Monthly Archives: November 2009

Author : Gregory Smyth

The traditional greenie and the traditional truckie are about as far from each other as you can get – dreadlocks versus mullets, veganism versus rare steak, and bicycle power versus one of the biggest contributors to the greenhouse effect, the heavy duty truck

However, Hong Kong and other heavy duty truck manufacturers, with Mercedes autos paving the way, are creating a new generation of clean diesel powered trucks There are even some Hong Kong hybrid trucks and cars thrown in for good measure! Here we look at some of the trendsetters and the innovators on the field of green, renewable trucks for sale

Mercedes Benz cars have long been known as innovators in the fields of both luxury and environment friendliness Now they hold the record for the world’s most fuel efficient 40 ton truck, also The Mercedes auto Actros Bluetec 5 will be available in October 2009, and recently achieved Guiness World Record status as the world’s most fuel efficient 40 ton truck or Hong Kong heavy duty truck

The test run showed up statistics of a 25-ton trailer being pulled by an Actros, delivering an average of 12 39 miles per gallon, at an average speed of 50 mph over seven straight days of testing Phew!

Mercedes auto and HK heavy duty truck fanatics needn’t worry that the new Bluetec technology incorporated into trucks will make for a more breakdown-prone or less reliable vehicle – just the opposite The Actros is actually in its third generation, and the most recent clean diesel model incorporates changes like a PowerShift fully automatic transmission, a ground breaker for the Hong Kong heavy duty truck category

There are engine choices in these trucks for sale ranging in output from 316hp to 580hp, across a range encompassing six different V6s and three different V8s

Of course, the truck market is as much about SUV trucks in Hong Kong as it is heavy duty trucks Ford led the way in this market, beginning at the end of 2007, with its 6 4L Power Stroke turbo diesel option available for most of the F-truck range, with the F250 being one of the most popular SUV trucks to incorporate the new technology

Some companies are going even further in the fuel efficiency stakes, with Volvo now producing not only hybrid cars in Hong Kong, but hybrid trucks also This seems counter-intuitive, with a hybrid engine’s traditional low torque and bad efficiency under heavy driving conditions

However, the Volvo FM Hybrid, a heavy duty truck still under development, shows early test results that suggest around 35% fuel savings can be made Like other Hong Kong hybrid cars, the Volvo FM hybrid truck will incorporate scientifically advanced features like braking energy that can be recovered for later use in acceleration, a zero emission rate when the engine is in electric mode, and reduced brake wear as well as other maintenance costs

Remember, the engine works in electric mode alone under acceleration, so what is traditionally the most polluting stage of driving has been reversed in this Hong Kong hybrid truck

As one of the world’s most exciting and prestigious brand, Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong offers luxury passenger cars and commercial vehicles extensive choice of Vito, Sprinter, Viano, Actros, Axor and Atego to the customers in Hong Kong and Macau.

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Author : David Maillie

Night time driving safety is a big concern lately as most accidents occur at night Also, the severity of these accidents tends to be much more severe with more fatalities and severe injuries Our vision field is much smaller at night and an improperly lit car or one with dim headlights can be very hard if not impossible to see Night time greatly increases the impact of minor inconveniences like dim or cloudy headlights Dimly lit or bad headlights limit our awareness, vision and even our ability and to react or even see is in front of us

There are things we have no control over like non relective signs and under or overgrowth that partially covers signs, but there are major things like headlights that you can control and limit your risks when driving at night

Per the National Institute for Traffic and Highway Safety, the number one reason for severe night time accidents and reduced driving safety is dim or cloudy and improperly lit headlights If a headlight has ineffective or diminished light output, your night time driving safety is greatly at risk According to a study by the University of Iowa, a 20 to 50% reduction in headlight out put leads to a 90% increase in the possibility of an accident occurring In 1988 the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that 90% of cars currently on the road have dim, cloudy or improperly lit headlights that greatly increase night time driving risks Basically, 4 out of every 5 people driving at night are taking unnecessary risks by driving with ineffective headlights This is a very unnecessary risk as it is easy to either replace or fix these headlights

In the past the only option was to either replace a bad bulb and or the entire lens Being that most dim headlights are not due to bad bulbs and are actually due to cloudy and worn headlight lenses, this became very expensive and for many cost prohibitive 99% of all headlight lenses are made of plastic and the average replacement lens costs over $200 to replace and that does not include installation and aiming Now there is a very cost effective alternative, the headlight restoration and cleaning kit This headlight restoration and cleaning kit has made it so headlights that were once discarded could now be restored to new condition again Driving safety is greatly increased and so is piece of mind Numerous police and government agencies have reported huge safety increases with the use of this headlight restoration and cleaning kit and most even use it on their own vehicles

