Automotive TNT

Paying close attention to your vehicle’s warning lights is one of the surest ways to know whether your vehicle needs a minor automotive service, or a more extensive automotive repair. The dashboard lights are color-coordinated according to the severity of the warning (i.e., yellow is caution, red is serious). Each time you start the car, all of the lights and indicators appear as the car’s computer checks each system. When the lights go out, the computer has verified that each of the vehicle’s systems is functioning properly.

If an indicator light remains on several minutes after the car has been started, or if it comes on while driving the car, you should be concerned about it. You will want to treat all dash warning lights like traffic signals.
The two basic kinds of warning lights; Yellow and Red, are further described below:
Yellow Warning Lights –

On most cars, a yellow “Service Engine Soon” light means “proceed with caution.” Your car’s computer system has indicated a potential problem and is alerting the driver.

The computer system is capable of correcting some minor abnormalities, but if the light continues to come on after multiple car starts, it is telling you that you need to consult a technical manual and/or schedule an automotive service. If the light comes on while you are driving but doesn’t come back on again, the computer system probably corrected the problem without any further intervention.
Common problems that may cause the “Service Engine Soon” light to come on are:

* computer-related problems, such as faulty sensors
* anti-lock brake systems
* safety restraint systems, such as air bags
* emissions components

Red Warning Lights –

A Red Warning light indicates an immediate danger to your car and you should immediately pull over and turn off the car. Whatever caused the red light to come on can be a safety issue (i.e., brakes), so proceed with caution as you maneuver to stop the vehicle.

Unfortunately, when the red light comes on, the problem is already occurringthis is NOT a pre-warning. It can be a matter of seconds before permanent engine damage occurs. Call for road-side assistance for automotive repair.
Problems that normally cause red warning lights are:

* low oil pressure
* engine over-heating
* brake failure
* transmission over-heating
* low battery voltage.

Like smart phones, vehicles these days are ‘smart’ and are continuously monitoring the performance of your vehicle.

For professional automotive service, contact our ASE-certified technicians at A&C Automotive & Machine by calling 651-674-4733, or go online at http://aandcautomotive.com for more information. Since 1985, our auto center has served vehicle owners in North Branch, MN, and in the surrounding areas of Harris and Stacy, MN.

Before you learn about how the first automobile came to be, we just wanted to let you all know about this cool new online auto comparison website. If you are ready to start saving on your auto insurance, give them a look!

Who invented the first car? Well that depends in the historian that you are talking to as well as what you define as an car. Most people accept the gasoline-powered car with and internal combustion engine as an car, however there were self propelled steam as well as electric cars way before the gasoline motor powered vehicle was invented. Nicholas Cugnot built a steam self-propelled vehicle in 1769, a long time before the gasoline powered car. The who invented the first car is also mistaken by lots of people when talking approximately the invention of the automobile. It was Karl Benz that invented a three wheeled car with an internal combustion engine, as well as fueled by gasoline in 1885 and patented in 1886.This type of vehicle is what is accepted as the automobile of this day. At that time, most people were riding horses or traveling in horse drawn carriages. Trains were also popular; nevertheless there was a great need for a self-propelled car. In Europe automobiles were already in mass production (1893 Benz Velo). The Benz Velo was inexpensive comparatively. Items required as well as were approximately to take a giant change on the US that would affect the world as it was then and as we understand it now.

Many people even today mistakenly suppose that Henry Ford invented the 1st auto and that might turn out to be because over the US he was the one person is known for the invention of the car. Ford, born in Michigan as well as lived in Detroit where he had a job in a machine shop where it was the perfect of circumstances for his innovation. He had a job at Westinghouse Engine Company in 1896, 11 years after the 1st auto was patented in Germany, where Henry Ford built an automobile and sold it to finance a better version. While Ford will be remembered for a lot of items the Model T will be one of them. When it was released to the public the price was $950, a luxury item that only the rich could afford. After 19 years of production though the price when down to $280 is a few places. Ford had once said, “I will build a car for the fantastic multitude.” As well as with the Model T, he did just that and brought the price down so the average man could afford it by producing assembly lines for mass production. Almost fifteen.5 million cars were sold over the US alone. Henry Ford had so a lot of accomplishments in his life, he also made to so there was a Ford dealership in almost every city/town on the US and paved the way for roads to be built across the US.

