Thursday, October 30, 2008

Tips on Where and How to Recycle Your Motor Oil

Motor oil, or what some of us refer to as dinosaur oil, can be a nuisance to handle and problematic when you don’t know the proper way of disposal. But there is help. Recycling the icky sticky oil is good for the environment. In fact, in most states it is illegal to pour it down the drain or throw it away in the trash.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why. Just in case you don’t know, here’s a reminder: pouring used oil down a drain or storm sewer will eventually cause it to seep into streams, lakes, or the wetlands. This causes a lot of innocent animal life to become coated with oil and eventually may cause their death. Oil sticks to everything from bird feathers to beach sand. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that used oil from one oil change can contaminate one million gallons of fresh water. That’s a year’s supply for 50 people. Along with causing death and destruction or getting yourself a big fat fine, there are many horrible effects of not spending the time that is necessary to recycle your motor oil. This is why we have published ways you can recycle your engine oil safely and effectively.

Put your used oil in a clean plastic container and make sure it has a tight lid. Don’t mix the oil with any other gases, solvents, or antifreeze. Keep it as pure as engine oil can be. This insures that every drop of it will be suitable for recycling. Take your used oil to a nearby recycling center, a service station, an oil change business, or any other location that will accept oil. If you can’t find a place near you, try looking online by doing a simple onlne search for “recycle oil” and the name of your city or town. 99% of the time a local oil change business that recycles oil will pop up.

Not only can you recycle the oil, but you can also properly dispose of the used oil filter. After you take out the old oil filter, drain the oil out of it by punching an air hole in the top. Let the filter completely drain. It takes about 12-24 hours to do. Then you can safely dispose of it.

There are plenty of reasons why recycling motor oil is the right thing to do. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that on average, about four million people reuse motor oil as a lubricant for equipment or at a recycling facility. Nowadays, we can take motor oil and re-refine it into new oil, using it as raw material for petroleum industries. One gallon of used motor oil provides the same 2.5 quarts of lubricating oil as 42 gallons of crude oil.

If you are still unsure of the proper way to recycle motor oil, then leave it to the experts. There are plenty of oil change businesses across America, and finding one in your neighborhood will not be a challenge. If you choose to change your oil yourself, then become the four million and one used motor oil recycler! With everyone’s help, we could start to eliminate much of our foreign oil need. All we need is to take these necessary steps!



Tim LaGanke, Jr. is president of QuickChange Oil, an oil change company , with locations across Northeast Ohio. QuickChange is currently seeking applicants interested in the oil change franchise business. Please contact LaGanke at gank@quickchangeoil.com for more information.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Driving rain? Tips to staying safe when driving in the wet

The British weather can be trying at the best of times, but with traffic jams, road-works and a host of other hazards to contend with, so too can driving on Britain’s roads! But when you find yourself caught in a downpour behind the wheel, what can you do to keep yourself safe?

The first thing you should do is keep a good distance from the car in front. It’s advisable to keep a two second gap in normal, dry conditions but in the wet your stopping distance is roughly doubled so you should aim to keep at least four seconds away from the vehicle you’re following. One method of doing this is to pick out a static object at the roadside such as a direction sign or street-lamp and count the time difference from when the front of the vehicle ahead of you passes the landmark until the front of your vehicle goes past the same object. This will help judge your distance, so you can amend your driving style accordingly to suit.

You should always be aware of the possibility of surface water, particularly if you’re driving in an unfamiliar area. Keep your eye firmly on the road ahead and watch out for any telltale signs, such as the traffic in front of you braking sharply. Hitting a patch of deep water at speed will have a dramatic effect on your vehicle’s handling and you could ‘aquaplane’ your vehicle which will cause a complete loss of control, so you should aim to avoid this at all costs by planning ahead as much as you can.

If you do have to drive through deep water, do so slowly in order to avoid a bow wave flooding your exhaust or engine and once through the hazard, test your brakes in order to make sure they’re still working properly, while the friction will also help evaporate any moisture present on the braking components.

Visibility is often a problem when you’re driving in heavy rain. Your vehicle can easily steam up and the spray from the road can also affect your vision of the road ahead. Make sure your demisters are on at a sufficient level to enable you to see clearly, and if you keep a safe distance you can negate the effects of surface spray from the vehicle in front of you. If your vision has become seriously jeopardised then it’s advisable to pull over in a safe place, get your windows cleared or wait until the worst of the weather has passed before resuming your journey.

