Freestyle Motorcross
Posted on October 31st, 2009 by MOTO
Motor Views
Our Views on the Auto, Truck & Motorcycle Industry
Checking Oil in a Toyota Tacoma
Posted on October 22nd, 2009 by Moto
If you want to keep your pickup truck in good working order then you need to check and change the oil on a regular basis. Here are the steps to do that if you own a Toyota Tacoma:
- Park your Toyota Tacoma on a flat surface. You want the oil to be level when you check it.
- Let the vehicle rest until it cools down. This helps the oil to drain properly and level out. Open the hood.
- Find the dipstick for checking the oil. Toyota Tacoma parts are easy to find. If you have a 4-cylinder then the dipstick is toward the front passenger side of the vehicle. If you have a 6-cylinder then it’s towards the front driver’s side. Look for the yellow handle on the dipstick to locate it easily.
- Pull the dipstick out and wipe off the oil. Use a rag.
- Insert the dipstick back where you found it and remove it again. When you pull it out, you’ll be able to read how full the oil is by looking at how much oil is on the dipstick. It should be somewhere between low and full but you want it closer to full.
- Add more oil if necessary. If it’s too low then simply add more. Make sure you use the right kind of oil.
- If it’s time change the oil then you have a decision to make. You can either get the Toyota OEM part that you need to change the oil yourself or you can take it to a shop and have it done.
Pretty simple, huh?
Bioprospecting metagenomes: glycosyl hydrolases for converting biomass
Posted on October 21st, 2009 by Moto
Throughout immeasurable time, microorganisms evolved and accumulated remarkable physiological and functional heterogeneity, and now constitute the major reserve for genetic diversity on earth. Using metagenomics, namely genetic material recovered directly from environmental samples, this biogenetic diversification can be accessed without the need to cultivate cells. Accordingly, microbial communities and their metagenomes, isolated from biotopes with high turnover rates of recalcitrant biomass, such as lignocellulosic plant cell walls, have become a major resource for bioprospecting; furthermore, this material is a major asset in the search for new biocatalytics (enzymes) for various industrial processes, including the production of biofuels from plant feedstocks. However, despite the contributions from metagenomics technologies consequent upon the discovery of novel enzymes, this relatively new enterprise requires major improvements. In this review, we compare function-based metagenome screening and sequence-based metagenome data mining, discussing the advantages and limitations of both methods. We also describe the unusual enzymes discovered via metagenomics approaches, and discuss the future prospects for metagenome technologies.
By Luen Luen LiSean McCorkleSebastien MonchySafiyh TaghaviDaniel van der Lelie
Buyer Beware: What to Look Out For When Shopping for a Used Truck
Posted on October 12th, 2009 by MOTO
The Truck is a favorite when it comes to owning a reliable vehicle that can be used for a variety of purposes. Whether you want to use a truck for commercial use at your job or just because need something to pull your boat or haul household items around, a truck can be your most valued possession. However, trucks can be a bit more expensive, have special licensing and insurance requirements. Often truck resellers take advantage of this when they are in the business of making money so it’s a “buyers beware” market. Here are some things to look out for when shopping for a used truck:
Truck Size
When shopping for a used truck, the most important thing to consider is how big of a truck you actually need to get the job done. If you will be hauling relatively light loads or small trailers, then a nice compact truck should work nicely for you. In contrast, if you have a large boat or equipment that will be pulled around on a consistent basis, then a larger model will be better. Keeping this in mind before walking into a used truck dealership should help prevent you from driving off with an overpriced full size truck that is more looks than functional for you- with the payments to show for it.
Engine and Fuel Usage
If you are looking for value for your truck purchase, you may be surprised to find that many compact trucks get the same mileage as cars. There are compact truck models that have 4, 6, and eight cylinder engines and automatic transmissions that will give you a good mileage per dollar investment. That’s in contrast to the larger 10 and diesel engines that full size trucks offer. Unless the dealership is giving you an excellent deal on the price to compensate for the lack of fuel economy, then it’s probably not worth it to buy a full size truck for everyday use.
Safety Equipment
Today’s trucks come loaded with the best in safety equipment like anti-lock brakes, drive train slippage prevention and air bags. Just like cars, the newer year trucks will offer you, your family or employees a higher safety rating than an older used truck. That’s especially important if you will be using the truck for family transportation or as part of a corporate fleet of vehicles. When purchasing a used truck, you may want to inquire as to the safety rating and ask about any safety equipment that it has before you decide to purchase it. That can save lives in the event of an accident.
