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Tap Water Doubles Your Car’s MPG with this $100 Hybrid Conversion!

I saw a news segment this morning about hybrid cars. It covered what was available, what you can expect to pay, and how long it would take to pay for itself. It’s not surprising really. With even the cheapest gas at four dollars a gallon and climbing, there have been quite a lot of feature stories like this. Just yesterday in fact (Sunday June 1, 2008) Good Morning America did a great piece. With a whole fleet of nice hybrids and an expert on hand to point out the good and bad of each, this was one of the most informative segments yet. However, something still bugs me. It seems like nobody bothers explaining how you can double the gas mileage of your own car or truck, with just ordinary tap water, all for a couple hundred dollars.

The basic technology of extracting hydrogen gas from water has been around a long time but it wasn’t until gasoline and diesel started getting really expensive that regular people like you and me started hearing about it.

I can’t speak for anyone else butI’ll share my own experience. A while back I got really fed up with gas jumping in price every single time I filled up so I started hunting for an alternative solution. After a couple months of scouting I found that Hydrogen from water seemed the best solution. I originally planned to buy a kit for $1,500 It looked simple enough. I would just have to refill the fuel cell every few months with distilled water. But then I heard about a kit I could build myself for about $100 ($49 for the instruction manual and $56 for the parts from a local hardware store.) Long story short, I tried it on my 1995 Isuzu Pickup truck and went from 21 mpg to 39 mpg and better! Another nice little side effect was that my emissions became a lot cleaner (no more nasty smell when idling at traffic lights.)

I’ll admit I was kind of scared to get under the hood and do the actual installation so I asked my brother in law to help me install it. I was a little embarrassed when he opened the manual I gave him, used a couple tools I keep under the kitchen sink, and did it in about 20 minutes. But I’m sure not embarrassed now that I only go to the pump half as often. I love it!

Regarding the question of safety, I’ve heard people say “Isn’t that dangerous?” Again, being a bit of a worrier I had the same concerns but then realized if anything it’s the safest solution I could find. Not to mention the cheapest. Since the hydrogen gas is created in tiny volume, only as needed, it’s no more dangerous in my mind than having a bottle of drinking water in the car. And for that matter, the hybrid expert on TV left us viewers with some sobering thoughts about purchasing a hybrid, chief among them being safety. Here are a few that stood out to me…

1.) Due to their special lightweight designs most hybrids tend to be less safe than regular vehicles.

2.) On average a hybrid costs 50% more than the same all gas powered vehicle.

3.) Even with rising gas prices, a hybrid typically takes 3 to 10 years to pay for itself.

4.) Some of the best hybrids that used to qualify for a government tax break, don’t anymore (like the Toyota Prius.)

To create your own hydrogen hybrid, there are a couple ways to go. You can go with a system that uses ordinary tap water (like from your kitchen faucet) or one that uses distilled water with an agent added in (such as a little baking soda.) Both systems work extremely well and cost just about the same to build and install. I’ll give you a couple links to get you started.

First is the one I’ve used, that works with plain tap water. I picked this because I didn’t want to be bothered with worrying about having distilled water on hand when I needed it. And I’m really glad I did. The results are amazing!

“RunYourCarFromWater.com” is a good resource where you can buy the complete easy to understand instruction manual for $49, http://www.RunYourCarFromWater.com.

They guarantee at least a 40% increase in mileage using their methods. But once more, I got better than double that on my old pickup truck.

Or you can go with one like “Water for Gas”, which uses distilled water in its fuel cell. The full instruction manual is $97 (and still a bargain) and available from http://www.Water4GasWeb.com.

Turning my vehicle into a hydrogen hybrid was the smartest thing I could have done. It runs cleaner and better than ever. Better still it only costs about half as much each month to run. Forget about 5 or 6 years to have a hybrid car payoff. The simple system I use paid for itself in less than a month!

I really hope that you also get the chance to experience how incredible it feels. Good luck!

Scott Jason has spent years as an alternate fuel researcher for domestic and industrial power and entered the automotive research area in 2006. He shares his experience as on iMakeMore.com.

Tap Water Doubles Your Car’s MPG with this $100 Hybrid Conversion! / Author: Scott Jason

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Should You Buy a Second Hand Car?

