Cars Pictures and Photos

Author: Gregg Hall
One of the biggest detriments to the interior of an automobile is human body oil. Research proves that body oils on interior surfaces can cause significant life-shortening damage to your car via body oil emission. Someone who jumps into their vehicle during the warmer weather wearing very little can cause serious damage to the interior surfaces of their car, truck or van. The pH in perspiration is highly acidic and can damage a vehicle’s interior surface coatings, including leather steering wheel covers, shift knobs, door panels and arm rests.
For vinyl cleaning and detailing a heat-weld method of vinyl interior work will yield the best results. This is a unique vinyl fusion process that re-grains or re-textures the repaired area. This process is so effective that it produces practically invisible results.
In order to achieve the desired heat-weld method in interior work, you must first master the technique of color matching. You can learn of this process using color matching guides and training videos. As far as detailing goes, this skill is a valuable one to have!
Removing stains is a big part of car detailing. Almost every car owner will deal with stains at some point whether it is from kids dropping stuff on the carpet, pet stains, or just simple carelessness of your own.
Common and troublesome stains on the interior, carpet and seats, include oil, grease, butter, vegetable oil, margarine, cosmetics, and blood.
Always use a neutral soap or neutral products with a pH of 7. You will avoid a chemical reaction with this soap. Your best choice in cleaning solutions for these types of stains are solvent based and so should be used with great care.
Begin to clean the stains by scraping all excess and then reduce the stain to as small an area as possible. Try a plastic razor blade for this purpose. They work well. Next, gently dab your solvent cleaner onto the stain without ripping and it should start to come up. If there is no form of discoloration from this process then you can now wipe away gently.
Too complete, use foam type upholstery cleaner and wipe. Finish with warm water on a rag and your stain will be cleaned. Afterwards use a dry vac or a hand held dryer to dry the area if it is carpet or upholstery otherwise just let it go overnight and it will be just fine.

Author: Andrew Green
Satellite car radio is a growing industry in today’s market place. Most common car audio manufacturers have adapted their products to include satellite car radio services. This allows drivers a wider range of music for their listening pleasure making the travel place a much more entertaining place to be.
When it comes to the dreariness and monotony of the daily commute for those employed individuals, satellite car radio can offer a fresh breath of air with their wide variety of entertainment with the convenience of being mobile. Many morning show personalities have opted to take the satellite radio route as opposed to limiting themselves to syndication by normal radio station broadcasters. Satellite car radio has given the on-air personalities a wider range of listeners during the daily commute.
Because of the nature of today’s workplace and the face-paced world around us, the need to be able to have variety while on the go has caused a boom in the satellite car radio industry spawning service providers such as Sirius and XM radio along with many not so well known providers of satellite radio service. This has put a drive (no pun intended) into car audio manufacturers to make their products more of satellite car radio instead of the normal car audio systems that limit buyers to local analog radio transmissions, compact disc, and cassette capabilities.
With technologies today growing and expanding at the rate they are, the industry has grown leaps and bounds not only in the forms of media car audio equipment will accept but integrating things from our every day lives such as Mp3 capabilities, and Satellite capabilities. There are very few manufactures now that do not offer some form of satellite car radio. Your typical car stereos and the radio capabilities have been far exceeded and become a profitable market for satellite providers.
These days when you are shopping for car audio systems, you can find satellite car radio units for near as close of cost as you can your typical car audio systems with standard analog capabilities. Why wouldn’t you go for a satellite car radio instead of your plain run of the mill car stereo? When for only a few pennies on the dollar more you can in with the times and become a listener of a satellite car radio, giving you more choice when you want it, with the technologies of today’s leading industry of satellite technologies.
With all of the options you have in today’s car audio industry I see no reason to go with your standard car radio options and not give in to the growing demand of satellite car radio. Not only is it and advantage cost-wise but it also targets every genre of music, news, and talk radio you could think of. If you are looking to get out of the boredom of your daily commute, or just looking to appease the family when going on vacation I would strongly recommend that you look into satellite car radio as a great alternative for your listening needs

