I really couldn’t find a certain part for my toyota, absolutely -no one- seemed to have it around on the search engines, but I managed to stumble on this headlight store, usautolighting.com by sheer accident, soo glad I did! Although I admit I am not much of an online shopper, the checkout process was straight forward and I had no problems with it. I chose the google checkout process, though it seemed to be a newer payment method, but it really was one that seemed trust worth considering google.com that I used to get here! There was an email with a tracking number and link to the account tool to keep track of it. My order arrived only days after. Amazing!

+ Livechat with friendly lady, X X

+ Quick checkout and delivery, X X

A solid A!

Julian.

Hope others find my experience helpful when searching for auto parts.

I hope you can leave behind your comments and your feelings about this us autolighting if possible!

EDIT: A few emails from other people that wished to put their word in follow below.

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How to Buy Your First Car: a Couple Things You Need to Know

Have you passed your driving exam?  Congratulations with your driving license coming soon!  You were thinking about your first car for a long time. Now it’s time to make the final choice.

To summarize technical parameters you need to know before buying your first car (if you have no clue what to start from), there is the list we would suggest you to review for making decision besides the price:  engine size, production (year), luggage capacity, engine power and fuel consumption.

Steps to buy your first car:
1) Define which car and model you would like to buy. Take all necessary info from auto-, motocatalogue or on-line marketplaces.  Start rather from the look and price not from technical parameters.

2) Choose whether you like European, American, Japanese or Korean cars. (Prices, maintenance costs and overall reputation should be taken into account, for example there are plenty of new great Chinese cars for nice low prices which never passed crash tests successfully as well as nobody knows where is the service station).

3) Choose the type of fuel you are interested in. (Gas costs more for fuel but less for maintenance).

4) Choose between restyled car and standard model . (Think over why it was restyled, and sometimes standard model is better).

4)  Try to find out where is the car from (if non-American), why it was sold, how much is the mileage.

5) Check the look (external interior).

6) When buying used car ask the dealer to open the bonnet and check if there is any signs of any drops as well as the state of electric wires (what to look for: signs of rust and leaks).  Then ask to start up the ignition and if the sound is soft, that means that it’s 90% everything is ok with your car.  Check if every button is working at dashboard, if there is any strange sound when driving.

A couple of hints for choosing 1st car:

Let’s imagine that you have a three hatchback options to choose from: Chevy Aveo 3D, and Ford Focus and Honda Civic 5D.  All of them found in a local dealership but you still have some doubts on what to choose. (Please note, I am not here to sold any of that models, this is just an example what should I do to choose between them).

The biggest engine size belongs to Honda Civic as well (1799 cc), the smallest goes to Chevy (1498 cc).  The engine power parameters are as following:  140 php for Honda, 100 php for Ford Focus and 86 php for Chevy. So the most powerful option would be Honda Civic 5D.

Why thinking of the power? Because this is the main factor for the Top speed available for this car.

A couple of useful hints for buying used cars:

Never say dealer that you like the car, never praise the car ahead, better show him the minuses you noticed,  try to show dealer that you can change your mind any time. Feel free to ask for lower prices based on the defects found. Also follow your intuition – if you have not pointed that car from the first glance – don’t choose it under pressure.

When choosing first car, check the body condition, the engine and the hanger condition. If there is rust – the easiest way to find it is to check the boot floor. If dealer does not allow you to check the body floor, this should make you worrisome. Be attentive (because some polishes can hide rust).

The second important thing is to avoid buying cars damaged in accident. That can result for your car being infirm thus requiring new wheels more often.

To avoid it you should check the car body for irregularities and gapping spacers on the doors and windows. Also you can check it by sampling the diagonals (those ones should be equal). Ideally when buying the used car you would probably better choose car with the original (factory) painting. In this case it is easily for you to see all the defects on the surface of the body.

To find out more, please join us at First Car Buying Assistance at Pikaba.com. If looking for further information concerning Car Parts, visit our category Car Parts OnLine.