For more great information, tips, safety and money saving products for your automobile please visit: Headlight cleaning and restoration kit and automotive safety articles

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Author : Jordan McPelt

Money is tighter than ever but that does not mean the need for car and truck body work will instantly stop When there are money troubles and people are spending far less than ever before, the extra money needed to perform quality auto body work is something that is in short supply In order to find an auto body specialist that is right for your auto body repair, there are a few tips that you can follow along the way

Check Credentials and the Better Business Bureau

As the old saying goes, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is The same saying goes for auto body repair There are car repair shops that are in just as difficult monetary positions as the common man These car body shops may offer a special on repairing your car that seems too good to be true The key is to look into the past customers serviced by the auto body shop There are also questions the buyer needs to ask such as, how do the repairs hold up over time? Is there a guarantee for the work performed at the lower price? Looking into the local chapter of the Better Business Bureau can also help the buyer to choose an auto body shop that is free from complaints and stands by the work they are completing

Make Sure All Work is Covered

There is nothing worse during a recession than to find out the auto body work estimate did not include all of the work you needed performed Reading the fine print can help the auto owner to ensure all the work will be completed at the price stated Once the work begins, there is little room to wiggle in the contract you have signed and if the auto body shop begins repairs and decides to add on costs for necessary repairs because they were not covered in the original contract, the auto owner will be left with a bigger price to pay

Cosmetic Versus Necessary

Tight money means even tighter wallet strings When searching for an auto body expert, make sure the work completed is necessary work and not simply cosmetic work While everyone wants to have a car that is pristine, if the money is just not there to complete the cosmetic repairs those will have to wait Instead, repairing the necessary flaws that may cause rusting and / or harm to the cars performance are on the top of the list All other repairs may have to wait until there is more expendable money in the future

Unfortunately, the amount of money in your bank account does not always match the needs of auto body repair If you find yourself in need of a car repair, following these simple tips can help you find the right auto body repair shop for your budget Always remember, an estimate is normally free so shop around and find the repair shop that offers both a great deal and great work on your car repair

Jordan Mcpelt is a professional author who specializes in auto repairs. For more information on Utah auto body repairs visit http://www.cascadecollision.com

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Author : James Todman

Driving carefully by not over accelerating, braking hard and sharp corning is the best way to extend the life of your car tyres This article has five other tips to keep your car tyres in good condition:

1 Correct Tyre Pressure

Regularly check your car tyres are not under or over inflated

Under inflation causes greater flexing of the rubber, increasing the operating temperature and reducing the tyre’s lifespan The wear on the edge or shoulder of the tyre is increased and damage can be caused to the vehicle’s suspension when driving over a pothole

Under inflation also results in poor fuel economy Increased rolling resistance makes a car engine work harder and uses more fuel

Over inflation is equally bad by increasing the wear in the centre of a car tyre’s tread; an area important for protecting the tyre against impact damage

To find the recommended tyre pressure check the owner’s manual or look for a plaque on the inside of the fuel flap

2 Balance and Alignment

Whenever your car tyres are repaired or replaced make sure they are correctly balanced when remounted on your car If not this will cause vibrations, increasing tyre wear, damaging suspension and leading to driver fatigue

Correct alignment is necessary to have the steering, suspension, wheel components and car tyres all working in harmony to achieve the optimum performance from your vehicle

It doesn’t cost much for your local garage or car tyre specialist to check the vehicle’s balance or alignment Without it the resulting cost of repair will be far greater

3 Inspection

A visual inspection once a month does not take long and is important to maintain your car tyres in a safe condition

Check the tread depth Most tyres have a tread wear indicator built into them Look for a horizontal bar of rubber located between the tread patterns, at a depth of 2mm When the height of the tread wears down to the height of this bar it is time to replace your car tyres

Check the car tyres for any unusual bulges or lumps as these are often a sign of internal damage Inspect the tread and sidewall rubber for any signs of cracking If found change the tyre as soon as possible as cracking can cause a blow-out

Remove any stones and other objects stuck in a car tyre’s tread If a nail is found embedded in the rubber, do not remove as the tyre will rapidly deflate Instead take the tyre to a specialist who may be able to repair the puncture

4 Repairs

Don’t risk driving on a car tyre that is losing pressure Take it to a specialist who will give the tyre a complete inspection and make the decision whether it can be repaired or replaced

Driving on a flat tyre for even a short distance will damage it beyond repair

Never try repairing a car tyre yourself This should be handled by a trained professional

5 Tyre Rotation

The weight of a vehicle is not evenly distributed on all of the car tyres By regularly rotating the tyres their lifespan is extended and uneven car tyre wear is avoided

Visit a car tyre specialist for further advice and to check the condition of your current car tyres

Get an instant online tyre quote now or contact your nearest fitting centre to see how much you can save with Merityre car tyres specialist!

