"No Parking, No Finance!" for Homebuyers in SA

The availability of parking is rarely a main concern for homebuyers, but it is becoming an increasingly important factor in property values, explains Adrian Goslett, CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa…

Despite the infrastructure developments to improve South Africa’s transport system during the build up to the Soccer World Cup event, our public transport system is not yet at the level of development which would see most city dwellers give up their vehicles. A case in point is the recent stranding of thousands of people who participated in Car Free Day on 20 October due to a technical problem with the Gautrain.  

As such, the majority of commuters must, by necessity, have their own vehicles. And in most households both partners are breadwinners which means the family often has two cars. The result is an estimated 9-million cars on our roads, growing by 50 000 each month as the population, and particularly the middle class, continues to grow. All these cars must be parked somewhere.

"In cities around the world, parking is a major issue due to the rapid development within CBDs, the already limited space and the cost of providing parking in areas where land values are high,"  comments Goslett.  "But even in residential developments, space constraints and land costs have resulted in many sectional title schemes relying on street and public open space parking to address the issue."

Goslett explains that in line with the theory of supply and demand, constrained supply and raising demand results in higher prices. "Adequate parking arrangements definitely add value to a property, but its independent, intrinsic value is also increasing as demand increases. Hence, the importance of parking is also affecting issues such as insurance and property finance."

Sufficient and suitable parking at any property, whether residential of commercial, will affect the value of the property, the use of the property as well as the rental that can be charged.

"Increasingly, buyers are considering the lack of a garage on a property, or insufficient parking bays for the number of occupants in a sectional title unit, as a drawback. They recognise the inconvenience of parking situated some distance from the house or unit, the increased theft risk for a vehicle not locked up in a garage as well as the possibility of weather damage if a vehicle is parked in the open," says Goslett.   

The increase in the intrinsic value of parking is also evident from the findings of a recent global CBD parking rate survey, which revealed that London - at R7114 per month - is the most expensive place in the world to park a car.  Other cities in the survey’s top ten list of most expensive places to park include Hong Kong, Sydney, Perth, Oslo, Amsterdam, Vienna, Athens and Copenhagen.

"In South Africa, parking is also becoming an increasingly sought-after commodity. Parking rates in South African cities range from around R500 per month in Johannesburg’s CBD to more than R1000 per month in Cape Town’s CBD," says Goslett. "A parking bay in Johannesburg’s CBD will cost around R50 000 and, even in the south of Johannesburg, a parking bay in a sectional title scheme can fetch up to R80 000.

In Clifton, Cape Town, the price goes up to as much as R500 000 for a single parking bay. In fact, last year, a small garage in Clifton was sold for a record price of R2-million.

"Some sectional title owners have sold or ceded their parking bays in light of the high prices achievable, but no longer having a parking bay will definitely negatively affect the value of the unit in the long term."

The importance of parking has also extended beyond these factors to impact the homeowner’s insurance and even the ability to obtain finance for a property purchase.

"The latest SAPS crime statistics show that in the 2009/2010 reporting period, 71 776 vehicles were stolen – that’s an average of almost 6000 vehicles a month. Understandably, insurance companies will apply a higher rating to an insurance policy for a vehicle which is not parked in a locked garage and even more so if the vehicle is parked outside due to a lack of parking on the property," notes Goslett.

"In addition, two of the major banks in South Africa recently announced that finance will no longer be granted on sectional title units without on-site parking. This shows that the banks have also recognised the growing importance of parking in determining the value of a property."

Homebuyers will do well to carefully consider the availability and suitability of the parking offered by a property.

"When viewing a property, assess the existing parking facilities and the possibility of extending these. Is there adequate protected parking for the family’s vehicles? Is there sufficient parking for visitors? Parking may not be at the top of a buyer’s most important criteria, but it can make a significant difference to the long-term value of the property," concludes Goslett.  

Credit: South African News

July 2011

“Differential Costs of Garages & Parking Bays” What you need to know

The cost of parking is an important consideration when buying in a town or resort in South Africa, particularly if you have a number of cars.

Recent survey conducted shows that a garage or private parking space isn’t always included in the price when you buy a new apartment or town-house in South Africa, although secure parking may be available at an additional cost, possibly in an underground garage. Modern detached homes usually have a garage or a basement that can be used as a garage. Smaller homes normally have a single garage, while larger properties may have garaging for up to four cars. A lock-up garage is important in areas with a high incidence of car theft and theft from cars (e.g. most cities), and is also useful to protect your car from climatic extremes – particularly too much sun and heat.

Without a private garage or parking space, parking can be a nightmare (and dangerous), particularly in cities and during the summer in busy resorts or developments. Free on-street parking can be difficult or impossible to find in cities and large towns, and in any case may be inadvisable for anything but a wreck. If you’re buying in a large development, note that the nearest parking area may be some distance from your home. This may be an important factor, particularly if you aren’t up to carrying heavy shopping hundreds of metres and possibly up several flights of stairs.

