Honda Civic Headlights: To LED or not to LED

Howdy guys? It’s been quite some time since I have been able to post anything here. Well, I was kinda busy recently with a new project but it’s all good now. So what topic should we discuss? Well I was thinking of installing a new headlight for Honda Civic. And I was thinking of installing LED for my headlights. Well not just because I read that it is possible in one of the forums I am a member with but also because I saw someone driving with LED on his headlight and it was cool. But I am having second thoughts cause I am not sure if it is legal to drive one in our place. And I read it online that there are states that it is not ‘street’ legal to drive with such lights. But I guess that would make it my homework to see if my state allows it before I actually install one.

I guess the only thing I could do now is to ask you guys, for those who tried installing LED on their headlights and fog lights, is what brand would be the best LED headlights to buy on the market? And kindly include the price of the said brand and the place where I could get a quote. Actually I already saw one: http://www.drivewire.com/vehicle/honda-civic/headlight-bulbs/ not sure if this is the best deal yet so I’ll be waiting for your responses guys. Thanks.

Febi: Quality Brand or Not?

Good day guys. So before the week ends, I would post a sort off brand review for parts. If you have read my previous post, it’s about OES Genuine. And I thought it would be good to have some review about brands out there. Febi comes to mind. I encounter brands from forums that I’m a member with and see to it if they offer great quality and if it is reliable. No one would want to spend their money but just to get a low quality product right.

Febi Bilstein, its complete brand name, is a German company. They are known for providing commercial car spare parts in almost 69 countries, now imagine that. Febi was founded on 1844 so they have been around for a long time now so I guess their quality service, innovation and reliability is being molded into much better cause. They produce parts like cabin filters, brake cylinder and rotors, control arms, exhaust hangars, motor mount, oil pan, tie rod end, axle hub assembly and many more. And if I am not mistaken, their best product is their suspension. They have a known reputation for providing durable suspension for all type of vehicles out there.

Now this may just give a short summary for what Febi is, but I’m sure reviews online could support it being  a great spare parts company. Have a good day ahead.

What does OES Genuine means?

Back to my habit again so I was browsing the web for new and interesting stuff and I was in this forum when I keep encountering this word “OES”. So before searching the web for its meaning, I tried to guess it from the context from that forum. So this was what I thought, Only Existing System, Original Equipment for Subaru or Saab or Saturn or Scion or Suzuki (basically anything make that starts with the letter‘s’ lol), then Online Equipment Seller. Unfortunately all of them sound ridiculous and none of those guesses are right, would you imagine that lol.

So what is OES Genuine? As easy as it can be, I never guessed it right; it stands for Original Equipment Supplier. It’s a bit the same with aftermarket parts. Basically it is/are part/s that is supplied by the actual vehicle manufacturer. But don’t be mistaken, most major car makers do not produce their own parts; they look for other companies that would do it for them. These OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) or OES companies produce the said parts that are recognized with the original vehicle maker’s logos and part numbers.

So that’s it. When you see an auto part that has OES in it, most likely that comes the vehicle manufacturer and is a genuine product so don’t worry about the quality. Ciao.

Short Brand Review: FEBI

What up guys? How have you been? I’m fine, thank you for asking. Well recently I have been browsing the internet to look for something to review and put here in my blog. And one brand came to mind, Febi. Have you heard about this auto part brand? If not, they manufacture and market parts like tie rod ends, control arm, brake calipers, body lift kits, shock absorbers and many more. But one question rises, is this brand a dependable trademark? Besides from being known to some dealers and auto shops alike, do their products stand out as one of the best in the automobile industry?

To be honest, I have not tried using this brand so this short review would be based on what I heard and read online. With the price that they offer, consumers somehow think of buying the part that is made from them. Well their price maybe a bit higher than other aftermarket car parts but consumers still buy their products since it is said that it is indeed durable and reliable. And owners and drivers like to go to German origins since they really offer good quality parts. But you may find this ironic since Febi produces quality parts, consumers seem to pick them last from other auto parts manufacturer. Maybe it would concern the prices that other brands have to give.

All of these maybe a theory since I haven’t really tried Febi and there is only way to check, try one now. Have a good day everyone.

