Headed For Transmission Repair Read The Signs!

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Transmissions are complex machines buried deep in the chassis of our vehicles. Regular transmission service will help post-pone or eliminate some problems, but when a transmission begins to malfunction, there are specific signs that the average vehicle owner can recognize.

Know the three common signs of transmission problems:

*Fluid leaks under the car — If there is a persistent red leak under your vehicle, is it coming from the transmission or from the power steering system? It is difficult to determine, as most power steering systems also use transmission fluid. Thus, leaks can appear on the ground in roughly the same areas as transmission leaks. If the leak is fairly small, you may be able to postpone a transmission repair as long as the fluid level is checked regularly. However, when the fluid level falls below the minimum required level, a transmission repair is inevitable.
*Color and odor of fluid Check the fluid level when the vehicle is running and on level ground. The fluid should be red and transparent. If it is cloudy or muddy looking, or if it smells burnt, take your vehicle to a transmission repair technician. They may recommend a transmission service to drain and refill the fluid, as well as replace the filter. Some transmissions may require a computer program updating.
*Noises, vibrations and irregular shifting — Modern transmissions typically shift smoothly and quietly under light acceleration. Heavier acceleration should produce firmer shifts at higher speeds. If shifting points are erratic, if there are strange noises when shifting, or whining noises that come from underneath the car, are causes for concern.

Note: Look and Listen to your transmission. If problems are taken care of early, they can often be resolved without a costly major transmission repair.

** Did You Know? — With gas prices down to less than $2.00 a gallon around the country, a growing number of motorists have been flocking back to showrooms for pickups, SUVs and muscle cars. Yet, despite that sudden surge, the days of the classic V-8 and V-6 may be coming to an end. A new study suggests that less than half of the vehicles that will be sold around the world by 2017 will be powered by conventional gasoline engines. Alternative fuels (such as diesel, ethanol, and hydrogen), hybrid-electrified vehicles and more advanced internal combustion systems will make up the majority of the global mix, according to a new report from Navigant Research. Hybrids, plug-ins and pure battery-electric vehicles still account for less than 5% of the U.S. market, but demand is expected to grow exponentially. That said, a summary of the new Navigant report notes that, “gasoline is anticipated to remain the leading fuel in the coming years, albeit in unconventional vehicles that employ a range of fuel-efficiency technologies, such as smaller engines and turbo-charging.” A growing number of vehicle manufacturers will opt for either alternative fuels or advanced technologies designed to squeeze far more mileage out of every drop of gas.**

For expert advice on transmission repair, 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 our transmission service. Since 1975, our family-owned auto shop has proudly served vehicle owners in Madison, WI, and the surrounding communities.

Darrell Waltrip Automotive Supports 32nd Franklin Classic

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On Labor Day, September 6, 2010, Mercy Childrens Clinic in Franklin, TN held the 32nd annual Franklin Classic, with proceeds from the fundraiser benefiting their clinical services. Mercy Clinic is a “comprehensive pediatric healthcare facility that serves thousands of children from 32 counties”, according to Event Director Jessica Perry. The clinic has been operating in the Franklin Community since 1999 and, as a non-profit organization, relies on fundraising events, such as the Franklin Classic, to keep its facilities open.

Events at the Franklin Classic included a 5k run, a 10k run, a 4k family walk, and a 1k childrens run. The 5k race winner was Donald Bowman, with a total time of 17:28. Jacob Carrigan placed second with a time of 17:45, and David Scott came in a close third at 17:55. In the 10k race, Scott Wietecha finished first with a time of 32:12. Additionally, there were activities for children in the KidZone, and Scat Springs performed live at the Classic.

The Franklin Classic is Mercy Clinics “largest fundraising effort With an annual budget of nearly $3 million, 50% of which is raised through sponsors and donations, we’re hoping to raise $100,000 through this years event”, according to the Franklin Classic event guide. Official figures will not be out for a few weeks. The number of race runners and walkers totaled over 3,000 and Perry estimates there were additional 3,000-5,000 spectators at the event Monday morning.

