Archives for May 2019

How Safe Is it Safe to Drive with an EVAP Leak

May 29, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

An EVAP leak is about a fault in the evaporative emission control system (EVAP). The EVAP’s job is to keep gasoline fumes in the fuel tank from getting to the atmosphere. This reduces air pollution and keeps the smell of fuel from reaching the inside of your car.

Fuel vapors are emitted from cars any time there is gasoline in the tank. So if you have a leak, even if you are not driving the car, those vapors are polluting the air 24 hours a day. Uncontrolled emissions like this account for about 20 percent of the stated pollution produced by cars. 3 signs that will let you know that there is a problem with the EVAP system:

Check Engine Light Comes on The check engine light turns on while driving. This check engine light happens for many reasons, one being an EVAP leak. A slight fuel odor may equally be noticed, but it does not occur in all vehicles. If your Check Engine Light does come on, and you just filled up your gas tank, check the gas cap to see if it’s loose.
A Loose Gas Cap. The most regular cause of an EVAP leak warning, or the Check Engine Light, is the gas cap not being closed correctly. If the cap is not fully tightened or closed all the way, the Check Engine Light may come on. Before taking your car to a mechanic, check your gas cap to make sure it is positioned on the filler correctly and closed tightly. It being open potentially leaves room for fuel to leak out of the vehicle.
Leak in the Fuel System. If the gas cap is fitted on correctly, there may be a more serious issue, such as a leak in the fuel system. Other problems could be a faulty vent o-ring seal, defective leak detection pump, defective purge valve, or another small leak somewhere in the EVAP system.

While it could be safe to drive with an EVAP leak, you should get the leak fixed right away. EVAP issues can be challenging and the mechanic will have to use advanced troubleshooting techniques to know where the leak is, as well as how grave it is.

How to Avoid Surge Pricing

May 28, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

If you have ever driven for or with a rideshare company, you’re probably know of surge pricing. Surge pricing is a form of dynamic pricing in which the cost of a ride is increased based on demand. Companies like Uber, and other rideshare services often charge surge prices in areas where there are more ride requests than the driver supply, essentially taking charge of supply-and-demand. The price of a ride is increased to quicken wait times for customers who really need one while others in less of a hurry may be willing to wait — moderating the overall ride demands.

Surge pricing happens in areas that have become busy for one reason or another. Some cities experience dramatic rush hours on a daily basis that add to surge pricing. Commuters may prefer an Uber ride in the carpool lane instead of adding stress to their own car during heavy traffic — even if the cost is significantly more. Surge prices can equally pop up from weather conditions, holidays, and special events like sports games, concerts, and festivals. More people prefer to rideshare on these occasions to avoid parking hassles or engage in festivities without worrying about being able to drive.

Though it may be an inconvenience to the riders, surge pricing works to the advantage of drivers. It incentivizes them to offer more rides in areas that requires it most and meet high demand. Companies like Uber don’t increase their commission on Uber driver’s ride pay, so it pernits them to make more money. In fact, some rideshare apps come with an alert, available to both drivers and riders, that tells users when surge prices occur in a specific area.

How Surge Pricing Functions

Surge pricing is made by the supply of drivers and the demand of riders. Rideshare apps typically inform the user when demand increases and contributes to surge prices by displaying a map showing “hot” areas. In Uber, for example, areas experiencing surge prices turn red and display a surge multiplier by which prices are higher. To break down what Uber’s multiplier means:

A number next to “x” will appear, such as 1.5x, to show how much your base fare will be multiplied by.
This multiplier would be joined to the set base, distance, and time fees.
A normal price of $5 would be multiplied by 1.5.
The surge charge would then be $7.5.

Surge rates are updated constantly, as companies use real-time supply-and-demand data to determine prices. Costs are dependent off rider location, not the drivers, to further incentivize drivers to head toward areas that require it.

How to Avoid Surge Pricing

Paying extra for a ride may not be all that appealing, but below are 7 tips to avoid surge prices:

Pay attention to the times of day when prices greatly increase. Try to avoid ridesharing at those times.
Keep track of busy areas and, if possible, move on foot or by another means of transportation to a less-impacted location.
Use public transportation where available in your area, or hitch a ride from a friend.
Schedule a ride in advance if you can’t move your schedule around to avoid surge pricing. Both Uber and Lyft include this feature in some locations, and the price may end up lower than what you expected.
Switch between apps. Uber may be surging in an area while Lyft or other rideshare services won’t be.
Try a different Uber vehicle. Surge prices may not apply to all the cars Uber provides. These rides may be more expensive at normal hours but might actually beat an area’s surge prices.
Wait it out. When you’re not in a hurry to get somewhere else, you can wait until surge prices goes down in your location.

What are Signs of Bad or Failing Wheel Bearings

May 27, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

One of the highly overlooked yet highly critical components of the drive-axle and steering assembly are actually the wheel bearings. Every wheel on your vehicle is attached to a hub and inside this hub is a set of lubricated wheel bearings that permit your tires and wheels to spin freely without building up too much heat. They are configured to last a very long time, but eventually, they will lose their lubricity, wear out, and need to be changed. They can even become loose from wear from inside the wheel hub assembly. If they break entirely, it can cause a wheel/tire combination to fall off the vehicle while at speed, resulting to a very unsafe driving situation.