Window Regulator Repair Cost

So how much would one pay to fix his car window? Replacing window components aren’t that much. But of course, you need to check first what the real problem is or what part of your window is defective. It may be the switch, window regulator, the rotor or the cable. In this article, we’ll discuss about the average cost of fixing a car window regulator. To distinguish it, one must first know if he has an automatic window regulator or the mechanical type.

For mechanical window regulator, one needs to manually turn a small knob to raise or lower the window. And since it does not require any electrical component or power to function, repairing is not costly. And if one knows how to remove the door in order to access and replace the window regulatorparts, the more one can save. But if not, you may need someone experienced to do it for you.

While the automatic window regulator utilizes an electrical mechanism to make use of the window that is operated by a switch. Since this type of regulator is functioned electrically, it may cost more than the replacement of mechanical window regulator. One will still need to take the door out and replace the whole component. But one should be careful in replacing it, the cable and wiring may gone bad if done wrong. So it is advised to allow mechanics to do this replacement. A wild estimate would be between $500-$1000.

Locking Gas Cap

It was reported last 2008 that the sales of locking gas cap has been tripled. With the price of fuel rising up almost every week, there are bad people that are stealing fuel from other cars. So for this reason, car owners have to protect their ‘Liquid Gold’ from such illegal things.

Mainly a locking gas cap would protect your fuel tank and your fuel from being stolen or tampered with. But be careful when purchasing such gas caps. You may face problems with it especially if the gas cap isn’t compatible with your tank so you would need to be sure that the new cap has the same seals and responds to similar pressure circumstances as the stock one. Some drivers make their own gas caps but that is not really advisable to do. An aftermarket can work but you may still want to check if it works properly with your vehicle. You may save some cash with aftermarket caps, but it can give you headaches so investing with an OEM would allow you to be secure that your new cap is safe.

And a quick piece of advice for those drivers that are thinking of having a locking gas cap and for those that are already have one installed, make sure that you have the spare key inside your car just in case you lost the original key for your locking gas cap.

Purpose of a Coolant Overflow Tank

So what is the real purpose of a coolant overflow tank? Is it different with expansion tanks? Well, the true overflow tank is an add-on part that is mainly used with a conventional cooling system. This conventional cooling also includes radiator. So let me explain a bit of something I know. This cooling system is packed through the filler neck on the radiator and it must be filled with almost half inch to one inch below the bottom of the filler neck. Now, if that has been filled any higher, of course it will be full so the excess coolant will be then vented. Then the overflowing coolant is then expelled to either the atmosphere or into the coolant overflow tank. And if one can see it, the actual flow of excess coolant is on one direction only, and that is to the coolant overflow tank. Thus, an overflow tank provides us a catchment basin, but not like an extra coolant reservoir. The only think lacking is that the coolant in the overflow tank won’t pour back into the cooling system due to the reason that liquid can’t pour back from a lower pressure to a higher one. So I guess that’s about it. So if you are thinking of adding a coolant overflow tank, it’s not actually a waste of money.

Diagnosing Window Regulator Parts

Have you experienced a problem with your window recently? Trying to pull it down or up but to no avail? Now that is really a pain in the head. Some would hear the motor hum but the window wouldn’t go up or down. And most of the times, we would point that the switch is defective but there is a lot more to check before we can conclude that the switch is the culprit to your defective power window.

One of the things to check is the wire or cable attached to the motor and switch. And for you to check it, you would need to take off the door panel and remove the motor and track the window wires and cable. But because the cable is under tension within a spring mechanism, it is a bit hard, if not impossible to fix the cable itself. If the cable is fine, not broken or twisted, that it is just out of position, it would be possible to slide it back into the guides.

The other thing to check which in most cases the real problems is the window regulator. And if that is the case, it is most likely to be a replacement, not a repair. And be careful when buying replacement window regulator parts because a poor quality regulator assembly may just waste your money. Purchase an OEM regulator to save you the trouble of buying one again.

What To Expect This Year From Jaguar?

This might not be new to those people that are present at last year’s Auto Show but nonetheless, I would want to share this for all car enthusiasts out there. And so to start, I would quote what the Global Brand Director of Jaguar cars had said.