Author: Jimmy Cox
You’ll not get caught with your charge down if you give your car battery reasonable care.
You slide under the wheel of the car one frosty winter morning, turn the key in the lock, and start to push down the accelerator to race the engine a little. Only the engine doesn’t race; in fact it doesn’t even walk.
“Oh, no, stuck with a dead battery!” you groan.
This won’t happen to you if you consider the car’s electrical system merely an extension of the house’s power system, and give it the same type of attention and preventive maintenance.
Why does a car battery hold up perfectly well during the summer and poop out in the winter, just when you need it most? This can happen for two different reasons.
1) the oil in the crank case is stiffer in cold weather than in warm, and the starting motor has a harder job ploughing through it.
2) The output or effectiveness of a storage battery falls off markedly as the temperature drops. In other words, when the engine needs the most starting energy, the battery is least capable of providing it!
There is a simple solution to this nuisance: check the battery frequently with the arrival of cold weather, and give it an overnight charge with a charger occasionally to keep it to full strength. The more frequently you stop and start the engine, and the less you use the car in the winter, the less chance does the battery have to accumulate a good charge from the charging generator, which works only when the engine runs.
A test on a storage battery with a voltmeter doesn’t mean very much. A three-cell battery can read pretty close to its maximum of 6.6 volts, and a six-cell battery to 13.2 volts, and still make very little impression on a current-hungry starting motor. Did you know that a three-cell battery has to deliver between 200 and 300 amperes to kick over a modern high-compression engine?
The only reliable test is made with a hydrometer. This is a syringe-like glass gadget with a squeeze bulb at one end; inside the glass is a shot-weighted float. To use it, you merely unscrew each cap of the battery in turn and suck up about half a syringeful of acid. The weight of the acid compared to that of water (its “specific gravity”) is a direct indication of the state of charge.
The float is calibrated to show this specific gravity. Theoretical full charge is 1.3, or “1300,” although with anything but a brand new battery a reading between 1200 and 1250 or 1275 is very good. When the reading falls below 1200 the battery needs a little shot in the arm.
A battery charger is a source of low-voltage direct current. It consists usually of a step-down transformer that reduces the 115-volt AC line to about 7 or 15 volts (for three- and six-cell batteries, respectively) after passing it through a rectifier that changes the AC to DC. Dual-voltage chargers are now common, to accommodate both types of batteries.
To do an overnight boosting job, a charger for three-cell automobile batteries should produce not less than about 5 amperes, although 10 is even better; for six-cell batteries, ratings of about 3 to 6 amperes are adequate. Always disconnect a charger before starting the engine.
Car vibration can loosen battery leads and sometimes make them jump off; inspect, clean, tighten. Several times a year, remove the connector lugs from battery and clean terminals with sandpaper.
Wipe battery often with cloth dampened with water; check center caps of the battery for fit. To minimize corrosion around terminals, caused by sulphuric acid vapor from cells, coat with Vaseline.
With these few simple techniques, you need never put up with a dead battery again

Author: Stuart Triston
Leather is classy; leather is cool. Leather makes you appear sophisticated, suave and successful. The shine of leather reflects your confidence, and you look mature and sexy too. And this is the reason why people around the world love leather and buy leather products or visit leather shops. Not just great looking shoes, leather has touched each of our lives in a plethora of ways. For instance, the very wallet or purse you carry, your belt, the seats of your car and the settee in your home – leather has touched our lives through these products in different ways.
But what happens when your leather objects get damaged? Even a small scratch on your leather purse – and the damage can be really small – pinches you in a big way. And if a tiny scratch turns you off, imagine what big stains, a burn or scuffs would do to you. As a result, all you can do is bid a tearful goodbye to your beloved little piece of leather work.
But no longer do you have to put such a tragic end to your love for leather. If any of your leather products have suffered any damage – you can now get them repaired and make them as good as new. And if you are worried about the level of shine on the affected area, that is after it gets repaired, then forget those worries. Now you can get a shine on repaired parts which would be as good as the shine in the rest of the areas.
But how is that possible? For repairing your leather works and to make them as good as new, you have to call the experts from leather shops. There are professionals from leather shops who can help you in the repairing work, and they can do it right in your home. The time taken for such projects is anything between half an hour to two hours. And the result will be a shine as good as new on the leather products, and the shine of happiness on your face.

