How to check automatic transmission fluid.

Place your car at a level surface and engage the parking brake. Start the engine. Set transmission shifter in "P" (Park) position, and let the engine idle (on some cars this procedure may be different, check the owners' manual for details). Pull the transmission dipstick. Check your owners manual to find where transmission dipstick is located in your car.Wipe it off with a clean lint free rag. Then insert it back carefully all the way down into its place.
Pull again and check the fluid level. If the engine is cold, it should be within "COLD" marks. If the car was driven and is fully warmed up, the level should be at the upper end of the "HOT" mark. If it's just a little bit lower I wouldn't worry about it. Otherwise I'd top it up. Check the fluid condition also: If it's too black and dirty with burnt smell - your transmission is not going to last. Normally it should be clean and transparent, as in the image. The new fluid comes red. Over the time it becomes brownish. If it is brown, check your owner's manual, may be it's time to change it. Some manufacturers require to change the transmission fluid at 30,000 or 50,000 miles others specify that you never have to change it - check what's your car owner's manual says.

How to top up the transmission fluid:

It's very important to use only specified transmission fluid - check your owners manual or simply visit your local dealer, they alway have proper transmission fluid in stock. Incorrect transmission fluid can even destroy the transmission. Add a small amount of the fluid through the dipstick pipe as shown in the image. Wait for a few minutes - let the fluid to flow down. Recheck the level again. Do not overfill, it also may cause problems with your transmission.

LA Auto Show: Eye Candy

I don’t know much about cars, but I like to think I know sexy when I see it. After the jump, check out a huge gallery of pictures I took wandering around the LA Auto Show floor last week…

Aston Martin DBS. Unlock it with one of these.And here is the rest of it.

Ferrari F430 Spider

And here is the rest of it.

Ferrari 612 Sessanta 60th Anniversary Edition

And here is the rest of it.

Ferrari F430 Scuderia

And here is the rest of it.

Nissan GT-R. $70k, but still, drooooool…

And here is the rest of it.

Callaway C16 Speedster

And here is the rest of it.

Lotus Exige S Club Racer Edition

And here is the rest of it.

Spyker C12

And here is the rest of it.

Spyker C8 SWB

And here is the rest of it.

Dodge Viper SRT-10

And here is the rest of it.

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren

And here is the rest of it.

Porsche GT2

And here is the rest of it.

Porsche Cayman S Design Edition

And here is the rest of it.

Mosler Mark II (pre-production)

And here is the rest of it.

Ford Shelby GT500KR

And here is the rest of it.

Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder

And here is the rest of it.

Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera

And here is the rest of it.

Lamborghini Reventn

And here is the rest of it.

Vector WX8. From the press release: predicted top speed of 275mph, max 1,850hp and 1,700 torques @ 6,000 rpm, price N/A.

And here is the rest of it.

Toshiba introduces 2.5-inch 80GB Hard Drive For Autos

As a response to many companies and end users installing hard drives into cars for portable entertainment systems,information and navigation applications. Toshiba's introducing the MK8050 hard drive that has increased shock tolerance and vibration dampening,improved capacity and provide alternative temperature ranges to assist automobile manufactures and after market suppliers in designing robust digital devices for the car. The disk has a cushion of air around the head to prevent scratching, which causes data loss, swearing and begging. Expect to see it in GPS units and do-it-yourselfer kits next March.FEATURES:

80GB* capacity
Rotational Speed of 4200rpm
Operating Shock of 300g
9.5mm High
16ms Average Seek Time
ATA-7 Interface
100MB/sec Transfer Rate

Toilet-Automobile on the road !

Russian have created a toilet-automobile (hybrid of Russian Oka car and a toilet cabin) and organized its tour from Moscow to Europe and Asia as contribution to the World Toilet Day that took place in November.As soon as the toilet-automobile left Moscow, it stuck in a traffic jam. Drivers with amusement looked at the strange Oka car with a high cabin behind; some of them even asked to let them try it in action.The toilet-automobile is equipped with a foreign system of air flows circulation, replaceable filters and a system removing liquids from the floor. According to the developers, the main peculiarity of the toilet-automobile is that it takes into account toilet traditions of different countries and lets people of various nations relieve nature in a habitualway.Organizers of the “toilet tour” Moscow-Seoul mark, that the toilet-automobile was a success in Europe and Asia. Several British, Chinese and Korean companies expressed interest in purchasing the innovation.

