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Rentals

Enterprise Rent-A-Car
341-1000
165 S Seminary St
Enterprise Rent-A-Car

11 Essential Gadgets in Auto Tool Kits

An auto tool kit can provide you with a great assortment of vital tools for your auto repairs. Here are a few to make sure your kit comes with.

Basics

Auto tool kits should have all the basics, like wrenches, screws, pliers, extra fuses and oil.

Safety Equipment

It’s vital that you have safety equipment in your tool kit. You’ll want to make sure you have a fully stocked first aid kit and a flash light.

Fuel Injector Testers

This may not be as cheap as some of the basic tools, but they can be useful. You can use them as a great diagnostic tool. You can find kits available at any auto part supply store.

Hydraulic Jack

If you want easy access to the undercarriage of your car, this is essential. Whether your task is replacing a simple flat tire, or you have a major undervaluing, a hydraulic jack will make your life much easier.

Suction Cups

During car repair you may be surprised at how much you can use these small inexpensive cups to help a repair job go faster. A suction cup can be used to keep a window up while working, or to hold a small tool on to a door. These are easy to store and are handy to keep around.

Battery Terminal Cables

Having a set or two of terminal cables on hand is essential. They aren’t expensive and store easily in any toolbox or bag.

Brake Bleeders

The braking system is one of the most important systems in a car. Since brakes are different in all models of cars you want to make sure your bleeders are the right size for the model you have. These can make a brake job much easier and faster.

Battery Chargers

It’s good to have a battery charger on hand for just in case scenarios.

Voltage Meters

It’s a good idea to have a meter in your auto tool kit. This can help you to determine the cause of any shorts you are experiencing.

Owners Manuals and Repair Guides

When all else fails, turning to a repair guide or the owners manual can certainly help a lot. Having these on hand doesn’t make you a lesser mechanic, it makes you a smarter one.

Fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve your mileage by as much as 40 percent.

Fuel Economy Benefit: 4%
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.13/gallon

Check & Replace Air Filters Regularly

Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car's gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. Your car's air filter keeps impurities from damaging the inside of your engine. Not only will replacing a dirty air filter save gas, it will protect your engine.

Fuel Economy Benefit: up to 10%
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: up to $0.31/gallon

Keep Tires Properly Inflated

You can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.

Fuel Economy Benefit: up to 3%
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: up to $0.09/gallon

Use the Recommended Grade of Motor Oil

You can improve your gas mileage by 1-2 percent by using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1-2 percent. Using 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage by 1-1.5 percent. Also, look for motor oil that says "Energy Conserving" on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.

Fuel Economy Benefit: 1-2%
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.03-$0.06/gallon

Note: Cost savings are based on an assumed fuel price of $3.07/gallon.

Information provided by  www.doityourself.com

New! Is This the Lost Elvis Car? 
    
    TULSA, Okla., March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dan Kruse-Leake Collector Car Show & Auction will kick off their first auction in San Antonio's Alamodome with a 1971 Cuda thought to be purchased by and titled to Elvis Presley. Some believe that the car was purchased by Elvis in Louisville, KY in November of 1971 as a gift to a female friend.
    The current owner purchased the 1971 Plymouth Cuda in March of 2008 from a car collector dealership in Miami. While upgrading the drive train, his mechanic discovered what appeared to be the title to the vehicle between the carpet and the floor pan. The vin number on the title does match the vin number on the Cuda. Elvis Aaron Presley is listed as the owner on the title. The Ohio Department of Motor Vehicles cannot confirm or deny that the title is authentic. Graceland had no comment. 
"Upon further phone calls and research regarding the validity of the title to a 1971 Cuda purportedly owned by Elvis Presley, research confirms that the title is fake."

    "We have now received additional information that confirms the title is counterfeit. It was never the intent of Dan Kruse Classic or Leake Auction Company to mislead anyone about the purported Elvis ownership of this car," stated Richard Sevenoaks, president of Leake Auction Company. "Great efforts are made to ascertain the authenticity of celebrity ownership on any cars. We regret any confusion this may have caused."
    "True or false there is a fabulous story regarding the history of this car's ownership," states Richard Sevenoaks, president of Leake Auction Company
    Another exciting addition to the San Antonio auction will be a 1969
Dodge Charger from John Schneider's private collection. This is car number one of four Chargers that Schneider transformed into the "General Lee".
This car can be seen in the "Behind the Scenes with Bo" DVD. Schneider used this car for charities and photo shoots. In 1998 it was on display in Floyd Garrett's Muscle Car Museum in Tennessee. Schneider has also agreed to personally speak with any serious, prospective buyer, via phone or email, about this car's authenticity.
    The auction will also feature a 1936 Lincoln V12 K Model Boat Tail
Speedster. This car was custom built by Howard Hughes to be used as his
personal limo.
    The auction will be held in San Antonio's Alamodome on Saturday, March 21. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Doors open at 9am. 300 cars are anticipated to cross the two-ring auction block.
Leake Auction Company was established in 1964 as one of the first car auctions in the country. More than 40 years later the auction company has sold more than 31,000 cars. Leake Auction Company currently operates
auctions in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Online
at http://www.LeakeCar.com.  

