Archive for February, 2010
The Right To Repair Act And What It Means For
Author: admin
The Right To Repair Act And What It Means For You
As cars become more advanced and complex with each passing year it has now reached a point where car owners must seek or get repair work done at a new car dealership. They do not have the choice of many repairs at regular repair shops or similar as they do not have access to the technology that can read the newer computers and service information. Without this an effective repair and diagnosis cannot be done. This has become a great money making opportunity for the car dealers and their manufacturers to effectively monopolize the repair market and jack up prices on parts and services. This is why there is a new bill that if congress passes it will change this and make car repairs and service a more affordable option.
Since congress instituted the anti trust legislation which encourages fair trade and business practices some companies like Microsoft still try to ride the extreme edge of these laws most businesses have complied. Some companies though when afforded an opportunity to make extra cash and lots of it by stifling the competition and artificially raising prices and entrapping customers can we say illegal monopoly run at the opportunity. Companies like the auto manufacturers of today have currently done with the with holding of crucial technology and information systems to regular or non name repair shops. This effectively makes it so that you the consumer immediately have a greatly reduced choice of where you can go for repairs and service.
That is not fair causes unfair competition and business hurdles drives up prices and most importantly is highly illegal. Yes the big auto manufacturers are currently spending millions on high paid lobbying firms in Washington to get the bill and subsequent legislation squashed or at least greatly reduced. This is how business is done in Washington and on the federal level. Its called pork barrel politics and it is not about what is fair and good for the consumer. Many times a well intentioned bill funding or similar gets squashed or minimized to the point where it either does not have any effect or in some places the complete opposite results.
Case in point the AMT Alternative Minimum Tax was brought about to tax the rich more and in the end it actually does not touch the rich and entraps many members of the middle class. The rich can afford big lawyers and lobbyists and literally get away with murder for a great example just look at O.J. Simpson and his dream team with Cochran and others. They can get a presidential pardon for donating 500000 or so to a presidents memorial library fund or similar just look at the list of people that Bill Clinton pardoned on his way out of the presidency one was an automotive and NASCAR magnate with over 50 felony charges and all were pardoned away!
Why I am telling you this is because the Right To Repair Act is another very well intentioned bill that will lower automotive repair costs as it encourages healthy competition. It will make the auto manufacturers release codes technical data and equipment to the entire repair industry. It will allow you to get your car or truck serviced wherever you like. You should be able to get your car serviced wherever you like and if you feel adept enough or properly trained to work on it yourself.
The automotive industry wants it squashed as they are now literally allowed to have a monopoly on where their car owners go for service. A monopoly on service and related auto repairs means a financial windfall for all involved except the consumer. Just go to your local car dealership and have something simple and what you would think cheap to repair diagnosed. See what the service advisor tells you. You will almost pass out. On average new car dealer service departments charge twice what your local service shop does. And they routinely recommend things that are not necessary or needed.
The car manufacturers argument is that they have the best training and can best work on your car so it helps the consumer. This is simply not true. I actually worked at numerous car dealerships for many years and have seen many gaffs mistakes and acts of stupidity done by the service departments. The same mechanics that work at your local car dealership actually are no better qualified then your local mechanics with the same training ASE and similar.
Why can I say this? Because they are the exact SAME mechanics. Where do you think the car dealership mechanics go when they finally get tired of being lied to and having their pay cut or a performance bonus missed while the car dealer and general managers are just banking it. They leave and go to regular service shops and some go out on their own and launch their own repair shop or service station. Many of these service shops have stringent training requirements that exceed your state requirements and even that of the new car dealerships.
So basically it is up to you. This is a bill that will help you and save you money.
About the writer: For the rest of this and many more great articles on similar helpful topics please be sure to visit Headlight Cleaner Polish Repair and Restoration http://www.mdwholesale.com
The Pros And Cons Of Hybrid Cars
Author: admin
The Pros And Cons Of Hybrid Cars
Hybrid cars are considered to be the car of tomorrow. Because of the benefits it can give you you will definitely want to get one for your own. In fact more and more people are now considering selling their conventional car and purchase a hybrid car. So why is it that more and more people prefer getting a hybrid car instead of a conventional car even if hybrid car retail prices are far more expensive?
The answer to this is that these people are thinking of the long term benefits that a hybrid car can give. With a hybrid car you can cut fuel consumption in half compared to conventional cars. Hybrid cars will be able to give you maximum fuel efficiency. It will be able to give you far better mileage to the gallon. Just imagine with a hybrid car you can get more than 60 miles to the gallon of gasoline.
This is because hybrid cars run on two engines. One is the conventional internal combustion engine that you will find in conventional cars and the other is the electric motor and batteries. Hybrid cars are basically cars that combine electric energy and gasoline energy. By combining these two to power your car it will run quieter cleaner and far more efficient than conventional cars. These are the main advantages of hybrid cars.
