The TecBlast Blog

All the Hummer cars originate from a military vehicle - the M998 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV). Since HMMWV is quite of a hassle to pronounce, the soldiers began to call their vehicles Humvee’s. When AM General began to produce similar cars for the civilian market, they used the name Hummer. Today, Hummer is a protected name owned by General Motors. AM General sold the name to General Motors in 1999, but continued to manufacture the Hummer, while General Motors became responsible for selling the vehicles on the market.

The military M998 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles were developed to replace jeeps and lighter trucks. As early as the 1970’s, the jeeps and lighter trucks had begun to show signs of inadequacy during military missions in rough terrain and a new and improved type of vehicle was much sought after. In 1979, the U.S. Military lay out the requirements for a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, and in 1980 the first prototype was finished. The prototype was called M998 and had been produced by AM General. The U.S. Military liked the prototype and AM General begun to produce a series of different High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle prototypes. Eventually, the U.S. Military ordered 55,000 HMMWV’s from AM General. Today, you will find more than 15 different types of Humvees’ in the United States armed forces. They are used a cargo carriers, troop carriers, ambulances, automatic weapons platforms, missile carriers, surface-to-air missile platforms and much more. Fording 0.762 meters is possible with a standard Humvee, and with a deep-water fording kit you can ford up to 1.5 meters.

The first civilian High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, the Hummer, entered the market in 1991 and soon grew immensely popular. It was initially promoted by a race in 1990 where two Hummers traversed the rough terrain between London, UK and Beijing, China. A majority of the trip took place on the coarse roads of central Soviet Union. The drive was broadcasted in the United States, and the Hummer received a lot of publicity before even being launched. One of the first civilian owners of a Hummer was Arnold Schwarzenegger, which naturally also gave the vehicle additional publicity. What made the Humvee’s really famous was however the 1991 Operation: Desert Storm in the Middle East. During this war, soldiers driving the various Humvee’s were frequently seen on the news in America.

In 2003, the Hummer H2 - a smaller version of the Hummer H1 - entered the market. Even though it is not as big as a Hummer H1, it still has room for five passengers. It is considered a capable multipurpose vehicle and the Hummer H2 is used in large cities as well as in off-road conditions. The Hummer H2 Sport Utility Truck (SUT) is a pick-up truck variety of the standard Hummer H2. In 2005, the next Hummer was released. The Hummer H3 is even smaller than the Hummer H2 and marketed as a midsized SUV. It weighs no more than 8500 lb. Hummers are also available in limousine versions. The Hummer limousine is a popular party vehicle since it can comfortably fit a large group of people and has an exclusive interior.

read more about Hummer limousine or the latest Hummer model is the family friendly Hummer 3.

Okay, something’s wrong with your car. You know it. It just
doesn’t “feel” right.

That may sound lame when you’re talking to your mechanic, but
believe me, it’s not something you want to ignore.

Maybe you feel like the car is difficult to handle. Maybe the
ride just seems less smooth and stable. Perhaps there’s a
vibration that wasn’t there before.

These symptoms almost always indicate a problem.

Is it harder to steer your vehicle? Do you have difficulty
steering in a straight line? This might mean your front wheels
are misaligned or you have worn steering parts.

Does your car feel like it wants to steer or pull to the right
or left? You’ll need to get this checked out. It may only be
that your tires aren’t properly inflated. But it could also mean
that your front end is misaligned or damaged in some way. That’s
nothing to play around with!

Maybe your car feels like it’s vibrating. Your tires may need
balancing in this case.

It’s a good idea to check your shock absorbers and struts, too.
They might need replacing if the car rides “strangely”.

If you put on your brakes, and your car pulls to one side - that
means you need to take in it for repair.

If the brake pedal sinks to the floor when pressure is
maintained - same thing. Take it in.

If you hear or feel scraping or grinding when you apply the
brake, this indicates a problem that needs to be checked out.

And of course, the no brainer - You need to get your car to a
repair shop if the “brake” light on the instrument panel is lit.

Engine trouble is on the menu if you find that your car is hard
to start. Other indicators include the check engine light coming
on, your car using more than one quart of oil between changes,
the car engine running after you remove the key, if the car
stalls or idles roughly, and if there’s poor acceleration. Also,
getting fewer miles to the gallon is nothing to pooh-pooh. That
could mean an engine problem, too.