Find First Car at Pikaba! Buy and sell cars or car parts on-line, post your request for free and have the best quotes from local dealers.

Stay Safe on Your Motorcycle This Winter

Motorbike riding can be hazardous even for the most levelheaded and conservative of riders, as demonstrated by Department for Transportation statistics showing that there were 21,550 reported motorbike casualties in 2008, of which 6,049 resulted in death or serious injury, and the risk noticeably increases as weather and road conditions get worse. Some motorcycle riders will retire their motorcycles during the winter season but for many people, in particular those who commute on their bikes, that isn’t an option. Nevertheless, by exercising added care and using good sense, it is possible to minimise the risk.

Accomplished riders are familiar enough with their motorcycle to know how it handles, and how to ride safely. But as riding in winter time is completely unlike from riding in summer time, and for less experienced motorcyclists who haven’t yet ridden during the winter months, it is worth reminding yourself of the safety precautions that should be taken. Bear in mind though safety is never a guarantee, irrespective how much care is taken, so make sure that you are covered by appropriate bike insurance just in case.

Safety precautions that apply all year round should be followed with marked watchfulness in the winter months. It makes sense to give the motorbike a quick once over before riding it, to ensure that the tyres, lights and brakes are in working order. When checking the tyres, make certain that the pressure and treads are in proper condition for handling icy or wet roads, and remember that in colder temperatures it takes tyres longer to warm up and start gripping properly so be particularly careful when heading out.

It is essential to check that the lights work properly seeing that visibility is even more of an issue during poor weather conditions. Not only will fog or rain diminish what you can see, it will make you more difficult to be seen, so make sure you are extremely visible by wearing bright reflective outer clothing and by keeping your headlight on. To assist keeping your own line of sight clear, make certain your mirrors and visor are clean and unscratched, and spray them with an anti-mister. Additionally be mindful that visibility is still an issue on a bright and sunny winter’s day, when there is no rain, snow, fog or mist since the low winter sun that is blinding you is also blinding other drivers.

Keeping yourself warm may seem like an peculiar safety tip but warmth is all-important seeing that the colder you are, the more your concentration wanes, so wear thin layers to keep body heat trapped and wear any additional cold weather clothing you are comfy wearing. Cold hands don’t make for safe riding, seeing that once they get too cold you risk losing control of the motorcycle, so keep your hands especially warm with heated gloves or even heated handlebars. Purchase some proper rainwear for those rainy days, and generally speaking try to stay as warm and dry as possible.

It goes without saying that you have to be alert on wet and icy roads, keep your speed down and leave additional distance between you and other vehicles to account for those few added seconds of stopping time in an emergency. Be cautious of black ice and additionally keep in mind that on a sunny day there may still be ice on the road, especially in shady areas that the sun has not reached, and be wary of rain slicked roads. Rain fall brings oily residue to the road surface, making the roads particularly slippery. Stay off painted lines when possible, or be especially careful if crossing over them, as they can become highly slippery when wet.

It is in general advisable not to go out on your motorbike on snowy roads if it can be helped, but if you are out in the snow ride slowly and avoid making sudden moves that could cause the bike to topple over or skid. Some riders opt to ride in car tracks that have already been made in the snow, therefore avoiding fresh snow that will spray up and reduce visibility and also get stuck in the tyres and lessen the tyres’ grip, in which case ride cautiously on the compacted snow.

As for windy days, take special care as there is a danger of being blown off course slightly during high winds and you should keep a heedful eye out for any objects that might be blown into your path.

Motorbike upkeep is also a basic safety measure. Snow, ice and the salt on roads after a snow fall can all build up on your motorbike, corroding it. So make sure that you wipe down your motorbike after every ride, or better still hose and wash all the mess away. Your motorcycle needs to stay in top condition for you to ride safely.