It’s usually cheaper to rent a parking bay than a garage, but even these can be expensive: in outlying areas of Cape Town, for example, the price of a parking bay is between R38,000 (€3,900) and R45,000 (€4,600); and in the City Bowl or the fashionable central area of Long Street, a bay can cost between R70,000 (€7,250) and R100,000 (€10,300). The cost is slightly higher in Downtown Johannesburg but in Sandton City, it is about thrice the value.  

The cost of a garage or parking space isn’t always recouped when selling, although it makes a property more attractive and may clinch a sale. Parking isn’t usually a problem when buying an old home in a rural area, although there may not be a purpose-built garage.

Credit: V-Park Staff on Holiday in SA

28 July 2011

“Differential Costs of Garages & Parking Bays” What you need to know

The cost of parking is an important consideration when buying in a town or resort in South Africa, particularly if you have a number of cars.

Recent survey conducted shows that a garage or private parking space isn’t always included in the price when you buy a new apartment or town-house in South Africa, although secure parking may be available at an additional cost, possibly in an underground garage. Modern detached homes usually have a garage or a basement that can be used as a garage. Smaller homes normally have a single garage, while larger properties may have garaging for up to four cars. A lock-up garage is important in areas with a high incidence of car theft and theft from cars (e.g. most cities), and is also useful to protect your car from climatic extremes – particularly too much sun and heat.

Without a private garage or parking space, parking can be a nightmare (and dangerous), particularly in cities and during the summer in busy resorts or developments. Free on-street parking can be difficult or impossible to find in cities and large towns, and in any case may be inadvisable for anything but a wreck. If you’re buying in a large development, note that the nearest parking area may be some distance from your home. This may be an important factor, particularly if you aren’t up to carrying heavy shopping hundreds of metres and possibly up several flights of stairs.

It’s usually cheaper to rent a parking bay than a garage, but even these can be expensive: in outlying areas of Cape Town, for example, the price of a parking bay is between R38,000 (€3,900) and R45,000 (€4,600); and in the City Bowl or the fashionable central area of Long Street, a bay can cost between R70,000 (€7,250) and R100,000 (€10,300). The cost is slightly higher in Downtown Johannesburg but in Sandton City, it is about thrice the value.  

The cost of a garage or parking space isn’t always recouped when selling, although it makes a property more attractive and may clinch a sale. Parking isn’t usually a problem when buying an old home in a rural area, although there may not be a purpose-built garage.

Credit: V-Park Staff on Holiday in SA

28 July 2011

Could Tips Saves You Some Parking Comfort? "Arguably Not In SA"

So friendly in fact that when you park your car on a street, or in a parking lot – well, just about anywhere really – you’ll find a friendly face beaming at you as you pull into the parking space, twisting and turning your steering wheel to the whistles and directional hand signals of the friendly face. Unfortunately, in South Africa, you are often expected to pay for parking anywhere you go. This is to supposedly secure your vehicle and content, though I am unsure of that.

You get out of your car and the friendly face will beam even more widely, revealing a (frequently) toothless grin (especially if you’re in Cape Town, but more on that later) and you will be greeted by a gushing:

 “Hello” and a wave of the hand.

Off you go, to do your shopping, watch your movie or drink your coffee and on your return, the same friendly face will be there, saying “Goodbye” and watching you intently as you get into your car.   You’ll even get some whistling and hand signals to help you navigate your way out of your parking space [I find these hand signals particularly useful when I’ve reversed into the parking space and all I’m now doing is pulling straight out in a forward direction.

What could be friendlier than that?

But, it’s not all as straight-forward as it seems.

These are South Africa’s “Car guards” – an employment initiative introduced years ago in an effort to lower unemployment.  Now, car guards are everywhere and their chief job is to “look after your car for you”.  This means making sure that nobody crashes into your car, breaks into or damages your car or worse still – steals your car.

The question of course remains as to what a car guard will actually do when it comes to the crunch – would they put themselves in the line of fire to protect your car?  The jury’s still out on this one.  Some car guards have official uniforms, some have fluorescent bibs and some….well, let’s just say they could be any man off the street.

In return for their watchful eyes, they expect a tip of between R2 – R5.  For most of us, that’s not too much.  The annoyance starts to mount though when you’ve only been out of your car for a few minutes or [my personal favourite], the car guard doesn’t actually know which car is yours and is just saying “Hello” to you as you walk past on the off-chance that he’s guessed correctly. But, if you’re visiting South Africa, humour the poor fellows and give them a tip.  Just don’t expect them to actually prevent anything happening to your car.