On the early 1900s France as well as the United States were the foremost places that had mass production for the vehicle. In France the first cars were being produced as well as sold to the public, but each model was made diverse. The Benz Velo was the first to turn out to be created exactly the same way and was in mass production in the mid 1880s. This was known as the Veteran Era and in the US the Duryea Brothers founded their company to become the 1st auto manufacturer. The company that was later to be known as Oldsmobile would take the lead in production soon although. Just a year once Olds was started though Cadillac was producing thousands of cars. Once the Veteran Era there was the Brass Era, where lots of of the vehicle innovations that we see on the cars we drive offer. Next was the Vintage Era where the US saw the ending of WW1 as well as the depression cause of the stock marketplace crash. Cars were mainly sold to the well off; improvements even were made to the auto although. Then came the Pre WW2 Era that started with the depression and ended with the ending of the war. Fenders, trunks and closed bodies were popular and took hold at this time. At last there are the Post War and the Modern Eras, were most of the cars that we drive today are.

The invention of the vehicle as has not only given us luxury, and easy access to long distance, it has also created a whole new industry through the US. Mass manufacturing of automobiles was a vision of Henry Ford to streamline the manufacturing process and he mainly paved the way for other car businesses as well as all kinds of manufactures of all products every single one in the world. Henry Ford for the vehicle industry introduced the conveyer belt for his assembly line as well as reduced the time of a Model T from 728 to 93 minutes, thus reducing costs. The automobile industry quickly turned into a huge part of the US itself as well as affected the economy in a big way. Vehicle makers to automobile dealers to vehicle buyers every single one offer a part. Every single one of this changed how people lived, used, and saved money. For numerous the automobile industry was a way to manufacture a living because their job was somehow related.

Cars now are part of pop culture now too. Many of us offer a dream car, usually one from a TV show, Movie, or MTV video we saw various time. Numerous of these cars are from the Modern Era and are what are known as Muscle Cars and or gas-guzzlers. One of these is the 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 fastback as well as featured over the Gone in 60 Seconds [2000] film. Another might turn out to be the Night Rider car, the 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. How almost the Back to the Future 1981 DeLorean DMC 12? DeLorean went bankrupt in 1982 just a year later.

Now as gas prices have went over the roof, the need for alternative ways of travel has increased. Combustion engines that you put in gasoline perhaps out of date in just several years. Many people are going green now and electric powered cars are extra as well as more popular, other alternatives are being witnessed buy the vehicle manufacturers as the buying public are changing the type of cars they purchase. They might spend additional now for such as a hybrid now as well as save over time by not paying so much in fuel.

Currently, the market houses automotive lifts belonging to different brands; they vary in their safety features, quality, style, convenience and of course price. Each of these machines is made keeping in mind different requirements of the customers. Thus when you shop for the product, you must be extremely careful to ensure that you dont end up picking a wrong piece. There are certain things that you must remember while purchasing automotive lifts Los Angeles. The section below will introduce you to those factors.

Available space: Whatever may be the auto-lift model picked by you it will need some space for being operated safely. However, there are surely some units that are more compact compared to the others. Technicians looking for a compact piece can opt for two-post automobile lifts; when it comes to space saving vehicle lifts, the two-post auto lifts are most popular. The options available for technicians with bigger repair space are much more than those with compact repair space.

Vehicle types: A mechanic needs to repair vehicles with varied wheelbases. Cars with different wheelbases require vehicle lifts of different kinds. This makes the job of selecting an auto lift extremely difficult of technicians or mechanics. Ideally, they should opt for in-ground units. The four-post lifts are also extremely popular among garage owners; however, they are definitely not as popular as the hydraulic in-ground models, which are more user-friendly and less prone to damage resulting from overcrowding.

Amateur mechanics who are looking for automotive lifts Los Angeles only for repairing their own vehicle however will find the 2 post and 4 post machines most beneficial. The four-post models are stable enough to allow secure and safe storage for a long period of time. Their stability also gives them the ability of lifting excessively bulky vehicles. If you dont want to use the automotive lift to store your vehicle, opting for a scissor truck lift would also be a good idea.

Accessibility: If you are an amateur mechanic you should not buy car lifts that come with complex features. Vehicle lifts that come with too many functions and complex specifications are meant for being used by trained professionals.

Toolboxes save time and effort looking for a specific tool needed. It helps get a job done faster and more efficiently. These toolboxes are used at home and at work. It can also be used in the automobiles.

Automobile toolboxes are generally more compact and portable because of the limited space of vehicles. One example is a trailer toolbox. It is widely used in mobile home though they can also be used for other purposes. Other toolboxes may not be handy for your trailer so it is best for you to have an executive trailer toolbox.