Author: Gregg Hall
Leather is very durable and lasts a long time but it also shows wear. Cars with leather interiors need detailing on a regular basis to look half-decent.
American leather comes with a durable vinyl coating and refinishes and re-colors well. Seats that look like a detailed road map do well to be restored and this increases the resale value of a car by several hundreds of dollars.
To properly detail your leather seats, first thoroughly clean all leather panels to be restored. Use a water based and alcohol cleaner for best results. Sand out all cracks using 320 or 400 grit sandpaper, as far down as to bare leather if necessary. Once you have achieved your level of surface smoothness, seal all of the cracks and sanded areas using a water-based leather sealer or primer. Be diligent in this process, as if the leather is not sealed adequately it will absorb moistness and then stiffen. You can re-color or re-coat water based leather using vinyl paint. The result is highly flexible. This process is not to be mistaken for dyeing. Your last step is the clincher and seals the deal! Finish with a clear coat. The gloss can be adjusted with a duller or gloss reducer additive.
The next thing will look at is color matching, since the top color in automobiles today is gray let’s take a look at that. Begin with the lightest color of the pigment structure which is White, then yellow (90% of time it is yellow,) then black.
It is common to select a small amount of red or orange between the yellow and black. This helps to dirty up the mix a little bit. The eye matches best! For practical reasons it is a good idea to work on both colors and repairs. Do some good damage to your practice piece and then work to repair and re-color it. When you feel you are comfortable with this process they can move next to doing work on your actual vehicle.
If you don’t feel comfortable doing leather detailing or color matching yourself you can always find a detail shop to do it for you. The best and most qualified car detailing shops can go to great expense in providing superior franchised equipment, however, unless they can also provide the best and experienced detailers to operate the equipment, using the proper technique, they can very well find themselves without any customers.

Author: Muna wa Wanjiru
While we appreciate the beauty that is inherent in leather you will find that sometimes the items that are covered by the leather can get damaged. When this happens you will need to look for a leather repair kit. These kits will have all of the items that you will need to make your leather item look as good as new.
The only thing that you need to keep in mind is that when you are looking to buy one of these leather repair kits is that you buy one that will work. Since you can find many different versions of this item you may wish to look at reviews for these leather care kits. In this way you can avoid buying leather repair kits that will fail to do the job for you.
When your leather furniture, car seats or even bags get damaged you will find that repairing the leather is a bit of a tricky business. The best that can usually be done is that you will place some material over the torn or damaged section and hope for the best.
There is luckily another means of repairing your leather goods. This is having a leather repair kit on hand. These kits will provide you with all of the items that you need to repair your leather goods.
There is also another product that has been advertised as being suitable for repairing leather. This leather repair product is called liquid leather repair. With both of these different products you can find the repairing of any leather item to be an easy task. With the help of the instructions that are provided you will not have too much trouble with fixing your leather.
The main item that you need to keep remembering when you are buying these products is that you look for a leather repair kit that has a proven track record. The imitations that you will see can cause more damage to your leather goods than the original tears.
For those of you who are not inclined to take a chance with getting your leather damaged even more you have the opportunity of taking the leather covering or item to professionals. As these people are constantly working with leather they will have the knowledge and the know how to fix and problems that are present in your leather goods.
While there are various products that you can use to see about getting your leather repaired sometimes it is worth the money for you to get this leather repair done by the experts in the trade.

Author: Grace Abbasi
Car Care for the Car Care Unaware
As a woman, who is mechanically incompetent and has been responsible for the maintenance of my own car for the past several years, I need help. Beyond the everyday tools – hammers, saws, screwdrivers I am lost when someone asks me to get the channel lock for them. My brain just does not retain that type of knowledge. So doing basic auto repair or maintenance is out of the question. Off to the auto repair shop for me.
Since I met my future husband, I discovered that I have contributed more than my share of hard earned money to the auto repair industry. After reviewing old work orders from my past auto repairs I was amazed how much they charged for jobs that takes literally just minutes to do and I could have done myself, had I known how to do it. Many things are very simple, however could be potentially messy. But my thinking is I would rather have to wash my hands than give the auto repair shop my hard earned money for doing a simple job that I could do myself. Besides I could use that money to go shopping or do something I enjoy.
After working in the auto repair industry for 46 years, seeing people not getting an honest deal, being sold parts and services they didn’t need and paying for things they didn’t get; he has a desire to help the general public, to provide general knowledge and know what to look for when dealing with a auto repair shops or auto mechanics.
We created a website, www.carcare4theunaware.com which is for all of us that need to be aware of the terms, abbreviations and/or phrases used in the auto repair industry. The website explains the terms used on work orders, what to look for when you ask to see the parts removed during the repair and will answer your questions concerning auto repair and maintenance.
If only I would have been aware of the meaning of the terms used in the work orders and how to check to make sure the service was performed, I would have saved money. I didn’t know I had a right to see the old parts that were replaced. I remember feeling intimidated and confused at the auto repair shop. I would just end up saying “Ok, do the repair.” – I didn’t know what they were talking about anyway.
The website does not try to make you an auto mechanic; it does teach what to look for in the work orders and services provided, terms used and provides tips and suggestions.
The point being – if people would take the time to learn what is under the hood of their car, they could do some of the basic auto repair or maintenance themselves. It is not that complicated and could save money and prevent potential future problems. For instance, oil changes, knowing if the fluid levels are sufficient in the car and know how to refill them and periodically checking the belts and hoses. Knowing how to check the tire pressure, the condition of the windshield wipers, knowing what the dash indicator lights mean are also simple things that can save money and avoid future potential problems.
When talking to people about this auto repair/maintenance, we have found that there are other people out there that tend to be confused or intimidated by the auto repair industry. The website is user friendly and provides additional auto repair and maintenance resources for our visitors’ consideration. Parts, terms, tips and suggestions are in simple everyday terms with an opportunity for visitors to send us questions or share some of their auto repair and maintenance experiences with us and future visitors.