Credit: V-Park Staff on Holiday in SA

July 2011

Parking Versus Post Who Wins in Uganda?

Kampala — Multiplex Uganda, the managers of street parking in Kampala has dragged Posta Uganda, the providers of postal services to court over failure to pay a debt of Ushs 629 million (USD 241,923).
Multiplex claims Posta pulled off the stunt by failing to pay a debt that accrued from the breach of contract. Multiplex entered into a contract with Posta to clean and paint the exterior wall of Posta building and a notice of award of contract was displayed in 2007.

The two parties further executed general conditions of contract for procurement works in which Posta undertook to pay Multiplex within 30 days of the date of each certificate and interest upon late payment of the sum at commercial rate of borrowing from the date on which payment should have been made up to the date of the last payment.

In 2008, Multiplex completed the work and sent first certificate of Ushs 155 million (US $ 59615) but Posta cleared only Ushs 100 million (US $ 38461) leaving a balance that has not been cleared to this date the balance has not been cleared.

Multiplex continued to issue more certificates of Ushs 69 (US $ 2653) and 170 (US $ 65384) million but were never paid and no advance on them was made.

"We have since made several demands for the outstanding payment to no avail" reads the plaint lodged in the High Court's commercial division.



As a result of failure to pay, Multiplex contends that it has suffered and continues to suffer losses which it wants Posta to cover by way of general damages and default amount.

As per the terms and conditions of the contract, the money gained interest to the sum of Ushs 629 million. It went ahead to serve a statutory notice of intention to sue with no reaction from Posta.

On top of refunding Ushs 629 million, Multiplex demands Posta to pay interest on the money quoted as calculated from the time of completion of the works.

Multiplex also seeks the refund of money that it will spend on prosecuting Posta in court.
Commercial court's Justice Madramac is expected to preside over the case after the break off very soon.





Credit: V-Park's Team
25 July 2011

Minister Allays Fear Over Bombing of Lagos Airport As A Result of Underground Car Park Reopening Orders Made

Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Odua, has dismissed fears that the nation's busiest airport, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos would be bombed by the Muslim religious sect, Boko Haram or any other person or persons.

The fear was heightened when she ordered the reopening of the 700-car capacity abandoned underground parking lot at the basement of the international terminal of the airport as users of the facility say the park would pose security threat, which was the main reason why it was closed during the late General Sani Abacha regime.

But the Minister's decision to reopen the park was informed by the report that there is inadequate car park at the international wing of the airport as there is growing passengers' movement and therefore increased movement of vehicles and attendant request for more parking spaces.

But ever since the Minister ordered that the parking lot, which has been out of use since 1997, be reopened to ease parking space constraints as well as serve as a revenue generating avenue for government, fears have been expressed in some quarters that the place could become a safe haven for bombers to plant their explosive devices.

Odua explained that the matter was well thought out before she gave the directive for its reopening, stressing that security of lives, cars and the entire building was considered before she directed the revamping of the park.

The Minister explained that before the park would be reopened to the public for use, it has to be fully rehabilitated, with the installation of Close Circuit Cameras (CCTV) as part of the security measures that would be employed to secure the premises.

She added that bomb and explosive detectors as well as scanning machines would be stationed at all entrances and gates to screen all vehicles going in and out of the underground parks.
The Minister also stated that it is not only the parking lot that would be secured, saying the entire airports across the country would equally be fully equipped with security gadgets to take care of security of lives and property.

Odua said that the decision to rehabilitate the abandoned park was in line with her vision to encourage the parastatals under her Ministry to embrace innovative ways of management, noting that it would help boost their internally generated revenue (IGR).

Credit: Thisday

July 2011

Sludge

Three months ago, a 2006 Audi came in for an oil change.  We’d never worked on it before.  We did an oil service and some other routine work.  The car left, and we didn’t hear from its owner until today.

After lunch, I got a call from a garage in Colorado who had the car in for service.  The mechanic told me the car had 54,000 miles on its odometer – 4,000 more than when we had it here.  He said the car came in with a cam adjuster fault code, and the engine oil was very dirty.  In response to that, he drained the oil, ran BG engine flush through the motor, and changed the oil again.

The mechanic said that the oil was very black, which caused him to think we must not have changed it.  He alleged this supposedly overlooked oil change caused the customer’s present problem, which he believed to be sludge buildup causing the cam adjuster to act up.

In response to his allegation I reviewed the internal shop ticket for the car.  The ticket showed the technician worked on the car a total of 5.1 hours on March 22, and the materials charged on the final bill were pulled from stock.  An oil change was indeed on the list of tasks.  There was absolutely no reason to doubt the oil was changed from the records I saw.

However, it raises a good question.  When someone comes in for a service like an oil change, and then says “you charged me for it and never did it,” what do you say?  When you put a new tires or wiper blades on a car, they are plain to see.  However, new oil looks pretty much the same as old oil, much of the time.  