Prior to 1997, most vehicle, trucks, and SUVs manufactured and sold in the US had an inner and outer bearing on each wheel which was recommended to be serviced every 30,000 miles. As technology improved, newer cars were equipped with a “maintenance free” single wheel bearing designed to extend the life of wheel bearings without having to be serviced. From time to time, these “indestructible” wheel bearings will wear out and require replacement before they break.

Here are 4 warning symptoms that are rather simple to recognize and show a worn-out wheel bearing that needs to be replaced.

1. Abnormal Tire Wear

There are many individual mechanical issues that can lead to abnormal tire wear including under or over-inflated tires, CV joints, struts and shocks, and a misaligned suspension system. However, one of the most regular sources of uneven tire wear is worn out wheel bearings. It’s very hard for wheel bearings to wear evenly. As such, if the left tire is showing more wear, it might show a problem with the left wheel bearing. Still, wheel bearings need to be changed together; if there is a problem with one side, you need to change the other wheel bearing on the same axle. If you or a tire technician notice one side of your vehicle’s tires wearing out quicker than the other, contact a certified mechanic to road test and diagnose the cause of this tire wear. In many situations, it can be something different or minor, but you don’t want to risk having a wheel bearing break.

2. Roaring or Grinding Noise from the Tire Area

It’s very hard to detect a failing wheel bearing since it happens infrequently and when they do wear out, it can occur fast. That being said, one warning sign of a worn out wheel bearing is a loud roaring or grinding sound coming from the tire area of your vehicle. This is caused by excess heat that has built up inside the wheel bearing and lost most of its lubricity. Basically, it’s a metal-to-metal sound you’re hearing. It’s equally common that you’ll hear this from one specific wheel and not both sides at the same time, showing uneven wear. Like the above issue, if you notice this warning sign, contact a certified mechanic as soon as possible so they can diagnose the source of this sound and fix it before it gets a safety issue.

You might equally hear snapping, popping or clicking sounds that may show a bad wheel bearing. Though often an indicator of a worn CV joint, a snapping or clicking sound may be caused by inadequate bearing clamping. It may be particularly noticeable when taking making sharp turns.

3. Steering Wheel Vibration

Another common sign with other mechanical problems in the drive and steering assembly, a vibration in the steering wheel can be caused by worn out wheel bearings. Unlike a tire balance issue that typically shows up at higher speeds, a vibration in the steering wheel due to a bad bearing will be observed at slower speeds and progressively get worse as the vehicle accelerates.

4. Additional Play in the Wheels

This is not very common for normal vehicle owners to diagnose. However, if you have the tire jacked up or the car is on a hydraulic lift, you can check this one out yourself. Grab the wheel on opposite sides and attempt to rock it back and forth. If the wheel bearings are good, the wheel won’t “wobble.” However, if the tire/wheel assembly moves back and forth, it is very likely due to worn out wheel bearings that need to be changed as soon as possible.

Additionally, if you observe the vehicle has a hard time rolling while the clutch is depressed or the car is in neutral gear, it can be caused by wheel bearings that are worn out, creating friction, and could be failing.

Anytime you observe any of the above symptoms of a worn out or failing wheel bearing, meet a dependable certified mechanic who will road test, diagnose and change the wheel bearings where necessary.

7 Tips for Selling a Vehicle in a Bad Economy

May 25, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

Selling a vehicle in the advent of a bad economy is one way to handle financial difficulties. However, this class of task is not easily carried out. For one, the bad economy is equally affecting the potential sellers. With this in mind, it might be realistic to say that the seller may meet a hard time to find the right buyer willing to pay the desired money. If you are in a similar situation, below are some tips for selling a vehicle in a bad economy.

Objectively Assess Your Vehicle

Read the classified ads of the local newspaper to become acquainted with the price range of pre-owned vehicles. Doing so will assist you to estimate the selling price range of your vehicle. Selling a car needs to be grounded to a realistic principle. Do not exaggerate into believing that your vehicle has good this and improved that. Remember that in a bad economy all pre-owned vehicles are treated as pre-owned, so it is better to get a selling price that is a realistic.

Strategize Listing

Ask yourself what the market is for your vehicle. Are they collectors, or ordinary working people who require a ride? Identifying your market will assist you see which listings are the most appropriate. Your local newspapers are always the first option. You could equally go to specialized auto trading and vehicle enthusiast websites. Logging onto automobile forums and advertise the sale of your vehicle is also advisable.

Be ready to Lower the Selling Price

You may not get any inquiries in the first days or week of listing. If this goes on for several days, consider reducing your selling price. Some vehicle sellers lower their selling prices to $100 per week.

Provide a Hard-to-Resist Offer

Check out the automobile gadgets that you have and consider including them in the sale. Selling a vehicle also need marketing strategies. Including automobile gadgets that you won’t be able to use once the vehicle is sold could help improve your car’s appeal to the buyers. If you have limited edition gadgets that you have recently acquired, make this one of your selling points.

Provide a Contact Schedule

If you are often on the phone, make sure that you don’t miss out on any potential buyer by including your free time in your sales listing. You could equally consider including your mobile phone number so you could always have access to emails and calls from interested individuals.

Prepare Your Documents

Prepare required legal documents for the sale of the vehicle. You could use them as an enticing factor for potential buyers. Informing them that the vehicle’s legal documents are all set and readied will make them feel that the vehicle won’t be providing them with legal or other similar concerns.