Wrong fuel: What to do if you put diesel in a petrol car or petrol in a diesel car

This problem is more common than you would think. What with modern diesel engines being quite silent and some older petrol engines sounding like diesels? Many cars these days don’t even have many external badges to distinguish them and the poor fuel pump attendants often make mistakes.

There are plenty horror stories of how car engines can get totally wrecked because of the wrong fuel choice. Imagine this: You are in a hurry, you pull in at a fuel station, ask for Rs. 500 worth of fuel not specifying what you want and then dash off only to realize that the fuel filled was the wrong one. What do you do?

Modern diesel engines are really sensitive to fuel quality and putting petrol in a diesel car can ruin a lot of things quite quickly. Similarly, high precision petrol engines will choke up if fed a diet of diesel. If you realize your mistake soon enough, you can bring things under control. Here’s how:

Symptoms of diesel in a petrol car

What can go wrong if you put diesel in a petrol car? Diesel is a heavier fuel than petrol and also more oily. The first part that gets affected is the fuel filter, which will tend to clog up quite quickly as diesel is relatively more oily. That itself should begin to make your car stutter and stall. The second part to get affected would be the spark plugs, which will foul up with soot build up because of the diesel mixed with petrol. Your car will emit lots of white smoke as well and lose power before it stalls completely. 

Symptoms of petrol in a diesel car

Diesel engines though are not as forgiving as petrol engines. Putting petrol in a diesel car can lead to even more expensive damage, because in diesel engines, there are parts like the fuel injection pump that depend on the diesel’s lubrication properties to run smoothly. And then there are rubber seals that don’t like the high cleaning, drying properties of petrol as well. However, for a diesel engine to even begin to start showing signs of wrong fuel, it takes quite a while. Initially, there is black smoke due to unburnt fuel, then sluggishness and stalling. It will refuse to start after that. 

What to do if you've put in the wrong fuel?

The first thing you should do if you’ve realized that you’ve put in the wrong fuel is not run the car. Next disconnect the main fuel line from the engine to the tank. If you can access the tank using a hose through the filler cap, do that and syphon off as much fuel as possible. Drain the rest through the main fuel line. You will need to get a mechanic to do this for you.

Crank the engine a few times by turning the key to pump out any remaining fuel. Let the fuel drain out of the main fuel line as the engine cranks (it won’t start). Then fill in about two litres of the proper fuel and crank the engine to clean up the lines, before connecting the fuel line back. Then top-up the tank using the correct fuel and add an additive to clean the injectors.

In a petrol car you will need to change the fuel filter and clean the spark plugs. With a diesel vehicle, open the drain plug at the bottom of the filter and drain out any fuel in the filter as well. Then prime the vehicle using the manual diesel pump and start it. 

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Wheels Dealers

Japanese car exporters

 Four of the largest Japanese car manufacturers have teamed up to develop a major extension of the country's electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and Mitsubishi yesterday announced they will promote the installation of chargers at a wide range of locations, including shopping malls, restaurants, and motorway service station, as well as the roll out of rapid chargers at locations that are suited for shorter stops, such as convenience stores and petrol stations.

The companies also pledged to promote charger installation by bearing part of the costs, assisted by 100.5 billion Yen (£666m) of government subsidies, for a temporary period.

In addition, they said they would work with companies that are already providing charging services, in which each of the four automakers already have a financial stake, to create a more joined-up network and payment process.

"Previously, each automaker assessed possible locations for charging facilities on their own," a joint statement said. "Now, they have agreed to work jointly under the common understanding that the charging infrastructure has public value and that enhancing it should be done quickly during the limited period that the subsidies are available."

There are currently around 1,700 quick chargers and just over 3,000 normal chargers in Japan, but the companies said studies are underway to increase the number of normal chargers by 8,000 and quick chargers by 4,000.

The move will undoubtedly help sales of the companies' pure electric and plug-in hybrid models, which include the Nissan LEAF, Mitsubishi iMiEV, and Toyota plug-in Prius.

In the absence of significant government support for charging networks and faced with relatively slow take-up for new electric vehicles, car makers are starting to take matters into their own hands.

The Japanese collaboration follows BMW's five year partnership deal with Charge-master to establish ChargeNow, a public charging network for owners of its BMW i electric range across the UK.

It also comes as British Gas continues to build on its partnership with Mitsubishi to accelerate the roll out of domestic chargers, which comes ahead of the expected release of the new Outlander plug-in hybrid at the end of 2013.

Andreas Atkins, head of electric vehicle services at British Gas, said its offer of charging points to customers was "a milestone for the UK's electric vehicle market".

SOURCE:

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Toyota Car Exported in Japan

Tokyo: Toyota Motor Corp. looked set to retain its title as the world’s top-selling car maker in the first half of this year, company figures showed on Friday, outpacing General Motors Co. and Volkswagen AG as it boosted overseas sales to a record high.

The Japanese auto maker said its groupwide global sales for the first six months totalled 4.911 million vehicles. That was down 1.1% from a year earlier due to weaker Japan sales following the end of green car subsidies, but sales in the US, its biggest market, were strong.

By comparison, General Motors’s January-June sales rose 4% to more than 4.85 million cars and light trucks, while Volkswagen’s climbed 5.5% to 4.7 million vehicles, those companies reported earlier this month.

Volkswagen’s sales figure, however, excludes its Scania and MAN brands. Scania sold 37,980 vehicles during the same period, while the MAN figure will be released later this month. In recent years, MAN has sold around 60,000 to 70,000 vehicles in the first half of the year.

Toyota regained the global sales crown last year after slipping to third place behind GM and Volkswagen in 2011, when its supply chain was hit by naturals disasters in Japan and Thailand and after a series of recalls tarnished its reputation for quality. Previously, it had been on top from 2008 through 2010.

Toyota’s groupwide total includes sales at Daihatsu Motor Co Ltd and Hino Motors Ltd.

Toyota, based in central Japan, last year made about 40% of its vehicles in Japan and exported nearly 60% of that. It has benefited from a weaker yen that allows it to export cars more profitably. Toyota, which is scheduled to announce quarterly results on 2 August, is expected to post an 84% year-on-year rise in operating profit to 649 billion yen ($6.5 billion) and an operating profit margin of 10.8%, according to analyst forecasts. The results would likely outpace those of No. 2 Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co. and third-ranked Honda Motor Co.