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Author : Art Gib

In 1968, gas was 34 cents a gallon in America! It was the age of flower power and war protests, and in another year man would set foot on the moon for the very first time In the middle these tumultuous times, a company called Subaru brought the nation a little car from Japan called simply the “360 ” It wasn’t generally considered very attractive, but it was economical and practical

In the next decade, Subaru produced vehicles that were the antithesis of what American companies were making Whereas Michigan was proud of their giant automobiles, Subaru focused on creating cars that were safer, with front-wheel drive operation and on-demand four wheel drive As a result of this focus, the company introduced the Subaru 1000, FF-1, GL Coupe, and a four wheel drive station wagon The Coupe had an especially sporty style, a far cry from the “ugly” 360 By the middle of the 1970′s, Subaru’s sales totaled over 84 million dollars and it was fast becoming a serious competitor in the automobile market

In the late 1970′s, Subaru began selling its BRAT model, which stands for Bi-Drive, Recreational, All-Terrain Transporter It combined the 4×4 feature with the styling and comfort of a sedan, and became very popular In the 1980′s, Madonna revolutionized rock and roll music and Ronald Reagan became President It was also a time when home computers became the norm, and Subaru’s XT Coupe design combined the advanced technology of the era with styling

In the 1990′s, the company pushed the 4×4 envelope a little further with its Justy model Because of the four-wheel drive, it was known to be able to take on rugged terrain But it also set a Class 1 speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the Utah desert by average a speed of 117 4 miles per hour

By the new millennium, Americans had become more health conscious than at any other time in US history The popularity of outdoor recreation exploded, as more and more people took up mountain biking, rock climbing, snowboarding, and hiking Subaru capitalized on this trend by marketing their newest models to this new breed of healthy Americans The Outback model was introduced as a sports utility wagon and catered to outdoors-minded families

Fuel economy, practicality, and engineering have been the focus of Subaru since 1968 The aesthetics and looks of its models have changed considerably over the years, but Subaru’s influence on the American car market is here to stay The history of the company mirrors the development and changes in the very fabric of our culture

For one-stop shopping for Subaru Baja parts, contact Subaru Parts For You (http://subarupartsforyou.com/). They offer a huge inventory of genuine Subaru parts at discount prices.

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Author : Mike Trudel

It started out simple enough Historians may argue the chronology, but “Active Safety” likely began with the “horn,” an effective way to alert the guy ahead of you that you might run into him if he doesn’t move Then someone came up with the idea of something called a “turn signal” to let other drivers know which way you were thinking of going That led to another great idea, “brake lights” that let the guy behind you know you were slowing down

Active safety has mushroomed ever since Much of the safety technology developed over the past 50 years has focused on protecting people in a crash — reacting to an impact with passive safety technology like seat belts and airbags The future of active safety seeks to help prevent accidents in ways the inventor of the horn never imagined

One of the most common active safety systems widely used today is anti-lock braking Anti-lock braking senses impending wheel lock-up and pulses the brakes many times a second — faster than most humans could — allowing drivers to maintain steering control under severe braking conditions The brake controllers for ABS also enable traction control and dynamic stability systems; the three lie at the heart of most near-term active safety systems

Among these systems are sensors that monitor the angle of the steering wheel, the front wheels and the vehicle itself; the speed at which each wheel is turning; the engine speed; and, in some cases, how hard the driver is hitting the brakes The electronic components process this information in milliseconds and take corrective action to assist the driver

This is where we are today, but the technology that will soon be available to consumers will take active safety to another level The elements of adaptive cruise control and steer-by-wire will be added, and radar might sense impending collisions and either warn the driver or enable the vehicle to take evasive action itself

With steer-by-wire and active suspension, the vehicle can correct oversteer or understeer with brakes, the engine, steering and perhaps shocks This is also referred to as integrated chassis control, which uses not just the brakes but also the steering, engine and other systems within the chassis In essence, the active suspension system analyzes what the driver is asking the vehicle to do and decides how best to achieve that result In other words, it would be much harder for a driver to lose control of a vehicle if an active safety system could steer to counteract unwanted turning in a braking maneuver While the system would take input from the driver’s controls — the steering wheel, brake pedal and accelerator pedal — it could just as easily take commands from outside the vehicle, perhaps from an intelligent highway system

