Castlehill Car and Truck Mechanical Repairs

WHY FIT A BULL BAR?

* To minimise damage to the vehicle in the event of a collision with other vehicles or animals.
* To reduce the chance of the vehicle being immobilised as the result of a minor accident.
* To provide mounting points for winch, driving lights and communication aerials.
* To improve the appearance and value of the vehicle.

A night on the town, cruising the open road, or indulging in a little recreational rough stuff, Zec’s can fit a bull bar which is designed for today’s sophisticated vehicle, and is an ultra modern, classy and stylish bar which can replace the original bumper and always looks great.

Zec’s have a range of grille guards for most popular passenger vehicles. For the majority of passenger vehicles these are made of large diameter polished alluminium tube .

Can Bull Bars & Air Bags work together?

Bull bars must be designed to ensure they do not adversely affect the air bag triggering of a vehicle while at the same time achieving the bar’s primary function of animal strike protection.

Australian Design Rules (ADR69)

ADR69 requires passenger carrying vehicles to achieve specified levels of occupant protection in frontal collisions. Extensive independent test programs have established that properly designed bull bars can be installed to most of these vehicles with an inconsequential effect on the ‘crash pulse’ of the vehicle and hence, air bag triggering.

Just about every modern car, truck or SUV sold these days can be had with air conditioning. It’s so common that most people take it for granted. You press the button for air conditioning in your car and — presto! — cold air starts to flow out of the car’s vents. It’s easy, it’s simple, and it’s a major convenience.

Have you ever wondered how the air conditioning in your vehicle works?

If you’re like most people, you probably haven’t. But we’re here to educate you painlessly.

Air conditioning is the process by which air is cooled and dehumidified. The air conditioning in your car, your home and your office all work the same way. Even your refrigerator is, in effect, an air conditioner. While there are many physical principles that relate to air conditioning, this article sticks to the basics. It explains the general concepts of automotive air conditioning, the components used and what you need to know to keep your car’s A/C system working properly.

Once you have read the article and you need your vehicle air conditioning looked at then call Zec Automotives on 02 96801691.

Did you know that when you turn on the A/C in your car, you are burning extra fuel to make yourself feel cooler? It’s weird to think that by burning something you become cooler, but it’s true.

Do you remember anything from your high school physics class? Don’t worry; very few people do. Basically, air conditioning systems operate on the principles of evaporation and condensation.

Here’s a simple example of evaporation.

Imagine that you’re swimming around in your neighbor’s backyard pool on a summer day. As soon as you get out, you start to feel cooler. Why? The water on your body starts to evaporate and turns into water vapor. And as it evaporates, it draws heat away from your body, and you get goose bumps. Brrr! Now let’s say your neighbor hands you a big glass of ice-cold lemonade. You take a sip and set it down on a table. After a minute or two, you notice that water has collected on the outside of the glass. This is condensation. The air surrounding the glass becomes cooler when it encounters the cold glass, and the water vapor the air is carrying condenses into water.

Both of these examples occur at normal atmospheric pressure. But higher pressures can also change a vapor (or a gas) into a liquid.

For example, if you look at a typical butane cigarette lighter, you can see liquid inside it. But as soon as you push down on the button, butane gas comes out. Why? The butane is under high pressure inside the cigarette lighter. This high pressure causes the butane to take liquid form. As soon as the butane is released and it encounters normal atmospheric pressure, it turns back into a gas.

OK, those are the basic ideas. But how do they apply to making your car’s vents blow cool air?

The principles of evaporation and condensation are utilized in your car’s A/C system by a series of components that are connected by tubing and hoses. There are six basic components: the compressor, condenser, receiver-drier, thermostatic expansion valve, the evaporator and the life-blood of the A/C system, the refrigerant.

Refrigerant is a liquid capable of vaporizing at a low temperature. In the past, R-12 refrigerant was used in cars. But this chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) is harmful to the earth’s ozone layer. Consequently, all vehicles built after 1996 use R-134A, a more environmentally friendly refrigerant.

Here’s how an air conditioning system and its components work.

Step One: The compressor is the power unit of the A/C system. It is powered by a drive belt connected to the engine’s crankshaft. When the A/C system is turned on, the compressor pumps out refrigerant vapor under high pressure and high heat to the condenser.

Step Two: The condenser is a device used to change the high-pressure refrigerant vapor to a liquid. It is mounted ahead of the engine’s radiator, and it looks very similar to a radiator with its parallel tubing and tiny cooling fins. If you look through the grille of a car and see what you think is a radiator, it is most likely the condenser. As the car moves, air flowing through the condenser removes heat from the refrigerant, changing it to a liquid state.

Step Three: Refrigerant moves to the receiver-drier. This is the storage tank for the liquid refrigerant. It also removes moisture from the refrigerant. Moisture in the system can freeze and then act similarly to cholesterol in the human blood stream, causing blockage.

Step Four: As the compressor continues to pressurize the system, liquid refrigerant under high pressure is circulated from the receiver-drier to the thermostatic expansion valve. The valve removes pressure from the liquid refrigerant so that it can expand and become refrigerant vapor in the evaporator.