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Used car sales fall 2.9% in Japan

Used car sales fall 2.9% in Jan - June

Domestic used vehicle sales fell 2.9 percent from a year before to 2.03 million units in the January-June period, industry data showed Wednesday.

Sales marked the first decline in two years for the first-half period, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said.

The decline stemmed from a shortage of inventories in line with a decrease in new vehicle sales following the end of a government subsidy program for fuel-efficient cars in September, association officials said.

In addition, an increasing number of trade-in vehicles have been too old to be sold as used vehicles, the officials said.

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Wheels Dealers

Toyota and its dealers are quietly maneuvering to allay risks from periodic eruptions of anti-Japan sentiment in China

BEIJING (Reuters) -- Toyota and its dealers are quietly maneuvering to allay risks from periodic eruptions of anti-Japan sentiment in China, even as recent sales data suggest a slow but steady recovery for Japanese automakers since the latest flare-up last year.

China sales for Toyota Motor Corp. and other Japanese car makers tumbled after a territorial dispute between Beijing and Tokyo sparked an outbreak of anti-Japanese protests in September last year.

Trade and diplomatic ties between Asia's two biggest economies are prone to sporadic disruptions, a legacy of the lingering bitterness from Japan's wartime occupation of large parts of northeastern China.

As a result, some executives at Toyota's China unit are considering the merit of focusing its sales effort, at least in the shorter term, on southern China, where anti-Japanese sentiment is historically weaker.

In the south, sales of Japanese cars have all but recovered to pre-September levels "as if nothing happened", a senior Toyota executive in Beijing said.

"Our feeling is why spend money to overcome the bias against Japanese products in northern China?" the executive said.

"We could get more bang out of that same money by focusing on southern China where we already have a (relatively) good will towards Toyota and Lexus."

Asked about such a move, a Toyota spokesman said it was focusing on the quality of it products.

"The bottom line: the best thing for us as an auto maker to do in China, and in any market for that matter, is to keep making efforts to come up as quickly as possible with the kind of cars consumers deem desirable and want to embrace," Toyota's Beijing-based spokesman, Takanori Yokoi, said

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Small is big for Japanese auto makers eyeing Indonesia and India

Tokyo: Japanese automakers such as Honda Motor Co. and the Toyota-Daihatsu group have a problem: the smallest cars they make are very big in Japan—and only Japan.

Consider Honda’s hi-tech N BOX, a four-passenger microcar that combines some of the utility features of a much larger SUV—the seats roll down to load a bicycle or two—and the fuel-sipping economy of a tiny, 660-cc engine.

For the first half of 2013, the zippy N BOX was the best-selling car in Japan’s popular vehicle category that now represents almost 40% of vehicles on the road.

But outside Japan, the concept of the so-called kei car, a term derived from the Japanese word light, is mostly unknown. Now that could change. The Japanese auto giants are considering exporting the technology to emerging market countries.

“We have fairly low-priced cars in those markets already, but in India and markets like Indonesia, we need even smaller, even more affordable cars,” Honda’s chief spokesman Masaya Nagai said.

Rising fuel costs and a fast growing middle class in the world’s second and fourth most populous states make them likely to be the first microcar customers.

As a first step, companies such as Honda have designed their kei cars—the kei is pronounced like the letter “k”—in a way that makes its easier to produce them overseas.

“We spent a long time nurturing the kei car technology in Japan, and we think it has the potential to be useful not only in developed markets but also in emerging markets,” Honda’s chief executive officer Takanobu Ito told reporters in June.

Honda is not alone.

Toyota Motor Corp. is using technology from its affiliate Daihatsu Motor Co., a kei-car specialist, to develop minicars for Indonesia.

Mitsbubishi Motors Corp. is looking at selling kei-concept cars in Africa, where president Osamu Masuko plans to attend a distributors’ conference this month. Nissan’s chief operating officer Toshiyuki Shiga also said last month that kei cars have a potential of going global.

While few Japanese carmakers have tried to popularize microcars outside of Japan, there are exceptions.

Suzuki Motor Corp. and Daihatsu have targeted India and Southeast Asia since the early 1980s, building a credible presence, although their technology differs from that used to build Honda’s kei.

More recently, General Motors Co. and its Chinese affiliate Wuling have been making an aggressive push for micro minivans in China. Their next bet is India.

Honda believes its advanced microcar technology and the favourable marketing conditions in India and Indonesia mean that the time is right to export the kei concept.

Joost Geginat, an auto market expert with Roland Berger consultancy in Singapore, predicts Japanese companies will invest a total $1.8 billion to produce kei-concept cars in Indonesia.

Micros in macro race

 

Now the race in the microcar market is heating up. Honda, Japan’s third largest automaker most famous for its Civic and Accord cars, is betting on small cars to meet its aggressive target of selling six million vehicles globally a year by March 2017 from current sales of around four million.

To do so, Honda aims to double sales in emerging markets to account for half of total vehicle sales, and its kei car technology could play a key role in that.

Indonesia, where over a million cars were sold last year, is one such market. Last month, Jakarta rolled back fuel subsidies, raising motor fuel prices by an average of 33%. At around the same time, Indonesia signed into law a Low Cost Green Car (LCGC) programme to promote small cars such as the kei, though it is on hold pending review.

Geginat says Toyota, Daihatsu, Suzuki and Honda could roll out a combined 500,000 LCGCs, valued at under at $10,000 each, a year once the new law is in place.

Honda is looking at taking the microcar technology to Indonesia and neighbouring Malaysia, Hiroshi Takemura, who oversees Honda’s small car operations, told Reuters last month.

The company has designed its N BOX to share certain structures with the Fit, Honda’s global compact car also known as the Jazz, meaning the two cars can be manufactured on the same line, said Yoshiyuki Matsumoto, Honda’s managing officer.

Honda currently builds the Fit or Jazz at 10 plants around the world, including Indonesia and Thailand.

One challenge for Honda and other Japanese automakers is pricing. Honda’s N BOX starts from around $12,500, slightly more expensive than the outgoing model of the Fit that starts from about $12,200.

