Know Closely Microfiber - Definition, Types, and How to Choose It

Microfiber is used for the finishing of the waxing process. It is to wipe away the residue of the waxing, some people also use it to apply the wax . Microfiber also use for finishing process of washing car. It means you used it after dry your car with chamois. It able to wipe the remaining water away from your car. People used to call it detailing cloth because it usually use for the last step of car care. Actually it can substitute the chamois work which is dry the car from the beginning but it will not recommended as the absorbing ability of microfiber is far below chamois. Microfiber can be wash up to 300 times. After that, usually the structure will be in disorder, hardened, and the ability to absorb and trap dust will decrease. This is the time to replace it with the new one. Keep in your mind that it is not recommended to wash the microfiber using detergent or softener as it may harm the polyester structure. When it has spot of dirt and it is not easy to remove, just use warm water. and due to its strong structure, you can put it below the sun to dry it.
Microfiber structure is different with usual cloth. The fiber is very smooth, if you want to compare it, it is about 100 times smoother than your hair. Microfiber that we use for car care contain 30% of nylon and 70% of polyester. So how we choose microfiber? The easiest way is to feel it using your hand-palm. If it give you feeling like it hook your palm, then it is definitely a microfiber. Then you must note that for reducing the cost, some microfiber manufacturer replace the polyester material with cotton. To identify it, pull the yarn. Microfiber that use polyester material is hard to pull because its strong structure far in front of cotton material. That is also why microfiber that use polyester material stiffer that cotton material. Others, when you pull out the yarn, cotton material will have soft fur with it. It is cotton fiber that fall off when you pull it. When you do detailing on your car, that soft fur will remain on your car. Not nice right? also, because of this soft fur is the main fiber of cotton and it is easily fall off, the microfiber ability to trap dust will fast decrease. Usually microfiber with polyester material is more expensive.
Besides, microfiber for car care divided into two which is for interior and exterior. For interior, it has specific plaited mats so it can easily trap the dust that hide within the fabric or leather material. Usually it is pointed structure like hill, so the dust will easily go to the valley of the microfiber. You cannot use this kind of microfiber for exterior as it may scratch your car body. For exterior, it is just usual plaited mats and safe for your car body. It also can use for exterior if you like. You may also see Car Wash - Correct Procedure to minimize the scratch of the car body during washing the car.
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Optimize Your Car Automatic Transmission Into the Feeling of Manual Transmission

Car population increasing from year to year. Several countries experienced the traffic jam problem. In such situation, manual transmission is not a wise choice anymore. You will get exhausted easily playing the clutch when you're at traffic jam with your manual transmission car. Manual transmission give you a nice driving experience while Automatic transmission give you a relax driving. But nowadays due to rapid growth in technology, automatic transmission able to let you feel the manual transmission driving experience. What you need is to optimize your car Automatic transmission. When you need a relax driving, simply put the transmission to D. But if you want manual transmission feel, here is the tips. If you driving a 4-speed A/T (Automatic Transmission), usually they have P, R, N, D, 2, L or P, R, N, D, 2,1 or whatever but it is the same. It just using a different name. the idea is that L or 1 for go upwards road or very low speed because the transmission locked in gear-1 or speed-1. Then 2, the transmission locked in gear-2 or speed-2 by means it can use up to gear-2 only. So if it is in stop condition and you put it to 2, it will start using gear-1 and then move to gear-2 in certain speed but will not move to speed-3. Then if you put the transmission to D, switch off the overdrive (refer to your manual book where is the overdrive button at your car, usually at the shift knob), the transmission locked in gear-3. When you switch the overdrive on, the transmission will use up to its final gear which is gear-4. So you can control the gear and able to boost the RPM higher and reach the maximum torque.

