My Experience Buying a BorgWarner Turbo from Buyautoparts.com

A couple of months ago the turbo went out on my 2002 Audi A4 and I had no idea what to do. I knew that if I took it to the dealership that they were going to gouge me by charging some ridiculous price for a brand new turbo. I told my mechanic I wanted to do some research before I decided to buy a new turbo for my Audi. I went online and found that the Turbo in my car was a BorgWarner. For those of you that don’t know, BorgWarner is an extremely reputable manufacturer of Turbos. I did some research on their company, and as it turns out they are a Fortune 500 company and they make not only turbos, but a wide variety of parts for powertrains.

BorgWarner is a HUGE company, so I was afraid that I would be stuck going to the dealership to get a Turbo from them. I didn’t think there was any way that BorgWarner would sell a turbo directly to me. However, when I did a little more research I found that BorgWarner just recently started selling turbos to consumers. I was so relieved I was not going to be at the mercy of the dealership to get my car fixed. I’ve had to go through the dealership before and even though I knew I was getting ripped off, there was nothing I could do about it because they were the only ones who could get the parts to fix my car.

I was able to buy a brand new BorgWarner turbo for my A4, from buyautoparts for an amaaazing price! They really hooked me up—even my mechanic was a little upset because he couldn’t find a BorgWarner for that cheap. Also, I think my mechanic was going to try and make a little money off of me by selling me a replacement turbo for more than he paid for it. I did the smart thing and went straight to the source and got myself a great deal. Buyautoparts is a great place to get your parts. I was a little worried because I know there are a lot of aftermarket parts out there, and I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference if I had been sent the wrong thing. When my mechanic inspected the turbo he assured me that this was the REAL DEAL—a genuine OEM BorgWarner. I’ve had this new BorgWarner turbo in my car for 3 months now and I haven’t had a single issue. If you are looking for a replacement BorgWarner, check these guys out!

Summer Time Car Maintenance

When it comes to cars and hot weather, most times people only worry about their ac compressors or ac condensers. This is understandable because these parts allow you to drive without the vehicle feeling like a sauna.  Yes, these parts are important but there are many other car components you need to check on when the thermostat starts climbing up towards 90 degrees. Car engines are designed to run at 200 degrees Fahrenheit but anything over that can cause major problems.

Before you go on a road trip in the sweltering heat you must check your tires.  Some people believe that tires are the most important part of the vehicle, because they are the only parts that actually touch the road.  Tire pressures change with rising temperatures.  You lose 1 to 2 pounds per square inch with every 10 degree increase.  Make sure you check the tires for worn out or weak spots.  You don’t want to be on an Arizona highway and have your tire blow because it can’t handle the heat.

The toughest time for your car is when you are sitting at a dead stop in the heat.  Your car can easily overheat because no air is flowing over the engine.  You need to check to make sure your coolant system is working properly to avoid overheating when idling.    Double check all your coolant levels and fan belts.  Remember, all engine fluids break down much faster in hot weather.

Another part in your vehicle that gets overlooked during the summer is your car battery.  Yes, the cold winter kills your car battery, but fact is hot weather does even more damage.  Scorching weather can act as a catalyst and cause the chemical reaction in your battery to speed up and overcharge.  This shortens your batteries life.  Make sure there are no leaks, and keep your battery clean by detaching the cables and wiping off the terminals.

Yes, hot weather does damage to your car, but you can combat severe damage by doing these simple inspections.  Have fun on those long summer road trips, but stay safe.

BMW Zagato Coupe

I probably couldn't find Lake Como even if I had a car naviagtion system or an in dash navigation system, but after dicsovering a car show they hold there I am sure gonig to try.

This Northen Italian Lake is where one of the most luxurious auto shows on the planet occurs, The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.  The name by itself sounds like a car worth a million dollars.  BMW chose this prestigious event to unveil is Zagato Coupe.  They probably decided to introduce this eye catching beast in Italy because their partner in designing the car was Italian manufacturer Zagato.

Zagato has been styling sports cars since 1919. The company has designed cars for Ferrari, Maserati, Bugati, Bently and many more.  The combination of Italian styling and German engineering has hit a home run with the Zagato Coupe. I guess since this is Italy and Germany I should say they scored a goal, instead of a home run.  But don’t take my word for it, check out the pictures yourself.

