You know that funny little red light that comes on that says “Check Engine”. We’ve all been there, minding our own business driving down the road and “pop” it comes on without any regard to our schedule and our busy lives. I don’t know about you, but I’ve noticed over the years that it has a reckless indifference to how stressed I am on a given day.
Long ago, I used to think the Check Engine Light meant something like the engine was about to explode or something. Panicking, I’d call my service advisor and report that somebody needs to “check my engine” because the car said so and it was after all a “red light”. I’d beg for an emergency landing strip and to clear all traffic from my airspace so I could immediately descend into the shop for an emergency car version of cardiac arrest surgery. I’d expected them to have fire extinguishers and ambulances at the ready to help.
Later my grandfather (picture the aging 80 year old Italian guy in the Godfather) told me that the light was actually only put there by crafty carmakers that just wanted to make sure you took your car in so they can make money on some kind of service.
Well, today I can tell you the reality may be a bit less extreme than either of these scenarios. The problem identified by the Check Engine Light may be quite uneventful and not nearly so death defying. But it can also mean something serious and should be checked out as soon as you can. It may save you some big bucks. Your trusty mechanic should be able to hook your car up to his shop computer and tell you what the car is griping about. Your car has an on board diagnostics module which discovers and records problems it sees from potentially hundreds of points in the car.
I guess in the old days, before car computers, the car would just brake down and you’d have to tow it in for service. The Check Engine Light and the accompanying computer sensors actually try to prevent such an occurrence by observing and informing you of an anomalous condition it sees.
So Grandpa wasn’t exactly right. It wasn’t the carmakers trying to make sure you visit the service shop more often. It was actually designed to keep you on the road and give you some reaction time between a potential problem (or actual one) and a more costly problem or breakdown.
So hopefully that helps give a little background to your Check Engine Light condition you might have and why it’s happening! Thanks for reading!
(c)2006 Performance Motors
Frank Bellucci is the President of Performance Motors in Austin, Texas. In addition, he likes to think of himself as a rather funny person. His wife doesn’t agree. But that’s OK. Frank seems to have limitless funny experiences with cars, one of his great passions in life. You can catch Frank driving down 183 in Austin in his Land Rover. He loves his Rover more than wine. And he really likes wine (just not at the same time). Anyhow, look for articles that have good information with a bit of humor in the coming months! Visit Frank at http://www.perfmotors.com
eBay Tips
For just a moment, try to comprehend the power of the Internet.
Every day, there are millions of people from around the globe
“surfing the web.”
People run their business from the Internet, search for love,
research succulent recipes, plan vacations, and best of all -
they SHOP! People that shop are always looking for a bargain,
not just any bargain, but something spectacular.
The most popular public auction site, eBay, is where people
gather to find anything from dishes to jewelry to houses and
just about everything in between. Last year there was even a
mother sold on eBay!
You can purchase amazing original artwork from China, have it
signed by the artist, and shipped directly to your home. Perhaps
you are trying to find 12 yards of Toile to reupholster your
couch. You might even be looking for a new lawnmower or
different power tools. The great news is that eBay has it all!
The other side of buying is the selling. Anyone can sell
anything on eBay. Open an account, list your product, and wait
for the bids to start coming in. There are secrets to being a
power seller on eBay. While it is true that anyone can sell, to
be successful, you need to know the inside secrets. One woman
made over $250,000 last year on items sold on eBay. She is just
one out of thousands and thousands of people that make a ton of
money just selling merchandise.
Are you ready to learn how to be an eBay seller? You will find
it to be easy, fun, and exciting.
1. Collectibles
Hot sellers on eBay are collectibles such as coins, stamps, or
dolls. You can check out the collectibles category to get a
better idea of what people love to buy. Anything that will move
up in value would fall in this category.
2. Consumables
This popular category would include anything that people use and
then would need to buy again such as lotions, perfumes, camera
film, candles, etc.
3. Information Products
In this category, you would sell anything that can be sent on a
CD or floppy disc or downloaded from the Internet. This is
another popular category.
4. Start at Home
When you first get started, it can be a little unnerving. The
best option is to start by looking around your own home. Think
of items that you would sell in a garage sale. However, instead
of pricing each item and lugging it outside hoping for a nice
sunny day, you can advertise them on the Internet.
5. Just eBay
Although there are several other quality auction websites, eBay
is by far the most popular and most successful. Although you
could start using all the other sites, by spreading yourself out
too thin you take the risk of getting things mixed up. In
reality, it is better to use eBay and focus your attention and
efforts on this one site. You will not be disappointed.
6. Look Around
Navigate through each section to familiarize yourself with all
the different pages. You will find a site map and help tab,
which are very useful tools. It will take a little time to get
used to the site but start by looking. As you start selling,
navigating will become much easier.
7. Quick Response
When you have an item listed on eBay and a potential buyer
contacts you with a question, respond quickly. It is important
and actually critical to your success to check your account
several times a day. Answering a question could be the
difference between you getting the sale or the buyer going
elsewhere.
8. Trustworthiness
It is extremely important that you handle your account with
integrity. The number of positive comments and amount of stars
earned are what will be the deciding factor for many buyers. Be
professional, polite, and stand by what you sell.
9. Accuracy
When you list your item(s) on eBay, write an accurate
description. You do not have to write long paragraphs of
rambling information but provide exact measurements, colors,
condition, etc. Be extremely precise when it comes to your
description.
10. Buyer Contact
Once your item(s) have sold, be responsive to the buyer. Contact
them in a quick manner, thank them for their purchase, and
provide the required information for payment.