Nowadays, manufacturer realize this problem and usually they equip the car with A/T that can shift the gear manually but without the clutch. Not all the car, some car mostly city car still using the "traditional" 4-speed A/T by concerning the cost of production. Some of the example for modern A/T is Tiptronic Transmission, Shiftronic Transmission, and Steptronic Transmission. Usually they have another position for shifting the gear, look at the picture. Or some of them give the shift at the steer or what we call paddleshift. Another option is sport mode, some of car equip it. Press the sport button on or shift to the sport mode to activate it. how it works is just the same with usual A/T but it will move to higher gear in higher RPM than usual D mode, take an example if your car transmission move to higher gear at 2,500RPM, then when you activate the sport mode, it will maybe move to higher gear when the Rpm reached 3,500 or 4,000.
I want to share Honda Jazz A/T first edition at my country, some of country call it Honda Vitz. I don't know whether it applied same A/T with your country. Honda use intelligent A/T for Honda Jazz. Honda called it CVT 7-speed. It has usual P, R, N, D, S, L. Yes, it change the 2 to S which is Sport mode. "So we can't shift like what explain above?" Hey, what for? Honda equip paddleshift which is you can move the gear using button on the steer. But it has 7-speed. Not a real 7-speed, but it is virtual 7-speed, so when you shifting using paddleshift, you can shift the gear until speed-7. Look at the picture. So if you own Honda Jazz, you can choose D mode for relax driving, S mode for better driving experience, or you can using paddleshift and shift the gear anytime you want.
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Car Care Tips Video #1 - YouTube

Have you ever go to YouTube website? The most well-known video site in the world, www.youtube.com. At YouTube, you have a lot of video to watch. Any kind of video, you named it, YouTube show it for you. You need years of time if you are planning to watch all of them. By always concern about car care, there are some video that I find interesting and help us. Here are some of them. It is easy to understand because they have direct visualization.
Simply click on the video title below and you will be direct to the video. Remember to right click and choose open link in new window or open link in new tab, so it will not replace this site window and you still can surfing on this site. Enjoy..
How to Change Your Oil
- Duration: 10:10
- From: kafkainblue
It is easy to change the oil yourself after watch this video. This video created by U.S teen. They present it by adding some comedy and music attribute so you will not get bored.

Using Jumper Cables, The Right Way

Duration: 01:58
From: bigstick210
Teach you how to start the car using Jumper cable. Step by step starting from plug the cables until unplug the cable.

CarMax Offers Tips On How to Spot Hidden Vehicle Damage
Duration: 02:45
From: MultiVuOnline
Want to learn the method of how to detect hidden vehicle damage? This video informed us about the sign that must be suspected. And we could detect from various point, not only from the repeated painting.

Advice: Tips For Saving Fuel

Duration: 02:56
From: Carscom
Contained simple tips about saving the fuel that was easy to be applied.




Safe Driving Tips #1: Look Ahead
Duration: 00:41
From: FordVideo
This was the video concerning safe driving tips from Ford. Not only one but there was a series, only different number. You can receive the theory of safe driving from expert. click on the title above and you will easily see other tips from FordVideo on the right side of the window.
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Car Brake Technology - ABS, EBD, BA

ABS which is abbreviation of Anti-lock Braking System was first introduced at aircraft industry. When an aircraft landing, it needs the turbine force power and the brake to stop. The brake should in full power. the landing will be success if the aircraft tire has enough traction. When the landing way is wet or it has snow on it, full power braking will make the tire locked because it lose the grip. Imagine how terrible an aircraft sliding in such landing high speed! That's why people invent ABS System. When people feel the benefit and effectiveness of this system, ABS also applied as safety option in the automotive industry especially for the four wheel vehicle.

Last time, ABS system was just the option for luxury car. But nowadays, it become a must option for almost every car. Recently there are 2 system of ABS, which is system that apply ABS for all the 4 wheel and ABS that apply only at the 2 rear wheel. 4 wheel ABS is better as 2 wheel ABS not giving optimum performance, the front wheel still has possibility to slide that make the car hard to control.
From this ABS, people also invent EBD and BA aystem. EBD (Electronic Brake-pressure Distribution) distribute brake power in accordance with the needs of each tire and BA (Brake Assist) helps ABS to work optimal.
Let see how ABS system works. When you press the brake hard, the system will detect just before the tire lose it grip. Then automatically the brake piston release its force to let the tire run and having the grip back with road, then it will press the brake hard again. This happen very fast, average 15 times a second. This system make hard shake at your brake pedal. So, if you see the article i wrote, A Glance with Your Car Brake, you will find the technique I state there for non-ABS car is the same with how the ABS system works. However, this system has its disadvantage, when you drive your car to gravel road, the gravel will make the sensor detect that the tire is losing the grip and activate the system. Actually you don't need the system because you are not losing the grip. the working system is just make the braking ineffective and longer the braking distance.
So, this is several point of ABS system:
-ABS not shorten the brake distance, it just make it effective when the tire lose its grip.
-To activate ABS, you should press the brake pedal fast and hard.
-Brake pedal will shake hard when ABS works, it is normal.
-You still can turn (control) your car when ABS works.
-ABS will disturb the braking system when it is in off-road or gravel road.
-You can shut down ABS by unplug the fuse.
-When ABS inactive, the ABS warning light at dashboard instrument panel will light.
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Car Wash - Why? Why? Why?