“The new 2012 Jaguar range is our finest yet. Every one of our models fully embodies the brand ideals – innovation, bold design, and effortless high performance. Our designers and engineers strive continuously to keep Jaguar ahead of the competition – creating cars that stand apart from mainstream premium offerings, while remaining accessible to an ever wider spectrum of customers.”

Well with this speech, even I would be expecting a better vehicle from them. I’m not saying that they are not building and producing reliable cars but we could expect more from them, which is a bit more exciting right?

The new 2012 Jaguar model range that includes Jaguar XF sedan, Jaguar XK sports coupe and convertible and the flagship Jaguar XJ sedan makes a considerable improvements across its performance and refinement to a new level. While we can expect the design enhancements to build up the contemporary appeal of Jaguar’s line up.

These three cars are results of technology and design recreation from Jaguar. The XF, receives restyled front and rear bodywork, maintaining the evolution of Jaguar parts design that is observed from flagship XJ.

Classic Car: BMW 2002tii

Is there anyone here a fan of classic or vintage car? Recently, I have been browsing and reading about classic cars and one car caught my attention, the BMW 2002, specifically the 1972 BMW 2002tii.

It is categorized by reviewers as a good classic but may not be the best classic car for the price range it is in. But since it is a BMW, consumers don’t mind spending a bit of money with it. The said vehicle is responsive and “built solid”. When you look on the outside, almost everything is in stock except it has a wider suspension. But no worries, one has an option to custom it the way the owner would want it to be. And to add, it has a M12 multi-valve motor and 325 box, full of suspension, m3 diff and also a custom prop and sideshafts. And since this classic is bundled with disc brakes, one’s safety isn’t compromised.

This classic car isn’t just for collection purposes; the performance that it can give surpasses some sedan cars. The two liter engine was filled up with tii head & pistons. This five-speed may not be the great looking car but it offers you a solid and easy-to-work and not to mention easy to find BMW 2002 parts as well, in a reasonable cost.

Car Manuals: Chilton or Haynes?

When it comes to car manuals, there are two brands that always come to mind, it is either get a Chilton or a Haynes manual. In a long time, these brands have been trusted by a lot of owners and drivers, experienced or not, when it comes to auto repair manual. But if were to ask, what is the best and most accurate repair manual between these two?

For accurate and detailed information about repairing and fixing different vehicle types, Chilton manual is the one to get. You would be surprised to see that repairs are made simple that even a beginner would understand. With the use of vacuum and wiring diagrams, it was made possible by Chilton manual. And to be more helpful, Chilton allows consumers to talk to certified mechanics for their car problems.

Well for Haynes, they offer unique advantages to DIYers. Haynes is more focused in car rebuilding. It offers step-by-step instructions and very useful information on how to rebuild your car the way you want it. Now to make it more understandable by users, those instructions come with pictures so you’ll know if you are doing the right thing or not.

Now to answer which manual it is to get, it would be determined if what certain auto repair you are into right now. If you are just repairing you car, you can grab a copy of Chilton manual. But if you are in the process of rebuilding your vehicle, then go get a Haynes manual.

What is an EGR Valve for?

Howdy guys? How was your weekend? I do hope it was better than mine since my car broke off last Saturday when I was just roaming around with it. I have to take it to my friend who knows something about cars and he mentioned that I have a problem with my EGR valve. As always, I was clueless what that part is for and that is why I am posting this to inform people out there so you won’t look stupid as I was when I learned what it does for a car, no pun intended.

EGR Valve stands for Exhaust Gas Recirculation Valve. This certain part assists one vehicle to proficiently and completely burn fuel by recirculation of a portion of the exhaust and operating it through the combustion process again. Now the outcome would be is that in a cooler, more absolute burn of the fuel which minimizes your car’s harmful emissions by eliminating the formation of dangerous gases. Bottom line is that the EGR valve is vital to your car’s emission control; you don’t want that to go bad. Well I do hope you guys learned something today. And for me, I guess I need to learn a lot more about cars so that I can somehow fix my own car just in case I encounter such problems again.