You can recognize new oil right after it's installed, but in some engines it will be black the very next day.  Unfortunately, those tend to be the engines whose owners generate complaints.  To answer, I first say we are presumed to have done what we say we did, in the absence of evidence to the contrary.  When a bill says "change oil" most people accept that the service was provided as described.

The “black looking oil” cited by the Colorado mechanic is not evidence that we hadn't changed it.  It was just black oil.  No more, no less.  Since visiting our shop, the car was driven cross-country, from Massachusetts to Colorado.  If the car had sludge in the engine before we saw it, the detergents in the Mobil 1 would flush it and as a consequence the oil would be black, after 4,000 miles of cross-country driving. 

All the oil companies stress that point - you cannot judge the suitability or age of modern engine oil by looking at the dipstick.  Analysis is needed.

I’ve seen Mobil 1 oil turn black quite rapidly in other sludged motors, during my twenty-five years in this business.  For all I know, this engine is no different.   Black oil after driving to Colorado is not evidence of anything but a dirty motor. 

The only way to know what happened inside that particular engine would have been to sample the oil and send it to Mobil or another lab for analysis.  That’s not possible in this case because the shop owner drained it and flushed the engine.  For other people who have the same question in their own cars, oil analysis provides valuable insight.  If you were charged for a certain oil and you doubt you received it, analysis of a sample is the only way to resolve the question. “Looking dirty” is not the basis of an informed decision.

More important, analysis will tell how often the oil should be changed based on wear in your motor, and how it's holding up. 

Sludge buildup is a big problem in some of today’s cars; one that is widely known as the result of extended neglect, or repeated use of oil with the wrong rating for the car.  It’s not a problem that crops up all of a sudden, if the car was driven a few thousand miles past the target oil change interval.   Sludge buildup happens as a result of short duty cycle driving patterns combined with too-infrequent service intervals over a long period of time.

Mercedes, BMW, and Audi all specifiy oil change interval of 10,000 miles or more, which many mechanics feel is too long.   The only way those intervals can be met without sludge buildup is by the use of special long-life synthetic oils.  Use of inexpensive conventional oil is a recipe for disaster when change intervals get long.  Even with good oil, many prefer to change more frequently, using intervals of 7,500 miles instead. 


Many people encounter sludge when they buy a used car, only to discover it had poor care or no care earlier in its life, and they are now the recipient of whatever problems will ensue.  If you suspect your engine has sludge buildup, I encourage you to use an oil with strong cleaning properties, like Mobil 1 0-40, and change it every 4-5,000 miles until an analysis shows the engine to be cleaner.  In some cases, engine disassembly is needed to resolve the problem.

If the sludge stays in place in a motor it many not do any harm.  The risk is that a sludge clump will break loose, clog a vital oil passage, and precipitate the failure of the engine.  It's the automotive equivalent of a stroke.

The whole issue of sludge damage can be prevented with more frequent service.  Take better care of your car, and this won't happen to you.

The magic carburator

If you are around in the car culture long enough you will eventually hear about some old crusty guy who invented a carburetor. There are some of you who probably know where this is going and for others this may be the first time you hear this. This story is complete BS and I will explain why.

The Story
The story always follows this pattern:
Some guy tells you a friend's relative (or distant relative's friend) was working on some big pig old (Cadillac, Lincoln, Buick, Mercury, Chrysler, or some other land yacht), and came up with a new carburetor design in the (40's, 50's, 60's, or 70's). It was so good he drove this vehicle (half way or the whole way) across the country and used only (a half, a quarter, an eighth, or a whole) tank of gas doing so. Upon returning home he shopped the design of this carburetor around to (GM, Ford, Chrysler) and they were very interested. A few days later (the government, Arab sheiks, auto executives, oil executives) showed up and (killed him, paid him millions, disappeared him) taking his new carburetor. Currently the (oil companies, government, car companies, oil cartels, or any combination of them) are sitting on technology that could easily give up (100, 200, 300, 500, or 1000) MPG in our current cars.

The Truth
Personally I am sick of hearing this story. I don't know if people actually believe this story, like telling it because they are into conspiracy theories, or like messing with people who don't know much about cars. Very often the story teller will mention a specific type of carburetor, a fish carburetor, a catalytic carburetor, or a vapor carburetor. Basically it is impossible to create a vehicle of that size that gets that type of mileage. My other thought is that people are confusing the ultra high mileage cars that various teams build with actual cars. Now the ultra high mileage cars take fuel savings to new levels and basically these contests are about who can abuse the rules the most. These things are slow, extremely  light, seat one, and are started by pull sting. To achieve these extreme mileages the teams go and find about the smallest girl they can to have as the driver and then build the car body around them. Depending on the class that these cars a competing in they typically get between 500 and 3000 mpg.

