How Do I Know if I’m Covered Under Warranty?

If you have a Saab you now know the answer to this question.But how do the rest of us know if we’re covered under warranty? Usually a vehicleis covered under warranty for a certain amount of time or a certain amount ofmiles driven, whichever one comes first. If your oxygen sensors or mass airflow sensors turn out to be defective, a base factory warranty will usuallycover parts, labor and cost of towing. But what if these parts went bad due toan accident?

A part going bad due to any external damage is not going tobe covered under warranty. If you’re cruising home from work, someone rear-endsyou, and then you start having problems with your a/c compressor, you’reprobably not going to be covered. Most manufacturers offer different warrantiesfor different amounts of time. A bumper-to-bumper warranty usually will covermost items on your vehicle but last a shorter amount of time, while a powertrain warranty usually covers fewer parts but lasts longer. Whichever warrantyyou have on your vehicle is determined by the agreements between the dealer andthe manufacturer.

Whether or not you are covered under warranty isn’t asblack-and-white as we’d all probably like. When you take your car to adealership they not only look for the problem, they look for the cause of theproblem. If the failure is due to lack of maintenance, an accident, misuse, orany other fault of the driver (and they will look for reasons), you will not becovered. For this reason it is important to check your manual and onlineresources to find out details specific to your vehicle before taking it intothe shop. And for all of you holiday & end-of-year shoppers this Decemberread the fine print! No one likes surprises that can cost a few thousanddollars down the road. Oh, and if you own a Saab, ignore the above.Unfortunately you’re not covered.

Race of the Roses

Imagine having to deal with heat reaching up to 120 degrees,and there is no AC Compressor to help you. Even worse, your visibility is at zero and the window motor regulator isnot to blame.  Under these conditions youhave to manage around three intense turns, one which is a tight 107 degrees.  You must finish this intense five and a halfmile course at a blistering speed of 2.5 miles per hour.

You are probably asking yourself, “What daredevils wouldrisk their lives doing this?” The answer is, the brave souls who drive the floats in The PasadenaTournament of Roses Parade. The drivers get by withoutseeing because they have a spotter on top of the float that communicates withthem via radio. The observer tells the spotter when to turn and how fast to go. If the drivers have toslowdown or god forbid stop, it is frowned upon. When it comes to the heat, they just have to deal with it. If it gets up to 120 degrees an alarm will go off and the driver knowsit’s time to get out of the float and grab a root-beer float to cool down.

In case you were thinking about purchasing one of theseflowered monsters here are some specs. Most floats are powered by the likes of a V-10 truck engine.  There is no diesel option, as parade rulesprohibit that. They need to boast a lot of power because the floats are usuallyaround 120 feet long and over 100,000 pounds. The gas tank in these is approximately 50 gallons and a float willusually go through 30 gallons during the parade.  That’s just a little over 5 miles per gallon.There is no suspension, so expect a rough ride. If none of that deterred you from still wanting one, maybe the fact thatthey cost around $300,000 will.

Happy New Year    

Testing in a Winter Wonderland

Welcome to Ford’s Drivability Test Facility locatedsomewhere in Detroit. Here they don’t just test parts like steering racks andsteering gearboxes, they test the car as a whole against the most severedriving conditions. This building is what they call “explosion-proof” and theycan create the harsh rain, snow and wind of a blizzard, as well as temperatureshotter than you could bear.

It’s amazing the lengths they go to that ensure that theircars don’t let you down. During the test shown in these photos, Fordtechnicians were testing “snow ingestion” on the newly re-designed 2013 FordEscape. Here, they pushed snow into the grill of the car and tested itscharging system, engine cooling, cabin heating, as well as the effects of thesnow buildup. From the comfort of the warm room next door, the technicians areable to shift the transmission, slam on the brakes, and accelerate the Escapethrough the man-made wind tunnel.  Withthe flick of a switch they can create rain which instantly freezes into snowand pours down on the vehicle.

This is just one of many “torture tests” Ford conducts ontheir vehicles before they hit the streets. Ford is obviously not the onlymanufacturer that performs these tests, but from the glimpse they give it lookslike a pretty cool job. Having driven the same car through both the winter blizzards of the Northeast and the dead heat of Las Vegas' August desert, it’s obviously important that every car is able to handle both extremes of driving conditions. How does your car handle?

"C" You Later Low Gas Mileage

You know who worked really hard this year and deserves abreak? You’re fuel pump, that’s who.  Youtake for granted all the hard work the fuel pump assembly does for you.  Without it you wouldn’t get to work, or getto the in-laws for the holidays.  OK, somaybe in the second example we wish the fuel pump would stop working so wecould skip the in-laws. Nonetheless, they deserve a break.

It appears that Toyota is going to give the fuel pumps intheir new Prius C a huge break.  These fuelpumps are going to have a nice and relaxing job, since the new Prius C issupposed to get 83 miles per gallon. That’s a little bit better than the standard Prius model.  According to Toyota the Prius C will get thebest city fuel economy of any hyrbids that do not plug in.