Another advantage is that you will be able to save more money from tax breaks imposed by the US government to hybrid car users and buyers. If you own a hybrid car you will be able to enjoy tax breaks. Also you will be able to enjoy free parking and other incentives that the government imposed on hybrid car owners.
Now that you know about the main pros of the hybrid cars you also need to know what the cons of hybrid cars are.
People have been purchasing hybrid cars because of the ability of saving a lot of money from fuel consumption. However the main advantage of hybrid cars which is the electric motor is also its downfall. When a hybrid car is involved in an accident it will be difficult for you and the rescuers to get you out of the car because of the dangers of electrocution. Hybrid cars carry large amounts of voltage. When it gets involved in an accident wires from the battery may tear off and will be potentially dangerous to handle.
Another disadvantage of hybrid cars is that the retail price is higher than conventional cars in the same weight class. However the hybrid car can counter this disadvantage by allowing consumers to save money in a long term basis. When you look at it in a long term basis hybrid cars tend to be cheaper than conventional cars. Try and compute the amount of gasoline both cars will consume during its lifetime and add it to the retail price of the car. You will see that the conventional car will tend to be more expensive than hybrid cars when you look at it in a long term basis.
These are the pros and cons of hybrid cars. You can see that it contains more advantages than disadvantages. Most hybrid cars today are now integrated with the latest technology in car safety. So if you are planning to purchase a car think hybrid.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Hilal Abdelwali Ph.D. in Automotive Engineering. SAE Member Since September 2001. Expert in Automotive Engineering and Hybrid Cars.Internet Marketer. Owner of http://TheHybridCarsSite.com and http://MyHotProducts.com Site.
The Little Brother Of German Car Manufacturing Improves
Author: admin
The Little Brother Of German Car Manufacturing Improves
Audi have become increasingly competitive with the big boys of the German car manufacturing industry. This competitiveness has been predominantly gained through the release and development of the Audi A4 and the A8. These two cars form the core of the Audi range and as such have been important in courting business away from Mercedes and BMW the current leaders in the saloon car market.
At the moment the Audi A4 makes up half of the cars made by Audi and for the German company can be considered the most profitable of all the Audi range. Subsequently work has been fervent in creating the A4 to compete with the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes C Class has been the mandate and the designers have worked to match these two cars in terms of performance luxury and style. The A4 is currently in its fourth generation and can be considered the bread and butter of the Audi range. The technology it contains is maybe a symptom of the current saloon car market evidently executives like their gadgets.
The entire Audi range is packed full of technological advances to make life easier for the driver and more comfortable for passengers not to mention safer for travellers more generally. Audi in the past have been in the wake of Mercedes’ technological department; this is however changing. The latest A4 model has an all encompassing airbag system that works towards protecting all of the passengers; it also has LED daylights that can be considered another safety feature. Technology ‘borrowed’ from Mercedes includes the impressive lane departure system warning drivers when they stray from their motorway lane. Although the more the car manufacturing industry helps the development of such safety measures the better.
Like the 5 Series BMW the Audi utilises an advanced drive selection system giving the driver control over engine management suspension settings and the responsiveness of the steering. This seems to be an increasing trend in the saloon car market that has taken advantage of new technology to give the driver more control than they have ever had before over the way the car handles and performs. For instance; adjusting the suspension from soft and comfortable to hard and unrelenting for extreme driving is now possible.
Along with the A4 the Audi range has a flagship in the A8 created to rival the BMW 7 Series. This car like many of the prestige saloons on the market offers luxury and elegance combined with comfort thanks to its large size. The engine it utilises is not only powerful but also economical especially in terms of the diesel model. This should be of especial importance as the current situation of super high fuel prices continues. Accompanying literature of the A8 claims the diesel car can travel nearly six hundred miles on a full tank.
BBC’s Top Gear programme tested this claim when the show’s presenter Jeremy Clarkson drove the car powered by a diesel engine all the way to John O’Groates from London and back again without refuelling the car. This was taking frugal driving to the extreme including coasting down the larger hills but still acts as proof of the Audi engine’s exemplary fuel economy.
The Audi range clearly has some fine examples of motor cars while it is still behind its German rivals in terms of sales it is currently gaining on the industry giants. This attempt to carve a niche in the German saloon car market has led to improved fortunes for Audi more generally. The A3 is now a popular small car while the new R8 sports car is one of the most hotly desired cars on the planet. Because of the high levels of competition provided by BMW and Mercedes Audi have had to raise their game considerably; arguably they have done this through efficient design and excellent brand marketing.
About the writer: Motoring expert Thomas Pretty looks into how the Audi range is increasingly competing with BMW and Mercedes.
