High Performance Motors

The 4-stroke combustion process (intake, compression, power, and exhaust) normally occurs smoothly. The pistons, spark plugs, fuel injectors, and other components work like a well-oiled machine. Pressure builds within the combustion chamber until the air-fuel mixture contained within it is ignited by the spark plug. That’s what propels your vehicle forward. When you hear a knocking sound as you accelerate, especially during heavy load, that means there is something wrong with your engine. This is called spark knock. And it can lead to expensive damage.

In this article, I’ll explain what is happening inside your engine to produce the knocking or pinging sound. We will examine the issues and provide some tips to fix the cause of the problems.

What Is Spark Knock?

The knocking sound is due to the fuel within your vehicle’s combustion chamber detonating. Rather than burning cleanly, it explodes under load, over and over. This happens when the heat and pressure contained in the chamber is erratic. It is not being controlled properly, and the excess heat and pressure is igniting the gas.

You might not immediately notice a change in the performance or output of your car engine. However, over time, spark knock can lead to cracked rod bearings (from the pistons), broken rings, and head gasket problems. Each of these problems can be expensive to repair.

Reasons Knocking Can Happen

So, why does detonation happen? It can occur when your car’s exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system malfunctions. The EGR valve is tasked with opening when you’re pushing your engine under heavy load (for example, if you’re towing something up a hill). By opening, it allows excess exhaust to flow out of the combustion chamber, lowering the temperature. If the EGR fails, this process cannot happen.

Detonation can also happen if your car’s knock sensor malfunctions. This sensor is supposed to identify situations in which the fuel is igniting erratically. It then tells your car’s computer to change the ignition timing in order to compensate. A failed sensor prevents this from occurring.

With older vehicles, the detonation can be a result of carbon buildup. This happens when the carbon accumulates inside the combustion chamber on the pistons. This issue is easy to resolve by having a mechanic flushing the injectors and combustion chamber to clear all carbon build up and deposits.

Low-octane gas is another common cause of detonation. Some gas station owners label their pumps with “87″ when the octane is actually lower. Try filling your tank with a premium grade fuel from a respected brand (for example, Chevron).

If you hear knocking when your engine is under heavy load, take your vehicle to an experienced mechanic as soon as possible. He’ll have the necessary equipment to test your engine and identify the root cause of the fuel detonation. If you ignore the problem, you could be setting yourself up for expensive repairs in the future.

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Your car’s alternator isn’t indestructible – it won’t last forever. Neither will your catalytic converter. Actually, your fuel injectors, ignition switch, and muffler can fail as well. Every auto part under your vehicle’s hood can unexpectedly expire and need to be replaced.

When you take your car to the dealership they use OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts. On the other hand, the mechanic at your local repair garage is likely to use aftermarket alternatives. Which is better?

Claiming one choice is always better than the other is overly-simplistic; it ignores subtle pros and cons of each. Here we will compare the advantages of OEM parts versus purchasing their aftermarket equivalents.

The Advantages Of Aftermarket

Aftermarket components and systems are less expensive than their OEM counterparts. However, the percentage you’ll save will vary by the item your vehicle needs. Be cautious. A lot of aftermarket units seem low-priced, but hide defects that can leave you stranded at the side of the road.

Another advantage is that the quality can be just as high as Original Equipment Manufacturer systems. The reason is because the automaker is often forced to offset the performance of the component with other factors. For example, consider anti-lock braking systems. The manufacturer has to make sure the pads don’t squeal; otherwise, customers will complain. The problem is, ensuring the brake pads are silent requires accepting a mild loss in performance (to that end, high-performance brakes are often noisy).

Yet another advantage of buying after-market components is that they’re widely available. Mechanics can easily obtain any replacement part your vehicle needs. In fact, they’ll often have them in stock.

The Advantages Of OEM

OEM parts also offer significant advantages. First, you’ll always know what to expect from them. They are nearly identical to the systems that were installed within your vehicle at the time it rolled off the factory floor.