The car was introduced last week at the Tokyo Motor Show asthe Toyota Aquas, but it will be officially introduced as the Prius C in thestates next month at The Detroit Auto Show. The cost will be somewhere around $21,700.  The car will have a 1.5 liter four cylinderengine to go along with its electric motor. The total horsepower of the vehicleis going to be around 98.  This is about40 horsepower less than the normal Prius and the Prius V.   

You will be able to buy this miniature Prius thisspring.  And, Toyota is forecasting that alot of you are going to buy it.  Theyexpect to sell 12,000 a month in Japan and hope to have a 20 percent increasein global sales this year.

What is an Oil Pump?

We all know what a cooling fan is. It is a fan that cools. We also now what a fuel pump is. It's a pump that pumps fuel. So, guess what an oil pump does? It is a pump that pumps Oil.  Woah, the answer to that question was moresurprising than the end of a M. Night Shyamalan movie.  Ok, so the oil pump sounds like a prettybasic part, but it plays a vital role in the operation of your vehicle.

The oil pump inside of an internal combustion engine is usedto lubricate the engine and reduce friction. The pump powers oil through bearings, sliding pistons, camshafts, and othersmall parts. The decrease in friction also means the cooling of pistons,bearings, and shafts. Failure to properly lubricate an engine will result inengine failure.  Now you see howimportant that cleverly named oil pump is.

The oil pump needs to be generating approximately 10 psi perevery 1000 revolutions per minute in order to properly lubricate the system.  If your oil pump is working well but you arestill having a low pressure issue, it may be caused by a clogged oil pickupscreen, too much wear on a high mileage engine, or you just need to add moreoil to your car.  Each car has differentoil requirements.  Higher performancevehicles put more stress on the system and they need more lubricating. 

There are basically three types of pumps, a twin gear pump,a Gerotor Pump, and an internal pump.  Atwin gear pump has one gear connected to a shaft that is driven by the camshaftor distributor.  A twin gear pump turnsat half the speed of the engine and is located inside the oil pan.  A Gerotor Pump has one small gear rotatinginside a larger one.  While an internalpump is a Gerotor style pump, an internal pump turns at the same speed of theengine so it creates a stronger flow. An internal pump design is used onoverhead cam engines.

Happy Holidays to Me

All of the gifts have been unwrapped, the food has beeneaten, and your family and friends are slowly heading back to the parts of thecountry they all visited from. But in all of the holiday chaos you may have forgottento treat someone important with a gift this year: yourself. Don’t worry if you’rehaving trouble with your turbocharger or fuel pump. It’s the end of the yearand every car dealership has some great deals to land you behind thewheel of a new car.

Almost every manufacturer is offering financing as low as 0%on new purchases as well as cash back options. Chevy and Ford particularly are offeringup to $5,000 cash back on many of their new models if you buy before the NewYear. If you have your eyes set on a car that’s a little out of your pricerange for purchase, there is probably a leasing option available to get you inthat driver’s seat. Just to name a few, the new 2012 Lexus IS can be yours forlease at $329/month, or you can drive away in a new Nissan Maxima for$279/month. If your new year’s resolution is to go green you might want to takea Prius for a test drive, which are leasing as low as $219/month.

These prices are just deals stated on company websites. Onceyou’re at the dealership there is always wiggle room to get those payments to better fit your price range. If your car’s on its last leg, it’s a greattime to take advantage of these deals. I know many people who have driven offthe lot in a new car at a fraction of its price, especially those 2011 modelsleft behind. And hey, after all the shopping and preparing you’ve done forevery one else in the past few weeks, you deserve it. 

Your Airbags Know You're There

After Honda recalled over 300,000 of their vehicles thismonth due to airbag safety concerns, I started to wonder how an airbag is meantto work efficiently. Oxygen sensors, your power steering pump, and other mechanical parts are expected to show wear after time, but airbags and other safetyfeatures should always be ready to work as if they were brand new. In Honda’scase, there is concern that their airbags may explode during a crash causingpieces of metal and plastic to shoot towards the passengers. Not good.

It’s crazy to think that airbags in the driver and passengerseats have only been required by law since 1998. Since then airbags haveobviously advanced and are now located in many areas in a vehicle. In many vehiclesyou can now find up to eight airbags, some of which fall like curtains over theglass windows or deploy inside to prevent passengers from hitting each other. Sideairbags can deploy for up to five seconds which is especially important inrollover accidents. To be sure airbags don’t activate from rough pavement orsmall fender benders, the crash sensors are programed to detect only severedeceleration. Basically, if you got your car going as fast as it can drive andslammed on your brakes as hard as you could, you would only be decelerating ata fraction of the speed the crash sensors are meant to detect

Newer vehicles can even detect how much weight is on a seatso they don’t deploy on, for example, your beagle napping in the passenger seat.They can also determine the severity of a crash, your seat position, whether ornot your seatbelt is on, and other factors to know the safest amount of air tofill your airbag (if any). I’ve never seen an airbag deploy and hope I don’thave to, but these advancements in car safety are definitely comforting..Especially having to commute with these southern California drivers.

