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Summer is almost here and as we all bask in the warmer weather, and look forward to holidays, beach weather and fun in the sun – have you considered your car? Depending on where in Australia you live, the summer heat can be scorching. Prepare your car for summer with some preventative maintenance, to avoid breaking down and getting stuck on the side of a very hot road.

Do a general all-over check for any maintenance items that may have slipped in the winter. Check your tyres, lights, oil, coolant and transmission fluid. If your last service was a while ago, consider booking your car in for a thorough maintenance check if your next service is not yet due.

Give your car a clean – to remove any trace of grime that may be lingering as a result of rain, mud and so on. A DIY wash, vacuum and polish will ensure that your car feels good to drive – or if you prefer, book your car in for a car cleaning service.

Check your wiper blades, and change them if they are worn. Check your wiper fluid levels and fill the reservoir. You can buy wiper fluid which does a better job than plain water, at your nearest auto parts store.

Heat related car problems are seen mainly in the car’s cooling and electrical systems. Inspect the hoses and drive belts in your car and look for cracks, wear and tear. Check the level of coolant (when the engine is cold), and have a look at the external surface of the radiator core, checking for insects and other blockages, and clean them out by hosing down. Do not brush the core as this could damage the cooling fins.

If your car does overheat while driving – stop immediately as driving on could damage the engine. Pull over immediately if you see steam or smoke coming from the engine. Check your instruments  – regularly, and be alert for any unusual high or low reading.

At the start of summer, make sure that your car’s air-conditioning is working efficiently. Run it for several minutes to check that it is blowing cold and that all vets are working. If you are in any doubt, rather have it checked by a qualified professional. Remember that effective air-conditioning will reduce driver fatigue by keeping the interior of the car cool in the heat of summer.

Check your owner’s manual and if your car is due for a service, book it in.

Happy summer motoring!

According to Wikipedia, variable valve timing (VVT) is “the process of altering the timing of a valve lift event, and is used to improve performance, fuel economy or emissions”.

A combustion engine takes in air to the cylinder chamber and gives off exhaust gases by means of valves which open and close the intake and exhaust passages. Variable valve timing changes the manner in which the intake and exhaust valves work at different engine speeds – helping to improve the engine’s performance and fuel economy and emissions by enabling the optimisation of engine performance under different loads and operations. As an example, a low engine speed valve timing can be advanced to help throttle response and engine torque, whilst under load. Valve timing can be retarded in order to reduce exhaust emissions and increase power at higher RPM, where valve opening times are greater.

Although VVT was first patented by Fiat in the late 1960’s, the first production vehicle to be made available to the market with a VVT system was the Alfa Romeo Spider 2000, released in 1980. Since then, many motor manufacturers have adopted the technology, with implementation variations and different names – for example Toyota has VVT-I or Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence and Honda has VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control – but they are all based on the same underlying technology.

Engines without VVT have a non-adjustable camshaft, with fixed valve movement duration and timing.

A rotating camshaft sits above the valves and controls the opening and closing of the valves. The technology controls the timing or points in the piston’s movement at which the valves open and close, how long the valves stay open and the size of the opening. Sensors measuring airflow and camshaft position feed information to the engine control unit (ECU), which controls the valve movement.

Using the camshaft to control the opening and closing of the valves does limit the variability of the valve. Better engine performance would be possible if we were able to directly control each valve – and this is where the future lies for this technology.

You have just taken delivery of your brand new car – there is absolutely nothing like the feeling of driving off in your shiny, smart, great smelling new car! The trick is to keep it looking and smelling good for longer – so that you can enjoy your ride and also protect your investment, as it’s no secret that buyers will pay more for a good-looking car.

So – how to do this?

Before you take delivery of your car – consider some of the protective accessories that are offered, such as bonnet protectors, headlight protectors, mudflaps and so on. Inside the car, a cargo area protector and carpet mats are useful to have.
Some dealers offer a paint protection product for your new car – at an extra cost. Do your research on what products are available and the costs. A good quality paint protection product can be useful if you don’t plan to clean your car regularly.
Be aware of where you park your car, at night as well as during the day. If you have a garage – use it. If not, and when you are not at home, avoid parking under trees that will drip sap and provide a handy perch for birds that produce droppings – both of which can damage your paintwork. If you can park your car under cover (not trees) during the day, do so as this will protect the car’s exterior and interior from sun damage. If you have no choice, and return to your car to find some deposits – clean these off as soon as you can in order to prevent permanent  damage to the paintwork.
Wash your car on a regular basis to keep it looking good – the more often that you wash it, the easier it will be to clean. Wash the car with a mild detergent and rinse well. Dry it using a good quality chamois. Polish your car every month or so– this will protect the paint. A hand wash for your car is much, much better than a car wash where they use brushes or anything that comes into contact with the surface of the car. Commercial car washes can also use harsh detergents which may damage the paintwork over time.
If you use seatcovers, get good quality ones that won’t wear the underlying seat.
Finally – get the small things fixed as soon as you notice them. Many touch up services will fix minor dents and scratches, and if you happen to damage an allow wheel rim by coming too close to the kerb, this can also be fixed easily.

