automobex

[automobex]

How is In-Car Tech Affecting our Parking Abilities?

According to a report commissioned by Peter Vardy, nearly half of Brits depend on technology to assist them with parking.

Panic and parking

When it came to locations, busy city centres seem to be the most stress-inducing, closely followed by supermarket parking. Surprising, even parking outside their own home was another stress point for an unlucky one in ten of the respondents.

Particularly as a new or learner driver, parking manoeuvres tend to instil a feeling of panic. However, many British drivers carry this fear onwards well into their driving lives – according to the survey, parallel parking still makes 42% of drivers feel anxious, despite years of practice behind the wheel.

In comparison, 21% of drivers cited reverse parking as making them anxious, followed by angle parking (17%) and then forward perpendicular parking (just 9%).

Reliance on in-car technology

The research also revealed that an estimated 12 million UK drivers can’t park without using parking sensors – 44% of British drivers require technology to assist them with parking. Out of these, 39% regularly rely on sensors, 14% regularly rely on cameras and 8% regularly rely on park assist.

But the findings of the study show that many drivers may be over relying on their car’s modern features in order to fit in a space. Manual tests, undertaken by Peter Vardy representatives, also showed that on average it took drivers 2.3 attempts to parallel park successfully within a bay without using technology.

The best cars to help you park

For those who are looking to embrace the technological revolution in parking efficacy, carbuyer.com found that the below were ideal for handing over complete control to a self-parking feature;

Mercedes C-Class saloon

Vauxhall Astra hatchback

Peugeot 3008 SUV

Citroën C4 SpaceTourer MPV

Ford Fiesta hatchback

Jaguar XF saloon

Claire Rogan, Digital Marketing Manager at Peter Vardy, commented on the findings: “Whilst it could be a worry that overall parking skills could be diminished over time due to an over reliance on parking technology, it is important that drivers choose a car which best supports them and their motoring skills.

“If space is not an issue for your family, opting for a small car might be a good idea. With their petite sizes and funky features, Mini offer a range of cars that are good for getting into tight spaces. The Mini One 3-Door Hatch is a popular car for city driving, and its compact size and low-centre-of-gravity handling make it ideal for nipping into tricky parallel parking bays.

“Surprisingly for some, Vauxhall also rank very highly in the self-parking stakes. The Astra hatchback has proved itself well-equipped to fit into the tightest of spaces thanks to the speed and accuracy of its Park Assist technology. Its folding mirrors and blind-spot monitoring are also popular features too.

“Whether that be a smaller car with better manoeuvrability or a vehicle with the most up to date parking technology assistance, drivers should ensure they utilise everything that’s on offer to ensure a safe and secure experience.”

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[automobex]

Xenon HID Bulbs – 3 Reasons to Buy

3 Things You Need To Know About Xenon HID D3S Bulbs

Time to change your headlamps? Well if you’ve been reviewing the market for options, you’ve probably already run into the plug-and-play Xenon HID (high-intensity discharge bulbs). These bulbs have been available for a few years now and are made by a variety of leading brands. They are sold ready to fit a wide range of modern cars.

They were originally introduced to be a more eco-friendly alternative to other conventional halogen-based bulbs. These modern and powerful lights don’t use any mercury and operate at a more efficient voltage making them a sound choice for the environmentally conscious.   

In this article, we’re going to give you a quick summary of 3 crucial things you need to know about Xenon HID bulbs. Keen to nail down your best options? These are the most important points to keep in mind:

1. Xenon HID bulbs can create up to 200% more light than a standard halogen

If safety and performance are at the top of your agenda, then these bulbs are going to prove a huge upgrade on regular halogen headlamps. Most standard halogen headlamps will operate with a bulb that delivers around 1000 – 1200 lumens whereas the Lumro HID Xenon D3S Bulb, for example, has a light rating of 3200 lumens. This incredible difference in light quantity makes all the difference in varying conditions and especially during night-time driving.

2. Xenon HID bulbs are now more affordable than ever before

When this form of lighting first came to market, it’s key selling point was it’s crystal clear lighting quality and it was initially reserved for premium car models. Now, however, a huge range of affordable modern vehicles are being built with this bulb format and the price of plug-and-play replacement Xenon HID bulbs has reduced significantly.

Just like any form of technology, you often get exactly what you pay for. A common myth is that these bulbs tend to last forever. Even top of the range options like the Philips D3S Bulb, costing around £70 – £80 for a pair, has an estimated lifespan of up to 5 years. As you’d expect, cheaper alternatives are likely to weaken and die out much faster.

