VIN Characters Decoded

Detroit automobile manufacturers began stamping and casting identifying numbers on cars and their parts in the mid-1950's. The primary purpose of this vehicle identification number (VIN) was to give an accurate description of the vehicle when mass production numbers were starting to scale in very significant numbers. The early VIN numbers came in a range of variations depending on the individual manufacturer at that time.

In the early 1980's the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (USDOT) required that all road vehicles must contain a 17 character VIN. This established the standard fixed VIN system which major vehicle manufacturers use today. The result was a unique style number for each individual vehicle that rolled off the assembly line.

The Vehicle Identification Number was originally described in ISO Standard 3779 in February 1977 and last revised in 1983. The ISO-VIN was designed to identify motor vehicles, trailers, motorcycles and mopeds and consists of several parts described in the diagram.

At AutoStopUSA.com you can search for your vehicle parts by VIN characters. Select Online Catalog and then go to VIN Number Search.

Car Maintenance Tips

How do you know when your brakes need work? These symptoms may tell you. 

Brake pad wear. On many vehicles, you can inspect your brake pads by bending down and looking through the spaces in the wheel rims. If the outer pad (the piece pressing against the metal rotor) is less than ¼-inch thick, the pads need to be replaced. The longer you put it off, the more you risk causing expensive damage to other parts of the brake system. 

Squealing, screeching, scraping or grinding noises. When your brake pads get thin, a metal wear indicator on the pad emits a high-pitched squeal that lets you know it's time to have your brakes checked (before any damage is done). But if you hear the grinding or scraping sound of metal-on-metal, it could mean you've waited too long and you're damaging the rotors every time you brake. Get to a service station as soon as possible. 

Decreased stopping power. If the brakes are "mushy" or feel like they're sinking to the floor when you press on the pedal, you might have a leak in the air hose or brake fluid line. 

The car vibrates or pulls to one side when braking. While these symptoms have a variety of possible causes, they could indicate warped rotors, uneven wear on the brake pads or other brake-related problems that need to be addressed by a trained mechanic.  More=>

Top 8 Car Maintenance Myths

Want to save hundreds of dollars a year on automobile maintenance? Then stop over-maintaining your vehicle. Sales pitches by fast-and-furious oil change shops and service centers touting all sorts of fluid flushes and lube jobs have Americans wasting wads of cash on unnecessary service items -- particularly on newer vehicles.

Often bewildered by the mass of electronics, wires and hoses that adorn a modern engine, many drivers simply put themselves at the mercy of service facilities that may only be interested in running up your bill.

Of course there's the flip side to all of this: Some drivers never have their cars serviced and then wonder why the engine seizes after the oil has turned to sludge.

But it's more likely that you're one of those drivers who follow the maintenance advice your dad gave you 30 years ago when you got your first car.

Thanks to computer-controlled ignitions, improvements in filter technology, upgraded suspension designs and other mechanical improvements developed by the manufacturers, today's vehicles require far less maintenance than the cars our parents drove.  More=>

Experts Urge Vehicle Maintenance in Times of High Heat

Sweltering temperatures don't just make your car uncomfortable to sit in, that heat can also do damage. If you aren't paying attention to your car, or haven't had it serviced in awhile, things could go awry. Blazing hot temperatures mean more business for auto mechanic shops. These shops have stocked up on coolant and thermostats because the extreme heat does more to a car than make it uncomfortable.  "There's a lot of things that the heat does to your car, it makes it run hot, especially if there's something wrong with radiator or something," said Sandra Ward, Wilson resident. 

 Ward had her tire pressure checked before a roadtrip because low pressure can cause the tire to overheat and blow out.  Charlie Murphy, a mechanic at Firestone, said these recent hot days have brought in many with hose failures, which is the seals and gaskets where the engine is put together.  "Extreme heat causes a lot of stress on the cooling system of the engine, and it will break down," said Murphy.  More=>

Top 10 Car Maintenance Mistakes

Compared to the family trucksters of a generation ago, modern cars require about as much maintenance as a toaster. This is a real liberation from the oil, lube and tune merry-go-round that ruled not so long ago.

Curiously, many people haven't adjusted their thinking to keep pace with new car maintenance schedules. The preoccupied still run their daily drivers without service until the dash warning lights burn out, while over-achievers fret about running synthetic oil more than 2,500 miles without a change.

Although maintenance intervals are now more widely spaced, even the newest cars require scheduled service to live long, productive lives. Whether yours is the latest model or you paid it off years ago, the trick is giving your car the maintenance it was designed to receive.

Surprisingly, the answer to what maintenance is required is hiding no farther away than the glove box. Every car is supplied with a maintenance schedule — in the owner's manual or in a separate maintenance log book — that details that vehicle's needs. A few minutes assimilating these requirements will help you avoid the following common car-maintenance pitfalls.  More=>

Hot Lap For Camaro SS 1LE

Chevrolet recently took a 2013 Camaro SS enhanced with the 1LE performance package for testing on Virginia International Speedway’s four-mile Grand Course, where the production car turned a lap in less than three minutes.

With Camaro engineer Aaron Link at the wheel, the coupe equipped with the $3,500 package hit a time of 2:58.34 on the winding road course, just a tad slower than the 2:52.40 time recorded earlier this year by Link driving the full-on Camaro ZL1.

The test Camaro SS, powered by the standard 6.2-liter LS3 V8 rated at 426 horsepower, was production spec other than a race seat and roll cage for safety, according to Chevrolet.  More=>

 

NASCAR Approves Redesigned 2013 Cars

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR has approved all four automakers' new Sprint Cup Series race car designs for next season.

Series officials announced Monday that the new Chevrolet SS, Dodge Charger, Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry designs have met the necessary targets for approval based on final aerodynamic tests July 18. Manufacturers can begin making parts and pieces for the new models, which will make their racing debut at Daytona International Speedway next February.

The new cars will bring a significantly different look next season as they are designed to look more like their passenger car counterparts.

"We commend the manufacturers and our team at the R&D center on all the hard work they've put into this new car," said NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton. "With all the designs and surface areas of the car now approved, manufacturers can now move forward with building the components needed to outfit their cars. The wind tunnel testing we've had with the manufacturers over the past several months has given us the timely and necessary data we needed to come to this confirmation. We believe the new car is going to be a milestone opportunity for our sport, one that our fans will embrace."  More=>