Perth Drivers

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Well the Christmas break is over, and after a busy December the workshop closed for 2 weeks and a well earned holiday for me and the staff. Our  family take the opportunity to go on a holiday so this year the destination of choice was Vietnam.

After a long flight we arrived at Ho Chi Minh city at night, as we got into the taxi to go to the hotel, I was surprised with the amount of traffic, motor bikes everywhere. Bumper to bumper and max speed was about 20 km/h, cars, motor bike, trucks and buses tooting there horns and forcing there way down the 3 lane road, that they have made it into a 5 lane highway, how many near misses in the 1.5 hour drive to the hotel and not once did I see any body get angry or try and cut any body off everybody gave way to each other and we all made it safe and sound. After a great holiday and I would recommend Vietnam to anybody, we returned to Perth.

We landed back in Perth it was about 5.30 in the morning we jumped into a cab and left the airport, There was very little traffic on the road being so early but to my amazement there was a new Mini driving the same way as us, they clipped the curb with their tyres and was swerving down Tonkin highway doing about 70km at best, the taxi drive was holding back so he didn’t get hit and than took his chance and over took the Mini. As we pass we a all looked to see what was going on Drunk? Maybe but the driver was happy texting way on her phone.

So that got me think how do their road system works so well and back here in Perth we have less traffic on the road the road are 100% better and wider. Is it just a attitude thing do Perth drives think the work revolve around them, why do some people have to be first to the traffic lights? Why are Perth drives not courteous to each other? We can learn allot from our travels and people and drivers.

 

FUN MOTORING FACTS IN VIETNAM 

  1. There is over 18 million motor bikes in Vietnam in 2006 and growing at 2 million a year so that would make it about 37 million motor bikes
  2. In 1990 there were about 500,0000 vehicle on the road in Vietnam. In 2004 there is estimated to be around 14 million.
  3. There is only 2 million cars
  4. The tax on buying a car in Vietnam is 200%
  5. You can drive a motor bike under 50cc at 16 and above if the motor bike is over 50 cc than you have to be 18 years

HCM TRAFIC1

HCM TRAFIC

The shopping center car park dilemma

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You have your pride and joy it might be new, new to you and you  just want to look after it so she is looking good you keep it washed and polished and serviced every 6 month . You have to go to the shops. Tell me if I am wrong, have car got bigger or the car bays got smaller at shopping centers? So its a fine sunny day I am in a good mood driving to the shops with the family the radio going ever thing is good UNTILL we turn into the car park, were do I park?

My first instinct is try my luck right up the front near the entrance to the shopping center, but than that voice in the back of my head saying if you park here there will be problems, there is a vacant spot  shopping trolleys every where, park up the back by yourself no other cars around, what is a little walk I need the excises anyway.

So I do the sensible thing and listen to my wife and park up back, by our self’s. Happy days walking around the shops knowing my car is parked up safe and sound, a bigger smile comes across my face  shopping has finished and back to my pride and joy walking back to the car and to our HORROR there is a extra 2 cars parked out back with us, spare car parks everywhere and where did they decide to park, You are right the 2 bays both side of my car Whats with that.

Two questions,

*Why do people have to park right next to you if the car park is empty?

*And why every time I go to a shopping center I come out with new dents? Next time I will take the workshop Ute.

 

Some fun Motoring facts

 

  1. 90% of car owner admit to singing while behind the wheel and louder by themselves
  2. Taxis have been operational in London since 1636, there was 50 taxis servicing the city
  3. The longest highway in the world is the Pan-American Highway, which stretches from Alaska to Chile with a distance of 25,800 km
  4. The car air bags moves at a rate of 7242 km/h when deployed.
  5. And to all the lovers of Italians cars Enzo Ferrari what cars does he drive??? I bet you get it wrong

carparking carparking1

 

 

Well until next time

Darren the Blogger

Get your car ready for summer

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I was on the internet the other day and came across the Allianz Roadside Assist page www.allianz.com.au/roadside-assistance/ This started me thinking what is the most common call outs they get in summer and how can they be prevented?