3. Xenon HID bulbs come in a wide range of colours – pick carefully

One of the best things about HID Xenon bulbs is the wide variety of colours available. Lumro, for example, offers their D3S Xenon bulbs in 4 colours – original white (4300K), cool white (6000K), aqua blue (8000K), and sapphire blue (10000K). The “K” stands for Kelvin. The Kelvin rating is an indication of how much colour is in the lighting relative to visibility. Higher Kelvin ratings mean the colour is more pronounced, but a 10000K light will provide less clarity of vision than a 6000K bulb.

When weighing up your options, you’ll want to think carefully about how much night driving you realistically expect to be doing and whether you should be prioritizing aesthetics or visual performance.

That’s our list! We hope you found this quick overview helpful. Xenon HID lights can prove a huge step forward over halogen lights, but these are the main pointers you’ll need to keep in mind as you decide which variants you want to try out first.         

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[automobex]

How to Have Dependable Hydraulics

Having dependable hydraulics is like having money in your pocket.  Whether you are making more money by getting a job done faster or saving money by having fewer repairs, dependable …

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[automobex]

Replacing a Brake Caliper

Replacing a brake caliper is a job that isn’t much harder than replacing your brake pads.  Usually, there is just 1 more banjo bolt and a quick bleed of the …

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Does Power Steering Fluid Go Bad?

Does power steering fluid go bad?  The short answer is yes. Power steering fluid, like any fluid in your vehicle, can go bad in two different ways; How Does Power …

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Signs of an Oil Leak

If you want to take good care of your vehicle it’s important to know the signs of an oil leak.  If you drive an older car you’ve got more of …

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Changing Your Differential Fluid

Changing your differential fluid is part of a good maintenance plan for your truck or all-wheel drive vehicle.  If your vehicle is front wheel drive, it most likely doesn’t have …

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[automobex]

Weekly Giveaways & The BDP Auto Club

BlueDevil Products is excited to announce Weekly Giveaways, exclusive to members of the new BDP Auto Club!  If you are already a member (receiving email newsletters) then you can relax. …

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[automobex]

Signal Relaying And How To Prevent It

Car Thefts On The Rise due to Signal Relaying but you can Prevent It with a Vanacci KeyBlock

Back in the day, you used a steering wheel lock, wheel clamp or relied on your driveway gate or folding security post to keep your car safe when you left it, and granted, many of these are still effective measures.

But this is the 21st century, with 21st century criminals that have access to modern technology that beats even prestigious car manufacturer’s security. Gone are the days of coat-hangers and half a tennis ball to break into a vehicle (unless it’s particularly old). Nowadays, a thief can pick up the gear online for a small outlay of a couple of hundred pounds and they’re driving off with your pride and joy, which most likely cost a bit more than two hundred quid.

How are they doing it? It’s annoyingly simple, actually: all they do is relay the signal from your key to the car via a radio relay set. As far as the car is concerned, your key is nearby and is being used to open the car, even start it in the case of keyless start cars.

Many keyless entry fobs emit a low-energy signal which is used as a ‘digital handshake’ between the car and the holder (ideally you). All it takes is a relay to carry that same signal to the car to unlock it, and with many models, start the car.

No alarm, the steering lock is disengaged and the car is gone. Unless you’ve a home camera surveillance system installed, the only evidence that anyone had been there is you’d have no car anymore.

So what’s to stop it? Well, there’s a simple modern solution that Vanacci have engineered to shield your key from such nefarious activity.

Upgrade Your Car Key – Prevent Signal Relaying and Protect Against Car Theft

KeyBlock is an RFID blocking key case suitable for remote entry keys (where your key is built into the remote) and for keyless entry cars, blocking the frequencies from even leaving the case. Anyone looking to scan for signals won’t find them, thus removing the threat of key relay theft.

After taking a look at what was already available and also receiving requests for an RFID-blocking key case, we saw that most options were either a metal box or a cheap fabric pouch, which we didn’t think was particularly appealing or practical.

With KeyBlock, we’ve taken leathers from across the automotive industry and applied them to the overall look of the case while adding layers of RFID-protection beneath and out of sight. What’s more, you can even personalise the case with your choice of engraving.

Developed to store practically any car key fob and keyless entry key, KeyBlock is a modern and elegant solution to a modern and unscrupulous threat.   You can find out more and get yours here: http://kck.st/2FQruTA

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Installing a New Distributor

The distributor in your vehicle is a relatively simple device created to control the ignition timing.  It turns out the exact time at which the spark plug ignites the air/fuel …

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Low Coolant!

