GPS Vehicle Tracking Tools and Blog

As surely as our joints grow sore with age, so too, do our vehicles become more noisy as they grow older. It’s part of the automotive aging process. Unfortunately, tracking down the source of the squeaks and vibrations is often more difficult than mere part failures. If your catalytic converter or alternator fails, you’ll know within minutes. If your transmission or engine overheats, the smoke billowing from under the hood is a clear sign.

When you hear an occasional rattle that becomes persistent with time, identifying the cause can be problematic. In this article, we’ll describe a few reasons why your car, truck, or SUV begins to groan as it ages.

What Causes Rattling And Squeaking?

Rattling and squeaking can come from a number of sources. In some cases, the problem is under the dashboard. Other times, it’s in the brakes. Depending on the age of your car, the noise might be caused by your suspension. The first step in determining the cause is to isolate the general source. Do you hear the rattle under your seat? That suggests the suspension. Is squeaking coming from the rear of your vehicle next to a tire? If so, your brake pads may be worn. Does the noise occur only when driving over large bumps? Your shocks might be failing.

Tracking Down Leaks

Have you ever been annoyed by a persistent air leak while driving with your windows up? Ever heard a tedious drip while driving in rainy weather? Both types of leaks are incredibly difficult to find. You’ll need a friend to help you locate their source.

With water leaks, have a friend remain within the cab of your vehicle while you hose it down from outside. If the leak is visible inside the interior, your friend should be able to easily locate it (a flashlight helps). If water is leaking within the door, he or she can at least isolate it.

Identifying the source of air leaks requires using a special device while driving. Ask your friend to accompany you while you take your vehicle on the highway. Then, ask him or her to use the leak-identification tool while you pilot your car.

Finding The Source Of Vibrations

Vibrations can come from your car’s chassis, drivetrain, suspension, or engine. Those caused by your chassis are difficult to identify because the location seems to migrate over time. By contrast, the drivetrain will send a clear signal by vibrating your entire automobile.

The most common sources of vibrations are the suspension and the tires. Vibrating tires suggest a balancing issue. On the other hand, if you feel shaking in the steering wheel, that suggests the arm bushings, strut bearings, shocks, or joints may be failing.

If you notice rattling, squeaking, leaks, or vibrations, have them fixed. They will not resolve themselves. Instead, they will continue to worsen, leaving you with a higher repair bill in the future.

It takes a theft 30 seconds to break into your car. So think before you go into the maul and take all your valuables and put in the trunk. Do not leave in plane site it takes seconds to remove the items into your trunk.

Auto theft is usually a crime just waiting to happen. After all, there are a lot of cars out there, and many of them are very much alike. Auto theft is on the rise. Thieves not only steal cars, but they also break into locked cars and steal items .Thieves also find it profitable to sell expensive equipment and accessories from your car such as batteries, stereos, air bags.

Thieves do not want any attention called to their activities. Although many of us ignore the beeps and sirens of alarms, many people will still look when they hear an alarm. Thieves can use a device called a slim jim to unlock your car. Thieves are attracted to these kinds of items because they are small so easy to steal. Whatever you do don’t make it easy for the average thief to enter your car, make sure all doors are securely locked, and that all windows are fully close, even the slightest gap could enable a person to insert an instrument and open your window.

Steering wheel locks like the CLUB or the WRAP fit onto your steering wheel and restrict wheel rotation. They provide a physical and visual deterrent to amateur and semi-professional thieves. Steering wheel locks, ignition kill switches, tracking devices, and fuel pump kill switches can help to deter thieves.

Several item on the market today allows police to locate the car after the incident, and return it to you. Lo-Jack’s is small enough to be hidden in as many places throughout your vehicle. Other services use a short, visible antenna that is easily seen and can be broken off by car thieves. When you alert the police that you have been the victim of a car theft, the Lo-Jack transceiver sends out a signal that the police can use to track and recover your auto.

Thieves have already been caught on tape by security cameras and news crews alike, and technology like IP video could help security target the thefts as they happen, stopping the problem at the source.

Leaving spare key underneath the back tire only invites problems. Leave a bigger gap between you and the car in front to allow for your reduced vision and reaction time.

Alarms: After years of false alarms, people have stopped paying attention to alarms. There is no statistical evidence that they reduce auto theft.

Alarm Systems: These systems contain a device that will activate a siren, lights, or horn if the car is tampered with. Consider a backup power source for the alarm, as professionals could deactivate the alarm if they get to the power source.

While the alarm system is in most cars today and we really don’t pay attention to it next time a car alarm goes off take a quick look and if you feel that someone is breaking into a car just stay away and call the police on your cell phone they will check it out.

As you very well may know, your vehicle is identified by a unique number found on your automobile’s dash, windshield, and various other parts. But have you ever given thought as to what these numbers are actually used for? Just what purpose does this number serve? In fact, your car’s VIN is used in several very important ways.

What is a VIN?

Every vehicle that is manufactured is given a unique identifying number, referred to as a Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN. This series of 17 alpha-numeric characters is basically your car’s automotive fingerprint. It is what distinguishes your particular automobile from all the others, and provides a form of identification that is used throughout the lifetime of your auto, from the factory to the scrap yard.

The VIN is used to track everything related to that automobile, including insurance coverage, warranty claims, thefts, recalls, and registrations. Without the VIN, there would be no effective way to track all of this information.

History of the VIN

The roots of this coding and tracking system can be traced back to the mid 1950’s. It is then that Detroit automobile manufacturers began stamping and casting identification numbers into cars and their independent parts. This practice began in an effort to accurately describe vehicles as they began to be produced on a large scale.

In the early 1980’s the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration effectively required all automobile manufacturers to provide a 17 digit identification number for every auto produced. This resulted in the modern 17 character VIN in which we are familiar with today, giving every individual vehicle a unique “fingerprint”.

VIN Meaning

The VIN on your vehicle is not just a random set of characters, nor are VINs simply sequential. Rather, each individual digit of the VIN has a specific purpose. For example, the first character of the VIN identifies which country the car was manufactured in. If the means of transportation were produced in the United States, the first digit would be a 1 or 4. Japanese cars’ VINs begin with a J, Korea with a K, Germany with a G, and so on.

The second character of the VIN identifies the manufacturer. As with the manufacturing country, each manufacturer has a specific character symbolizing it. Chevrolet uses a 1, Chrysler-C, Ford-F, General Motors-G, and Pontiac is identified by a 2 or 5, etc.

The third digit refers to the vehicle type or manufacturing division, and digits 4-8 are known as the Vehicle Descriptor Section, or VDS. This section describes individual attributes of the auto, such as body style, engine type, model, etc.

Each of the 17 VIN characters describes yet another aspect of the automobile it is found on. It is these codes that provide the vehicle identification number, giving your car, truck, motorcycle, or moped its own unique fingerprint.