To produce a sub $10,000 no-frills car in Indonesia, features like the turbocharger, vehicle assist system and airbags may have to go, and an old-fashioned key used to start the car instead of an electronic smart key.

Source:
Wheels Dealers 

Japanese automakers, rebounding from an earthquake and aided by a weakening yen

Japanese automakers, rebounding from an earthquake and aided by a weakening yen, cranked up U.S. vehicle production by 36 percent last year while boosting imports from Japan by 19 percent.

Japanese automakers built 3.3 million cars and trucks in the U.S. last year, up from 2.4 million in 2011, according to new data from the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, a Tokyo-based trade group representing that country's major carmakers.

That was the most since 2007, when Japanese automakers produced 3.5 million vehicles in the United States, JAMA said.

As U.S. auto sales reached their highest level last year since 2007, Japanese automakers boosted their U.S. market share to 36.9 percent, from 34.9 percent in 2011.

Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and other Japanese automakers rebounded from Japan's 2011 earthquake and tsunami that crippled output, cutting off critical parts needed to produce vehicles.

"We're finally seeing recovery from the recession as well as the earthquake and tsunami," said Ron Bookbinder, general director of JAMA USA. "As long as the U.S. economy and U.S. vehicle demand hold up, U.S. production should continue to rise."

Japanese automakers are also benefiting from a yen that has weakened by 19 percent against the dollar since Oct. 31, when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe began a campaign to lower Japan's currency to stimulate the economy. That gives Japanese automakers an extra $1,500 to $2,000 per car and reduces the cost of production in Japan, according to Morgan Stanley.

Imports rise

Auto imports from Japan rose to 1.7 million vehicles last year, from 1.4 million in 2011, according to JAMA. That was the highest since 2008, when Japanese automakers imported 2.1 million cars and trucks into the United States, JAMA said.

The weaker yen also lowers Japanese automakers manufacturing costs in the United States because their cars contain so much content from Japan, said Adam Jonas, an analyst for Morgan Stanley.

He calculates Japanese autos sold in the U.S. contain about 44 percent of Japan-made parts.

"The yen doesn't sell cars, but it deals you a good hand," said Jonas, who just returned from meeting with automakers in Japan. "What sells cars is how the Japanese share the yen with consumers, either in the form of a lower price or a better car at a similar price."

Nissan Motor Co.'s U.S. sales surged 25 percent in May, triple the industrywide gain, after it cut prices on seven models. Honda is introducing a redesigned 2014 Acura MDX with $4,000 in additional features, yet that model's price is only $1,710 higher, Jonas said.

'Gain share'

"The Japanese do want to gain share here," said Jonas, who forecasts Japanese automakers share of the U.S. market will grow to 40 percent next year from 39 percent this year. "They know that Abe's got their back. He's not going to let them down. They're not going back to a strong yen because he's got to save the economy."

Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan Mulally last week told Bloomberg Television that Japan is "absolutely" manipulating its currency to give its domestic companies an unfair advantage.

"With the currency manipulation, we just have to get back to the place where the currencies are set by the markets and the free trade agreements really are free trade agreements," Mulally said on Bloomberg TV June 20.

JAMA's Bookbinder declined to comment on the yen's effect on Japanese production.

 John Mendel, Honda's U.S. sales chief, said the yen-effect is overestimated.

"I'm not going to say it's much ado about nothing," Mendel said in an interview. "But it certainly is not a game changer for American Honda because 90 percent of what we sell here, we build here."

Exports from Japanese automakers' U.S. plants reached a record last year of 335,680 vehicles, up 29 percent from 259,908 in 2011, JAMA said. Most of those cars and trucks go to Canada, JAMA said. 

Source:

Wheels Dealers

The U.S. version of the Honda Fit

Going local

The U.S. version of the standard Fit and its crossover variant will be sourced from Honda's new assembly plant in Celaya, Mexico. That factory goes online in spring 2014. Honda expects the plant to produce 200,000 Fits and Fit crossovers for the North America annually.

Globally, the gasoline-powered Fit will be offered with a 1.3-liter port-injection or 1.5-liter direct-injection version of Honda's new Earth Dreams engine, combined with the company's new Earth Dreams continuously variable transmission. The United States is expected to get only the bigger power-plant. Both engines will be offered with a manual transmission in some markets.

The hybrid gets a 1.5-liter, Atkinson-cycle engine with a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. Electric power comes from a 22-kilowatt electric motor and lithium ion battery.

The gasoline-powered Fit sold just 25,541 units in the first six months of 2013, up 5 percent from the year before.

And Honda's U.S. hybrids tallied a paltry 9,011 units sold through June, down from 10,712 vehicles in the same period of 2012.

Targeting Toyota

The new hybrid Fit hatchback achieves fuel economy of 36.4 kilometers per liter, or 86 mpg, under Japan's testing regime. That marks a 30 percent improvement over the hybrid version of the current Fit, which sells big in Japan but never made it to North America.

Those fuel economy figures don't translate directly into U.S. EPA ratings because the testing cycle differs in Japan.

But the Fit's Japanese rating edges the 35.4 kilometers per liter, or 83 mpg, rating for the Prius C here. The Prius C, known as the Aqua in Japan, was this country's second-best selling car for the first half of 2013, trailing only the standard Toyota Prius hatchback.

The new Fit has not yet received an EPA fuel economy rating. But fuel savings from Honda's new small-hybrid system are big enough to warrant its U.S. introduction, Jiro Yamaguchi, managing officer in charge of global vehicle development, said at a recent test drive event for the Fit five-door at Honda's Hokkaido proving ground in northern Japan.

"I was not that confident with the previous model, but this model would absolutely sell well in America," Yamaguchi said.

Launch timing has not been decided. But Yamaguchi said hybrid variants likely will be introduced around the time that the standard gasoline version goes on the market, by next summer.

Source:

Wheels Dealers

Honda Motor Co. plans to bring hybrid variants of its Fit

TAKASU, Japan -- Honda Motor Co. plans to bring hybrid variants of its Fit subcompact to the United States with the car's redesign, as the Japanese automaker wagers that its new hybrid drive-train will challenge Toyota Motor Corp.'s dominance in the field.

The third generation of the Fit hatchback, one of Honda's best-selling global nameplates, will hit U.S. showrooms by next summer and will go on sale in Japan in September. The U.S. version also will be the first Fit manufactured in North America.

