Additional power for your car

The Skoda cars are becoming popular once again. Therefore, every auto enthusiast wishes to know where and how these magnificent cars were manufactured. Skoda Autos was started in 1857, and interestingly their first business was not making cars but weapon production. This prolific vehicle manufacturing concern has seen great changes during its life. Here is a brief account of Skoda history.

After its inception in 1857, Skoda changed quickly into the bicycle makers. The start of this bicycle venture was interesting as well. The founder Vaclav Klement, wanted to get his German bicycle repaired, but there were no parts in his country. He wrote to the German firm and was snubbed for not writing in their language. Being in Czech Republic this proud and innovative person decided to make his own bicycle. Soon everyone was asking for the repair of their bicycles, and his hobby took over as new business venture. The success of his first shop in 1895 was the stepping stone. From Mlada Voeslav a quite town in the Czech country side, he soon started making most parts too. In 1898 in matter of four years, he started making the bicycles, and motorcycles with help of French makers, Werner Brothers.

The motorcycle business thrived, and in 1899 he started making the famous Salvia Motorcycles too. His climate was totally different from the favorable economic times of today; most big companies were not too keen to help him in starting his venture. Most of his designs in those times were created after experimenting. In one famous incident, he lost his front tooth during one road test of his motorcycle. It was the famous German scientist Robert Bosch, who guided him in the end to perfect his ignition system.

After the perfection in design, Lauren Klement made 150 machines in the first batch and sent them to London. He was not only very innovative but good communicator as well. He collaborated with Hewtson firm, the makers of first motorcycles also during this time. The Automobile business came as the next natural extension in 1905.

During the two world wars this company changed hands, and recession of 30s nearly caused to collapse Skoda. After the Second World War, the reproduction of the Skoda cars started again in 1945. During the 60s this was the most innovative car makers. The car did enjoy the racing tracks also with more than 17 consecutive winnings on RAC rally too. The famous Skoda cars include Estelle, and Favorite.
By Bob D Jones

Discover how to safely tow your own vehicle and avoid costly damage and repairs. Most people don’t think it’s a big deal to tow another vehicle. They couldn’t be more wrong. If you don’t know what you are doing you can do more damage to your vehicle than what it would have cost you to have a tow truck tow it.

If you leave the drive wheels stay on the ground when you are towing it, you could cause severe transmission damage. You have several options when towing a two-wheel-drive vehicle. The best way is with a trailer, where all four wheels are off the ground. This option works well for any vehicle no matter if it’s front wheel drive, rear wheel drive or four-wheel-drive.

Next option would be tow dollies, which lift the front wheels off the ground. You’ve probably seen tow dollies being used as you drive, when you look behind any do-it-yourself rental trucks towing a car. You can tow a rear-wheel-drive vehicle with tow dollies, but it’s a lot more work, you have to disconnect and remove the drive shaft so you won’t damage the transmission.

Another option is a tow bar. It’s usually shaped like a triangle with a set of ridged bars. One end attaches to the ball hitch on the tow vehicle and the other end attaches to the bumper of the car you are towing. All four wheels of the vehicle are on the ground. If you have a manual transmission on a two-wheel-drive vehicle, you can just pop it in neutral and tow it with the tow bar.

If the vehicle is an automatic you can still tow it, however you will need some accessories to protect it, like a Drive Shaft Coupling Device (switches between towing (drive shaft disengaged) and driving (drive shaft engaged)), Lube Pumps (keeps the transmission lubricated while you tow it) and an Axle Lock (disconnects the automatic transmission for towing a front-wheel-drive vehicle). These options can be costly and not worth the time and investment of money for a short tow to a repair shop. These options would be more practical if you are towing a vehicle behind your RV all the time.

Knowing how to safely tow your vehicle will give you peace of mind knowing that you won’t be damaging your vehicle while towing it.

Tips For The Short Tow To The Service Station:

* Fasten a cable or sturdy tow chain to the vehicle being towed and to the trailer hitch of the towing vehicle. Make sure you hook the tow cable to the undercarriage of the tow vehicle and not just to the bumper.
* Do not have a passenger in the tow vehicle. This is illegal and can be a safety hazard
* Place a sign on the vehicle being towed to let the drivers behind you know that the “Vehicle Is In Tow” so they can give you plenty of room.
* Drive no faster than 45 miles per hour. High speeds can cause serious stress problems on the cables and increase the risk of an accident.
* Learning how to safely tow your own vehicle can save you time and money if you do it right.

