Automotive Business

Archive for December, 2010

If you will take a look on almost any web site or forum on the internet, there will be an active topic in which the front wheel drive (fwd) and the rear wheel drive (rwd) is better.

Let’s talk about the Front Wheel Drive first.

Most of the cars in the United States were rear wheel driven ever since they began to witness public success, in the 1920′s. With the fuel crisis of the 1970′s and the alarmingly rising gas prices, car manufacturers were forced to find new ways of engineering cars with greater fuel efficiency. Because the complexity required to build a rear wheel drive car, one of the simplest ways to reduce the size, weight and fuel consumption in a car was to make it front wheel drive. The engine and the drive axle are both in the same part of the car and thus there is no need to have a complicated transmission and a driveshaft which occupies both car weight and passenger compartment space. Another decision made was to position the engines transversely, reducing the engine bay’s size.

But there are some downsides on building a front wheel drive car. It will not have the same handling as a rear wheel driven car because the front of the car will have the burden to house the biggest weight of the entire car. A front wheel drive is also not as suitable to a sports car, because it will have to deal with the torque steer phenomenon. Torque steer happens when the steering wheel is pulled away from its straight position due to the power of the engine.

Now Rear Wheel Drive

The Rear Wheel Drive is becoming recently a car manufacturer preferred system, after many years in which they mostly built front wheel drive vehicles. It is the preferred system of transmission for powerful cars, because it is more efficient to have one pair of wheels dealing with steering the car and another axle dealing with moving the car. This way the car will be more balanced. Acceleration is improved and rear wheel drive cars and there is no torque steering phenomenon present. The handling is greatly improved, because a rear wheel drive car will be closer to the preferred 50/50 car weight distribution. In the past there were problems with rear wheel cars and slippery surfaces, but due to the recent improvements in traction control systems, such problems do not represent an issue anymore.

Recently some manufacturers began to transition toward introducing more and more AWD (all wheel drive) cars.

But customers are very reticent when it comes to rear wheel drive cars. There has been a lot of publicity on front wheel drive cars and most recently on all wheel drive, in the detriment of rear axle ones.

Because the fuel efficiency of modern cars is better controlled, without sacrificing power, a more objective comparison can be made between the two types of transmissions. A front drive system is more efficient in regards of packaging and interior room,And there is no secret that a rear wheel drive car will have a better handling, acceleration and due to recent electronic stability systems, is no longer penalized on slippery roads.

As the prices for gas continue to increase, more and more people are looking for ways they can have a cheaper transportation option. Among these options include car pooling, commuting, taking the train or bus, walking and gas powered bikes. However, if you would like to save more money since you are only going to a place which is accessible within 5 miles, the gas bikes are recommended for you.

One of these bike models is the RevoPower Wheel. It is a recently patented technology which combines the front wheel of a bike and a 25cc two stroke gears and engine that are powered by gas. This new technology can be installed on any old or new bicycle you have with no more than just 15 minutes. In addition, it can reach more than 200 miles per gallon using a top speed of 20 mph.

The RevoPower Wheel works with its small motor that is able to turn up to 7,500 rpm and then drives a distinctive gear train that causes this wheel to turn around on a fixed axle. The reduction gearing of its hub is able to produce an appropriate mix of speed and torque to its wheel. Once you have this wheel, you can choose to ride your bike normally when the motor of the engine has been turned off.

You can also manually operate the bike when it is traveling faster than its engine speed. The only time the motor engages is when the bike’s speed becomes slower than the traveling engine. At any time, you can have the option to use the bike manually or motorized.

This RevoPower Wheel makes use of a combination of both oil and gasoline which is petrol. In order to start this engine, you have to start pedaling and then you can go to your destination already. In addition, you have the option to pedal the bike once the motor has been turned off.

The wheel has been pre-assembled in a 26 inch rim and tire which consists of one tank fuel that suits the standard cage for water bottles, a water bottle cage which you can use as the fuel’s bottle, a throttle control which clips to its handlebars, and lastly, it comes with the needed tools and cables for installing it to an ordinary bike so that it transforms into gas powered bikes. But as always, you have the choice to operate the bike manually or with the motor.

