Hidden Costs to Consider When Starting a Mobile Oil Change Business in 2013

Not long ago, I was talking to an MBA student about the mobile oil change sector, their little groupthink committee chose this for their class project - write a business plan. Now then, writing a business plan for a service sector is much different than actually doing it, but let's talk shall we?

You see when preparing the proforma part of the plan, I was asked specifically; "What are some of the hidden costs that a startup company may not be forecasting for that could come back to present itself as a problem?" For a little background, they chose Washington DC as a target market, probably due to the high per capita money flows - sure taxpayer's money right?

Tire Size Chart: Find the Right Size

Reading a tire size chart can be confusing, whether you're actually intending to replace your tires soon, or just casually checking prices. The following information will help you read these charts correctly and identify the proper size for your vehicle. 

To find the correct tire size for your vehicle, first look closely on the sidewall of one of the front tires. On the tire sidewall (the part of the tire that you can actually wash), look for a sequence of letters and numbers in the pattern of the following tire size measurements: 185/60R-14, 225/50R-16 or 255/40ZR-18 for example. Don't worry if your tires don't match one of those 3 size examples; just jot down the exact size listed on the sidewall of your front tire. You should also check one of the rear-tire sidewalls, in case the two rear tires need to be a bit larger than the two front tires. Your owner's manual should help you confirm the size(s) that you have written down. 

Wheels and Rims: How to Prevent Tire Rub

Your vehicle's wheels and rims need to be matched so that their combined size does not extend past the wheel well clearances. Both tire rub and bent rims can be caused by not leaving enough clearance in the wheel wells. Without clearance, the wheels will be thrust into the wheel well whenever you hit road bumps.

When you select larger wheels and rims, you have to take into account the sidewall height and width of the tire used. In addition, the larger rim must still be able to handle the weight of the vehicle. Before running out and purchasing the wheels and rims of your dreams, you need to invest some time and gather clearance information about your vehicle. Without this information, you could experience both tire rub and bent rims. Tire rub will destroy your expensive tires, and driving on bent rims is unsafe. Not only that, but once you bend a rim, it is useless and must be replaced.

5 New Gas Engine Technologies

With all the hype about hybrid, electric and alternative fuel cars, it's easy to think that the age of the gasoline engine is over. When you've got cars that run on hydrogen or that plug into the wall, the internal combustion engine can seem downright passé.

But the fact remains that the vast majority of cars sold in the United States are powered by gasoline engines. The dominance of gas engines in the automotive market is going to persist for the foreseeable future. Car makers use gasoline engines for a lot of reasons. People are used to them, there's an infrastructure that supports them, and they fit nicely with how most Americans use their cars.

5 Ways Modern Car Engines Differ from Older Car Engines

Compared to other technologies we use every day, it seems like car engines haven't really changed much. The engine in an old Ford Model T has plenty in common with the engine in a 2011 Ford Fusion, but it's doubtful Alexander Graham Bell would know what to do with an iPhone. While communications technology has changed drastically, car engines use the same basic principle: The combustion of air and fuel to create rotational force and move a car.

But while the same basic principles that drove the first car engines are still used today, modern car engines have evolved to meet the power and efficiency needs of today's drivers. Think of older car engines as wolves and modern car engines as dogs. They're share the same heritage and have similar characteristics, but one does just fine in everyday modern situations, while the other just couldn't adapt to living in a city or suburb.

How Self-regenerating Tire Tread Works

In the 2008 movie "Speed Racer," the title character is engaged in a dangerous race across a futuristic desert. A rival driver shreds one of Speed's tires, but he's ready -- he hits a button on his steering wheel and his car, the Mach 5, sprouts a new tire at once.

In real life, we haven't gotten to the point where our cars can instantaneously regenerate tires. But some tire companies have devised ways for the tread to replenish itself after thousands of miles of travel. But how is it possible for the same, worn tire to create new tread?

Most of us don't realize just how important our tires are. Believe it or not, those ugly rubber donuts can make a huge difference in the way your car or truck drives. The right set of tires can even help deliver sports-car handling or superior gas mileage, depending on what you're looking for.

How the Tweel Airless Tire Works

For more than 100 years, vehicles have been rolling along on cushions of air encased in rubber. The pneumatic tirehas served drivers and passengers well on road and off, but a new design by Michelin could change all that - theTweel Airless Tire.

In this article, we'll look at what the Tweel Airless Tire is, why you would use it in place of traditional tires, some of the problems that may occur with a Tweel Airless Tire and where you might see the Tweel Airless Tire in the future.