Second, you won’t need to examine a given component in order to spot defects. Original Equipment Manufacturer parts provide a consistent level of quality and are designed as seamless replacements. That means there is no reason to be concerned with compatibility and performance issues.

Third, they’re typically supported by a one-year warranty. For example, if you have your alternator replaced and it malfunctions within the first year, the automaker will replace it with another OEM alternator without cost. The experience might not be the same if the alternator were an aftermarket unit.

Which Is The Most Appropriate Choice?

There are a few reliable rules of thumb to follow. First, if you’re replacing anything on your car’s frame (for example, a body panel), you should opt for Original Equipment Manufacturer replacements. Second, if you’re leasing your vehicle, you should also choose OEM parts. Otherwise, you’re likely to lose your deposit when you return the car. Third, for something like an alternator or a fuel pump (a key component), OEM is always the better choice.

On the other hand, if you’re willing to take a risk (and the risk can be substantial) in order to save a few dollars, aftermarket parts may be a good investment.

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The recommended changing of a car’s air filter falls into a wide range of possibilities. Some experts claim that doing so every 3,000 miles helps to ensure that your vehicle’s engine is performing as efficiently as possible. Others claim that swapping it out every 30,000 miles is sufficient. In truth, neither is entirely correct. It;s based on more factors than the standard 3000 miles indicators. What’s more, this is one area in which it might behoove you to ignore your owner’s manual (I’ll explain why in a moment).

The basic job of the air filter is to prevent dirt, grit and debris from getting to your car’s engine. This is significantly important. When foreign particles enter the engine, they can accumulate and cause expensive damage. By filtering them, your engine can remain free of debris and perform more effectively.

In this article, I’ll explain why your driving circumstances will influence the frequency with which you change your air filter. I’ll also describe its value in the context of fuel injection systems.

Consider Your Driving Situation

Depending on the drivers, car are driven under many different extreme circumstances. For example, you might drive in an area that is not exposed to a large amount of dust. If that’s the case, you might be able to drive 20,000 miles without needing to replace your car’s air filter. On the other hand, suppose you live in a city that undergoes perpetual construction. Grit, dust, and dirt are always a factor in the outside environment. In that case, you may be able to drive 10,000 miles before needing a replacement part.

The more dust and debris that is in the air or kicked up on the road, the more frequently you’ll need to buy a replacement. This is the reason why you should only use your owner’s manual as a guide. The automaker has no way to know whether you’re driving your car in extremely dusty conditions or not.

The Technology of Fuel Injection Systems

All never cars come standard with a fuel injection system, therefor making carburetors obsolete. The benefits of the fuel injection is that it is a more efficient tool to blend air and fuel for combustion. That allows your car engine to perform with greater fuel efficiency. The problem is that a clogged filter can play havoc with the system. Your car’s computer system will attempt to regulate and recalibrate the mixture based on airflow, but the ratio is never truly precise. As a result, fuel efficiency plummets and your engine’s performance is hampered.

Invest A Few Extra Dollars

When it’s time to buy a new air filter, spend a few extra dollars and invest in quality. A high-quality replacement will generally cost less than $20, yet its overall impact can be enormous. It is designed to keep dirt and other particles away from your engine to prevent damage an increase performance. It will also affect your vehicle’s fuel efficiency.

You should also check for clogging in your air filter every time you have the oil changed. You may not need to swap it out, but at such a low cost, it’s far better to err on the conservative side.

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Some auto repair jobs come with prices that seem appropriate given the size of the part, time required to fix or replace it, and the value of having a particular problem resolved. Others can mysteriously cost an arm and a leg, even if the issue is unimportant and fixing it carries negligible value.

The fact is, there are a lot of parts, service jobs, and repairs that can take a significant bite out of your checking account despite seeming small or easy. We will explore several car repair options that seem small but can be extremely costly.

More Than A Cosmetic Scratch

Think of the consequences of a low front end as your drive over a speed bump. You get out of the car and notice some minor damage on the bottom of the front bumper. Thinking the biggest expense will be the inconvenience of having to wait while the damage is repaired, you take your vehicle into a local garage. Prepare yourself; the cost to fix it might run into the thousands of dollars.