Suppliers and engineers believe that integrated chassis control could become commonplace in 10 years The leading edge of this technology is an enhanced handling system called active roll control The system uses hydraulic input from the steering system to actuate hydraulic cylinders in the front and rear sway bars so they resist leaning when the vehicle turns or follows a curve Currently, rollover sensors are available to help indicate if a rollover is imminent The sensor assesses the vehicle’s inclination and in conjunction with other inputs, such as vehicle speed and lateral acceleration, warns of extreme inclination or the potential for vehicle rollover

Also well along the development cycle is adaptive cruise control, also known as intelligent cruise control or smart cruise control, a system that is already in production One such system features a single radar unit both mid- and long-range capability The system’s processor is contained in the same box as the radar, and the entire unit is hidden behind the front grill The radar looks forward, while the processor interprets the distance to the vehicle ahead If the car ahead gets too close (a pre-determined limit entered by the driver), the processor sends a command to the engine controller to slow the engine; and if that’s not enough, it sends a command to apply the brakes

Collision avoidance systems may evolve from adaptive cruise control by adding short-range radar to the front and side This would work in tandem with a panic brake-assist system currently available This system measures master-cylinder pressure; if it detects a very rapid application of the brake pedal, it uses the motor pumps from the traction control or dynamic stability control system to build brake pressure at the wheels faster than the driver could manage alone

Automotive suppliers are looking not only at radar, laser and infrared for collision warning and collision avoidance systems, but also at optical systems – cameras which collect data that is interpreted by a computer rather than driver-displayed Both optical sensors and angular-rate sensors determine whether there’s an obstacle in a vehicle’s path That’s the easy part The challenge becomes understanding the vehicle’s intended path, particularly when that path involves a curve in the road Once the system recognizes that the vehicle is going around a curve, it would be able to determine whether an object is actually in the vehicle’s path An intelligent system that can tell the road is curving will know that a car that looks like it’s directly in front is really in another lane

Increasingly sophisticated advances in active safety will continue to blossom over the next decade, including stop-and-go cruise control, pre-crash sensing, forward collision warning, side and rear blind spot detection and lane change warnings The more pieces of active safety that are fitted together, the closer the industry comes to being able to turn over control of a car to an on-board or off-board computer in emergency situations, on “smart” high-speed lanes of crowded highways or perhaps even full time during regular driving conditions Of course, that much automated control could eventually become a “hot potato ” The concern is likely to be whether drivers and buyers are ready for it The fact is, automakers aren’t going to spring entire active safety systems on the public all at once As is already the case, the ingredients will be added gradually, piece by piece

Mike Trudel, Freelance Writer.

Delphi Corp. is a leading innovator of automobile safety equipment and technology. To learn about Delphi’s safety advancements, visit www.Delphi.com/4safe.

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Author : Brent Warnken

The men and women of the IRL are ready to start their engines for the beginning of the 2009 IndyCar Series that kicks off on April 5, 2009 at the Honda Grand Prix of St Petersburg race in St Petersburg, Florida, but April is still far away for many racing aficionados holding Indy Racing League (IRL) tickets All has not been quiet on the IndyCar front since Target Chip Ganassi’s Scott Dixon snagged the IndyCar Series title in 2008, and 2009 has already brought several changes from last year’s racing league

In the 2008 IndyCar Series, Scott Dixon edged out Helio Castroneves for a first place finish on the season, while Tony Kanaan came in a close third and Dan Wheldon and Ryan Briscoe rounded out the top five, respectively Danica Patrick, Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Oriol Servia and Hideki Mutoh finished in sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth (respectively) in 2008, and while all these drivers set their sights on the 2009 series title, quite a few things have changed in the last several months, putting a brand new spin on things in the upcoming racing season

First and foremost, Team Penske’s No 3 driver Helio Castroneves is still an iffy prospect to racing in this year’s IndyCar Series, as he is currently tied up in legal woes battling the Miami judicial system after being accused of tax evasion Aussie Will Power is set to take the reins for Castroneves in his absence, and the fate of these two drivers for Team Penske still hinges on the outcome of this lawsuit Penske’s other driver Ryan Briscoe, in the meantime, is staying consistent with his testing, leading the rest of the IRL in speed after a two-day testing period at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in February

