Maintain Your Car Body - Rust Free and Strong

The body of your car is made up of plastic, steel and fiberglass sometimes. There are some advantages and disadvantages of each material and it is compulsory to care for all kind of body parts. Plastic is flexible, durable, and can be molded into complex shapes unlike steel. Steel is cheap and strong, but can rust when unprotected. Rust is the most common problem in all kind of automobiles body because the rust can work from inside of the body of the car and it's too late to show up once. Mostly rust proofing is applied while building the car and the new cars are built with very good rust proofing but the olds cars can rust easily. You can use the new full body kit for preventing the rust for your car.

Make sure you have a reputable shop do the repair work and insist on original equipment parts. The original parts are very important for the automobiles because the duplicate and cheap parts can be failed anytime and can harm other parts. Cheap import parts can put you and your family at risk. The car requires a good paint and coat of wax. The wax should have UV protection just like the sunscreen you use at the beach. The sun's UV rays are your paints worst enemy. You should park your car in the shade whenever possible.

There is some prevention which can help you to protect your car and it will shine for a very long time. Rust proofing is an option but if the rust has already started just covering it will not stop it and the existing rust should be removed first. The first one is for protecting the paint of your car. You can wax your car and this will keep the car paint protected but the other sides of body cannot be protected through wax. The inside is often neglected on older cars. One should wash the underside of the car while washing the car and it is essential during winter for washing out the salt used to melt the ice on the roads.

One should make sure that all drain holes around the hood and trunk are clear. Because of these holes the water can exit and the trunk and the hood will remain safe of the rust. Also check your weather stripping around all openings for rips and tears. Water will sneak in where you least expect it and eventually rust away your car.

You should use the exterior body parts for the total prevention of rust because the new parts are specially designed for keeping the car rust free and safe. These car body kits can be purchased as full kits or separately. These parts are strong and can improve the beauty of the car such as carbon fiber hood, carbon fiber trunk, fiberglass hood, fiberglass trunk etc.

The History of Windshield Safety Glass

Car windshield glass has transformed dramatically over the years for increased safety. What was once primarily a shield from wind and debris is now in a much broader sense an integral part of the overall safety of the vehicle, making repair and replacement such as important component of your vehicle.

The very first windshields were made of ordinary window glass. Henry Ford was the key ingredient in making car windshields safer. After a lawsuit in 1917, changes were made that would begin the transformation to a safer windshield. At first, the ordinary window glass was just toughened - this still allowed the windshield to be easily shattered from flying debris or an accident, however the glass did not shatter into small sharp fragments that could cause serious injury- instead it would break into larger but less harmful pieces.

By 1919 Ford started implementing the French technology of glass laminating, which was a major advancement. Basically, 2 layers of laminated glass were then separated by a cellulose inner layer which would hold the glass together when it breaks. Within 10 years, all Ford vehicles had windshields of laminated glass. This was a major breakthrough as it was able to prevent many injuries as there were no longer sharp glass fragments that would shatter throughout the vehicle upon impact. Instead the shattered glass remains as one piece preventing many injuries.

As technology has developed further, other advancements have occurred to ensure safety of auto glass. Installation is one key area, this is now performed by trained auto glass installers. It is very important when car windshield replacement is needed to be sure it is performed by quality auto glass installers. When it comes time for windshield replacements, they need to be installed & bonded properly to the rest of the car not only for leak prevention but for maximum protection in serious accidents, such as roll-overs. If the glass has not been properly installed, the seal can easily be broken and very serious injuries can result in such an accident.

Newer technology now allows much more repair of auto glass without always needing full windshield replacements. Some damage such as stars, cracks and full bulls-eyes can often be repaired by qualified auto glass technicians. By using newer technology, a clear adhesive resin can be used to fill the cracks and then sealed with an ultraviolet light that will restore the strength of the windshield. It is very important to have these milder damages tended to by a qualified and experienced auto glass repair specialist as further damage can easily occur by dramatic changes in temperature, sudden hard roads and further debris. If the cracks are not tended to in a timely manner, chances are high that you will need a full car windshield replacement.

Case Study: Automotive Repair Industry Process Improvement

When customers think of automotive control modules, what comes to mind are engine control modules, transmission control modules, and body control modules. Some people are genuinely surprised to find there can be as many as 80-120 different control modules functioning in their vehicle, controlling everything from power windows to drive train components. As everyone in the industry knows, as fuel economy, emissions and safety become more important to shoppers; control modules will become even more important to a smooth operating automobile.

