day of eight hours.
Continue readingBiofuels – The Greener Alternative
There are many different kinds of eco-cars now available on today’s market. These include vehicles that are electrically charged and have to be plugged in at night and those that are powered by hydrogen fuel cells, which need to be topped up at service stations with dedicated hydrogen pumps. The problem with many of these automobiles is that they are prohibitively expensive for many motorists. Some of these green vehicles even cost more to run than their petrol and diesel driven counterparts, making them unattractive for those on a budget. Continue reading
A World with Autonomous Cars
Google unveiled their autonomous car at the Detroit Motor Show in January. They are not the only company developing their own drive-by-wire vehicles, which look set to become a definite feature of our roads in the future. Whilst there have always been those who are scared of change – from the cavemen who no doubt believed that the wheel was the work of some evil god through to the people who thought that the electric toothbrush would shake out their teeth – a little shake up of things is often for the greater good.
How to Change a Car’s Clutch
There are many tell-tale signs that your car’s clutch is on its way out. The clutch may feel spongy during operation, requiring you to let it out more than normal whilst you change gear. A burning smell also can indicate that there is excess friction caused by a slipping clutch or you may simply have experienced a huge amount of difficulty in changing gear. Whatever the reason behind your failing clutch, you can change this part yourself with a sufficient amount of mechanical knowledge and the right tools. This step by step guide goes through the basic fundamentals of performing this procedure Continue reading
The Most Commonly Replaced Car Parts
What are the most commonly replaced car parts? With the huge forces created in your combustion engine and by travelling at speed, it is no wonder that the components of today’s cars wear out. Certain parts wear out faster than others and there can be extenuating factors such as environmental considerations that can lead to a reduced lifespan. Our list takes a look at which parts are most prone to wear and likely to need swapping out.
Continue readingNew Green Cars for 2015
Green motoring is an increasingly hot topic for all motorists in the UK. With vehicle emissions still contributing a large percentage of all CO2 emissions, every car owner can play their part in helping to reduce the amount of pollution produced by their vehicle. Manufacturers are aware of this trend and we are now seeing a rise in the number of different green cars available, so which of these are tagged for success in 2015? Continue reading
Locating Car Brake Fluid Leaks
Brake fluid is an essential part of your car’s braking system. It is used to transfer the pressure from the footbrake into movement that in turn applies your car’s calipers to the disc brake. The first sign that you might have a leak within your brake fluid system is usually therefore indicated by the responsiveness of the footbrake pedal.