The number 1

Vehicle overheating just imagine 40 deg outside the family is packed to go the the beach and bang you are stuck on the side of the road waiting for Allianz, RAC or the tow truck to take you home because you didn’t check your cooling system checked.

2) Battery’s,  with the hotter weather the under bonnet temperatures put more load on the battery and in allot of cases pushes them over the edge. Autorite sell more battery’s in Summer than winter.

3) Flat tyres well they can happen any time but are never fun to change in 40 deg heat

4) Starter motor faults, most starter motors will fault when they are hot, some times they will restart when they have cooled down if you are lucky

5) Running out of fuel always a good one, you only have yourself to blame

 

So to help prevent a summer break down regular servicing is the key. Check out our website www.autorite.com.au/services/ for more info

overheats

Fun motoring facts

  1. 165,000 cars are produced every day
  2. The average car is made up of over 30,000 parts
  3. 92% of new cars sold in Brazil use ethanol fuel that is made up from sugar cane
  4. 75% of cars that Rolls Royce have ever produced are still on the road today
  5. Up to 80% of cars are recyclable

 

We till next time signing out

 

Darren the blogger

Buying your first car

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My teenage daughter is about to get her learners permit and she was saying “I will be OK, you will buy me the best car wont you dad” WRONG. That started me thinking like me all dads want the safest car for their kids with out paying the earth so what should you look for in a first car.
1) ABS Braking ABS stands for anti lock braking System – Safer when having to stop in a hurry

2) Drivers side air bags at the minimum –  Safer in a accident

3) Power steering. – Helps make driving and parking easier

4) 5 Speed Manual – You never know when the only option is a manual vehicle to drive

5) Make them pay for the Vehicle – They will be more incline to look after the vehicle if the money is coming out of their pockets

6) Don,t spend to much on the first car- they are learning and will make mistakes. Dents will appear from no where. Lean to drive with a older car and when the fender benders finish get a good car.

7) Have them do a defensive driving course – RAC is one company who runs them and in a panic situation could be the different between like and death.

8) Have the vehicle they are buying inspected before purchasing – You don,t wont to be buying a lemon. Did you know Autorite do inspection.

Now the only other thing to worry about what colour? Good luck

 

Hyundai-Getz-2004-1LR (1)

 

 

Some fun facts

  • The First Porsche sedan was a Studebacker . Porsche build a prototype Studebacker type 542 in 1952. It was never build it looked to weird.
  • The last vehicle produced the came out with a cassette player was a Ford USA. Up to the year 2011 as a optional extra. Who still has cassettes?
  • The First and second generation Honda CRVs come standard with a picnic table.
  • The most expensive production vehicle in Australia is Rolls- Royce Phantom starting a the tidy price of $809,000 to $ 1,019,000
  • The most expensive production vehicle in the world is a Lamborghini Veneno at a cool price of $ 4,5000,000

 

Well till next time

Darren The Bloger

 

A word from the Mechanic all about engine oil

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Fluids in your vehicle

When it comes to servicing your vehicle our mechanics have seen a thing or two in our time, and not all good. By servicing your vehicle every 6 months or 10,000 we get the opportunity to fix little problems before they turn into bigger and more expensive problems not to mention the safety aspect. Who like to be stuck on the side of the road with a broken down car?

Did you know that the engine oil is like the blood in our bodies without it being clean and the right pressure we can die, your engine is the same. The by product of combustion ( the engine running ) is dirty soot, acids and turns into sludge, the oil filter job is to clean the oil and keep the oil performing to its correct  specifications, but there is a use by date on the oil and the oil  filters and they have to be changed and guess when that is Yes you guessed it.

 

Now on a lighter note here as some fun facts I bet you didn’t know

 

  • Mercedes Benz was named after an Australian Lady Mercedes Jellinek
  • On Average humans spend 3 weeks of their life’s waiting at traffic Lights.
  • The longest car in the world is a limo 30.5 metres long it has a king size water bed, swimming pool, heli pad, 26 tyres and can you guess where it was built California USA
  • Only 1 in 10 Australian use public transport to get to work.
  • More people in Australia work to work than take the bus, they need to get a car.

 

Well that’s me done for now, so unit next time

 

Darren the Blogger