Tail Light Lenses

Have you recently experience problems with the lights on your car, either the headlights or tail light lens? Well as we all know, these lights is necessary to our car especially at night. So checking these lights is really important. Automotive tail light lenses are commonly made from a colored plastic that can fade and be easily break over time or any accident. Well for many companies that make them, they have used interchangeable lenses and for an experienced backyard mechanic can replace one lens in approximately 15 minutes so that means an average car owner can do it in at least 30 minutes to replace tail light lens.

The steps on replacing one is found anywhere on the internet. The process of actually replacing one is really short and can be done by anyone so the problem only lies is if the lens can be replaced independently or if the whole tail light should be replaced. All vehicles may differ, but most latest involve a complete replacement. For cars with separate lenses, it must be pulled out from the tail light assembly. Common parts such as rubber gasket between them that should be checked for condition and replaced if necessary.

Looking for the replacement tail light lens wouldn’t take such a long time. Again, the internet is full of resources that you can look for. Anyway, have a great weekend. Drive safely.

Shock Absorber

Since we have discussed a few things about leaf springs before, let’s now discuss about shock absorbers. Personally for me, shocks are important so it is crucial if we wouldn’t know what kind of shocks to choose and what brand specifically. We should not be careless when it comes to proper car handling cause most drivers tend to not discern when a shocks is about to fail because this change happens progressively over a period of time.

So to proceed, first you need to know what type of shocks you have. Many shocks are “twin tube” built-design. There are also “gas charged” that are more durable and won’t be needed to be replaced quite as often. But the best and suited for high performance applications, the Monotube shocks. So once you determine what type of shock you would want to have, you can now browse for brands of shocks. Personally, I would recommend Monroe shocks. And so far, it is yet to be the best shocks that I have used. But I won’t be biased since there are few brands out there that offer good quality like Monroe shocks. You could also try Edelbrock shocks, Bilsteins shocks and Summit shocks. These are the brands of shock absorbers that most car owners go for. So after you looked for what brand to get, look for when you can buy one. Look for retailers. Be sure to check first different website before buying cause you’ll never know, you might miss a good deal from another website since you didn’t check it out.

Where To Buy Leaf Springs Replacement

I recently posted a tip and shortcut on how to replace leaf spring. It may vary since vehicles don’t have the same system or design, but the whole idea of it is just the same. It may add a certain step or two, but nonetheless it can be used by anyone to replace their own leaf springs to their cars or trucks. Well of course, it would be easier if one owns the tools that are required to do the job. So the reason why I follow up with this post is that I was thinking that I posted steps on how to replace the leaf springs just by yourself but I forgot to somehow mention where to look for one if someone is in need to change it.

Now it has been my habit to post websites here that could be of help to car enthusiasts since I know how it feels to be ripped off by some mechanic or ‘stealership’ when it comes to buying parts and letting them replace it. You guys can go ahead and check out thepartsbin.com if you would like to see reasonable prices for car parts, specifically the leaf springs that I had discussed with you on the previous post.

So yeah, hope the DIY I posted helped out somebody and hope someone as well saved some cash in buying car parts. Have a great day ahead of you guys.

Tips On How To Replace Leaf Springs.

Replacing car parts may sometime gives us headache. But even if it tough and difficult to change auto parts in our cars, it is still needs to be done. And changing leaf springs is not different when replacing other parts. It will need time and patience to do so. So is there a shortcut on how to replace one? More specifically, can leaf spring/s be changed in your garage, without screwing up any alignment? Is it okay to use old shackles or is a new whole setup needed? Or is it a better idea to go to a dealership and let them replace it for you? Here are short tips on how you can replace it all by yourself.

First off, you should have at least the proper tool for doing this. So you would be needing a torch and compressor. If you don’t own one, you can still replace your leaf springs, it might just get harder to do. So you would need to put jack that stands under the frame, also under the rear end. Unbolt the shock and the 4 U-bolt nuts. Now, you won’t need to take out the U-bolts off the axle tubes. Then pull the shock plate off. Loosen the rear shackle nut and work the spring off the shackle. With this, you can now let the spring to come all the way down so that you can remove the 3/4" nut located at the front spring mount. You should be cautious with this step, so you need to wrench on the bolt head to keep it from spinning. The springs now can come out, reverse to get the new one in replaced.