The best news of all is that this may not just be a concept.  BMW has put the Zagato Coupe through high speed testing, and it meets German road standards.  We may actually see this thing on the road!  

GM Puts Brakes on Facebook Advertising

It’s never a good thing when your steering rack or your steering gear box bites the dust, but try having the country’s third largest advertiser pull out two days prior to your company going public.  That is exactly what happened to Facebook, when General Motors decided to decrease its Facebook advertising budget from $10 million to $0.  Now, I am not that good at math, but I believe $0 means nothing.

GM still plans on being active on Facebook.  They will update their Facebook page, communicate with fans, and upload videos and photos.  However they will not pay for pay per click advertising. GM says that the return on investment has been insufficient.   They also feel that a car is not a type of purchase someone will make with just one click of a mouse.   GM feels the Facebook adverts are more for spontaneous shopping.

GM Dislikes Facebook

GM communicated with their Facebook Fans by posting this message on their wall yesterday

“Just wanted to let our millions of Facebook fans know, we're still here, and we 'like' you back! We may not be advertising on Facebook at the moment but we'll still be talking with you all daily. If anything, we will be providing more content across our many GM Facebook pages - including Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac - to keep the dialogue going.”

Some investors are now waiting to see what other big companies will also leave Facebook.  Though GM’s competitor Ford Motor Company says it is going to invest even more in its Facebook advertising.  Time will tell.

Mercedes Airmatic vs ABC Suspension

I've heard a lot of confusion about whether a Mercedes S or CL-class has Active Body Control suspension or just standard Airmatic (air ride). The biggest difference is that the standard Airmatic suspension runs on air, whereas ABC runs on power steering fluid supplied by the power steering (tandem) pump and does not run on air at all. The car will have one system or the other, not both.

A couple of ways you can identify ABC vs Airmatic:

1. ABC cars will have a button marked "ABC Sport" on the center console, whereas the standard Airmatic suspension has a button has a picture of a spring with arrows.

2. Airmatic struts will have white plastic tubes running to the top which can be seen under hood. See below.

Charging Made Easy

Although electric car owners don’t have to worry about their fuel pump and fuel injectors going bad, one of the drawbacks they face is the car charge time. A Chevy Volt takes up to 10 hours using a 120 volt outlet, and about 4 if you have access to a 240 volt supply. A Nissan LEAF takes about 7 hours to reach a full charge on a 208-240V home charging station. They say most people will charge their LEAF overnight at home “similar to a cell phone”, but in time they hope to make the process more efficient. This is one of the reasons that German and U.S. automakers are joining forces to create a faster EV charger.

What they are calling the “DC Fast Charging with a Combined Charging” system, automakers are hoping to create a single plug that incorporates four different types of charging. The four types are one-phase AC-charging, fast three-phase AC-Charging, DC-charging at home and ultra-fast DC-charging at public stations. The new ultra-fast DC-charging is aimed to recharge most electric cars in as little as 15-20 minutes.

Beyond the convenience of charging time, the unity of automakers will also create the convenience of location. Although it’s unlikely you will be driving your electric cars across many continents, the hope is that the same plug design that will charge your car in the U.S. will also be able to charge your car in Europe. Although many batteries that are currently in electric cars today may not support the ultra-fast charging stations, big automakers such as Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Daimler, Ford, FM, Porsche and VW are all making the necessary steps to turn this idea into a reality.

The Auto Black Box

A car navigation system or car GPS device can record where a car is located, but there is a little device in all of our cars that tracks everything we do.  Well… not everything but close enough. This gadget is referred to as the vehicle’s Event Data Recorder (EDR).  The EDR works just like an airplanes black box and is commonly used after an accident to see what happened.  It records at minimum of 15 aspects of a crash, including pre-crash speed, engine throttle, changes in forward velocity and airbag deployment time.

All vehicles are mandated to have these black boxes by 2013, but some cars have had these since the mid-90s.  The information collected could eventually be used for insurance companies to set your insurance rates, as well as in civil and criminal cases.  Some people have said that this information should be private but others say that if you are driving on public roads than it is public information.  People very weary of this technology fear a future where a device like this can issue a speeding ticket as soon as you go over the speed limit.  Imagine a citation printing right out of your dash. OK, so that’s a big jump, but you can see how people feel these devices are a little “big brothery.”