Honda Accord: America's Next No. 1 car?

More powerful, roomier, and better-looking than ever, the new 2008 Honda Accord is a potent challenger to the dominant Toyota Camry.Reliability, good looks, roomier rear seats, more powerful engine are the special features.Archrival Toyota's Camry—America's perennial top-seller—got a lot of bad press recently when Consumer Reports magazine removed the V6-powered version of the Camry from its recommended list.Early signs show the Accord is gaining ground.
Inside and out, the new Accord looks a lot more like a BMW than the economy model it started out as when it first hit the U.S. market back in 1976. It doesn't drive like a BMW, of course—it has the solid, competent driving characteristics you'd expect from an Accord. But the sedan is surprisingly quick and sporty, and there's a two-door coupe version available with a six-speed manual transmission for hard-core driving enthusiasts.The eighth-generation Accord sedan is about 1 in. taller and wider and 3 in. longer than the previous Accord. Trim levels start with the basic LX model, and get progressively fancier and more expensive as you move up to the LX-P, EX, and EX-L versions. Even the base models come standard with keyless entry, full-power accessories, cruise control, a tilting and telescoping steering wheel, and a six-speaker CD system with an auxiliary jack. I test-drove the leather-upholstered EX-L, which was like an entry-level luxury car.There are three choices of engine in the new Accord sedan: a gasoline-sipping 2.4-liter, 177-hp four-banger, which also comes in a 190-hp "high output" version, and a powerful 3.5-liter, 268-hp V6. With the four-cylinder engines, the Accord sedan can be had with either a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission.

The V6 version of the sedan comes only with a five-speed automatic, but it also has a more sophisticated engine system than in the previous Accord that ekes out extra mileage. The new system allows the engine to run on three, four, or six cylinders, depending on how much power is needed.With an automatic transmission and either of the four-cylinder engines, the Accord sedan is rated to get 21 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway; with the V6, the rating drops to 19 city/29 highway. In a stretch of 193 miles of mixed driving, I got 23.3 mpg in my V6-powered test car.All versions of the new Accord come standard with traction and stability control, antilock brakes, and front, side, and cabin-length side-curtain air bags.

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AUTO MAINTENANCE TIPS-How often should I change my oil?

Most vehicle manufacturers recommend changing the oil once a year or every 7,500 miles in passenger car and light truck gasoline engines. For diesel engines and turbocharged gasoline engines, the usual recommendation is every 3,000 miles or six months.If you read the fine print, however, you’ll discover that the once a year, 7,500 mile oil change is for vehicles that are driven under ideal circumstances. What most of us think of as "normal" driving is actually "severe service" driving. This includes frequent short trips (less than 10 miles, especially during cold weather), stop-and-go city traffic driving, driving in dusty conditions (gravel roads, etc.), and driving at sustained highway speeds during hot weather. For this type of driving, which is actually "severe service: driving, the recommendation is to change the oil every 3,000 miles or six months.For maximum protection, most oil companies say to change the oil every 3,000 miles or three to six months regardless of what type of driving you do.A new engine with little or no wear can probably get by on 7,500 mile oil changes. But as an engine accumulates miles, blowby increases. This dumps more unburned fuel into the crankcase which dilutes the oil. This causes the oil to break down. So if the oil isn’t changed often enough, you can end up with accelerated wear and all the engine problems that come with it (loss of performance and fuel economy, and increased emissions and oil consumption).
Oil AnalysisTruck fleets often monitor the condition of the oil in their vehicles by having samples analyzed periodically. Oil samples are sent to a laboratory that then analyzes the oil’s viscosity and acid content. Oil is then burned in a device called a spectrometer that reveals various impurities in the oil. From all of this, a detailed report is generated that reveals the true condition of the oil.