In addition to taking these precautionary measures, it is important to have adequate car insurance, as other drivers might not be so cautious. Make sure your insurance policy is up to date, but if it isn’t or you don’t have a current policy, then insuring your car through an online car insurance provider can be a quick way to peace of mind.



Paul McIndoe writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Car Fuel Saving Tips

Whether it's on the television, radio or the internet, one of the most talked about subjects at the moment is the fuel crisis. It's a worrying time for many people as they are unable to fuel up their car as often and some businesses are really starting to feel the pinch due to finances. The main reasons for fuel prices being so astronomically high is because the base price of crude oil has rocketed, eventually of course these costs are passed on to the consumers. In the UK we have a high tax rate placed on fuel which also pushes the prices up; a recent study found out that Britain is one of the most expensive places in Britain to fill up. With people having enough financial worry on their shoulders as it is, it's an added concern for fuel consumers so it's important to remember a few tips to make those gallons last a few more miles.

The best and most sensible form of fuel saving whilst driving is to alter your driving style; some may need to change radically. It's the simple things that make the most difference, aspects such as start slowing down much sooner for red lights and junctions rather than accelerating all way up to them, modern cars do not use any or very little fuel whilst coasting. Breaking and stopping is the biggest fuel consumer so plan the road ahead of you or just look ahead at the road and avoid harsh breaking and unnecessary stopping. If you're a fast driver, try dropping your average speed by 5 to 10 mph just to see what a difference it can make in fuel consumption.

If you're a person who has lot of mod cons in your car, it's a good idea to turn them all off, do things like open the window instead of turning the air conditioning on, you can even turn off the radio which uses some of your fuel, it may be a boring ride but at least you'll get there. Another thing to remember is weight equals higher fuel consumption, so throw out everything you don't need out of the car, most people are surprised to find what's still left in the boot of their car. Traffic can also be a fuel waster, if you're at a standstill, it's advised to turn off the engine, whilst the car is running but not moving it consumes fuel. A popular form of saving money on fuel these days is sharing cars, especially to and from work if your colleagues live around your area, this means you will only have to drive a couple of days a week instead of every day.

Now here's a fantastic way of consuming no fuel at all, it's called walking or cycling to your destination, if your destination is only a couple of miles away, you should stop being so lazy and get on your feet, it's also great exercise. So if people take in these tips of not being so aggressive on the pedals, not being so wasteful and not being so lazy we could see more and more people able to afford their day to day routines.



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Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Tips for a successful office carpool

Not sure if you've noticed, but the price of gas has gone completely koo-koo in the past year, leaving those of us who have a significant driving commute to work each day with a gaping hole in our wallets at the end of the month. What better time to reinstate the old office carpool!

Rising gas prices and environmental concerns are two great reasons to find some like-minded coworkers who live in your area and band together to share driving responsibilities.

Five reasons why it's a good time to start carpooling:

Reason #1: Gas prices are going through the roof

Reason #2: Carpooling reduces emissions, which is good for the environment

Reason #3: It's a great way to bond with your co-workers

Reason #4: It's a chance to get caught up on your reading

Reason #5: It's means a lot less driving for you!

Here are some tips for a successful car pool!:

Once you've got your office carpool members organized, all that's left is to set some driving guidelines and establish a few simple car rules for everyone to follow. Here are some helpful tips to get you started:

1. Be considerate to your fellow carpoolers. Just because you need classic rock turned up to 11 to get you going in the morning doesn't mean your fellow carpoolers do. If quiet is requested, be considerate and can keep the noise level low.

2. Be on time. Punctuality is the key to an effective car pool. When you are the driver, remember that you are responsible for getting everyone to work on time their punctuality depends on YOU!

3. Set the rules. Establish a set of guidelines for behavior in the car with regards to smoking, eating, drinking and radio playing. Print out a copy and keep the rules in the glove compartment for easy access.

4. Create a schedule. Don't decide who will drive each day on the fly. Compile a schedule that plans for all the driving a month in advance (at least) and accounts for vacations and substitute drivers should someone get sick on their driving day.

5. Exchange phone numbers and email addresses. If there is a change of plans, you want to be able to contact everyone in the carpool immediately. Make sure that a chain of communication is established so all parties involved can be properly informed of any schedule or driving changes. Pinning a note on someone's office chair or desk about your availability will not suffice!

6. Drive safely. You've got the lives of others in your hands. Never drive in a reckless manner or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. If you don't feel physically capable of driving, then ask one of your co-workers to fill in.