Even though it does feel like an invasion of privacy I do feel like this device can be used for good.  It will help auto companies fix problems with their vehicles that lead to crashes.  It will prove who was actually at fault in an accident, so the wrong person doesn’t have to pay for it.

Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicles

Thinking about filling up your vehicle with hydrogen can be pretty intimidating. Wasn’t the Hindenburg full of hydrogen? What about H-bombs? Is my car going to explode in the first fender-bender I get into? Will a faulty engine control module or fuel pump send me flying? We’re going to talk a bit about the reality of hydrogen fuel-cell  vehicles and hopefully dispel some myths about them as well.

 A fuel-cell vehicle is a type of electric vehicle. It uses an electric motor to drive the wheels instead of a purely mechanical one. Today’s current electric vehicles use a heavy lithium-ion battery that takes hours and hours to re-charge – fuel cell vehicles generate electricity by creating a chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is stored in tanks as a compressed gas, and the oxygen is just oxygen from the air. The hydrogen tank can be re-filled just as you would re-fill at the gas station. 

It works by catalyzing hydrogen – breaking down the hydrogen atoms into electrons and protons. The electrons create an electric current that creates the electric power used to power the vehicle. Then the electrons and protons are recombined with protons and oxygen to create water, the fuel-cell vehicle’s ONLY emission.

A fuel cell is made up of hundreds of these individual cells, wired together to create a cell large enough to power a full-sized vehicle. Fuel-cell cars also have a lithium-ion battery on board to store electricity from regenerative breaking, like many of the current electric vehicles in use today.

The best thing about fuel-cell vehicles is that the only emissions they create is water – no CO2, carbon monoxide, nitrous, etc etc. They are also more convenient than an electric vehicle because they can be re-filled like a regular gasoline engine, instead of needing to re-charge for hours like lithium-ion powered electric vehicles. Hydrogen is also exceedingly abundant on our planet and is a completely renewable resource – you can get it from practically anywhere!

 Also, the hydrogen tank is no more dangerous to store on your vehicle than a tank full of gasoline. No need to conjure up images of a burning Hindenburg crashing to the ground.

The only problem with hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles currently is their prohibitively expensive cost and the lack of hydrogen re-fueling stations. But both of these issues can be rectified by furthering the technology and availability of hydrogen fuel cells. 

As automakers look to the next era of “green” vehicles, keep an eye out for hydrogen-fuel cell technology as it could be coming to a gas station near you.

Basic Oil Change

Changing your own motor oil is the most basic DIY maintenance of your vehicle. It has to be done often enough that it really helps to know how to change your own oil. It's not complicated like a steering rack or AC Compressor install, but it is handy. Below is a short guide on what you need and how to perform a simple oil change in your vehicle.

 You’ll need the following tools and items: A box end or socket wrench to remove the drain plug, an oil filter wrench (if it’s on really tight or doesn’t have grips on the end), an oil drain pan, a funnel, a jack and jack stands, and a long piece of cardboard or canvas to avoid any sudden spills.

Of course, you’ll also need fresh oil and a new oil filter.

Before going out and buying the needed supplies, make sure to check your owner’s manual for the right kind of oil for your vehicle and the amount you’ll need. Oil is typically sold in quarts, so if your car needs 5.7 quarts buy 6 quarts of oil at the store. Then you need to make sure you buy the right viscosity – if your car lists 5W-30, buy 5W-30 even if another viscosity is cheaper or on sale. Always put in the viscosity your owner’s manual suggests.

As far as whether to buy conventional or synthetic, it’s largely up to you – unless your owner’s manual specifies synthetic or you have a turbocharged or supercharged engine, in which case you should also buy synthetic.

Once you’ve gathered everything, park your car on a level surface and jack it up, placing jack stands on either side of the frame. Some newer cars have undercovers, so you may need to remove this to access the drain plug and oil filter. It’s best to change the oil when the engine is slightly warm, but never when it’s hot – all the oil hasn’t had a chance to drain into the oil pan and you could get burned.

Locate the drain plug and oil filer. Most cars have bottom-mount, screw on filters. Locate the drain plug, and place your open oil pan underneath where the drain plug will drain. Some people say removing your oil reservoir cap in your engine bay will help the oil drain out faster and smoother. While this may not necessarily be the case, it will help you remember to put fresh oil in your car before driving off. 