A lot of people say that buying a second-hand car means buying someone else’s troubles. This may have little truth in it. However, there are good second hand cars that can be considered as a best buy. In reality, there’s no simple answer to the question as to whether or not you should buy second hand cars. It all depends upon your own personal experience on the road and how well you know about cars.

If your budget can’t possibly buy you a new car, you can try checking out the display of second-hand car dealers. These cars can actually cost half as much the price of a regular car. Some dealers even do financing on the vehicles that they are selling. But just because the car is cheap, it doesn’t mean that it is the answer to your needs. Keep in mind that you’re always getting what you pay for. Cheaper car may mean older car or a troublesome car of some sort. You have to practice total discretion when choosing.

Whenever you can, try to check out the second-hand cars being sold by individuals and not by car dealers. This way, you can personally talk to the actual owner of the car about its condition. You may not always get a totally honest answer, but at least you know that you won’t end up buying a fully-battered vehicle. Look at the aesthetics of the car. Check its engine. You should have an eye for good cars and bad cars in order to get a best buy.

You should also test drive the car you wanted to buy. This is your chance to listen for odd sounds on the engine. You should also try all the controls of the car and see if they still work. Overall, you would be able to know whether the car is a well-maintained vehicle or not. A quick check at the mileage of the car would tell you whether the car is being used frequently.

Buying a second-hand car is much like buying a new car. You have to research the models you’d like to buy rather than just settling on what you see at the garage. Keep in mind that each car has its own features. It differs in the type of petrol it uses, transmission system, safety features, handling, and a host of other features. You have to consider all of these when buying second-hand cars too. As much as possible, make a checklist of the things you want in a car and bring it with you over the car dealer’s. Ask the owner about all of them and see how each car fairs. Get the one that meets your expectations.

If you want to buy a car for your teenager, a second-hand car is a good vehicle to start with. While your son or your daughter might not like the idea, a second-hand car is actually a good breeding ground for them as they learn the basics of driving and as they move their way on the major highways. But you have to be very careful when choosing a car for them. You don’t want to give them a car that is not safe to drive or always have to be sent for repairs. Choose wisely so that your teenager would like a second-hand car well enough.

When you want to buy Nissan cars in San Diego and car parts in San Diego or you need a reliableauto repair service in San Diego, visit us at PacificNissan.com!

Should You Buy a Second Hand Car? / Author: Jay Sanders

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Car Buying Checklist

Are you looking to buy a new car or second-hand car, perhaps? Either way, you are going to need to consider a lot of factors when buying cars. Keep in mind that getting a car is not like buying candy from the store. You have to choose very carefully because a car is such a big investment to make. It entails a big amount of money. And even if you choose to get financing for your car, the purchase is likely to stick with your for the next five years or so.

When buying cars, these are the points you may like to consider:

1. Reviews
As far as a newer car is concerned, you have to rely on professional reviews to give you a good picture of what it can do on the road and what it can do for you personally. Be careful not to rely on paid reviews though. These reviews pose as a type of advertising for the car and its manufacturer. It is best that you look for an impartial, straightforward review from unaffiliated car experts themselves. You would find some on the internet. These reviews may come in print too. Find new car magazines featuring the set of new cars you’d like to buy.

2. Features
Without putting up much of a debate, the best car to buy is always the feature-rich one. Make sure that the car’s safety and security features are the best in its class. However, you have to be careful of cars that would lock you out unreasonably. There are simply a lot of cases like this happening today. Know from the manufacturer itself their proposed workaround for situations like this. Some car manufacturers would ask you to provide some personal information and a serial number of some sort before they can unlock your car. You have to always be ready with this information at all times.

3. Price
Let’s face it. The price is the biggest determining factor when it comes to buying cars. Some people buy a model that they can’t afford. And so they end up having to surrender the car back to the bank because they simply can’t pay for it any longer. Don’t let this happen to you. Get a car that perfectly fits your budget, with or without financing. If you can pay for the car in cash, that’s going to be better. If you do, you are going to get more discounts and throw-ins. Consider your finances carefully when buying cars. Make sure that you don’t go overboard buying a flashy sports car that you’ll only have trouble paying for in the long run.