I Wanta, The F&M Evantra

Do you happen tohave a trip planned to Tuscany anytime soon? If so, go ahead and add another destination to your Navigation System.  Enter in the town of Pontedera to your listof stops and pay a visit to F&M Automotive. While you are there you may want to purchase a new ride, lose yourNavigation Unit and got lost on the Italian roads, because F&M has producedsomething to rival the other Italian greats.

Look out Ferrari,Lamborghini and Vespa, there is a new Italian indulgence entering the arena.Faralli & Mozzanti, better known as F&M, have unleashed theEvantra.  The Northern Italian Company hasoutdone themselves with this handmade creation. The car boasts a 3.5-litre flat-six engine that comes in either a 329hp naturallyaspirated version, or a high performance twin-turbocharged 587hp version.  The high performance version can go from zeroto 62mph in 3.7 seconds.  By the way, italso looks remarkable.

This project wasfirst known as “Mugello,” but later changed to Evantra.  Evatnra is the name of an Italian goddess ofimmortality. With the dangerous speeds that you can reach in the Evantra youbetter hope that you are indeed immortal.

F&M will onlymanufacture five of these bad boys a year and the first one will roll out inabout six months. They have not mentioned anything about pricing yet, althoughI’m sure that it won’t be cheap.  You mayjust have to hang on to that rental Fiat with the navigation system.

The Funniest Car Fails of 2011

Over the past year there have been lots of advances inautomotive technology that can adjust for driving mistakes. Suspension compressor and suspension pump units that canpredict and adjust for bad conditions to air bag systems that can protect theentire car the advances are amazing. These advances may be something to bemarveled but they cannot help when we do really stupid things.Modern technology can only make driving safer if people let it and while mostof us are not trying to cause accidents, sometimes they do happen. On the other hand sometimes people do things that defy all logic and end up with hilarious results. keep in mind that with all of these accidents no one was seriously hurt, though pride may have taken a serious hit. 

The number one has to be a man in Georgia who decided tovideo himself doing a burn out in a Dodge Ram. The event starts out ok but endsup with him losing control of the truck, hitting an embankment and flipping thetruck. This just proves that there are people out there with more money thanbrains, who also have video cameras. Next has to be a group of men in Japan, while ontheir way to a car show in a slew of high powered super cars. The group racingthrough traffic, the lead driver miscalculates a pass and ends up hitting the guardrail. This will go down in history as one of the most epic crashes that hasever happened. Due to the fact that almost all the cars traveling in the groupended up in the crash and all of them totaled. Oh and one Toyota Prius that had a big of damage on the rear bumper...what a tragedy. 

The automotive fails this year did not stick to tarmac in the case of this off-road driver. He decided that Ken Block is not theonly person who can jump their vehicle on a dirt road. After a long run up, ofobviously not enough speed he hit the ramp and launches his Chevy. It is not somuch the launch that as it is the landing that caused the problem. The trucknever reached the landing area and smashed into the embankment, causing massivedamage to the vehicle. Which just goes to prove when it comes to insane stunts leave it to the professionals. 

Then there is the presidential award forautomotive fail this year, which actually involves the President. ThePresidential motorcade was able to get high centered in Dublin while travelingover a curb. This is a vehicle that can take a shot from an RPG without ascratched and it has been defeated by a sidewalk. It just goes to show that an automotivefail can happen to anyone anytime so be on the lookout.

The Aston Martin Cygnet, It May Have the Badge but Should it

A few years ago the regulatory commissions for car companiesdecided that all companies must meet an emissions standard across their entirerange. This means more than just making cars that use efficient oxygen sensorsand engine control module units, this means econo-box cars from all builders.This regulation is not a big deal for companies like Porsche and Lamborghinisince they are owned by VW. The issue really falls on companies like Pagani andAston Martin, companies who only make fire breathing supercars. The solution isto sully the name of the company by creating something completely out of character.In the case of Aston Martin they have created the Cygnet, this is basically aToyota iQ with a fancy dress. Now I don’t know about you but to me there shouldnever be an economy Aston Martin.

The Cygnet is a $18K Toyota that has been dressed up andlooks to hit the US market at more than $40K, is it worth it? Well the Cygnetdoes get quite the rework when Aston Martin get their hands on it. The engineis beefed up…slightly but is still a hyper mileage 4 banger. The exterior getssome new body panels and a coat of paint that would make a show car jealous.The interior is reworked with DB9 level leather and wood. Impressively handcrafter interior pieces and exterior trim work together to create an amazingtransformation into an Aston Martin.

The question we have to ask is…has it worked? Is thisvehicle an Aston? In a word, no…even though hours and hours of hand crafting havegone into this car it is no Aston. Look at it this way, you are out to dinnerwith a date and she asks what you drive. Proudly announcing “I have an AstonMartin” but after dinner walking out to the parking lot may be an embarrassingevent.  In the end an Aston Martin is allabout insane style and the Cygnet just does not fit the bill…the $45K bill. 

Jeep Scrambling to Bring Back the Pick-Up?