Passenger Capacity/Interior
There are three basic styles when it comes to truck interiors. These include regular cab, extended cab and crew cabs. What that means is if you will need additional room inside the truck, such as for employees or family, you will need the type of cab space to accommodate that. Too many people have learned the hard way that it’s nearly impossible for the family to ride together in a regular cab truck that has a standard transmission stick in the middle of the front seat area. Try putting a car seat there and you’ll see how frustrating that can be. When buying a used truck, try to picture who will be riding in the truck on a regular basis and how much room you will actually need.
Towing Ability
People often buy trucks to handle touch hauling jobs like towing boats, work trailers or other equipment. These can be personal or work related so in order to get the best value on a used truck, its important to inquire as to the truck’s towing ability before you buy it. Here’s a range to keep in mind: Compact trucks can tow between 1-1.5 tons, full-size trucks can tow 4-5 tons depending on how they are equipped.
Buying a used truck doesn’t have to be a major headache if you know what you want and how much you should spend. Taking some time beforehand to research the different types of trucks and their available features will save you a great deal of time, money and trouble after the fact.
About the Author
Used cars Edmonton dealer providing a massive selection of used cars including Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep cars and trucks.
Article Source: Content for Reprint
By anutt
The Necessary Truck Rack And Other Accessories
Posted on October 7th, 2009 by MOTO
If you bought a truck or SUV for hauling and cargo, do not worry. There are other truck accessories available for your vehicle.
1. Truck Racks – If you need to go somewhere with your bike, ATV, luggage, ladder, tools, or just extra junk but still need a vehicle to get to your destination, then it’s wise to install one on your vehicle. This is, of course, to protect your vehicle and your supplies. There are light weight models, and long or short racks to choose from for the perfect fit on your truck, SUV or car.
2. Cargo Carriers and Nets – This is best used for pick-up trucks. It keeps your stuff organized and you won’t have to worry about anything falling off.
3. Truck Ramps – According to your needs, you can get truck ramps in different styles. You can get folding aluminum, arc, bi-fold and tri-fold ramps. There are aluminum ramps and steel ramps, duraloaders, arched steel and standard models.
4. Cargo Securing – Install secure points for your cargo on your pick-up truck, including anchor points, tie downs, control rackets, retractable rackets, pocket anchor point, tow straps and universal anchoring system.
5. Suspensions – If you use your truck for heavy hauling, it’s best to get suspension stabilizers. It maintains a smooth ride for your pick-up truck and load and tow capacity of the truck at the same time. Suspension stabilizers also help prevent the easy and quick death of three things: your brakes, tires and suspension.
6. Towing Accessories – If you use your pick-up truck to tow stuff, then you’ll definitely need these accessories. Towing accessories include towing balls and mounts, towing hitch pins and clips, pintle hooks and tow hitch accessories.
7. Towing Electrical – Be sure to get these items along with the towing accessories: towing lights, tail light converters, brake controllers and wiring connectors.
8. Under Bed Systems – Choose between a double pivot fifth wheel hitch with or without glider or a fifth wheel glider without hitch.
9. Weight Distribution Hitches and Sway Control – These accessories will help distribute the weight of the cargo evenly on the entire length of the vehicle. It will improve handling and provide more control and stability of the vehicle while putting less strain on it, ensuring a smooth ride.
There are other truck accessories, however, that work hard to make sure that your vehicle will always give maximum performance from the inside.
1. Engine Oil Cooler Accessories and Engine Oil Coolers – Engine Oil Coolers will ensure that your engine does not overheat and will always promise you a smoother ride and longer life.
2. Electric Fans, Accessories and Thermostats – This is another way to make sure that the car is running smoothly without minimal danger of overheating.
3. Power Steering Coolers – Power Steering Coolers are used to extend the power steering pump, especially in road or street races. These coolers also reduce any heat related power steering pump failure.
4. Transmission Coolers – Transmission coolers are effective especially when your pick-up truck is used for hauling big stuff. It prevents transmission fluid from overheating. Spending money on transmission coolers is less expensive than having to go to the repair shop and spend lots of money on repairs.
In case of emergencies, it’s also best if you can be prepared with these additional items for your vehicle:
1. Consoles – You can choose between a dash mount or floor mount console to help you in emergencies. Your console just could save your life if you are ever stuck in the snow, or have a car accident that could strand you for days. Fill it with supplies and items you’ll need if you ever get suck on, or off, the roads.
2. Trunk Trays and Cargo Organizers – Trunk Trays and Cargo Organizers keep your stuff organized and in place. So that the next time you have an emergency, you won’t have to lose any time simply looking for the tools you’ll need.
3. Skid Plates – Protect the underside of your vehicle with these skid plates.
4. Emergency Lighting – There is nothing worse than getting stuck with a car emergency, except getting stuck with a car emergency in the dark. So stock up on those emergency lights and safety flare kits.