Darrell Waltrip Automotive helped the clinic by donating $20 per test drive during the two registration days of September 3rd and 4th. The test drives took race participants and volunteers around a short route, and were met with much enthusiasm.

Darrell Waltrip Automotive donated over $2,000 to Mercy Clinic from the two days of test drives. In total, Darrell Waltrip Automotive donated $12,000 to benefit Mercy Clinic through sponsorships and other miscellaneous donations, including a $500 cash prize to the school that put together the largest team for the Franklin Classic. See Franklin Classic for more information and photos on the fundraising event.

Musings On Automotive Transmission Maintenance And Repair In Tampa

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Automotive transmission is one of the most expensive of the various car repair procedures a vehicle will be needing in its service life. Any auto service mechanic can tell you this. Its cost is not even close to what you may have spent on your auto AC repair. If you think that engine repair and brakes repair are so much more expensive than auto AC repair, just wait till you learn how much you will have to shell out for automotive transmission repair.

Early and frequent automotive transmission repair is something that any vehicle owner will want to avoid. This can be done by complying with all the required automotive transmission maintenance procedures. You can ask for assistance on proper compliance with all these automotive transmission maintenance procedures and tune ups from a trusted professional auto service shop. Doing this, however, does not mean that you can totally avoid car repair henceforth. The need for repair will still occur, but not as often. The auto service shop and its mechanic you choose should, therefore, be capable of helping you not only through automotive transmission maintenance and diagnostics but also for any necessary repair in Tampa.

A vehicle owner should also learn how to make transmission diagnostic tests regularly. One such test is the visual inspection for leaks. The ground or garage floor beneath the vehicle should always be checked for the presence of puddles or wet spots. Colored liquid can be a sign of danger. Dark or reddish liquid could mean dangerous leakage of the automotive transmission fluid. This could lead to failure of the transmission system and should immediately prompt the vehicle owner to bring the vehicle to the auto service shop in Tampa.

The vehicle owner should also check on the state of the transmission fluid. This is done with the use of the vehicles dipstick. The dipstick should first be wiped clean on a cloth rag, though. It is then dipped into the transmission fluid. The transmission fluid that adheres to the dipstick should then be allowed to drip on clean white paper. The ideal result is clear red fluid free of sediments. A dark color or the presence of metal fillings or flakes as well as a burnt smell means the fluid has oxidized. This means the transmission system should be checked at an auto service shop in Tampa.

Using the wrong type of transmission fluid is another cause for damage of the transmission system. Automatic and manual transmission systems each have their own special automotive transmission fluids that can not be used interchangeably. When doing transmission fluid change for the vehicle, the vehicle owner should make sure that the proper automotive transmission fluid is being used. This will be taken care of by a reputable auto service shop in Tampa.

The responsibility of the vehicle owner extends to observing the vehicles performance while driving. If the transmission gears lag in response and exhibit any noises, vibrations and jerks, the transmission system may already be worn down. It is time to have the vehicle checked at an auto service shop in Tampa.

The vehicle owner should always drive the vehicle properly in order to care for the automotive transmission system. Overheating should always be avoided because it results in burnt transmission fluid that creates oxidation deposits blocking the transmission system, warped metal parts, hardened rubber gaskets and seals, and leakage of transmission fluid. In effect, overheating threatens the entire transmission system. Overloading the vehicle and stop and go driving in hot Tampa weather should be avoided because they cause overheating.

A vehicle owner should always be aware of proper automotive transmission maintenance to lessen the need for towing services from tow trucks and car repair in Tampa.

Automotive V.i.n. Numbers What Do They Mean

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V.I.N. V.I.N.s. You will hear this term tossed around frequently by car sales people, auto insurance people among others in the automotive trade. What does the term “VIN” mean and how it is important to you?

The term V.I.N. is short form of “Vehicle Identification Number”. It’s a unique number that is assigned to your vehicle – be it car, truck, S.U.V., van truck, motorcycle or any other vehicle. Think of the VIN as the Social Insurance Number for your automotive vehicle.