Exercise Wheel – Exercises For Your Abs and Other Body Parts

An exercise wheel in a great home fitness product. It’s small, affordable, and can be used to effectively train your body in the comfort of your own home. The exercise wheel, also known as an ab wheel, is mostly used to work the abs. In fact, it’s one of my favorite products for abs. However, there are other exercise wheel exercises that you can do which I will go over in this article.

Let’s begin with the basics, though, how to use this wheel to train the abs: You grab both handles of the wheel, get down on your knees, place the wheel on the ground before you while maintaining your grip on it.

The movement is simple: you just roll the wheel away from you on the floor while still holding on to it with both hands. This will cause you to tilt forward with your knees as axis in the direction of the wheel, placing a lot of strain on your abs. The farther you roll the wheel, the harder it will be on your abs. Rolling it backward to the starting position will be even harder. This completes the exercise and is one of the best ways to train your abs at home.

If you want to work your obliques, all you need to do is roll the ab wheel diagonally from you. Make sure to work both sides evenly for the very best results.

This is how most people use an ab wheel, but it can also be used to do other exercises:

- You can use it to do pushups with two variations: a close grip push up with each hand on one of the handles of the wheel. The reason why this may be harder than a regular pushup is that you need to maintain stability, something that is not so easy to do. This works the chest and the triceps.

You can also put one hand on the floor and the other on the handle of the wheel and do push-ups that way. Just make sure to alternate between both hands.

- A physical therapist I know uses the ab wheel to perform shoulder workouts with her patients: you place the wheel against a wall, grab it with both hands, and roll it upward. This works the shoulders, not in a hard way, but does help to teach proper movement and form.

However, there is no doubt that the main reason to get an ab wheel is to work the abs. For that, it’s one of the best things there is.

Kids Toys – Big Wheel Tricycles Making a Come Back

Great news, all you nostalgia enthusiasts. The original Big Wheel tricycle is being manufactured again, and now you can introduce your own children to the same, no-holds barred spinning, sliding, riding fun you remember from being a kid. The original Big Wheel was first manufactured in the 1960′s and soon became a right of passage toy for kids on up through the 1980′s, when it faded from fashion. But for anyone who grew up in that era, there is almost assuredly a memory or two of flying down the street at super speeds (well, as fast as you could pedal) in your big monster of a Big Wheel.

Sure, it wasn’t the safest toy in the world. It would spin out uncontrollably sometimes, and often tip over. There were no brakes (and still isn’t…they’ve really kept true to the original version), so stopping often had to be done with your feet, or by running into something. Still, as kids, we didn’t care. We were having too much fun. And parents back then weren’t as concerned about safety as they are today. Nowadays, everything is padded to the max to avoid injury. In the old days, if a toy couldn’t injure you in some way, it wasn’t any fun.

Today’s Big Wheels are virtually the same toy as you fondly remember. They have a 16 inch front wheel and an adjustable seat that will grow with your child. The toy itself is appropriate to kids ages 3 to 8, and can carry a child of up to 70 pounds with ease. It’s simple, easy fun at its best. This is no high-tech toy. It is powered by your child’s own pedaling and steering, and is suitable for outdoor use on sidewalks, driveways and some streets (with supervision and on streets with little traffic). It’s a great way to get your kid outside and away from the video games and into the sunshine getting some much needed exercise. If you want to give your child a touch of retro fun this Christmas, the original Big Wheel tricycle is one toy that should definitely be on your list.

Four wheelers are always a little bit more advanced than three wheelers. This is where kids go crazy over electric powered ride on toys. They are obviously a little bit more expensive; but they come with a ton of features nowadays. One main disadvantage of these battery powered ride on toys when compared to big wheel tricycles is that they don’t make your kids exercise much! It’s really up to you, whether you want to go with an electric powered riding toy or muscle powered trike!