It’s been about 25 years since they’ve been in theproduction, but the likeness of the Jeep Scrambler is making its way back ontothe roads again one Wrangler at a time. If you’re looking for a Jeep pick-uptruck, why replace the old alternator, starter, or manual front-locking hubsof a Scrambler when you can turn your own Jeep Wrangler into the same thing?This is what MOPAR set out to do with their JK-8 Independence conversion kits.

This kit, available for $5,499, comes with everything youneed to turn your Jeep Wrangler Unlimited into a two-door pick-up truck. A newsteel bed, inner and outer bedsides, sport bar extensions, a fiberglass topwith sliding rear windows, you name it. MOPAR underestimated the demand forthis product and is working hard to catch up on production within the comingmonth, beginning shipments to dealerships this week.  This isn’t the first I’ve heard abouta possible return of the Jeep pick-up truck and seeing more of these on the roadis bound to get Jeep thinking about this a little more seriously. And althoughthis kit may not be exactly what Jeep enthusiasts are looking for in the nextgeneration of the Jeep pickup, it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

The only thing I’m confused about is that most currentowners of the Wrangler Unlimited bought it for the extra interior space. Sounless you’re ready to put the kids in the truck bed, this package seems to be for thosenew buyers still hoping for the Scrambler’s return.

One Shell of a Mustang

Are you lookingfor a starter project which is a lot more advanced than simply replacing yourstarter? Well then, I think you have something new to add to your Christmaslist.  Although, Santa would havea much easier time bringing down a new starter than what I am talking about.

DynacornInternational has produced an official Ford Licensed body shell for the 1967Ford Mustang Convertible.  For the shellto meet Ford’s standards it must outdo the fit, finish and quality of theoriginal. Ford has given this Dynacorn part their stamp of approval. Mustangenthusiasts are now able to construct or refurbish a classic.  The shell comes primed and ready to paint, sopaint it whatever color you want.  If youdesire you can turn into a “red shell” and throw it at your friend namedLuigi.

Although throwingit at your friend may be fun, it is probably a waste of $15,995. It may seem alittle bit pricey for just a shell, but chances of finding an original 1967Mustang to restore is not too probable. In thelong run you may actually save cash by purchasing this new shell instead ofconverting an original into working shape. Over 90% of the parts you need tocomplete your restoration can be purchased as new Ford reproduction products.  The shell is built so that one of theoriginal six engines will bolt in. However, it is not built to fit nicely under the Christmas Tree.

If restoring justone Mustang is not enough for you, three other Mustang shells are alsoavailable; 1965 Convertible, 1967 Fastback, and the 1969 Fastback.

What's Your Number?

Even if you have no idea what turbochargers, an alternator, orany other mechanical part of your car does, odds are you know that your oilmust be changed regularly. But the question is, how regularly? Most people, includingmyself, would say once every 3,000 miles or roughly three to four months. I don’tknow why that number is ingrained in my mind, but it seems to have become the generalrule of thumb for most automobiles for quite some time.

The state of California, however, has decided to fight againstthis assumption with their new “Check Your Number” ad campaign. The purpose ofthis campaign is to encourage drivers to check with their car's manufacturer beforeheading over to Jiffy Lube for their next oil change. With today’s advancementsin technology, an oil change every 3,000 mile can be excessive and they want everydriver to check for the recommendation specific to their vehicle. Some BMWvehicles, for instance, don’t need an oil change until they’ve driven another15,000 miles! These drivers could be changing their oil up to four times morethan necessary, wasting both money and oil. Other cars pushing the 3,000 mile benchmark are the Toyota Tacoma only needing an oil change every 5,000 miles and the Chevy Malibu at 7,500 miles.

The campaign is actually a clever one because not only willit save drivers money and time, it helps protect the environment and conserveresources. If Californian drivers alone started changing their oil according tomanufacturers’ specifications, oil demand would decrease by about 10 million gallonsa year. Now I know you’re all curious about what your number is, so head over to checkyournumber.org to find out. Ijust found out “my number” is 10,000 miles, making me feel MUCH better abouthow lazy I’ve been when it comes to changing my oil.

Car Company to Close… I’m so Saab :(

Saab appears to have run out of gas. Not even a new fuel pump could save them now. The 74 year old car company filed for bankruptcy thismorning.   This news is likely to befollowed by the company announcing that it will shut its doors completely.  The only fuel pump that would rescue themwould be one that turns gas into gold.

Saabs’ last chance was to acquire $782 million in loans fromthe Chinese company, Zheijang Youngman Lotus Automotive, but General Motorsdenied the deal.  GM was a former owner,but still had a say in the deal because they supply parts to Saab.  Speculation was that GM objected to the loanbecause they worried that some of their technology would end up in Chinese competitors’hands.  However, GM came out and saidthat they were against the deal because it was, “not meaningful different,” fromprevious offers.

GM sold Saab to Swedish Automotive back in 2010.  Swedish Automotive is a Dutch company, whichis not at all confusing.  Saab did getsome funding back in June from a couple of Chinese companies, but they blewthrough that cash faster than my girlfriend spends her paycheck on BlackFriday.

There is still a slight chance that Saab will stillexist.  A new buyer could swoop in andbuy the remaining assets.  So, if you andyour friends have some extra cash lying around, feel free to group the cashtogether and go “Dutch” on the car company.

