July 7th, 2008 by DavidY
Activating the Fuel Savings
The final step in installing the MTech Fuel Saver is to wait 30 minutes and then run the engine for five minutes between 50% and 60% of maximum engine rpm. We took max rpm to be where the thick red line started, which was at 6500, thus making 3250 the 50% mark and 3900 the 60% mark.
The five minute requirement was based on the mileage of the car, with younger cars requiring only two minutes.
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June 4th, 2008 by DavidY
Testing the Fuel Tank Filler Tube for Obstructions
One thing cannot be denied about the MTech Fuel Saver: it installs very easily. The only hitch we had was when we had to make sure there was no obstruction in the fuel tank filler tube.
To test this, we connected the fuel tank component to a long flexible wire and then lowered the fuel component down into the tank. We then pulled it back up and sniffed it for gas. We had to push it down a decently long distance. Sure enough, it smelled as if it had been dunked in fuel.
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May 30th, 2008 by DavidY
Quick and Easy Installation of MTech Fuel Saver
One appealing reason to try the MTech Fuel Saver is its fast and simple installation of the three components. The only uncertainty we had was if the car had an anti-siphon device in the fuel filler tube that would prevent the installation of the fuel tank component. Once we determined that it did not, we dropped it in and heard it clank when it hit the bottom of the fuel tank.
The air component goes into the air filter compartment, treating pre-filtered air. I don't think there is a difference between treating filtered air and unfiltered air. Rather, I suspect it is a safety element - you don't want anything that big getting sucked into the engine.
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May 29th, 2008 by DavidY
Hit-and-Run Car May be the One We're Fixing
Things were not the usual buzz of tools and lifts. Rather, it was police radios and news helicopters. Yesterday changed dramatically when we discovered that one of the cars we took in for repair could have been used to run over a pedestrian in Hollywood, FL last Friday night.
The car came in around noon on Saturday, needing some minor repair work. When we came into work yesterday, we happened to see the news broadcast about the accident, and things clicked. We called 911 and then braced for the onslaught.
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Category: Accident |
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May 27th, 2008 by DavidY
MTech Fuel Saver - Does It Work?
As the price of gas continues its dizzying spiral upwards, snake oil salesmen come out of the woodwork in droves. One fuel-saving product, however, has managed to distinguish itself from the pack. It's called the MTech Fuel Saver and it installs in about 5 minutes followed by a 35-minute activation procedure.
At All Jap. Cars, we are testing a unit on an 18-month old 2006 Pontiac Vibe with a little over 30,000 miles. The car does a mix of street and highway driving in South Florida, averaging a little over 30 mpg. A log is kept of every fill up with a record of the number of gallons and number of miles on the trip meter.
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May 1st, 2008 by DavidY
Thieves Find Easy Pickings Under Your Car
If there is one law thieves do not break, it's the law of supply and demand. Every car is a treasure trove of precious metals with extremely high value on the black market. It takes less than 2 minutes to roll under your car and saw off your catalytic converter, leaving you with a multi-hundred dollar repair bill, while the thief gets your platinum, rhodium and palladium.
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April 16th, 2008 by DavidY
Driver Pays 4 Times the Cost of Membership with One Tow
We just fixed a car which suffered a broken belt. As far as we could tell, it was road debris which flew up and struck the serpentine belt, disabling the car 60 miles away from our shop. The driver was stranded on the turnpike and called us for help. We asked her if she had any roadside assistance plan that could help her, but she did not.
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March 15th, 2008 by DavidY
We just lectured a car owner yesterday who paid $1,500 in repairs for a severely-neglected 5-year old Nissan Altima. It had less than 50,000 miles on it, so under normal conditions, this is a very young car.
But the oil was not changed for two years. The engine ran hotter. Systems failed and the coolant slowly disappeared. Eventually, the car would shut down, stranding the driver.
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February 25th, 2008 by DavidY
Believe it or not, incompetent or dishonest mechanics can give you more problems than you realize. From simple misdiagnosis to concealed shoddy work, your car needs a mechanic you can trust to do good work. Word-of-mouth is a good source of information and please realize that good mechanics don't come cheap.
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February 18th, 2008 by DavidY
Proper tire pressure is important to getting the most out of your tires. Underinflation causes uneven tire wear and/or premature failure, which in turn shortens the life of your tires. You should check your tire pressure at each oil change.
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