This document outlines the normal procedures of operating a Wheel Move Machine to irrigate a Wheat field as well as some personal experiences which could be useful for Agronomists or Agricultural Engineers.

a) Introduction

This text briefly discusses my attempts in the processes of sprinkler irrigation of a wheat field. In early September, KG Company. appointed me to perform sprinkler irrigation on a wheat field, in an area located in southeast of Tehran. The field was about 10 hectares (460m X 220m), and I should have applied a Wheel Move machine. KG Co., as the landowner and concessionaire of the project, made me responsible for carrying out the irrigation process and supervision on T. Company’s work for installing irrigation equipment.

b) Background

Generally speaking Wheel Move (Wheel Line) machine is considered as one of the most economical sprinkler irrigation systems among mechanical movable systems. Day after day more farmers are attracted to use Wheel Move machine due to its easy use. saving water consumption, requiring less number of workers (for self move machines) and flexibility are among other reasons.

From the engineering view, the bases of this project had been quite technical and to carry it out required great skills and experience. Considering the nearness of the project site to the main branch of T. Co. in Tehran, the charges of the maintenance of machine had been very low, and all spare parts were easily available. So almost certain of what I wanted to do I started the project.

This project pursued its own purposes, among which are:

1. Production of an important product, Wheat, near the capital.

2. Using Wheel Move machine for saving in water consumption in an area with little sources of water.

3. Creating an opportunity for instruction and development of new irrigation methods for an important Agricultural product.

4. Creating job opportunities in an area with a high rate of unemployment.

5. Creating a job position which relates to my major as well as promoting my scientific level and gaining experience in irrigation.

This project was carried out in a continental area with the average temperature of 15 Celsius and a humidity of 60%. Considering the insufficiency of the water sources and also the clay-loam texture of the area’s soil, using Wheel Move machine was the most suitable irrigation method in order to prevent several negative factors such as; water loss, surface sealing, appearance of diseases and growth of weeds; it also helped in easy fertilization.

I worked as the supervisor and executer of the irrigation process from the very beginning to the end. Carrying out the project was a grave responsibility which needed great technical knowledge while I did not have enough experience in sprinkler irrigation. Thus I had to spend a lot of time to communicate with university professors and keep in touch with technical experts, who had great experience in the field, including KG’s manager.

As the executive of the irrigation process I was in charge of the irrigation procedures of the farm within the time of seeding to harvest while the intervals were set by agronomists. I was responsible for eliminating the problems of irrigation as well as obviating the defects of the machinery. As the supervisor, I was responsible for supervising on installing and starting the Wheel Move machine by T.Co. the contractor in charge. Besides in order to keep coordination and cooperation in the project and improving the process as a result, I needed to have a close connection with local Agricultural Department and other members of the group including the agronomists, executive of civil and installations group, and the contractor in charge of installing the Wheel Move machine.

c) Personal Workplace Activity

As for the technical details of the work, after studying some references and visiting the areas in which Wheel Move had been used, I firstly got to examine the physical state of the field like its length, width and its relief such the gradient and the soil texture, so using the Wheel Move machine was confirmed after consulting with the KG’s manager. Then after signing a contract with T. Co., I took action for purchasing, installing and starting the machine. At the same time I set the plans with civil group to start constructing the pumping base (digging a well, building a pool of 20m x 10m x 3m, installing a pipe with the diameter of 4 inches and a length of 440m along the northern side of the field). While constructing the base and installing the machine, I tried to have the other members of the group and some other local farmers around so that they could closely observe the procedures and get familiar with this relatively modern system of irrigation while I had prepared some graphical catalogs to elaborate the procedure for them, therefore in case there was any problem in the machine, the workers could solve the problem knowing about the parts of the machine and how to install or repair them. In mid-September a Wheel Move machine with the length of 207m was installed and tested. The machine included the following parts:

1 set of chassis and 2 axles 16 twelve-meter aluminium pipes

1 set of power mover, 8 hp 2 six-meter aluminum pipes

1 coupling of the head of the machine 18 counter balances (levelers)

1 coupling of the bottom of the machine 18 coupling belts and gaskets

1 coupling of the side of the chassis 18 suction valves

17 ordinary couplings 18 risers with knee joints

17 holed couplings 18 sprinkler heads

22 wheels with 76 inches in diameter 30 meters of flexible hosepipe

After primary cultivation procedures for planting the wheat seeds (Alvand variety) in early October, the irrigation process began whose intervals are as follow:

· 02/Oct, the first irrigation after cultivating the seeds

· 15/Oct, the second irrigation to increase the amount of sprouting

· 30/March, next year, (after a stop in irrigation for about 5 months) the third irrigation for forming the culm

· 15/April, the fourth irrigation for beginning of ear formation

· 30/April, the fifth irrigation in the last stages of ear formation

· 15/May, the sixth irrigation at the beginning of blooming

· 31/May, the seventh irrigation before beginning of pollination

· 15/June, the eighth and last irrigation in the processes of filling the seeds and increase in the weight of seeds; in 03/july, the harvest processes was done using Combine, and 4.5 tons per hectare was harvested.