And to add, do one side at a time. To make things easier as the axle assembly stays stable, do not remove both springs at the same time. So with these steps, it will just take 3 hours max. Now there might be additional step since it would depend on what type of vehicle you are replacing leaf springs with but nonetheless, it would take the same step.

why buy original ink cartridges? Canon pgi-220bk

Should one compromise on quality just to save up a little? Printer ink cartridges can be bought in so many forms now, cheaper alternative as they may label i.  Should one really deviate from the original when they are already proven to be reliable and tested very well compared to cheap ink cartridges helping you save more in long-term computations. 

Outstanding colors and fade proof prints is what you get from buying original ink cartridges. And if you  are pro earth then it is the best option for you since OEM ink cartridges are designed  with the environment in mind. Brands like Canon and the like offers free and convenient recycling.

pgi-220bk

New Porsche: The 928

For super-car enthusiasts out there, watch out for the new car Porsche will be releasing this year 2012, the 928. Well the car model isn’t that new since Porsche produced the 928 in an 18-year run that ended in 1995. But this year, the German automobile company is developing a direct rival for the front engine GTs against other automakers.

This new Porsche vehicle was built on a platform that will add force to Porsche’s ’09 Panamera 4-door sports sedan, unnamed 2-door will ride on a short wheelbase but will at least share 60% of its Porsche parts with the said sports sedan. The smaller wheelbase will lessen the coupe’s weight and thus improving its handling. However the said reduction will come at the cost of rear seat space.

Consumers of such coupe will be given an option to choose of Porsche’s next generation direct injected equipped V8 engines. Cayenne SUV will now get the new V8s. Expectedly, power is to be about 350 horse upward and with turbo version that would make it in excess of 500. It was also announced that there are no apparent plans for an all-wheel drive version this year. The new coupe will be rear-wheel drive, like what the 928 that headed it, with a transaxle assisting to stabilize weight distribution.

So for the price of the Porsche 928 will begin for about $100,000, of course with prices of higher-horsepower versions expanding into the exceptional $150,000 with additional stratosphere.

There's a new Jaguar in town: 2012 Jaguar XKR-S

A new animal has now been lurking the roads, the new 2012 Jaguar XKR-S. This new vehicle looks as if it was created and raised in a wild forest.

Throughout the years, Jaguar continues to produce powerful and reliable super cars. The automobile company points that the XKR-S would be the first series-production model to link the vaunted 300kph club. Also the company exclaimed that this XKR-S is the most powerful and quickest series-production road car the company has ever built.

But for the record, this is not the first time Jaguar used these 4-letter name for a car they created. They brought the XK-RS with a 5.0 liter V8 last 2004. Then in 2009, they brought us the 200 XKR-S models exclusively just for European consumers. Now Jaguar releases the 2012 XKR-S that comes with the combine attributes, like Jaguar parts, of both said vehicles.

“Aerodynamically driven” is the best way to describe the design of the XKR-S. You’ll see a distinctive front and rear fascias, and hood consists of mostly vents and nostrils. Also, you’ll notice the LED headlights are utterly new shape compared from the first XKs.  The front splitter, the rear diffuse, center section of the wing and the latter of four exhaust outlets were made of carbon fibers.

It hasn't been announced yet on how many models of XKR-S that will be released but sure does this car has some serious promising and fitting attribute to the E-type that will surely attract many consumers.

End of the Road for Eclipse: The 2012 Mitsubishi Eclipse Coupe Special Edition

Here is a new car from one of the prestigious automobile that we all know and respect, the 2012 Mitsubishi Eclipse Coupe. But this is the last time we will see this car again, after 20 years of it in the automobile industry, since the Japanese automaker would be shutting down the lines that gives out the slow-selling coupe and they would soon reuse the plantation to make the Outlander Sport which may give them more sales than this coupe. Maybe the powertrain being installed in a 3300-pound car had something to do with the Eclipse selling so poorly?