With practice comes experience, so the more winter riding you do the more comfortable and undaunted you will become, just ensure that you avoid complacency and remain watchful and sensible at all times. The safety of you, your motorbike and everyone around you is at stake, so follow the necessary precautions, don’t take riding during the winter frivolously and if you still need an added incentive don’t forget that a clean record keeps your bike insurance rates down so you will also be doing your wallet a favour by staying safe.

Saab Reveals Another Crossover

The Swedish car maker Saab is reportedly planning to expand their line up in the next coming years. This is why they are launching another model; an all-wheel-drive system they say can set a huge competition against their rivals’ line up of luxury brands.

General Motors may have been experiencing major financial concerns but their Swedish luxury brand is becoming better than ever. The success of Saab is all accounted to Steve Shannon, who has been doing a lot of efforts for the Saab operations in the US as well as in the other car market for the last six months.

Although Saab has been into a lot of challenges, the Swedish brand managed to overcome all these. Both European and Asian brands are currently dominating the auto market with the likes of BMW and Lexus — regarded as small vehicles, but Saab has remained strong in the market for years. With the present demand on small cars, Saab has also embraced the idea of building a small CUV for the market.

According to Shannon, “It’s not easy, when you’re a company that makes 9 million cars a year to figure out how to steward a company that makes 130,000.” He added, “We’re getting better at it.”

Currently in the market is Saab’s major update of 9-3 — currently the cheapest and the smallest model coming out this 2008. The new car follows the same finishing done on the 9-5 line which has been made bigger and fresher after not having any revision for far too long.

The new car will also undergo several tests in order to secure its safety. Saab will launch the first crossover vehicle which has been dubbed to its 9-4X — the name, however, needs to be decided first.

The new crossover is going to be made in the US but Saab. More car makers are doing crossover vehicles to supply the demands of the growing market. And other car makers are looking for more alternatives on the present SUV, Saab for its part, is doing the simplest approach.

Shannon commented saying, “We will not make the mistake of some other manufacturers trying to make a ‘tweener,’ somewhere between a car and a truck. We will not take any risks with this.”

The soon to be launched Saab will come equipped with the new all-wheel-drive system, Dubbed Cross-Wheel Drive as well as the XWD. The company did not mention anything about Saab distributor caps but the new crossover will be released next year together with 9-3 line.

Toyota Hybrid System Control For Toyota Ohio

The system control of THS II maintains the vehicle at its maximum operating efficiency by managing the energy used by the entire vehicle, which includes the energy for moving the vehicle as well as the energy used for auxiliary devices, such as the air-conditioner, heaters, headlights and navigation system.

The system control monitors the requirements and operating states of hybrid system components, such as the engine, which is the source of energy for the entire hybrid vehicle; the generator, which acts as the starter for the engine and converts the energy from the engine into electricity; the motor, which generates the drive power for running the vehicle using the electrical energy from the battery; and the battery, which stores the electrical energy generated through power generation by the motor during deceleration. It also receives braking information being sent via the vehicle’s control network, as well as instructions from the driver, such as the throttle opening and shift lever position.

In other words, the system control of THS II monitors these various energy consumption statuses of the vehicle in real time and provides precise and fast integrated control so that the vehicle can be operated safely and comfortably at the highest possible efficiency.

Like modern jet planes, THS II hybrid vehicles use by-wire control, in which the driver’s instructions are converted into electrical signals (through wires) to be used in integrated control. In by-wire control, system reliability is the highest control priority. When a smart key sends information indicating that the driver has gotten inside the vehicle, the system power supply is turned on.

First, whether or not the hybrid computer itself is functioning normally is monitored, and an operational check is performed before the ignition button is pressed.

When the ignition button is pressed, the system checks whether or not various sensors, the engine, the motor, the generator and the battery are functioning normally. Then, the switches for the components in the high-voltage system, such as the motor, the generator and the battery, are turned on, making the vehicle ready to run. This is the start-up control sequence. When the driver presses the ignition button again before leaving the vehicle, the components in the high-voltage system are disconnected and, after confirming that such systems are turned off, the hybrid computer shuts down.