4. Use
When buying cars, always answer this all-important question: What’s the car going to be used for? There are many reasons why a person buys a car. Some use the car as their daily transportation to work. For this, a fuel-efficient car is your best bet. If you’re buying a car for the entire family’s use, get a roomy, comfortable sedan. This way, everybody has his own seat and experience a relaxed travel even on long journeys. Some people get an extra car for special occasions. For these lucky ones, a luxury car is a good suggestion. No need to get a limo because as doing so is not very practical. You can simply rent a limo if you want to use it.

When you want to buy a used car in San Diego , you need reliable car repair services in San Diego area or car leasing in San Diego, visit us at PacificNissan.com!

Car Buying Checklist / Author: Jay Sanders

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Getting Dirt Cheap Cars By Flipping Vehicles

In today’s economy, it is sometimes necessary to find different ways to make money outside of what your actual type of employment consists of. For many people, that side hustle has to do with buying dirt cheap cars, fixing them up, and then reselling them to people who need vehicles for a substantial profit. If you are at all mechanically sound or willing to learn and to you on the way to get some extra cash in your pocket to catch up on bills, save for a new baby, or move to a new place and flipping dirt cheap cars just may be the site hustle that you need to get started. All you need now are a few resources for finding these cars. Read on for more information on where you can find dirt cheap cars to fix up.

Newspaper Ads

Your local newspaper will have quite a few deals to be had for someone willing to get rid of a car. Not knowing what is wrong with it could be a red flag, but not for the vehicle mechanic. Simply buying cars like these for only a few hundred dollars will enable you to pay for the parts to fix whatever issue the vehicle has. If you start with vehicles that are similar, such as fleet vehicles, their parts are extremely cheap as their parts fit quite a lot of models and years. The idea is to get the vehicle as clean as possible as well. Once the mechanics have been completed, send the car to get detailed or pay the neighborhood kid to wash, wax and vacuum the vehicle. A clean car could be all the difference in a sale.

The Internet and Free Ads

With the explosion of the Internet, advertising has never been simpler or cheaper. Your reach now includes miles of territory where before you were somewhat limited to the newspaper in your town. As with all vehicles purchased “As-Is, Where Is,” you should sell them just the same. You have no idea how the next person will treat the vehicle you just reconditioned or any underlying problem that you didn’t detect in your initial inspection.

Make sure you have a sellers and buyers contract that stipulates that the vehicle sold is in AS-IS condition. If you are good with bodywork then you are also in the right market as these vehicles are all over the place. Body parts for these vehicles are somewhat inexpensive and the the vehicle might have minor damage that is easily repairable.

Places to find really cheap cars are police impound lots where auctions are usually held monthly. Also eBay, Craigslist and, believe it or not, new car lots. New car lots get trades that they know they will have a hard time getting rid of. Another great place for cheap cars is insurance companies as they will typically purchase a vehicle from a client when it will cost more to fix than to scrap.

Remember that successfully buying used cars hinges on several different factors, so see what you can do to improve your opportunities at cheap used cars

Getting Dirt Cheap Cars By Flipping Vehicles / Author: Terry Bolton

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Do Supercars Need Super Cleaning?

We have all done it…bought a car because it looked amazing in the showroom and thought it would look fantastic on our driveway.

We pictured how jealous our neighbours would be when we arrived home to show off our new wheels!

But the harsh reality is that after two weeks of posing the car has lost its entire original shiny look under the grime and dirt of everyday motoring.

Imagine then that you have spent a Kings ransom on a supercar, a car that mere mortals could only dream of and by the time you shown all of your friends, you (or your chauffeur) need to clean it.

So, what car cleaning products do you use to make the paintwork look like new again without causing the ubiquitous swirl marks and fading commonly associated with traditional car washing?
Because Supercars are special cars, special care must be taken to keep them clean. The trick is not to be scared of cleaning your supercar.

Paintwork: The first step is a routine washing to remove dust, road grime, and other contaminants. The second is a more thorough cleaning process to prepare your car’s paint for a protective coating (such as wax).