So since the Mitsubishi Eclipse reaches the end of the road, the company is sending it off with a Galant-based-two-door with the 2012 Eclipse Special Edition. This edition is obtainable as a coupe or a convertible. The Special Edition now includes Mitsubishi parts like the GS Sport's leather seats, rear-view camera, Bluetooth, and HID headlamps. Also a 650-watt Rockford Fosgate stereo is included. Exclusive SE features comes with SE decals and stripes, black side mirrors, and 18-inch dark-finish wheels. The vehicle is empowered with not so special 162-hp-four-cylinder, giving power to a 4-speed automatic.

So what do you think guys? Is it a good idea from Mitsubishi to kill the Eclipse if it not selling good? Maybe they could try something different yeah? So if you are interested in buying one, there is something special about the price for this car's farewell: at just $25, 530 you can actually have this car. 

News about 2012 Saab 9-5 SportCombi

Last year at the Geneve Auto Show, Saab presents a vehicle that would be loved by someone who loads a lot of stuff in their cars. The new SportCombi’s trunk or cargo bay can load 56 cubic feet of things with the rear seats folded and 18.6 cubic feet it the seats are in place. The floor folds back to reveal storage cubbies of varying size depending on how buyers equip their car since the rear bay has a flat floor flushed with the opening for easy loading with an additional four tie-down hooks to maintain everything in place.

This new vehicle is fashioned essentially like a sedan from the C-pillar forward, which a wagon adds wraparound rear glass that mirrors the look of the taillights below. The design is neat as the sedan’s, but expectedly, the wagon is our favorite of the two 9-5 styles.

In the U.S., the SportCombi will be stocked with the 220-hp, 2.0 liter turbocharged inline-four engine. Saab’s XWD all-wheel is expected to be standard. Pricing and trim levels is yet to be confirmed. But basically the same variety of sedans and SportCombi models typically command a $1000 premium over their sedan counterpart, which put a base 9-5 wagon just above of $40 thousand, while some of the new Saab parts installed as well.

2012 Subaru Impreza: Its Official

What must we expect this year from one the best luxury automobile company Subaru? Well one new vehicle caught my attention and that is the 2012 Subaru Impreza. Last year all of the news concerning this car being released and its new features are all rumors but now, it is already official. This new Impreza would still pack an all-wheel drive and Subaru claims it will come back a big-time highway mileage.

Subaru happily declared its highway fuel-economy estimate for the four-door: 36 mpg, an impressive figure for something with standard all-wheel drive. Subaru, however, didn’t state what number will it correspond to Imprezas stocked with a Subaru parts manual or automatic transmission. Either way, where vehicle are more varied, the engine will be forced to sip up to all the all-wheel-drive hardware more often in urban stations.

The vast jump anticipated in mileage, from 26 & 27 mpg highway for the previous manual and automatic Imprezas, comes a courtesy of the Subaru’s new flat-four engine. Also, the new Impreza will be expected to receive a 2.0 liter.

Now the company brags it the 2012 Subaru Impreza will be the most fuel-efficient in the field of all-wheel-drive automobile on the market. Well, EPA would need to confirm that Subaru’s 36-mpg estimate first for that to happen. For the moment, we can bet that this Subaru Impreza would be beating heavily on the market and its sale later this year.

Where to look for Audi Parts online.

So it's been quite some time since I have posted here on my blog. I was occupied somewhere else, well of course it concerns about cars too. While I was away, I still have the hobby to check and surf online for online store for cars and I bumped into one that seems a great one. 

For Audi owners and drivers, fret not for I found a website online that offers great deal of car parts and OEM Audi parts that is offers reasonable priced-parts and offers a great number of parts, their parts never got back-ordered. Now I know the feeling of looking online for needed car parts may sometime give you headache since there are a lot of options on the web. And there is also a question if that certain website delivers or ships without problems or issues to the part/s you ordered. One reason why I am posting is this to help you guys out there since I already tried it several times and there were no problems with them. They seem legit. So if you need parts, whether a replacement or spare parts, try to check the site and give a short feedback here on my blog. Keep it cool.

P.S. And oh, who watched the 2012 Chicago Auto Show? It was great right.  See yah around.