How to Change Spark Plugs

By Stephan Marking

There are many different reasons why you may need to change your spark plugs. If you are wondering exactly why, when, and what your spark plugs do, here are a few facts that may answer a few of your spark plug questions.

Spark plugs are named appropriately because they are the key instrument in sending the spark or igniting the engine of your vehicle. They are a fascinating part of your engine. When they don't work though, it can be very annoying.

There are a couple main reasons why you might have to change your spark plugs. Some choose to keep their vehicle maintained well by changing their spark plugs when their vehicles manufacturing manual suggests. Check your vehicles manufacturing manual to find out at what mile to change your spark plugs.

It might not be the smartest thing to overuse your spark plugs. It may seem annoying to follow the manual on when exactly to change them but it is the smartest thing to do. You will begin to feel a rough idle or loss of energy and performance the longer you wait to change your spark plugs.

There are other reasons too that you have to change your spark plugs, these include fouled, worn, or spark plugs with bad wires. These are a bit harder to spot and most likely you will have to take your car to a local car shop to have them checked out. If you are very familiar with cars you will be bale to spot a certain firing pattern with your cylinders that will lead to why your spark plugs may or may not be functioning properly.

We all understand that it isn't smart to overuse anything, especially when it comes to your transportation, but sometimes we are tempted to overlook overusing small things such as spark plugs. The problem with this is now your car will have to overwork to fire up the appropriate voltage to spark and start your engine.

If you are having difficulty starting your car, if it cranks but wont turn over, the first thing you want to do is double check your spark plugs. If you find that they are wearing out then it is time to change them. Many people choose to change them themselves, but some still like to bring it in first to a mechanic to make sure that it really is the spark plugs that are the problem.

Also check your vehicles manufacturers manual to see if what it says about spark plugs. Different vehicles may have different warnings and requirements. If you have any further questions talk to your local car shop, they will be able to tell you exactly what your vehicle needs. - 21396

About the Author:

Master Muffler is Utah's leading muffler, brake and auto repair shop, and has 13 locations from Brigham City to Provo. Visit or call one of their locations for a free quote on how to improve your miles per gallon up to 30% for your car, truck or van. Visit their website at www.mastermuffler.net.

Get Helpful Tips From San Francisco Auto Insurance Specialists

By Antonio Dominguez

Having your cars insured will save you from all the hassles of road accidents. For one, it will cover the costs of repairing your vehicle and the damages it caused to other people. It is your safety net. Driving a car is very common to all of us; it puts us at risk each time we are on the road so you need to have something to protect you and your family, something like San Francisco auto insurance.

Did you know that the California law mandates every vehicle owner to get auto insurance? If you don't have your cars insured, not only are you being reckless about your safety but are also breaking the law. If you don't want to end up in jail, you need to get one.

There are a lot of San Francisco auto insurance companies that can help you find the best insurance quotes. If you are stranger to the world of insurance policies, it would be best to seek help from auto insurance specialists.

San Francisco auto insurance specialists can help you a lot better when shopping for insurance quotes than going online. They have the experience and knowledge about the auto insurance industry.

Auto insurance specialists will take a lot of load off your shoulders. You can leave the task of shopping for different insurance quotes and getting the best rates to them. All you need to do is sit tight and wait. They can also brief you on the limitations of your policy.

You have a responsibility to your cars and so do these San Francisco auto insurance specialists. It's their duty to help you shop around for companies that offer the best rates. With their help, you will get to know the ABCs of getting auto insurance.

Enticed now? You don't have to worry about where to find auto insurance specialists. There are a lot of them floating around somewhere. You can go to car dealerships and ask where you can get one or search online. I'd go for the latter. You will find it easier to narrow down your search.

Make your safety your priority by insuring your cars. This will protect you from future unexpected costs to your cars. San Francisco auto insurance specialists will help save you time, money, and effort so go find one now. - 21396

About the Author:

Are you looking for California auto insurance at an affordable price? Get a free online car insurance quote for San Francisco auto insurance by visiting our site right now.

The Energy Crisis and Hybrid Cars

By Colin Jones

It has been said that not enough people are doing all they can do to fight against the energy crisis. Hybrid cars can help, but definitely not enough people are driving them. Here are a few problems related to the energy crisis and how hybrid cars can help.

The U.S. isn't doing enough really. The United States uses more fossil fuels than any other country in the world. However, most people believe that all of our energy problems can be solved if we would only look further into the oil deposits in Alaska or if we made full use of the recent oil discovery in the Gulf of Mexico.

Hybrid cars make it so that we might not have to use other sources of energy to keep the economy afloat. Hybrid cars don't cause Americans to use more fossil fuel. Rather, hybrid cars make Americans use less fossil fuel.

Gas consumers just accept increasing fuel prices. People used to care that fuel prices are much higher now than they were a few years ago. Now, however, people just take the higher prices in their stride. Furthermore, in the meantime, cars are being made bigger and bigger. Vehicle manufacturers are making trucks and SUV's, which consume more fuel at the higher prices.

These cars use more gas, but you wouldn't believe how many people just won't give up their petrol-guzzling SUV. Hybrid vehicles do end up costing people less to own than conventional cars do. So there's no need to worry about just settling for being over-charged by the oil economy.

Soon there could be an end to the "cheap oil period". Soon, we could all be in over our heads, because not only will we have an energy crisis, but a peak oil crisis as well. During the peak oil crisis, there will be fuel shortages and natural gas shortages too. The major countries will need to compete against each another for whatever fuel remains.