You don’t have to have a truck rack and other truck accessories, especially if you can’t afford them. But overall you can see that providing a little up front investment in your vehicle can provide you with safety and cost effectiveness over time.
About the Author
Andy West is a writer for Buy Auto Truck Accessories, an online retailer of the best SUV and truck accessories, bar none! Get a truck rack or some chrome accessories to go with your new truck or SUV. Visit BuyAutoTruckAccessories.com for more information!
Article Source: Content for Reprint
By andywest
The Importance of Good Batteries
Posted on September 23rd, 2009 by MOTO
Recently, I decided it was time to clean up my Chevy Suburban, and get it sold. Realizing that this market isn’t necessarily the best for selling a large, gas guzzling vehicle, I made the choice to do it anyway. Why? Mostly because I actually had very little money in the vehicle, so anything I was able to get from a sale would be nearly all profit.
Of course the first thing I needed to do was get the truck cleaned up and start fixing all those “little things” that never get done when you are driving a vehicle full time. The truck had been sitting out at the side of the house for over a year, and when I went to start it, I remembered that I’d wisely removed the batter cables.
The reason for disconnecting those cables was to save the battery. Well either I waited too long or the battery was not very good quality when I purchased it. Fortunately for me, I bought it at a local auto parts house that stood behind their products.
All that was necessary was for me to bring in the battery. They tested it, and when it wouldn’t hold a charge, they actually sold me a new one at a deep discount. That was a very cool thing to have happened!
The New Eclipse
Posted on August 31st, 2009 by MViews
On my way home from my doctor’s appointment the other day, I saw the new Mitsubishi Eclipse on the road. I’ve seen them before, but I always forget how different they look — very sleek and sporty, rather like a Nissan Z.
Have you ever heard of “house envy” — the desire to always live in a house bigger and better than your own? You might say that I have car envy. I constantly see cars on the road that I could totally see myself driving. If my finances didn’t prohibit it, I would probably run out and buy my newest desire every time.
It does make sense why I would like the new Eclipse, though. I’ve always been a sports car person, and with my Z not running, I’m experiencing manual transmission withdrawals — our other car is an automatic (boo). Since the Eclipse reminds me so much of the newest model Z cars, it’s natural that they would attract my attention.
Maybe what I should do is head down to the Mitsubishi dealer and see if I can test drive one — in a manual transmission, of course. It might give me my “driving stick” fix and get me through until my car is running again — plus it would be really nice to see how the Eclipse feels on the road!
Hiring a Moving Truck vs. Using Your Own
Posted on July 27th, 2009 by MViews
You’ve probably seen the bumper sticker that says, “Yes this is my truck/No I won’t help you move.” There’s a reason why that sticker is so popular — people are always trying hit up someone with a truck to help them move.
Even if you do have your own truck, though, sometimes it’s a better idea to rent a truck than to use yours. For instance, you might find renting a truck to be a better idea if…
- You either need a bigger truck, or will need to make a lot of trips
- You are mving quite a long distance away
- Your truck doesn’t have a bed liner or anything to protect the bed from scratches and dents
- You have lots of valuable furniture that needs to be move and packed very carefully, so that it doesn’t become damaged
These are all good reasons to rent a truck instead of using your own, even if you have a truck available to you.
Also, bear in mind that if you are moving stuff to a self storage facility, some places have trucks that they rent out free to folks who are moving in. If the truck is free, why not take it? It will save a lot of wear and tear on your own vehicle!
Best Cars for Teenagers
Posted on July 26th, 2009 by MViews
When helping your teenager choose their first car, there are a few things you will want to keep in mind. Obviously you will want to make sure your kid is as safe as possible, not to mention that they have a reliable car. Here are a few tips to help you make a sound decision.
- Get a car that is known for reliability. For example, Toyota and Honda are well known for being reliable and long lasting. Furthermore, it is pretty easy to find Honda Civic or Toyota Tundra parts, so even if anything does go wrong it shouldn’t be extraordinarily difficult or expensive to fix.
- Get a car that is known for being safe. Your kid’s safety is of course one of your biggest concerns, so you will probably be interested in checking out safety ratings for cars before selecting one for your teen. Of course teens are by nature kind of reckless, so I don’t recommend getting your kid a brand-new car or anything. Find an oldie but goodie that does well in a crash!
- Get a car that is practical. Many teens want sports cars or trucks, but in reality something that seats more people (and doesn’t tempt them to go as fast) is a more practical choice. A sedan or an SUV should fit that bill.
A teen’s first car is a big decision, particularly because they could have that car for years before they buy a new one. Be sure you