1.  Visit your local auto parts store to purchase the correct wipers for your specific vehicle.

2.  Remove your old wipers.  Be careful when removing them because the wiper arm is metal.  One mishap and you could scratch or crack your windshield with them. 

In order to remove your old wiper, pull the entire assembly away from the windshield, where it will hold its own position.  Hold the wiper arm with one hand and use the other to depress the small tab on the underside of the wiper where it meets the metal arm.  Once it’s depressed, you can slide the wiper off the arm by pulling the center toward the bottom of the arm.

Once you remove the old blades, carefully put the wiper arm back in its resting place on the windshield.  However proceed with caution as it will snap back if you simply just let it go.

3.  Using the instructions on the new packaging, line up the new pieces into place with the wiper arm so you’re able to attach it.  Don’t get frustrating, it can be somewhat challenging to get new ones on during your first attempt.  If you’re having problems, look at the side of the wiper where it attaches to the metal arm.  There’s one end of the plastic clip that’s flat and the other is curved.  Rotate the plastic clip until the cure side is pointing toward the wiper blade.  Hold the wiper upside down next to the metal wiper arm.  You’ll see that curve in the arm match to the curved top of the plastic clip.

4.  Once it’s lined up, you can put it all together.  Lower the wiper over the wiper arm putting the arm between the sides of the wiper.  Make sure the open end of the curve is facing the plastic clip.  Move that curved hook over the plastic clip then pull the wiper upward so the clip’s rounded edge slides into the hook.  Pull tightly so the assembly clicks into place.  You will feel and hear this.

5.  Finally, lower the wipers back to the windshield into their resting position.

As I mentioned, replacing your wipers can often be frustrating.   Don’t get discouraged.  Use this information along with the instructions on your new parts to successfully change your wipers.  If you still feel that you need assistance, you can always ask an employee at your local auto parts store or search the Internet for videos with someone visually walking you through it.

Tags: Auto Parts, Maintenance and Repair

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Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) today announced the start of order specification for the 2011 model year Nissan LEAF – the industry’s first 100-percent electric car for the mass market – for those customers who have placed a reservation online. Consumers will now be able to choose the color and trim level of their Nissan LEAF, bringing them one step closer to a tailpipe-, gas- and emission-free future.

The ordering process for Nissan LEAF will be prioritized based on when consumers submitted their original reservations online and by the consumer’s market. Over the next several weeks, reservation holders will begin to receive emails informing them how to submit an order. They will contact a dealer to negotiate their price and finalize the order for the purchase or lease of Nissan LEAF.

Once a consumer’s order has been agreed with a dealer it will be placed in sequence for production and delivery according to the consumer’s market. These future Nissan LEAF drivers will be informed of an estimated delivery timing upon completing the order process.

“Today Nissan moves one step closer to placing thousands of zero-emission electric cars on American roadways,” said Brian Carolin, senior vice president, Sales & Marketing, Nissan North America. “As more than 80 percent of those customers placing a reservation are new to Nissan, we look forward to welcoming them as they embrace Nissan’s innovation and begin zero-emission driving.”

Nissan previously announced SV and SL trim introductory pricing for the 2011 Nissan LEAF on March 30. Today, the company is providing additional information to reservationists, including detailed factory and port installed options content. Currently, more than 18,600 people in the United States have made a reservation for the Nissan LEAF, drawing closer to the target of 20,000 reservations by December.

In preparation for the opening of the Nissan website for customer orders on Aug. 31 in California, Arizona, Tennessee, Washington and Oregon, additional specifications have been released for the MY 2011 Nissan LEAF SV ($32,780) and the Model Year 11 Nissan LEAF SL ($33,720).

For more information about pricing and options packaging, along with vehicle specifications, are available at www.nissannews.com.

Tags: Car Shopping

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Being green doesn’t have to mean you have to spend a lot of green.  According to the Car Care Council, by properly maintaining your vehicle’s fuel system, you will not only improve the performance of your vehicle, but lower its emissions and save money at the pump, too.

“A well-maintained fuel system is essential for good gas mileage,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council.  ”By simply replacing your car’s fuel filter every two years or 24,000 miles and having your fuel injectors flushed our every 30,000 miles, you will not only have a cleaner, ‘greener’ car, but you will also spend less ‘green’ at the pump.” 

In addition to routine maintenance, your fuel system should be checked immediately if you smell gas, or suddenly have poor fuel economy, because there might be leak in the fuel system. If the “Check Engine” light is illuminated, it may mean a problem with the fuel injectors or oxygen sensors. While oxygen sensors are part of the emission system, they have a large impact on your vehicle’s fuel economy.The fuel system in your car includes a pressure regulator, fuel injectors, lines/hoses, fuel filter, fuel tank and one or more fuel pumps. These components work together to supply fuel to the vehicle as needed. The fuel system transfers fuel from the fuel tank, passing it through a fuel filter for cleaning before it arrives at the injectors. A pressure regulator controls fuel pressure to ensure good engine performance under a variety of speed and load conditions. Fuel injectors, when activated, spray a metered amount of fuel into the engine. Some vehicles use a return line system to return unused fuel back to the tank.”While the fuel system may seem complex, preventative maintenance will keep it running at peak performance and keep you in the ‘green,’” said White.

