Posts Tagged ‘ About ’

Per the Australian government’s Motor Vehicle Census, as of March 2008 there were 15.3 million motor vehicles registered in the country. In just 5 years, between 2003 and 2008, the number increased by 13.9%. Everyone loves their auto, both men and women, and there are plenty of women driving cars who rely on a professional mechanic to keep it running smoothly.

With a car comes responsibility and one of those responsibilities is making sure the auto is taken care of properly. That requires a lot more than just keeping it filled with petrol or having the oil changed periodically. Women should have a basic understanding of auto terminology and recognize signs of trouble developing.

Auto Repairs are No Joke

There are a lot of jokes that have women and cars as the topic. Actually, the jokes are more about the stereotyping of women as having little knowledge about the mechanical aspect of cars. Chances are a lot of men would be very surprised to learn how many women have made sure they are familiar with the basics of auto mechanics so they can recognize a problem before it gets serious. Preventive maintenance and early repair can often save thousands of dollars at the mechanic’s shop.

Actually it is preventive maintenance and preventive driving behaviour that can minimize the chances of your car breaking down. For example, you should try to avoid taking regular auto trips that require less than 10 minutes of driving. It takes more than ten minutes for an engine to eliminate the water vapour created by the engine heating. Water that is not eliminated will collect in the engine and promote rust and even make its way into the oil where it impedes the ability of the oil to lubricate the engine.

That’s why you will hear an auto owner boast that the car has been driven primarily on the highway for longer periods of time!

Speaking of fluids like water, there is a lot more than oil to change in a car. Women need to make sure the transmission fluid is flushed and new fluid added approximately every 60,000 miles at a minimum. The differential fluid should also be changed at the same time. This will keep the drivetrain working properly and prevent transmission premature wear due to dirty fluid.

It’s a pity how many engines have been ruined because the driver didn’t recognize the symptoms of a developing problem. Your car “talks” to you in a language all its own and you just have to listen to what it’s saying to either prevent a problem or to stop a problem from getting worse. So what kind of language does a car speak?

* A lit engine light may suggest engine management problems
* Steam coming from under the hood indicates a possible coolant fluid leak, faulty waterpump or thermostat.
* A lit oil light indicates the oil pressure has dropped
* Brakes that go “squish” as the pedal goes too far to the floor (hopefully not all the way!) probably means the brake fluid is low
* The tapping and knocking clicking sound from the engine might indicate valves clearance or engine problems or

In other words, the noises you hear and the lights that suddenly are lit are telling you there is a problem that needs immediate attention.

Wow! What Does That Mean?

An overheated engine is a very serious problem that should be checked by a mobile mechanic right away. In fact, if your engine light comes on or there are signs of steam coming from the engine, the best thing to do is pull over and call for help. If you don’t turn the engine off right away and keep driving instead there is a good chance you will destroy the engine. When the engine gets too hot, the cylinder head gasket can fail and in extreme circumstances the block can crack among other things and you may have to replace the engine if that happens.

People with a basic knowledge of engines can often manage to get the car to the nearest repair shop by adding water to a radiator if the overheating is caused by a leaking radiator or hose. But the engine can overheat for a number of other reasons and if you don’t know what you are doing then it’s better to just stop driving and get assistance.

* Faulty electronic signals
* Clogged or leaking radiator
* Low coolant
* Broken, stuck or leaking thermostat
* Cylinder Head problems

Obviously some problems are much easier to fix than others. But the important thing to understand is that when the engine light comes on there is a problem that must be corrected or the engine can be ruined.

Sometimes you get early warning the engine is going to overheat before the dash light comes on. For example, you notice a puddle of fluid under the engine on the garage floor. You should never ignore this kind of sign until you determine exactly what it is and where it is coming from.

Not all puddles indicate a problem. For example, if you just drove the car and had the air conditioner on then a puddle might form under the car from the expulsion of condensation and water. But the puddle will be small and will appear under the air conditioner. If you walk up to your car and say, “Wow! Where is all that water coming from?” then there is a good chance your radiator is leaking.