 Drive Green

Green cars are now engineered to bring out an all-new level of power and performance.  When you think of hybrid or electric cars, speed has always been an issue.  Today’s eco-friendly cars could make enthusiasts forget this item,  They have more get up and go, better mileage and the best thing is they help us save our environment.  Green cars are now engineered to bring out an all-new level of power and performance.  In the first half of last year over 700,000 hybrids, diesel and ethanol vehicles were sold.  Concerns about gas prices and global warming, combined with improved technologies, have precipitated booming interest in green cars that go fast.  Today’s green super cars are now easy to acquire than previous years, many of the automakers have plans to release new models in the coming years.  However, the real winners in tomorrow’s market may come from upstart companies that have little connection with the oil industry.
Jay Leno, talk show host and car collector, owns a number of classic electric cars like the 1909 Baker Electric.  He has stated that batteries have not improved much over the last several decades, but sees it will soon happen in the near future.  Battery life remains the biggest hurdle in developing electric cars.  Most of the eco-super cars use electricity for propulsion and few people are willing to drive a performance car that can rarely exceed a range of 250 miles on the latest lithium ion batteries. The current challenge is how to make electric vehicles affordable.  There’s always the expectation of a breakthrough in battery technology,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and contributor to ForbesAutos.com.    


EBC Green Stuff Brake Pads, EBC - Brakes & Brake Pads - Brake Pads
 




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AutoTrader.com Sweepstakes Offers Chance at $50,000 for the Car of Your Dreams

    ATLANTA, March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- AutoTrader.com wants to give one lucky winner $50,000 toward the purchase of a car on AutoTrader.com and test your knowledge of brands with the online Match It game.
    The online Match It game is a fun and addictive brain teaser that has
players match auto maker logos. Players click on game panels to reveal and match the logos while the clock ticks down. Players then play a bonus round where they match AutoTrader.com slogans as they scroll up with the same
slogans on a game board. Throughout the game, players are encouraged to
enter the sweepstakes for $50,000 towards the purchase of a new, used or
certified pre-owned car on AutoTrader.com. Visitors to the game site do not have to play the game to enter and there is no purchase necessary to enter.
See official rules at http://www.autotrader.com/win.
    "We've created a high energy, interactive experience that entertains
and excites while giving people a chance to win a pretty big prize!" said
AutoTrader.com Director of Sponsorships and Promotions Don Dixon.    The online game and sweepstakes runs until December 31, 2009 and a
winner of the sweepstakes will be announced in early 2010.

TUFFY® OVERHEAD SECURITY CONSOLES

Fusion Hybrid Game-Changer for Ford
By Byron Pope
WardsAuto.com, Mar 2, 2009 8:13 AM

If Ford Motor Co. can keep churning out vehicles such as the ’10 Fusion Hybrid sedan, it will go a long way toward silencing critics of the Detroit auto makers.

The Fusion Hybrid is more than just a timely product offering. It’s also a useful public-relations tool, as evidenced by the media coverage the auto maker received when the car earned an Environmental Protection Agency fuel-economy rating of 41 mpg (5.7 L/100 km) in the city and 36 mpg (6.5 L/100 km) on the highway. That translates to 38.5 mpg (6.1 L/100 km) combined.
 Those kinds of numbers demonstrate Detroit indeed can build viable products for today’s fuel-conscious environment. But they also prove challenging to duplicate during a recent test drive.
The best we can squeeze out of the Fusion Hybrid is a combined 33 mpg (7.1 L/100 km).
In all fairness, our seat time came in the midst of a brutal Michigan winter cold snap. Running the heater at nearly full blast most of the time siphons power from the battery, causing the car to rely more often on its gasoline engine.
The weather also limits the speeds at which we are able to drive in all-electric mode. Ford says the Fusion Hybrid can travel up to 47 mph (76 km/h) on juice alone, significantly higher than most other hybrids on the road today.
However, we only are able to achieve about 30 mph (48 km/h) in all-electric mode. And that requires a feather-light touch on the accelerator. Pressing the pedal too hard immediately kick-starts the gas engine.
We blame the heater again.  Still, the Fusion Hybrid delivers pleasant surprises, as well. A good example is Ford’s nifty new display dubbed SmartGauge with EcoGuide, which provides real-time powertrain information to help drivers maximize fuel efficiency.
The new instrument cluster features an analog speedometer in the center, flanked by two full-color liquid-crystal display screens.  The screens can be reconfigured to display different levels of information, including fuel level, battery-charge status and average fuel economy. The screen on the right displays a graphic of leaves and vines that grow, or shrink, depending on how economically the vehicle is driven.
Although it may seem a bit gimmicky to some, the graphic is a clever way to enjoyably eke out better performance.  It’s difficult not to glance at the graphic, because it serves as an instantaneous report card. You can’t imagine the disappointment that sets in when the leaves fall off the vine.
For the Fusion Hybrid and its sibling, the Mercury Milan Hybrid, Ford improves on the powertrain used in the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrid cross/utility vehicles. The Escape Hybrid won a Ward’s 10 Best Engines award for 2009.  The Fusion utilizes new nickel-metal-hydride “traction” battery cells in its packs, which are lighter and generate 20% more power than those used in the Escape and Mariner.
The Fusion battery packs are tucked neatly behind the rear seat to conserve valuable cabin room. Trunk space is only slightly compromised: 11.8 cu.-ft. (0.3 cu.-m) for the hybrid model vs. the 16.5 cu.-ft. (0.5 cu.-m) in the gas-powered Fusion.  The pack placement does not detract from the car’s handling. Having the extra weight in the middle of the car seems to help it “swivel” around corners, unlike hybrids with rear-mounted batteries that cause the back end to swing out a bit too easily.  The battery powers a 275-volt, permanent-magnet AC synchronous motor that produces 106 hp. The instant torque inherent to electric drivertrains affords an exhilarating experience in the Fusion Hybrid, as the rush of speed from a full stop is accompanied by an eerie silence from the ultra-quiet electric motor.

