Why You Should Have A Code Reader For Your Car

Published on: 24 January 2019 Last Updated on: 09 August 2019

If you’ve owned a car for many years, you’ve probably encountered a flashing check engine light at least once. If you haven’t, then you should know that this light indicates trouble. It signifies that there is a problem somewhere in the car.

The trouble is, you don’t know exactly where it is, and with all the technology people have in their cars nowadays, it’s even more challenging to figure out. Thankfully, code readers were invented. A code reader is a portable tool that you can plug into a vehicle, and it shows you precisely what area needs fixing. Sounds incredible, right?

Here are more reasons why you should have a code reader in your car.

Helps You Save Money:

Getting your car into a shop costs money and face it, not all mechanics are honest. Having access to an onboard diagnostic 2 (OBD2) tool like a code reader can be handy when you’re experiencing troubles with your car.

More modern cars have what they call OBD2 ports wherein you can plug your diagnostic devices. This port is found just below the dashboard on the driver’s side. Plugin your code reader into the port and refer to your obd2 scanner guide to check what the light means.

Take, for example, when your gas cap is loose or missing, the check engine light will start to blink. Taking it to a mechanic will cost a few hundred dollars, but with a code reader, you know exactly what you need to do. If it’s loose, you can tighten it. If it’s missing, it’s still a few dollars less than a visit to a mechanic.

Prevents Problem During Cold Weathers:

During extreme cold weathers, your car can experience several problems. You’ve probably experienced sitting several minutes on your driveway waiting for your car to heat up only to find out there’s a problem and you’re stuck in freezing weather.

Here are several things that can happen to your vehicle during cold weathers:

Your car fluids such as your oil, transmission fluid, and even brake fluid can thicken which will make it difficult for your car to run.
Your car battery could fail you during cold weathers because it’s going to exert more effort in starting your car. Be sure to check the health of your car battery even before winter season arrives.
The tire pressure can be significantly affected in freezing temperatures. Fluctuating tire pressures can result in uneven wear and tear of your tire and worst cases, a tire blow out.
Your spark plug becomes unreliable and starting your car can become difficult.

With a code reader handy, you will easily be able to know what’s wrong with your car even during extreme weather conditions. Knowing what needs to be repaired helps you keep your vehicle running safely.

They’re Portable:

More than being able to save money on repair costs and expensive auto-mechanic fees, a code reader is a portable device that can help ease your mind. This is especially true when you frequently use your car on road trips or vacations.

For example, if you have a recreational vehicle that your family uses a couple of times a year, you would want to have a code reader with you during the trip just in case something happens. If a problem is fixable, you can do it on your own and avoid a costly detour to the mechanic.

Moreover, people who like to drive cars are usually keen on taking care of their own vehicles. It gives them that sense of pride when they can fix the problem with their own hands. More importantly, code readers are compatible across many types of vehicle, which means you can buy a single tool for all of your cars.

Keeps You Safe:

You don’t want to be going on a vacation with your family in the car while the check engine light is on, but you also don’t want to be ruining a perfect vacation by immediately taking it to the mechanic.

Having a code scanner in your car will help give you a more reasonable explanation as to what the problem might be. Driving your car without knowing the severity of the problem can cause accidents

Conclusion:

A code reader isn’t just a reasonable investment. It’s a device that can help bring you peace of mind while on the road and will help you save tons of money on repairs and maintenance. What most car owners don’t realize is that some car problems could have been prevented if they were able to spot it immediately. Now, with a code reader finding the problem before it becomes a nuisance is made easier.

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The Red Stallion’s Keepers: The Powerful Figures Behind Ferrari