Now if you are going to hold those types of "cars" up as proof that we can build cars that get extreme gas mileage and Detroit, the Government, or the oil companies are just withholding this technology they you are kidding your self. To improve on fuel economy there are only about 4 things that you can do and most you can't change once you purchase the vehicle.

Engine efficiency
This is one of the things you can change some on an existing vehicle. Internal combustion engines are typically between 20% and 30% efficient meaning that they only extract between 20% and 30% of the energy of the fuel. Now for those of you who think that this is some massive conspiracy and that they should be closer to 100% then you are kidding you self. The internal combustion engine that has the highest efficiency is a combined cycle GE gas turbine that is about 60% efficient and is used in power plants. For reciprocating piston engines the best is about 50% and that is only achievable in large engines like this one with a bore of 3 feet and a stroke of 8 feet. For those of you who think someday we might actually achieve 100% efficiency you are kidding your self. Thermo dynamics puts a limit on the maximum efficiency that can be achieved, this limit is the carnot cycle efficiency. So lets assume that it is possible to have a 100% what would one of those big pig cars mentioned earlier get. Well if we assume currently one of those engines is 20% efficient (this number will help our calculation) and lets also assume that the vehicle gets 20mpg (a gross overstatement, but it makes the numbers work out nicely they probably got more int he range of 12-14mpg) then by putting a 100% efficient engine in it it would get 100mpg which is pretty good but is would be a gross overestimate for this car which is frequently used in the story.

Mileage through lightness
Another way to get good mileage is to have a lighter vehicle. Those high mileage competition vehicles weight int eh 100-200 pound category, sometimes weighing under 200 pounds with driver. You can make some changes to your vehicles weight but don't expect any significant ones unless you start taking out everything you don't need including seats, and other trim pieces. Even then your vehicle will still weigh significantly more than those mileage competition cars, hell most motorcycles weigh more than those cars. The cars in the story usually weight in between 5,000 and 8,000 pounds or between 25 and 40 times the weight of the high mileage competition cars.

Better Aerodynamics
This is something you really can't change on your vehicle for the better, but you can make worse. If you look at those high mileage competition cars they are extremely aerodynamic. They also present a very small cross sectional area which also has a lot to do with how much energy is needed to move the air out of the way. Now compare that to another favorite car in the story and you can see how bogus thing really are starting to become.

Go slower
One thing all of those high mileage competition cars have in common is they are slow. Typically they will start the engine get up to speed and then shut it off and coast to a stop then repeat. These cars would be fast if they could go 30 mph. At these slow speeds you have less wind resistance. Now compare that to any production car made in the last 60 years. For the most part all cars made after WWII can reach 100 mph some can even go well over 200 mph.

So what gets really good mileage
Even today's best production cars don't get as good of milage as the best ones of all time. If you want to maximize your fuel economy I suggest reading this posting of mine but don't expect incredible gains at best you might get 5 or 6 mpg extra. The problem is most people don't want the cars that get close to 100mpg as they seat one maybe 2 don't have much power, and aren't very safe. If you are curious about these cars here is a list of some of the more famous or unique ones:

• Messerschmitt KR200 (considered to be the best engineered post WWII micro car)
• BMW Isetta 250 or 300 (the car that saved BMW, also the most successful micro car)
• Peel P50 (the smallest production car ever)
• Peel Trident
• HM Vehicles Free-way (Minnesota made also had an electric version)
• Subaru 360

Beat the heat

With some really oppressive heat and humidity over us here in the mid west (I know those of you down south get it worse) I have noticed a number of vehicles broken down on the side of the road. This kind of heat is just as hard on your vehicle as the bitter cold (sorry for those of you down south you can't even compete on that one). So how do you keep your vehicle running well in this kind of weather.

Coolant
If you haven't changed it recently you might want to consider doing so. A good flush and fill will go along way to ensuring that your car will stay cool and continue running. Also if you haven't checked your coolant level recently do so and fill as necessary as you will want the maximum amount of cooling capacity. If you have a vehicle that has been modified to produce more power you factory cooling system my not be able to keep up. A little trick to ensure that these vehicles stay cool is instead of using the standard 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water is to run almost 100% pure water with a product like Water Wetter to lubricate the pump (also it decreases the surface tension in the water allowing for more cooling). Granted this mix doesn't have as high of a boil over protection, but will keep your engine running much cooler since 100% water has a much better thermal transfer than a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze.

