Catalytic Converters and Your Vehicle's Emission System By Matthew Keegan

Before 1975 no U.S. vehicle came equipped with a catalytic converter. Changes in environmental policy -- started with the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] by the Nixon Administration - soon changed all of that.

Now, with very few exceptions, all vehicles must come outfitted with a catalytic converter. So, what does it do exactly? Good question...we will answer that query in this article.

When your engine burns fuel it produces gases that are harmful to the environment. If not handled properly, these same gases will exit through your vehicle's exhaust and work to do harm on the environment. The EPA, which was established in 1970, mandated that starting in 1975 vehicles were to come equipped with an apparatus to reduce dangerous emissions. The particular piece of equipment created to accomplish this task was the catalytic converter.

The catalytic converter in your vehicle is installed in the exhaust line between the exhaust manifold and the muffler. Pellets inside the converter work to transform detrimental gases into harmless gases before they exit the tailpipe and go out into the open air. As you might guess, a properly functioning catalytic converter is essential toward preserving air quality standards.

There are four telltale signs that indicate a catalytic converter will soon fail:

· Rusted or broken converter body or end tubes.

· Bits of substrate in other sections of the exhaust system.

· No rattle detected in a pellitized converter (If the converter doesn't rattle, the pellets may have melted together or fallen out).

· A rattle detected in a monolithic converter (A rattle in this kind of converter indicates the substrate has separated.)

If you see evidence of any of these signs, then you must replace your catalytic converter right away. If you don't, you risk receiving a ticket from a police officer and you may automatically fail your next motor vehicle inspection.

You can install a new catalytic converter yourself and save money on parts and labor. Shop online for the best deals going.

Copyright 2008-2012 - For additional information regarding Matthew C. Keegan, The Article Writer, please visit his automotive site for cutting edge car information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Keegan

Automobile Air Cleaners By Eric Morris

Exposure to auto exhaust on a regular basis can cause lowered immunity, breathing problems, and lowered cognitive ability. In an ideal world, a car's emissions would include carbon dioxide and water. However, in reality a variety of harmful substances like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and ozone are produced.

Although cars today are built in an environment friendly manner and emit 80-97% less pollution than cars manufactured prior to 1970, the problem still persists. This is due to the increase in volume of cars and higher emissions from light trucks and minivans since they are designed to carry heavier loads. Falling sick due to such unhealthy air must seem inevitable considering that a significant part of your day is spent on the road. The answer to this problem could be the installation of an automobile air cleaner.

An automobile air cleaner helps to remove toxins from the air in trucks, cars, and even boats. They cleanse the air of particulate matter like dust, pollen, cigarette smoke, fumes and other noxious gases that one encounters on the move.

Each purifier has different features to get rid of different particulates. Hence, it is better to get a model with multiple cleaning devices. Carbon filters are a must to help get rid of smoke and other harmful gases. A HEPA filter is good to remove aerial particles. For pollutants which settle down on surfaces, an ionic purifier acts efficiently. Technology has also offered portable air purifiers. These don't take up any passenger space. They can be strapped on behind the headrest of the front seat. Some can even be plugged into the vehicle's cigarette lighter. They run on the vehicle's own power. To sum them up, they are efficient, unobtrusive, and inexpensive.

Air Cleaners provides detailed information on Air Cleaners, Air Cleaner Filters, Electronic Air Cleaners, Home Air Cleaners and more. Air Cleaners is affiliated with Ionic Air Purifiers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Morris

HHO Gas Car Modification - How To Do It Yourself? By Dr. Eswararamanan VR

With a sudden increase of the prices for gas in many countries, science has come up with a terrific solution to this problem. In order to increase the amount of mileage available to your car, the cost of gasoline, and to reduce dangerous car emissions, technology has created the HHO Gas Car Modification to make your car more ecologically friendly. The system has brought the automobile to a whole new era, where fuel consumption and economic conditions have contributed to the growth of car sales with these techniques.

Many people find that the car is very important to them; it can even be described as a necessary. The HHO gas car modification technology will help the person save a lot of money, on average this modification saves people up to 20% on fuel cost with the HHO gas.