In order to register a vehicle, especially a new vehicle, you will need its V.I.N. In order to insure your vehicle ditto. If your car is stolen it may well be tracked down and identified by this unique listing – it’s V.I.N. If you are in the market for a vehicle and do a vehicle history search – say at Carfax or a similar online service and the lookup will all be done by V.I.N. How else could the system work if each vehicle did not have its own unique identifying number? Through such automated systems you can quickly and accurately determine vehicle history since new – a list of owners , any accident reports , has the car been involved in a major accident , been written off , been in a flood , have liens or charges against it , as well as many additional concerns for auto buyers ,financers , and dealers.

How can you determine the V.I.N. of your vehicle? That is easy if have ready access to your registration and insurance documentation. If not, or if you want to confirm the VIN number assignment you can simply find out your vehicles stamp. Simply look through the windshield on the driver’s side of the auto at the corner of the dash. It should be clearly stamped on a plate attached to the dash. As well that same designation should be clearly listed on your bill of sale. If the 2 numbers do not match – this could be a sign of future trouble if you are ever involved in a collision and have to deal with auto insurance claims and payment to yourself or your auto body shop.

A short course in how to read a VIN to be of use to you – should you be in the car buying mode, need registration information or want to import a car into Canada. Where an auto is manufactured often determines import duties and taxes.

Reading a V.I.N. First things first look at the first number on the left hand side. This first character designates where the vehicle was built – 1 is the US, 2 is Canada, 3 is Mexico, J for Japan, K for Korea for example.

Next the second character in line designates the manufacturer or who built the car. The letter “G: stands for General Motor or G.M. products. Next is the third character – in this example if the number 2 is the third character – this would indicate the Pontiac division of GM. Characters 4 and 5 indicate the car line series, eight represents the body style for example 2 door coupe, 4 door sedan, hatchback. The seventh character indicates the type of safety restraint system that was installed at the factory. Eight character stands for the engine code – each type of engine has its own stamp. Between the eighth and the last sequence of letters is a check digit – a spacer to prevent confusion. The last sequence of digits is the grouping that singly identifies the vehicle and makes it wholly unique.

Why all this effort in creating this system and nomenclature of listing and describing each car individually. How else could the automotive trades work if they could not id each and every vehicle separately , track it , keep detailed records and lastly allow you as a car , truck , SUV , Van or motorcycle driver to research the past history of your new found vehicle.

Which Motorcycle Brand Is The Best

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When it comes to the leading motorcycle brands on the market, the list appears endless. However, when you take a closer look, the motorcycle brands that stand heads and shoulders above the competition are motorcycle brands like Harley Davidson, Yamaha, Honda and Ducati. These four motorcycle brands are just a few in a fast growing field of motorcycle machinery and technologically advanced motorcycles around. Harley Davidson continues to build performance-wise motorbikes with 117 horsepower engine.

Harley Davidson’s VRSCAW V-ROD reaches an impressive 0-100 KM/H in approximately 3.5 seconds. While the Ducati 900 is considered a classic raw power packed with Italian innovation and design. The technology behind the making of this classic machine has blow the competition away with a 2-cylinder and 78 horsepower engine. Ducati is the one to go for when you want the ultimate motorbike experience.

For a quality and reliable motorcycle, the BMW motorcycle is second to none in its category. BMW motorbike insurance is always necessary when handling a bike of this kind. Especially, when you are taking on the power of the BMW motorbike machinery. Fast and powerful definitely describes this motorcycle. For a chic look, tried and tested reliability, the BMW motorbike will not let you down. As one of Asia’s leading manufacturers of motorbikes, the Yamaha motorbike is ingenuity and motorcycle advancement combined. Yamaha motorbike insurance is definitely required for a machine packed with so much more than your standard motorcycle.

Get an online insurance quote for your motorcycle insurance to ensure that you get the best quote available. Honda motorcycle insurance scheme provide you with everything you need. Some motorcycle insurance schemes even offer helmet and leather cover. Once you have confirmed your Honda motorbike insurance for your Honda motorbike you are ready to take to the open roads with the wind in your hair. The power of the Honda technology has span decades. The track record for this esteemed motorcycle manufacturer has legions of customer loyalty behind it. It is definitely a name in the world of motorbikes that you can trust and enjoy to the maximum.