Auto Trends

Freecycling/freecycle.org Project, originally uploaded by Robapalooza

Most of us know about Spring cleaning, but you can always just clean out your home and garage once a year. Especially if you end up collecting stuff like I do. A good summer’s worth of projects can leave a stack of excess parts, tools, and other paraphernalia shoveled into just about every corner, nook, and cranny of your garage you can fit it into.

You could always cart this stuff off to the dump, but if you are wanting to be a green consumer, might I introduce you to what is known as, Freescycling. Freecycling is an easy online means of getting rid of your stuff, and all you need to know how to do is type a few words describing the item, setting it out on your doorstep, then sweep up any of its remains once it is gone. Sound easy? Well it is…

The Freecycle Program
To begin, visit the Freecycle website, type in your location, and you will find a variety of groups within your area participating in the free program. And yes, I said free. This is not an eBay service where you auction off goods or trade, this is simply a service for people to get rid of stuff they don’t have the time to mess with selling.

It also works the same way if you are looking for something in particular. For instance, if you are looking for a couple of jack stands, you just make a request on the site, and if somebody has a pair they don’t want anymore, they will get in touch with you, letting you know when you can pick the item up.

History of the Program
The program started in Tuscon, Arizona in 2003, by a Mr. Daron Beal, and has trekked its way across the many different parts of the world ever since. It is currently featured in Australia, Belgium, Poland, Uganda, Canada, Pakistan, and the list goes on and on.

It was started as a green movement of sorts, to reduce the amount of usable goods going into the landfill. After all, one persons junk, is another persons treasure, or so they say. It has since become quite a popular electronic community on Yahoo (yes, you will need a Yahoo account to participate).

Rules (Everything Has Rules)
There are a few rules of the program to keep in mind however, such as:

*Everything must be 100% free with no strings attached.
*No trading or bartering. (“freecycling”, means free).
*No personal attacks, “I can’t believe you’re giving this away!” (Can’t we all just… get along!)
*No free-for-all’s, “It’s on the porch, whoever gets here first can have it.” (one person at a time, please)
*Let member know once an item is gone (Saves a lot of broken hearts)

Car Repair With Auto Aid, originally uploaded by pranksterjay

A recent survey by DriverSide and Kelton Research, set out to prove just how well most of us take care of our vehicles. The first questions of interest in this survey asked point blank, How well do you take care of our vehicle? Over 90 percent of respondents claimed confidently that they were above average when it came to taking good care of their beloved vehicle.

That is great America, we are looking good so far! When respondents were asked if they followed the basic maintenance schedule of their manufacturer, only 41 percent could admit they actually even paid attention to this. Not so good America. This would include oil and transmission fluid changes, tire rotation, brake inspections, etc. All very important aspects of up-keeping a healthy vehicle.

The next series of questions asked respondents how often they wax the paint on their vehicle, and if they repair the dents, scratches, and any other damage (window chips and cracks) that occurs. Only 31 percent said that they wax their paint regularly, and even less (16 percent) bothered to repair the daily wear and tear (minor accidents, rock chips, bent wheel rims from curb checks, etc.) that occurs from daily use. These can lead to safety issues, but more importantly, it drastically reduces the value of a vehicle.

The Problem and a Solution
This research shows a dangerous trend that some drivers may not be heeding warning signs of potentially serious problems with their vehicle, or having warning lights checked out within a reasonable amount of time. Or even more likely, driving around with a cracked windshield, impeding a portion of their viewing area. The real problem here, is the danger you could be putting yourself and other drivers in (failing brakes, for example).

Much of these results can be explained by a lack of time and money by the consumer, and this is something that few people are willing to give up readily. Even when it comes to the health of the drivers themselves, some surveys suggest that people do not have regular check-ups, or go to a doctor at the onset of any “warning signs” of an impending medical condition. In the case of our own health, one of the things that the Internet has brought, is a number of medical sites where one can ask questions and check symptoms. This gives quick access to a second opinion (other than our own), of when we really should see a doctor.

DriverSide, the company that helped organized the research, is offering the same type of service for our vehicles. What they learned from these survey results, is that some consumers do not know their recommended maintenance schedule, or how serious certain symptoms can be. They have organized their website around free maintenance reminders, a diagnostic tool to help you narrow down what a specific problem could be, offers advice on do it yourself repairs (videos), and even a means for asking mechanics various questions.

Keep those wheels of freedom spinning!

Catalytic converter: RIP, originally uploaded by sidewalk flying

Wait, did I read that right, you say. Yes, I am afraid that you did. In yesterdays economy, you had to nail down everything except the kitchen sink and your catalytic converter, but today, those things need to be nailed down too.

CarSeek recently posted an article about the recent catalytic converter thefts on the rise. Now if you are driving around in a clunker from pre-1975, you can just ignore this, but if you have a newer SUV and live amongst areas of relatively high crime, you might want to perk your ears for a second.

If you haven’t noticed, the used auto parts industry has been rolling in high style the past few months. Reason being, folks aren’t wanting to spend top dollar on new parts in this economy when they can get them at a significant discount.

While all this maybe fine in dandy, when you have a market for parts which is exceeding the donor availability, there is little to do to get more parts except to, well, take them without asking. A smooth thief can walk through a perking lot with a saw blade and leave within a half hour with over $15,000 worth of slightly used catalytic converters, of which approximately $3,000 of that they will pocket.

Chrome and alloy rims were all the rage a few years ago, but due to the necessity of more tools, about 5-10 minutes of time (compared to 2 minutes for each catalytic), more storage space, and all those pesky anti-theft locking bolts everybody has today, steeling rims is no longer a very profitable venture. Well, what’s a thief supposed to do, except adapt, conquer, and continue to make a living!

If you haven’t had a catalytic converter go out on you in awhile, let me tell you that one for a big SUV can easily cost you up to $1,000 to $2,000 at a muffler shop. That is no small change. Well, thanks to one fed up victim of this crime, there is an anti-theft device available for just such occasions, it is called the Catlock.

The Catlock secures your existing catalytic converter to your chassis, providing both a visual deterrent (once you climb underneath the chassis), and also a physical deterrent. The cost of one of these is around $100, which is reasonable if you happen to own a high dollar (and easy to steal) catalytic set up. But if your converter is only worth $200 to $300, then you might want to just pay some bills with that chunk of change instead.

The economy is a strange thing. It brings about new opportunity to those who are always looking for new ways to bend the law, but it also provides the same monetary value for those who are innovative enough to find the ways to stop them!

Source: CarSeek