Many Problems Are Faced By The Auto Industry Due To Online Counterfeiting And The Gray Market.

By blogger on

Counterfeiting is such a menace that even the Federal Bureau of Investigation has termed it the crime of the 21st century. If you dont believe this, perhaps some number crunching can shed some light on the kind of hazards that this activity creates for automotive businesses worldwide. For example, the global automotive parts industry suffers losses pegged as high as $12 billion a year, $3 billion of which is in the U.S. The total global counterfeit market is pegged at a whopping $350 billion. The Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), realizing the grave situation of counterfeits affecting its businesses, formed the Brand Protection council to take matters of fake counterfeit products in the automobile sector seriously.

What are fake automotive parts? How does one distinguish them from the originals?

Some counterfeits are simply imitations of real automotive parts and look exactly like the original so as to fool the buyer into believing that they are buying the original. Other times, fake or counterfeit automotive parts are simply packaged to look like the original. Counterfeiters often utilize the same brand image, colors and font sizes to ensure that the packaging looks similar to that of the real product. Some of the most common counterfeit automotive parts are things like fan belts, spark plugs, engine mountings, wheel covers, alloy wheels, air filters, fuel filters and oil filters. Sometimes the products carry the logo of the original. Other times counterfeiters simply use outdated parts that have been thrown out by the original company or dealer, renew them with some work and sell them again in the grey market.

There are many problems associated with fake automotive parts.

Such grey market products affect the brand and the reputation of the original manufacturer. Despite being made to look like the original, these products are not the original product. Even though they may be sold at perhaps 1/4th of the original price, the worth is much less than the real product. The safety of your vehicle could be compromised, and it could have many different kinds of problems, from part failure to higher fuel consumption to higher levels of pollution. The most pressing problem with using fakes is that, while you might feel you have gotten a great deal in terms of price, you will never get the intended effect that the original product can offer. In terms of quality and durability, you will always be at a loss if you opt for counterfeit products.

Auto Repair Speak mechanic For Quality Auto Repairs!

By blogger on

Now that “old man winter’ is gone, and summer is at our door, many of us are making exciting plans for summer road trips. It’s important that you don’t neglect taking care of any necessary maintenance or auto repairs before you hit the road! To make sure that going to an auto repair shop is not a fearful experience, make sure that you and your mechanic are speaking the same language in terms of labor, warranty, parts, and repairs.

To reduce surprises with regard to the cost and time required for an auto repair, here are four tips to help you communicate effectively with your mechanic. By knowing the correct terminology about auto repairs, you will better understand the details of your expected auto repair.

1. Don’t be afraid! Ask your mechanic to explain the auto repair simply, or in layman’s terms. Your mechanic should also ask you questions about what you expect.
2. Don’t be in a hurry! Take your time at the auto repair shop so that you are sure to get a correct diagnosis. This will help prevent many misunderstandings as to knowing exactly what needs to be done. Often, an on-the-spot, off the cuff, diagnosis may be incorrect and waste both yours and the mechanic’s valuable time.
3. Don’t forget to leave a contact number and be available! Make sure that your mechanic knows you want to be called and informed of the problem, course of action, and cost, before any actual work begins. Ask the mechanic to call you if there are any new discoveries or change in plans during the repair process.
4. Ask questions! Make sure you have an understanding of the auto repair shop policies in terms of labor rates, guarantees, warranties, and acceptable methods of payment. The more questions you ask, the more satisfied you will be with the service performed on your vehicle.

Getting ready for that long awaited for summer road trip can be exciting, especially knowing that your vehicle is ready to get your destination quickly and safely!

Need quality auto repairs? Contact our ASE Certified Technicians at Clausen Automotive by calling (608) 221-8321 or go on-line at http://clausenautomotive.com for more information about auto repair services. Since 1975, our family-owned auto shop has proudly served vehicle owners in Madison, WI, and the surrounding communities.

Selecting A Good Quality Pre-owned Car

By blogger on

Ways To Choose A High Quality Used Car

And with a financial savings like that it truly is amazing that any person buys new cars anymore. This post will look at some things to seek out when shopping for a used car.

