Auto Transport Blog for National Transport LLC

Video: Troubleshooting Cars- Sensors & Trouble Codes (8 of 12)

Janelle — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:00:42 PDT

The last time that the ‘check engine’ light came on in my mother’s brand new Honda Accord, she wasted no time bringing it in to have it looked like. After all, if the vehicle you’re driving in shows this type of illuminated sign on the dashboard, then surely something must be wrong with the engine, right?

A couple of hundred dollars later, it turned out that there was absolutely nothing wrong with my mother’s vehicle. It was just an electrical thing- something that we later found out she could’ve fixed very easily. But she’s not the only one who has had an experience like this.

We continue our video coverage of looking at how to troubleshoot issues related to your vehicle, specifically where your sensors are involved. So many vehicles that are manufactured today are made up of various electrical components. Now, regardless of if you ride a motorcycle, own an RV or are just going to work in your regular car, if a ‘check engine’ light comes on, we are almost immediately alarmed.

Take a look at the following video by Autotech for some great advice on how to troubleshoot these and other car problems.

Tips/Advice: Finding a car shipping company (Part 2)

Janelle — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:00:26 PDT

Finding a car shipping company is not a difficult thing to do- especially when you look around and see just how many auto transport websites have popped up within the last decade alone. It seems as if more and more people are looking to car shipping companies to help them get their vehicles moved from one part of the country to the other whether this is due to relocations, vacations or online purchases. That said, the following is are a few car shipping tips related to helping you refine and improve your chances of finding the right kind of car shipping company to suit your needs and your budget.

Finding a car shipping company:

Have a classic car that you’re now in the market to sell to someone who lives across the country but you don’t want to drive it there? Enter car shipping company.

Car shipping companies function to move your vehicle in one of two ways: outside auto shipping or enclosed auto shipping. Most of us are familiar with the outside shipping, which is also the more popular way to go because it is usually less expensive. These are the huge tractor trailers with the double stacked vehicles. Enclosed vehicle shipping, however, is a tractor trailer in which vehicles are enclosed, surrounded by soft, canvas sides instead of metal.

Before you begin your search for a car shipping company, it is helpful to know several of the following:

Pickup date
Location of scheduled pickup
Whether or not the car carrier has insurance to cover any possible damages that may be incurred during the auto transport process
Auto transport quotes from several different car shippers

Cool Find of the Week: Mean, Green Electric Bikes

Janelle — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 01:00:06 PDT

Among the various eco-friendly ways to get around these days, the electric bike has certainly begun to make a name for itself. There are many obvious benefits to choosing an electric bike as your primary or even secondary means of transportation. For one, these bikes don’t require any gasoline.

Electric bikes are also easy to maneuver and can get you to where you are going fairly quickly. And according to ecofriend, the following are 20 electric bikes that are guaranteed to ride us into a greener, more environmentally friendly future:

Volkswagen Bik.e
WINORA town:exp
LongRanger Electric Bike
Innovatronix Tronix Ebike Exceed
Lexus HB Concept
M55 EVO-001
Optibike 0B1
Yamaha PAS Brace-L
Gyro Bicycle
A2B Electric Bicycle
Matra MS1
Hirsch’s Comoto Electric Bike
iZip Express
Sanyo Eneloop
Zhong Chi E-Bike
Panasonic Titanium flat Road EB
Gocycle
Toshiba Rapid-Charging Bike
GRACE
Eagle e-bike

To view more detailed information about each of these bikes mentioned, visit ecofriend here.

Video: Troubleshooting Cars- Sensors & Trouble Codes (7 of 12)

Janelle — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 01:00:50 PDT

Many of us drive around in our vehicles without really knowing how they function. For instance, if a ‘check engine’ light popped up on your dashboard, would you know what that means? Would you know how to fix it? Sometimes, knowing how your car functions can wind up saving you a bundle of money- money that you might have otherwise spent to have your car looked at by someone else, never realizing that the problem was something you could have easily fixed.

Take a look at the following video by Autotech for some great advice on how to troubleshoot these and other car problems.

In the News: GM Hopes to Reverse Car Flops With Chevrolet Cruze

Janelle — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 01:00:34 PDT

In recent news, GM hopes to reverse its string of car flops with the introduction of the Chevrolet Cruze. According to an article published by USA Today,

Cruze’s prospects are supposed to be brighter because GM thinks it has worked out the kinks. No more clanky tranmissions or noisy tires. And it gets 40 miles per gallon now. And now that it has drastically lowered its costs, achieving profitability on a small car may be easier to come by. It can pour a little more value in the car instead of trying to get away on the cheap.[source]

It seems as if people are still waiting for that perfect car to be unveiled by GM. Having had to live through a Chevrolet division that has produced unsafe-at-any-speed cars such as the Corvair to the less than desirable Chevrolet Cobalt, people are anxiously anticipating a ‘winner’ from GM with the lastest addition of the Cruze. To see more pictures of the Chevrolet Cruze, click here.

Video: 2011 Toyota Sienna SE

Janelle — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 01:00:15 PDT

In the following video, Patrick Olsen of Cars.com takes viewers on a tour of the new and improved 2011 Toyota Sienna SE minivan. This is definitely a testament to all of those moms and dads out there who have to transport their kids back and forth to soccer practices, girlscout meetings and all of the other extracurricular activities that go along with being a busy parent who is always on the go.

In the News: Exide Technologies To Work With Camping World

Janelle — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 01:00:54 PDT

According to MarketWatch, Camping World, which is America’s largest recreational vehicle retailer for RVs, just announced that Exide Technologies will become its official battery supplier.

