Dual mass flywheels (DMFs) are used on standard manual transmissions to reduce the torsional vibrations that occur when shifting. Without the DMF, there was a higher chance of long-term damage due to excessive vehicle vibration. Over time, luxury, high-performance UK vehicles started putting dual mass flywheels in their clutches to improve ease of shifting.
Welcome back to our second edition of ‘Weekly Motoring News’. These are just some of the many stories that caught are our eye over the past week from the worldwide interweb. Hope you enjoy!
Absolutely fantastic news on the UK job front in the West Midlands as Jaguar Land rover create up to 1000 jobs. This represents a 25% increase in the Solihull based workforce.
http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.aspx?AR=259944
There are so many stories and news items published every day that it’s hard to keep up with everything sometimes. So, we thought we’d bring you some of our favorite and most informative stories from this weeks news:
The RAC brings us the disturbing news that almost 50% UK drivers suffer from repetitive driving injuries (RDIs) due to having a poor posture behind the wheel. Drivers are advised to choose the best car for “their driving style”. Not quite sure what this means, surely any driver’s seat can be adjusted to provide much better support in most circumstances. Read more here:
http://www.rac.co.uk/news-advice/motoring-news/post/2011/11/bad-car-posture-linked-to-injuries/
It’s not just us humans who enjoy being out and about on the open road as this story from the Metro explains. Just how happy does that dog look?
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/stories/880641-sidecar-harley-is-the-top-dog-in-peterborough
When an insurance company decides whether they will repair a car or write it off they are only looking at two numbers. They look at the cost to repair it and the worth of the car if it was in good condition. Should the cost to repair exceed the value of the car in good condition, the car is declared a total loss and written off. Your insurance company will send you a cheque for the value of the car in good condition, minus any deductibles you may have.
When you purchase a damaged car, you may have an issue with smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. To know how to remedy the problem, know what the different types of smoke mean:
A flood damaged car is a car with problems that are waiting to happen. For instance, rust can start overnight but take years to actually start showing through the paint and electrical problems are intermittent and may not first appear for weeks or even months after the damage.
Most experts recommend avoiding flood damaged cars completely. But how can you recognize that a car has been in a flood? After all, most sellers are not going to advertise that information. Here are a few tips to help you avoid purchasing a car that’s been through a flood.
This year two popular cars, the S60 Volvo and the Lexus RX350, are being recalled. The Volvo recall will affect the units sold between May of 2006 and May of 2007. This will include over 8.000 cars. The cars are being recalled because there have been problems in which drivers lose control of their vehicle’s steering. The power steering reservoir hoses in the S60 are not routed correctly. This may create an increase in pressure and a loss of power steering fluid, which could lead to a car crash. Volvo has stated that they will examine all of the cars that are recalled and will replace the power steering reservoir hoses for free.
Meanwhile Toyota has also been having problems. The 2011 Lexus RX350 has only been released recently but 32 units are already being recalled. This is apparently because of a calibration error in the Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM). If the Vehicle Stability Control is engaged the right front wheel may not work properly, which could lead to a crash. These recalled cars will also be inspected and the VDIM will be replaced free of charge as well. Both automakers will be recalling their cars sometime in August of 2011.
This is a tough question that can often be answered by more questions; how much do you love your car? How much did the car cost you, therefore is it worth repair? Do you have the money for the repair? If you can’t afford to repair your car, whatever the damage is, it’s a write off to you. There’s a chance you could sell it on but be prepared to have to sell for scrap or parts. Some damage just isn’t worth repairing because the costs outweigh the worth of the car when you consider mileage and age. Your car can suffer from varying degrees of damage but some faults will cost you a lot more than others.
When you are buying a car, consider how easy it is to get parts. If you have an older or foreign car, sometimes parts are hard to come by and can cost thousands compared to the same parts by different brands. Consider too the labour, the parts needed may not cost a fortune, but the labour required to fit them may be a pretty penny.
The more mechanical issues with your car are what will cost you the most to repair. Transmission repair is particularly pricey as this is the part that pretty much runs your engine. Suspension repair, radiator and heating and cooling problems, exhaust repair and brake repair all fall under essential work if you want to drive a car that is safe and hopefully reliable once fixed. Continue reading
If you are in the unfortunate situation where you have to ask yourself why your engine seized, you may be in more trouble then you think – a seized engine is a serious problem with no easy solution. This is not a situation with a quick fix, so options should be considered carefully.
When the engine is seized, it means that it will not turn over at all. This is not the same as, say, a dead battery or a wiring mishap. In these cases it is the simple matter of locating the trouble and doing a quick repair job. If the battery is re-charged, or the loose wire tightened up, the car is off and running again. The causes of this problem are generally going to be heat related. If an engine does not have enough motor oil, it will overheat and seize. The same is true of water, or of any other vital motor fluids. Extreme heat causes extreme stress, and under stress motor parts break down, and the engine ceases operating. Continue reading
When it comes to cars they often suffer more damages and repairs than most people anticipate. Cars that always break down or constantly suffer from one problem or another can be disconcerting and stressful. And what usually happens is owners continue to keep fixing their car because no one will buy the vehicle due to its many issues – this is when companies that specialise in purchasing broken down vehicles can offer their services.
These types of companies are often looked over or not even thought of because of automatic assumptions about them. But the truth is, these companies are doing people a favour by helping them get rid of their damaged car and paying the owner to do so.
We Buy Any Damaged Car is is a nationwide company and we can offer you an excellent price for any accident damaged or mechanically damaged car that you wish to sell, for whatever reason. As long as the car or vehicle is under 10 years old we can help you within 24-48 hours of your call or email. Contact us today!