So everyone may have some problems, and countries may battle over who gets oil and who does not. The peak fuel crisis can be put off, if more people just purchased hybrid vehicles. Hybrid cars make it so that people do not always have to be looking for oil. And there are advances being made in hybrid cars everyday.

The plug-in hybrid vehicles, for instance, might not need oil at all one day. So, just in case we do have an energy crisis, Americans should really be using the meantime to get their heads together in order to find a solution to the oil crisis in America. Hybrid vehicles are the way to beat the energy crisis, and if countries still want to fight each other over fuel, at least America will know they tried to slow the impending crisis by investing in hybrid cars.

So, that's it. America's mass use of hybrid vehicles would make it so that Americans use less petrol. But Americans also still have yet to gain from the huge amount of money being made from hybrid cars. The majority of popular hybrid cars come from Japan. Therefore, Americans need to bring that money back into the country by making hybrids at home and do something about the current energy crisis at the same time. - 21396

About the Author:

If you are interested in the insides of New Hybrid Vehicles, please visit our website on http://new-hybrid-vehicles.com

3 Reasons To Invest In A Wheel Chair Lift For Vehicle

By Febbe Wallace

Nowadays, it's getting harder and harder to get anywhere without a vehicle. It cannot be denied that even for those who are able to travel with ease, a form of transportation has become a necessity.

Individuals with disabilities have twice as much difficulty getting around. Fortunately, there have been many technological advances for mobility devices. There is now a wheel chair lift for vehicle for those who want more convenience.

For many individuals, having a wheel chair alone is not sufficient to travel with ease. You may be able to move in a wheel chair from your home to the nearest convenience store just across the road, however, what if you are having a family trip and expecting to be on the road for 3 or more hours? Surely you'll be stopping by somewhere to eat or have a few moments to rest, and it's not going to be a breeze getting on and off the car without some extra help. This is where a wheel chair lift for vehicle comes in handy.

Reason 1:

Independence to move around is the primary reason why you should invest in a wheel chair lift for vehicle. It can sometimes require more than one person to get someone on a wheelchair into a vehicle. Imagine all the trouble you get for just wanting to drive to the grocery store. With a wheel chair lift for vehicle, you no longer have to call on someone just to get into your car. Invest in a hydraulic wheel chair lift if you'd like total independence.

Reason 2:

A wheel chair lift for vehicle may be expensive but its relatively cheaper compared to paying for 2 or 3 helpers or personal nurse at a time to help you move around. First of all, paying for 2 or 3 helpers at a time is not cheap. Not to mention, your helpers aren't always going to be around perhaps because of illness, holiday leave, absence, etc.

Wheel chair lift investment is a one-time expense but the benefits can last for a long time. Also, the lift can be easily sold when no longer in use.

Reason 3:

Third, you will have a whole lot more to cover in your neighborhood and beyond. There are so many reasons for you to get a wheel chair lift for vehicle. As mentioned earlier, you may need one for long trips. But think about public transport. There are trains, trams and cabs. If you don't happen to have a car, a wheel chair lift for vehicle will eliminate your anxiety whenever in public places. It can also save you during emergencies when you need to catch a train or get into a cab to go somewhere quick.

Wheel chair lift for vehicles are now available in the market. Most are light, compact, and weather resistant for maximum comfort and mobility. - 21396

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Discover the best brands for wheel chair lift for vehicle. Get more sources for wheel chair lift vans and cars.

Water Ingression Test: Must You Pay for Motor Oil Testing?

By Michael Kaufman

This is number two from a series of half a dozen very useful, and low cost, oil tests that you can perform without even a simple chemistry set.

The crackle test is valuable for determining whether water build-up from condensation is an issue. Typically, you will be most susceptible to water in your engine oil if you are a short trip driver and/or if your vehicle sits for long periods without being run.

Why a water test? Because water build-up leads to acid build-up. Acid causes corrosion which leads to pitting. You don't want pitting in your vehicle's engine. Even a high TBN extended drain synthetic oil like AMSOIL can eventually be overcome by water/acid build-up. So, as a general rule, you'd probably want to know if you were getting water in your oil BEFORE acid build-up depletes your oil's acid fighting ability. For this reason, I recommend performing the crackle test.

It should be noted that fuel in your oil can cause the results of the crackle test to be inconclusive. Performing the blotter spot test (business card test) beforehand will indicate whether you have fuel dilution. If you do, then you probably don't need to worry about water ingression and the crackle test is likely unnecessary. The fuel dilution alone may be reason enough to consider changing your oil, if it is severe enough and/or causing any other issues.

To use the crackle test, you place a very small quantity of oil onto a hotplate of some sort and set it to a temperature high enough to boil off any water in the oil. Since most engine oils are not volatile until they gets up over 350 degrees or more (synthetics much higher than that), setting the plate to something between 250 and 300 degrees F should work well.

At that temp, when you place the engine oil on the plate, you will hear a crackle as the water boils off. The crackling should occur very quickly as long as you don't use much oil. Of course, if there is no water in your engine oil, you will hear no crackle.

Of course, paying for a an oil analysis performed in a lab will tell you not only IF your oil has been contaminated with water, but also how much contamination has occurred. Nevertheless, even though the crackle test is not quite as informative, it's nice that you can utilize this DIY test to at least tell you if water is present. - 21396

About the Author:

Are you interested in learning more about cheapskate oil testing, how to compare motor oils, how synthetics CAN and sometimes CANNOT be good options, how to compare oil filters and much more? Check out my Motor Oil Bible Blog or head over and check out my Motor Oil Bible ebook.