At the same time, the ability of repair shops to diagnose and repair control module problems is being challenged. Many shops do not have the proper scan tools needed to see deeply enough into the vehicle's control module network to determine what is really happening there. In these cases, the shop is forced to diagnose the vehicle with circumstantial information instead of with the actual observation of vehicle network data. This is equivalent to looking at a "boot print" of the problem instead of actually seeing the boot. This drives questions such as:

繚 How do I know that the module is really bad?

繚 If I replace the module, will the vehicle start working properly?

繚 What can cause the module to go bad?

This is both a challenge and an opportunity for repair shops and the replacement parts industry. Two aspects of customer satisfaction affect every business: satisfaction with the product and satisfaction with the service surrounding it. This is the premise underlying the processes we sat up for Automotive Electronic Solutions (AES) to use in its business of repairing and remanufacturing automotive control modules.

In the case of control modules, the "service surrounding the product" challenge is to understand that the shop first needs a quality diagnosis, before the subject of quality replacement parts can take place. For AES, this is a matter of determining what level of service best fits the customer's problem. Specifically, AES will ask about trouble codes and symptoms to determine the best solution for the customer. If the trouble codes and symptoms do not clarify the level of service needed, the customer can ship the module to us for internal component evaluation. This evaluation will determine what, if anything, is wrong with the module, as well as determining whether it can be fixed. This is a low cost, overnight service. From there AES can return the module to them with diagnostic notes, repair their original module, or remanufacture a replacement module for them. This reduces a repair shop's risk in servicing their customer and allows them to control the cost of the service.

From a product standpoint, when a remanufactured module is needed, AES works with recyclers around the country to obtain core modules to work with. These are then remanufactured. The recyclers are an integral player in this process because they know the history of the source vehicle, which avoids potential problems resulting from incorrect part numbers and security configuration. To leverage recycler domain knowledge and help recyclers become a quality supply chain player, AES developed Core Module Configuration and Quality Inspection criteria. As a result, both the recycler and AES operate with fewer mistakes. Recyclers benefit from the ability to sell control modules in a low risk venue.

When AES delivers a repaired or replacement part to the customer, service quality is in play again. Along with the part, the customer receives instructions as to what other parts might need to be replaced in order to protect the repaired or replacement module, and installation requirements to protect their investment in the part. This includes what on-board programming may be needed after installation. Getting out in front of potential problems is the best way to reduce or eliminate customer dissatisfaction issues.

ASE also hired ASE Certified Master Techs to help customers with the details of module replacement and diagnosis. The end result is that when a customer service issue arises, AES has the internal domain knowledge to deal with it. This is another aspect of the service surrounding the product.

Lastly, AES defined what they don't do. This allows AES to work within the limits of proven service abilities. It also helped to define what R&D was needed to expand the scope of their service.

The main intellectual take away for AES is this. Whether you are a recycler, repair facility, or a remanufacturer of automotive control modules, you operate in a process based industry. To become truly customer focused, your customer must be a part of the process. From a sales perspective, customers want to know that you care about their success as much as you do your own. This is true whether the customer is an end user, shop or warehouse distributor.

Facing Your Fears as an Adult Returning to School

In case you hadn't noticed, career colleges aren't just for learning a vocational trade anymore. Nowadays, career colleges can help you obtain a Bachelor's, Master's, or even Doctorate Degree in just about any field of study, or they can even help you simply brush up on skills you might already have on your way to earning a certification or Associate's Degree. So while some career schools might still specialize in vocational trades like auto body repair, masonry or hair styling, the majority of today's career colleges are designed to help working professionals meet their career objectives.

Prompted by an inviting and growing selection of career and online colleges, more adults are returning to school than ever before. Whether you're seeking to advance your current career and education, break into a whole new field, or just enjoy studying something you've always wanted to, going back to school can be enjoyable and rewarding.

And yet, many potential students who could clearly benefit from enrollment at a career college are hesitant to do so. The reason? In too many cases, they are being held back by nothing other than their own fear.

The First Step is Admitting It

Let's begin by getting everything out on the table. Some reservations commonly heard from working adults who are considering a return to college include the concerns that:

They won't fit in

It's too expensive

There isn't enough time in the day

It will take forever to complete a degree

Employers won't view the degree (or certification) as credible

The coursework won't be valuable or useful

In reality, just about any student who has attended a career college--whether online or on-campus--will tell you that there really isn't anything to fear in a return to school. While they may have once had the same fears as you do now, they learned very quickly that those fears were actually unwarranted.