Do you have low coolant?  Are you sure? Even if your car has a coolant level indicator, they are notoriously unreliable in most vehicles.  Many times you can get a “low coolant” light or message in your vehicle’s information center and really have plenty of coolant in your system.  Similarly, you may not have any … Continued

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Car Overheating?  Try Flushing Your Radiator!

Is your car overheating? There could be lots of reasons for that! Before you get out your toolbox, learn more about why your car might be overheating! There are a few quick things you can check to see if your car is overheating for an obvious reason, but there is one reason your car may … Continued

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Emergency car repairs: Five ways to cover the cost

According to a report commissioned by Kwik-Fit, the average motorist in the UK spends £162 per month on running their car. While this includes fuel, insurance, road tax, and servicing, it doesn’t take into account the cost of the car itself or emergency repairs.

Unfortunately, unexpected repairs are part and parcel of owning a car, particularly as it gets older. But, instead of  risking your finances every time you need to visit your local mechanic, here are five ways to cover the cost of emergency car repairs.

Get a fast and flexible small loan

Seeing as many people are completely reliant on their car for commuting to work or the daily school run, any time spent off the road is bound to be a huge inconvenience at best and could cause loss of earnings at worst. If you don’t have the money to pay for immediate repairs, consider getting a short term loan to get you back on the road in next to no time.

Not all loans are the same – you need one quickly and you don’t want the application to hit your credit score. Sunny’s small loans application process will give you an indication of how likely you are to be approved straight away, without impacting your credit score. Then if you’re approved, the money can be in your account within 15 minutes – ideal when you have that mechanic’s bill in front of you! There’s no loan application fees, no admin fees, and no late payment fees either.

Shop around for the best price

If you’re not loyal to your local mechanic, make the effort to shop around nearby garages for the best price. You can then leverage the quotes you receive to haggle and drive the cost down as much as possible.

There are numerous online resources you can utilise to compare car garages and mechanics, several of which will also feature reviews from customers for added peace of mind.

Carry out the repair yourself

The thought of fixing your car can be a daunting prospect, especially if you have little prior knowledge of mechanics or limited tools and resources. However, you’d be surprised at how easy some repairs are.

Chances are they’ll be plenty of online video tutorials for you to follow, which is often much easier than following instructions in a service or repair manual. You may even find that taking a car maintenance course will prove more cost-effective in the long-run.

Be specific and avoid extra charges

Once you know what the problem is, tell the garage or mechanic exactly want you want doing as per the estimate. Ask to be contacted before additional work is carried out and request that old parts be left in your boot – any reputable garage or mechanic won’t have a problem with this.

Also, avoid extra charges such as a courtesy car, lift service, or valet wherever possible. If bundled in with the cost of a repair, these extras often end up costlier than when purchased separately.

Purchase an extended warranty

If you’re completely reliant on your car but have a feeling it will keep giving you problems, think about purchasing an extended warranty for protection against mechanical and electrical breakdowns.

However, be wary of a warranty plan that only covers a set list of items on your car or specifically excludes certain issues that may arise. With over 5,000 parts in a typical car, a limited list of covered items won’t represent good value for money.

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[automobex]

Axle Seal Replacement

Axle Seal Replacement is like replacing any seal on your vehicle.  The tricky part is accessing the seal and pulling out whatever shaft goes through it so you can pop the old one out and the new one in.  In the case of the axle seal on a front wheel drive vehicle like the 2008 … Continued

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Windshield Wiper Fluid Not Working

Having working windshield wiper fluid sprayers is something you never think about until it’s too late.  When your windshield is streaked and you can’t see a thing, it’s too late to start thinking about why you might have windshield wiper fluid not working in your car. Reasons Windshield Wiper Fluid Doesn’t Spray Clogged Nozzle Broken … Continued

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CV Axle Replacment

Replacing the CV axle on your vehicle is something that can be done in your driveway or garage relatively easily.  It used to be common to simply replace the axle boot and repack the axle with grease rather than replacing the entire axle, but remanufactured CV axles have gotten so reasonably priced, it rarely makes … Continued

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Tracking Down an AC Leak

Tracking down an AC leak is more difficult than tracking down any other leak in your vehicle.  This is because the refrigerant used in your conditioning system doesn’t leave any obvious traces or evidence behind to show you where the leak is.  Also, the refrigerant used in your system turns into a gas when it … Continued

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