Exide is one of the global leaders in stored electrical energy solutions as well as one of the world’s largest distributors and recyclers of lead-acid batteries. The agreement with Camping World will consist of a multi-year/multi layered arrangement whereby Exide will provide a comprehensive batter assortment, integrated marketing efforts as well as category management. The article goes on to state:

Camping World is proud to partner with Exide Technologies and expand our product offering which is both dynamic and progressive,” said Marcus Lemonis, Camping World Chairman & CEO. “This agreement provides recreational and outdoor enthusiasts a comprehensive battery offering for motorized products such as RVs, boats, autos and golf carts. Together with Exide, Camping World will be a battery destination. [source]

This is big news for those who own RVs or who are thinking of purchasing RVs as Camping World already provides expanded products and services to enhance and protect the RV lifestyle. Visit Camping World for more details.

Video: Troubleshooting Cars- Sensors & Trouble Codes (6 of 12)

Janelle — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 01:00:37 PDT

If you’re anything like me, anytime that there is something wrong with your car, such as a window malfunctioning or a strange light that’s just come on, you start to panic. The last thing that you want to do, however, is bring your car in to have it serviced only to realize that the problem was something that might have been easily remedied on your own. Therefore, knowing how your vehicle operates is important.

Take a look at the following video by Autotech for some great advice on how to troubleshoot these and other car problems.

Tips/Advice: Finding a car shipping company (Part 1)

Janelle — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 01:00:22 PDT

Using a car shipping company to move your car, truck, SUV, RV, boat, motorcycle or other type of vehicle is fast becoming the ‘norm’ when you are faced with moving.

Whether you are purchasing a car off of eBay or relocating to a new home on the other side of the country, there are now so many options available for shipping your vehicle, that finding a car shipping company can seem overwhelming and even daunting at times. However, settling for a reliable auto transport company is actually easier than you think, as we will explore in this two-part series on finding a car shipping company.

First Thing’s First

There are several basic ways that people tend to find out about car shipping companies which usually falls into one of the following categories:

Word of Mouth
Internet
Directories
Yellow Pages

While all of these ways are effective for finding a car transport company, there are pros and cons of each. For instance, while word of mouth may seem pretty solid, you have to keep in mind that what might have worked well for a friend or family member may not necessarily translate into something that would work well for you.

Regarding the Internet, there are TONS of car shipping websites out there, and if you look carefully, some of these auto transport companies use unscrupulous tactics on their webpages and in their design in order to attract customers while not necessarily providing the customer with an accurate depiction of the services that they provide or what their services will entail.

Directories are great for listing multiple car transport companies, but how do you know what that car transport company is really about if you can’t read testimonials or visit a webpage? In most cases, people who use directories will wind up calling the auto transport company on the phone, which may or may not provide enough reassurance regarding the vehicle shipping process.

While somewhat antiquated, there are some people who use the Yellow Pages in order to look up auto shipping companies, but the same issue of not really being able to get an accurate representation of what that company does is still at the forefront.

In most cases, using a combination of the Internet as well as word-of-mouth is the way to go when beginning your initial search for the right car shipping company for you. Stay tuned for a continuation of this post on June 29th as we will discuss specific instructions related to making your search easier! In the meantime, become a fan of National Transport, LLC by visiting our Facebook Page or follow us on Twitter for all of the latest news regarding the auto industry.

Easy Ways to Boost Your Car Audio Sound Quality

Janelle — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 01:00:47 PDT

**Note: This is a guest post written by one of our readers, Yousif H. For more information on how to submit a guest post, please send an email to janelle [dot] vadnais [at] gmail [dot] com or see our guidelines for guest posting.

Are you pleased with your car audio system sound quality? While everyone has a different music preference, having crisp and clean sound is something that everyone needs in their vehicles. If you think that your car has an adequate factory system, it’s time to listen to the aftermarket gear to feel the difference.

No matter what type of vehicle you drive, there is a big chance that you are not enjoying your music to the fullest. The reason for this is because most cars aren’t equipped with a decent audio system that is powerful enough to produce clean sound.

What can you do to fix this?  There are many things you can do to start listening to crisp and quality sound. It’s time to get-rid of the stock components and replace them with aftermarket ones. Aftermarket gears are specifically designed to produce strong bass and clean sound performance. The secret behind this exceptional sound quality comes from the way these systems were designed and structured. Aftermarket car speakers, for example, were made from special materials that are durable to handle high voltages for a distortion-free sound.

If you are serious about music, you might end up adding an external amplifier that is capable of amplifying the single for stronger and deeper sound. If this is an option, make sure that your speakers can handle it to prevent any problems with your audio gear. If you like to hear a lot of bass, you can add a subwoofer that will give you just that.

Since the head unit is what controls your music, you might end up upgrading your factory stereo with an advanced one that can truly take your sound to the next level. There are many options you can choose from when customizing your in-dash system. What helps in making your decision will depend on the features and functions your new unit can accommodate. If you intend to play your music from your iPod, you need to get a head unit that is capable of reading your music library and play it. Car stereo systems can even do more than playing your favorite music. Some of them are even capable of reading DVDs to watch the latest movies. This can be a great option if you are looking to keep your passengers entertained in long trips.

There is no limit to what you can when it comes to customizing your vehicle to fit your lifestyle. What are you waiting for? It’s time to upgrade your car audio system for a better driving experience.

About the author: Yousif H. is a car enthusiast who turned his hobby into a career. He currently works at Sonic Electronix and has over four years of car audio installation experience.