Safety checks are also being carried out while the vehicle is moving, and, based on various types of information such as changes in driving conditions, the system controls the vehicle so that it can operate in an emergency mode in the unlikely event of failure in the hybrid system or lack of fuel.

Engine power control is the basic control mechanism of THS II for always minimizing the energy consumption of the entire vehicle.

Based on the vehicle’s operating state, how far the driver has depressed the acceleration pedal and the status signals from the battery computer, energy management control determines whether to stop the engine and run the vehicle using the electric motor only or to start the engine and run the vehicle using engine power.

When first started, the vehicle begins to operate using the motor unless the temperature is low or the battery charge is low. To run the vehicle using engine power, the engine is first started by the generator and at the same time, the system calculates the energy required by the entire vehicle. It then calculates the running condition that will produce the highest efficiency for producing this energy and sends an rpm instruction to the engine. The generator then controls the engine revolution to that rpm.

The power from the engine is controlled by taking into account the direct driving power, the motor driving power from electrical generation, the power needed by the auxiliary equipment and the charging requirement of the battery. By optimizing this engine power control, THS II has advanced energy management for the entire vehicle and has achieved improved fuel efficiency.

The driving power of a vehicle with THS II is expressed as the combination of the direct engine driving power and the motor’s driving power. The slower the vehicle’s speed, the more the maximum driving power is derived from the motor’s driving power. By increasing the generator rpm, THS II has made it possible to use the engine’s maximum power starting at slower speeds than was possible with the current THS. It has also made it possible to significantly increase the maximum drive power by using a high-voltage, high-output motor that successfully improves power performance.

Because the engine has no transmission and uses a combination of the direct driving power from the engine and the motor’s driving power derived from electrical conversion, it can control the driving power by seamlessly responding to the driver’s requirements, all the way from low to high speeds and from cruising with a low power requirement to full-throttle acceleration. (This is known as torque-on-demand.)

Additionally, the time required to start the engine during acceleration from motor-only drive has been reduced by 40%, greatly improving the acceleration response. In order to eliminate shock during engine start-up, the generator also precisely controls the stopping position of the engine’s crank. To ensure that the vehicle’s driving power is not affected even when a large load is applied, e.g., when the air-conditioner is turned on, precise driving power correction control is carried out, achieving smooth and seamless driving performance.

In THS II, the newly developed Electronically Controlled Braking System (ECB) controls the coordination between the hydraulic brake of the ECB and the regenerative brake and preferentially uses the regenerative brake; it also uses a high-output battery and increases the amount of energy that can be recovered and the range in which it can be recovered. The system increases overall efficiency and, thus, fuel economy.

In THS, the engine, the generator, the motor and the wheels are linked together via the power split device. Furthermore, most of the engine power is converted into electrical energy by the generator, and the high-output and high-response motor drive the vehicle. Consequently, when the vehicle’s driving power changes abruptly, e.g., wheel slippage on icy or other slippery surfaces and wheel locking during braking, a protection control similar to that used in conventional traction control is used to prevent abrupt voltage fluctuation and revolution increase of the planetary gear in the power split device. In THS II, we have advanced the parts protection function further and achieved the world’s first motor traction control by utilizing the characteristics of a high-output, high-response motor.

The goal of the motor traction control is to restore traction when wheel slippage on a snowy road is detected, for example, and inform the driver of the slipping situation. The basic requirement for safe vehicle operation is firm traction between the tires and the road surface. Motor traction control helps the driver maintain this state.

This is another driver assist function that is unique to the high-output motor THS II. This function prevents the vehicle from sliding downward when the brake is released during startup on a steep slope. Because the motor has a highly sensitive revolution sensor, it responsively senses the angle of the slope and the vehicle’s descent and ensures safety by increasing the motor’s torque.