Archive for February, 2010
Choose Your Colour
Every individual will have different moods everyday but one thing that remains constant is their persona. It is the same with the colour choice that is preferences may differ but every person will a have their favorite colour. The favorite colour of an individual also reflects the characteristics and nature of an individual and I feel selecting a colour for your car also depends upon the kind of person the owner is!
The Indian auto market offers various colors to its vehicles but the top five colours or shades customers prefer are among the bestselling car models. To start with is the colour:
Silver shines
In Indian tradition the gold is given the preference but in terms of cars; the silver outshines the yellow metal. The colour silver on a car is the best seller among all the car models and most of the customers prefer the colour first. It is the silver days for Indians
Silver colour indicates the elegance clubbed with simplicity. It projects out a clear evidence is the spark that one can notice in the onlookers’ eyes. Hyundai and Maruti buyers mostly prefer bright silver and silky silver colour where as for the Honda and Toyota it is the new warm silver and silver metallic that sells the most. Looking into the Toyota figure we noticed that each dealer sells almost 600 silver cars a month.
Beige
It is the color signifying simplicity. A classic and soothing colour that is best suited for the country like India. Its softness and class makes it the No. 2 choice of Indian car buyers. The colour is referred to as Real Earth or Grace Beige and most of the car that carry this colours are Santro Xing and Getz from Hyundai. Some of the models like Mahindra and Mahindra’s Scorpio diamond white Ford Fiesta platinum Honda CRV opal beige metallic Toyota Corolla Camry and Innova beige mica metallic Maruti Alto Zen and Wagon R pearl silver are combined with the shades of beige clubbed with the other similar shades are selling like hot cakes.
Black
The colour of power comes third in the rank. Though black is associated with sadness in India and also picks up heat scratches faster but still is a colour party goer. It stays ahead of the colour white which is again one of the hot selling colours. Black is the colour of youngsters and it is favored colour across small to large cars segment.
Almost all the car brands offer this colour. Some of the cars that have different name for the colour for black are Maruti Alto and Wagon R midnight black Swift metallic midnight black Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. In the new Honda City ZX the colour is popularly known as Night hawk and Night hawk black pearl in the bestselling SUV of Honda CRV.
White
the universal colour the colour of peace and calmness. This evergreen colour always remains in fashion our kings of yesteryears Ambassador was always in this royal colour.
Sold the maximum and visible on the roads in cars like Wagon R superior white Toyota Corolla pearl white Toyota Camry super white and Honda City tafeta white.
Red
Tagged as the colour of love is definitely is a bold for certain cars. Some of the cars that look hot in red are Accents Swifts and Lancers in bright red. Some of the car in small segment like Altos moving around in wine red or bright red is seen too. Paprika red is the colour of Ford Fiesta fans and dark red mica metallic goes for MUV Innova from Toyota.
Honda city looks classy in its royal ruby red. Though a very sensational colour but may not be the most suited for the hot Indian conditions.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Buy new cars sell used or preowned cars from Indias First Interactive Car Portal. Click Compare and Choose your car. Get free car price quotes.
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Chipping A Turbocharged Car
Turbocharged cars are interesting creatures from a performance perspective. In stock trim from the factory they often run a very conservative level of boost and fuel delivery. These cars make good amounts of power but there is a vast reservoir of potential lying there completely untapped. This is largely because automakers are afraid of the warranty issues that could be associated with turbocharged cars running at their absolute peak. These extra safety margins are built into the engine management software so that power is produced but not to the point where stress might reach a dangerous level.
If you own one of these turbocharged beasts such as the Dodge SRT4 or the Cobalt SS it can be frustrating to find out that your car’s engine has been holding out on you. Many people when they find out about how their engine computer is programmed wonder if there is a way to bypass these restrictions and get the most out of their ride.
The answer is yes. Since modern engines are managed via computer software the simple answer is that by reprogramming the engines computer or ECU it is possible to wring every last ounce of power out of the engine. This is a lot easier to say that it is to actually do however. Not all car companies are open about how their engine management is coded and many of the tuners who work to decode these systems can find themselves spending a significant amount of time just figuring out basic ECU operations. However given a large enough market and enough time even the most complex management software is analyzed and improved upon by performance companies.
How do these companies reprogram you cars computer? Once they have a firm understand of the vehicles software they can then start to tweak it to test out the limits of the engine. There are quite a few different factors that can be played with in the pursuit of more horsepower and better performance: boost level throttle response the ratio of air to fuel at every given engine speed and ignition advance to give a few examples. This type of tuning is not only about peak power it is also about increasing the power band so that there is more power available no matter how fast or slow the engine is turning. This can really improve the drivability of your vehicle and help reduce some of the lag experienced with the turbocharger.
Once everything has been figured out and tested it is coded onto a computer chip. Some companies will send you the chip so you can install it yourself it usually just snaps in and out of the ECU while others will require you to ship them your ECU so that they can install it for you.
Chipping a turbocharged car can be a great way to unlock its hidden power. However doing so will often times void your warranty and could put your engine and other parts of your drive train under more stress than they is used to. Make sure that you get the whole story from whichever chip company you are considering before you install the new part in your car.
About the writer: Justina Mathews writes issues that currently affect the performance car enthusiast. She also writes about issues that affect the street tuner industry as well as import scene lifestyle. She’s a staff writer for s max intercooler.
Checking Your Drive Belt
Car maintenance is essential if you want your car to stand the tests of time. There is plenty of responsibility for car owners some of which really goes overlooked. There are many things that people do not realize they can take care of themselves. The drive belt is one of these things that you can both check on and change yourself if needed. This is just one of many items under your hood that you should be paying close attention to. It certainly does not hurt to keep a list of the things that you should be checking on regularly.
You may find that your drive belt squeals when it is in need of replacement. It is a very noticeable sound that is easily identifiable once you have heard it. If you do have it serviced by someone else make sure that it is someone that is certified to do so. There are many oil and lube places that do not have fully licensed mechanics. Getting these people to do that is not at all recommended. It is much better to do it yourself or seek out a certified auto shop.
The car should always be turned off and the engine cooled down before you attempt to do any kind of maintenance under the hood. To neglect this could result in burns or other injuries. Checking on the drive belt is something that you should do every so often when you check your oil or have it changed. This is a good regular schedule for maintenance. You need to be aware if your drive belt is breaking down or becoming incredibly worn. If it were to break completely you could be stuck stranded and in need of a tow truck.
You need to know what to look for when you are checking over your drive belt. If there are small cracks or signs of wear that is generally normal and nothing to worry about. However if you notice large splits or tears in the belt then you will need to replace it. Look for such things as frays or obvious stretching as well. Those are great indicators that your belt is close to the end of its lifespan.
You may prefer to equip yourself with a tension gauge before you replace any of your belts. It will help you to measure the accurate tension so that you do not put the new one on too tight or too loose. There is a tension adjuster near your belts as well which is for securing it to the right level of tightness. You need to be careful when doing this. Check your manual if you are not sure where to find it.
Removal of the old belt is relatively easy. You simply release the tension with the tension adjuster and then slip the belt off of the pulleys. Replacing it with the new one is much the same. Make sure that the new belt is the right one for your vehicle as well as the correct size. Double check this before you get started.
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