Key to the revamp, which introduces Honda's new design language with a new interior and boldly creased sheet metal, is a newly developed one-motor gasoline-electric drive-train.

 

While the United States is not expected to get the hybrid version of the standard Fit five-door, hybrid versions of a Fit-based small crossover and sedan are planned for the United States. Those vehicles are expected to arrive as early as next year.

The new hybrid system, dubbed Sport Hybrid Intelligent-Dual Clutch Drive, greatly boosts fuel economy over the current integrated motor assist system. Honda has been using the outgoing integrated motor assist system for years in such cars as the Insight.

The new Fit is a Honda milestone for several reasons. It showcases Honda's attempt to rejuvenate its styling. And the car is the first product of a revamped global product development strategy that aims to better tailor vehicles to local markets and regional manufacturing abilities.

Finally, the hybrid version pumps up Honda's competiveness in the small hybrid segment. Cars such as the Insight and CR-Z hybrids have failed to gain traction in the United States, even while rival offerings such as Toyota's Prius C successfully carved out a niche. Sales of the Prius C subcompact climbed 27 percent to 20,575 units through June.

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Wheels Dealers

Pigment maker's lesson from Japan quake

TOKYO -- Remember Merck KGaA? It was the hitherto little-known supplier that torpedoed swathes of the global auto industry when the 2011 Japan earthquake slammed its paint pigment factory.

Now Merck is introducing a new pigment -- and taking precautions to ensure future disasters won't trigger another worldwide bottleneck similar to the quake-induced shortage of glittery Xirallic.

Merck's countermeasures show how auto suppliers are implementing lessons learned from the March 2011 earthquake-tsunami double punch. They are adapting stricter contingency plans and reacting to carmakers' demands to diversify sourcing and boost stockpiles.

After the earthquake, automakers worldwide were forced to stop making cars of certain colors because they couldn't get the aluminum-flaked Xirallic pigment that makes the paint sparkle. Merck was making the pigment at only one plant worldwide -- its Onahama plant in the quake zone -- and kept significant stocks of the product only at the same factory.

It took months to restart the plant and resume deliveries.

Merck's new pigment, called Meoxal, targets bright colors such as yellow and orange. It has a similar metallic radiance to Xirallic but works better to cover surface irregularities that tend to show through other light-colored paint coatings.

Merck makes Meoxal only at Onahama. But spokesman David Pinsker says the company is stockpiling several months' supply at three sites globally: Japan, Germany and Savannah, Ga.

"We would be able to continue to supply customers for some months even with the kind of disruption we saw two years ago or worse than that," Pinsker said. "It's certainly sufficient."

Meoxal production had been scheduled to begin in early 2012, but that was delayed until July 2012 by the earthquake. In May 2013, Merck began delivering samples to potential customers, which are putting the pigment through qualification testing.

Pinsker declined to name prospective customers.

So far, the pigment line has two colors, both inspired by and named after deserts: Wahiba Orange and Taklamakan Gold.

The Wahiba Sands is a desert region in Oman, while the Taklamakan Desert is in the southwest portion of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwest China.

The series may be expanded up to five pigments.

Merck is making Meoxal at only one location because quantities are so small at the initial rollout. As for Xirallic, its longtime breadwinner, Merck now makes that product at its Gernsheim, Germany, plant as a backup to the Onahama factory.

Xirallic, too, is stored at Merck's three global warehouses.
Merck developed the new pigment with Toyo Aluminum K.K.

Source:

Wheels Dealers

Ford, Toyota both claim to have top-selling car

Ford, Toyota both claim to have top-selling car

For the second time in seven months, Toyota Motor Corp. and Ford Motor Co. both claim to produce the world's top-selling car. The clash shows how counting in the global automotive industry is complicated. 

Ford said Tuesday that its Focus compact was the leading global nameplate with 1.02 million sales last year, citing R.L. Polk & Co. data that pegged Toyota's Corolla deliveries at 872,774. Toyota replied with a statement later the same day that claimed it sold 1.16 million Corollas. 

Determining which company is correct isn't clear-cut. Tuesday's dispute followed a similar spat in August, when Ford claimed a six-month global sales lead for the Focus and cited IHS Automotive data that excluded some derivatives of the Corolla - such as the Matrix in the U.S., the Auris in Europe and the Verso in Japan. Analysts also calculate global sales differently on the basis of autos sold by joint-venture partners.

Toyota's global sales of hybrids top 5 mil

Japan's Toyota Motor says global sales of its hybrid vehicles topped 5-million units. That's in cumulative terms since its first hybrid model, the Prius, was launched back in 1997. 

Toyota executives said on Wednesday that the company had sold 5.12 million hybrids through the end of March. 

Last year, it enjoyed a surge in demand and sold a total of 1.21-million units of 20 models worldwide.

Toyota says Japanese government subsidies for buyers of eco-friendly cars, and stricter environmental standards in the US and Europe, helped boost sales. 

Source:

Wheels Dealers

Domestic auto output drops for 9 months in row

Domestic auto output drops for 9 months in row

Major Japanese automakers have seen domestic production fall for 9 months in a row. Eight manufacturers say their total output last month came to about 691,500 units.

Nissan Motor's output plunged 30 percent after it began production of electric vehicles in the United States and Britain.

Honda Motor saw a decline of 27 percent. That's after it switched production of its mainstream models for the US, and its hybrids for Thailand and Malaysia, to overseas factories. 

SOURCE:

Wheels Dealers

Japan prepares new electric car for launch in 2013

Tokyo-based Keio University  is ready to take Sim-Drive, its Eco-friendly vehicle technology, to another level. The university announced over the weekend that it will collaborate with a total of 34 Japanese companies and municipalities, including powerhouses such as Mitsubishi Motors or Isuzu, to release a new electric car.

The aim of the consortium is to develop and mass-produce an electric car prototype that’s based on the Sim-Drive technology. Each participating company and institution is financing the project with $220,000. If things go as planned, the futuristic, four-motor (one for the end of each axle) car will be able to drive 300km on a single charge. This driving range is about twice that of electric cars that are available currently.

The consortium expects a first prototype to be ready this summer. Mass-production (meaning around 100,000 vehicles) is scheduled to begin in 2013. Price-wise, the final version is expected to be on the same level as gasoline-powered cars (excluding batteries).