AC
If yours isn't working as well as it use to you may just need a new cabin air filter. Changing these is similar in difficulty to changing the engine air filter but a little more expensive with the filter costing $10 to $15. If this still doesn't help you may be low in refrigerant in the AC system. Unless you know what you are doing I suggest you  take your vehicle to a professional as it is pretty easy to over fill the system and then wreck seals thus making your poorly working AC into a non working AC

Tires
Tires should always be properly inflated, especially in hot weather. Too little air and your tire will over heat and you will be suffering a blow out and have to change a tire in this crappy weather. Too much air and your tire may just burst and you will be stuck changing a tire in this crappy weather.

Battery
Heat kills batteries so if you have a battery that is old and questionable you might want to change it out before you get stuck. Also keep your battery properly charged will go along way to preventing the stresses that can prematurely kill a battery.

Oil
In addition to providing lubrication to your engine oil also helps cool it as it flows. In extreme heat you should ensure that you have the proper amount of oil so as to maximize the cooling capacity. Additionally using a synthetic oil will decrease the internal friction thus helping your engine stay cool.

Shade
If you have the opportunity to park in the shade or in a covered ramp I suggest doing so. Not only will this keep the interior of your car from becoming an oven, but it will help protect interior trim and the pain. Heat is what causes the plastic in things like dashes to dry out and crack. Also by keeping your vehicle out of the sun it helps protect the paint from UV damage thus helping the paint prevent your car from rust. If you can't park in a shaded area I highly suggest getting one of those windshield shades and cracking your side windows to keep the interior heat down.

Don't expect a miracle in a can

If you have been in an auto parts store, down an auto care isle, or watched infomercials then you have seen them. These are the miracle in a can products that promise to do almost magical things to your engine. There are some that claim they will make your engine last for ever, be cleaner, stop leaks, get better gas mileage and so on. The truth is these products produce varied results some work great while others do nothing to fix the problem. Most of the problems these products attempt to resolve could have been prevented by doing regular maintenance on your vehicle.

Stop Leak Products
These are probably the most common types of products out there within this group there are products that stop coolant leaks, oil leaks, and I would also include ones that stop burning of oil.With the various stop leak products you actually have a decent chance of them working. The bad news is that any fixes they provide are temporary at best. Oil stop leak products work by either "reconditioning" seals and gaskets or by thickening the oil so it doesn't leak out (this is also how the products that stop your car from burning oil work). With ones that recondition seals and gaskets all they do is cause the gaskets to swell so that the gasket plugs the gap, void, or crack. These will work for a while but eventually you will have a leak again. The only real fix is to replace the gasket or seal that is leaking. The products that thicken the oil I am not a big fan of as they really don't fix anything but just mask the problem. Add to that these products thicken oil I start to question if they are really good for your vehicle since you vehicle was designed to run with a specific weight of oil. As far a coolant stop leak products, I have had varied success with these, some of them seem to work some of them don't. Basically if you have a leak on a non moving part of your coolant system (i.e. not the water pump) then this product will plug the hole. I don't know how permanent these fixes are but once I have gotten home I go do a proper fix (solder, weld, or replace) so that I don't have to worry about the stop leak product.

Clean mechanical parts inside your car
These are also very common products and provide varying results. There are products to clean your fuel system, combustion chamber, engine, transmission, cooling system and so on. Basically these products are solvents. The ones that are put into the gas tank are meant to do one or more of the following:

1. Remove deposits from the fuel system. This usually called fuel deposits and are basically varnish. This can happen over time if you let vehicles sit for a while, the vehicle doesn't consume much fuel, or has a lot of miles on it. This also includes products like fuel injector cleaner or carburetor cleaner. Here I think that some products work better than others, but generally they won't cause any damage if used.
2. Remove water from the fuel. Products that do this usually have alcohol in them as alcohol will absorb the water and will still blend with gas. Getting water in your tank can happen if you have an old vehicle who's tank doesn't seal well, or if you bought some bad gas. These products were more common years ago, but now with most gasoline already having ethanol in it the need to remove water is lessened. These products usually work well as they solve only one problem that is pretty simple to fix.
3. Oil additives to clean out deposits in the engine. Personally I don't like these products as they thin the oil. This will decrease the ability of the oil to properly lubricate. I have used the products in the past but when I do I only use them just before an oil change and then only drive for a little bit with them. I only do it the first time I change oil on a vehicle because most people don't change their oil as frequently as they should and this will remove the deposits and sludge that have built up. If you change oil when you should this is something that never needs to be done. Using these products on a very neglected engine may actually make things worse as those deposits may have been plugging leaks or filling voids so now your vehicle may leak oil or burn it so it is best to just take care of your stuff to begin with than hope for a miracle fix in a can.
4. Coolant system cleaners. My feeling with these is similar to that of oil additives, they may work, but you would be better off taking care of the system to begin with than using one of these products and hoping for a miracle. Usually issues these products resolve are silted up cooling systems, rust, and calcium build up. These problems can all be avoided by doing a flush and fill on your coolant regularly. Also as with oil additives using one of these products may reveal other problems as they clean away the neglect. 