How to modify your auto

The HHO gas car modification conversion is easy to follow; you will simply use electricity from your cars battery in order to change water into a gas. HHO stands for 2 parts Hydrogen and 1 part Oxygen and it stands for exactly what you thought it was, normal everyday water, separated by electrolysis and converted into a usable gas. HHO burns much smoother and provides more energy. When using this conversion technique, a HHO generator which creates HHO gas and reduces gas mileage, and it burns much cleaner in our the house.

Buying a conversion kit may not start out inexpensive, but after a while it will have paid for itself, in the amount of gas that you will save. When you convert water into gas, the HHO gas is mixed before your manifold air- flow uses the Engines vacuum. This gas is mixed to provide you with great gas mileage, when you convert this product it will provide enough mileage about it.

If you are interested in saving the environment and would like this ultra clean burning system for you car, you will want to be sure that you have researched all of the kits, you will find that some kits are sold for many thousands of dollars, or you may have some for lower prices, but the cost is pretty minute compared to the incredible benefits you will receive from this money saving system. It will lower your spending for gas, it will reduce the oftentimes dangerous car emissions and the technology will help you save much needed monies.

Anyway this great guide to leaning how to modify your automobile, and with the help of conversion your car could be saving you money with its cleaner burn and its giving you more gas. It is a recommendation that you try out this money saving device and help save your environment. You will find that you are happy with the new changes to your car anyway. Remember if you decide to make the homemade version, be sure that you safe and take your time to follow directions clearly and in a matter of hours you could be using, the more you can start saving.

Download HHO Gas Car Modification Ebook Today!

"Save Your Time And Money" Visit http://waterfuelcars.info now!

Dr. Eswararamanan VR is the author of this article. This article can be used for reprint on your website provided the links are intact.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Eswararamanan_VR

Eco Friendly Cars You Can Truly Enjoy By Larry M. Lynch

Are Eco Friendly Cars Truly a Possibility?

When you hear reports on the radio news or television from such cities as Mexico City, Cairo, Egypt, Moscow, Russia among others, that give announcements that, "today air pollution index levels are high, so elderly persons and children should not go out" or "asthmatics going outside today must carry portable oxygen cylinders with them" or perhaps that "athletes or others practicing outdoor sports should not do so today", you should have pause to wonder about what's happening with gasoline or diesel-powered automobile and truck emissions controls. Are eco friendly cars truly a possibility?

A Solution to the Problem Has Been Found

In 1996 a solution to the problem was found when General Motors Corporation produced the EV1 (Electric Vehicle 1) an eco friendly car, which began circulating on the streets of California. Attractive, sleek and "futuristic looking", the EV1 met with immediate succes and approval with the limited number of consumers who were allowed to rent them on a trial basis. The eco friendly car EV1 could almost silently go from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in less than nine seconds - pretty snappy for a pollution-free electric car, right? That's pretty good for ANY type of car. The car could also be recharged from a special outlet installed in your garage. They didn't even have an exhaust tail pipe. So why haven't you heard of them? Likely because within ten years, GM collected all the EV1s in circulation as their leasing agreements ended. Finally, do you know what happened to these zero-pollution vehicles? The eco friendly cars were all collected and ultimately destroyed.

The Japanese Get Into the Act

In 1997, Nissan unveiled a hyper-mini electric eco friendly car in Tokyo show rooms. The car was leased by the city of Pasadena, California for municipal employees. The eco friendly car was easy to park, maintain and get around crowded city streets in. In August of 2006 however, when the lease for the cars between Nissan and the city of Pasadena expired, Nissan refused to sell the cars to the city. Again, in this case, these zero-pollution, eco friendly cars were all collected and ultimately destroyed.

In 2003 Toyota halted production of its eco friendly car, the RAV4 - EV (the EV denotes Electric Vehicle). By 2005 all the lease agreements for this vehicle were expired and these cars were returned to the manufacturer. In this case though, after a three-month international court battle against Toyota, consumers who had leased RAV4-Evs were allowed to purchase them from the company.

The Terminator Drives a Hummer

Reportedly, California governor Arnold "The Terminator" Schwarzenegger drives a specially - produced Hummer, an eco friendly car that runs on hydrogen. BMW also has a hydrogen - fueled, environmentally friendly, commercially available vehicle. So now we know that eco friendly cars truly are a real possibility for reducing pollution coming from gasoline and diesel-powered automobile and truck emissions. We can only hope that petroleum-based conglomerates do not fully succeed in halting the development and distribution of eco friendly cars to environmentally-concerned consumers.