’10 Ford Fusion Hybrid Vehicle type Front-engine, front-wheel drive, 5-passenger sedan
Engine 2.5L DOHC inline 4-cyl.
Power (SAE net) 156 hp @ 6,000 rpm
Torque 136 lb.-ft (184 Nm) @ 2,250 rpm
Compression ratio 12.3:1
Electric motor 79 kW (106 hp) @ 6,500 rpm, 275-volt NiMH battery
Transmission Continuously variable
Wheelbase 107.4 ins. (273 cm)
Overall length 190.6 ins. (484 cm)
Overall width 72.2 ins. (183 cm)
Overall height 56.9 ins. (145 cm)
Curb weight 3,720 lbs. (1,687 kg)
Base price $27,270
Fuel economy 41/36 mpg (5.7/6.5 L/100 km) city/highway
Competition Toyota Camry Hybrid, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid
Pros Cons
Rated at 41 mpg in the city Unable able to top 33 mpg (7.0 L/100 km)
New slimmer battery pack Eats into trunk room
“Capable of” 47 mph in EV mode Achieved only 30 mph

The Fusion’s gas engine also receives an upgrade over previous iterations. The new 2.5L inline 4-cyl. mill produces 155 hp and 136 lb.-ft. (184 Nm) of peak torque and is mated to an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission.  The gas engine is a good fit for this hybrid application – not too small to provide sufficient power and not too large to erode fuel economy.  Since the gas engine typically kicks in after reaching 30 mph (48 km/h) or so, it’s difficult to assess the level of low-end oomph. On the few occasions where conditions call for the gas engine to launch the car from a standstill, it does not disappoint, doing its job effortlessly.
The transition between gas and electric mode is surprisingly seamless. Much more so than other hybrids we’ve driven. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to tell when you are in gas mode without looking at the instrumentation, whereas some hybrids make the switch with a noticeable lurch.  Except for the futuristic-looking SmartGauge with EcoGuide, the Fusion Hybrid’s interior is unassuming; there’s nothing extraordinary screaming “I’m a hybrid!”
Although our tester has fabric seats, they are quite comfortable, with plenty of side support.  Instrumentation is well laid out, and most of the controls are fairly intuitive, although learning the ins and outs of SmartGauge with EcoGuide takes some time.  The cabin is remarkably quiet due to an acoustic windshield, thicker front-door glass than the previous generation Fusion, new hood insulators, sound deadening in the trunk and new interior headliner material.
For ’10, Ford spruces up the exterior of the Fusion, giving it a much sportier appearance than the outgoing model. A new “Powerdome” hood complements a lowered front end, which suggests a wider, squatter look.  New headlamps, grille and a larger fog-lamp area round out the front end, while in back, the car receives new taillamps, a restyled deck lid and tailored rear fascia.

Our tester stickers at $29,590, including a $725 destination and delivery charge. That’s a lot of money for a midsize sedan but about middle-of-the-pack for a hybrid. And when you add in the $3,400 available government tax credit, the Fusion Hybrid starts to look like quite the bargain.  Overall, the Fusion Hybrid is able to compete with, and often surpass, other hybrids in the market.

But its largest contribution may well be as a game-changer for Ford.

Move to Daylight Savings Time
Increases Risk of Drowsy Driving