By taking each fear one by one, we can begin to understand what these current students now know and how glad they are that they didn't let their fears hold them back.

I'm Afraid I Won't Fit In

It is common for a person in their thirties or forties to worry that they'll stick out like a sore thumb in a classroom filled with "kids" from the ages of 18 to 25. However, recent information from the Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Education states that adult students are the fastest growing educational demographic, revealing that 40% of college students are now 25 or older. Further information from the National Center for Education Statistics points out that students age 35 and older rose from 823,00 in 1970 to nearly 3 million by 2001.

If you're still worried about fitting in to the classroom as an adult, a few facts that might help allay your concerns include:

With online learning, you'll be working on a more individual basis and won't have to worry about 'standing out' in a physical classroom;
Many colleges, traditional or otherwise, have seen a spike in their 'older' students, and it's likely you won't be the tiny minority that you expect; and
Many older adults actually find it rejuvenating and refreshing to be in a classroom environment with a younger group that is eager to learn.

I'm Afraid It Will Be Too Expensive

Tuition...books...it all adds up. And many potential students get scared off by the investment it requires to earn their degree. But the key to overcoming this fear is to consider it as just that: an investment in your future. Think long term instead of short term. In almost every case, the career advancement you will get after earning your degree will easily make up for the upfront costs of attending school. Besides, many career colleges--especially those online--may be more affordable than you realize. Do your homework and weigh the long-term benefits before deciding not to enroll in a school for this reason.

I'm Afraid It Will Take Up Too Much Time

For the busy working adult, the notion of taking on any additional endeavors can be downright stifling. It's not always easy balancing work with personal life, and adding school on top of all your other responsibilities might seem virtually impossible.

And yet, it's not. You'd be amazed at how much extra time you can squeeze into a day. Sure, there will be some sacrifices you'll have to make, but if you just try watching a little less television, say, or letting your friends know that you won't be able to make that barbecue next weekend, you'll be amazed at how much time you can free up. Just remember to keep your eye on the prize, and your sacrifices will all seem worthwhile.

One good option for students who might have a hard time committing to a schedule is to enroll in online courses that are "asynchronous." The asynchronous learning model works a bit like email in that you can access the coursework, instructor's lessons and classmates comments at your convenience, then respond whenever you are able. There are no set classes for you to attend, no specific schedules that might conflict with the rest of your day, and, because you'll be taking classes online, no commute time for you to worry about.

I'm Afraid It Will Take Forever To Complete My Degree

Traditionally, a Bachelor's Degree takes up to four years to complete, a Master's Degree requires at least two years, and a Doctorate Degree can take up to eight years or more. That's all fine and good for someone who can dedicate themselves to being a full time student, but for those who can only commit to part-time status, those timelines might appear too far off the horizon.

But the facts of the matter are that most degree programs at today's career colleges are based on accelerated learning, meaning that most degrees take less time to complete than traditional learning environments. Coursework is based on shorter semesters--typically five weeks--and delivering a quality education as rapidly as possible without sacrificing the student's ability to learn and absorb the material. In some cases you can even earn your degree is less than a year!

I'm Afraid That Employers Won't Take My Degree Seriously

Because their degree won't be coming from some top-name university like Harvard or Yale, some would-be students decide that it's not worth getting a degree from a school that employer's won't view as credible.

In reality, however, most employers today do view degrees from career colleges as not only credible, but oftentimes on par with their more traditional counterparts. It wasn't that long ago that many HR professional may have viewed career colleges--particularly online career colleges--as carrying less weight than traditional colleges, but as the online education space evolves and faculty members and curriculums at online schools catches up with those at traditional schools, more and more HR executives are realizing the validity of degrees earned online or through career colleges. In fact, to some, an online degree represents a certain career ambition, technological prowess and commitment to seeing something through to the end on behalf of the applicant.

I'm Afraid I Won't Learn Anything New Or Valuable

Many potential students are fearful of the fact that their trouble to go out and earn their degree might be all for naught--that the classes won't teach them anything they hadn't learned already in their professional experiences.

As anyone who has ever taken so much as a single class at a career college or online school will tell you, however, this perception couldn't be further from the truth. Classes at any accredited university are taught by qualified experts with lots of experience in their chosen field, while you will also be surrounded by classmates who bring their own, unique experiences to share. Whether the "classroom" is physical or virtual, you will learn more than you ever imagined from those around you.