Corvette Z06 tops Motor Trend list of shortest-stopping vehicles

By Jeremy Korzeniewski

Any modern performance car worth buying puts just as much emphasis on stopping as it does on going. After all, what's the point in being able to hit ludicrous speed if you can't manage to get it back down without heading fascia-first into an unmovable object?

So, what's a good stopping distance? According to the crew at Motor Trend, 100 feet from 60 miles per hour is a pretty good starting point. And the best of the best do the deed in significantly less. How's about 93 feet, recorded by both the 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Carbon Edition and the 2008 Ferrari 430 Scuderia.

There's a smattering more Corvettes and Ferraris in the under-100-feet club, plus a couple Audis, Porsches and Vipers, along with a lone Lamborghini and the 2011 Nissan GT-R. If you're willing to allow non-DOT-approved tires, a prototype Lexus LFA managed to halt from 60 in 94 feet.

Speaking of tires, it seems that the best stopping treads are the Michelin Pilot Sport Cups, which are joined on the list by the Pirelli Pzero Corsas and a couple sets of Bridegstone Potenzas.

We've got to hand it to the Corvette Z06 for topping the list, especially since it's one of the least expensive vehicles in the under-100 club.

Does this Concept Indicate Wheels of the Future?

The new SIM-LEI prototype brings an entirely new function toboth the front wheel hub and rear wheel hub: powering the vehicle. While I hopethat no car ever looks like this, the concept behind this Japanese vehicle isunique and worth taking a look at. Rather than having one motor in the front ofthe vehicle this electric car has four motors, one in each of the wheels.

We’ve all seen more electric cars around in the past fewyears as gas prices have crept up and people are becoming more concerned aboutthe environment. What makes this car unique is not only the LEI (LeadingEfficiency In-Wheel motor) concept but its performance in speed, power output,and battery life. This prototype can go from 0 to 60 in just 4.8 seconds and eachwheel delivers 65 kilowatts of power (260 kilowatts total). Compare that to theNissan Leaf which only gives a total output of 80 kilowatts. The SIM-LEI cantravel about 207 miles on one charge while the Leaf does about 100.  Having the motors located in each of thewheels also provides new possibilities regarding traction and stabilitycontrol.

I’m not a huge fan of the vehicle’s design, but the in-wheelmotors seem to provide more efficiency and I’m interested to see their future inelectric vehicles. SIM is expecting to begin production of its four-seat sedanin 2013 which will sell for roughly $32,000 a pop. While I can’t see these guyscruising around the streets of U.S. cities anytime soon, maybe they’re ontosomething?

What's the Difference Between a CV Axle and a Drive Axle?

The answer to that question is “nothing.” Nothing isdifferent between a CV Axle and a Drive Axle. They are the same part, but referred to by two different names.  THE END. Obviously I am joking, this is notthe end. Otherwise this would set a record for the shortest blog entry of alltime.  Now, I do like to set records butI enjoy writing more, so I am going to discuss what a CV Axle actuallydoes. 

CV Axles are typically found in modern front wheel drivevehicles. They can also be found on the back of rear wheel or all-wheel drivecars that have independent suspension. “CV” stands for constant velocity and “axle”actually stands for axle.  It does notrepresent a cool acronym, such as Awesome X-men Laser Elites, but I am surethat will be a horrible movie soon.  Thebasic purpose of a CV Axle is to transfer power from the transmission (ordifferential) directly to the wheels.  Alot of people refer to the Drive Axle as the CV Axle because it is attached tothe wheel by the CV joint.  

The first thing to go bad on a drive axle is usually theboot.  If you think you might be havingissues with yours, there is a simple test. Go to an empty parking lot, such as a vacant Saturn Dealership, andstart driving in really tight circles. If you can hear a clicking noise than you have some problems.  Crawl under your vehicle and look for anycracks in the boot.  Cracks are easier tospot when you have the wheels turned all the way to the left or the right.  If the boots have already split it will beobvious because it would have flung grease all over the place.  Once the grease is out, dirt androad grime creep inside and you got yourself a bad CV Joint. The outer jointsusually fail first because they turn at the sharpest angle.  The sharper the angle the more strain.
THE END… I’m not kidding this time.

The Deadly Smartphone

You may have just replaced your Wheel Hubs or Bearing Assembly. Maybe you put on new tires, windshield wipers, or new headlights.After all, we’re approaching winter quickly and in many places that means toughdriving conditions such as icy roads and darker nights. Even after suchmaintenance there may still be something compromising your safety whiledriving, and according to the NTSB, it’s your cell phone.

I’m definitely guilty of having used my cell phone whiledriving whether it was to answer a call, send a quick text message, or check anincoming email while sitting in traffic. It’s actually kind of hard to avoidwith today’s smart phones. They buzz in your pocket every time someone makes a commenton Facebook, every time CNN posts a new story, and at random times throughoutthe day if you’ve made the mistake of teaching your mom how to text. However, Ido agree that as they get more and more sophisticated, they get more and moredangerous to use while driving. The NTSB revealed that at any given moment,about 13.5 MILLION drivers are on hand-held phones. This past year alone about3,000 people died in the U.S. due to such distractions, and the NTSB is callingfor a nationwide ban on using cell phones to any degree while driving. And yes,this includes hands-free devices.