Of course the first thing you want to seek out is any rust on the exterior of the vehicle. And we are not only looking for visible rust but rust that could be hidden under the paint. How you can tell should there be rust under the paint is by looking at the finish. If you find bubble spots on the paint, then there is a possibility that rust is ready to come through. Even though you see just a bit rust, proceed to the next car since it will probably get worse in a few years.

An additional area to look at for rust is inside the trunk of the car. That is an area of the car that lots of people forget to look at. Any small rust inside the trunk will spread to the rest of the car. Plus you won’t want to put anything in that trunk as it may end up suffering from water damage as the water can come through rust spots.

The next phase is to check the internal of the car. In the event the interior of the automobile is clean there is a pretty good chance that the person who owned it took good care of the vehicle. When the seats and carpets are tainted or torn there is a good chance that the previous owner didn’t conserve the car and he probably didn’t conduct the scheduled maintenance either.

Now when you are inside the vehicle check all the controls, this consist of windows, door locks, heater and everything else the car has. The last thing you want to do is to buy a car in the summertime and then figure out the heater doesn’t operate when winter hits.

Now look at the tires to find out if there is tread on the tires and if you can find any uneven wear. If you observe that the tread on one side of the car has significantly less wear than the other side, then there can be some issues with the car. It may just need an alignment, but then again it could be an issue that could run thousands to repair. In the event that there is any type of uneven wear on the tread, don’t give it an extra thought, move on to the next car.

The very last thing you should do is to get the car for a test drive. You want to be sure that the car turns well without issues and the brakes will work well and not soft. If you take the car for a test drive you will find a way to find out if there are and clunks or other troubles.

Compare Auto Care – Automotive repair and maintenance

By blogger on

How many of you have gone through the frustrating turmoil of having your car breakdown, and that feeling of helplessness and dread sets in because you have absolutely no knowledge of where to turn to find information about local automotive repair shops. Without a relationship with a mechanic or repair shop you can trust, each visit to have your vehicle fixed can be an uncertain experience. Will the shop treat me fairly? Will they only fix whats broken? How can I find information on shops so I can make an informed decision about where to take my car?

This is why some basic knowledge of auto repair, maintenance and especially the car repair shops you use are vital. Listed below are some of the basics of car care and maintenance that will help increase your auto repair IQ, and help you make better decisions regarding your car.
Synthetic Oil isnt always better.If your vehicle has been running fine with conventional oil for years,and your owners manual doesnt recommend it,stick with regular oil for your oil changes.Some shops want to switch you to synthetic strictly for more profit.
Change your timing belt on its recommended interval.It doesnt give you any warning before it breaks,and depending on the engine,can cause massive internal damage as pistons crash into valves after it breaks.
By replacing your serpentine belt or drive belts when your replace your timing belt, you can save all the labor charges, as the belts must be removed to complete the timing belt replacement anyway!
Cleaning windshield wipers with alcohol and a soft rag can extend the life and improve the performance of your wipers
Learn how to check all your vehicles fluid levels including engine oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid, engine coolant, and washer solvent. Dropping fluid levels is an early warning sign of potential problems.
Check your remaining brake pad life regularly. Replace the pads before they wear out and grind into the brake rotors and triple the price of your brake job.
Keep your battery posts clean.
Each vehicle has a different interval for the replacement of the cars spark plugs.Check your owners manual for your cars interval.Dishonest mechanics may recommend replacing spark plugs every 30,000 miles, when the life expectancy of those spark plugs may be 100,000 miles to increase profits.
Check your tire pressure regularly.Correctly inflated tires save fuel and increase tire longevity.Decreasing air pressure is an indication of a leak that should be repaired.
Inspect your air filters.Dirty air filters decrease fuel economy and performance, and can sometimes be blown-out with a high-pressure air hose instead of replaced.
Check your engine oil regularly. Older vehicles may begin to burn oil, and a vehicle can run dangerously low on engine oil without ever showing signs of a leak.For most of us however, the days of being able to work on our own vehicles is far behind us. Almost all vehicles built in the last 10 years are controlled by an array of electronic sensors and computers. The good news is that the vehicle is always making adjustments to maximize fuel economy, reduce pollution, and deliver maximum performance all by itself. The bad news is that it now requires constant specialized training, and expensive testing equipment to properly diagnose and repair vehicles.

Different Kinds of Automotive Toolbox

By blogger on

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.