Two-Way Conversation

Women should also understand the importance of regular maintenance on a vehicle. Not only will it help extend the life of your car, the knowledge will improve communication with a mechanic. For example, if you get your oil changed regularly and know it has not been using oil, then a dishonest mechanic will not be able to convince you to spend money on correcting a non-existent oil problem.

Women also need to learn the basic language of the mechanic. When he walks up to you and says, “Your ABS needs repair”, it’s good to know what he is talking about. There are a lot of acronyms used in the auto repair business and they will show up on your invoices. The terms are used like a second language by mechanics. Here is just a sample.

* ABS – antilock braking system
* ATF – automatic transmission fluid
* ECM – engine control module
* EGR – exhaust gas recirculation
* BCM – body control module
* SRS – safety restraint system
* PCM – Powertrain control module

There are hundreds of acronyms like these in the auto repair business.

It is highly recommended that everyone have a regular mechanic they can trust to speak honestly and intelligently about auto problems. A reliable car repair service can save a car owner literally thousands of dollars. It is the reason why so many busy people are using mobile mechanics who make it convenient to access reliable and ongoing auto repair and maintenance service.

In knowledge is power! Women who understand how a car’s inner workings operate, and the language of the car, have the power to talk to a mechanic in a two-way conversation. When the mechanic says the ABS or the EGR or the PCM needs work, you will be able to say…let’s talk about it.

I live with some one who just loves to crank the heat on the thermostat.Jeez, I can’t stand that.I dress like it’s summer unless I go some where.I have triad sitting down and talking about it,but the person is more on the controlling side…god for bid your always wrong he’s always write. And what spooks me is if you lock some thing up he always can get in …and fast like he’s one of those criminals you see on tv. No I can’t afford live any where els.Believe me or I would.What could I passably do to get the thermos to go only so high no matter what?
help,help..Thanks Jer’

In our modern, pampered world, many people don’t want to take care of themselves and are always whining for the government to “do something” about whatever it is that is causing discomfort in their situation.

Unfortunately for all of us, those cries for the government to “do something” do not fall on deaf ears. Politicians are always eager to buy more votes for themselves by “doing something” that gives the appearance that they are helping people.

When government response is applied to the field of economics and prices, just about every action the government takes is going to cause more pain and discomfort than it relieves.

The free market, with honest weights and measures, is the most efficient method available to humanity for providing the highest standard of living for the global population. Inevitably, if some outside force, such as government, interferes with the free market, it will cause everyone to experience a lower standard of living (with the possible exception of those who directly benefit by the government action, but even then, that is not always the case).

Prices are merely the free market’s method of finding a balance between supply and demand.

Let’s use an extreme example of prices for a new Lexus in order to understand the point. Suppose that the price to buy a new Lexus, in today’s dollars, was only $10.00. Yes, ten dollars apiece. How many would you buy? I’d probably get 50. That would cost about $1,000.00. I would only be limited by the space it required to store them. Everyone would certainly want to buy more than just one, and many people would want dozens of them for that price.

It is easy to see that a low price will encourage great demand. The reverse of that is also true. If a new Lexus cost $50,000,000 each in today’s dollars, the company would be able to very, very, very few of them. The exceedingly high price would greatly discourage demand.

If the price is too low, the result it that there is too much demand and the manufacturer can’t keep up. If the price is too high, there is too little demand and the factory goes idle for long periods of time.

Prices too low will encourage too much demand, while prices too high will greatly curtail demand. This principle also applies to profit. If one company is making a high profit by manufacturing an item, other companies will see this and jump in to make a very similar product. This results in more competition and greater supply. The effect of an increase in supply will be a lowering of prices. That is how supply and demand interact with each other.

Price is like a thermostat that regulates demand and supply. If anyone forcibly plays with that thermostat, it is going to upset the balance of supply and demand.

What typically happens when the government gets involved with rising prices is that the central banks start the process by printing too much currency. In so doing, all the well connected insiders get to enjoy the fantastic benefits of the new money by the billions, while the common man doesn’t. Instead, as this new money gets spread out into the economy, the value of the money gets diluted. It is like taking one gallon of milk, pouring it into two containers, and adding a half a gallon of water to each. Magic, presto! Now you have two gallons of milk.