Supercars should always be washed by hand - never by an automated machine like you’d find at a petrol station. Taking the time to wash your paintwork correctly will pay off with fewer scratches and swirl marks in your paint. When washing, you’ll need a few simple items: a hose with an adjustable spray nozzle, a wash mitt, a bucket, and some soap. Sheepskin wash mitts are a good choice for cleaning your supercar, but don’t settle for synthetic sheepskin. Natural sheepskin lasts longer, holds more water, and is safer to use on your paint. Be sure that your wash mitt has been thoroughly cleaned since the last time you used it. Pine needles, rocks, sand, and other debris that may be tangled in your wash mitt will scratch your paint.

“The soap you choose when washing your car is important. Don’t use household dish soap or other abrasive cleaners. Use a specialty car cleaning product which is designed to remove dirt and road grime without damaging your paint” says Jonathan Copping of speciality car cleaning supplier Croftgate “Make sure your bucket is clean, put some soap in, and then squirt your hose in the bucket to create some suds.”

“If a shady location is available, it’s best to wash your car here. This will help slow the drying process and allow you to manually dry your car to eliminate water spots,” he continued.

“Before you start washing, be sure you give your car a light rinse with the spray nozzle. Use either a mist setting or a gentle shower setting, but don’t squirt your paint with a spray nozzle at full strength. This light rinsing will remove any loose dust and dirt, and will lessen your chances of scratching your paint with the wash mitt.”

“Get your mitt wet and soapy, and then wash your car, starting at the top. This will save time, as you won’t have to rinse running soap from areas that you’ve already cleaned, and it will help keep your water and wash mitt cleaner, since cars tend to be dirtier on bottom and near the wheels.”
“Don’t worry about cleaning the wheels quite yet. Wash all your painted surfaces first. Work on one small section at a time and then rinse with a gentle stream of water. Continue until all painted surfaces have been washed and rinsed.”

After you wash your car, you should dry it by hand to make sure that you don’t get dried water spots in your paint. If you like using towels, make sure that they are 100% cotton (including the stitching around the edges) to reduce the chance of swirl marks. The best and safest option for drying your paint however, is a chamois. If you are a chamois user, keep a few terry cloth towels handy to dry dirty areas like door jams, wheel arches, and other areas that might stain your chamois.

To use a chamois, simply wet it down, ring it out, and wipe it gently across your painted surfaces. It will act like a sponge and suck up water. Once it’s full of water, wring it out, and keep going until your paint is dry.

Wheels: Supercar wheels come in a variety of shapes and finishes. Some wheels are painted and clear coated, just like your car. These should be cleaned and treated just like rest of the paint on your car. Other wheel types include clear coated aluminium, anodised; chrome polished non-clear coated aluminium, and magnesium.

Wheels usually get dirty more quickly than other areas of your car due to brake dust. When choosing a cleaner, stay away from the “spray on, hose off” products available in traditional car care stores. They are far too harsh for use with the most expensive wheels.

For chrome wheels, use a non-abrasive chrome polish specially designed for that purpose. For non-chrome wheels, use a non-abrasive wheel cleaner. Use a sponge or wash mitt along with your cleaning product to remove all brake dust and grime. For wheels with intricate patterns, try using a boar’s hair brush to reach all the nooks and crannies that are hiding the dirt. Dry your wheels with a soft terry cloth towel when you’re done. Croftgate has recently seen a rare approval from Alcan Europe, one of the worlds leading alloy manufacturers for the safety of its alloy wheel cleaning product.

Tyres: There are almost as many varieties of tyre dressing available on the market as there are tyres. Which product you use depends greatly on how you want your tyres to look when they’re finished. You may like the “wet” look or you may want to restore your tyres’ original black look, but without excessive shine.

Regardless of which tyre dressing product you choose, you must be careful that you apply the dressing only to the outer edge of the tyre. If tyre dressing drips, runs, or is accidentally sprayed on the tread of the tyre, your tyres could become slippery and create a dangerous situation for the driver.

Glass: Keeping your windshield and windows clean is an essential element of Ferrari detailing. A number of cleaning products are available, but choose a product that has no dyes, perfumes, or any other chemicals that lead to hazing on your window surfaces. Make sure it is safe to use on window tinting film, and prevents fogging when used on the inside of your windows. Use lint-free towels, microfibre or newspaper when wiping off glass cleaning products to prevent streaking.
Once your windshield is clean, try using a window polish to make rain roll off your windshield as you drive. Apply a liberal amount with a circular, overlapping motion. Allow it to dry to a haze, and then polish clear by sprinkling a small amount of water on your windshield and then wiping with a clean towel.

