performance automotive tips

Any used car will always have minor hitches that will reduce its performance and even looks as compared to a new car. But it is still a profitable venture if the car has been properly taken care of. When you go in a car sale you find hundreds of cars. Therefore it’s not an easy task always to look at all the details of the car. So, the most important question is how to pick the best car among all the used cars for sale? Well here are some useful tips while buying used cars for sale:

• Carry a small magnet piece with you and check the car body for any filling job done. The magnet will stick nicely to the body but not so easily to the area which has been filled indicating that the car has been through an accident.

• Many dealers reduce the mileage of the vehicle just to bag a higher price for the vehicle. Look at the interiors of the vehicle. Check whether the wear and tear is in sync with the car’s mileage.

• Take a test drive of the car keeping the radio off. Drive half the distance with air conditioning (AC) off and the rest with it on. Compare the performance of the vehicle and check whether the car accelerates properly with AC on.

• When you go to a dealer where you have hundreds of used cars for sale it is better to accompany with you someone who knows more about cars than you (usually a trained mechanic or technician).

• It is also very important to check all the paperwork before buying a used car. Make sure the engine number and chassis number on the documents match with the vehicle’s specifications. If possible also get the car HPI checked. Though it will cost you around 40 pounds but it will tell you whether the car is stolen or not and when and where the car has been serviced along with the complete accidental history of the vehicle.

By Stuart Michael M

In most modern cars, an automotive fuel pump is an essential part of the vehicle. In particular, non-gravity feed engines cannot run without one. The pump can greatly affect the performance of any non-gravity feed internal combustion engine. This is why many car enthusiasts install electric auxiliary pumps. For the average car owner, however, the proper maintenance will do the trick.

A closer look at history of the pump is best before one finds out how it works and how to maintain it. Originally, engines relied on gravity to provide a positive pressure of fuel into the engine. However, the flow was inconsistent and sometimes unreliable. In the 1930’s, the mechanical fuel pump first came on the scene.

The fuel pump was developed to provide safety, efficiency and comfort to drivers. Today, however, it is considered the weak point of many engines, and many car enthusiasts opt to install an auxiliary electric pump in addition to the mechanical one. A faulty pump can cause the engine to stall, if it starts at all.

One of the basic things to remember in order to keep the fuel pump (as well as the car as a whole) in good shape is to never let the car run low or run out of fuel. Aside from being a propellant, fuel also acts as a lubricant for the pump. Letting the car run almost dry will also cause the pump to work without lubrication, which could cause damage to it.

Another major mistake for DIY mechanics is to ‘test’ the pump by forcing the lever up and down. Moving the lever by more than 3/8 of an inch can stretch the diaphragm and reduce its efficiency by up to 50%.

For active maintenance, make sure to polish the surfaces on the pump lever that rides on the cam, as wear on the cam lobe will also reduce its efficiency. Beyond this, the best way to maintain the automotive fuel pump is to bring the car to a mechanic regularly.

By James M Peterson