Coming in second after the two-day testing run at the end of February was defending IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, whose racing position with Target Chip Ganassi Racing still stands solid The Chip Ganassi team endured some changes after the 2008 season, however, losing Dan Wheldon to Panther Racing in the offseason while gaining Dario Franchitti, winner of the 2007 IndyCar Series who briefly left the IRL in 2008 for a stint with NASCAR before coming back to open-wheel racing The Franchitti-Dixon double-threat is expected to be a powerful force on the IRL scene for Target Chip Ganassi Racing in 2009, but that’s not the only team roaring toward a fierce start to the season

Andretti Green Racing welcomes back drivers Tony Kanaan, Marco Andretti, Hideki Mutoh and Danica Patrick, all of whom were top 10 finishers in the 2008 championships and have been active in the offseason Patrick especially has been the vixen of media coverage since having an explosive year in 2008, and she has recently made a splash as one of the handpicked female figures posing for the 2009 swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated

Andretti Green looks to go strong into 2009, and another team ready to spice things up in the upcoming months is KV Racing Technology, which recently picked up Brazilian driver Mario Moraes Moraes raced with Dale Coyne Racing in his inaugural IRL season last year, and he looks to be an absolute asset to KV in ’09 Fellow Brazilian Vitor Meira also made team changes over the past year, switching from Panther Racing to A J Foyt Enterprises, where he will spend 2009 trying to beat his 13th overall standing from last year

While several changes have taken place over the last year with the IndyCar Series of the Indy Racing League (IRL), one thing remains consistent: these 29 drivers of the open-wheel racing league are revved up and ready to go for the 2009 season, so get racing tickets online and head down to the nearest speedway for a taste of this year’s high-flying IRL action

This article is sponsored by StubHub.com. StubHub is a leader in the business of selling Indy Racing League (IRL) tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.

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Author : David Maillie

Nationwide the results are showing an increase in accidents across the board There is a marked increase in DUI and numerous other night time accidents According to the Institute for Highway and Traffic Safety, many of these accidents are avoidable or at least their severity greatly reduced For the purpose of this article we consulted the safety experts of the state police and firefighters of several states and specifically asked them what worked best Below are their recommendations and tips for improving driver safety and reducing the incidence or probability of an accident

Their first tip was to increase the following distance Aggressive driving and following too close can easily result in a rear end collision, especially at night when vision is reduced and reaction time is slowed A good rule of thumb is to allow at least one car length of distance between cars for each 10 mph increment So, for 10 mph 1 car length will suffice and for 60 mph at least 6 car lengths or more This will allow for proper reaction time and braking in an emergency Also watch out for cars switching lanes without using turn signals If you follow too closely there may be another car stopped in you lane that you will not have time to stop for

Another great tip for avoiding unnecessary night time accidents was to make sure your cars lighting works properly This is especially important at night when visibility is already low and a dimly or unlit vehicle poses a great risk and threat to other cars According to New York State Troopers the biggest problem with headlights was not actually the bulb, it was the plastic cover of the headlight lens Since 1992 clear plastic headlights have been made standard on almost every car made and the problem is that these plastic lenses are very susceptible to damage from the environment Just like car paint, plastic lenses become damaged and cloudy from exposure to UV rays, harsh weathering and acid rain The lenses start to cloud and before long light output and safety can become greatly reduced

According to the AAA Foundation for traffic safety, An average of 9 out of every 10 cars on the road today has dirty or yellowed headlights that greatly reduce vision and need to be replaced or restored That means almost every car out there is in need of some degree of headlight repair or restoration It used to be that the only option was replacement of the cloudy headlight lens at an average of $250 per lens Now there is a headlight restoration kit available that is currently used and backed by numerous police and state agencies that will restore the headlight lens to new again and restore night time driving safety According to the National Institute for Highway Traffic and Safety dim headlights are the number one most easily avoidable factor in serious night time accidents

Another tip was dirty or improperly cleaned windshields According to several state troopers, most people do not realize the effect of glare on night time or daytime driving Glare can literally blind you If your windshield or other windows are dirty or even fogged, your vision can quickly be impaired All it takes at night is for someone to be driving with a dirty windshield and an oncoming car with their bright lights or even regular lights on You will be temporarily blinded and long enough to easily cause a serious accident Clean your windows at every fill up Many gas stations have windshield wash stations available so take advantage of them If your windshield has scratches or cracks get it replaced It is also a good time to check your headlights and tires to make sure they are properly inflated as improperly inflated tires can cause you to lose traction when you need it most

For more great information, tips, safety and money saving products please visit: Great Auto Safety Tips and Headlight Restoration at www.mdwholesale.com

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