Like this article? Well researched, well written, informative SEO articles can drive waves of targeted, profitable traffic to your website, build your mailing list into the thousands fast and get you more inquiries, more clients, more sales and more money at a low return on your investment. Get more free information on how to boost your business using SEO niche-marketing articles to promote your products and services at http://lmlynchcreativecopy.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Larry_M._Lynch

A Look At The Different Types Of Automobile Warranties Available Today By Gregg Hall

If you have ever taken the risk of buying a new or used automobile, you were probably given a warranty along with it. If this is your first time buying an automobile, you might be a little confused about the purpose of an automobile warranty, but rest assured that an automobile warranty can and will save you a lot of hassle, cost, and time in the future.

Almost all warranties, for new automobiles, will cover the entirety of your automobile for the first year or the first 12,000 miles, whichever you happen to reach first. Some automobiles come with warranties that will cover certain parts of the automobile. New automobile warranties are very nice. Unfortunately, used automobile warranties are limited. This is because the automobile is used and there is no guarantee that your automobile won't break down just outside the parking lot of the dealership.

There are several different types of warranties that will cover the different parts of the automobile. A bumper-to-bumper warranty covers the entire automobile (emission systems, suspension, brakes, power train, electronics, drive chain, steering, and exhaust) except for normal wear and tear maintenance. A Power Train warranty covers the engine, flywheels, cylinders, injection systems, and manifolds. A Drive Train warranty covers all the little parts that have to do with the wheels (transmission, drive shafts, axles, and clutch). A Corrosion warranty covers the sheet metal of the automobile for when rust perforates the body of your automobile. Unfortunately, this warranty does not cover human body damage like: keying, nicks, dings, cuts, scratches, or chips. The Emissions warranty is a warranty all on its own and covers any emissions problems you have with your automobile up to 8 years or 80,000 miles.

Now that you have been enlightened on the types of automobile warranties you are more aware of your absolute need for them. So, if your automobile has reached its warranty limit, you might want to consider extending it for the life of your automobile, or until you trade it in for a newer model with an all new warranty.

Keeping Your Eye on the Small Print

When you have the chance to purchase a warranty for your automobile, you should jump at the chance. Despite the price of the warranty, you can rest more easily. Your automobile and your pocketbook will thank you in the long run, when your automobile runs into issues with its parts. Think of an automobile warranty being health insurance for your automobile. You don’t want to go without health insurance for yourself, so why would you want to go without a warranty for your automobile?

At this point you are excited and want to go out and purchase or extend a warranty for your automobile, but here is some advice for you: don't get discouraged by the itty bitty print at the bottom of the warranty. The large print on the warranty will tell you that you are covered for every eventuality, but when you pull out your magnifying glass and read the small print you will discover that the large print isn't all you thought it was. Just because automobile warranties are confusing, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't buy one. An automobile warranty is an excellent investment, especially if you ever plan on driving your automobile anywhere.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as a car accessories at http://www.caraccessoriesetc.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregg_Hall

Passing Automotive Emission Testing By Jerry Lemke

Do you live in an area where you car has to meet inspection requirements? Normally your vehicle will also have to pass emissions requirements. This article will help explain what emissions are, and how to fix a possible problem your vehicle may have.

Emissions are simply the exhaust or leftovers of combustion coming out of your vehicle's engine. An emissions test is normally done with a probe placed into the exhaust tailpipe. The emission sampler will "sniff" or sample the contents of the exhaust coming out of the tailpipe. Every road going vehicle produced, has certain clean requirements that it is required to meet. This requirement is specified by EPA to limit the amount of pollutants exiting the vehicle.

Most emission samplers are five gas analyzers. That means they "see" or measure five types of gases. The five gases that will be measured are HC, NOX, O2, CO, and CO2. We will start with HC or hydrocarbons. HC's are simply another term for unburned fuel that makes it through the engine and out the exhaust. HC's cause smog and and are not good to breath. NOX means oxides of Nitrogen. NOX is a by product of highly heated and compressed air that has nitrogen in it. NOX is another bad emission to breath at high levels. O2 is leftover unburned oxygen in the exhaust. Although O2 is obviously not bad, it is tested for to look for people trying to cheat the test.

