The next adventure...

I'm getting ready for next week's official release of Carpentier Falls. It's the third Kurt Maxxon mystery, and I'm ready to write the race scene in Centralia, the fourth book, which will release in early 2011. Centralia, like all the Kurt Maxxon Mysteries, will have some new faces, and of course, a new adventure.

In my last blog entry, I talked about getting your car ready for summer travel. Today, I want to add some more about keeping your car running well and efficiently.Last time I talked about getting your car ready for summer travel. Tuning your engine will make it run better, and you need to change those filters, and the oil. Lubricate the vehicle according to the manufacturers instructions.

Engine oil soaks up a lot of particulate matter from inside an engine. The combustion process involves the exploding of a small charge of oxygenated air in a combustion chamber. Any time you have an explosion, no matter where, there are after effects. Fortunately, the gasoline we buy today is pretty clean stuff. The refiners mix in additives to help the gasoline burn cleanly, and the exhaust gases are fairly clean. However, there are going to be some carbon products that get into the oil circulating around the pistons and rings.

If enough junk gets into your oil, and you don't change it, eventually the oil lubricating the cylinder walls gets crudded up and the carbon can stick to the piston tops. A few explosions later, that piston might have a hole burned through it and the car is disabled. Changing oil as recommended by the car's maker is good advice. Today, most cars can go 5,000 miles between oil changes.

Other major components of an efficient engine are the filters--oil and air. The oil filter helps keep the engine oil clean, and a good oil filter will make sure the engine can go the maximum number of miles between changes. Make sure the filter is changed every time, and is also the recommended type for your car. 

Air filters are also very important; clean air to the fuel injection system is important to efficient combustion. Changing that air filter when the oil is changed is necessary, even though it doesn't look dirty.

The last thing I'll mention about making sure you have a safe car is checking the braking system. It's best to have an experienced mechanic do this, especially if brake fluid needs to be added. The problem that can arise here, is that everything has to be done to keep air out of the brake lines. If the fluid cylinder is low, opening it can allow air in. 

The highways are calling! We see ads for 

various places. Even whole states beckon

"COME VISIT!" I personally love to drive 

where I want to go--so I can see what's 

between "here" and "there." 

I've been exploring the  next horizon 

for several decades now. I'll be seeking

the next adventure for several more!