Except that you don’t. You simply have one gallon that has been watered down by 50%.

The central bank creates out of thin air new money by the billions. Once it is spent into the economy by those that receive it, the effects of that inflation are felt by the entire population several months later in the form of rising prices. As this process continues, at some point the public will cry out for the government to “do something”.

And those wonderful politicians will indeed take some very visible actions by passing a price freeze law. This is price controls. The problem with this approach is that instead of creating price stability for the comfort of the population, it will heap more misery and a lower standard of living on the population.

The population yearns for relief from misery, and the government sends more misery as a result.

How so?

The answer lies in supply, demand, and profit. Let’s go back to our example of the Lexus. Let’s say that a new Lexus sells today for $50,000 dollars. Let’s also say that it cost the company $40,000 to manufacturer it. As the central bank dilutes the value of the currency, the cost to buy that Lexus goes up to $60,000 and cost to produce it goes up to $50,000. More central bank dilution of the currency further dilutes the purchasing power and the cost to buy that Lexus goes up to $70,000 and cost to produce it goes up to $60,000.

This pattern of events continues until the cost to buy that Lexus goes up to $200,000 and cost to produce it goes up to $190,000. At that point the cries from the public are overwhelming and the government steps in to “do something” about the problem. Instead of doing what it should do and create an honest currency that cannot be diluted (which would supremely benefit the people and put an end to the well connected insiders stealing from the system for their own benefit by diluting the currency), the government institutes price freezes to halt the rising prices.

If the central bank continues to water down the currency by printing it and making it available to those few elites that have that privilege while price controls are in effect, it will bring about catastrophic results. Let’s go back to the example of the Lexus. What if the value of money is further diluted so that the cost to buy that Lexus should be $220,000 and cost to make it is $205,000, but the government instituted price freezes and Lexus is only able to charge $200,000 due to the recently enacted price control laws? How long will Lexus continue to lose $5,000.00 per car they make? What if the central bank continues to water down the currency, and the cost for Lexus to make a car goes up to $225,000?

You may be wondering how the cost for the Lexus company could rise with price controls in effect? Well, Lexus doesn’t buy all their materials in the country where the price controls have been enacted. Therefore, their costs can and do go up. The result is that at some point they will discontinue making their cars, or at a very minimum, stop selling their cars in the country where the price controls exist. No company can exist if it costs it more to make their product than the product can legally be sold for. Therefore the company will simply stop making and selling their product in the country with the price control laws.

With price control laws enacted and a continuing of currency dilution by the central bank, eventually most companies will not be able to function properly and will have to cease making and selling their product in the country with the price control laws. Taken to the extreme, the store shelves will become empty as no company will be making the items needed to restock the shelves.

This is not just some philosophical ivory tower theory. It is reality. Just look back at the Soviet Union a little over a decade ago. Yes, the official price of sausage may be $1.00 per pound, but if there is no sausage available, what good did the official price do? Did it make the people’s lives any better? The grocery store shelves in the Soviet Union were always empty. People would wait in line for hours and even days for the chance to buy what little might become available. 5,000 people lined up to buy 6 chickens. Is that the type of situation that the government wants to create by “doing something”?

Price controls bring about shortages. Honest weights and measures that the elite cannot water down to their own advantage bring about price stability. We will all suffer from shortages when price control laws are passed and enforced.

Rather than cry for the government to”do something” as a nanny, Americans should demand the total elimination of the current dishonest financial system that only benefits the powerful insiders. Americans should demand that government enforce the Constitution, and re-institute and protect honest weights and measures for the benefit of the people, rather than prevent honest weights and measures for the benefit of the few well-connected insiders.

America needs to wake up before it is too late.

Our latest technology is advancing in leaps and bounds!

So you think remote viewing from your new DVR is cool? Try an entire network for your home that allows you to completely control your home remotely! With your cell phone you can now view your security camera’s current video, adjust the temperature on your thermostat, turn on or off almost anything in your house, or even preheat your oven for dinner!
These new home control networking systems are the next step up in convenience. In fact, new home constructions are adding the necessary elements to new buildings to accommodate this exciting development.