Ferrari is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer and brand that is well-known for its prancing horse logo, Rossa Corsa (or "race red") color, and sex appeal. Ferrari is still a maker of motorsports and is now a public-trade company. Enzo Ferrari, a racer and businessman, established Scuderia Ferrari in 1929 in Modena, Italy, with the goal of supplying race cars to Alfa Romeo. Alfa Romeo internalized its racing division in 1938, and Ferrari oversaw the new division for a brief period of time. After leaving Alfa Romeo in 1939, Enzo Ferrari established Auto Avio Costruzioni, a company that produced tools until 1940, when Ferrari introduced the Tipo 815, a race car. Ferrari relocated its factory and headquarters to Maranello in 1943, a few years later. The first road car to bear the Ferrari badge, the 125 S hit in 1947. But Ferrari wasn't an official automaker until Enzo Ferrari began selling vehicles under his own brand. In this article, we will be getting to the bottom of who owns Ferrari at present. Here is all the information you need on the owners of Ferrari. Early Days Of Ferrari Image Source: mwtv.in The current Prancing Horse got its start in 1939 when Enzo Ferrari founded Scuderia Ferrari, a racing team under Alfa Romeo. Following World War II, Enzo Ferrari went out on his own and started producing cars under the Ferrari brand. Production of the first Ferrari-badged vehicle began in 1947. Up until 1960, Ferrari was a private holding business. Then, it went public in 1960 as Società Esercizio Fabbriche Automobili e Corse, or SEFAC S.p.A. Soon after, Fiat acquired a portion of the business and significantly raised its investment. Does Fiat Own Ferrari? Image Source: d2hucwwplm5rxi.cloudfront.net No, but Fiat did once own a sizable portion of Ferrari. In 1969, Fiat S.p.A., also known as Fabbrica Automobili Torino, or the Italian Automobile Factory of Turin, acquired a 50% stake in Ferrari. Fiat never owned the entirety of Ferrari, even though it increased its stake to 90% in 1988 (Enzo Ferrari owned the remaining 10%). This was the arrangement until 2014, when Ferrari S.p.A. and FCA split apart by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. October 2015 marked the start of the official separation, which ended in January 2016. Ferrari N.V. was formed as the Ferrari Group's new holding company during this separation. FCA sold its ownership share, and the business was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Piero Ferrari, the son of Enzo Ferrari, remained the owner of the 10% of the company's shares that his father had previously owned. Ferrari Shareholders: What Company Owns Ferrari? Public (67.09%) Exor N.V. (22.91%) Piero Ferrari (10%) The general investing public is Ferrari's principal shareholder. Enzo Ferrari's second son Piero also owns a sizable portion of the business, and Exor N.V. completes ownership. The owners of Exor N.V. are the descendants of Giovanni Agnelli, one of the original founders of Fiat. Ferrari is still headquartered in Maranello. They take great pride in being one of Formula 1's most enduring and successful competitors. They simultaneously hold the position of being a genuinely world-class automaker. Even with its fame, it is still a relatively boutique operation that only produces a small number of cars annually. This is reflected in Ferrari's valuation, which places it among the top ten automakers in the world by market capitalization at more than $51 billion. The Alfa Romeo Connection Image Source: etimg.etb2bimg.com Despite having a long history together, Ferrari does not own Alfa Romeo. Although Alfa Romeo is owned by Fiat Chrysler, Alfa Romeo and Ferrari were once one and the same. After all, it was under the Alfa Romeo name that Enzo Ferrari initially established the Scuderia Ferrari racing team. Although Enzo Ferrari started competing for Alfa Romeo in 1920, he founded Scuderia Ferrari in 1929, which later became Alfa Romeo's official racing team. But after leaving Alfra Romeo in 1939, Enzo founded his own independent racing team in 1948 and didn't look back. Ferrari: The Legendary Sports Car Phenomenon Millionaire and passionate Ferrarista Robert Herjavec has described the experience cleverly. “This is where the Ferrari world is kind of like the Vatican. It's very mysterious. There are a lot of trinkets you have to wear and a lot of rings you have to kiss." Owning a Ferrari, according to Hollywood and some urban legends, is either a cliché for midlife men or the height of kitsch, a sign of the nouveau riche who have too much money and too little taste. Owning a Ferrari is actually a very different animal from owning any other kind of vehicle. Purchasing a Ferrari is not like purchasing a typical car. You don't simply walk into a dealership with a wallet full of hundreds of thousands of dollars and walk out with one of the brand's vehicles. Concerning a limited edition series, the situation usually becomes even trickier. From the time you decide to buy a Ferrari to the point at which you have to decide whether to buy another one, Ferrari controls every aspect of ownership. In other words, to paraphrase Herjavec from a 2014 Wired interview, Ferrari chooses you, not the other way around. You typically consider yourself fortunate to be among the privileged few. Enjoying the "epitome of motor technology today" (as Herjavec put it) is subject to a rigorous set of regulations. This has sparked numerous online debates and thought pieces. The fine print on the bill of sales and the controversy surrounding the introduction of limited edition cars largely hint at the precise nature of these regulations. Owning A Ferrari: Trivia Image Source: derivative.ca As previously stated, no matter how full your wallet is with cash, you don't just walk into a Ferrari dealership and expect to drive off in a brand-new car. You can forget about going into the dealership to purchase a limited-edition car. While the majority of car dealerships will check your credit to see if you can afford the payments on the vehicle you're about to purchase from them, Ferrari goes above and beyond that. It's said that men over 40 who have a clean record and a good reputation are preferred. Because simply being wealthy does not qualify you to be seen behind the wheel of a Ferrari. Wrapping Up Even with ownership shifts over time, Ferraris are still manufactured in Maranello, Italy. Ferrari has never forgotten what sets its brand apart: superbly designed, finely engineered supercars. If you have thoughts to share or questions to ask about who owns Ferrari, please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you! Learn More About: 6 Reasons Why Vehicles Are Now Safer Than Ever Brand Ambassador Application – How To Find A Brand Ambassador? Why You Should Choose Used Cars Canandaigua NY Over Brand New Vehicles?