A trailer toolbox basically has perfect lockable storage. It provides easy access to the stored items. It is easy to install and remove, and are made of weather-resistant materials. These are generally bulkier compared to other toolboxes. It can hold more hand tools and other things needed for a trailer. Some are detachable while others are fixated.

There is also a toolbox for vans. It can usually be attached in the trucks wheel or behind the third passenger seat of the van. It has stainless steel door hinge and with heavy gauge back panel. A good design has a keyed T-handle. It comes with a lock, is rust resistant, weather resistant, with lift support and fingertip control, and easy to install and remove.

On the other hand, pickup toolboxes come in many styles. There are those that can be mounted on the side rails of the truckbed. This is the most popular because the tools are easy to retrieve when needed.

Pickup toolboxes mostly have easy sliding doors instead of hinged doors. This is because truckbeds have limited space. Otherwise, some are installed on the sides to give more room on the flooring.

There are also many custom toolboxes, made to fit the shape of any car. The shapes and features vary depending on the size and purpose. So when ever you choose one custom toolbox, better choose the design that fits your needs.

Toolboxes are made to store all the tools and things that we have so that we would not have a hard time looking for the said tool just because we have missed placed them. This is also made for easy and handy carrying of tools. With automotive toolbox, you can easily carry all your tools in a handy manner at one time.

Regular cars also have toolboxes made especially for them. Since cars are smaller compared to vans or trucks, their toolboxes are usually customized to take the shape of the compartments at the back. Some toolboxes can also be made to fit underneath the passenger seats.

There are also toolboxes made for motorcycles. These are placed on the compartment box at the back of the driver. Because of the very limited spaced, these toolboxes are often small. The most essential handy tools will fit inside.

For bicycles, some portable toolboxes can be wrapped around in the middle, just above the axle. These are often elongated and thin so as not to distract the peddling of the cyclist. Some toolboxes can also dangle in the handles. There are other bicycles also with small compartments at the back. It can also safely hold the toolbox.

These toolboxes are generally made of two kinds of materials: metal and plastic. Whatever material your preferred toolbox is, it would depend on your choice. You know the pros and cons of having a plastic toolbox and a metal toolbox. Choose the one that you think is very helpful to you and has long life. The one that is durable will have long life.

Did you know that both employers and students benefit from the Canadian Tire-sponsored Automotive Service Technician training at Centennial College? For students, it is an opportunity to learn new skills and move up on the automotive industry. Meanwhile, John Morin, Service Manager from a Canadian Tire store explains how this undertaking benefits employers. “The benefits from an employer’s standpoint are that all the classroom training is complete,” he says. “We have a technician who is far more advanced in theory, more confident in his or her abilities and now just requires practical experience. We are able to adapt our manpower situation where we do not have a need to hire additional staff for an eight-week period (and possibly have to lay them off when the student returns to work). We have the benefit of having additional staff for the busy summer months and the new hire can attend school in the fall. This gives us a crop of well-prepared people who can advance quickly to a licensed technician.”

But how are all of the benefits actually applied with the Automotive Service Technician apprenticeship? First and foremost, the training provided is more in-depth and in-school sessions are longer than that of traditional apprenticeships. As such, students are taught by spending 32 weeks partaking in in-school training and then heading to on-the-job experience at one of Ontario’s over 190 Canadian Tire stores, for four weeks. That means that by the time students reach their employer sessions, they will already have knowledge of the field thanks to the combination of theory and practical skills they are taught at Centennial College’s Ashtonbee Campus. This location is the largest transportation training centre in the province and includes tools, real cars and a lab environment. The generic tools on which, students practice are supplied by Canadian Tire to ensure confidence and comfort once they graduate and become employed.

In addition, while in school, Automotive Service Technician Training students attend courses that are part of a provincial automotive curriculum and satisfy the knowledge necessary to become a licensed technician. These courses are: Drivetrian Sytems, Electrical/Electronic & Emmission Systems, Engine Systems, Work Practices and Procedures, Suspension/Steering and Brake Systems

To apply for this Automotive Service Technician Apprenticeship, students are required to have completed at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or GED or equivalent. They should also be employed by a Canadian Tire dealership or selected through an interview process. For this modified apprenticeship, candidates may apply directly to Centennial College. As space in the undertaking is limited, acceptance is based on successful completion of all entry requirements. Successful applicants must obtain an employer and then register as a MAP apprentice with the Apprenticeship Branch of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Completion of the Automotive Service Technician Apprenticeship will see graduations comfortable with: maintaining and repairing cars, vans and pickup trucks by fixing engines, changing brakes, checking windshield wipers and fluid levels, and replacing mufflers, hoses, belts and plugs, you may want to consider.