Embbio Innova

Archive for September, 2010

When buying a new car, safety concerns are usually overshadowed by other pressing matters such as affordability, performance and prestige. However, considering today’s chaotic driving conditions it is wise to consult your car dealer about the safety features available in the car of your choice.

Electronic stability control (ESC). It stabilises a vehicle when cornering and prevents it from skidding by applying the brakes to one of the wheels and cutting the engine to keep the vehicle on its intended path. Higher vehicles such as jeeps and SUV’s are more susceptible to roll-over than passenger cars due to a high centre of gravity. Check the vehicle’s Rollover Resistance Rating which is based on the car’s tyre track width and centre of gravity.

Antilock system (ABS) usually come as standard equipment in many vehicles. ABS prevent the locking of tyres during sudden stops thus preventing loss of traction on the road and ensuring a shorter stop distance. check what type of air bag system a vehicle has, both in the front and rear. Safety belts are very important to be checked. Although available in many variations, the three-point-lap-and-shoulder belts are the most secure in case of a crash. Proper head support is crucial to prevent whiplash and other neck injuries.

The restraints must be high enough to provide cushioning to the head above the top of the spine. Check if the vehicle is equipped with Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) which makes securing a child seat easier. Governments of many countries conduct crash-test experiments to evaluate the safety rating of the car. This data can be accessed via the internet to gauge how well your vehicle will fare in case of collision.

Every now and again we get a few upset mechanics or shop owners complaining that it is not possible for RepairTrust to provide accurate car repair estimates. They go on to say that we don’t know what we’re talking about…that we’re idiots…and many other colorful words.

Following is one such discussion on car repair costs. It’s highlighted here to illustrate the resistance and defiance of the auto repair industry to anyone suggesting a fair car repair price – even an average – other than the repair facility itself.

This particular shop owner writes via email (edited for this article):

I would like you to inform me on “what” I should charge for a given repair without you knowing anything about my business, about my warranty, my benefits for employees, my services or overhead. Please explain with clarity how you can predetermine the cost of doing business from one location to another.

I would really be surprised if anyone replied to this request. Advise at a cost?? Come-on boys… lets come up with intelligent response here…

RepairTrust immediately responded:

Hello,

Thank you for contacting RepairTrust. We very much appreciate your thoughts.

Your question is a great one, and it has been raised before by other auto repair professionals in the industry.

Just so I’m clear, you’d like to know how we can price a job fairly
without ever seeing it or knowing a shop’s particular set-up (salary, overhead…etc.)

This question, again, while a good one, always surprises me.

I’ve been estimating car repairs on all makes and models both foreign and domestic for well over twenty years. I would suspect that as a repair shop owner you provide estimates to your clients on a daily basis as well. Most times this is done while the vehicle is in your possession. Other times, customers would like you to tell them what certain repairs are going to cost prior to coming in – correct…?

Letting customers know what repairs are going to cost ahead of time is just one of the many services that RepairTrust provides.

How we do it is simple:

The labor rate is the labor rate (we used the client’s shop labor rate).

The labor times are determined from fair and well-established industry pricing standards (discussed at length in our books).

Part prices are part prices (MSRP anyway, and less the matrix). This is also discussed at length in our materials.

Premium aftermarket parts are strikingly similar in cost across the nation. Miscellaneous charges, flat fees, shop supplies, hazardous waste, disposal charges…etc, follow a similar pattern as well.

We even go so far as to account for local taxes, labor rates, and unforeseen circumstances (rust, corrosion…all the stuff a tech runs into during a repair).

As a shop owner, when you provide an estimate, am I correct in assuming that you would add “barring any unforeseen circumstances” to any price you quoted?

A RepairTrust auto repair estimate is detailed, accurate, and fair for both the car repair customer and the repair facility. Our primary goal is FAIR.

As for charging to provide a fair, accurate, and unbiased auto repair estimate, we know the value of our service, as do our clients.