We’ll have to wait and see what this recommendation bringsas the NTSB doesn’t actually have the authority to pass the law themselves.Many people think this would be just another way our government is over-abusingtheir right of control, while others think this is a reasonable measure. Shouldthere be a compromise considering how many people use their phones for directions and other features? What about Pandora! And is talking to someone through a hands-freedevice any different than talking to someone in your back seat? I guess we will all find out shortly. What do youthink?

The Dodge Viper is Coming Back....Sorta

Since Viper production was halted approximately a year and ahalf ago, America has been without a standout muscle car. Stateside muscle carenthusiasts have been as lost as a senior citizen trying to operate anavigation system.   Well, there is now a light at the end of thetunnel.  Dodge just made an announcementthat will ease those motor enthusiast worries. No longer will they feel as directionless as a navigation system missingits SD card.

The Viper is indeed actually coming back, but it will not bea Dodge.  It will be an SRT Product.  This is the second brand since the Fiattakeover that has been splintered off from the Dodge name.  The first was Ram Trucks.  It is an interesting move to separate Dodge,Ram Trucks, and now SRT from each other. I’m not quite sure what they are trying to accomplish.  It could be a dumb and we could look back ina few years and ask ourselves, “what were they thinking?” or we could look backand think, “what a smart move?” Either way, I am just happy the car thatepitomized American muscle in the last decade will be back on the prowl, orshould I say, “slithering back on the streets.” Come on, you knew there was no way I would get through this whole thingwithout a bad snake joke.

Another great benefit of this announcement is that it willbe sending people back to work; 150 people to be exact.  The SRT Viper will be made in the ConnerPlant in Detroit, Michigan.  According toDodge’s press release, the jobs were first offered to current Chrysler hourlyemployees who previously worked at the plant. The first Viper is expected to roll out the doors  in late 2012 as 2013 models.

What Does a 5 Star Crash Test Rating Really Mean

Recently the Fait 500 has been getting a lot of press due to the 3 star rating given by the NHTSA but 4 Star by the IIHS. The Fiat really is an unusual car for the US using some new age tech in the power steering rack and power steering pump not to mention the rest of the car. The issue is that these two organizations use similar tests but they are different enough to reveal some serious issues.

Crash tests are designed to do just what they say. They test the ability of a vehicle to take a big hit at certain speeds. The problem with this is that it does not give the total results that are needed to know how a vehicle will react in a real world crash. The placement of a crash in the car is what will really dictate how the safety features. The NHTSA and IIHS are both trusted to test vehicles but just the placement and the speeds used in the tests. In the case of the Fiat 500 it is more about the height of the barrier than anything else, at a low point the little fiat does fine but when higher it causes massive damage.

The issue with this small height change is that this car is meant for the US, and we all know that the US loves their SUVs. Not only do we love them but we are not willing to give them up even when gas hits $4 a gallon. They have high front bumpers and very heavy weight behind them, so for the car world it makes very dangerous conditions. A crash test rating may be 5 star but from a vehicle that is the sale height, a much higher one will impact in an area that is mainly glass. This means there is next to no protection at all for the driver. The main thing to realize about crash tests is they can only tell us so much and it is up to all of us to keep the roads safe. Keep driving distractions like cell phones out of our hands, vehicular safety is only as good as the accident that can be avoided. The best crash safety is the crash you never have. 

Bills Auto Repair in Hiawatha Kansas 66434/Follow up Review/Hub Bearing/Milton

I wanted to follow up with an article I wrote earlier this year on, “Bill’s Auto Repair” located in Hiawatha Kansas 66434. The article was titled, “A Small Adjustment For The Customer.” I couldn’t understand why Milton the mechanic would not recheck his work on the front hub bearing I brought in. Milton said he would have to charge me another $100 or so in labor to replace the bearing since he did not buy it. I called this a small adjustment since I know what is involved replacing this bearing which he refused to do. With his power tools he could of performed this small adjustment for me under 15 minutes if he really wanted me as a happy customer. He did not know that I have over 25+ years experience working in the private sector as a ASE Certified Auto Repair Technician. I wanted to see how this shop handles its customers.

After refusing to pay Bills Auto Repair in Hiawatha Kansas another $100 to replace a bearing again, I replaced it just to see how bad this bearing was installed by Milton the auto mechanic. I found the 36 mm axle nut was loose which could cause premature wear on this bearing. The next thing I discovered was the O-Ring was crushed, torn, and installed incorrectly by Milton. This could also cause a good bearing to go bad real fast. The spot where this O-Ring was suppose to go was not cleaned and was covered with rust and dirt. One of the three bearing hold down bolts was loose which could cause improper alignment of the new bearing. With all of these mistakes made by Milton the auto mechanic at Bills Auto Repair located in Hiawatha Kansas 66434 I don’t see how I was going to pay him another $100 to screw up another new bearing. The inside of my New tire was wore out which now needs to be replaced. All I wanted was him to recheck his work and warranty his labor.

