The New 2008 F-Series Super Duty Trucks

In 2007, Ford introduced the new generation of F-Series Super Duty trucks. The new F-Series have three body styles to choose from along with two different lengths. 4X2 and 4X4 are always options. Super Duty have three powerful engines to choose from, the 5.4l-liter Triton V-8, 6.4-liter Triton V-10, and introducing the new 6.4-liter Power Stroke Diesel V-8. The 6.0-liter was replaced due to unhappy customers.

Several new features have been added to 2008 Super Duty Trucks including: the handy tailgate step and grab handle that makes climbing in the bed easy, oversized power mirrors that extends inwards and outwards, and bed extender that splits in two and folds against the bed side. The 2008 Super Duty trucks have three cab choices: regular cabs, super cabs with rear seats accessed through rear-opening doors and a crew cabs with four full-sized doors and more space.

The regular cabs are available with an eight-foot bed. Super cabs and crew cabs have either six and three-quarter or eight-foot bed.

The 2008 F-Series Super Duty Trucks have a six-speed manual or five-speed TorqShift automatic transmission.

Ford has added new features on the 2008 F-450 Super Duty. The features includes for the first time, a factory pickup bed. King Ranch edition is now available for the F-450. King Ranch editions are equipped with unique leather seats that have saddle-style stitching.

You find more information on the New 2008 F-Series Super Duty Trucks go to http://www.fordvehicles.com/trucks/superduty/ on the web, or at your local Ford dealer.

Winter Auto Maintenance Checklist

Winter weather is just around the corner, along with winter driving. It is very important have your vehicle inspected by you or an auto mechanic before the cold winter weather hits. A good vehicle inspection can prevent you from being stranded out in the cold.

It is a good idea to keep a maintenance log, to make sure everything gets check. Your vehicle should be inspected two times a year, before winter and in the spring. Inspections are important because the change in weather can be a threat to your vehicle’s system if is not maintain properly.

Freezing temps, salted roads and perception can harm to your vehicle if it is not inspected. These winter maintenance tips can keep your vehicle in good shape during the winter months:

1 .Check your antifreeze- Most vehicles, now of days, require a mixture of water and antifreeze, 50/50, in their radiators. The antifreeze level needs to be 50/50 or close to it. An auto mechanic can check the level for you, or a tester can be brought for around $5. It is recommended that the radiator should be flush out every spring.

2. Inspect your tires- The National Highway Transportation Safety Board recommends that you need at least 2/32” of tire tread to be safe. Anything less than 4/32” or 1/8” needs to be replace immediately. The old penny test is still a dependable way to check tire thread. Another important note is to keep checking your tire pressure. It is a fact that tires lose a little pressure in cold weather, so keep them pump up.

3. Replace your wipers- Windshield wipers help you in two ways: First, they keep snow falling from the sky off your windshield. Second, they keep your windshield clean from soupy muck that splashes up on your windshield when traveling down a soupy road. The muck might contain a mixture of sand, salt, and water, so having wipers that are in excellent shape can keep you and your windshield safe and clean.

4. Check your windshield washer fluid- It is important to keep your washer fluid full, to keep your windshield clean from that muck on the road. Tip: Don’t fill the washer fluid reservoir with anything expect washer fluid. Windshield washer fluid won’t freeze.

Following these winter auto maintenance tips can keep your vehicle and most importantly you safe in these winter months.

Top 10 Fuel-Efficient Vehicles

1. Toyota Prius Hybrid
Mileage: City-60 Highway-51

2. Honda Civic
Mileage: Manual: City-30 Highway-38
Automatic: City-30 Highway-40
Hybrid: City-49 Highway-51

3. Toyota Camry Hybrid
Mileage: City-43 Highway-37

4. Toyota Corolla
Mileage: Manual: City-32 Highway-41
Automatic: City-30 Highway-38

5. MINI Cooper
Mileage: Manual: City-32 Highway-40
Automatic: City-30 Highway-37

6. Honda Fit
Mileage: Manual: City-33 Highway-38
Automatic Base: City-31 Highway-38
Automatic Sport: City-31 Highway-37

7. Ford Focus
Mileage: Manual: City-27 Highway-37
Automatic: City-27 Highway-34

8. Mercedes- Benz E320 BLUETEC
Mileage: City-26 Highway-37

9. Nissan Sentra
Mileage: Manual: City-28 Highway-34
Automatic: City-29 Highway-36

10. Nissan Altima
Mileage: Manual: City-26 Highway-35
CVT Automatic: City-26 Highway-34

My brakes are squealing! Does that mean I need a brake job?