SOURCE:

Wheels Dealers

Japanese automakers show luxury

Japanese automakers show luxury, SUV offerings at New York auto expo

Japanese car makers showcased their sports utility vehicles and luxury cars at the annual New York International Auto Show, which opened on Wednesday.

Toyota Motor Corp. debuted the 2014 Highlander SUV with a redesigned exterior, increased interior space and three engine choices including a hybrid option.

"We think it will wow buyers with its sophisticated look," Toyota group vice president Bill Fay said at the event to introduce the eight-seat vehicle that will be built at the company's manufacturing plant in Indiana.

Japan's mini-car sales jump to record high

Sales in Japan of 660 cc passenger mini-cars jumped to a record high in the last financial year, signalling structural change in a market where family size is shrinking and buyers are shifting to smaller cars.

Buyers and owners pay less tax for mini-vehicles, a category known as "kei" in Japan for cars that follow certain size and other criteria, than for bigger vehicles.

Automakers sold a record 1.57 million passenger mini-cars in the year ended on March 31, up 23 percent from the previous year, industry data showed on Monday.

Combined sales of mini-trucks, mini-vans and passenger mini-cars were 1.97 million vehicles, up 16.8 percent from a year ago and the second highest on record. That accounted for nearly 40 percent of the 5.21 million automobiles sold in the country in the year.

Non-mini sales also rose, by 5.7 percent year-on-year helped by green car subsidies, but the share of minis in total sales extended a growth trend over the past two decades.

SOURCE:
Wheels Dealers

Japanese Automaker

 Japanese Automaker

Japanese automakers, rebounding from an earthquake and aided by a weakening yen, cranked up U.S. vehicle production by 36 percent last year while boosting imports from Japan by 19 percent.

Japanese automakers built 3.3 million cars and trucks in the U.S. last year, up from 2.4 million in 2011, according to new data from the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, a Tokyo-based trade group representing that country's major carmakers.

That was the most since 2007, when Japanese automakers produced 3.5 million vehicles in the United States, JAMA said.

As U.S. auto sales reached their highest level last year since 2007, Japanese automakers boosted their U.S. market share to 36.9 percent, from 34.9 percent in 2011.

Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and other Japanese automakers rebounded from Japan's 2011 earthquake and tsunami that crippled output, cutting off critical parts needed to produce vehicles.

"We're finally seeing recovery from the recession as well as the earthquake and tsunami," said Ron Bookbinder, general director of JAMA USA. "As long as the U.S. economy and U.S. vehicle demand hold up, U.S. production should continue to rise."

Japanese automakers are also benefiting from a yen that has weakened by 19 percent against the dollar since Oct. 31, when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe began a campaign to lower Japan's currency to stimulate the economy. That gives Japanese automakers an extra $1,500 to $2,000 per car and reduces the cost of production in Japan, according to Morgan Stanley.

Imports rise

Auto imports from Japan rose to 1.7 million vehicles last year, from 1.4 million in 2011, according to JAMA. That was the highest since 2008, when Japanese automakers imported 2.1 million cars and trucks into the United States, JAMA said.

The weaker yen also lowers Japanese automakers manufacturing costs in the United States because their cars contain so much content from Japan, said Adam Jonas, an analyst for Morgan Stanley.

He calculates Japanese autos sold in the U.S. contain about 44 percent of Japan-made parts.

"The yen doesn't sell cars, but it deals you a good hand," said Jonas, who just returned from meeting with automakers in Japan. "What sells cars is how the Japanese share the yen with consumers, either in the form of a lower price or a better car at a similar price."

Nissan Motor Co.'s U.S. sales surged 25 percent in May, triple the industry-wide gain, after it cut prices on seven models. Honda is introducing a redesigned 2014 Acura MDX with $4,000 in additional features, yet that model's price is only $1,710 higher, Jonas said.

'Gain share'

"The Japanese do want to gain share here," said Jonas, who forecasts Japanese automakers share of the U.S. market will grow to 40 percent next year from 39 percent this year. "They know that Abe's got their back. He's not going to let them down. They're not going back to a strong yen because he's got to save the economy."

Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan Mulally last week told Bloomberg Television that Japan is "absolutely" manipulating its currency to give its domestic companies an unfair advantage.

"With the currency manipulation, we just have to get back to the place where the currencies are set by the markets and the free trade agreements really are free trade agreements," Mulally said on Bloomberg TV June 20.

JAMA's Bookbinder declined to comment on the yen's effect on Japanese production.

John Mendel, Honda's U.S. sales chief, said the yen-effect is overestimated.

"I'm not going to say it's much ado about nothing," Mendel said in an interview. "But it certainly is not a game changer for American Honda because 90 percent of what we sell here, we build here."

Exports from Japanese automakers' U.S. plants reached a record last year of 335,680 vehicles, up 29 percent from 259,908 in 2011, JAMA said. Most of those cars and trucks go to Canada, JAMA said.

SOURCE:

Wheels Dealers

Japanese Automobile

In 1904, Torao Yamaha produced the first domestically manufactured bus, which was powered by a steam engine. In 1907, Komanosuke Uchiyama produced the Takuri, the first entirely Japanese-made gasoline engine car. The Kunisue Automobile Works built the Kunisue in 1910, and the following year manufactured the Tokyo in cooperation with Tokyo Motor Vehicles Ltd. In 1911, Kwaishinsha Motorcar Works was established and later began manufacturing a car called the DAT. In 1920, Jitsuyo Jidosha Seizo Co., founded by William R. Gorham, began building the Gorham and later the Lila. The company merged with Kwaishinsha in 1926 to form the DAT Automobile Manufacturing Co. (later to evolve into Nissan Motors). From 1924 to 1927, Hakuyosha Ironworks Ltd. built the Otomo. Toyota, a textile manufacturer, began building cars in 1936.[2] Most early vehicles, however, were trucks produced under military subsidy.

Cars built in Japan before World War II tended to be based on European or American models. The 1917 Mitsubishi Model A was based on the Fiat A3-3 design. (This model was considered to be the first mass-produced car in Japan, with 22 units produced.) In the 1930s, Nissan Motors' cars were based on the Austin 7 and Graham-Paige designs, while the Toyota AA model was based on the Chrysler Airflow. Ohta built cars in the 1930s based on Ford models, while Chiyoda built a car resembling a 1935 Pontiac, and Sumida built a car similar to a LaSalle.