I determined the time and duration of irrigations in coordination with the Agronomy group, and the way to operate the machine, which was carried out by 3 workers. The details are as follow:

A 9 inch polyethylene pipe, with the length of 440 meters and equipped with 9 hydrants with a space of 50 meters each, was set in the northern length of the field. The Wheel Move machine was settled a few meters away from the beginning of the field, and a hydrant with a 4 inch hosepipe of about 30 meters was connected to the 4 inch aluminum pipes along the length of machine. Water was directed towards the main pipe using an electric high delivery centrifugal pump with a pressure of 4 atmospheres and debit volume (discharge) of 48 liter/second which was adjusted by a hydrant. After applying the appropriate pressure, the machine was fixed in each main line for 6-10 hours (6 hours in early season due to shallow root zone and avoid Percolation). To start irrigating the next station, we stopped the irrigation by turning off the hydrant plus removing the hosepipe from the hydrant and the machine and allowing 20 min for the water to drain from the discharge valves. Then we drove the machine forward for 40 meters to the next mainline. We decided to skip every other station, instead, doing it on the way back to prevent moving the machine back to the start point empty. The machine moved by a wagon equipped with; a petrol engine (model HMXL 80) of 8 Horse Power, hydraulic system, gears and chains. Each thorough irrigation of the field took 140 230 hours.

Side Activities:

There were a few tips I pointed out to the workers, some of which are as follow: for an easy and safe moving the machine I asked them to make sure that there is no water in the pipes, remove all the obstacles from around the machine and remove the hosepipe from the machine. Also I reminded them to use the electric switch to turn the machine on and off, rather than the choke, to prevent a disorder in carburetor adjustments. Every weekend, I wrote a report of the activities and events and kept them in files.

The activities that the workers and I did to service and maintain the machine are as follow:

· As a routine task, every week we inspected the entire length of the machine including the wheels and the engine for any equipment wear or loose joint, to repair as necessary and prevent further damage.

· Greasing the chains of the wheel as well as the bearings after each thorough irrigation.

· Checking the hydraulic oil, engine oil and the engine parts after every 60 hours of the machine functioning.

· Replacing the engine oil, spark plug and engine fan filter after 25 hours of engine operation or each three times of irrigation.

· In the winter we moved the machine to a corner of the field, stabilized it using sand bags between the wheel vanes and tying it to sturdy poles. Then we detached the hosepipe and chains, and kept the chains in a bucket filled with oil. The engine and chassis were covered with tarpaulin.

Troubleshooting: To solve the problems that happened during the project, I almost used my own scientific and technical information and sometimes I consulted the experts or referred to the scientific engineering sources. Some important points are as follow:

· A problem once happened was that although the engine was on, the machine did not move forward. To solve this problem, I cleaned the hydraulic filters. The problem was solved after replacing the hydraulic oil and checking the orbit gears, pump and hydraulic hoses.

· The other problem was that after providing the suitable water pressure for irrigation, I noticed that water was leaking from one or several discharge valves. The reason was that some pieces of brushwood and sand were trapped in the plastic duct of the valve; therefore I turned the discharge plug at the end of machine on and off several times while the pressure was still on, to dispose of all obstacles inside the aluminum pipe and re-establish the irrigation.

· It came about a couple of times that the sprinklers did not turn so that the water could only irrigate one direction. To solve the problem I used grease and emery to lubricate the sprinklers.

· The other thing, which happened several times was that violent winds sometimes dislocated the machine and caused its main position to change. Thus, we moved the machine back to its mainline manually, and controlled its shifting by placing sand bags in the wheel vanes.

d) Summary

Considering the objectives of the project, the outcomes have been positive. Although by taking the quantitative production of the wheat into account, the results cannot be considered totally ideal; in general it can be called a successful project.