Protective Coats: In order to keep your paint protected, it is essential to apply some sort of protective coating periodically, such as wax or polymer protectant finish. How often you apply the paint protection depends largely on which product you choose, how often you drive your car, and the weather conditions in your area. A general rule, however, is that your car’s paint should be protected at least every 6 months.

Before applying a protective coating, however, you must prepare your paint’s surface. Surface preparation starts with a good washing following the guidelines above, but further preparation will enhance the results of your protective coating. Surface preparation removes any old wax, thoroughly cleans your paint, and helps your protective coating adhere to your paint’s surface when you apply it in the next step.

If you choose to wax your supercar, make sure you use a very high grade Carnauba wax. Waxes can be applied by hand, or by machine. Machine application helps make sure your wax is applied evenly, but can damage your paint if the wrong type of machine is used. If you plan on using a machine, make sure it’s a random orbital buffer. If you plan on applying your wax by hand, then make sure you’ve got plenty of time and patience to do the job right.

Proper waxing entails applying the wax evenly, allowing time for the wax to create a haze over your paint’s surface, and then buffing the haze to a brilliant shiny finish. Use a high-quality sponge applicator to apply the wax, and use lint-free 100% cotton polishing cloths to remove it. Follow the instructions that come with your wax products to ensure the best results.

While waxing can provide good results and adequate protection for your supercars paint, there are a lot of problems with wax. Wax removal must be timed properly so that you don’t have a lot of trouble removing the haze left from the dried wax. Wax build-up is a consideration, especially since waxes will turn yellow over time. It requires a lot of work to get the wax out of emblems, from around lights, off of rubber, and other difficult locations on your car. And a coat of wax doesn’t last very long under normal driving conditions. In general, waxes are good protection, and we’ve been conditioned to love the way water beads up on a fresh coat of wax. A fresh wax job also has a nice sheen when sunlight hits it.

But wax technology hasn’t changed significantly over the years, while paint formulation technology has. For this reason, many supercar owners are switching to a polymer-based protectant finish as a substitute for wax. A polymer-based product can bond to a clean paint surface - waxes can’t. Applying a polymer-based product is more like adding clearcoat to your car. Build up isn’t a problem, since multiple layers of finish will actually protect your paint even better and make your finish more brilliant.

This can be applied by wiping a thin layer of the polish in a non-circular fashion over the entire painted surface of your car. For the first application, allow the polish to cure at least overnight. You could theoretically allow the polish to dry for months, and it would still wipe off easily with no adverse affects. As the polish cures, it turns into a white haze. After it is fully cured, it can be wiped off quickly and easily with a soft cotton polishing cloth. You should re-apply the polish every 6-8 months, and each application creates stronger protection for your car’s paint. Follow-up applications only require 15-20 minutes curing time.

Engines: Just because your engine bay isn’t in plain view doesn’t mean you should let it stay dirty. Grease, oil, dirt, dust, grime, and other contaminants can make a beautiful engine look dull and uncared for.

Before using any liquid cleaners in your engine bay, however, make sure that electrical contacts are covered. Spray a degreasing agent onto your engine and allow it to work for 5-10 minutes. For stubborn spots, use a detail brush to scrub away the dirt. Rinse away the degreasing agent and allow to air dry. Do not use any flammable dressings on hoses, wires, or any other surfaces in your engine bay, as they could cause a fire if exposed to high temperatures.

The only remaining part of your detailing project is the black trim that adorns your supercar. Most tyre dressings are also good choices to dress black rubber, plastic, and vinyl trim on your vehicle.

To try Croftgates supercar cleaning products, please go to their website www.croftgate.com or contact them directly on 0044 (0)1200 420 198

David Croftgate – Is an expert on Car cleaning products and Croftgate was recently awarded The Royal Warrant for supplying The Royal Family due to the quality of the products.

Do Supercars Need Super Cleaning? / Author: croftgateuk

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