The Ford Motor Company of Japan was established in 1925 and a production plant was set up in Yokohama. General Motors established operations in Osaka in 1927. Chrysler also came to Japan and set up Kyoritsu Motors. Between 1925 and 1936, the United States Big Three automakers' Japanese subsidiaries produced a total of 208,967 vehicles, compared to the domestic producers total of 12,127 vehicles. In 1936, the Japanese government passed the Automobile Manufacturing Industry Law, which was intended to promote the domestic auto industry and reduce foreign competition; ironically, this stopped the groundbreaking of an integrated Ford plant in Yokohama, modeled on Dagenham in England and intended to serve the Asian market, that would have established Japan as a major exporter[citation needed]. Instead by 1939, the foreign manufacturers had been forced out of Japan. Vehicle production was shifted in the late 1930s to truck production due to the Second Sino-Japanese War.

For the first decade after World War II, auto production was limited, and until 1966 most production consisted of trucks (including 3-wheel vehicles). Thereafter passenger cars dominated the market. Japanese car designs also continued to imitate or be derived from European and American designs.

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Wheels Dealers

Japanese Automakers

 Japanese Automakers

During the 1960s, Japanese automakers launched a bevy of new kei cars in their domestic market; scooters and motorcycles remained dominant, with sales of 1.47 million in 1960 versus a mere 36,000 kei cars. These tiny automobiles usually featured very small engines (under 360cc, but were sometimes fitted with engines of up to 600cc for export) to keep taxes much lower than larger cars. The average person in Japan was now able to afford an automobile, which boosted sales dramatically and jumpstarted the auto industry toward becoming what it is today. The first of this new era, actually launched in 1958, was the Subaru 360. It was known as the "Lady Beetle", comparing its significance to the Volkswagen Beetle in Germany. Other significant models were the Suzuki Fronte, Mitsubishi Minica, Mazda Carol, and the Honda N360. 

 

The keis were very minimalist motoring, however, much too small for most family car usage. The most popular economy car segment in the sixties was the 700-800 cc class, embodied by the Toyota Publica, Mitsubishi Colt 800, and the original Mazda Familia. By the end of the sixties, however, these (often two-stroke) cars were being replaced by full one-litre cars with four-stroke engines, a move which was spearheaded by Nissan's 1966 Sunny. All other manufacturers quickly followed suit, except for Toyota who equipped their Corolla with a 1.1 litre engine - the extra 100 cc were heavily touted in period advertising. These small family cars took a bigger and bigger share of an already expanding market.

Rapidly increasing domestic demand and the expansion of Japanese car companies into foreign markets in the 1970s further accelerated growth. Passenger car exports rose from 100,000 in 1965 to 1,827,000 in 1975. Automobile production in Japan continued to increase rapidly after the 1970s, as Mitsubishi (as Dodge vehicles) and Honda began selling their vehicles in the US. Even more brands came to America and abroad during the 1970s, and by the 1980s, the Japanese manufacturers were gaining a major foothold in the US and world markets.

With Japanese manufacturers producing very affordable, reliable, and popular cars throughout the 1990s, Japan became the largest car producing nation in the world in 2000. However, its market share has decreased slightly in recent years, particularly due to old and new competition from South Korea, China and India. Nevertheless, Japan's car industry continues to flourish, its market share has risen again, and in the first quarter of 2008 Toyota surpassed American General Motors to become the world's largest car manufacturer. Today, Japan is the third largest automobile market and, until China recently overtook them, was the largest car producer in the world. Still, automobile export remains one of the country's most profitable exports and is a cornerstone of recovery plan for the latest economic crisis

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Wheels Dealers

Are you in the market for a fuel-efficient used car?

Are you in the market for a fuel-efficient used car? Then you probably have competition—not just from other drivers, but from car dealerships.

The auto industry had a strong year of new-auto sales in 2012, and another huge year for car purchases is expected for 2013. Forecasts call for more than 15 million new-car purchases in the JAPAN. this year, up slightly from 2012 and a sharp rise compared to the 10.5 million new vehicles sold in 2009.

Rising new-car sales generally mean an increased inventory of used cars, thanks to trade-ins. Yet as the Wall Street Journal reported recently, there don’t seem to be nearly enough “gently used” cars around to keep up with marketplace demand. Dealerships have resorted to stalking Craigslist for owners interested in unloading used cars—especially those that are just a few years old. Used-car lot managers are paying good money for these secondhand wheels due to confidence that they’ll still be able to flip them quickly at a profit.

There are many reasons why there’s something of a shortage of used cars right now. Owners are hanging onto cars longer than ever not only because it’s obviously cheaper than upgrading to a new model, but because automobiles purchased over the last decade or so were built to last for at least 100,000 miles, and often upwards of 200K miles. Because the number of new-car sales dipped during the recession years, there are fewer vehicles than usual that are two or four years old right now. The government’s Cash for Clunkers program also took many used vehicles off the road a few years back.

While new vehicle sales get a lot of attention because of their connection to auto makers, the used vehicle market is far larger. Last year, JAPAN. used vehicle sales rose 5% to 40.5 million.

Add all of that up and we’ve got a situation with a high demand and low supply of used cars, at least for the time being. Bizarrely, the situation is also one in which, as Kelley Blue Book noted, new and used versions of the same car model sometimes cost about the same, once dealership incentives for new vehicles are factored in. “Buying a one-year-old used Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic will only save consumers about $20 per month,” the experts at KBB estimate. Meanwhile, “Buyers interested in the Toyota RAV4 or Chevrolet Equinox will find just a $20 gap between new- and used-vehicle payments, while a brand-new Ford Escape commands a more sizable $60 per month premium from the slightly used variant.”

Selling a Car

Fix scratches and scuffs

First appearances matter. Help prospective buyers fall in love with your car by fixing up any minor scratches and scuffs that detract from the overall appearance. With 3M's new car care kits, you can save hundreds of dollars (and increase the perceived value of your vehicle) by making the repairs yourself. Here are some of our favorites:

3M Scratch Removal Kit contains packets of rubbing compound and scratch remover, an abrasive square, a foam pad and a little elbow grease -- everything you need to remove light scratches. 3M Leather and Vinyl Repair Kit lets you repair leather and vinyl tears, burns, and cuts. 3M Wheel Restoration System includes everything you need to get rid of scuffs and scratches from your uncoated, polished aluminum wheels and restore their original luster.