I wrote car wash procedure in Car Wash - Correct Procedure. Some people asking why I state there is a must procedure but I give no explanation about it. Well here I will give the explanation. But before you read it, better for you to refer to previous article about Car Wash - Correct Procedure if you haven't read it.
- Put your car at sun-free place or the body of the car should not in hot condition.
The point is that the car body cannot in hot condition because when you hose the car with water, the sudden change in temperature will make the car body having some expansion that will harm the car paint. Sudden change temperature also harm the paint substance itself. Hot body will make the water dry easily itself. self-dry water is not good as it can leave watermark / spot in your car body. Others, hot condition of the car body also make the waxing process not maximal.
- Never let the shampoo dry itself on your car body and always use car shampoo.
It will make the paint paler because the substance of the shampoo react with your paint when it dry itself. This happen eventhough you use the car shampoo. Hose the water thoroughly after completely wash the car will ensure your car body free from shampoo. Using a non car-shampoo is not good for the paint because the shampoo not in balance Ph. it will directly have reaction with the car paint that make the paint paler in long-term. Car-shampoo have a balance Ph.
- Never use the brush for the underneath of the car.
Most of car has rust-proof layer in its underneath. If you brush it, the layer has the possibility to peel off. Just wash it using hard sponge.
- Don't leave your car in wet condition too long.
It will leave spot if it dry-itself. fungus will also easily appear on the surface. Other problem is water can trap dust, when it trap the dust and you wipe it using chamois or towel, the paint have high possibility being scratched.
That's it! hope you get the idea.
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A Glance With Your Car Brake

Last night, when I drive myself to a friend's house I saw a human error accident in front of my eyes. Because not keeping distance, two motorcycles crush. I turn to see it when I heard a huge "Bang!!" voice come from my right side. The time I saw it is one motorcycle owner in its motorcycle collapsed down and the other rolling to the side of the road because the crush impact push him away. Luckily there are no other car or any vehicle drive from that road side otherwise we can imagine how if the vehicle crush that rolling man. What make me want to write this article is when the crush accident, there is a car, a non-ABS old car drive in high speed right behind them get shocked, press his brake as strong as possible. but what make me impressive is when the tire locked (tire can lose its grip with the road when you press your brake too hard at sudden time), in such panic situation, he able to make the tire get its grip again and stop the car before crush the motorcycle.

Based on this story I want to share some knowledge I know about the car brake when we meet such situation. It is easy if your car is new car, have ABS, EBD, and what so on technology equip with its brake. You just need to press the brake as hard as you can, the technology will help you. How the technology works? I tell you in next article (I'm afraid this article become too long if we explain it now). But when this technology works in your car, you wil find that your brake shaking, don't get surprise and release the brake. This is how the technology works. So what you need is just press it as strong as possible otherwise you will crush the subject in front of you.

What I want to share here is when you own a non-ABS car and meet this panic situation. How you stop the car. Here it is, first of course press the brake strongly, when you feel the tire lose its grip release the brake a little bit, just a little bit until you feel the tire gets its grip back. the tire will get it in very short time so act quickly, press the brake strongly again, when the tire lose its grip again, release it a little bit again, when you feel the grip come back press hard again. do it again and again until your car stop. It will just like you shake your car brake. Note that this will happen very fast. How fast is it? Average will be 5-10 times shaking in one second. I'm not telling you to count it. It just when you do the right procedure it will be average about 5-10 times a second. What is needed here is how you feel the grip of your tire. Now hopefully what I share can help you when you need it. You can do a little exercise so will get used to the technique.
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Choose The Most Suitable Engine-Oil for Your Car

Some of us confuse about what should we use for our engine oil because a lot of specification listed there. We should not confuse because it help us to pick up the most suitable oil for our car engine. What we need is just to understand what is the meaning of the specification. Here are several things that can become reference. You must know the characteristics of your car such as the engine specification and the environment in which you usually drive your car (temperature, climate, dust, etc).