What should you be carrying in your car that would be really useful when things go wrong? We can’t always prevent breakdowns or accidents, but we can be prepared by having these things on hand:

Make sure that you have your licence, registration, insurance papers, car manual and roadside assistance information on hand.

A hands free kit for your phone – or pull over.

A multi-tool for those times when you need a screwdriver, a pair of pliers of a pair of scissors.

A first-aid kit will help you to deal effectively with any minor injuries or accidents.

LED flares and reflective triangles will help during a breakdown at night, when it is vitally important for other motorists to be able to see you.

A torch and spare batteries will help you to see things at night – don’t rely only on your phone.

Keep a travel map of Australia in your car, for those times when technology fails you.

Food and water – things like nuts, muesli bars, jerky and dried fruit will travel well and will last for a while.

Always keep a spare phone charger and power bank in your car – and even a spare basic phone fully charged, would be a great backup should your primary phone fail.

Do all of the regular drivers of your car know how to change a tyre? If not – they need to learn. Obviously, a spare tyre, in good condition and inflated to the correct tyre pressure is an essential to carry in your car, together with a tyre changing kit. Tyre inflators and sealers are also useful should you get a puncture.

Jumper cables can get you going again if you experience a flat battery.

Coolant and water – if you are going on a long journey and your car overheats, you will be glad that you packed these.

Put an umbrella in your car, to make sure that you are covered for those unexpected rainstorms.

A set of spare clothes can be useful, in addition to a jacket or jersey in the back of the car.  I always travel with a roll of toilet paper in the glove compartment – useful for all sorts of things apart from the obvious.

A spare towel in your boot is another useful addition – for drying off after getting wet, to helping to mop up any unexpected spills inside the car.

Finally – put some cash in your glove compartment. This will help if you get stranded somewhere that there are no ATMs, or your card stops working or gets lost.

The term carjacking is commonly understood as vehicle theft involving threat, violence or intimidation. Currently, there isn’t a standard way of recording carjacking incidents in Australia, and carjacking seems to reflect in a relatively small percentage of vehicle thefts in Australia.

Carjacking motivations could be to sell the vehicle, to acquire a means of transportation or even to commit another crime such as armed robbery.

Carjackers operate in a number of different ways, all of which typically involve the use of a weapon and the threat of violence:

• Targeting moving vehicles by tailing and stopping a vehicle, or intentionally bumping a vehicle from behind to get the driver to stop and exit the vehicle.
• Stationery vehicles can be targeted where the driver has stopped at a petrol station, traffic lights, car wash or automatic teller machine.
• Vehicle owners can be targeted even if they are not at their vehicle. A driver may be followed and forced to hand over their keys.
• Vehicles may be stolen during a home burglary, where the homeowner is forced to hand over the keys.

According to the available statistics, the incidence of carjacking as opposed to car theft is low, although Crime Statistics Agency data shows that nearly 200 incidents were reported in Victoria alone between April 2015 and March 2016. In Australia there were around 51 525 car thefts in 2015 and 56000 in 2016.

It is thought that modern security systems in cars are to blame for the increasing incidence of carjacking – as the theft of parked, locked cars is becoming more difficult. Carjacking is an easy alternative.

Prevention is all about being aware of your surroundings and alert at all times while using your car – especially when parked, or waiting at an intersection, traffic lights or in heavy traffic.

Always park in well-lit areas, where there are other people or traffic. Take note of any CCTV camera locations, people standing around nearby – and always have your car keys ready in your hand when you return to your vehicle. Check inside your car, including the back seat before you get into your car. Lock the doors as soon as you are in your car, and start the engine right away.

Drive with your doors locked and the windows closed, and don’t have valuables visible on car seats.

Keep your tank filled – you really don’t want to get stranded in a strange or unsafe location.

According to the statistics, parking areas, work places, roads, driveways and service stations are the riskiest carjacking situations in descending order of risk.

If you are in the unfortunate situation of a carjack – keep your hands visible and exit the car quickly. If you have children inside the car – inform the carjacker clearly – most carjackers want the car, not your children, and don’t want to be involved in a kidnapping crime.

In town, drive smoothly avoiding repeated accelerating then braking . Don’t stay in too low a gear – change up as soon as practical. If you drive an automatic, ease up on the accelerator as soon as you reach your required speed. Try not to drive in peak hour traffic.

Fact: Constant stopping and starting will use fuel faster – therefore repeated bursts of acceleration and driving in heavy traffic will use more fuel than otherwise.

On the freeway, reduce speed and use cruise control if you have this. Use your air conditioner sparingly, and keep your windows closed.

Fact: Yes, the faster you travel the more fuel you will use. A far as the airconditioner is concerned – unless you have it on full blast for extended periods of time, this won’t make such a significant difference.