7. Find the best route. Work with the other individuals in your car pool to map out each day's driving plan. Take into consideration traffic routes, timing and how to use the least amount of gas. Make sure that everyone's needs are accounted for and that all riders/drivers are pleased with the route.



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Friday, October 10, 2008

Ride Share with Your University Chums and Carpool to Get Useful Tips during Exams

Studying and preparing for written and oral exams three weeks before plus lots of research paper can be described as “hell week”!

Friends, around who ride share going to the university can make your sanity in check, because besides them helping you release those tension and keep your super high cortisol hormones and adrenalin at the normal level, because of their endless joke, having a carpool can help you release happy hormones before exams, which can help you think clearly! By reviewing, together important points before even sitting down at “the” exam of heavy philosophy, and calculus you can ace, no sweat at all.

In case of “super” traffic, instead of loosing your skill and later on your skin, because the police can really get cross, with your carpool chums who ride shared, they can help you keep this in check, by enjoying with you some mellow cds, and talking endlessly about the stars and whose who in show business, which can make you relax despite the honking and all sorts of cutting styles of other drivers. You can still have a good face despite all odds.

How about if all of you are coming in late! Well, next time its good to remind who caused it all, but looking at the brighter side, at lease you are not alone by yourself getting into trouble, you are with a company of friends who are always there to take care of you. Ride share can help you bond with your friends and make life long happy relationships.

Having a carpool with friends, can also help you save on in your gas allowance, and your wife can turn out to be happy. You might as well invest them in securities, stock, or forex or in a business, it actually depends on you. Some starts working for their own brand new car, because they know they will need one, once they enter the world of the professionals.

Carpool makes your parents happy too, because they know you are with reliable friends, and ride share has always been safe with friends, especially when you are going home quite late because of some research work to be done and finished the next day. Parents can get terribly worried, especially when you are a girl, not when you are with reliable friends having a ride share who are also bent on finishing your research work together.

Carpool with friends can also soften a policeman’s heart, especially when you turn a wrong street and it turned out to be one way. Seeing you ride share with friends who loves to study, reminds him of his own daughters and sons who are preparing their way to the real life out there, nevertheless, it is always good to say sorry, just in case you are caught in a big mess, especially when you happen to pass by in an opposite direction in a wide road.

If you are dying to meet the man of your dreams or the woman of your life, ride share is a possible way where you can invite your friend to invite her friend or his friend to join in the carpool, so you can get to know each other better, without really rubbing it in, and the person will not think you are getting really fresh, but actually just building friendship. You’ll never know it might turn up to be something interesting.



Carpool makes your parents happy too, because they know you are with reliable friends, and ride share has always been safe with friends.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Top tips for buying a new or used car

Buying a car can sometimes be an intense and stressful process. However, there are a few simple steps you can follow to make buying a car almost seem easy.

The first step is to look at the reasons as to why you need a car. This should help to determine what type of car you should buy. Many might like to be seen in a sporty little convertible or a big four-wheel drive, but there are few of us who actually need a car like this.

If you need a car to be able to get to and from work in a city, a small hatchback could be ideal. It will be easy to park and low on fuel costs, saving you money in the long run. If you need to do the school run everyday and have a large family, space and safety will be your priority. Therefore, a larger car may be a better choice.

Once you’ve decided on the type, the next step is to do a bit of research online to find out what brands there are and what they cost. Visit manufacturers’ websites where each car’s individual webpage will show a long list of specifications for each model, which you can then use to compare. Most are fairly obvious, such as how many airbags, how many seats and if it has a CD player or not. You should also compare how much fuel the car uses on average. The less fuel it uses the more environmentally - and wallet - friendly it will be. Setting up a spreadsheet of each car’s specifications is one such way to compare.

Don’t worry if you still have two or three cars in mind as the next step is to book in a test drive at your local dealer. It’s important to test drive any car in order to get a feel for the car’s performance and also to spot any potential faults the car may have. If you have more than one car in mind, be sure to test drive them all before making a final decision, and don’t bow to any salesperson pressure! This extra time will help you to compare the test drives objectively and make a less rushed decision. After you’ve had your test drives and decided on the car for you, the next step is to organise finance.

But, is it necessary to get finance for your car? Yes, car finance is needed in most cases, as not everyone has enough savings to cover the full cost of a car. Car finance deals are easily found, both online and offline, making for easy comparison between providers.

Despite the associated stress with buying a car, a bit of thought, research and testing, will mean you too can find a car to suit your needs and your budget.



Paul McIndoe writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.