Viscosity-Grade was the measurement of the viscosity and the lubricant capacity to flow on the certain temperature, this is the most important priority in choosing oil. The identification code of oil is "SAE" letter, abbreviation from Society of Automotive Engineers. The figure that followed behind shows the level of the viscosity of this oil, SAE 40 or SAE 10W-40. The thick the oil, The bigger the figure that followed the oil code. Whereas the W letter that is after the beginning figure, was the abbreviation from winter.
SAE 10W-40, meant this oil had viscosity level of SAE 10 for the cold temperature (with such condition, the oil will give the optimal protection during the machine start), meanwhile in the hot condition whereas it is machine working temperature, ideally oil will work in the range of the viscosity figure 40 according to the SAE standard.
The quality of the oil is shown using API(American Petroleum Institute) being followed by the letter behind. API: SL, the S code (spark) indicated the machine lubricant for gasoline. The second letter code showed the quality of oil, the more the letter approaching the Z letter the more quality it has to covering the component of the machine with the layer of the film and the more suitable with the requirement for the modern machine.
SF/SG/SH - generally suitable for the vehicle machine that was produced in year range of 1980-1996
SJ - generally suitable for the vehicle machine that was produced in year range of 1996-2001
SL - generally suitable for the vehicle machine that was produced in year range of 2001-2004
Pay attention whether the lubricant (the oil) is used for gasoline engine, diesel engine, industrial equipment or others. In order to choose the quality of the appropriate lubricant, we could refer to API service (America Institute Petroleum), JASO (Japan Automotive Standard Association), ACEA (Association Des Construteurs Europeans d'Automobiles), Din (Deutsche Industrie Norm), and several others. Those are certificate for the performance of the lubricant based on the standard from the independent international agency of the lubricant industry.
All Engine oil whether it is mineral or synthetic oil has its own API Standard. mineral oil is usually made from the results of refining, whereas oil synthetic is from results of the substance-mixture. usually the main Substance of synthetic oil is PAO (PolyAlphaOlefin). So, The quality of API SL for mineral oil is not the same with the API SL for synthetic oil. Usually synthetic oil is suggested for the machines that adapt new technology (turbo, supercharger, dohc, etc), also that needed better lubrication (racing) where the gap between metal/part is smaller/narrower/more precision where only synthetic oil could cover and flow perfectly between each part. Synthetic oil is not suggested for the machines that adapt old technology because the gap between part is very big or we can say bigger compare to newest technology machine so you will find the engine oil quantity decreased faster than usual operation should decrease. It is because the oil go/enter inside the combustion chamber and taking part for being burnt so the oil decrease faster and the muffler rather smookey as the result for the burnt oil.
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Car Wash - Correct Procedure

Many of people think that washing car is a simple thing.. get the shampoo, sponge, rag/towel, water.. done! Is it just as simple as that? It is not!
You will not see the side effect in the very short term. But quickly around a year you will find your car painting become very old. It just not represent the actual year of the car.
"I wash my car like this everytime, no effect in my car paint. It shine until today."
It is because you without deliberate do the right procedure. However you need to know what is good and what is bad procedure when you do washing ritual. So i will not saying that you are "without deliberate do the right procedure" anymore.
So, here is the procedure..
Firstly, prepare water hose of course with its water from tap, chamois, towel (the best is microfiber towel, you can easily find it at store), sponge, harder sponge for underneath of the car, car shampoo, bucket, brush for your tire, and toothbrush.
after that put your car at sun-free and dust-free place. the body of your car cannot be hot, such as it cannot just at below of the sun shine or it cannot just for use because the hot temperature of the machine will spread to the metal sheet above it which is the car bonnet. Hose all of the car body with water to eliminate the dirt that can be easily remove. Apply the shampoo from the top part until below. Do it part by part, such as if you apply shampoo for the roof then after that Hose it with water directly. This action is to prevent the shampoo to dry itself. You can make it become 2 or 3 parts in one time as long as you not let the shampoo dry itself on your car body. Then go to the tire part. Use the hard sponge and shampoo for the underneath part. Never use brush to clean the underneath part. Then use brush only at the tire. Remove the pebbles if it is seen on the thread of the tire. Use sponge for the rim. You can use toothbrush for some of the car part that hard to clean like the grill or the emblem. After that, Hose all of the car body thoroughly for the last time. Dry it with chamois immediately, do not leave your car in wet condition too long. After that use towel to make sure the car body is dry enough.
That's it! with this procedure, you eliminate lots of side effects during car washing. Good Luck!
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