Basically, there are three major companies that are coming out with this new technology: Z-Wave Alliance, ZigBee and Insteon. What they’ve done is take the everyday item such as a thermostat, keyed entry, garage door, etc. and put their mark on it. What this mark means is that no matter who manufactures it (and at present there are over 150 different manufacturers involved), every product bearing it will be compatible with each other.
In computer terms, it would make Windows and Linux compatible.

So, say you have a washing machine made by LG, a thermostat made by Honeywell, a garage door by Raynor, a Schlage keyless entry, and a security camera with dvr, these products will all work together on the same home network accessed by your cell phone! You won’t even have to program it!

These networks work on low-power, low speed digital radio waves and can even be routed through your home’s existing AC power wires!

The great part of it is, it will save you money in the long run. Think about it.
When you leave the house in the morning, you turn the AC up to 80. Half and hour before you get home, you get on your cell phone and tell your thermostat to turn on and get the house temperature down to 75 by the time you get home!
Not to mention, if you’re watching your security cameras at the office and see something suspicious, you can start turning on lights, which in most cases will scare off a burglar. You can even alert a neighbor and have them check your house. Worst case scenario…you can call the police immediately and possibly nab the intruder in the act. It may mean a window broken, but they won’t run off with your great-grandmother’s antique pearl ring or the big screen TV.

A thermostat is a device that allows you to control the temperature inside of your home by controlling how your heating or cooling system functions. Heating devices are turned on when temperatures fall below a certain temperature and are turned off when the temperatures rise above another temperature. These two temperatures are separated so that the device is not being turned on or off too rapidly and are usually set within a couple of degrees from the desired temperature (or set point). More advanced thermostats can also control cooling devices so that a room can cool down faster and the air conditioner can be turned off when the air reaches the desired temperature.

There are three main categories of thermostats:

1.       Mechanical Non-programmable: Inside of this kind of thermostat is a coil made of two different metal strips that are sandwiched together. This coil tips a small mercury-filled glass bottle. When the temperature inside of the room/home changes, the two metals expand differently and the coil winds or unwinds, tipping the glass bottle and rolling the mercury to one end of the bottle. The winding and unwinding of the coil controls the furnace. Usually, the temperature of the room/home stays at the point where the bottle of mercury is almost perfectly level. These are the oldest kind of thermostats but are still widely used because of their simplicity and cost effectiveness. The main drawback of these kinds of thermostats is that they are less accurate that digital thermostats and cannot support programming features.

2.       Digital Non-programmable: These thermostats work similarly to mechanical non-programmable except that the metal coil is replaced with an electric temperature sensor. The microprocessor inside of it compares its readings to the desired temperature you select. Start and stop commands are then given to the heating or cooling system to bring the temperature to a level that is comfortable. These thermostats are more accurate than mechanical non-programmable but the changes in temperature settings still have to be done manually. They also do not contain mercury so they are more environmentally friendly.

3.       Digital Programmable: These thermostats work similarly to digital non-programmable models but they are far more convenient. You program the thermostat to customize your heating system’s operation to fit your lifestyle and schedule, then relax and let the thermostat do the work. Simply program the temperatures you need and what times of the day you need them into the thermostat’s memory. You’ll only need to program once, until changed to your routine, lifestyle or the seasons happen.

There are four ways to program thermostats:

1.       1-Day Programming: The desired temperature can be set to change throughout the day.

2.       5-2 Days Programming: There are separate programs for weekdays and weekends.

3.       5-1-1 Days Programming: There are separate programs for the weekdays, Saturday and Sunday.

4.       7 Days Programming: There are separate programs for each day of the week.

Thermostats can be placed in convenient places and only turn your furnace on when it is needed to maintain your desired temperature. They should be located where people spend the most amount of time, about five feet off of the ground and at least 18 inches away from an outside wall. Always remember to keep your thermostat ways from any sources of heat other than the air in the room. They should be kept away from heater, vents, windows, hot-water pipes and out of direct sunlight. They work best when installed away from stairways and corners because these areas can affect the circulation of air.