Always check your owner’s manual before you tow a two-wheel-drive vehicle. It will usually give you towing instructions and precautions for your vehicle. Manufactures give you the specifications for your exact vehicle, that way you know what to do and what not to do. Ignoring any of this information could cost you in damage to your vehicle and hit your pocket book for unnecessary repairs.By Mike Reitz

Sometimes, a nice drive is exactly what you need to clear your head and give you a sense of freedom. For many Australians, getting out on the open road on a clear sunny day to explore some of the beautiful scenery we have on offer is the perfect tonic for a stressful week in the office. Of course, when the conditions aren’t so sunny, and the road isn’t so open, driving can be a stressful experience in and of itself. Driving in poor weather conditions is a hazard and should be avoided where possible, but as we all, sometimes it is unavoidable, so we’ve compiled a list of tips for dealing with those situations. Always make sure you’re up to date on your latest car service (it’s in the less-than ideal conditions that you’ll really need it firing on all cylinders) and stay calm no matter what. Treacherous conditions can be navigated with the right skills and mindset, so YOU are the most important variable in this situation.

Heavy Rain

Heavy rain can not only obscure your vision, but can instantly make the roads slippery and dangerous, especially where there hasn’t been rain for a while. A big fear here is hydro-planing, where your vehicle’s wheels lose traction and you find yourself out of control. To avoid this, travel at a slower pace and keep the wheels stead–no sudden turns at high speeds.

If you need to turn, give yourself plenty of warning, and slow the car right down to make it. Braking in the wet can also be dangerous, as tyres are more prone to skidding. Ideally, keep a lot of room between you and the car in front of you to allow for any extra time it may take you to stop. Brake slowly and gradually, and avoid slamming on the brakes at all costs. The key to safe driving in the wet is prevention, not reaction, so make sure that you minimise the chance of an accident with every decision that you make.

Night Driving

Night driving can be hazardous for two reasons. Firstly, if it’s late at night or you’ve been driving for some time, your reactions are slightly slower. Secondly, your vision is impaired at night, as is some of your depth perception, which makes it harder to make preemptive decisions and evaluate situations from a long distance. It is important to make sure that all of your car’s exterior lights are working well and are clean so that other drivers can see you clearly, and if you’re having trouble seeing out of the windscreen because of glare, pull into a petrol station and give it a clean–the more dirt you have on your windshield, the more glare you’ll experience.

Storms, Wind and Hail

In the case of severe storms and or hail, the best option is to pull into a sheltered space. Depending on the size of the hailstones and the force of the wind, it may be safest to abandon your car and seek shelter in a petrol station or shop until it passes, but if this is not possible find somewhere to pull over–NOT underneath trees as they may collapse in a severe storm and cause damage to you and your car. Another thing to remember is to never drive through a flooded road. As we learned from the tragedy and devastation of the recent Queensland floods, it only takes a small amount of water to sweep a car off the road.

Making sure that any car repairs are taken care of as soon as the need presents itself is an excellent way to prepare for sticky situations. It’s the less-than-ideal weather conditions that will really test your vehicle, so keeping it in tip top condition is your best chance at safety.By Charlie Andrews

Cars are some of the important inventions that human beings have ever come up with. They have played a significant role in changing lives especially in the modern era. But like everything else they have their good as well as bad effects.

They are generally expensive to buy especially if they are bought brand new. However one does find those brands and models that are cheaper to buy. They are usually small and have basic functionalities as well as basic safety features. Brands such as Chevrolet and Hyundai and Tata have models that are specifically aimed at those people on the lookout for cheaper cars. Chevrolet have the Spark and Hyundai have the Atos while Tata have the Nano. All these are cheap and easy to maintain and also easy on petrol.

Some car brands also have motorcycles in their line up of products. Honda is one of them and has a proud tradition of producing good cars and motorcycles. Their motorcycles come in a variety of sizes and styles and they generally cater to a wide range of clientele.