The drain plug is often at an angle – try to position the oil pan where the oil will come out.  Take your socket wrench and loosen the drain plug slowly. Once it seems pretty loose, carefully unscrew and remove it by hand, allowing the oil to spill out onto the oil pan. 

Wait for all of the oil to drain out of the vehicle, and then replace the oil drain plug. Make sure it is clean and free of debris, and that the washer is clean and intact, before putting it back on. Make sure to screw it back on tightly with a hand wrench so you can’t tighten it anymore, but don’t use a socket wrench or anything that would strip it out.

 Then move your oil pan underneath your oil filer. Get out your oil filter wrench and twist off the oil filter. Turn the filter upside down towards the side of your oil pan and let it drain as your car drains the oil out of the oil filter socket. Once it’s finished draining, use rags to clean as much of the oil away as possible, paying special attention to the filter sealing surface. Then open a quart of fresh oil and put a dab of it on the gasket of your new oil filter, then screw the new oil filter in the proper socket. Tighten the oil filter as much as you possibly can by hand – you shouldn’t need a filter wrench unless your hands are too greasy to tighten it properly.

After you confirm that the oil drain bolt and oil filter are properly in place and tightened, it’s time to add fresh oil. Place the funnel into your oil reservoir and start adding oil. Ad about a half of a quart to a full quart less than is recommended by your engine. 

Replace the oil reservoir cap and run the engine for 30 seconds or so to circulate the new oil. Look underneath your car and make sure there are no leaks. Then check the oil level in your car and make sure it falls within the right parameters – if it doesn’t, add a bit more oil to top it off.

Once you’ve made sure everything looks good, remove the jack stands and lower your car.  The only thing left to do now is properly dispose of your old oil. Most auto parts stores that sell oil have a waste oil bin you can dump your old oil in for no charge.

Then you’re done! Once you’ve done this a few times, it becomes a breeze. Now you don’t have to pay someone else to do a simple job, and you can make sure it’s done right every time.

New York’s New Nissan Taxi Cabs

Nothing in the automobile industry is quite as iconic for a city as New York’s taxi cabs. The Crown Victoria has been the shape of the iconic cab since the 1980’s, but this year it was announced that Nissan has won the bid to replace the Crown Victoria for the next ten years of cabs in NYC. Nissan asked cab drivers, and the many men and women cab passengers in New York City, what was most important to them in a cab and created the ultimate taxi of safety and convenience. Cabbies drive the vehicles for an average three years, but since that usually tallies up to 400,000 miles they practically drive them until the wheel hub and bearing assembly fall off, so it's important to have a robust design as well. Really, the only drawback is its less than stellar appearance, but once we cover the new features available you’ll be able to look past it's ugly yellow shell. 

 First thing passengers will notice is the ease of getting into the cab with wide sliding doors (like a van). No more opening doors out into unsuspecting traffic. Once inside, there is dramatically more legroom, enough to get in and stretch out a bit to enjoy the ride. The seats are made of anti-microbial vinyl that kills 99.9% of germs on contact so you won’t need to burn your clothes and take a shower once you reach your destination. The widows on either side of the cab slide open as well to provide fresh air or, of course, an escape hatch to avoid making a mess in the cab.

Separate air conditioning and heat is available to passengers with the driver being unable to operate the controls from the front of the vehicle. There will also be two USB charges available in the back, in addition to the classic car charger. The floor is made up of recycled rubber and runs right up to the seats, making the floor clear and visible to avoid losing things inside the cab.

 To get as much as you can out of the beauty of NYC, the roof is comprised of a giant polycarbonate window so you can watch the skyline. The fabric lined ceiling and interior walls have an active carbon layer to absorb any smells.

There is also a polycarbonate partition between the driver and the passengers. A small sliding window can be opened to chit chat or to give directions, but there is also an intercom system available beneath the driver ID area. There is also a 15-inch screen that provides information and entertainment inside the cab, although this feature is already available on most taxis today.

By the intercom system is also a credit card reader. There will be both the typical slide reader and an RFID reader for the tech-savvy passenger, but both transactions will print out a small receipt.

