A spark plug is what fires the gas fumes in your cars engine to give it the power it needs to roll the wheels over. Spark plugs are very important to your car. Most people do not think much of their spark plugs and some probably do not even know what a spark plug is. You are actually supposed to change your spark plugs regularly to keep them working at peak performance but few do this. With standard spark plugs it is said you need to replace them every 45,000 miles and with Platinum spark plugs you need to change them every 100,000 miles. Most just drive their car until it causes them trouble as maintenance is not hardly thought about.

Here are a few reasons why you should change your spark plugs regularly.

1: It keeps your engine working at its peak performance

Your engine has several cylinders in it. Each one has its each spark plug that powers that individual cylinder. If one is bad you may not know it but it can cause that cylinder to
run under performance. This will cause your car to lose horse power and torque. Once several go out you will really begin to notice this.

2: Bad spark plugs can cause your catalytic converter to go out

If your spark plugs are bad your engine can misfire. A missfire can will dump unburned fuel vapors into the catalytic converter which can cause it to overheat and melt down. It may not hurt to misfire a few times but
after several times the heat can cause the catalytic converter to melt down. This will then possible cause a blockage which in turn would cause a loss of power. The blockage would also hurt your fuel economy tremendously.

3: Your car will start easier and faster in the winter

Bad plugs can be work or clogged. This will cause them to work poorly. You may not notice this in the summer months but in the winter when its harder for your motor to crank you may notice it taking longer to crank or not crank at all. Some people may think that its their battery but its really the spark plugs on the vehicle. Sometimes people will try to crank the vehicle so much that it wears the battery down. Since they are not firing properly this can also cause the car to get flooded with gas and that also would make it harder to start.

As you can see keeping your spark plugs in peak condition can save you a lot of trouble and possible a tow bill. Be sure and change them regularly!

Change Spark Plugs

The average lifespan of a battery in a new electric car might surprise you, it did me.  I suspected the usable life of a battery pack in todays electric cars would not be significant enough to necessitate the larger sticker price and it turns out I was wrong.  Furthermore, taking into consideration the cost of regular maintenance on a typical combustion engine, even when you do have to replace an electric car battery you may still be way ahead.

Testing Usable Life Span

There have been specific cases of electric cars like the Toyota Rav 4 EV reaching 100,00 miles on it's original battery with no significant loss of battery life.  The battery in question is the Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery, which is composed of cells, otherwise known commonly as the rechargable batteries you buy in the store.  In electric cars however instead of say a AAA or D battery, the NiMH battery in your electric car utilizes cells on a much larger scale.

Testing on the NiMH Electric Car battery life was done by the Southern California Edison, Electric Vehicle Technical Center(pdf).  They state that the likely hood of your typical electric car cell battery life to be anywhere in the 130,000 to 150,000 mile range.  Considering you don't have to perform regular maintenance like oil and air filter changes, over the life of the vehicle the cost of replacing the battery would be far under gas engine maintenance costs.

Cost Of Replacing Electric Car Batteries

The cost of replacing the battery in a Toyota Rav 4 EV, in the example above, may be the exception to the maintenance cost comparison rule.  Recent figures put the RAV 4 EV NiMH battery replacement cost at $14,000.  This would be for a custom pack that would provide 2000 usable cycles, compared to 1000, which translates into about 8 years of normal driving.  The NiMH for this particular vehicle seems high, but smaller vehicles like the new Toyota Prius have battery replacement costs of uner $3,000.

In closing, before jumping on the bandwagon and becoming an early adopter, check out what the replacement cost for the battery will be.  However, as years pass and electric cars become more popular, the price of these NiMH replacements will be dropping dramatically just like any technology that becomes old hat.

NiMH Battery

Almost everyone has been shopping at a busy time of day or during a holiday. One thing about shopping during those times is how crowed the parking lot is not to mention the checkout lines. So you go shopping and park your car only to come back out with a bunch of bags and can't find your car. I know we have went shopping even during regular times and came out only to not see our car. Then you go around everywhere looking for your car until you finally find it.

Here are some ways to remember and find your car in a parking lot.

1: Park near Landmarks

Landmarks are basically signs or something that will not move that can help you find your car from a distance. Like at a theme park you can remember where you parked by
looking at what row and section number you parked on. At your local walmart there are not row numbers but there are landmarks. For instance you could use the front doors
as a land mark. All you have to do is park on the row in front of the doors. When you walk back out all you have to do is walk straight across and down that row.

2: Make your car look unique

I have done this before. You come back out say at night and you are looking for your car. You find one that looks almost like yours and you look into it realizing its not. In some cases I bet people have even put their key in or used the remote to try and unlock the car only to set the alarm off or find out its not their car! Every car is mass produced unless you build your own car so there are bound to be look alikes out and about while you are shopping. Making your car look unique with bumper stickers,magnets,decals or a custom tag can help you find your car easier amongst the look a likes.

