Monday, April 25, 2011

Gary Lafollette Customer Testimonial Westside Auto Pros March 29th, 2011

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Kennetha Kline Customer Testimonial Westside Auto Pros March 29th, 2011

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We Start You Up

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You're Covered From A to Z

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Lauren Davis Customer Testimonial Westside Auto Pros March 29th, 2011

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Friday, April 1, 2011

The Purpose of Turbochargers

The Purpose of Turbochargers

By Ron Haugen




A lot of people do not know that turbochargers are actually a kind of a supercharger. The turbocharger used to be called a turbo supercharger. It was not long before the name was shortened. It is important to know what a turbocharger does and how it works. However, keep in mind that it is a lot of work to install these yourself or do any type of work on them. It is always a good idea to get an ASE certified mechanic to help you out with this.

Purpose of the Turbocharger

The turbocharger is made to compress the oxygen that comes into the engine of your car. When the oxygen level is increased it will increase the overall power output. Whenever the oxygen is compressed it will allow more to come into the engine in a shorter amount of time.

Turbocharger VS Supercharger

A supercharger is belt driven. However, the turbo charger is powered by the exhaust gases of the vehicle. Basically, a turbocharger will take a byproduct of the vehicle's engine that would usually not have any use. It will use this to get the horsepower of the vehicle increased dramatically. If a vehicle does not have a super charger or a turbocharger, then it will be called normally aspirated. These types of vehicles will have air drawn into them through the air filter. The air will then go through the meter. This will in turn regulate and monitor the air that goes into the system. This air will then be delivered straight into the combustion chambers of the engine.

Parts of Turbocharger

The turbocharger will be made of 2 parts. The first part is the compressor. The compressor is what compresses the air intake to the engine. It is what causes more air to get to the engine in a shorter amount of time. The other part of the turbo charger is the turbine. The turbine will take in the exhaust gases and then use them to power up the compressor. Something else that is often talked about with a turbocharger is the boost. This is the amount of the pressure in the air for the intake is exposed to. The more air that is compressed into the engine means the higher of a boost you can get.

Considerations

It is important to remember that a turbocharger engine will have a compression ratio that is lower than a normally aspirated engine. Because of this you not be able to put a turbocharger on with an engine that was meant to be normal aspiration. If you do this, then you will be putting the overall performance and the life of the engine at risk. You should also keep in mind that the lower compression ratio will mean that your engine will run a lot less efficiently when it is at a lower power. It is a good idea to go to an ASE certified auto technician to discuss what can be done to get a turbocharger safely and effectively put onto your vehicle.

If you are looking for honest advice, prioritized repairs, options on repairs, maximized fuel economy, and a good feeling with who you are doing business with go to http://www.westsideautopros.com




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Helpful Hints on Hybrid Cars

Helpful Hints on Hybrid Cars

By Ron Haugen




Hybrid cars are becoming more and more popular as people start to look at alternatives to traditional gasoline. Hybrid cars can be made using several different technologies, including electric, solar, and alternative fuel supplies. In recent years some manufacturers had to start wait-listing their hybrid models because of the demand. While hybrid cars can be great, the maintenance required is very different. Here are a couple things to consider.

Batteries

When hybrid solar and electric cars first hit the market, many people were shocked to find a simple battery pack could cost as much as $2000. Considering a non-hybrid car battery can run around $100, this was a huge sticker shock for many. However, this isn't the case today. Hybrid cars have warranties just like every other model on the market. Toyota offers a 100,000 mile or 8 year warranty on their new Prius models. This should make you breathe easier. Other manufacturers that use battery packs have followed suit, offering warranties that range anywhere from 80,000 to 150,000 miles. When you consider this, the cost of replacing the battery packs isn't so outrageous. As an added plus, since the technology was first introduced to the market the prices have come down drastically. What would have cost more than $2000 just 5 years ago can now be found for as low as $500 with some research.

Scheduled Maintenance

Scheduled maintenance is an area that many people who are considering hybrids get scared of. In most cases it's not much different. You do need to find a mechanic who is skilled with working on hybrids, but that aside most of the maintenance is similar. The schedule may be a little different though. The maintenance schedule is also not the same as it generally is with other types of cars. For example, many hybrids use an air filter along with the battery system that needs to be replaced every 40,000 miles. This is in addition to regular maintenance. Oil changes should be done every 5,000 miles, which is no different than the recommendations for other types of cars. Some hybrid models can actually save you money on maintenance as well. Some models use a brake system that regenerates itself, meaning you could potentially get 80,000 miles out of your factory brake pads.

Expected Fuel Economy

We all know that we shouldn't take the showroom sticker at face value. While a car manufacturer may rate their vehicles with a high MPG rating, actual driving may decrease this. With this said, the hybrid models do typically get better fuel economy. A hybrid car will run on the alternative power under certain conditions, and switch over to fuel when it's necessary. Those who tend to drive a little on the fast side, or those who need to make long highway commutes won't see the same savings as someone who only needs to drive through the city a few miles to get to work. Most hybrids will list their rated MPG between 45-50, and actual conditions can affect this by as much as 20%. If you drive long distances at fast speeds you can expect to get around 38 MPG in most models. However, when you compare that to the fuel economy you would get with a non-hybrid you will see that you are still coming out ahead of the curve.

If you are looking for honest advice, prioritized repairs, options on repairs, maximized fuel economy, and a good feeling with who you are doing business with go to http://www.westsideautopros.com




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