Check your tyre pressure weekly, when the tyres are cold. Setting your tyre pressure slightly higher than stated in the vehicle handbook will help with fuel economy and safer handling.

Fact: Under Inflated tyres create more drag, making the engine work harder and increasing the amount of fuel used.

You should ensure that your car is serviced regularly to help to save on fuel consumption. Keeping your car correctly tuned, filters in good condition, fuel and ignition systems in good working order and regularly changing the engine oil will all help to avoid excess fuel usage.

The quality of the petrol that you use will impact the distance that you will travel on a tank. If you use a cheaper grade fuel than recommended by the manufacturer, you will probably end up having to fill up sooner and the car will run less efficiently than designed. Remember that ethanol burns more quickly than petrol, so blended fuels like E10 will provide less overall range.

Fact: Keeping your car serviced regularly, with fresh oil and spark plugs when necessary and using the recommended fuel will ensure that your car is not only safe to drive but will save you money in the long run.

If you are able to do so, reduce the amount of load in your car. Things like golf clubs, toolboxes and the like all add unnecessary weight which will increase fuel consumption. External attachments such as roof racks increase wind resistance and therefore fuel use – remove them when not in use.

Fact: Removing excess weight in your car can mean less fuel consumption, depending on the extent of the excess weight.  

Buying a car privately can be a scary thing! That’s why we always recommend using a car broker – Have you considered purchasing a car without one? Here are a few things to be wary of to keep yourself safe during the process.

It is a good idea to be wary of buying a car that you have not seen. There are instances of fake adverts appearing on genuine car sales websites, online classifieds and online auction sites, where second hand vehicles are offered at prices much lower than market value. As the old saying goes – if it seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t.

If you are past this first hurdle, put together a list of questions that you can ask the seller – listen to the answers given and if there is any hesitation relating to a question that the seller would normally be able to answer easily – maybe the seller and the car being sold are not genuine. In this case, rather walk away.

It is very important that you should not provide the seller with any personal information at this stage of the proceedings. The seller should not at this stage need a copy of your driver’s licence or any banking information, or any other personal identification information.

So you are at the point that you would like to inspect the vehicle. Do not ask the seller to bring the vehicle to your home or office – rather arrange to meet at a neutral location, and if possible, take someone with you. Before you go, check that your insurance covers test drives, in case of an accident. A seller should not be asking you for any kind of deposit before you are ready to make an offer on the vehicle.

If you have test driven the vehicle, and you are thinking about making an offer, work out the optimum and highest amounts that you would be prepared to pay, before you start negotiating. You therefore need to do some research and know the market value of the car before you make any offer. Redbook.com.au will provide you with vehicle information as well as price guides and valuations. Another thing to check is the legal status of the vehicle. A Carfacts report is a good buy – it will quickly tell you if the vehicle has been stolen or written off, whether there id any finance owing on it, or it is suspected that the odometer has been rolled back.

When you have negotiated a price and now must pay the seller, use a payment method that will provide you with a proof of payment.

Looking for a simpler way to buy a car? Contact us today! Professional car brokers on hand to take the hassle out of buying and selling your car.

Car exhaust is a really unpleasant mixture of gases, compounds and chemicals. We all breathe this in to a greater or lesser extent depending on our daily activities, so it might be a good idea to find out what is actually in exhaust fumes, and the effects that breathing this in could have on our health. Many of us exercise near high levels of pollution from car exhaust, without thinking about the risks that we run by doing so.

Most vehicles need oil and gas to power their engines, with mechanical and chemical reactions occurring to run the vehicle. Combustion of the fuel releases a mixture of gases and suspended particles which are referred to as exhaust gas.

Car exhaust contains a mix of gases like sulphur dioxide and ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide as well as compounds such as benzene and toluene in addition to thousands of chemicals.

Carbon monoxide is the commonest single cause of poisoning in industry as well as in the home- as it is colourless, tasteless and odourless, and it binds to the haemoglobin in our blood, causing suffocation in large enough quantities.

The other compounds and chemicals in exhaust gas can cause heart disease, lung disease and cancer. There is no safe level of these pollutants – even small amounts at concentrations lower than recommended air quality standards can cause illness.

In addition to the gases and chemicals, car exhaust also contains small particles which are less than 0.1 micrometre in size, which easily get into the smallest sacs in the lungs and are just as easily absorbed into your circulatory system. Note that diesel fuel emissions are the worst from a health perspective – diesel exhaust is regarded by the World health Organisation as a Group 1 carcinogen – carcinogenic to humans.

Just breathing exhaust fumes in, is dangerous to your health – but when you exercise your breathing rate increases. Moderate exercise near a source of car exhaust can result in you absorbing as much as five times as much fine particulate matter than if you were at rest.

Most at risk will be the frail or elderly, and people with conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease.

So – protect your health by limiting the amount of exposure that you have to car exhaust fumes, and if you exercise on busy roads, rather choose quieter roads, a park or other recreation area, early in the morning before the build up of traffic. Later in the day there are more pollutants, and the heat causes pollutants like ozone to form.