Author: Evander Klum
Your car is a very important investment that you would never want it to experience a breakdown especially if it is new and you are also new as a driver.
Aside from your parents’ pieces of advice on road safety, it is also better to read some tips on the magazines or on the internet perhaps. Your parents may be experts on raising kids but they may not be when it comes to vehicular concerns. There are several write ups on car safety, repair and maintenance that you as a neophyte on the road should always keep in mind.
Examples of these tips are as follows:
Read your owner’s manual first. Written there is everything about your car that you need to know and remember always. From the auto parts to the proper repair and maintenance, all are written there. It is also important to obey the manufacturer’s recommended service schedule as written there.
To ensure excellent engine performance, at a good repair shop, have your engine drivability problems corrected. These problems include hard starts, rough idling, stalling, diminished power, etc. It is also much better to replace dirty air, fuel and PCV fuels to ensure a real quality engine performance.
In order to keep moisture from freezing in the fuel line, place a bottle of fuel de-icer in your fuel tank once a month. Remember that moisture formation is prevented in a gas tank that is always filled.
The oil and filter concerns are also specified in your owner’s manual. Change them according to the stated schedule. Most often, they are changed at least every 3,000 miles. This is so if driving is mostly stop-and-go or consists of regular short trips.
Flush and refill the cooling system as recommended in the manual. Needed to be inspected periodically are the level, condition, and the concentration of the coolant. The usually recommended concentration is a 50/50 mix of anti-freeze and water. If you are checking this part by yourself, do not remove the radiator cap until the engine has thoroughly cooled. Let the tightness and condition of drive belts, clamps, and hoses be checked by a reliable auto technician.
To achieve further comfort, the heater and defroster should be in good working condition.
Old windshield blades must be replaced. Buying rubber-clad or winter blades so that ice will not build up is a must in a winter season.
The brakes should be regularly checked. Consult the manual if you can replace the original ones with other brands such as EBC brakes.
Inspect the battery through professional equipment. This is the only appropriate way to detect a weak one. Remove the corrosion from posts and cable connections. Clean the entire surface. Make sure all connections are tightened. These should be your routine. Also check the level of fluid monthly if battery caps are removable.
Removal of cables might damage or loose data or codes on some newer vehicles. For further guidance, it is always safe to check your manual. Contact to acids is dangerous. Avoid contact with corrosive deposits and battery acid by wearing an eye protection and rubber gloves.
Before going out with the car, check all lights and bulb. Burned out bulbs must be replaced immediately. All lenses should be free from road grime. For simple lights cleaning, a dry rag can be used.
Examine the exhaust system for leaks through putting your vehicle on a lift. See to it that the exhaust trunk and floorboards do not have small holes. And take note of this: any sweat in the exhaust is deadly. To avoid this, regularly check the system.
Worn tires are also dangerous. Regularly check them to avoid short tread life, uneven wearing, and cupping. The sidewall should also be checked. Tire pressure should be checked once a month, but be sure tires are in cool condition before checking them. The manufacturer’s recommended rotation must be followed. And remember to always bring with you your spare that is in good condition. The jack, which should also be always present in your tools area, should also be in good condition.
And lastly, in case of emergency, you need to have some equipment to back you up. Always bring with you gloves, boots, blankets, flares, a small shovel, sand or kitty litter, tire chains, a flashlight, and a cell phone. This will further ensure your safety especially that you are a neophyte on the road.
Reading some materials on automotive can further add to your knowledge on cars.