The bumper can actually hide structural damage in the front-end. Actually, even when the bumper appears to look just fine, the front-end may need replacing.

Foreign Performance Models

Repairs on a performance vehicle are expensive, even the small part can be extremely pricey. For example, consider an exhaust valve that needs to be replaced. Normally, the cost would be about $30 in parts and additional $30 in labor cost.

On a high-end car designed for muscle, the price tag can skyrocket. It’s not uncommon for a small job like this to turn into an expensive nightmare. For example, the mechanic may need to practically remove the entire engine in order to get to the valve. And more then likely he will charge way more then $30 for his labor.

Seeing White Smoke

White smoke coming from a car’s tailpipe looks innocent enough. It can be the first sign that future repair, replacement parts, and expensive mechanic bills are headed your way. When operating your vehicle, the car engine goes through the combustion process. Coolant keeps the surrounding temperature under control. If the coolant gets into the combustion chamber, it will burn and produce white smoke.

There are several scenarios how this could occur. Sometimes, the gasket can break and need to be replaced. Unfortunately, narrowing down a failing gasket as the root cause usually means taking out the intake manifold. And that’s the least expensive path. If you remove the intake manifold and discover that the gasket is fine, your mechanic will need to start dismantling the engine. That will make the repair bill expensive.

Unfortunately, many auto repairs that turn out to be enormously expensive cannot be avoided. However, the next time you visit your mechanic for a “minor” job, you’ll at least be prepared for possible bad news.

Keep your car repair bills to a minimum by using used auto parts and recycled replacement parts. Consider Everdrive Used Auto Parts

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According to some people, the proper knowledge of chemistry and its effects on gas and fuel could help you significantly in stretching your greenback. The reason is because mavens in chemistry explain that gas actually becomes denser in cooler temperatures. Now, gas pumps measure the volume of the fuel and not the density, you would be getting a better and larger amount of gas for your cash if you buy this commodity during cold weather. That is the very reason why people offer a piece of recommendation when buying gas: buy in the early morning or at night. This is when the temperature is cooler compared to the temperature during 12 p.m. time.

However, this is only a little part of keeping your costs when it comes to driving lower. Automobile gurus have come up with advice about how to further scale back your driving costs.

One of the tricks up these experts sleeve is to use the automobile when only necessary. Folks became terribly contingent on their autos so much so the simple and short trip to the mall would force them to still use the car. This is notwithstanding the fact that one could simply take a short walk to the mall to get there. Or, short trips is also be done by riding a bicycle.

Two % is reduced from your fuel mileage if your car has under inflated tires. So it might be best to test your vehicle’s tire pressure frequently. Professionals endorse that you take a look at your tires monthly. If your tires are under inflated, it also suggests that it is pretty much susceptible to wear and damage which is another added cost to driving.

By keeping your speed in the limit, you are actually saving up to twenty % of fuel. So, be sure that you obey those speed boundaries. Also, do not accelerate or brake all of a sudden if not required. These use up a great amount of gas that, when mixed, costs you a large amount of cash.

Air conditioning also uses up fuel economy from a low of ten percent to a high of 20 %. It also uses up your battery and drains it. Use the wind during bright days. It would be better to drive with the wind in your hair. Also, excess weight on your automobile has a tendency to gobble up your fuel. Cut back the amount of cargo or baggage that you have.

Damaged parts also compare to losing gas. This is essentially as the entire auto system has to work double time to keep the auto running well regardless of the fact that some parts aren’t running well. Automobile experts recommend that you replace these parts immediately rather than spend more on gas. Auto Parts Discount is one auto parts store that offers quality parts at low prices. They are well known for their topnotch Audi parts and accessories.

If you find this article interesting, you should also check out www.thesupercars.org to read about some of the fastest & most expensive sports cars in the world, also visit Audi Le Mans Quatro.

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