Tags: Advice, General, Maintenance and Repair

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                                                                                                                                                                      Not only did the two want to gather car lovers from all around, they wanted to raise money for great causes like the Kansas Aviation Museum, abused children and McPherson College.  In order to do so, the team put together a Barrett Jackson style auto auction, a car show, quarter mile racing, auto x, cruises and an outdoor experience with vendors and Ford.  That’s right; Ford itself was the major sponsor for this huge event!  Lined up for attendees were the new Raptor, available for ride alongs in the dirt course; the new Boss 302 on display; and hot laps in the Shelby that was present at the 2010 Daytona 500 (as pictured).

I was lucky to get a sneak peek at the event on Thursday afternoon, including close up access to a number of the vehicles being sold at the auction.  Included in the auction were a variety of old muscle cars, a Raptor and a trike specifically built and donated for the auction by a local builder.

On Saturday morning, a portion of our historic downtown was shut down for the car show participants to line up in all their glory.  With over 500 cars, trucks and bikes present, there was something for everyt auto enthusiast to love.  As an added treat, there were also helicopter rides available for a reasonable cost.  What better way to see the event then from the sky?

BlackTop Nationals plans for this to be a recurring annual event, and I couldn’t be more excited.  I live in a town full of auto enthusiasts from all walks of life.  This event truly offered something for everyone and, the best part:  It was free for all spectators with the exception of a minimal charge to enter the auction.

Congratulations to Frank, Rick and the BlackTop Nationals team for offering up one amazing event.  I look forward to next year.

Tags: Car Shopping, Events

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The 2011 Ford Fiesta is the first mini-car to earn a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) since the introduction of a new roof strength test. The award applies to vehicles built after July 2010. The Fiesta is the eighth Ford Motor Company vehicle to earn the Institute’s top designation – breaking a tie with Toyota for the most “Top Safety Picks” of any automaker.

Fiesta’s extensive use of high-strength steels, Trinity front crash structure, Side Protection And Cabin Enhancement (SPACE) Architecture and advanced airbag technologies helped the car perform well in IIHS testing. Fiesta’s energy-absorbing body structure is optimized for strength and stiffness and designed to absorb and redirect crash forces away from the passenger compartment. Plus, it features the most standard airbags in its segment, as well as standard electronic stability control – a must-have feature for Top Safety Pick eligibility.

“Fiesta is proof that a small car can deliver big safety, and earning a Top Safety Pick further demonstrates Ford’s commitment to providing all of our customers with world-class crash protection,” said Sue Cischke, Ford’s group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. “Fiesta combines rigidity and more airbags – smartly deployed – than its competition, as well as standard stability control.”

Strong and stylish

Beneath Fiesta’s stylish exterior is a robust structure, crafted from high-strength steels engineered to preserve quality and enhance driver and passenger safety.

Fiesta uses significant cold- and hot-formed high-strength steel in the body structure. These components add rigidity and save weight, increasing structural efficiency while also helping Fiesta deliver class-leading fuel efficiency of 40 mpg, which is achieved with Ford’s new six-speed PowerShift automatic transmission.

More than 55 percent of Fiesta’s body structure uses these high-strength or ultra-high-strength steels in the floor structure, front rails, beams and in the ultra-rigid, integrated body reinforcement ring designed to help better protect occupants in side impacts.

Fiesta A- and B-pillars are fashioned from ultra-high-strength aluminized boron steel, adding robustness while allowing for slim width and rake to honor Fiesta’s distinctive design. Rocker panels – with welded baffles to absorb impact – also are crafted from very high-strength, dual-phase steels, known for their energy-absorption qualities. The side roof arch employs dual-phase steel construction. The under-floor support beams – so-called sled runners – and lateral floor reinforcements also use high-strength, dual-phase steel. These light but strong metals in Fiesta’s robust body shell help enhance crash protection by adding strength, rigidity and durability.

Segment-busting safety

The Fiesta body shell is well equipped with safety features to help protect its occupants in the event of a collision, including the most standard airbags in the segment.

Fiesta offers a segment-exclusive driver’s knee airbag, developed to help reduce lower leg injuries in the event of a frontal collision and to work together with other safety features. The knee airbag joins a suite of Fiesta safety features including dual-stage first-row airbags, side-impact airbags and side curtain airbags. A knee airbag won’t be found in Honda Fit, Nissan Versa or Toyota Yaris. Move up to Civic, Sentra and Corolla and you still won’t find a driver’s knee airbag.

“Smart” Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) sensors determine occupant weight and seat belt status to optimize deployment force. Smart sensors include the class-exclusive side-impact sensor that uses pressure to react up to 30 percent faster than previous sensor offerings.

Also available on the Fiesta is Ford’s AdvanceTrac® with ESC (electronic stability control), which uses sensors to detect and measure yaw, or side-to-side skidding conditions, by monitoring vehicle speed, throttle position and steering wheel angle. When AdvanceTrac senses wheel slip, engine torque is reduced and braking is applied where needed to help the driver keep the car tracking on its intended path.

“Fiesta sets a new benchmark for small car safety,” Cischke said. “Fiesta is a clear example that making a safe car doesn’t mean making a large car or a heavy car. Fiesta has it all; safety, good design and driving character.”

Source: PRNewswire

Tags: Automobile Safety, Car Shopping

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