 As for the exterior, great care was taken to improve the ride comfort of this new taxi. They tested the vehicles on a test road full of obstacles and potholes to recreate the common situations cabs are driven in. The wheels are painted a simple grey to keep them from looking grimy, and are made to absorb most of the shock of the roughness of NYC roads. The suspension is also tuned for rear occupants.

A large wing-like structure mounted on the roof has a white light band that wraps around the sides. The light, along with the cab number, lets potential passengers know if the cab is available. One much discussed feature is the “horn accountability light,” which glows yellow when the horn is depressed to let police know who to write the noise pollution tickets to.

An illuminated outline of a person (in the fashion of bathroom door signs) lets the people behind the cab know there are passengers exiting the vehicle. Nissan has even thought of the classic yellow taxi paint  - many of us have seen dings repaired with matte yellow paint, because a cabbie didn’t have the time or money to keep it in the shop to get a clear coat. Nissan’s new paint will be a simple one coat spray that will be quick and look shiny as if a clear coat has been applied.

All-in-all, a lot of research and thought was put into the new cabs. They may look different than what New Yorker’s are currently used to, but with its many convenient and safe features, I think the new Nissan cabs will win the hearts and minds of New Yorker’s after the first convenient and smooth ride.

10 Things Everyone Should Know About Their Vehicle

Not everyone is passionate about cars. In fact, most people who drive on the road just use their vehicles for transport. Ask the average person what is the difference between a diesel turbocharger and diesel injectors and see what happens. Even so, there are still a few things that everyone behind the wheel should know about their car to make sure they stay safe and don’t endanger those around them. Here is a list of 10 things that every driver should know about their own car.

1 What side the fuel door is on – This is to prevent your frustration and everyone else at the gas station. There is usually an indicator on your dash that tells you which side your fuel door is located. Make a point to memorize it to prevent unnecessary hang ups at the pump.

2 When to replace wiper blades – if your wiper blades leave big streaks on your windshield when in use, making it difficult to see, replace the blades immediately. It is easy and you can switch them out yourself. If you’re unsure of how to do this, we covered it a few posts back here.

3 What the car’s driven wheels are – this is especially important if you live in an area with seasonally icy roads. If you have a two wheel drive car, you need to know whether it is front wheel or rear wheel drive so you know what tires to put your chains on. Always put the chains on the driven wheels.

4 Where the spare tire and jack are located – you never know when you’ll get a flat tire, so it’s important to be prepared. Take a minute to locate the spare tire and jack on your car, and learn how to use them. Go through a practice run of using the jack and taking off the tire if you need to. This will greatly reduce stress if you ever need to use them.

5 What the lights and gauges mean on the dash – the indicator lights on your dash are to help you maintain your vehicle properly. If you don’t know what the check engine light is, or what the indicator lights mean on your vehicle, you can potentially cause serious and irreparable damage which is always expensive. Take a minute to look at your owner’s manual and read what the indicator lights mean, so when they come on you can address them properly and promptly.

6 How to use jumper cables – If your car won’t start, there is a good chance it is because your battery is dead. This is usually caused by leaving your interior or headlights on overnight, or something similar. In order to start your car you’ll need jumper cables, and a willing partner with a good battery. Always keep a set of jumper cables in your car if your car doesn’t come with them, and read up on how to properly use them so you’re not stuck in a parking lot somewhere.

7 When the tires are worn out – We also covered this a few posts ago, but it’s so important it’s worth mentioning again. Driving around on bald tires is extremely dangerous – you have very little traction on the road with less stopping power, and having bald tires increases your chances of an accident. If you put a penny Lincoln’s head down between the tread and it doesn’t cover his head, you need to get new tires.

8 What the tire pressure should be – driving around with deflated tires affects your fuel economy and, in extreme situations, can cause your tires to blow out on the highway. Look in your owner’s manual for the correct tire pressure, and make sure your tires are properly inflated. You can fill up your tires at the gas station – they usually have a tire pressure gauge there for you to use. If they don’t, you can pick one up at any auto parts store for a dollar and keep it in your vehicle.

9 Where the oil is and how much should be in the car -  you should also check the oil level in your car once in awhile, and if it’s low, put a quart of oil in. You can find the oil dipstick and the oil reservoir using your owner’s manual.