Denise Hamet Discusses Trends in Creative Transportation Strategies

Transportation drives economic development. As roadways become more congested, the capacity to move people and goods efficiently will be key for residents selecting where to live, and for businesses choosing where to expand. Technological advances in recent years have provided new opportunities for strategic approaches to congestion and have improved environmental outcomes related to mass transportation. Momentum is building, resulting in large-scale, long-term transportation plans. Public/private partnership strategies are forming to speed development and save money. Citizens are voting to help fund these far-reaching programs since efficient transportation promotes employment opportunities for people who otherwise would be excluded from many job options. In this article, Denise Hamet discusses some of the recent trends in transportation strategies around the United States. Autonomous (“Driverless”) Public Transportation: Self-driving vehicles have quickly moved from the realm of science fiction into the real world of transportation. Public transportation agencies have been closely watching the advances in this market from companies like Google and Intel. As a result, technologies are currently being developed for vehicles on preset routes that operate autonomously. Las Vegas is leading the testing of driverless buses in partnership with Keolis, a private company that has developed autonomous bus technology for use on public roads. The Keolis autonomous shuttle is equipped with LiDAR technology, GPS, cameras, and safety belts and is designed to communicate with traffic signals, operate on open roads, and navigate around pedestrians and moving traffic. Following this model, several companies are developing driverless shuttles for use across the country. Some cities, such as Phoenix, are currently combining traditional bus service with autonomous shuttles. Public transit authorities are dealing with the same issues surrounding the use of autonomous vehicles on public roadways throughout the nation. This rapidly developing technology is pressing our legal and regulatory system to move forward on liability, insurance, and safety issues that are new to our systems. Mobility as a Service (MaaS): Developments in networking and artificial intelligence are driving a new concept for public transit--Mobility as a Service, or MaaS. The idea behind MaaS is that bundling all available transportation options for consumers in urban and metropolitan areas will provide more opportunities for users and maximize cost efficiency. Ideally, customers will be able to make travel choices based on current traffic conditions, and electronic payments will be seamless and efficient. Transit services in lower demand can be downscaled, while resources can be quickly moved to the areas of greatest consumer needs. This system will theoretically reduce costs and environmental impacts while relieving pressure on infrastructures. Electric and Hybrid Public Transportation: Increased urban development around the world and increased awareness of carbon emissions are placing a greater focus on electric and hybrid transportation options. The City of Los Angeles, for example, is changing over its entire fleet of buses to electric vehicles by 2030. Many cities and metro areas find that the initial cost of electric buses and trolleys is the most prohibitive aspect of their development. Electric buses can cost as much as twice that of traditional diesel buses; however, hybrid buses are much more in line with traditional costs. Advances in production technology will likely result in reduced acquisition costs, which, in conjunction with reduced fuel costs and reduced emissions, will make electric and hybrid options more attractive in the near future. Putting it All Together: Many cities are implementing long-term, multi-modal strategies. Denver, for example, is moving forward with multiple phases of the multi-billion-dollar FasTracks Program. At completion, the program will add more than 120 miles of commuter rail tracks, 18 miles of bus rapid transit (BRT), and 21,000 parking spaces at rail and bus stations. A crucial part of the program was the Denver Transit Partners (DTP) public/private partnership formed to implement the 36-mile Eagle P3 project. DTP is a private consortium led by Fluor Corp. The team entered into a 34-year agreement with RTD for the 5-year design and build of the Eagle P3 project, followed by 29 years to operate and maintain the system. Meanwhile, Sacramento continues to roll out its Green City Initiative, a partnership with Electrify America. The company is investing $44 million in Sacramento to catalyze a shift to zero-emission technologies by installing charging infrastructure, conducting outreach and education, and implementing programs designed to increase access to and use of Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs). New programs and services--including two new car-sharing services, new ZEV routes, and state-of-the-art electric vehicle charging systems--are anticipated to launch throughout 2019. The Future – the Need for Federal Funding: With so much potential for improved transportation, funding is essential. Attention is currently focused on Congress’s approach to a new transportation bill, as the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST) expires in 2020. Infrastructure improvements are one of the unusual areas where bipartisan cooperation and compromise are possible in the course of legislating for the country’s needs. One area of concern is funding for the federal Highway Trust Fund, which is based on federal fuel taxes on gasoline and diesel. These tax rates have not been modified in over 25 years, and unless funding is modified, economists project insolvency for the fund within two years. Many options are being considered to alter financing, and many of the developing local mass transit trends are going to be potentially funded by private investment. With the impending expiration of the FAST Act, all manner of funding options will inevitably be on the table for discussion. The bottom line is: Collaboration, creativity, and certainty of funding will all be essential to drive us forward. Read Also: Will Self-Driving Cars Replace Human Error?