Oil analysis is a great idea for fleets and trucks that hold a lot of oil. But most consumers would have a hard time justifying the cost. Having an oil sample analyzed typically costs $12 to $20 for the lab work and report. Most quick lube shops charge $16.95 to $19.95 for an oil change. So why spend your money on a report that will probably tell you your oil needs changing? Just change the oil every 3,000 miles and don’t worry about it.Regular oil changes for preventative maintenance are cheap insurance against engine wear, and will always save you money in the long run if you keep a car for more than three or four years. It’s very uncommon to see an engine that has been well maintained with regular oil changes develop major bearing, ring, cam or valve problems under 100,000 miles.
What About The Oil Filter?To reduce the costs of vehicle ownership and maintenance, many car makers say the oil filter only needs to be replaced at every other oil change. Most mechanics will tell you this is false economy.The oil filters on most engines today have been downsized to save weight, cost and space. The "standard" quart-sized filter that was once common on most engines has been replaced by a pint-sized (or smaller) filter. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that a smaller filter has less total filtering capacity. Even so, the little filters should be adequate for a 3,000 mile oil change intervals -- but may run out of capacity long before a second oil change at 6,000 or 15,000 miles.

Replacing the oil filter every time the oil is changed, therefore, is highly recommended.An engine’s main line of defense against abrasion and the premature wear it causes is the oil filter. The filter’s job is to remove solid contaminants such as dirt, carbon and metal particles from the oil before they can damage bearing, journal and cylinder wall surfaces in the engine. The more dirt and other contaminants the filter can trap and hold, the better.In today’s engines, all the oil that’s picked up by the oil pump is routed through the filter before it goes to the crankshaft bearings, cam bearings and valvetrain. This is called "full-flow" filtration. It’s an efficient way of removing contaminants, and it assures only filtered oil is supplied to the engine. In time, though, accumulated dirt and debris trapped by the filter begin to obstruct the flow of oil. The filter should be changed before it reaches this point, which is why the filter needs to be replaced when the oil is changed.If you wait too long to change the filter, there’s a danger that it might become plugged. To prevent this from causing a catastrophic engine failure due to loss of lubrication, oil filters have a built-in safety device called a "bypass valve." When the pressure drop across the filter exceeds a predetermined value (which varies depending on the engine application), the bypass valve opens so oil can continue to flow to the engine. But this allows unfiltered oil to enter the engine. Any contaminants that find their way into the crankcase will be pumped through the engine and accelerate wear.
Filter Replacement

If you do your own oil changes, make sure you get the correct filter for your engine. Follow the filter manufacturer’s listings in its catalog. Many filters that look the same on the outside have different internal valving. Many overhead cam engines, for example, require an "anti-drainback" valve in the filter to prevent oil from draining out of the filter when the engine is shut off. This allows oil pressure to reach critical engine parts more quickly when the engine is restarted. Filters that are mounted sideways on the engine typically require an anti-drainback valve.CAUTION: The threads on a spin-on filter must also be the correct diameter and thread pitch (SAE or metric) for your engine. If you install a filter with SAE threads on an engine that requires metric threads (or vice versa), you can damage the threads that hold the oil filter in place. Mismatched threads can also allow the filter to work loose, which causes a sudden loss of oil pressure that may ruin your engine!Some people say it’s best to change the oil when the oil is hot (like right after driving), while others say it makes no difference. CAUTION: Hot oil is thinner and runs out faster but can also burn you if you’re not careful. In any event, avoid unnecessary skin contact with oil because oil is a suspected carcinogen (causes cancer).