Not quite. Front-drive car and minivans that are built with brake pads these days, have a harder semi-metallic material. This material may cause a certain amount of brakes noise. This noise does not mean that there’s a brake problem. However , there ways to eliminate the noise.

Vibration between the brake pads, rotors and calipers cause the brake to squeal. Placing noise suppression shims, a thin self-adhesive strips, on the back of the pads, or applying noise suppression compound on the backs on the pads to moisten vibration can be done to reduce or eliminate the noise. If the noise is not better, then it might be time to resurface the rotors and replace the pads.

Some brands of semi-metallic are naturally noisier than others, because of the ingredients the manufacturers use. This may sound odd, but the cheaper pads occasionally appear quieter than the premuim quality or the original pads that came with the vehicle. It is not recommended that you go with cheaper pads. If the premium pad are installed properly, should create no noise.

A Mechanic can help you with the brake noise.

My engine uses about a quart of oil every 1,000 miles. Should I be concerned?

If your vehicle is using a quart of oil every 1,000 miles, it might time to sell or trade in your vehicle. A vehicle using a quart every 1,000 miles is starting to show ware on the motor. 1,000 miles is still an acceptable amount for a quart of oil. The amount of oil use will gradually increase as you put on more miles on your car or truck. When you are adding a quart every 500 miles or less, it’s time for an overhaul.

Your engine’s oil consumption depends mainly on two things: the valve guides and piston rings. If the valve guides are worn, if there’s too much clearance between the valve stems and the guides or if the valve guide seals are worn, cracked, missing, broken, or improperly installed, the engine will suck oil down to the guides and into the cylinders. Even if an engine uses a lot of oil, the engine may still have good compression.

If the valve guides are worn, they can usually be replace at a mechanic shop. Knurling, sleeving or the guides and boring out the guides and installing valves with oversized stems will stop the loss of oil.

Oil can also slip past the rings if the rings and cylinders are badly worn or damaged. This may be that the cylinders were not honed properly when the engine was built or rebuilt or if the rings were installed improperly.

When a newly-built engine is first started, the rings require a certain amount of time to “seat” or break-in. If the rings fail to seal properly, the engine will use oil. In this case, the wrong finish was applied to the cylinders, which failed to clean and lubricate the cylinders properly before the engine was fired up, or the proper break-in procedure.

In some case, worn rod bearings, excessive bearing clearances and/or excessive oil pressure can slash too much oil on the cylinders, causing oil to get past the rings.

The cure for worn rings and cylinders is to overhaul the engine block. The cylinders have to be refinished and new rings installed to regain good oil control.

Finding The Right Repair Shop

Here are some tips for finding the right repair shop:

• Search for a repair shop before you need one. Picking a repair at the last-minute could cause you to pay more than what is needed or get poor quality service.

• One of the best ways to pick the right repair shop is by Word-of-Mouth. Ask friends and family for repair shop recommendations, technicians they trust.

• Repair shop may need to licensed or registered by a state or local law. It always a good idea to see the shop’s current license(s). In addition, ask you State Attorney General’s office and a local consumer protection agency about the repair shop’s complaint record.

• Check if the repair shop is able to repair your car as needed or on time.

• Make sure the repair shop supports your vehicle’s warranty.

* Shop around and compare different repair shops for the best deal.

Top 7 tips to help buy a vehicle without flood damaged

Have you ever gone to a car lot or saw a vehicle that you thought that the price was too good to pass up? Before you dig your money out and sign that paper work, you may want to pay attention to this.

Whether you know it or not, most vehicles that are sent to a salvage yard with flood damaged are clean up and then put back on car lots. Flooded vehicles may have water that leaves lasting damages, like electrical and mechanical components that may fail earlier than they’re suppose to. Mold and mildew aren’t easy to eliminate in vehicles. Most of the time the remaining warranty doesn’t cover flood damaged. Believe it or not, there are car dealers that sell flood damaged vehicles to unsuspecting buyers that think they’re getting a great deal.

Here are the top seven tips to help you avoid buying a flood damaged vehicle.

1. Look for Moisture and Dirt: Watch for breads of trapped moisture in all the vehicle’s lights. Lookout for signs of dampness and gritty dirt that’s leftover from a flood in the glove compartment, console, trunk and on the floor broads. Look for signs of rust and accumulate dirt under the hood. Slide your handunder the seat to check any signs of moisture.

2. Take a Sniff: Does the vehicle smell like a sour, mildew-like order? A vehicle will have an unpleasant order if the carpeting and seats were socked with or had water in the vehicle. The order is outstanding if the vehicle has been out in hot and humid conditions.