Step Five: The evaporator is very similar to the condenser. It consists of tubes and fins and is usually mounted inside the passenger compartment. As the cold low-pressure refrigerant is released into the evaporator, it vaporizes and absorbs heat from the air in the passenger compartment. As the heat is absorbed, cool air will be available for the occupants of the vehicle. A blower fan inside the passenger compartment helps to distribute the cooler air.

Step Six: The heat-laden, low-pressure refrigerant vapor is then drawn into the compressor to start another refrigeration cycle.

As you can see, the process is pretty simple. Just about every vehicle’s A/C system works this way, though certain vehicles might vary by the exact type of components they have.

The best thing about air conditioning is that all you have to do is press a button to make it work. Air conditioning systems are pretty reliable. On a modern and relatively new vehicle, it is rare to have problems. And if there are problems, they are pretty much one of two things: No cool air or insufficient cool air. If you own an older car and its A/C system doesn’t seem to be working properly, here are some general troubleshooting tips:

No Cool Air

Loose or broken drive belt
Inoperative compressor or slipping compressor clutch
Defective expansion valve
Clogged expansion valve, receiver-drier or liquid refrigerant line
Blown fuse
Leaking component: any of the parts listed above or one of the A/C lines, hoses or seals
Insufficient Cool Air
Low refrigerant charge
Loose drive belt
Slipping compressor clutch
Clogged condenser
Clogged evaporator
Slow leak in system
Partially clogged filter or expansion valve

Most A/C repairs are best left to a qualified repair shop.

Recharging the refrigerant, in particular, requires special equipment that most people don’t own.

There are a couple things you can do, however.

First, make sure to have the system checked regularly according to your vehicle’s owner’s manual.

Second, if you live in a place with a cold climate, it might not make much sense to run the A/C during the winter months, but many shop technicians recommend running your A/C system regularly, because it contains a light mineral oil in the refrigerant to keep the compressor properly lubricated.

The general rule of thumb is 10 minutes per month. Some heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems also engage the A/C compressor for defrost mode (for example, most GM vehicles).

So those are the basics behind air conditioning. The next time you’re riding along in a car and the driver hits the A/C button, you can say, Boy, those evaporator tubes sure are cold.

Need your vehicle air conditioning looked at then call Zec Automotives on 02 96801691.

One of the best ways to protect your vehicle’s tires is to make sure that the wheels are properly aligned. In its simplest form, a wheel alignment is the adjustment of the wheels so they are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground.

Misalignment of wheels can cause excessive tire wear along with steering or tracking problems.

How often should I have my alignment checked?

Zecs Castle Hill mechanical services recommends that you have your vehicle’s alignment checked at least once per year. However, if your vehicle is not handling properly or if you notice any unusual tire wear, bring it to Zecs for an Alignment Check.

A bad jolt, such as hitting a pothole, can throw your front end out of alignment even if you had it checked an hour earlier. Such an impact can also bend the rim, causing a loss of air pressure, and damage your tires with little or no visible external indication.

If you are concerned about your tires or how your vehicle is handling, don’t hesitate to have one of our service technicians examine your vehicle.

Why should I have my alignment checked?

The misalignment of front or rear wheels along with other mechanical problems (improperly operating brakes or shock absorbers, bent wheels, worn bushings, etc.) can cause uneven and rapid treadwear and can make your vehicle handle poorly.

Front-wheel-drive vehicles, and those with independent rear suspension, require special attention with alignment of all four wheels. These systems should be checked periodically as specified by the vehicle owner’s manual or whenever you have an indication of trouble.

To book in your wheel alignment call
Zec Automotives on 02 96801691

Zec Automotives can help you with your pink slips and safety checks.

Renew your rego in three easy steps:

Step 1. Renew your green slip as usual. Most green slips are sent electronically to the RTA by your insurer.
Before you renew - compare green slip prices from ALL insurers with the green slip calculator at www.greenslips.nsw.gov.au.

Step 2. Get an e-Safety check (previously a pink slip). Only needed if your vehicle is more than five years old*.

Check your renewal notice to see if you need one. The term of your CTP green slip must be the same as the term of your vehicle registration. Call Zec on o2 968o1691 to book your car in.

Step 3. Click here to renew your rego

It’s easy to renew your rego online or by phone. All pink slips are sent to the RTA electronically and are known as e-Safety Checks. New vehicles*, such as cars, motorcycles and caravans, will not need an inspection until they are over five years old and you can take advantage of short term rego options (six month rego for cars, motorcycles and light trucks and three months rego for trailers).

Please note that while the registration calculator will provide fees for a three month renewal of cars and light trucks, the three month option is only available for trailers and some heavy vehicles at present.

Payment options

• The RTA accepts all major credit cards.
• You can also pay with BPAY – Find out more

* Light vehicles only. Some exceptions apply. Your renewal notice will indicate if an inspection is required.

Hand held and Mobile devices

The RTA is improving accessibility to myRTA.com for hand-held and mobile devices by upgrading its system. Until this system upgrading is complete, it is advised that myRTA.com services be accessed by a desktop or laptop computer.