After finding all of these installation problems and Bills Auto Repair not wanting to honor their ‘Labor Warranty‘, my final review is to stay away from these guys as far as possible. Just because you try to save money by bringing in your own parts for them to install do not believe them when they say the part was installed correctly and you have to pay again to have it fixed. My advice would be to have a reputable auto repair facility document the installation problems and try to get your money back from Bills Auto Repair located in Hiawatha Kansas. Rather than relying on Bill’s to admit they installed your part incorrectly.


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Same Car, New Features? BMW Rolls Out Upgrades

So you’ve been saving up money for a few months to get yourself an iPhone, an Android, or whatever your choice may be. You finally get it in your hands, and BAM, they unexpectedly release a newer, better version just weeks later. What the heck! Although this has become a common (and annoying) theme in technology today, you have to admit it’s becoming increasingly easy to update your old products to get new features. This week, this is exactly what BMW drivers were able to do with their In Dash Navigation and Center Console Display Unit.

On Tuesday, BMW owners with 2009 and later models turned on their cars to a new, updated BMW Online system. Some of the new features they can now enjoy include viewing recent news, weather, local fuel prices, Google search access, and a better overall display. Seems like a pretty cool deal to me, although I’m not sure how safe Google-ing is from behind the wheel. This all happened automatically and even better, for free. Now that I think of it, I don’t even need to plug my phone in to update it, add music to it, or transfer my pictures to my laptop. At the rate technology is progressing, it’s encouraging to know that it’s not so hard to keep the products we buy up to date. I can hardly turn on my computer without having to update some piece of software.

It’s great that BMW has rolled out this new upgrade, and I hope other companies with the same capabilities follow suit. Oh, and I’m definitely not getting into any long lines on the next apple release date. They released the software upgrade for free just a week after their latest iPhone was released, and who needs Siri anyways?

With all the New Sports Cars Coming for 2012 Which is Best?

Over the last few years the heard of new sports cars in the lower price range had become kind or thin. While the supercar world has exploded with lots of cars with a supercharger or turbochargers the rest of us had to make do with a 350z or nothing. In 2010 that all changed with the release for the Genesis Coupe from Hyundai of all companies. Now Toyota and Subaru have come together to give us the FT-86 which will be sold as the Scion FR-S and the Subaru BRZ. Mazda was also nice enough to bless us with the new Miata which is much better than it looks.

With all these new choices rejuvenating the sports car market and all in just about the same price tag which one is best? The way I am looking at this is only front engine rear wheel drive cars count. Not interested in the AWD Evo or STi since they are 4 door rally cars not sports cars. If the price range is mid 20K up to 32K the list is really limited to about 5 models. Yeah there are lots of used cars that can be purchased that fall to that price range after a few years but that also means the repair bills are still in line for a $60K car.

The 370Z tops the list in price sitting right at the $35K Mark and boasts the most impressive HP and maybe the highest trim level. The genesis falls into the range at the bottom price wise but it is a new comer and not many people trust that the quality is there in the long run. Honestly who can blame them since Hyundai has been making kinda low quality cars for years. The Miata is an amazing little car but it does carry quite the stereotype for the driver. Won’t mention what that stereotype for the sake of PC-ness, none the less it is a very capable little sports car. The problem is most of the major players have pulled out of the sports car race leaving the smaller companies to pick up the slack.

Toyota and Subaru combine forces to get the FT086 off the ground which seems to be all the rage but no one here is the states has really had any butt in seat time with it. Not only has no one logged seat time but no one knows the real price either.

This brings us back to the original question, which is…what is the one to buy? Well the Genesis is an amazing car but when someone asks what you drive…well it’s still a Hyundai. The 370Z is amazing but it is pricey and falls into almost the highest insurance class there, just below supercars. While the Miata is a bit small and completely impractical plus there is that other thing. The best way to look at this is, with the economy still in the toilet it may be a few years before the sports car rears its head again. So let us all just get Forza and enjoy some Xbox bliss…hell it’s safer anyway. 

Back Up into Your Back Up Battery

One of the worst things is when your phone runs out of power while you’re in the middle of something really important, like posting a witty remark on your friends Facebook profile. Just imagine how much worse it would be if your car did the same thing during an even more vital activity, such as listening to your favorite song on your cd radio. At least with phones you have the option to buy those bulky power packs that extend your battery’s life. Only if cars had something similar… oh wait, it looks like it they may be on the way! Feel free to now play that song as loud as you can on your cd radio.

Those crazy engineers at Swiss Think Tank Rindspeed have conjured up The Dock+Go. This device would hook up to the back, and look like an extension of your vehicle. The biggest difference would be the third axle and extra set of wheels. The Dock+Go would increase your driving range with either an extra gas tank or set of batteries. Rindspeed has also dreamt up the idea of putting an oven, or a complete tool box in different models of the Dock+Go.

