Battery Chargers for Automobiles

Once upon a time, the battery charger cables would be connected to the terminals of your battery, you pushed a button, and you hung around for a bit. You would peek at the dial once in a while to assure yourself that you weren't overcharging the battery, and you shut it off at the specific time it was done.

Fortunately, the charging operations have become significantly faster than they once were. Nearly every car has a 12 volt battery, and so do marine batteries and power sporting equipment. You must use a battery charger that is suitable for your battery to extend its life and save money in the long run. If you neglect to use the kind of charger that is recommended by your battery manufacturer, the warranty you have on your lead acid battery, AGM, or gel cell may be null and void. Using an incompatible charger can damage your battery.

To determine which battery charger is the best one for the sort of battery you have, there are some things you must know. First of all, find out what kind of battery is in your automobile, and find out how much storage capacity it has. As your car battery is typically just utilized when starting your automobile, for lighting, and for your music system when your car isn't operating, and the battery recharges when the car is running, you may not feel that storage capacity is that important.

The regular automobile battery can hold approximately 50 amp hours, while a marine battery may store 100 amp hours. Both kinds of batteries provide 12 volts of electricity; however, if entirely dead, they will recharge for different amounts of time with a charger that carries 10 amps, say six to eleven hours, respectively. Be sure that the automobile battery charger you are purchasing has sufficient charging power to satisfy your requirements. If a charger has more power, the time that it will take to get your battery up to speed will be more brief.

With all of that out of the way let us tell you that it isn't as hard or complicated as some of that may have seemed. Most of the typical home chargers are simply plug and play just like your home computer. All you do is connect the battery; set it and forget it. Please follow along to find out more for your car battery needs on the following pages.

The Great Honda Race

Though from humble origins, Soichiro Honda never set out to merely dominate the Japanese market. He had bigger plans. "I knew that if I could succeed in the world market," Soichiro Honda once said, "then automatically it would follow that we [would lead] in the Japanese market." As early as 946, Soichiro Honda foresaw the need for affordable, fuel-efficient transportation. As a result, the first vehicle to roll off his assembly line was a 98 cc two-stroke motorcycle. Fittingly, this first two-wheeled vehicle was dubbed "The Dream."

Throwing caution to the wind, Honda quickly overextended himself. He purchased an entire factory's worth of new manufacturing equipment without a viable commodity to pay for the cost. When the utilitarian, but bland Juno Scooter flopped in worldwide markets, Honda was virtually weeks away from filing for bankruptcy. What saved the company was not an outside financier or foreign interventionist. It was a race.

The odds of placing, much less winning at the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Race, were not favorable. Honda being something of an incorrigible gambler, defied the odds by focusing on a notion that was still in its infancy: branding. Honda was less interested in actually winning than in introducing the Honda motorcycle to a new generation of riders. Impressed by the ruggedness of the motorcycles and the determination of the riders, including the renowned Japanese rider, Naomi Taniguchi, fans began to take notice.

In 1964, the mere notion that the automotive world would come to be dominated by a Japanese company was incomprehensible. Up to that point in history, the Japanese were know for manufacturing cheap tin toys and disposable trinkets. Indeed, most fans and industry insiders ridiculed their first forays into motorcycle manufacturing. It would not be an easy road for this fledgling company.

The gamble paid off -- but in a roundabout way. Rather than winning the race, Honda managed to win the hearts and minds of some of motorcycling's top riders. In light of increased international interest and orders, the looming bankruptcy faded into history as sales picked up. This reputation would come to be invaluable as Honda began to steer itself towards the manufacturing and perfection of the automobile.

Tips To Increase Fuel Efficiency

Fuel economy is the new buzzword, because an optimum fuel economy directly relates to lesser pressure on the environment and the green cover of the earth.

You will find so many tips on increasing fuel economy that there is a chance that you will be overwhelmed. Well, given down below are some of the most significant tips that can help conserve fuel and enhance fuel economy.

1) Pressure in tyres - Having correct tyre pressure is one of the simplest things that can increase the fuel efficiency. Every vehicle has an optimum tyre pressure limit and you can find this in the manual or handbook of your vehicle. If you are consistent in maintaining the right tyre pressure, you can save up to 10% on fuel and increase the life of tyres by 13%.

2) Right pedal pressure - Long-term Drivers tend to develop habits over a period of time and one of the intricate ones is that they push the pedal too hard for acceleration or braking. This tends to eat up fuel and increases consumption by about 30%. It is not a bad idea for fleet managers to try and educate the drivers to go soft on the pedals.

3) Driving with open windows & Aircon - These are very common sense items. If you drive with open windows or Aircon then your fuel consumption is definitely higher. So, you would be better off in ensuring that the windows are closed and Aircon is off and the vents are open for ventilation.

4) Speed - interestingly if you drive at 80mph instead of 70mph you will use around 10% more fuel so stick to the 70mph mark on motorways rather than speeding along at 80mph it will save you a lot (oh yeah and it's illegal)

5) Get in Gear - you can also save a lot on fuel by changing gear at the right time, staying in a lower gear too long will use up fuel, change up as soon as possible (as long as it's safe to do so) doing this can give you an extra 15% fuel economy.

Well, if you give these steps a try you can have a better and happier period between the fuel fills. Good luck and happy saving on your fleet expenses.

Can You Prove Seat Belts Save Lives?

Any literature from the typical car insurance company emphasizes the importance of road safety. The executives at such companies realize that use of seat belts needs to be seen as an important component of such safety issues.

Still, a number of adults drive around without the added safety of seat belts. They simply refuse to "buckle up." That fact explains the thinking behind a promotional campaign, a campaign conducted by one car insurer.

The most important details about that promotional campaign have appeared in a magazine published by one insurance company-Geico. Their Fall/Winter 2009 issue invites young people to win an added bit of cash. That cash goes to the winners of a planned contest.

The article referred to in the above paragraph offers information about an ongoing poster and video contest. Each of the contest entries is supposed to highlight the insurance of safety that a driver enjoys, whenever he or she uses a seat belt. The same article includes pictures of the winning posters in past contests.

During an earlier contest, judges had been impressed with the entry from Brandon Kim. He had used his artistic skills to create a caricature, the depiction of a family riding in a car. Moreover, he had put that family in the safe embrace of two arms.

In large letters above that car, he printed these words: "Buckle Up." A phrase placed below that car said, "Be Safe." The thin publication with his winning entry shows Kim's smiling visage as well.

Another picture in the same publication offers a glimpse at one of the top computer generated posters. However, not a single picture reveals just what the judges hope to see in a video presentation. After all, the year 2009 is the first year for inclusion of that category.

While contestants lack the example of a winning video, those contestants can still win praise from many car insurance agents. The entries submitted by those contestants can demonstrate their growing appreciation for seat belt safety.