The irrigation process was carried out using my own methods and expertise; however the problems were resolved by my technical engineering knowledge as well as the experts’ assistance. Also I used my own initiation and innovation in performing other activities to ease the procedures of the irrigation, improve the function of the available facilities, to save time and money and most importantly to provide safety. I assume I have had a major role in executing the project from the beginning to the end; even though I understood that there are plenty of new domains in Irrigation and Agronomy that I must learn in the future. Throughout the project, I was encouraged by managers and people in charge because of my responsibilities and skills; I was also awarded by the manager of KG. Co. Yet keeping in touch with other members of the group and consulting the experts and experienced ones has been a very important factor in achieving this success. At the end I sincerely appreciate all who assisted me during this time, as well as Nature that provided me with ideal conditions.

The Shoe With The Wheel In The Heel – Heeling Is The New Form Of Skating

X Games… trend busting… hanging out and just being cool got a literal “momentum” boost from surprising corners, namely footwear. And this latest fashion moves are not simply about racy colors or mix-and-match materials. No longer merely trend-setting personality-distinguishing fashion statements, casual “sports shoes” are literally building-in new sport possibilities into the heel of the shoe.

What’s going on is movement. Like yo-yos and hoola hoops of decades back, the latest and hard-charging fun footwear trend that small kids, and large adults, are catching a ride on is a cross over between ordinary street casual shoes and a piece borrowed from inline skating as well as a piece borrowed from free riding skateboarding.

Placing A Wheel In Your Heel. MTV and Internet-enabled urban and sun urban kids have latched onto the possibility of getting a “free ride” from ordinary shoes. Looking like a sports sneaker, these wheel-in-a-shoe heelies create an entirely new rush of an experience for shoe-wearers. No longer confined to clomping along the sidewalk, the wheeled-shoe set can literally hang-back on their heelies and glide and swerve and figure-8 their way across a car park, or down the supermarket aisle as many kids now do.

When You Don’t Want To Cruise While Walking. In every kid or young dude’s day there comes a moment when “looking cool” does not include racing along atop an inline wheel imbedded in your shoes. You’re headed out to film…or the weather has turned funky and cruising on a pair of heelys just doesn’t cut it.

Solution? The leading wheel-in-a-shoe designs offer a simple twist-and-remove design for removing the wheel. All you need is a pair of quarters. Insert the coins in the grooves on either side of the wheel bracket and presto…the wheel pops. Insert the shoe “plug” and bob’s-your-uncle you’re ready to go wheelessly into the rest of your day.

Looking After Wheel-In-A-Shoe Footwear. Adding mechanical moving parts, and a mid-sole shock-absorbing suspension system is partly about creating a great ride and getting a good landing from heel grabs and other skateboard maneuvers now available in kids shoes. Adding locomotion to footwear is also about safety and maintenance.

Forget about shining your wheel-in-a-shoe footwear. Materials tend to be synthetic suede which are color constant. No, what you need to focus on are the shoe mechanics, namely wheel and bearing maintenance.

Removing Your Wheels. Like inline skating or skateboards, your wheel-in-a-shoe footwear attracts crud, rust and corrosion. Result? Your shoes literally slow down, as rolling resistance increases. Two (2) coins slip into slots designed into the wheel casing, so removing your shoe wheels is simple and straightforward.

Cleaning Wheels And Bearings. Most wheel-in-a-shoe footwear, for kids and adults, is designed based on quality Abec wheel bearings…same ones used in inline skates and skateboards. Cleaning the bearings on a regular basis removes crud and rust, and makes them roll quicker. A 20-minute dip in standard bearing cleaning solution is all that’s necessary to remove crud. Next, lubricating bearings is a simple matter of buying a small can of machine oil, like white lithium. A few squirts, rub it in, and your wheels are ready for re-installing.

Adults And Kids Models. Most wheel-in-a-shoe brands offer the full range of kids sizes plus adult sizes to size 12 or size 13, with wide comfy fits.

Buying a car does not limit itself to spend money on initial purchase. It means that maintenance must be taken seriously. The paint is fading, scratching the surface in May, bumps may happen, but something that is essential is when leadership problem happens. A machine wheel alignment works to make this possible.

