Changing a Car Gearbox

gearbox

The gearbox is a vital part of all car engines. It allows the driver to change the ratio by which power is applied to the car’s driving axle in its simplest form. Over time the gears and the gear trains can become worn down by repeated stress and friction causing the box to malfunction and cause problems when selecting gear. Changing a gearbox is one of the more complex tasks that you can perform in your home garage, but with a little preparation and planning it can be completed in around a working day of eight hours.

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Biofuels – The Greener Alternative

biofuelsThere are many different kinds of eco-cars now available on today’s market. These include vehicles that are electrically charged and have to be plugged in at night and those that are powered by hydrogen fuel cells, which need to be topped up at service stations with dedicated hydrogen pumps. The problem with many of these automobiles is that they are prohibitively expensive for many motorists. Some of these green vehicles even cost more to run than their petrol and diesel driven counterparts, making them unattractive for those on a budget. Continue reading →

A World with Autonomous Cars

autonomous car concept

Google unveiled their autonomous car at the Detroit Motor Show in January. They are not the only company developing their own drive-by-wire vehicles, which look set to become a definite feature of our roads in the future. Whilst there have always been those who are scared of change – from the cavemen who no doubt believed that the wheel was the work of some evil god through to the people who thought that the electric toothbrush would shake out their teeth – a little shake up of things is often for the greater good.

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How to Change a Car’s Clutch

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There are many tell-tale signs that your car’s clutch is on its way out. The clutch may feel spongy during operation, requiring you to let it out more than normal whilst you change gear. A burning smell also can indicate that there is excess friction caused by a slipping clutch or you may simply have experienced a huge amount of difficulty in changing gear. Whatever the reason behind your failing clutch, you can change this part yourself with a sufficient amount of mechanical knowledge and the right tools. This step by step guide goes through the basic fundamentals of performing this procedure

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The Most Commonly Replaced Car Parts

What are the most commonly replaced car parts? With the huge forces created in your combustion engine and by travelling at speed, it is no wonder that the components of today’s cars wear out. Certain parts wear out faster than others and there can be extenuating factors such as environmental considerations that can lead to a reduced lifespan. Our list takes a look at which parts are most prone to wear and likely to need swapping out.

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New Green Cars for 2015

green-cars-2015-bmw-x5-plug-in-hybrid

Green motoring is an increasingly hot topic for all motorists in the UK. With vehicle emissions still contributing a large percentage of all CO2 emissions, every car owner can play their part in helping to reduce the amount of pollution produced by their vehicle. Manufacturers are aware of this trend and we are now seeing a rise in the number of different green cars available, so which of these are tagged for success in 2015? Continue reading →

Winter Driving Guide

Winter driving

The harsh winter weather puts extra demands on your motoring. Last year we took a look at the precautions you can take before setting out on the road and the differences between summer and winter tyres.

However, there are many good practices you can adopt when driving in various wintry conditions.

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Beyond the Breaker’s Yard – Recycling Unusable Cars

recycle-car-parts

When car parts get beyond circulation as second hand spares, they have to be recycled. Around 80% of a car can be turned into usable products, making car recycling big business today. There are now whole companies that exist around taking different materials from scrapped cars and turning them into reusable products. What are these materials and how are they reprocessed? Continue reading →