Is Your Muffler Bearing Still in Good Shape?

Has the performance of your car seemed reduced as of late? Does the exhaust sound rough or just too loud? Is the idle too low and you are thinking the fuel pump has failed? Well good news everyone! It may just be your muffle bearing not the fuel pump assembly. The muffler bearing is essential for high performance cars to avoid that annoying swarm of angry bees sound. Ever heard a Honda with a fart can on it? Well the muffler bearing will keep you from looking like a fool. But the muffler bearing is not the only part that is over looked on a regular basis…there are tons of parts that just don’t get enough attention.

Most of the time blinkers stop working and it is assumed it’s time to replace the bulb but really your car is just out of blinker fluid. It is a common mistake to waste your money replacing bulb after bulb without fixing the issue. The blinker is a sensitive component and needs to be properly lubricated, if not the bulb can dry out. Lots of issues can be cause by a dry bulb, the least of which is fire. Before ordering blinker fluid, be sure to check the manual for the correct viscosity fluid for your vehicle. Don’t forget that Synthetic fluid is only intended for newer model vehicles.

This brings up on to performance gains that can be made with very little time or effort. These upgrades can give performance increases almost instantly but are seldom known in the automotive community. Parts like the radiator insulator, which keep the much needed heat closer to the engine. The engine works to create heat and there is no reason to give it away through the cooling system. The cooling system is intended to keep the transmission and axles cool not the engine. Protect the most valuable commodity or your car by insulating the radiator from cold air. Lastly are brake line upgrades. A cheap and helpful upgrade is a cross drilled brake line kit. These lines expose the brake fluid directly to the outside air and thus cool the fluid. Cooler fluid increases braking and reduced brake fade during times of heavy use. 

Automotive performance has been argued about since the dawn of the car but following the correct steps will get you ahead of the game. When working on your vehicle it is important to never listen to this guide. All of these parts are a joke and not to be taken seriously. If any of this guide made sense to you leave the automotive work to the professionals. Stay safe and always trust a licensed mechanic to do all maintenance and repairs to your vehicle.

The Mannesmann-Sachs Nivomat! Say What?

A friend of mine told me that his Volvo had a Mannesman-Sachs Nivomat shock.  Now, I know a lot about car parts. I know an ABS Control Module like the back of my hand, which my friend knows nothing about. After I made sure that he just didn’t get back from the dentist and was slurring his words, I decided to look into exactly what this strangely worded shock assembly is all about.  I am assuming my friend is doing the same thing in regards to an ABS Control Module.

The word Nivomat is actually a contraction of two French words, niveau and automatique.  In English, this translates to “level automatic.” Finally! Some words I actually understand.  Basically, the Nivomat does exactly what its English translation says it does.  It is a compact device that automatically levels out the vehicle.  So, when the back of your Volvo station wagon is full of all your kids’ really heavy soccer gear, your car will not sag in the back.  This will give you a smoother ride, keep your eyes on the road instead of the skies, and avoid looking like a low-rider.

The Nivomat shock assembly combines all the common components of a shock assembly; springs, struts, and shock absorber into one small housing.  The energy required to adjust the height comes from relative movements between the axle and the vehicle body while driving.  No electric engine or motor is required. After a few miles of driving the car will rise to optimum height. If the road is bumpy then the Nivomat adjusts to a higher level, for greater ground clearance.  That’s one clever Nivomat.

This type of suspension can be found mostly in European vehicles, cars that carry heavy loads, and trailer hauling vehicles.  So, the next time you’re in your friends Volvo, Saab, or Jaguar and their car is sagging in the rear you can be helpful. Instead of making a crude joke about them having “too much junk in their trunk,” you can politely tell them to have their Mannesman-Sachs Nivomat checked out.

Renault revealed 2012 Renault Scenic and Grand Scenic car

Renault has revealed the 2012 Renault Scenic and Grand Scenic car will be available with two new energy engines.

The 2012 Renault Scenic and Grand Scenic car will be the first Renault models available with new Energy dCi 110 diesel engine which produces 108hp and 260 Nm of torque. The fuel consumption of the car is 4.1 litres/100km and CO2 emissions of 105 g/km.

The 2012 Renault Scenic and Grand Scenic car is also powered with diesel Energy dCi 130 engine which produces128 hp. The fuel consumption of the car is 4.4 L/100km and CO2 emissions of 114 g/km. The Scenic and Grand Scenic line up will also include brand new Energy TCe 115 petrol engine with low CO2 emissions of 135g/km and reduction in fuel consumption compared with 1.6 16V 110hp.

The 2012 Renault Scenic and Grand Scenic car has LED daytime running lights, gloss black features and chrome details at front, tailgate strip and side moulding insert, new range of wheel trims and aluminium alloy wheels. The car is finished with two new body colors Grenat Red and Majorelle Blue. The car also has two new interior trims, new fabric upholsteries and new leather/Alcantara pack.

The 2012 Renault Scenic and Grand Scenic car features Visio System which assists the drivers vigilance, night-time vision, lane departure warning system, automatic headlight function, hill start assist, motorway mode indicators, Bose audio system, Carminat TomTom navigation and associated LIVE services.

The 2012 Renault Scenic and Grand Scenic car will initially available for sale with Europe dealers in January 2012. The price of 2012Renault Scenic car start from €21,350 and 2012 Renault Grand Scenic car start from €24,850.