3. Look for New or Mismatched Interior Components: A good indication that a vehicle had flood damaged is the carpet’s condition. The carpet may look newer than the vehicle itself. Another indication that a vehicle have flood damaged is the seats. Do they have seat covers on the seats? Why? Is it because they go with the vehicle, matches the color scheme? Or does the seat covers seam to be out of place, different colors? It may be a possibility that the whole seat(s) themselves have been replaced. Another thing to look for in the interior, is for any new or different colored components; like dashboards, gauges, vanity mirrors, etc.

4. Get a Vehicle History Report from Carfax: Carfax does a great job of researching a vehicle’s background by its VIN number. A clean slate is not a 100% guarantee that the car or truck hasn’t suffered water damage. Look for signs that the vehicle has been titled in multiple states, a clue that the owners are attempting to clean up a negative notation on the title, such as salvaged or totaled, is by shuffling it into and out of areas where damaged disclosures differ or don’t exist.

5. Turn it On and Go for a Drive: First thing you do is turn the vehicle to the on position and check everything that is electrical that you can, including exterior and interior lights, gauges, clock and audio system, and dash lights that displays air bag and seat belt etc. information. Next, start the vehicle and take it for a test drive, Make sure that all the electrical components are working correctly.

6. Let your Technician Examine the Vehicle: Take the vehicle to your mechanic or someone you trust, and ask for a thorough examination. Experienced technicians will know what to look for any signs of flood damage. (If the vehicle still has a new car warranty, and your technician find evidence of flood damage, the warranty is invaild.

7. Don’t take a chance: If the vehicle that you are looking at has flood damage, WALK AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE. The money that you save will become the money you will spend to replace components in the vehicle, even if the vehicle is under warranty. DO NOT CHANCE IT. Find a vehicle that you can depend on.

My air conditioner isn’t cooling very well. What’s Wrong?

Several things could cause this problem:
• Low Freon- An air conditioner system requires a certain amount of Freon to cool properly. If the Freon level is low, the system does not work properly and does not cool well.
• Dirty Condenser- The condenser is the heat exchanger mounted in front on the radiator. It cools the high pressure Freon vapor after it leaves the compressor so it can condense into a liquid. Any substances such as; leaves, bugs, road debris, etc., that may be in the condenser, block the air flow causing the air conditioner to cool less. Keeping the condenser clean should prevent this problem.
• Inoperative Condenser Cooling Fan- When the air conditioner in on, the condenser’s electric cooling fan should turn on and remain on. The fan may not run due to the fan’s motor, motor relay, or wiring being burnt out.
• Air or Moisture Contamination- In order for the Freon to work properly there must not be any air and moisture in with the Freon. Air reduces the cooling efficiency of the system, while moisture can freeze and form ice that causes blockages in the orifice tubes and metering values. Air and moisture contamination may be the result of non repaired leaks in the system or failing to vacuum purge the system prior to recharging it with Freon.
• Blockages- Debris such as, rust in the system can plug up the orifice tube or metering valve that enters Freon into the evaporator. This process is a very important point of the cooling system. If the Freon becomes restricted or blocked, a lack of cooling becomes in affect. This may cause possible compressor damaged as well in systems that rely on oil circulating with Freon for lubrication.
• Mechanical Problem- Air Conditioning system failure like; metering value failures, compressor wear, compressor clutch engaged failure, bad pressure switches, etc. may need a skilled A/C technician’s attention.

Time For A Road Trip

Summer is here which also means summer vacations. Majority of people drive to their summer vacation spots, whether it be one long trip or several small ones throughout the summer. Making sure your vehicle is ready for the trip is just as important as making sure your destination is ready for you.
Seven simple items can make or break your vacation:
Flush Radiator: this should be done once a year to help prevent corrosion and failure.
Replace Air Filter: Your vehicle needs to breath just as much as you do.
Check Tires: Poor tread depth can greatly reduce traction, especially during summer rain.
Windshield Wipers: Winter is hard on wipers and by summer they can be dry & cracked.
Brakes: A quick check during the oil change is well worth it.
Battery: Cold weather can cause corrosion build up.
Headlights: You are sometimes the last to know your headlight is out. Better to find out now than after the police stop you.

Following the above tips should improve chances of something going wrong with your summer driving vacation. There is always more you can have checked out but atleast doing the above will help. Drive safely!!

Morning Sickness

Do you have morning sickness? No, not you! Your car! If the power steering of your car feels stiff when you first start it and once you've driven a while it loosens up, it has what is callled "morning sickness." GM vehicles are most notorious for this situation. It is caused by wear in the spool valve housing on the power steering rack.