Certain makes and models such as off roaders are more suitable for someone with a big family. While sports cars such as the Mercedes SLK and BMW Z4 are more suitable for people without the responsibility of transporting multiple passengers.

Owning a car is also expensive because things such as repairs and wear and tear. One must also think about putting in petrol and other things such oil. Over all the money you spend on a car can be quite substantial especially if one does not look after their car. Another related cost in insurance which you need for a number of reasons. It is a good idea to have this because it prevents you from losing your car should something such as an accident happen. The insurance can sometimes pay for minor repairs such as windscreen repairs as well as dents.

One of the big things they have introduced is convenience. Life has become easier in terms of moving from one place to another especially if it is long distance. Overall mobility has increased with an increasing number of people finding it easy to move around. They also save time because journeys that used to take hours can now take minutes. Emergencies can also be attended to timorously without losing important minutes that could be costly.

Vehicles have a bad reputation when it comes to polluting the environment. The exhaust emissions are dangerous for the ozone layer which is compromising the well being of populations. The emissions are also toxic and hence responsible for many illnesses related to the chest.

But an increasing number of manufacturers have heeded the call for producing environmentally friendly cars. Toyota is one of them and they were one of the pioneers of this trend. Their Prius is well known for using technology that is environmentally friendly. Owning a vehicle has become a lifestyle choice and can add to the kind of image you want to present.By Adriana N.

Far too often academia looks down on entrepreneurs, business people, and even capitalism as a whole. I find this rather amusing on one-hand and somewhat telling on another. You see, it takes 4-years to get a bachelor’s degree, 2 more years to get a masters degree, and then 2-3 more years to get a Ph.D. – so that’s basically 10-years right? Well, what if someone runs their own business works 10-15 hours a day for ten years? Similar equivalent right, sure it is, and yet, society, and academia views it differently.

Indeed, that’s okay I guess, because most entrepreneurs who didn’t finish college don’t respect academia much either – hate to break it to you. Meanwhile, many folks that didn’t go to college have a disdain for academic arrogance as well. Consider if you will a mom who has 2-3 children and she raises them to 15-years old. Would a child psychologist with a bachelor’s degree know more than them about raising children?

Not long ago, someone said I wouldn’t know how to be a teacher since I don’t have a teaching credential, nor would I understand the world of teaching. Really, because I spent K-12 in that prison, and I know a lot more than you might think, not only was I learning, I was observing all of its short comings. Meanwhile, the same professors are still teaching teachers, what’s changed, anything really positive?

Okay so, enough critique or offense about the world of academia, let’s go on the defense. Not long ago, someone told me I couldn’t run a think tank, because I don’t have a Ph.D. in any of the hard sciences, or engineering. Amazing I thought to myself, of course, I knew where this was coming from, as this gentleman did have a Ph.D. and yet, he was surprised how much I knew about so many subjects which our think tank addresses.

Again, I was a little taken aback when he said “your background is from the car washing sector, so why did you start a think tank? It doesn’t make any sense, does the car washing industry really have anything to do with think tank research, innovation, or the studies you are involved with?”

Yes! The car wash industry also deals with surface tension, boundary layers, ionic-bonding, finite capacity scheduling (carwash is an assembly line), lighting, materials, water filtration, water conservation, micro-economics, traffic flow, building design, piping, tanks, retail, oil, landscaping, corrosion, safety, labor, motivation, management, marketing, I mean it’s hard to name something it doesn’t deal with and that’s just one of the industries I’ve participating in.

Likewise, I like most people are not linear, I also have hobbies too, and other endeavors in my life, for instance I was an athlete too, and thus, you learn a lot about biology, health, performance, diet, training, etc. Also, I am a pilot and in flying one learns about aerodynamics, design, weather, navigation, electronics, and such.

You see, the problem is that too many academics want to put everyone they meet into a little category or box, but life doesn’t work that way. Of course, academics are just humans, like everyone else, so we shouldn’t expect too much from them. It’s just people sometimes think to be smart you have to go to school, it’s not true, you learn more and faster by doing. Of course, you have to study everything in the sector to be good at any particular industry or endeavor, which is what I did.

This is why merely having a PhD is not sufficient to join a think tank, and why there is a lot more to it than that. So, please consider all this.By Lance Winslow