2 Make it shine

Of course you're going to toss the fast food wrappers and wipe out those sticky cup holders, but if you really want to sell your used car right away, you're going to have to go a little further. Make your car sparkle inside and out by getting it detailed by a pro – or skip the expense and go the DIY route.

3M Auto Essentials come in a kit that includes four spray-on products (all-purpose, leather and vinyl restore, wax, and tire cleaner) -- everything you need to get it ready to sell. Bondo Restore Black is an easy way to restore the shiny black color to tires, trim, bumpers and bed liners. Just apply with a sponge.

3 Have your vehicle inspected

Be prepared to address any questions about the reliability of your vehicle by taking the car in to a repair shop before listing it on sale. While you're at it, AAA recommends requesting a detailed report that can be shared with prospective buyers.

4 Price it right

You probably have an idea of what you'd like to get for your car, but the only way to know you're pricing it right is to do the research. Look online for comparable vehicles and use online resources like wheelsdealers appraisal tool.

5 Spread the word

Take advantage of social media by using Facebook and Twitter to let friends and family know you're selling your vehicle. Expand your reach by listing your car on Wheelsdealers.com.

6 Use caution when showing the vehicle

Be safe and meet potential buyers at a public location instead of your home. If you choose to show your car at home, make sure you have someone else with you. It never hurts to do an online search of the person interested in your vehicle before scheduling a showing. You might be surprised at how much information you can learn from a simple Google search. If you're not comfortable with what you see or your search comes up blank, you may want to wait.

7 Complete the transaction


 Congratulations – you've found a buyer. Now what? AAA recommends writing up a bill of sale for both you and the buyer to sign and have it notarized. Notaries can be found at a bank or any AAA office. Just make sure you collect your certified check, cash or money order before signing over the vehicle. Avoid being scammed by completing the sale at a bank so you can verify payment.

Source:
Wheels Dealers

History of Automobiles

Automobile:

Car or Automobile vehicles are very essential for all type of users. Without automotive and vehicles now a days passenger or travelers can’t transport from one place to other place. Automobiles transportation is very important to all type of users. In case if there is no automobile the people can’t reach their destination in an appropriate time.

History of Auto:

The automobile industry was flourished from 17^th (seventieth Century) to till date. Early stages of auto vehicles are less convenient. In, 1769 human transport automobile has been demonstrated. These types of vehicles are not more convenient to the user and transport speed wasn't increased. Mr. Carl Benz, German engineer gives the new life or new modern invention on car. Carl Benz invented the modern cars as well as he invented gasoline powered engines. From that lots of car inventors are manufactured their products.

New Car VS Used Car:

The brand new car is very expensive when compare between used cars. The used car is very less and then these types of cars help to the middle class people. Huge number of businessman doing the used car business. But most of the cars are imported from Japan. Japan country is one of the best online cars selling and quality used car selling country. From Japan all varieties of used cars are export to all kinds of region in the world.

Japan Used Cars, Japan Used Vehicles and Japanese Used Cars:

Because, lots of new branded cars used by Japanese people. That type of cars export to other regions in the world. In this case, how the people can get the affordable price Japanese used vehicles or Japanese used cars from Japan. In this case well known Japan Used Car Exporter Company, Wheels Dealers Company is one of the best and affordable Japan used car exporter from Japan to mainly Sri Lanka, Africa, USA, UK, North America and more regions. And then many other peoples also do this business to worldwide. Apart from this the users can buy a Japan Used Car, Japanese Used Cars, Japan Used Vehicle, Japanese Used Vehicles, Japan Used Trucks, Japanese Used Trucks, Japan Used Van, Japanese Used Van, Japan Used Bus, Japanese Used Bus, Japan Used Carriers and Japanese Used Carriers.

For online car buyer notification, if you want to buy used car from Japan. Please, the auto company in online or through internet. Then, send a mail or call to them first fixes the price for that exact auto car. Don’t forget to ask for the freight services. Because, this terms and conditions is very important. And then the online user can buy a branded car.

SOURCE:

Wheels Dealers

Nissan 370Z

NISSAN 370Z

Nissan has given the 370Z a shot in the arm for its fourth year on sale, cutting the price of the entry-level model by £3,005, and adding a new range-topper: the upgraded 370Z Nismo.

So just how cheap is a new 370Z now?

You can get a base-spec coupe for £26,995, which comes with the face-lifted front end (new bumper and LED running lights) plus new 18" alloys. That puts the base model right in Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ price territory, but with over over 100bhp more on offer. The higher-spec GT model gets sat-nav, 19in wheels and an upgraded stereo, but the price is cranked up too: to £31,995.

Enough price lists: what's this hotted up 370Z Nismo?

Fettled by the same in-house tuners who worked wonders with the fast Juke CAR drove recently, the 370Z Nismo adds an extra 16bhp to the standard car's output, taking the 3.7-liter V6 up to 339 bhp and 276lb ft. The 370Z Nismo is rear-wheel drive, and gets a six-speed manual gearbox only: the seven-speed auto itsn't even a cost option. The stick-shift does perform automatic throttle clipping when downshifting though, for perfect gear changes if you're not a heel-and-toe master. Inside the Nismo's cabin, you get a rev counter and suede-wrapped steering wheel. The car rides on 19" forged alloys wearing sticky Bridge stone Potenza rubber.

Like the Juke Nismo, the 'Nissan Motorsport' 370Z also packs stiffened suspension, tougher brakes, and an unmissable body-kit akin to a Fast and Furious movie stunt car. Given how well the Juke took to its Nismo tweaks, the ultimate 370Z could be quite an enticing prospect – it's a handy £10,000 cheaper than a 320bhp Porsche Cayman S.

Question is, would you rather opt for a far less powerful but possibly more entertaining Toyota GT86, score two extra seats and save another £10k? Let us know your thoughts on the tweaked Nissan 370Z range in the article comments below...