Performance improvements in a can

Unless you are running an extremely high compression engine or using a lot of boos don't expect much of anything from these products. The reason is that mostly these are placebo products. The only ones that do anything are those that increase the octane of the gas you are running, or in the case of diesels increase the cetane number. Increasing the octane doesn't do anything unless you have an engine designed for higher octane (even higher than the 91 or 92 premium fuel) than can normally be found. Unless you have modified your engine substantially (made a race engine out of it) you don't need these. Also don't expect any product to magically increase your fuel economy. If you use one of these products and your car magically starts running better it probably is because something is wrong with your car that needs to be fixed. It will be cheaper in the long run to actually fix the problem instead of keeping buying stuff in the can.

So what products do I like

There are some gems out there for the products in a can. Below is a list of products I like and have had success with in the past.

Oil stop leak - If you really want to use a product to stop oil leaks and not just replace gaskets or seals then go use something like Valvoline Max Life or Mobile 1 High Mileage. I would recommend either of these since you aren't playing backyard petrochemist. These are designed to meet the correct specifications of the oil for your vehicle instead of you just dumping stuff in. Don't expect results overnight with these products as it takes time for them to cause the seals and gaskets to swell and plug the gaps or cracks.

Coolant stop leak - I have had success in the past using the Bar's Leaks Lquid Aluminum product. When using products like this you need to drive the vehicle around for a while. This prevents it from solidifying into a big clump in the overflow tank. As I have mentioned I use this as a temporary fix and when I get home I go and do a real fix. 

Fuel system cleaners - Lots of people swear by Chevron Techron, but personally I like the Berryman B-12 Chemtool fuel system cleaner or injector cleaner. Basically these are some of the most caustic things I have ever used. I was introduced to them when cleaning the intake manifold on my car and had gone through several cans of regular carb cleaner and the guys at the auto parts store suggest the spray form. It really does clean well, don't get it on your paint, or on your hands. Also recently I have seen a couple of gas stations advertising the they carry gas to meets or exceeds top tier gas standards. I would say using these fuels would be a better option as again you aren't playing back yard petrochemist. Both Holiday and Kwik Trip in my area have recently started offering these. 

Oil additives for cleaning - I have used Seafoam to do this I put in the recommended amount and drive for a max of 30 miles and then change oil. I don't regularly use this since changing your oil at the correct time is the better option. As a side not Seafoam works great for fogging motors when putting them away for the season.

Coolent system cleaners - None, just do regular flush and fills.

Performance in a can - None, but if you really feel you need to run high octane fuel you can always go and get some leaded avgas down at the nearest airport for about $6 a gallon or race track for about $8 a gallon. If you feel you still need more octane then you are doing something wrong. 

Rover V8 head gaskets

With all the talk of Land Rover liner failures in the pushrod V8's you might think head gaskets are no longer a problem.  Not so!  Here is what happens when head gaskets fail slowly . . .

This photo shows a failed gasket.  There is a split in the material right next to my finger

The area at the top is the part that surrounds the water jacket, visible on the left  side of the frame below. These V8 motors have coolant flowing into the head at the front and rear of the block, through the tall narrow passages.  There is no from from block to head for the middle cylinders; hence you can only have a head gasket coolant failure on an end cylinder.

The picture below shows how the coolant turned to steam and scoured the interior of the cylinder.  That steam cleaning is visible using a borescope; it's a positive means of identifying internal failure through the spark plug holes.  If you see that telltale on an end cylinder it may be a head gasket or a block failure.  In a middle cylinder, it's block failure for sure.

One other thing this image shows is how the block became slightly eroded in the area of the leak.  If this engine were fixed by simply slapping on a gasket it would probably fail again.  The cure would be to deck the block, or fit a top hat liner.  Both those options involve total overhaul, though, so some would go for a used motor instead.

This photo shows a middle cylinder for comparison.  The effect of coolant scouring is obvious now.

Range Rover Sport front differential failures

When differentials fail in Range Rovers, they tend to fail in front.  Over the years we have changed 3-4 times as many front as rear differentials.  I'm not sure why that is, as the same part is used front and rear.  Some say it's because of the traction control.  Others suggest the front does more work because those are the steered wheels.

We recently had a 2006 Sport differential fail, at 75,000 miles.  The truck had Mobil 1 gear lub all its life, changed at 15 and 45k miles, yet the bearings came apart as you can see.

I wish I knew what we might do to avoid repeat failures, but I don't.  For now, we fit the factory replacements and hope for a preventative answer

Motorists enjoy free parking as Multiplex workers strike

The wave of strikes continues. And the latest to join are employees of Multiplex (U) Limited, a company tendered to manage street parking in Kampala, who laid down their tools yesterday protesting low pay and poor welfare.