Author: Barney Garcia
Preventive your car tire with ten commandments, its easy
1.Tire Pressure Check: Tire pressures should be routinely checked on cold tires, including spares and caravan (or trailer) tires. It’s a bad practice to let out air or ‘bleed’ air from the tires when they are hot (Just after a drive or so!) . Recommended pressures have been calculated by taking cold tires into account and hence tire pressures show a higher value when hot.
2.If any or most part of the tread is worn out, it is time to replace the tire. Sometimes it might be prudent to change and then for a tire rotation cycle. It helps if you can check with your local automotive technician and then do as he recommends. The check must always extend to all the tires, including spares and auxiliary ones.
3.Check for wheel balancing and alignment regularly since irregular wheel alignment can cause considerable damage to the tires and also hamper driving efficiency by altering handling characteristics of the car.
4.The insides of the tires must be scrutinized thoroughly in case of impacts due to pot holes or other obtrusions or in the case of punctures.
5.While parking the car, avoid parking on patches of oil, gasoline, diesel, lubricants and other such solvents as they are bound to damage the tires.
6.Tires tend to last longer when proper speeds are maintained and are loaded appropriately. Unduly loading the vehicle and driving at higher speeds than recommended can be dangerous and might damage the tires beyond repair.
7.Follow the tire rotation cycles as close to those recommended as possible. This affects tire life.
8.Tire life also depends on road surfaces, driving habits and style and speeds. So it might help if you can make sure that the surface you drive on are commutable and that you drive at optimal speeds and go easy on the handling part.
9.Use recommended tools to load and unload tires on axle end shafts or rims. Check for damaged or bent rims while loading tires and use proper tools while doing the same. Non compliant tools can only mar and damage the tyres and are sometimes even dangerous to work with.
10.General tire condition has to be checked regularly by rated experts for increased life and safety of the car tires. Unsafe car tyres would only mean suicide and there is no reason to be living on edge with something as negligent as not checking for the safety of your vehicle’s tyres.

Author: Craig Rad
If you are experiencing problems with your car, it is highly recommended to take it to a specialist. This article speaks about some basic information about car parts. If somehow you think you are good at fixing cars, just take a look and write down the parts you need to replace or simply repair. For those who don’t know too many things about what’s inside the car’s engine, here is some basic information.
The spark plug wires have very important tasks inside the whole car system as these wires are carrying about 50.000 volts a second under a high temperature. This car part plays a crucial role because it harnesses thousands of volts and brings this juice to the spark plugs. Choosing for a high quality spark plug wire is very important because this way you are not wasting energy. The spark plug wire has to be replaced from time to time, otherwise it gets poor and can cause engine misfiring.
It is also recommended that you check the brakes regularly. Many specialists agree that heat treated brakes are very efficient as they resist better to fade and warping. Industry analysts are advising car owners to equip their vehicles with anti lock brakes. These breaks are considered to be lifesavers because they keep the car under control even under rough driving conditions. In order to maintain the brakes’ highest performance you have to pay great attention to a proper periodic maintenance.
Belt and hose replacement are also needed to perform every once in a while. Those are rubber parts and contact with oil and high degrees temperature is imminent. In order to prevent premature damages it is recommended to treat the hose with spray silicone or any other rubber protector. You will also need to do a slippery treatment of the belt, which will prevent the gripping of the pulleys. Even with a periodic maintenance these car parts will fail because of the high temperature exposure. Specialists indicate a periodically inspection of these car parts in order to avoid the damage of the engine itself.
Proper fuel systems and air intake are also very important car parts that help the car gaining horsepower and torque. High quality fuel injectors and pumps are best for your car and if replaced from time to time will improve the ignition control performance and the horsepower as well. Your car will get an excellent throttle response making it easier to drive and to control.
A periodically battery inspection is also welcomed because if the battery is corroded you will encounter difficulties in starting the car or while driving in cold weather. It is recommended to keep the battery’s surface clean in order to prevent a quickly discharging of the battery. For a best maintenance it is recommended that you cover the metal parts with grease to prevent corrosion. In order to recharge the battery, connect and disconnect the leads to the battery. It is forbidden to smoke or cause sparks during battery charging.