Source:

Wheels Dealers

Why to Buy Used Cars

Car or Automobile vehicles are very essential for all type of users. Without automotive and vehicles now a days passenger or travelers can’t transport from one place to other place. Automobiles transportation is very important to all type of users. In case if there is no automobile the people can’t reach their destination in an appropriate time.

History of Auto:

The automobile industry was flourished from 17th (seventieth Century) to till date. Early stages of auto vehicles are less convenient. In, 1769 human transport automobile has been demonstrated. These types of vehicles are not more convenient to the user and transport speed wasn’t increased. Mr. Carl Benz, German engineer gives the new life or new modern invention on car. Carl Benz invented the modern cars as well as he invented gasoline powered engines. From that lots of car inventors are manufactured their products.

New Car VS Used Car:

The brand new car is very expensive when compare between used cars. The used car is very less and then these types of cars help to the middle class people. Huge number of businessman doing the used car business. But most of the cars are imported from Japan. Japan country is one of the best online cars selling and quality used car selling country. From Japan all varieties of used cars are export to all kinds of region in the world.

Japan Used Cars, Japan Used Vehicles and Japanese Used Cars:

Because, lots of new branded cars used by Japanese people. That type of cars export to other regions in the world. In this case, how the people can get the affordable price Japanese used vehicles or Japanese used cars from Japan. In this case well known Japan Used Car Exporter Company,Alain Japan Company is one of the best and affordable Japan used car exporter from Japan to mainly Sri Lanka, Africa, USA, UK, North America and more regions. And then many other peoples also do this business to worldwide. Apart from this the users can buy a Japan Used Car, Japanese Used Cars, Japan Used Vehicle, Japanese Used Vehicles, Japan Used Trucks, Japanese Used Trucks, Japan Used Van, Japanese Used Van, Japan Used Bus, Japanese Used Bus, Japan Used Carriers and Japanese Used Carriers.

 For online car buyer notification, if you want to buy used car from Japan. Please, the auto company in online or through internet. Then, send a mail or call to them first fixes the price for that exact auto car. Don’t forget to ask for the freight services. Because, this terms and conditions is very important. And then the online user can buy a branded car.

Source:

Wheels Dealers

About Cars

Honda EV-STER Concept Brings a Sports Car Back to Honda's Lineup    

At this year's Tokyo Motor Show, Honda unveiled the EV-STER concept, an electric rear-wheel-drive two-seater convertible sports car. According to the latest reports the concept is headed to production.

Honda CEO Takanobu Ito recently spoke with Auto Motor und Sport, in which he revealed that the roadster could be launched with either electric or gasoline powertrains. The concept is powered by a 78 horsepower electric motor with lithium-ion batteries and has a range of 100 miles on a single charge. According to the German magazine, the production version of the EV-STER could arrive as early as next year.

Suzuki now third in Japanese Car Market

For the first time ever, Suzuki is in third place in the Japanese domestic automotive market trailing behind Toyota and Nissan, overtaking Honda for combined sales of light commercial vehicles and passenger cars. As per the financial daily Nikkei Shimbun, Suzuki sold 587,874 passenger cars and commercial vehicles, behind Toyota (1,417,984) and Nissan (670,096) and ahead of Honda (581,249) and Daihatsu (524,381) between January and October 2006.

  So what made this possible? Despite the Japanese econominc recovery, regular car sales are going down. However it is interesting to note that there is a boom of mini car or kei car in Japan now. These are low cost tiny cars limited to 660 cc engines. Suzuki, Daihatsu and Mitsubishi are the only three companies producing kei cars at the present. Kei cars now account for 35% of unit sales in Japan? 6 million a year car market. A new kei car costs around one million yen ($9000). These mini cars are cheaper to produce and also receive tax benefits from the government. Japanese people do not want to pay more for luxurious cars nowadays as they look at cars as a normal commodity. As Suzuki is the leader in Kei cars, its domestic sales overtook Honda making it the third best automaker in Japanese domestic market now. Suzuki? success in other countries such as India, Pakistan and Hungary is also due to the low cost mini cars it produces there. Next year Suzuki will launch a compact MPV (minivan) based on the Splash concept shown at the recent Paris motor show.

Source:

Wheels Dealerswww.wheelsdealers.com

Why to Buy a Used Japanese Car

As per the latest auto news, a research undertaken by Warranty Direct An insurance expert and by What Car? ・the motoring magazine ・indicates that Japanese cars are the most reliable in the used car category. A reliability survey also showed that the top seven places in ten were taken by Japan Car Manufacturers while European used cars are from among the ten least reliable

Japanese car manufacturers Honda ・leading for the fifth year, followed by Subaru, Mitsubishi, Lexus and Toyota ・in that order ・took the top credits in polls conducted on performing old cars aged between three and ten years . Very few of these cars required repairs in a one year period of use, with Honda leading with the least at just seven per cent cars needing repairs.

The other Japanese used cars leading the lot were Mazda and Nissan. Germany-made Skoda and Britain-made MINI were the only cars from the west that passed the survey of reliable used cars, with Skoda in the eighth and MINI in the tenth position. Among the least reliable cars Land Rover of Britain led at 53% failure rate with other European cars Renault, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, Vauxhall, MG, Saab, BMW, Rover and the Audi proving to be prone to more break downs. What Car? stated that break down charges on a Renault are lower as compared to Mazda and Porsche. These surveys are a boon to car manufacturers, which keep striving to improve the mechanics of their newer models to making them more reliable and in another couple of years of more, the hard facts on these poorly performing vehicles are likely to disappear altogether.

Car manufacturers holding prestigious positions have had to undergo embarrassing rates of failure as compared to manufacturers of cars that have been pegged as not being reliable, as the latter are showing signs of improving on their reliability status. Among Japanese manufactured cars, in spite of the fact that used Honda cars give the least problems, ten percent of their break downs happen with the air conditioning systems.

Subaru's have gained notoriety with their brakes failure and axle and suspension problems. Even with Toyota having to recall several thousands of their cars from the showrooms, their reliability rating for Japanese used cars has not fallen. The new manufacturing units for Japanese cars are improving on their cars and it is anticipated that Japanese cars will maintain their number one position for being the most reliable cars. So, if you have decided to buy a used Japanese car, you have not made a wrong decision.      

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Wheels Dealers