Multiplex managers yesterday met to discuss the occurrence and delegate a team to investigate it. Many motorists yesterday enjoyed rare free parking on the streets.

“We have launched an investigation to establish the cause and the perpetrators of the strike. We have met the field workers and agreed to consider addressing their complaints as they themselves work towards helping the company improve its revenue targets,” said Mr Moses Bbosa, Multiplex executive director, during after meeting the employees.

Field workers who collect revenue from street parking claim they are paid peanuts against the backdrop of soaring cost of living. They said they earn Shs5,000 daily and accused their employer of failing to remit their NSSF contributions.
But Mr Bbosa said the payments to the employees are based on the income from the revenue from street parking.

“We have many temporary workers with simple letters of engagement. They are mainly youths who came for part-time employment and they did not declare that willingness to work on permanent terms,” he said.

He said though the strike has been called off, management will continue to dialogue with workers to chart a way forward.

Credit: Uganda Daily Monitor

14/07/2011

Taxi Drivers Caused Chaos in Uganda Due To High Parking Fees

Ugandan taxi drivers kept their cars off the streets on Monday to protest high parking fees, paralysing transport in the capital (KAMPALA) and adding to a rash of strikes and protests in the east African nation.

Stranded commuters were forced to hop on motorcycle taxis, which quickly hiked their fares amid crushing demand, while tens of thousands of others walked miles to work in the capital Kampala.

The taxi drivers were protesting exorbitant parking fees charged by Utoda, a government-contracted private company that manages the city's transport system, said leaders of the drivers' association.

We have decided to put down our tools, which are our vehicles, for two days so that Utoda and the NRM (ruling party) can stop this thuggery and extortion that we're subjected to every day," Sam Semuwemba, a taxi driver participating in the strike, told Reuters.

Drivers say Utoda charges them about 160,000 shillings ($60) a month for use of taxi parks and that only a tiny fraction of that is remitted to the government. The rest is never accounted for, say drivers.

When someone fails to pay that money they confiscate your vehicle, harass or detain you," said another driver, Henry Mutebi.

Police arrested an undetermined number of "disruptive" taxi drivers who had pressured colleagues into joining the protest after they declined to do so, said police spokeswoman Judith Nabakoba.

We told them if you're striking, you can't stop someone else who wants to continue working because that's his right. So we arrested some of the drivers who were trying to be disruptive," she said.

Anger over soaring food and fuel prices sparked opposition-led demonstrations across the country in April and May, provoking a government crackdown in which nine people were killed and hundreds others injured.

Last week, traders in Kampala shut their shops for two days to protest the depreciation of the shilling against the dollar, which they say has eroded their profit margins.

Credit: Reuters

11/07/ 2011

No More Diplomatic Immunity for Breaking Parking Rules Says UK

Two foreign embassies have paid more than £40,000 in outstanding fines handed out for illegal parking in central London.

Diplomats from Kazakhstan ran up a bill of £37,160 for 627 tickets, while the Nigerian Embassy cleared its £3,450 bill for 78 offences last year.

Westminster Council said it will write to embassies who have not paid.

China, Turkey, Afghanistan, the UAE, Cyprus, France, the US and Germany are among the top 10 fine dodgers, it said.

Kazakhstan Embassy had the maximum number of unpaid parking fines, the authority said.

Lee Rowley, Westminster Council's cabinet member for parking, said: "If you inconvenience other drivers by parking incorrectly in Westminster then you'll get a parking ticket and you should have to pay, regardless of who you are or your job title.

"Citing 'diplomatic immunity' as an excuse for not paying tickets is clearly unacceptable."

The Conservative-run council said it was owed £1,099,604 in outstanding fines, that it had handed out since 2007.

Credit: BBC News

13/07/2011

Happy Pride Auto Care Customer from Centennial CO

Dear Vince,

I’m writing you this letter to inform you of the incredible customer service I received from your employee named Pete (I didn’t get his last name).  Last night (07/06/11) while entering the Walgreens parking lot at Yosemite and Dry Creek, I hit a large pot hole and it flattened my front drivers side tire immediately.  I was able to get the car parked but was a bit nervous as to what to do.  I live in Hunters Hill and had purchased tires from your shop before so I walked over in the hopes you would have the right size tire for my car.  I poked my head in the garage and asked if they were still open, but it was a little bit past 6:00 pm.  Pete said they were closed but asked if he could help me.  I told him my story and he went over and above what is generally expected.  Pete walked over to Walgreens, in the rain, and helped me get the car to the shop where he luckily had a tire that was perfect.  Twenty minutes later I was driving home.

Helping me out after hours was so generous and kind.  It’s hard to express how much I appreciate it.  Thank you!

Regards,

Alan Z. Centennial Colorado