THE CAR NAIRA BLOG

Here are some more tips to help you get the best value for your expensive PMS. Every drop matters. 1. Always use the recommended oil for your engine. A much thicker oil increases the work your engine does. Check your owner's manual or oil cap and make considerations for age and use. Speak to us today, we'll help you. 2. Clean/Change your air filters. It is a 5-minute job. A clogged air filter can increase fuel consumption by up to 10%. Do you remember trying to breathe through a mask during COVID? Now imagine your mask was clogged. Not fun right? Your engine feels the same way. 3. Leave your thermostat alone. If it goes bad, replace it. Removing the thermostat makes the engine run cold. A cold engine will keep dumping fuel trying to get warm. That's how your ECU/brainbox is designed. Do not tamper with the fan connections as well. 4. Change your timing belts and serpentine belts. Worn out accessories can make your engine operate inefficiently e.g., the engine may run at a h

With the recent hike in PMS prices across the country, it is important to get the best possible value for money when driving our cars. Here are some tips to help. 1. Drive conservatively. Accelerate gently when passing, overtaking or merging with faster traffic, and avoid hard braking. Frequent hard acceleration and braking can increase fuel consumption by up to 40%.  2. Avoid high speeds. Cars are designed to be most efficient at about 100kmh/60mph. Lowering your speed from 120 km/h to 100 km/h can reduce fuel consumption by up to 25%.  3.  Shift your gears properly. Use your manual transmission for maximum fuel savings. A tachometer can help you shift the transmission at the most fuel-efficient engine speeds (the owner's manual will indicate these speeds). Don't use high revs, it's not a race. 4. Plan and combine your trips. Avoid trips during rush hour that would cause you to idle your engine for long. Combining short trips into one longer one allows your engine and driv

Automotive engine oil is the result of a complex mix and certain compromises. Base oils (70–85%) Mineral oils: Historical workhorse made through distillation and hydroprocessing. Modern mineral oils are often chemically modified. Poly-α-olefins: Synthetic base stocks that offer a good balance of viscosity properties and volatility, as well as greater thermal and oxidative stability over mineral oils. Esters: Used in small amounts to make additives more soluble. Fluidity modifiers (5–20%) Viscosity modifiers: Polymers that stabilize the viscosity of oil as the temperature changes. They coil at low temperatures, increasing flow, and uncoil at higher temperatures, decreasing flow. Pour-point depressants: Molecules that prevent wax formation at low temperatures. Performance additives (8–15%) Antioxidants: Often aminic and phenolic compounds that prevent base-oil oxidation, the primary cause of oil degradation. Anti-wear additives: Compounds, commonly zinc dithiophosphate, that adhere to m

The assurance of extra traction on our wet and bad roads has made all-wheel drive (AWD) a popular option for many car buyers. Cars such as the Toyota RAV4, Toyota Highlander, Lexus RX350, Honda Pilot, Mercedes GL series are now in higher demand. However, the addition of all-wheel drive makes towing a vehicle complicated.  An AWD warning sticker What is AWD (All Wheel Drive) and 4WD (Four Wheel Drive)? Both terms are commonly used interchangeably as they have similarities. There're some differences, however. 4WD systems are generally optimized for off-road use . Part-time 4WD systems allow the driver to manually engage all four wheels at low speeds (crawl mode). Full-time 4WD systems work similarly to AWD, allowing drivers to keep all four wheels engaged. Most 4WD systems use front and rear differentials, plus a transfer case for engaging the front and/or rear axles e.g., the Toyota Hilux with the low jack mode. AWD systems are optimized for on-road use. AWD systems typically use

These lubricating fluids were designed to overcome the shortcomings of mineral or conventional oil. Thanks to the modification at the molecular level and the incorporation of more advanced systems of additives in their formulations, synthetic oil and lubricants have many advantages over conventional ones. The benefits of synthetic oil include. 1. UNIFORM COMPOSITION Synthetic lubricants are engineered from artificially built chemical compounds. These synthetic compounds are made from petroleum molecules which are first broken down and then rebuilt. Thanks to this rebuilding process, synthetic oils have a more uniform molecular structure. This property is highly important. It enables a more even and regular lubrication of the machine which results in less power consumption and increased efficiency. 2 FEWER IMPURITIES Mineral oils originate from natural sources. They contain various chemical compounds including waxes, oxygen, sulphur, nitrogen, phosphorus, and others. These compounds aff

  HISTORY Some cars to do it first in the automotive industry. Certain features where first introduced to the market on these cars. Some of these features once priced expensive, have trickled down over the years into everyday economy cars. Part 2. 1. DISC BRAKES: Chrysler Crown Imperial (1948) 2.  ELECTRIC WINDOWS AND POWER STEERING: Imperial (1951) 3.  AUTOMATIC HIGH BEAM: Oldsmobile (1952) 4.  AUTOMATIC HIGH BEAM: Oldsmobile (1952) 5.  POWER (CENTRAL) LOCKING: Packard (1956) 6.  CRUISE CONTROL: Imperial (1957) 7.  AIR SUSPENSION: Cadillac Eldorado Brougham (1957) 8.  FIRST CREW CAB PICKUP: International Harvester Travelette (1957) 9.  ELECTRONIC FUEL INJECTION: Chrysler 300D (1958) 10.  THREE-POINT SEATBELT: Volvo Amazon (1959) 11.  TURBOCHARGED ENGINE: Oldsmobile F-85 Jetfire (1962) 12.  HEATED SEATS: Cadillac Fleetwood (1965) 13.  ANTI-LOCK BRAKES: Jensen FF, (1968) 14.  INTERMITTENT WINDSHIELD WIPERS: MERCURY (1968) 15.  ELECTRONIC TRACTION CONTROL: Buick Riviera (1971) 16.  CATAL