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Tom Auto

  1. 5 Worst Ways To Dispose of Your Cars Old Car Battery

    5 Worst Ways To Dispose of Your Cars Old Car Battery

    I often get the question “How do I get rid of the old battery after I replace it?”. I have heard just about every question and answer in the book. While I could tell you the only RIGHT way to dispose of your old car battery, what fun would that be? Instead, first, let’s talk about the five worst ways that you should never dispose of your old battery. Don’t worry, if you can hang in to the end, I will still let you know the only proper way to get rid of that meddlesome old car battery.

    Bury my old car battery in my backyard?

    No! It is not safe, nor is it advisable or legal for that matter, to bury your old car battery. Burying a car battery can pose a significant risk to the environment, as the chemica

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  2. What Are Fender Liners?

    What are Fender Liners for a car?

    The fender liners (also known as wheel well liners or splash guards) are the plastic, or sometimes metal, panels located inside the fenders of a vehicle. They protect the vehicle's engine and other mechanical components from debris and provide structural support to the fender. Fender liners also help to reduce road noise and improve aerodynamics.

    Are Fender Liners easy to install?

    The answer is yes and no. Exactly how easy fender liners are to install depends greatly on the type of vehicle, the design of the liners, and the experience of the person installing them. In some cases, fender liners can be easily installed with basic tools, while in others, the process may be more involved and require specialized tools or a professional installation. If you are unsure about your ability to install fender

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  3. How to Stop Your Catalytic Converter from Being Stolen

    There has been a surge in Catalytic converter theft across the nation. Catalytic converters are commonly stolen because of the precious metals contained inside them. The precious metals include rhodium, palladium, and even platinum that is used in the emission conversion process. These metals, even in fairly small quantities, can be worth hundreds of dollars to the right recycler. Catalytic converters are also a huge target because they can be fairly quick and simple to remove from a vehicle, for an experienced thief at least. Luckily, there are a few strategies that you can implement to ensure that you are not the next victim, often costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars to replace.

    How can I prevent my catalytic converter from being stolen? This is an excellent question with a few good answers. Some solutions cost nothing and others can end up costing a few hundred dollars and require professional installation. The following 5 steps can all

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  4. Do Electric Vehicles Need Oil Changes? - A Guide to Electric Car Maintenance

    Electric Vehicles, or EV for short, have been dramatically increasing in popularity over the last 20 years. However, technically, electric cars date back as far as the late 1800’s the recent EV boom is much more recent, starting around 2008. In 2008 Tesla entered the arena with the Tesla Roadster. Tesla was the first manufacturer to utilize lithium-ion batteries in a production vehicle and the first to possess a 200-mile driving range. These vehicles had a hefty price tag of $109k; however, this was the vehicle that started to change the public’s perception of EV for the better. The Nissan Leaf was one of the next big chapters in EV history. The Leaf came to the vehicle market in 2011. It was received well worldwide and had a 100-mile range. The Leaf became one of the bestselling electric vehicles ever having sold over 500,000 vehicles since its debut in 2011.

    In 2022 electric vehicles are much more commonplace and only getting more popular as time goes on.

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  5. Bumper Covers vs Bumpers - What's the Difference?

    Where Does a Bumper Cover Go?
    A bumper cover, as the name suggests, covers the actual impact-absorbing bumper and is largely an aesthetic accent. The actual bumper is typically a fixed structure, sometimes integrated into the vehicle itself, whose main purpose is to act as an impact absorber for collisions. While a bumper cover’s main role is visual in nature, they can provide some small amount of additional safety.

    Are Bumper Covers Necessary?
    In many older vehicles the bumper, typically steel construction and chrome plated, was integrated into the vehicle itself and served as its own aesthetic accessory. This is no longer the case and the bumper is mainly an aesthetically-challenged interior component. Hence, the modern bumper cover is necessary and serves some additional purposes. Typically molded and made in either plastic or fiberglass, bumper covers give your vehicle a more sleek and finished appearance. More importantly, the bumper cover p

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  6. Should I Buy OEM or Aftermarket Fender Liners

    When shopping for replacement fender liners you typically have two choices; OEM and aftermarket wheel liners. The choice really comes down to durability and price. When comparing the durability of the two choices, in almost every situation, OEM splash guards easily win. OEM fender liners are typically made thicker and are therefore more rigid. Being more rigid, OEM liners can be slightly easier to install.

    The real question is do fender liners need to be extremely durable? Beyond installation, unless you are driving on very rugged terrain, the answer is usually no. Most of the problems we have seen with aftermarket fender liners are due to incorrect installation. When installed correctly your splash guards should never be touching/rubbing your vehicle’s tires. If installed incorrectly and the tire is allowed to rub against the liner then you can run into issues where your liners will start wearing away.

    The next question t

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