Say the word “transmission problems” and your wallet being
drained of all that’s in it comes to mind. You might have a
problem of this nature if there’s a delayed response when
shifting from neutral to drive or reverse, if your car doesn’t
shift during regular acceleration, or if the engine speeds up,
but the car doesn’t respond. If shifting is hard - there could
be a problem with transmission, too.

Just for your peace of mind, make sure the mechanic checks to
see if it’s just a disconnected hose problem or if maybe the
filter is plugged. These repairs are much simpler and cheaper
than having your transmission replaced.

When it comes right down to it, you know your car and how it’s
supposed to feel when all is well. If something doesn’t quite
feel right, get it checked out. You may end up saving money and
someone’s life!

Site: www.hootcarinsurance.co.uk Article Date: 12 July 2005
Release date: Immediate

How to prevent your car from being stolen

Car crime is falling and statistics show that car criminals are
slowly being outwitted by vehicle owners and the police. Car
crime fell by 9 percent between 2002/3 and 2003/4 according to
police recorded crime statistics, proving that if owners
continue to make small changes in their behaviour they will
generate a dramatic decline in the number of car insurance
claims being made for stolen cars.

Having your car broken into or stolen is a distressing business
that leads to emotional upset and financial implications. If
your car is stolen you will have the hassle of making a claim on
your car insurance policy and you will be seriously
inconvenienced until it is replaced. If you have had belongings
taken from your car then the chances are you will feel violated,
having lost something valuable or irreplaceable. This is a
natural response to having someone enter your property or take
something that’s yours.

It’s fairly easy to break into a car, windows can be smashed and
locks forced. Fortunately however measures can be taken to stop
the thieves in their tracks. If every driver follows the
thirteen point plan below then insurance premiums might fall and
the honest motorist can keep their property to themselves. Keep
your no claims bonus and even reduce your car insurance premiums
by doing the following:

1.Never leave anything on display in your car. If you leave your
bag, stereo, CD’s, wallet or mobile phone lying around in your
car, then it is going to become a target for thieves 2.Park your
car under a street lamp or in well lit open space if possible.
Thieves do not want to work under a spotlight and are more
likely to go for a car that is parked in a shady spot 3.Better
still put your car in the garage every night if you have one and
lock it. It is unlikely that car criminals will try and break
into your garage to get to your vehicle 4.It sounds obvious but
always remember to lock your car. Often car thieves are given an
easy ride by people who leave their cars open 5.Try to park your
car in a secure attended car park if you are leaving it anywhere
public 6.Have a car alarm fitted by a professional. This will
deter a thief like nothing else 7.Invest in a steering lock and
use it every time you leave your car 8.Have an immobiliser
fitted which prevents the car from starting. This will make sure
that even if the thief gains access to your car he/she won’t be
able to drive it away 9.Have a tracker fitted so that your car
can be traced if it is taken 10.Have your car registration or
vehicle identification number etched onto the windows, both
windscreens and the headlights. This would deter a thief
planning to disguise the identity of your car by changing its
appearance 11.Put security markings on your car equipment. It is
recommended that you put your vehicle registration on items such
as your stereo 12.Never leave vehicle documents in your car as
they could help a thief to sell it on 13.Put the aerial down so
as not to give vandals temptation

Car crime is falling and people are taking preventative measures
like those listed above, but statistics show that a vehicle is
stolen every two minutes in the UK, so chances are you could
become a victim of car crime at any time. If you have been
unlucky enough to have your car broken into or stolen these are
the next steps you should take:

•Firstly, let the police know. You don’t need to call 999, just
contact your local police station or the non emergency number.
The police will want to know as much detail as possible, such as
the make, model and registration of the car, so make sure you
know this. •Notify your car insurance company to discuss your
claim if you are making one. Letting your insurers know is very
important as the thieves may be involved in a car accident and
you could be implicated. •If the car is found your insurers
should pay for any repairs. If it is not found and you are going
to claim, you should present your purchase documents,
registration form and any service records.

Everyone is at risk from car crime. Even if you have protected
yourself thieves can find a way to steal your car and
belongings. Make sure you have adequate car insurance so that
you can make a claim when you need it most.

To get cheap online car insurance visit
www.hootcarinsurance.co.uk or call 0808 195 9954.

-ENDS-

Editorial notes: Hoot Car Insurance is an online car insurance
provider which offers savings on existing premiums and gives the
customer the ease of buying online.

By Sophie Evans - www.hootcarinsurance.co.uk Online car
insurance provider exclusively for young people.