Changing the oil when it is cold may take a bit longer because the oil will drain more slowly from the engine, but there’s no danger of being burned. Also, most of the oil will have drained down into the oil pan when the engine has sat for a period of time, which means you’ll actually get a little more of the old oil out of the engine than if you attempt to drain it while it is still hot.Used motor oil should be disposed of properly. The Environmental Protection Agency does not consider used motor oil to be a hazardous chemical, but it can foul ground water and does contain traces of lead. The best way to dispose of used motor oil is to take it to a service station, quick lube shop, parts store or other facility for recycling. Your old oil will either be rerefined into other lubricants or petroleum products, or burned as fuel.Do not dump used motor oil on the ground, down a drain, into a storm sewer or place it in the trash. Many landfills will not accept used motor oil even if it is in a sealed container because it will eventually leak out into the ground. If you can’t find an environmentally-acceptable way to dispose of the stuff, maybe you shouldn’t be changing your own oil. Service facilities that do oil changes all have storage tanks and recycling programs to dispose of used oil.
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For some, Auto Show's Attraction Is Girls:(+photos)

TOKYO -- Not everybody snapping pictures at the Tokyo Motor Show is focusing on the cars.Many of the camera-toting folks roaming the massive exhibit halls are more interested in the girls whom automakers and parts companies hire to adorn their exhibits.That's not surprising, of course. But in Japan, photographing lovely ladies in public places is pursued with such enthusiasm that there's a name for practitioners: camera kozo -- a kozo being a Buddhist disciple or a servant boy, though the word can be used in a derogatory way to refer to an inexperienced youth.At big car shows, camera kozo -- kameko for short -- can be seen mobbing the models -- known as event companions -- pressing in close with their telephoto lenses and snapping hundreds or even thousands of digital images in a single day. Many kameko run websites on which they post photos of event companions, invite comments from visitors and blog about their favorites.
The single-minded pursuit of nonvehicular beauty can be irritating to exhibitors who, after all, are trying to get visitors and reporters to focus on their products. Makuhari, for instance, has a driver's license but doesn't even own a car, making him what the Japanese call a "paper driver."Attractive and often scantily clad women have been a fixture at auto shows and racetracks worldwide for years. "Product specialists," as they're known in the U.S., will be on hand when the L.A. Auto Show begins its 10-day run next week.But in Japan they are something of a cultural phenomenon. Race queens, who work under contract for Japanese auto racing teams, are especially popular, with some attaining the status of minor celebrities, complete with websites, fan clubs and swimsuit videos.Event companions are generally less well known. They wear more risque outfits than their counterparts at auto shows in the U.S. and Europe, although many of the major automakers have toned down the sex factor in recent years. At this year's Tokyo Motor Show, which ends Sunday, hot pants and halter tops were largely confined to exhibits sponsored by motorcycle makers and tire companies.
"Those who are shy and quiet may not be suited for this work," said Saori Yoshimura of the Flash agency in Tokyo, which books event companions for auto shows, food exhibitions and other events.Makuhari discovered event companions nine years ago and has been hooked ever since. He goes to about 10 events a year, mostly car-related "because they're the easiest to take pictures at." He typically takes 800 shots a day, although he was shooting twice that number at the Tokyo show. He'll post many on his website (racequeen.seesaa.net), which he says gets 1,000 unique visitors a day.Miki Kataoka, who was working at the Tokyo Motor Show for the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Assn., said she liked the attention and the occasional gifts from her fans (one set up her website, happymikimiki.com, as a birthday present).
Shoko Hosoda, who was at the Tokyo show representing a maker of children's car seats, said photographers sometimes interfere with her job."Customers will be asking questions about the product," she said, "but the camera kozo are constantly asking us to pose for them." .

Hybrid Cars-cars of the future-an article:

How Hybrid Cars Work? Hybrid cars work by seamlessly integrating a gas engine, an electric motor and a high-powered battery. The battery provides power for the electric motor and is recharged by recapturing energy that would normally be lost when decelerating or coasting.Hybrids are cars that run off a rechargeable battery and gasoline, rather than just gasoline. Hybrid vehicles have both a small petrol engine and an electric motor. Hybrid vehicles run off petrol so doesn’t have the problem with range which the electric cars have. Hybrids use the petrol engine to drive along and when the petrol engine is not being used at its most efficient e.g. in traffic jams, the engine turns the electric motor which also acts like a generator to charge up the batteries in the car. The batteries then powers the motor when the car is accelerating and when the car is at top speeds and the engine is running aboveits maximum efficiency. Advantages
* Minimal energy loss due to regenerative breaking.
* Engines can be sized to accommodate the average load. Therefor-cheaper lighter engines can be used.
* Massively increased efficiency.
* Decreased emissions.
Disadvantages
* Carrying the mass of two engines.
* More complicated to produce.