3: Use the Panic Button

This tip works pretty good if you have a basic idea of where your car is. The wireless remotes that come with cars now days to unlock your car have a descent operating range on them. You can use this to your advantage to help you find your car. All you have to do is to hit the "Panic" button once and listen for your cars beep or whatever noise it makes. Do not hold in the panic button as the car alarm will turn on and make a lot of noise. In some cases vehicles make a sound when you unlock or lock the car so you could avoid accidentally setting off the alarm by hitting the "Lock" or "Unlock" buttons instead of the "Panic" button.

If you put these tips to work I bet they can save you a lot of time and hassle when it comes to finding your car in a packed parking lot.

Finding your Car.

The auto shows are amazing. They show all of these super cool looking cars that are to come and some of the new features on the current model cars. They also show new designs that will be implemented on current cars. As amazing as it is, there is one thing that gets me about these shows. It's the concept cars.

Concept cars are cars that are seriously being thought about publicly selling. When they show off a concept car they are getting feedback on the car they are thinking about releasing. Concept cars are usually not in final form but they can be almost completed as far as the body work goes.

One thing about concept cars is that they look really awesome. The new styling on some of these cars is just amazing to look at. Even if all you see are the pictures online! Now here lies the problem with concept cars. They are not done yet. They are like a teaser of the real car that may or may not be made available and produced for the public.

Take for instance the new Chevy Volt. A lot of buzz was created when GM introduced a concept car, the Chevy volt a few years ago. The car not only looked amazing it had some great features. It could run on all battery power and it did not use its gas engine to power the wheels. Instead it used its motor to power a generator to charge a set of batteries which then ran the car. Each wheel has an electric motor built in.

It has yet to be released, but it could be the style of car for the future.The future in which cars are electric. The problem is they ruined it! General Motors teased us with a beautiful looking car only to change its body style almost completely compared to the concept version. Now it looks like a Chevy Impala/Toyota Yaris smashed together. It is a bit different than the impala but it's too similar for my liking. There is nothing wrong with the impala but what GM had was a totally new style, a body for a new never released car. It looked great and would have stood out a lot. Now for the preview of the production car we get half of what we wanted.

So that's what bugs me about car shows and the concept cars. Just don't fall in love with a concept car too much as you may be disappointed by the production version.

Is it a 'look at me' personality or a need to blend in with the herd?  Wait, no, that's stupid, what are people thinking when they deface their cars with such ugly paint jobs?  I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what drives someone to paint a car with zebra stripes and I don't have an answer.

The good news is that it provides some entertainment for those of us who like to point and laugh.  I don't care how immature it is, I'm laughing at you, not with you.  Check out these ugly paint jobs below.

Winter will be here before we know it and so will the frigid temperatures it brings.  This means my Mustang will need to be garaged and winterized to protect it from the elements.  There are special precautions that need to be taken to protect a car in the winter that goes beyond throwing a car cover over it.  Below are the steps and actions I take to make sure my car is ready to roll next spring.

Maintenance

I make sure it gets a fresh oil change, air filters are good, and any other maintenance that I was putting off gets done.  This includes flushing your coolant system and adding new antifreeze, most maintenance shops will flush your radiator for you if you are not familiar with the process.  Also, make sure your battery is cleaned and the terminals are removed.

When cars set they will deteriorate faster than when you are driving them frequently, so get the maintenance taken care of before putting your baby to sleep for the winter.

Tire Pressure

Anyone that has a car set for very long knows that tires have a way of going flat, so make sure your pressures are correct before parking it.  The most optimal route would be to put your car up on jack stands, but I never have.  Routinely during the winter I will also check the tire pressures again so that I don't come out in the spring and see 4 tires setting on rim.  Obviously a car setting for long periods on a flat tire will rupture the tire itself.  Furthermore, cold temperatures will lower the pressure in a tire, so adding air at intervals during the winter may be necessary.

Full Gas Tank

It's also important to keep a full tank of gas in the car, this is to prevent your gas lines from getting moisture in them and freezing.  There are fuel stabilization products you can buy if you are worried about the gas deteriorating and preventing the car from starting in the spring.

Clean And Wax The Vehicle

A nice thorough cleaning and wax will help prevent rust from forming or any other corrosion.  Also, dust has the capability of actually scratching the paint if an unprotected car is touched with a layer of dust on top.

It's also important to make sure your interior is ready to be stored as well.  I always clean and add protectant to my leather seats, so I don't have cracked seats in the spring.  I'll also do a quick once over to make sure all my weather stripping is up to snuff, replacing any that need to be.

Cover Your Car

Lastly I purchase a quality car cover to place over my vehicle for the winter.  The more dust and possible debris I can keep off of my car the better.  Make sure when purchasing a car cover that you find a quality one that will allow moisture to escape if you happen to be storing it in a damp garage.  Trapped moisture can spell rust for any vehicle parked for long periods at a time.

The car cover is the one place where I will spare no expense when protecting my car for the winter storage.  Simply throwing a cheap tarp over my Mustang is not enough to give me piece of mind and often times they dont' fit properly and end up ripping anyways.

10% off all Car and Truck Covers use the coupon JMC1

Hopefully by following the above steps when preparing your car for winter storage you will have a fresh ready to roll car come the first warm day of spring.  Taking the extra precautions now to protect your investment will give you ease of mind over winter and pay off in spades when you can jump in and drive worry free when your baby is ready to wake up.

Reviews are starting to pop up everywhere for the new Porsche 09 911 Turbo and everyone is beaming with excitement over the all new automatic transmission.  According to professional car experts it's the first automatic EVER to be considerd for a replacement for those that love manual shift fast cars.  Apparently it's worth the $5,560 option to get the, 5 years in the making, auto transmission.

Cosmetic wise the 09 911 has seen a few updates, like LED running day time lights and signals.  Also there are more wheel choices to match your personal taste when buying a new 911 Turbo.

Other than the above points it's more of the same, which is a winning combination.  If I were to hit the lottery and purchase one new car, this would be it.  The 09 911 smells like sex, looks like sex, and loves being put in the garage still dripping wet.

09 Porsche 911

Check out 1st Hand Reviews of the 09 Porsche 911:

Driving.CA

Kicking Tires

RennTech, a popular Mercedes tuning company, is in the process of putting the finishing touches on a hybrid rally car to be displayed at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.   The worlds most potent green machine will function with the same hybrid technology found in Chevrolet and Saturn hybrid vehicles.  However, RennTech is utilizing electric motors in the GLK to help PUSH the light weight rally car out of turns.

Obviously there are a number of other changes to the rally car that are typical with rally race cars.  For example you will find the obligatory fascia modifications and humongous spoiler to aid in high speed stability.

“With the Rally Racer, we have really increased the car’s performance,” continues Feyhl. “Together with the more aggressive, sporting look, we have created a powerful and exciting package.”

RennTech is hoping to prove that high performance nad efficiency can coexist.  Furthermore then note that advancements in the automotive industry were done by enthusiasts that pushed the envelope and demanded higher performance at a lower cost.  The RennTech GLK hybrid rally car will definitely be a site to see at the Auto Show.  Viva La Revolucion!

09 Venza

Toyota has announced final pricing on the upcoming release of their 09 Venza.  The 09 Venza crossover was supposed to make waves with advancements to make people want an ugly mini-van, but with todays announced pricing it looks like it will be a challenge.  As of this posting Toyota says the base model will have an MSRP of $25,975 and the all wheel drive v6 version will list at $29,250.

Huge price for not a lot of vehicle, especially for the base price as a front wheel drive 4 cylinder.  Below are a list of standard features for the 09 Venza.

• Electronic Power Steering
• Rear spoiler
• Cruise control
• Integrated fog lamps
• Privacy glass
• HomeLink(R)
• Six-disc CD changer with roof-mounted Dual-zone automatic climate
• XM(R) satellite radio antennacontrol with air filter and
• second row seat vents
• A tilt/telescopic adjustable steeringSix-speed transmission with wheel with integrated audio controls sequential shift
• Vanity mirrorRear windshield wiper
• 20-inch wheels on V6; 19-inch wheels on Electrochromic rearview mirror
• four-cylinder with compass
• Power windows with auto up/down function Cargo area one-touch forward-fold
• jam protection on all four doors seat levers
• Tonneau cover
• Seven airbags
• Rear personal overhead lamps
• Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC)
• Dual exhaust on V6
• Front active headrests
• 14-degree rear seat recline

For me, the Fit does not mean Go, but for a tiny hatch car I guess the 09 Honda Fit ranks higher than others.  The Honda Fit becomes even more appealing when you look at the lateset numbers showing that Honda and Toyota are now the rulers of the US market, taking over 30% of the business with GM only at 20%.

As for the second generation 09 Honda Fit, it's got a few upgrades that would intice those sick of high gas prices.  For example, the new 4 cylinder 1.5 litre engine now is capable of 117 horsepower, which hauls the shrunk mini-van to 60 in 9 seconds.  Not something I'd want to pull out onto the interestate with, but hey anything to save gas money right now...right?  The 09 Fit gets a reportedly 33 miles per gallon highway driving.

But let's not forget that the pice of larger SUVs and Trucks are dropping in price right now as well.  The Sport model 09 Honda Fit comes in at $17,580 and that amount will buy you a lot more car and/or truck if you are willing to sacrifice a little gas mileage.  So that's the main reason the Fit does not mean Go for me, but it looks like the perfect car for a girl getting ready to go to college.

09 Honda Fit