The percentage of oxygen in the exhaust will also tell the fuel ratio of the engine as it runs. CO and CO2 is carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. CO is odorless and will give you headaches and eventually kill you by robbing O2 from your body, if in high quantities. CO2 is present in the air but large amounts contribute to global warming. Before doing any emission test the check engine soon light, should never light up or it will cause the car to fail. HC's are usually the worst problem for cars that will have to pass the test.

Many things can produce high HC's such as too much or even too little fuel, not all cylinders firing, advanced timing, bad catalytic converter, or an air pump that isn't working. These are the most common causes. Tune up's can prevent most emission problems. NOX is generally worse on higher compression engines. All engines produce NOX but the use of EGR valves will cool and slow down the burn rate of the engine's combustion. This considerably lowers NOX values.

O2 levels are controlled by the fuel ratio being correct from the fuel injection. If there is an exhaust leak all the test numbers will be low and incorrect except the high O2 numbers which will void the test. CO has to do with the efficiency of the burn in the engine and also is highly effected by the fuel to air ratio of the engine. CO2 is also an indicator of the engines set up. The HC's and NOX are by far the largest problem areas. Catalytic converters scrub or clean the majority of the emissions and need to be replaced when they break internally causing a loss in power and no longer clean the air.

Jerry Lemke is the webmaster at http://www.freeengineinfo.com A site focused on engine information for repair, troubleshooting, performance, upgrades, and new technologies for all types of vehicles.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jerry_Lemke

Phil's Reply - Punxutawney Phil's Proposal to Reduce Or Types of Air Pollution - Vehicle Emissions By Marie Karsemeyer

As the amount of vehicles on the roads increases, so does the amount of car pollution. There are four main types of air pollution identified by the Environmental Protection Agency and all of them are found in vehicle emissions.

Before we identify the four types of air pollution, let us take a look at what causes these pollutions. Cars and trucks do not burn all of the fuel that goes into the combustion chamber. In fact, most cars only burn about 85% of the fuel and as the car gets older less and less fuel is burned. It is this unburned fuel that is responsible for a lot of the air pollution problems today.
The first type of air pollution is carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is dangerous because it reduces the amount of oxygen that can be delivered to our body's organs and tissues, which can be life threatening. A mild poisoning of this toxic gas will result in headaches and dizziness. According to a 1999, EPA study, road vehicles are responsible for 51% of carbon monoxide pollution. Of that 51%, cars and light trucks make up 87%.

The second type of air pollution is hydrocarbons. The EPA estimates that the average American car driven 12,500 miles per year produces 10,727 lbs of hydrocarbons. Damage to lung tissue and other respiratory problems are caused by hydrocarbons. Road vehicles make up 29% of hydrocarbon pollution with cars and light trucks responsible for 88% of that pollution.

Fuel burning at high temperatures will produce a third air pollutant called, nitrogen oxides.

Thirty-four percent of nitrogen oxide pollutants are produced by road vehicles with cars and light trucks responsible for 52% of that and diesel vehicles responsible for 42%.

The combination of sunlight, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide results in the smog phenomenon. Smog is found in cities all over the world. Hot, humid and sunny summers increase smog. As you may recall, there was a serious smog problem in LA back in the 80's. The state of California had to mandate that oil companies sell a cleaner burning fuel to help reduce smog.

Particle matter is the final type of air pollution. Haze is the result of this pollution due to actual particle s of solids and liquids found in the air. The majority of particle matter pollution is produced by industrial plants. Vehicles are only responsible for 10% of this air pollution, but of that 10%, diesel vehicles produce 72%.

Vehicles are the primary cause of air pollution in urban areas. As more vehicles fill our roads, more pollution fills the air. Every step should be taken to reduce the types of air pollution, for the health of our planet.

For more information on the types of air pollution visit the EPA website.

If you would like to increase gas mileage and performance in your vehicle and capitalize on an exploding demand for a solution to high gas prices and reducing pollution by creating a full time income online, visit Marie's marketing website

About the Author: Marie Karsemeyer is an experienced internet marketer and President of KarsemeyerMarketing Group. Her mission is to develop leaders into full time 6-figure earners and home business entrepreneurs by showing people how to save money on gas, help the environment, and duplicate themselves online.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marie_Karsemeyer