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Fisker Batteries May Have Safety Issue Says Supplier

In a very ironic story, battery maker A123 Systems Inc. has admitted to a potential safety issue in batteries it supplies to Fisker Automotive. What’s the irony in that? Well, General Motors, which is currently dealing with a fire safety issue of their own with their Chevy Volt, will be turning to A123 Systems’ batteries for their upcoming plug-in electric Spark rather than continuing to use their current Volt supplier, South Korea’s LG Chem.

A123 is reporting that the batteries supplied to Fisker had misaligned hose clamps, part of the internal cooling system, that can cause coolant to leak. The coolant leak could lead to a potential electrical short circuit. A123 also did express that only about 50 vehicles are impacted by this and fixes are already underway.

Though not as bad as a potential fire hazard, GM’s Volt issue is also being centralized around a coolant leak that causes the fires after the battery has been severely damaged.

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Dodge Caliber euthanized

According to The Detroit News, the Dodge Caliber has finally stumbled out of production.

When the Caliber first rolled onto the scene for the 2007 model year, we didn’t quite know what to make of it. Replacing the long-serving Neon, the Caliber sported polarizing styling, available all-wheel drive and a taller-than-average ride height. To some, it looked like an aggressively styled tonic to the frankly outdated and somewhat cutesy Neon, while others remained suspect of the car’s quasi-SUV aesthetic and intrinsic goodness.

It didn’t take long for the reviewers to pile on, however. Pundits argued that the Dodge delivered a lackluster driving experience thanks to an unsorted chassis co-developed with Mitsubishi, an unlovable Jatco-sourced CVT and a coarse interior that was later freshened but never truly fixed. In the end, the doubters appear to have won out, as the Belvidere, Illinois-built compact garnered little critical or popular praise. While the Caliber opened to reasonably strong sales traffic, yearly totals quickly collapsed despite steep discounting and the introduction of a powerful SRT-4 performance variant.

As part of its arrangement with new parent company Fiat, Chrysler has developed the Alfa-Romeo-based Dart as the Caliber’s replacement, and expectations are running high ahead of its Detroit Auto Show debut next month. The Dart will need to be excellent, as it faces a veritable murderers’ row of competitors, ranging from strong new models like the Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra to well-sorted mainstays like the Mazda3 – not to mention perennial sales darlings including the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic.

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The Cheapest Place to Get Replacement Car Parts

Owning and running a car can be particularly expensive. Whether you’ve just passed your test, or you’ve been driving for a while, having a car is not just an initial investment, it’s an ongoing one. During your car’s lifetime, you will spend hundreds, if not thousands of pounds keeping it roadworthy and safe.

From road tax to insurance, and even the yearly MOT, the price can all add up. That’s not even considering the amount you’ll have to pay on maintenance, with car parts and labour, should your car breakdown or need something fixing. In fact, those who drive quite old cars, will often spend more on car parts than any other type of driver, as these cars are the ones that frequently need fixing.

For any driver, getting your car fixed can be costly. A mechanic or a garage will sometimes ask if you would like a genuine part or a non-genuine part, and sometimes they may only be able to get a part that was made by the manufacturer. In any case the cost of getting parts for the car is part of the expense, whilst the other part is the labour of fitting and testing the part. However there is a way to significantly reduce the cost of getting your car fixed which revolves around buying second hand car parts.

Depending on the mechanic or the garage that you use, they may already be buying second hand car parts. Within the industry, there are many suppliers of used car parts. These are the preferred option for many car owners, as the part is still effective and in good working condition, but more importantly, it’s much cheaper than an original or new part. In some cases, the part may no longer be manufactured, and the only way in which you’ll get the car part, is via a second hand dealer or supplier.

But where on earth do you begin to look for second hand car parts? If you’re not privy to using the industry standard suppliers, then the best place to start is using online car part services. There are various ways in which this can work, but usually a breaker yard will have their own website, or supply car parts to another company where, these are put online for people to search for an buy.

In this sense, it is far easier and quicker to search for second hand car parts than the traditional method of visiting a breaker yard and searching for the part that you need. The simplicity of these online suppliers is unrivalled. You can search for the part that you need, if know what it is, or by the model of the car. If you know the area of the car in which you need a part, you can also search via this method.

If you’re a garage or mechanic looking for second hand car parts, or someone that’s taking on the challenge of foxing your own car, then be sure to check online at automotive recycling websites or breaker yard websites; you’ll end up saving a great deal of cash doing so.

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Hyundai i30 May Get 200 HP 1.6L Turbo Engine

Over in Europe, Hyundai is aiming at some of the more formidable hatchbacks in the market including Volkswagen‘s Golf with their newly redesigned i30 hatchback. But now rumor has it that Hyundai may be considering a competitor to VW’s popular GTI – which means more horsepower and more fun.

Allan Rushforth, vice president of Hyundai Europe, mentioned that the company is currently evaluating a GTI competitor even though nothing is set in stone as of right now. The three-door hatchback i30 is currently scheduled to debut in Europe at the end of 2012 and will on sale in 2013.

If the more inspired variant of the i30 does come to fruition however, it will be produced at Hyundai’s European Technical Center out in Russelsheim, Germany and will not only get sportier styling, but beefier brakes, tuned suspension and interior upgrades. That is, to go along with its more powerful engine.

The big news for North America here is that as the i30 is essentially the same car as the Elantra Touring, this news is generating rumors of a 200-hp version of that car for our shores. But considering a 200 hp Hyundai Veloster is on its way, don’t bet on it.

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