2018 Tesla Model S: The Complete Electric vehicle

Tesla has an impressive range of electric cars with decent power and along with that, the cars are friendly to the pocket. Tesla has been in the market for the past few years but has not succeeded in impressing the buyers. However, with the recent launch of Tesla Model S, which is an electric variant car and a medium-sized sedan, it has started to gain the popularity. A major reason behind this is, the affordable price and that that car offers ample amount of features which are otherwise not seen in the other electric cars in the market. Pros: The car is an electric variant. It is a medium-sized luxury sedan which has an impressive range on the high-end models of the car. The acceleration is quick and thus, the power of the engine has been done justice with the gas pedal system. Talking about the space, the liftback design is an added advantage. It offers an abundant cargo space to the customer. Moreover, there are a few Tesla exclusive technologies and general technologies which are not available in other luxury cars. Cons: There are similarly priced sedans in the market too. A major setback which can be predicted is that it is an electric car. The electric cars have not gained popularity and always considered weaker against the gas-operated car. Moreover, the luxury polish is not clearly visible such as in the other cars having the similar price tag. If we look into the aftersales part, the service centers are not present all around the world. This is because of the number of dealers in the car also less. Trims: Till the time Tesla had launched Model S, the electric vehicles were not preferred. The gas-operated vehicles were always given the priority despite the operating cost and the base price of the cars. After Tesla Model S was launched in two different trims, the potential buyers of the electric vehicles got an option to buy one of the best electric cars in the market. The basic model of the Tesla Model S is the 75D. The car is EPA-rated at the range of 229 miles. This means the fuel economy of the car is 229 miles. The higher version which is 100D can run 331 miles in one charge. This is the middle ground between the basic and the top model and thus, has all the necessary features. The top model of the car is the P100D. Talking about the acceleration of the car, when the Tesla Model S is completely charged, it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in the period of 2.5 seconds. The time taken by the car is lesser than most of the exotic cars priced at even higher rates than the Tesla Model S MSRP. Software: The most important thing about having an electric car is the continuous software updates. From the Tesla Model S review, it is known that Tesla is known for releasing new software, bug fixes and the addition of features in each software upgrade. The firmware update adds more features into the car. An added advantage of having an electric car over the gas-operated car is that the number of features keeps adding. Whereas, in the gas-operated car, once you buy the car, you will not see any features being upgraded. In the electric car, if there is an inconvenience, it will be fixed by the software itself up to some extent. Interior: Tesla model s interiors have been given top ratings by the reviewers. The advanced features in the car, ask for a bit of learning but once you are well-versed with all the features, you can enjoy the cabin with lovely materials and the infotainment system within an arm’s distance. The infotainment system can be used with the help of a 17-inch touchscreen. The whole electronic network works great. However, you can face the problem when it comes to the power exterior door handles. They deployment is delayed. The cabin is huge and gives a wide-open feeling with a ton of legroom and headroom. Safety: Considering the safety of the car, it is equipped with 5 airbags. Apart from the airbags, the car also has other standard active safety features such as 4-wheel ABS, 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, Brake Assist, Electronic Stability Control, Daytime Running Lights, and lane keep assist along with other numerous Tesla exclusive safety features. Read Also: Best New Cars For Teenagers Important Tips To Maintain Your Luxury Car