When a car is started the rack is cold and clearances in the spool valve are great. Hydraulic pressure from the power steering pump leaks past the grooves worn into the aluminum spool valve housing which causes a loss of pressure and makes steering more difficult. Once the car is warmed up, the clearances decrease, which increases the pressure making steering easier.

In order to eliminate this problem, you need to replace the rack. Your best options are ones with a cast iron spool valve housing or a remanufactured rack with a stainless steel sleeve pressed into the aluminum housing.

Torque VS. Horsepower

Which is more important? Well that depends on what you use your vehicle for. Higher torque ratings are more important if you pull a trailer, haul heavy loads or drive on roads with long, steep grades. More horsepower is if you like to get from stoplight to stoplight in record speed or if you do a lot of quick acceleration driving.

Torque is the force that helps your vehicle start moving from a stop and pulls it up steep hills. Horsepower moves the vehicle along and gives it the ability to cruise on the highway and accelerate. The higher horsepower and torque ratings also means lower fuel economy. That is another reason to know your needs because with fuel prices, who wants to pay even more when they don't have to.

Spring Is In The Air

Winter is soon coming to a close and warmer weather is on the horizon. Living in an area that has snowfall during the winter can be hard on your vehicle in several ways. One is the effects of salt and sand used on the roads. It is great to have that extra traction, but what it does to your air filter will have your engine breathing heavy. By now your air filter is more than likely clogged, which can reduce your gas mileage and accerleration. Having your air filter changed is a quick and cheap fix to keep your vehicle running more smoothly and efficiently.

Can You See?

You should check your wiper blades every six months and replace if necessary. It is very important during the winter months due to snow, ice, sleet, rain and road grime. Most people don't realize they need new ones until they are on the road and suddenly need their wipers and cannot see. This is not only an inconvenience but very dangerous.

To help make your blades last longer you can clean them using a lint-free cloth or papertowel soaked in windshield washer fluid or mild detergent. Also keeping your windshield clean will help. Early deterioration of blades can be caused by extreme dust, extreme heat, sand & salt in snow areas, pulling frozen blades off windshields and using your wipers to remove frost.

Choosing An Auto Repair Shop

Automobile repairs are inevitable if you own a vehicle. Knowing where you will take your vehicle when a breakdown occurs can not only save you money but also make the inconvenience a little less stressful.

Reputation: Asking friends and family where they take their vehicle. Inquire about their experiences and whether they would recommend them.

Mechanic Qualifications: Ask the shop manager if the mechanics are certified, such as Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). Do they have special certifications for items like brakes, electrical, transmission, etc.?

Warranty: If your vehicle is under a warranty, make sure the shop is authorized to perfrom the repairs. Any unauthorized repair may void your warranty and require you to pay for the repair.

Appearance of Service Area: Is the shop clean & well-maintained? Is the equipment and tools modern and applicable to your needs?

Customer Service: Do you require a loaner vehicle, a ride to work or special hours? Do you require a tow truck?

Cost: Ask for an estimate. Compare hourly rates among shops. Even parts can differ.

Being prepared for the inevitable breakdown is worth the time and effort. Not only for your checkbook but also for your peace of mind.

Are You Up-to-Date?

Have you been postponing general maintenance on your vehicle? Short of cash? If you do not keep up with general maintenance it could end up costing you a lot more in the long run.

Many parts of your vehicle are inter-related, so not keeping up with general maintenance could lead to bigger problems. Failing to complete simple maintenance such as changing the oil and checking your coolant can lead to poor fuel economy, unreliability, costly breakdowns and could also invalidate your warranty.

Following the manufacturer's recommendations is the best way to keep your vehicle in good condition. They can be found in the owner's manual and if you do not have one, you can contact the manufacturer to get the recommendations.

When Should I Change My Antifreeze?

Manufacturers generally recommend coolant changes every 2-3 years or 30,000 miles. Some do change theirs every year for maximum corrosion protection, especially if your vehicle has aluminum heads, blocks or radiators.

The life of antifreeze depends generally on it's ability to prevent corrosion. Once that ability is gone, corrosion will begin and start eating away the metal inside the engine and radiator. To find out if should to change your antifreeze you need to test it. You can purchase test strips that indicate the condition and whether it should be changed.

Reverse flush is the ideal way to change coolant because if you only drain and add, it can leave a significant amount of the old coolant in the engine block. It will also help removing deposits and scale which will interfere with good heat transfer.