Currently they have modeled the Dock+Go to fit on the back of a Smart Car. Most people would say, “if someone wanted a bigger gas tank and more storage, then why not just buy a normal size car instead of a Smart Car and The Dock+Go?” Most people would say this because they are right.

As of now the Dock+Go is just an idea. Rindspeed does not actually produce any of the incredible things they think up… so lazy.

Do Your Eyes and Headlights Make a Good Team?

I’m not sure if it’s just me getting older or my car, but it’s getting harder and harder to see the road while driving at night. It’s one thing to make sure luxury items like your Car Radio or Car Navigation System are working, but it’s even more important to maintain parts that affect your safety. Headlights begin to dim over time, and as the days get shorter in these winter months their brightness becomes even more important.

There are many different types of headlights such as incandescent, halogen, and xenon. Incandescent bulbs are the more traditional bulbs and tend to dim faster as the filament inside evaporates over time. Xenon bulbs use newer technology, specifically the HID (High Intensity Discharge) xenon bulbs which use two electrodes in a xenon gas-sealed bulb rather than a traditional filament. We are seeing these bulbs more and more in newer cars because the light they create is not only three times brighter than a halogen bulb, but lasts ten times longer. While three times brighter seems great for the driver, I can think of a time or two I’ve been blinded by an oncoming Audi or BMW, thinking their brights were on. Some headlights out today, such as bi-xenon, are so bright that they require self-leveling so they don’t blind other drivers on the road.

No matter which type of headlight your car uses, if you’re squinting to see the road at night you either need new bulbs or a pair of glasses. If you do notice your yellow-glowing halogen lights are much dimmer than they once were, be sure to change them both at the same time! It’s also fairly easy to upgrade them to xenon for that new, fresher look. Dimming headlights is a common problem but an easy fix, so don’t sacrifice your safety or the safety of other drivers on the road.

What Makes a Car or Truck Sound Raspy

We have all heard it a car or truck rolls by and we want to cover our ears. It sounds like a swarm of angry bees and we all think the same thing…”what an idiot, but what makes the sound like that. No it is not the supercharger that the person says they have added…in fact a super charger unit would probably make the car quieter. The sound is created by adding an exhaust that has not been tuned for the application.

The exhaust is much more than just a pipe that channels the exhaust gases out of the engine bay. It is a specially tuned system that has been meticulously made for that specific car. The resonant sound that comes from a motor during the combustion process creates a pressure wave which can have a positive or negative effect on the engine depending on how the exhaust is shaped.

The headed is the easiest place to see this effect taking place, when the combustion process ends and the air enters the header. At this point the pressure wave is released as well. It will travel down the pipes and bounce off where ever the header turns into one pipe. When this wave moves back towards the engine it can cause unnecessary force on the now exiting gasses which can lower performance. If the header is built specifically to send this wave to impact the outside of the valves just before they open it will have a positive effect on the system. The early impact will create a low pressure area just outside of the valves and the exhaust can leave the engine more freely. Free flowing exhaust means more HP and better gas mileage. Some people believe that removing the header all together will give better performance but in fact the specifically tuned header creates more horse power than an open system.

The rest of the exhaust system is also tuned the same way, it is all about making sure that pressure waves work for the system as opposed to it. If an exhaust system is attached to a car that is not tuned to control this flow the negative pressure waves and lack of sound deadening material causes this sound. Next time you are in traffic and someone is revving their Nissan Sentra with a huge exhaust, just laugh. Not only do they look like a fool but they have also lowered the performance of their car and lost gas mileage to boot. Not to mention that most cars that are being built now are faster than the cars people tend to “modify”. So you can be happy knowing you can smoke them off the line too. In your stock V6 Camry all the while being comfortable and hitting 30 MPG. 

Not Your Normal Tree Huggers’ Prius

Enjoying fresh air is one of those little enjoyments in life.  Taking in a deep breath of oxygen can revitalize the body and mind.  Having your oxygen sensor warning light come on in your vehicle can do exactly the opposite.  Each time the oxygen sensor on my car goes bad I want to sell my car and go live amongst the fresh air in the mountains.  Oh, who am I kidding?  I would have to get a vehicle. Maybe I would stick with the environment friendly theme and go with a Prius.  Actually, forget being friendly to mother earth. I would buy the new Prius GT300.

The Prius as a race car? No way! Ok, maybe a race to see who can transport the most granola on the least amount of gas, but not an actual race.  It took me a while to believe it, but it looks like Toyota is going to make a Prius that can compete in the Super GT Series.  That means they’re going to produce a Prius which has at least 300 horsepower.  Considering a stock Prius comes with an 80 horsepower electric motor and a 98 horsepower gas engine, the boys at Toyota have some work to do.

Now, is Toyota choosing the Prius as their Super GT car because they think it gives them the best chance to win, or are they trying to muscle up its image?  This question is up for debate.  I know that my perception will be different when I see one flying around corners at 200 mph, instead of crawling through a Whole Foods’ parking lot.

There’s buzz that Toyota isn’t the only one entering a hybrid into the Super GT race series.  Honda is reportedly getting the CR-Z ready to race with the big boys too.  With all this hybrid racing going on, who is going to have time to save the whales?