The camera adjusts wheel alignment wheels in a manner where they are perfectly coordinated to the car to work at its best. It is used to prevent tire wear or other alignment problems of the automobile. For example, a machine truck can sometimes be quite heavy and the wheels are not aligned properly, then it can cause steering problems hence the need for brake lathes or end in a serious accident. A machine plant can cause damage to crops instead of working its best.

To understand the alignment of wheels, you need to know the following information most vital:

Camber – the measure of the angle of the wheel in degrees. It can be positive if the wheel is fishing from the focal point of the car. It can be negative if it inclines toward the center.

Toe – determines the proximity of the wheels. Usually, the wheels are closer if they are in front.

Caster – gives a measure of the swivel followed by the direction of the vehicle on the side where the steering wheel is turned.

Steering Axis Inclination – measurement of the slope when you look forward.

Scrub radius – the distance where the steering axis inclination, crosses the country and the middle of the wheel.

Included angle – the angle between the tilt axis direction and the camber.

Riding high – affects the efficiency of camber and toe. Failure – when the position of the front wheel against the other tire is too far back.

Thrust angle – where the tires at the rear guide the middle portion of the vehicle.

Central Director – the effect that comes when the driver takes a straight, flat road.

When a service technician uses a machine to wheel alignment, it usually does the type of four wheel alignment. Tools will be placed on all tires. It may be that only the front tires are adjusted or all of them. He should have to check the camber and steering problems. Align without ascertaining whether such result in instability. Using a machine wheel alignment ensures that the vehicles travel the roads in a straight line when directed straight. It ensures that there is positive caster. Toe setting is critical.

Before setting the machine, the technician will take into consideration vehicle speed. The machine is the center line reference point in putting all the tools on all wheels. The steering axis inclination measurement discovers and see if it affects the speed of the vehicle. To avoid rapid wear a tire, the height of constituencies should be the viewing of an inch front to rear and sides. Some equipment will be set back gauge and even let one know what is not considered a good score.

These are some important points in the wheel alignment. Machines to measure the wheel alignment correct swing or direction of a vehicle. Have your vehicle checked regularly do not neglect the wheel alignment as it can make a huge difference in how we travel.

Pediatric wheel chairs are fashioned much like adult wheel chairs. The number of styles, types, and colors of pediatric wheel chairs available on the market today is both comforting and overwhelming, especially to a parent trying to choose the right one.

Pediatric chairs provide independence and mobility for children with a number of physical challenges. Children with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, head injuries, or who have had a limb removed all benefit greatly from a pediatric wheel chair. Some children have the option of using their wheel chair occasionally in lieu of their walker or crutches, whereas others are in a wheel chair full time.

Manual wheel chairs are most often chosen for children who have the upper body strength and dexterity to push the wheels of their own chair. Manual chairs are also a good choice if a parent or caregiver will be aiding the child with their mobility. For children physically unable to move their chair under their own strength or have severe disabilities, there are pediatric power wheel chairs available as well.

Pediatric wheelchairs are categorized by a child’s age, size, and physical requirements.

· Specialty Chairs – customized to fit specific needs of the child.

· Small Pediatric Chair – designed especially for children who are under six years old or younger (sometimes appear as a stroller).

· Growing Pediatric Wheelchairs – for children six years old and up; feature cross braces that can be replaced to accommodate the child as she grows.

· Sport Wheel Chairs – lightweight and colorful; allow child to participate in sports or simply for daily use.

· Standing Pediatric Wheel Chair – this uniquely styled chair allows children who have use of their legs, (but still require a wheel chair), to stand up and participate in activities or stretch out at any given time.

· Standard Pediatric Chairs – manual wheelchairs that look much like an adult chair

A pediatric chair that grows with your child will save you money over time. Components that allow you to lengthen or widen the chair will allow you to keep the same wheel chair for as many as 10-12 years, saving you from having to invest in a brand new chair each time your child grows.

Pediatric chair frames are manufactured from steel or aluminum. The aluminum frames are lighter than their steel frame counterparts and often chosen over the steel for that very reason. Contoured seats are molded to the child to ensure that the child is secure in the chair. Safety straps or bands can be attached to a wheel chair to help keep a child with limited strength in the proper position.