Car designer-47- with lots of little cars:

Amaury Diaz Serrano is a car designer for General Motors Corp., and it makes sense that he might like sleek, smokin' lines of toy race cars.So every time he went out to the pharmacy or the mall, he'd pick up one or two Hot Wheels. After about 25 years of that routine, he figures he now has about 3,000 of the little numbers stashed around his Lathrup Village home.In February, because he won a contest, he'll add a new one called the Chevroletor (think Chevrolet-Terminator) to his collection. It may be his favorite car yet. That's because he designed it himself as part of the Hot Wheels Design Challenge. QUESTION: How old are you now?
ANSWER: 47.
Q: Any worries about being a 47-year-old guy with a big toy collection?
A: There's something about the toys ... toys in general. ... You get caught up with a 9-to-5 job and bills and worrying about money, you know. But then I go downstairs, especially in the wintertime, I go to my toy room and ... it brings a smile to your face. ... Family and friends come over to visit, and for some reason when we have company over, they all end up in the toy room. And I don't care if you're 60 years old and having a bad day, you come over to my toy room, you're going to smile for a couple of hours.
Q: Well, you know the stereotypes that are out there. ... Have you had any dates?
A: Dates?
Q: Yes.
A: I'm married with a kid! What are you talking about? ...No, that's a good question.Because there are Hot Wheels clubs.There are conventions. I don't belong to any conventions or clubs 'cause I went to one once. ... They were a bunch of old farts, drinking beer and betting money on these tiny cars going down the track. And that scared the hell out of me.So the toy collection thing is very private for me.
Q: What else do you collect?
A: Oh, I collect Batman, Batman toys, because it was my favorite TV show when I was a kid. ... GI Joes, I used to play with GI Joes when I was a kid. There was another Mattel toy called Matt Mason, which was a little astronaut guy. Then I have a lot of vintage gas stations from the 1950s and '60s. ...What I like about these toys is they were made in the United States. Now everything is made in China, unfortunately.
Q: Wow. The only thing I ever collected was beer cans. How embarrassing.
A: (Laughs.) Hey, I see some people making airplanes out of beer cans.
Q: I've seen people do ships. I was going to ask you if there will be a time when your wife will make you sell all your toy cars?
A: No, no. She knows that I like that stuff. And another funny note, my daughter, she's 12 years old, I told her I will never sell this stuff. But when I die you can have ALL of this stuff.
And my daughter, she's 12, she says, "Dad, you die Friday. Saturday, all that stuff is on eBay."
And I told her, good answer.
Q: What else should I ask you?
A: There's a bunch of guys with funny things in their basement. I bet you have a huge beer can collection in your basement.
Q: They're all junk. Not worth a dime.
A: That's why I like my Hot Wheels. ... That's funny, you like collecting beer cans, and your last name is Schaefer.
Q: That's a very cheap beer. I only wish I was related to the people who own the company.
A: I don't drink beer at all; I drink cheap wine. (Laughs.)


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2008-Ferrari F430 Bi-Compressor

German tuner and Ferrari specialist Novitec has now upgraded the car to “Evoluzione” spec. Power is up by an additional 20hp, giving it an Ferrari Enzo rivalling 656hp and decimating the standard F430 which makes do with 490hp. Acceleration figures remain much the same as the previous version, with the 0-100km/h coming up in just 3.7 seconds while top speed remains at 348km/h.

Top 5 Debuts of the LA Auto Show

November 17, 2007-esterday morning, the Los Angeles Auto Show unleashed it's secrets upon the automotive world. Companies from all over the globe have come to give us a glimpse of what they have been working on since last year. Here are the top 5 world debuts from the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Car 1. Hyundai Genesis Coupe Concept
Car 2. Honda FCX Clarity
Car 3. Lincoln MKS
Car 4. Chevy Silverado Hybrid
Car 5. Audi Cross Cabriolet Quattro