The fact is that 98% of all repair shops are charging excessive car repair prices, and the consumer has no resource in which to turn. This statistic is supported by every government consumer agency – including Alaska, major and independent news sources, as well as a variety of consumer advocate groups.

The problem of excessive car repair prices is not just national; it’s intercontinental. Australia recently found that auto repair shops were number 4 on their top 10 consumer complaint list.

I hope this answers at least some of your questions.

Thank you again for your comments, and please keep the professional lines of
communication open.

Sincerely,

-Ted Olson

Founder, RepairTrust.com

Look Online First – Before you decide on a vehicle repair shop to service your car or repair it, make sure you look online at reviews about vehicle repair shops in your area. Many review sites are now popping up all over the internet that make it easy for customers to post their experiences about the repair shops they have used.

People Are Looking For 3 Things – People are basically looking for 3 things when it comes to shopping around for a vehicle repair shop. They are looking for an honest, reasonably priced shop with the skills necessary to get the job done.

When Reading Reviews Online, Look For Those 3 Things – If you are considering a shop where everyone is raving about the great customer service and friendly staff, that’s great. But, you need to consider what their prices are and look for reviews where people commented on the work that was done and whether or not they think what they charged or estimated for the work to be done was reasonable or not.

Consider Paid Review Sources – Some of the most accurate and honest reviews posted online come from the paid membership review sites. When there is a staff to monitor and track the review posting process, it eliminates most of the bunk reviews and keeps the overall picture of the local repair shop more accurate.

Definitely do your homework online before you decide on who to work with and don’t forget to check with the BBB first.

When you are handing out promotional gifts to a large number of potential customers, associates or staff everybody knows that you would love to be able to give them all laptops and new cars. However, budget restraints have to come into play at some point, and you might have to settle for a more affordable range of items. Key chains and other small car accessories are an excellent way to save money while promoting your business. Always remember that promotion is a process of information, persuasion and influence.

Key chains are a classic staple of the gifts industry. They can easily be manufactured with your logo at a low cost and still be high quality items. It is not at all expensive to have stainless steel key chains made with all sorts of gadgets that will entertain somebody for a few minutes. These few minutes of entertainment are crucial, because in this time their attention will be focused on the item and your logo. This will create a lasting image of your logo in your mind, coupled with the positive memory of discovering the key chain’s gadget-like features.

Other than key chains there are dozens of different promotional products that make great car accessories. Drink holders are something that most modern cars are equipped with, but few are good enough to actually hold drinks properly. Drink holders can easily be made for a few dollars each with your logo on them, and they can be attached discretely to the interior of any car. Aftermarket drink holders are usually far more effective than those that come with the car, and so these make a great gift for just about anybody who drives their own vehicle.

Hands-free cell phone kits are also a great idea to give out to your staff. These allow your staff to speak on the phone while driving without violating any traffic laws, as well as charge their cell phone on the way to and from work. Bluetooth headsets will also allow people to talk and drive, but do not charge cell phones. While these are excellent items to give out, Bluetooth headsets might fall a little bit on the uncomfortable side of your budget unless you are a medium to large size business with a large promotions budget.

When dealing with slightly more unusual giveaways for cars like hood ornaments, modification packages and interior clip-on fans it is always best to find out if the person you intend to give these gifts to might actually like them. Drink holders, key chains and hands-free kits are something that everybody can enjoy. The slightly more unusual items might be a lot more effective as business or corporate gifts, but they are not guaranteed to be a hit at all.

If you would like to give your staff or potential clients some promotional gifts that they can use in their car there are loads of different options to choose from. People form strong attachments with their cars, and so giving something that panders to this attachment is a good way of showing them that your company understands the things they like and wants to make life easier for them.

Did you ever wonder where the logos and symbols that adorn manufactures automobiles and their auto brochures originated? Below is a history of some of the most famous logos on the market.

Chevrolet- The legend behind the Chevy logo was that Louis Chevrolet saw the shape in a wallpaper pattern in his hotel room during a trip to Paris in 1908. His wife however later debunked that myth  when she said that her husband had actually  seen a similarly shaped logo in an add in a Sunday supplement and liked it so much he decided to expand on it.