There are several fun wheel chair accessories available to help your child do the things she loves. Examples might include a mount for her laptop computer, a desktop for playing cards or games, cup holders, bumper stickers, colorful tote bags to hold her cell phone and school books, seat cushion covers in bright bold colors or patterns, or spoke guards featuring colors or themes.

Choosing a pediatric wheel chair can be a long process, but once you’ve made the decision, you’ll feel better knowing your child has the best chair to meet her physical needs. Consult with your physician and physical therapist for their recommendations on which style and chair is best for your child and her lifestyle.

Automotive machine shop services use heavy fabrication machinery, which includes machines for lathe work, grinding, turning, polishing and welding, cutting, laser job work, and also precision machining. The services include providing repair work for defective parts and also supplying new parts if the old and existing parts are not repairable. If the new parts, available in their stocks, do not fit properly, they may have to redesign and refabricate them. This may, at times, prove to be a complicated job. The redesigning and fabrication of complicated parts like crank-shafts, connecting rods, pistons, and cam shafts requires great expertise. Usually, the need to fabricate new parts arises in the case of older or vintage vehicles, whose production may have been stopped with the introduction of new models.

The engineers and mechanics at these machine shops are experts in all types of repair work, starting from simple tuning to advance troubleshooting techniques. They are expected to thoroughly understand the process of functioning and fabrication of all the parts of the engine–pistons, pins, rings, rods, freeze plug set, gaskets, timing set, oil pump, precision ground cranks, transmissions, electrical systems, and computerized engine controls.

These shops not only stock spare parts and accessories for the older types of vehicles, but they also cater to the needs of current models. Also, they are usually larger than the single-brand vehicle machine shops, as they repair all types of automotives.

These shops undertake repair services for cars, which involve the cleaning of air filters, oil filters and tanks, and washing off the dust or other accretions on the engines and the body of the vehicles. These activities release lots of grease and oily materials, which are hazardous to the environment, and so they have to be properly disposed of. The owners should not throw away the cleaning agents like methylene chloride, or the spent oils and lubricants, or drain them down the sewers, septic systems, or storm drains. They are likely to be given stringent penalties if they are caught doing so.

Admittedly, an automotive service contract is very expensive. However, if you decide not to purchase one, it can prove to be equally expensive, if not a lot more. So what do you do? Just choose the lesser evil of the two and buy an automotive service contract. However, bear in mind that choosing the right contract to purchase will entail more research and scrutiny than you think. Do not waste your hard earned money just by buying the first contract that comes your way. Here are some guidelines you should follow so you will not get ripped off once you decide to purchase an automotive service contract.

First and foremost, you should read the fine print. In fact, read everything not just once, but even three times. If there are some things you do not understand, do not hesitate to ask the staff of the service center. Make sure you only buy what you really need. Your mechanic might persuade you in purchasing something that you do not really need or want so better be on guard. The salesperson and even the manager will quickly inform you what their contract covers but they will not tell you what it does not cover. Wise, is it not?

It is best to have your car serviced following the maintenance schedule stipulated in the manufacturers owner manual. The manual will contain the schedule for oil change and lube, engine tune-up, maintenance of the brake systems and so on and so forth. Follow the schedule as much as possible to cut back on cost and to keep your vehicle as good as brand new. Your contract will be considered valid as long as you stick to the schedule stated in the manual.

Documentation is the key to keep your contract valid. If service center staffs are wise on making you lose money, you should also be wise in keeping your money inside your pocket. All the records of maintenance and other services should be kept together with the date and mileage. Handwritten notes alone are no longer acceptable for it can be forged. What you also need to keep are the receipts. If you lose some receipts, ask your service center if they can give you a copy.

Most contracts do not include consequential damages. It is there in the fine prints. What are consequential damages? Here is a perfect example so you can understand. If you have a heating problem caused by covered car thermostat, and then the heating problem boils down to the over heating of the engine, the result is a damaged thermostat and a damaged engine. However, the damage of the engine is only the consequence of the heating of the thermostat. So fixing the thermostat is covered by the contract but the engine damage is not.

While taking note of all the coverage included in the contract, it is also wise to note the service excluded from the coverage. This is because most of the time, as luck would have it, vehicle owners would experience problems not covered in the contract.