Another point to consider is that most career colleges are centered around a team learning approach, in which students learn not only from their instructors, but from other students as well. With this approach, you'll engage in dialogues with other students who have much to share from their own work experiences, and you'll gain valuable lessons that you can take back and immediately apply to your own work.

Why Make The Move?

In today's modern learning environment, with numerous career and online schools focused entirely on their educational needs, adults have nothing to fear in a return to school - and so much to gain. Here are some of the main reasons more adults than ever are going back to school:

Career advancement or transition. If you're not currently working at the job of your dreams, nothing can change that faster than a more advanced degree and additional expertise.

To complete a degree from years ago. Plenty of first-time college students leave before they earn a degree, and a return to college is a supremely satisfying way to take care of that unfinished business.

To set an example for their children. What better way to encourage your growing children to pursue a college education than getting one of your own?

To fully prepare for running their own business. Whether you're interested in opening a B&B or your own accounting firm, the perfect college program is available online or on-campus.

Returning to school is a big step, but it shouldn't be an overwhelming one. For those who plan the move properly and take aim on getting all they can out of life, it can be the best decision they ever make.

Why Should You Keep Auto Body Repair Tools in Your Car?

Maintaining basic car repair tools in your car can be of great advantage. The auto body repair tools can really come in handy in a situation where you do not have access to a mechanic who would fix your car. Having the repair tools can not only save some precious time which would have wasted behind calling a mechanic but also money that would have been charged by the same person.

At times the problem with your car can be very minor, but the mechanic may charge you high, simply because it is an emergency situation. But if you have auto body repair tools in your car and if you know how to use them, it can save you from falling into such a situation.

In order to keep your car out of trouble, it requires good maintenance and care and it would certainly ensure less necessity of summoning mechanics and also use of auto body repair tools. Apart from some cases where the car needs to be taken to the auto shop for oil replacement and other common maintenance verification, it can be handled by the owner itself with the help of the auto body repair tools.

There are few cases where the amateurs should never attempt to repair things on their own, for instance you should never try to replace a conked out clutch all by yourself rather you should make a safer attempt to organize fuel filters or repair the spark plugs.

Kind of auto body repair tools and the related problems you can fix with them

In most of the cases of car repairing, you require basic knowledge on the different parts of a car and their functionality. No one prefers to call the mechanic for every other problem that a car faces as it consumes more money as well as time and is certainly avoidable in most of the situation, only leaving a few.

Some of the used auto body repair tools are air compressors, dent pullers, jack, tire tools and engine hoists. These tools vary in length, shape and weight in case of different car models and their manufacturing companies. A quality auto body repair tool kit includes wrenches and sockets with which the bolts and the nuts can be detached but always keep it mind that you need to know about the thing you are doing and do not take the risk of attempting a repair without knowledge. In such a case, it would be safe to call a specialist who usually deals in such matters and would perform the repairing more smoothly and effectively.

As mentioned earlier, there are different tools used for different types of repairs. The fault codes and the faults in an engine are identified with the help of an electronic device known as the scan tool. The dings and the surface dents are fixed with the help of a dent puller. Tools like spray guns, air brush kit, touch up and paint pen helps to deal with the body paint problem. Equipments like tire mount, curved spoon, bead breaker and tire changer deals with most of the tire related issues. Tools like metal wash cleaner, rust converter and rubberized undercoating helps to remove the oxidation from the body parts of the car. It always helps to keep most of these simple auto body repair tools in your car for emergency situations.

Return Your Lease in Great Condition

If you are among the many people today who lease their vehicle then you know that eventually there comes a time you must return it. If you let someone "borrow" something you would expect to get it back in the same or almost same condition you gave it them. If not then you would expect they pay to fix it or replace it especially if it was an expensive item. Well, the car companies work the same way. They want the vehicle you leased to come back in great condition as well, otherwise you will get charged for it. So, make sure you return your lease in great condition.

One of the very first steps you can take is getting the vehicle professionally detailed. They will clean your car from the inside out and get it to show room condition. Since they are professionals they can get the job to better and more efficiently than a normal person. They can also try to get any soiled areas or excessive smells out of the car since the dealer will charge you for those type of damages if they are excessive. It is better to be on the safe side.

Also, if your leased vehicle has any dents or dings in them you may want to get that repaired before returning your lease. Any dents or dings that are more than 2" in diameter are considered to be excessive and you will be charged a fee. Usually the dealer will charge a high amount for the repair. However you can get paintless dent removal for those dents and dings before you return your lease. Most auto body shops offer this service and it is quick and affordable. Also the original finish is not affected either. They use a process that involves reflective tools, rods and other tools to gently massage the dent out from the inside. There is no use of fillers or paint which is why the cost is lower since there are no materials needed.