10 When the car should be serviced – Again, check your owner’s manual for recommended servicing intervals for your vehicle and stick to them. When you get your vehicle serviced, keep track of what date you had it serviced and how many miles you car had when you did. You can put this information in a small pocket calendar and keep it in your glovebox for reference. Check on it once in awhile to keep the servicing schedule of your car and keep it running great.

Arming yourself with this information will make you much safer on the road, and keep your vehicle running at peak condition. Make sure every driver in your family also knows this info so everyone is prepared and safe while driving.

In-Car Wireless Charging

If you’ve ever been frustrated by a dead cell phone in the car, or by rummaging around your car for that special car-charger, there is a solution on the way.  Chrysler has announced that the new 2013 Dodge Dart will come equipped with a wireless charging station, located right underneath the car cd player or car navigation system.

 It will have the ability to charge MP3 players and the iPhone, Blackberry, and Android cell phones by using a special case.  It works by using a mat fitted with one induction coil that creates alternating electromagnetic fields, and a second coil that takes power from the electromagnetic fields and converts it back to electrical current to charge the battery of your mobile devices. The two coils combine to form an electrical transformer.

When the technology first started making the rounds a few years ago the efficiency was poor and caused the units to get hot – potentially damaging lithium ion batteries. Since then the technology has improved significantly to allow greater efficiency and less heat, charging the battery in record time with no damage done.

It is activated when consumers place their battery powered device on the 8.27” x 9.5” x 3.25” power mat. The units charge only when the vehicle is on. It will be available as a $199.99 option on all new 2013 Dodge Darts.

This is the first time this feature is available OEM from the dealership, but not the first time this technology has been on the market. Powermat has been making something similar, but aftermarket, for a few years now and for as little as $25. Users have had mixed results from them, which makes me wonder how great one that is pre-installed in your vehicle is going to be. One of the largest complaints seems to be that your device must be put directly on a very small “sweet spot” in order to get it to charge. We had in mind a mat you could put the device on anywhere, but whether the units installed on the new Dart will be better or not remains to be seen.

What is Your Check Engine Light Trying to Tell You?

If you’ve ever had a check engine light come on in your vehicle, you know the fear and annoyance it can strike to your heart and wallet. You might be aware of this light if you have ever tried to get a smog test with it illuminated – it is grounds for automatic disqualification, and usually requires a replacement of an air fuel ratio sensor or 02 sensor. We’re going to explain a little about what this light is, what the light means, and what you can do if it comes on in your car.

 Modern check engine lights, or malfunction indicator lamps, are in place to tell the vehicle owner of an issue with the engine. All cars made in the last few decades come with an engine monitoring system in place called an OBD-II . OBD stands for On-Board Diagnostics, and has become standard in all vehicles to monitor the engine and emissions of the vehicle.  In case of a minor issue, the light will turn on and stay lit – this is usually a loose gas cap, or a failing oxygen sensor. In case of a major issue like a catalytic converter failure or other more serious problems, the light will flash on and off. 

Some have argued that the system was put in place for dealerships and mechanics to get more money in maintenance costs from their customers , but there is no need to go straight to the mechanic if the CEL comes on (an exception to this is if the CEL is blinking – then you need to stop the car and have it towed to a mechanic right away.) If something goes wrong with your vehicles monitoring systems, it will trigger a code that is specific to the problem your engine is experiencing. You can purchase a code reader to get these codes from your vehicle via a small plug on the underside of your dash.

  

 Nowadays OBD-II code readers can be purchased just about anywhere for you to diagnose why the CEL came on.  They usually cost what a mechanic would charge you for checking it once – and of course you get to keep it forever, so it pays off after two uses. Some readers will just tell you the code itself, and others will tell you what the code actually means in English. If your reader just gives you a code, say P1443, you can go on the internet and type in your year, make, model, and your code and it should come up with a definition of what the code might mean. Of course, if you are unsure, it’s always best to take it to a licensed mechanic.

Once you know what is wrong with your vehicle, you can go about fixing it. Simple repairs like a mass air flow sensor gone bad can be done at home in the garage, while more intricate repairs need to be done by a licensed mechanic. Either way, knowing the issue is the most important step for fixing the problem. Next time your CEL comes on, you will at least know what it might mean and take the steps necessary to remedy the problem.

Source: AOL Autos