How to Choose a Good Car Mechanic

Most every car owner will tell you that having regular maintenance performed on your vehicle is essential to keeping your car in proper working condition. However, even though you may have some experience working on cars yourself, it is important that you routinely take your car to a certified mechanic to have it properly checked over every so often. This is particularly important for newer vehicles that include computerized equipment that only a certified mechanic can properly review.

However, deciding on which mechanic to take your care to is an important decision, and one that many people have a hard time with. People are often leery of taking their car to a new mechanic because they are unsure of how good the mechanic is at working on vehicles and also because they are afraid they may pay a lot of money to have their car "tuned up" only to find the mechanic did no actual work to the car and just scammed them out of their money.

One of the best ways to find a qualified mechanic is by word of mouth. Ask friends and family members which mechanic that they use for their own vehicles. Once a person has found a good mechanic, they will often stay with them for many years because they know they are getting quality service. So if any of your friends and family members routinely use the same car mechanic, you know they are doing so because they keep taking their vehicles to them again and again. Ask around to see if anyone you know has a mechanic that they feel is great and can be completely trusted with your vehicle.

In some situations, you may not know anyone that has a mechanic that they use regularly. But don't worry, you can still easily find a quality mechanic to work on your vehicle. You can start by visiting various mechanics and seeing what kind of business that they do. If there is constantly customers waiting to have their vehicles worked on, it is a pretty safe bet that mechanic provides quality work that keeps the customers pouring in. However, just because a mechanic doesn't have a steady flow of customers beating down his or her door, does not mean that they are a bad mechanic. There may be various reasons why a mechanic is not busy on the day that you pass by. If you are interested in having work provided by that particular mechanic, stop by and have a quick chat with them. Ask them how long they have been working on cars, what experience they have and if they have any references.

You can also ask what kind of certifications that the mechanic has for working on cars. Mechanics that are ASE certified often ensure that you will be receiving quality service from a mechanic that is quite proficient at what they do. Be patient and take your time, and before you know it you'll have a great mechanic.
Retrieved from http://www.articlesbase.com/cars-articles/how-to-choose-a-good-car-mechanic-570019.html

Auto Performance Tuning, Give More Power To Your Car

Every major and minor working part of your car can be fined-tuned to increase speed, smoothness, and drivability. Let's explore the key areas of performance tuning and see how each can contribute to better driving.

Fine Engine Tuning

There are several key areas of tuning that can help give your car or truck an engine boost. One is to install a performance chip. A performance chip can be fitted in engines with fuel injection and an ECU, or Electronic Control Unit.

With a performance chip, non-turbo engines often result in about a 10 percent power boost while turbo engines often see an increase of 25 to 30 horsepower!

Engines also see a power boost with a performance cam, which can be fitted by an experienced mechanic or a really knowledgeable homemechanic. Cams of about 270 degrees can boost the engine up to an extra 12 horsepower.

A power boost valve can also be installed to replace the fuel pressure regulator, which is located in the return fuel line.

Brake Performance Tuning

Be sure to enhance your braking power before increasing power in your automobile. Brakes are very important for your performance and safety although they are not considered performance-enhancing features.

A simple way to improve braking is to install performance pads and fix performance discs. Performance brake pads enhance braking power and can withstand much higher temperatures than regular brake pads.

Air Filters and Tuning

Probably one of the easiest tune-up tasks is to replace the air filters or the air filter element in a performance air filter. If you have a fuel-injected car, you can also enhance airflow by removing the original airbox, which contains the air filter and hoses and then replacing it with an induction kit.

The kit is a cone filter that can be attached directly to the air flow meter, thus, creating a more directed, uninterrupted airflow to the engine. More air means better engine performance.

Exhaust Enhancement

With exhausts, you're not focusing on what's going into the engine, but what's coming out. There are performance exhausts that minimize pressure restrictions for fumes that are on their way out.

Hint: Replace the factory-made exhaust manifold with an aftermarket brand that is tuned to boost power.

A Better Ride with Enhanced Suspension

Suspension is another key car tuning area that often goes unnoticed. Lowering springs can be fitted to get a better look and feel for the car. Handling is improved because the springs reduce roll when taking corners. Also, the tires will have improved contact with the road.

These springs might feel like standard springs when driving over small bumps in the road; however, when cornering hard they stiffen and reduce roll. This gives comfort and improved handling. Shock absorbers and up-rated bushes also enhance suspension.

Abundant Tuning Supplies

If you have trouble finding the performance tuning products you need, use the Internet to locate thousands of tuning products at great prices. You can find auto parts and supplies for car tuning, truck tuning, SUV tuning, and more.

Also, browse through top brand name products known for their durability and performance-enhancing qualities. There are Sniper tuning products, Diablo tuning products, and many others.

Give special attention to these key areas during your next performancetuning to enjoy maximum results.
http://www.articlesbase.com/cars-articles/auto-performance-tuning-give-more-power-to-your-car-420352.html

How To Get More Bass In Your Car

In just seven steps this article will guide you on How to Install a Sub woofer in a Factory Stereo. Very often people who are passionate about adding new additional features to their car stereo like sub woofers take the help of audio professionals to do the job. But this job is not at all complicated and can be done without any experience by following simple steps. In this article we shall also discuss the importance of installation of sub woofers, tips and warning for doing this job.



Depth and powerful sound are important for good quality of music. Speakers can be installed at various places inside the car like door panels, dash and rear decks. They enhance the sound effect for higher notes. But to enjoy lower tones adding a sub woofer to a factory stereo is the best choice. Let us see how to do that now.



First we look into list of things needed to complete this work. They are trim panel removal tool, speaker wires and Philips head screw driver. First we should remove the connection of ground cable with the battery of the car. Usually the negative lead of car battery connects the car frame. To do this we shall take the help of Philip head screw driver which loosens the clamp of the cable connected to the negative lead of the battery.



Second step is to find out the amplifier. If it is not an after marker amp and if it is factory installed one vehicle manual can help us locate the amplifier of the vehicle. Next step is to decide where the woofer should be placed. The choices available are car trunk or hatch back or cargo area of SUV on the rear side.



Fourth step is very important. The speaker wires should be connected with the positive and negative terminals of the amps correctly. The next step needs some attention. The wires of the speaker should be routed to the place where sub woofers are present. Suppose if the location of sub woofers is not near the amplifier then wires can be taken under the carpet of the vehicle. Use trim panel removal tool for prying of panels at the openings of the door. The trim panels can be replaced by hand itself after laying the wires under the carpet.



The other end of the speaker wires are then connected with the input sockets of the sub woofer correctly. Ensure that always positive is connected to positive input and negative with negative input of woofer



After that is done we come to the last step. This seventh step is nothing but reconnecting the ground cable with the vehicle battery's negative terminal. Fix the clamp on the lead and use the same Philip screw driver which we used for loosening now to tighten the clamp of the cable. Before starting to do this job always make sure if the output from the amplifier can be handled by the sub woofer added.


This article would have provided a complete answer on How to Install a Sub woofer in a Factory Stereo with step by step instructions without the help of professionals to do the job.
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/how-to-get-more-bass-in-your-car-1837210.html