Mercedes Benz- The Mercedes Benz logo “a three pointed star” first appeared in a letter written by Gottlieb Daimler to his wife in 1872. Daimler used a three pointed star to mark the location on a map of his family’s new home in Deutz, Germany. His sons later adopted the symbol as the Mercedes Benz logo starting in 1910. Today the Mercedes Benz logo is commonly known to symbolize the use of the company’s engines on land, air, and sea.

Maserati- This logo was derived from the statue of Neptune by the Maserati brothers. The statue was located in the central square of Bologna, Italy, where Maserati was originally headquartered. The actual logo was sketched by Mario Maserati, an artist, who also was the only brother never actively involved in the engineering and design of their cars.

Toyota- In 1936 company founder Kiichiro Toyoda ran a contest for ideas for a new Toyoda logo. Out of 20,000 entries the winner was a design of katakana characters that signified a sense of speed. Later the company changed the name from “Toyoda” to “Toyota”because it was more esthetically pleasing and because the number of strokes it took to write it was eight, which in Japan is a lucky number meaning increasing prosperity.

Ferrari- The prancing horse first appeared on airplanes flown by Francesco Baracca, a pilot and war hero in World War I. Baracca died before the war ended but in 1923 the company founder Enzo Ferrari met Francesco’s parents who suggested he use their sons prancing horse badge on his cars to pay homage to Francesco. Enzo later added a yellow background which is the official color of his home town of Modena Italy and redesigned the horse’s tail to point upward.

Smart Car-The name was actually two words combined. “Swatch” which is a Swiss watch company and partner in the early stages of the company. Mercedes which is the company’s current custodian picked the “art” portion of the name. Together the acronym “smart” was born. The logo “C” stands for compact and an arrow to signify forward thinking.

When you are looking for hydrogen engine kits for cars, you can find plenty of manufacturers on the web. The basic concept of hydrogen-ran vehicles is taking water and converting it to “brown gas,” which is also called hydroxy gas or HHO. This type of gas already exists and has been implemented within combustion engines, ever since the ’50s. All throughout the world, there are several car owners who are using homemade HHO cells for their vehicles. This goes especially true in the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan, where hundreds of cars are powered with hydroxy gas. Nowadays, more and more trucking industries are discovering the benefits of HHO kits.

Making Hydrogen Extraction Use Up Lesser Energy–and Money

Through hydrogen engine kits, your vehicle is burning water instead of harmful petroleum fuels. This is an opportunity that you should not let pass since there are several advantages that you can get when you run a car on water. Researchers and manufacturers are looking for ways to extract hydrogen without spending too much. During the present time, hydrogen extraction is cheaper and uses up lesser energy by using an electrolyzer.

This electrolyzer uses water, electrical current, and a catalyst. Baking soda works as a simple form of catalyst. On the other hand, the electrical current can be output with a 12-volt battery and an alternator. In order for you to control your engine’s output, you have to modify the electricity that is being directed to it. You can acquire the right blend of HHO generator by adding a controller for the electrical pulse. If you are concerned that your water cell will freeze in the cold, you can simply add it with 20 percent denatured alcohol.

The Advantages of Using Hydrogen Fuel for Cars

Environmentalists from all over the world are nodding their heads on hydrogen kits to run vehicles. This is because hydrogen is seen as safe to the atmosphere. Running automobiles on HHO is better than using diesel and other gasoline fuels. When hydroxy gas is used for the engines, the gas that is emitted from the vehicles is not harmful to the environment. What is more, the gas does not smell bad and is not harmful to the health of the people. Since researchers are continually looking for ways to make water fuel cost-efficient, you will not have to spend much for gas mileage.

Although manufacturers and researchers have not come up with 100 percent water-based fuel, they are trying their best to make this possible. Recently, hydrogen engine kits for cars are considered as the safest option for vehicle owners.

Incoming search terms: