Time for a Change!

From that very first time you sat behind the wheel of a car, there has always been that little sticker in the top left of the windshield that tells you when to get your oil changed. Often the sticker will say the name of the company that last changed the oil, as well as at what mile this company suggests you get the oil changed. While yes, it is a very informative sticker, what the sticker fails to inform us about is why. Why is it so important to get the oil changed every few thousand miles?

To begin we must first know what oil does.

Oil Lubricates. Motor oil is used to prevent the wear and tear of an engine due to metal on metal friction. Oil seeps into the different tiny nooks and crannies in the metals, allowing for the now frictionless engine to run efficiently.

Oil Cleans. Oil cleans the engine by catching dirt and tiny pieces of debris that can damage bearings and other parts of the car.

Oil Cools. Oil absorbs the heat from the different frictions and combustions happening in your car. Oil helps cool the underside of the pistons, the crankshaft, bearings, rods and more.

Now that you know what oil does, what happens if you never choose to change your oil? If you refrain from changing your oil, dirt and debris will build up in the oil and eventually, when this mixes with the different detergents and additives already in the aging oil, the oil with become thick and sludgy, no longer working as a lubricant and ultimately leading to the demise of your car. Yikes!

So, keep an eye out for that sticker on your windshield and don’t forget to change your oil!

An Electric Future

Green is the most popular color today and those at Ford know it. This is why Ford has teamed up with HBO heart throb and Co-Founder of www.SHFT.com, Adrian Grenier, in an effort to not just go green themselves, but also help others go green too.

Check out this neat music video for “Electric Car” by They Might Be Giants posted on SHFT.com here: Electric Car

And check out the rest of the SHFT website to find out how they’ve been “curating the environment” all over the U.S. here: www.SHFT.com

Car Confessions Data Chart

We all have little bits of interesting information and odd behaviors somewhere in our relationship with our cars. Some people don’t mind if you smoke in their car, others don’t always wear a seat belt (though they should), and most people have even named their car! This infographic presents the results of a poll where more than 1000 people were asked a variety of questions about their cars, so check out this infographic for the results.




More here:
http://blogs.automotive.com/car-confessions-data-chart-120407.html#axzz2M7LpmIqL

20 Most Interesting Facts About Cars

“All of you guys have read certain interesting facts about animals, technology, or people at least once in [your] life. Right? And since [a] car is something you use every day, this time it’ll be facts about cars. These infotaining car facts might surprise everybody, from car enthusiast[s] to simply car owner[s]. So in the name of entertainment and because car[s] [are] the most popular type of transport, [here is a] list of great facts about automobiles and things regarding autos. Accompanied with pictures that will help you get a visual description, these great facts can change your attitude towards routine work or usual stuff. Get to know [these] top 20 interesting facts about cars!”

More here:
http://blog.carid.com/20-most-interesting-facts-about-cars

How to Jump Start Your Car

Imagine this, you walk out the door towards your vehicle, get in, and it won’t start. Oh no, maybe the battery’s dead! This can be because the headlights were left on, a door was not completely closed, or maybe the battery is just old. In any case, you’ve got somewhere to go, and you’re not going to let this stand in your way. Well as long as you’ve got a friend with a charged car battery and some jumper cables, you can still get where you’re heading after a quick jump.

Put on the safety glasses and open the hoods of both cars. Make sure the battery position on each car is compatible to the length of the cables.
Attach the red clamp of the jumper cables to the working battery in the assisting car first, then attach the black clamp to the negative terminal of the working battery in the assisting car. Be sure once both of those clamps are attached to the working battery that the idle clamps on the other end of the jumper cables do not come into contact with one another, or sparks will fly.
Hold the remaining clamps of the jumper cables apart and attach the red clamp to the positive battery terminal on the dead battery. Attach the black clamp of the jumper cable to a non-moving metallic ground away from the dead battery. Use a large bolt head or metal engine bracket within reach. Make sure that there is no slack in the cable or clamp connections that can come into contact with moving engine parts when the dead car battery starts the engine.
Start the car with the dead battery. If it doesn't start, you may need to start the engine of the assisting car and allow it to run for a while, or have the engine revved to accommodate the cold cranking amps of the dead battery. It will depend on how many cold cranking amps the dead battery calls for and how dead the battery is. A rule of thumb is to find a compatible vehicle to jump start from. A small compact car with a low cold cranking amp battery may have a difficult time jump starting a 3/4-ton truck with a high cold cranking amp battery.
Remove the black clamp from the ground position on the vehicle that needed to be jump started first, then remove the red clamp from the same vehicle (once the battery starts the engine). Again, be sure not to allow the clamps of the jumper cables to contact one another. Finally, remove the black clamp from the assisting car's negative battery terminal and then the last clamp from the positive battery terminal. Close the hoods and remove the safety glasses.

For two other ways to jump your car, check out this article. http://www.ehow.com/how_4899364_jump-start-car-safely.html