Also you may need to consider getting your wheel rims repaired if they have excessive damage as well. If they are scratched a little you should be ok, however if they are bent, broken, cracked or mismatched you will be charged from the dealer.

Don't forget about the interior. If you have damage to the interior of the vehicle you can also be charged. Damage is considered excessive if a rip or tear is more than 1/2" in diameter. You can also get interior repairs completed at an auto body shop.

There are many other things that are considered when returning your lease. If you are unsure if you damage is excessive or know that your lease needs some repairs you should consider getting a lease return inspection from an auto body shop. That way they can assess the damages and get you on the right track to getting the repaired quickly and affordably. Make sure that you return you lease in good condition to avoid excessive charges from the dealer.

Issues With Plastic Headlight Lenses and How to Clean Them With a Headlight Cleaner

In the past, automakers designed headlight lenses made from glass so they were limited in the size and shape they could produce. Since then, auto manufacturers began designing cars with plastic or polycarbonate headlight lenses. This modification mainly occurred due to the change in the design of cars---cars became lighter and more aerodynamic, plus plastic was by far less expensive to produce than glass. Today this plastic material is the chosen choice because it is very light and can be transformed into unlimited sizes and shapes to satisfy new car designs.

Polycarbonate has its advantages but also has its disadvantages---namely oxidation / discoloration. To the naked eye one cannot tell that these plastic lenses are actually a porous material that expands ever so slightly when it gets hot. Degradation of the lens occurs over time. Having your headlights on or being exposed to the heat of the day causes the pores to open allowing debris from the road to get in. Debris, together with a combination of environmental factors such as the sun (UV rays), smog, acid rain, car exhaust, and harsh chemicals used to wash you car can cause the plastic headlight lenses to become oxidized.

Plastic oxidation leads to lens discoloration, which transforms new, clear, bright, shiny plastic to a dull yellow tint that appears to be foggy, hazy, or cloudy. This process (oxidation), as described above, not only becomes an eyesore but also is unsafe. Because of the degradation of the plastic lens, less light passed through resulting in diminished visibility during night driving. The car owner either had to deal with these cloudy yellow, oxidized headlight lenses posing serious safety issues or purchase expensive replacement headlights costing hundreds or thousands of dollars.

We feel it is necessary to inform the public so that they may know and learn how to restore, clean, polish, and clear those cloudy, yellow plastic headlight lenses on their own without putting more money into the car manufacturer's pocket. One can restore headlights to like-new condition by taking off the top layer of oxidized plastic. This can be achieved through polishing, wet sanding, or through the use of chemicals. Auto manufacturers would rather you go to them for a headlight repair (charging as much as $150) or headlight replacement ($100-$1,000). The top layer of plastic on the headlights contains a UV polymer that retards or slows down the aging of the plastic lens. Therefore, it is important to use a polish (containing UV polymers) or UV coating to slow down the oxidation or discoloration of the lens. Parking your car in the shade or garage, or maintaining the lens by washing, waxing, and polishing a minimum of every three months, could avoid damage to the headlight lens.

There are many companies that specialize in headlight restoration and one can easily find one by simply putting in a keyword phrase such as "cloudy foggy headlights" into any of the popular search engines like google, yahoo, or msn. There are two types of headlight cleaners / headlight restoration kits:

1. Basic Headlight Restoration Kit (for light discoloration)
2. Advanced Headlight Restoration Kit (for more severe discoloration)

Most headlight restoration kits work extremely well. Choosing a kit depends on the severity of your vehicle's lenses. Most kits available online are very easy to use and do not require the use of special tools or training. Beware of kits that offer backing plates and drill attachments. While they may save time, they may cause irreversible damage due to various drill speeds causing burning or swirls in the plastic lens. First-time users should avoid these kits because it takes skill and practice to control the drill from making these mistakes and possibly slipping off and ruining a perfectly fine paint job.

In some kits like an Advanced Headlight Restoration Kit, they may even supply a small roll of blue painters tape to mask your headlight to protect your paint job during the restoration process. Along with both kits, one should receive a step-by-step brochure outlining how to clean headlights appropriately to obtain bright, shiny headlamps while restoring optical clarity to your lenses. Both kits should carry a satisfaction guarantee. It is also a great resource if the company has tech support for anyone that has questions while reconditioning their headlamps so trained technicians can walk you through the quick and easy process of headlight restoration.