See You Later, Flat Tires!

You’re driving on a hot summer day with your windows down and CD radio player on full-blast. All of a sudden you start to feel something seems a little off and realize one of your tires is losing air. Whether you decide to fix the tire yourself on the side of the road or give AAA a call, even the best Navigation Unit isn’t going to get you to your destination on time. Bridgestone is hoping to end these situations all-together with their air-free tire concepts shown here.

The color-choice of green would probably be customizable, but in concept form it alludes to the fact that the materials used are 100% recyclable. Its recyclable “thermoplastic” internal spokes are what gives these tires all of their strength and flexibility. The outer rubber on the tire offers a more traditional tread surface required for use on our sometimes rough roads. One criticism has been the possibility of noise due to wind resistance in commercial use. However, if commercialized these tires are expected to be sealed by a thin sidewall of rubber for these reasons. Each tire also only has a weight capacity of up to 330 pounds, but innovations to this technology will undoubtedly be made in the future.

Benefits obviously include the recyclability factor, but they are also safer and less wasteful because they eliminate the risk of punctures. Check out these tires in action on YouTube! (And by “in action”, I mean a girl riding a small scooter equipped with these tires five feet across a stage).

Can You Guess the Function of a Tire Pressure Monitor Sensor?

You may have never asked yourself what is a tire pressure monitor sensor. These sensors do exactly what you’d expect; they monitor the pressure within your tires. However, because these sensors are battery powered, over time they will fail and you will need to replace or know how to repair tire pressure monitor sensors. Don’t worry too much about this, when the time comes you will be warned via the little TPMS on your dash and it is a fairly cheap fix. A little fact about tire pressure is that if you are driving on tires that are 10% under inflated, you will see a 1% decrease on your gas mileage.

As of 2007, the NHTSA requires the installation of these sensors on all vehicles. There are two types of these sensors, direct and indirect. Direct tire pressure monitoring sensors are located either inside or outside the tire and they physically measure the pressure. After doing so, they report this information to the instrument cluster of the vehicle. Newer vehicles can display real-time pressures of each tire while driving or parked. Indirect sensors on the other hand don’t actually detect the tire pressure, but they “infer” the pressure through various factors. The main factor is the rotational speed of each individual wheel. If a tire has less pressure, the diameter will be slightly smaller and in turn will spin a bit faster.

Regardless of which type of sensor your vehicle uses, if that warning light comes on DON'T just pretend its not there and put off the job. It is important, and cheap, to fix this issue. Not only can they save you a few extra dollars at the pump, but if they are working properly you will have lower emissions, increased handling of your vehicle, and you won't have to worry about failing that state inspection coming up. Also an under inflated tire is the leading cause of tire failure, so having your sensors in working order will increase your tire life.

What is a Transmission Gearbox?

A Gearbox is a machine-driven process of shifting energy from one device to another. A transmission gearbox is most frequently positioned at the junction point of a power shaft, and is used to generate a right angle change in direction. It provides a range of gearing to multiply the engine’s torque.  A direct connection from the engine to the road wouldn’t provide enough torque at the wheels to move the car.  Thus, the gearbox’s multiplication of the toque is what helps overcome the car’s inertia and gets it moving.  I hope the gearbox is better at multiplication then I am, or my car is not going anywhere.

There are three main types of gearboxes; Front Engine-Front Wheel Drive, Front Engine-Rear Wheel Drive, and Rear Engine-Rear Wheel Drive.  A FWD drive is condensed and will commonly contain the gears, the final drive, and the differential. There are two shafts, an input shaft and an output shaft. The gears are constantly meshing but just one gear is secured to the shafts at all time.

The RWD gearbox has three shafts.  Just like the FWD it has an input and an output but the RWD also contains a lays half shaft.  The input and output shafts run parallel to each other and the lays half sits below the two and overlaps them.  The input shaft drives the lay shaft through a pair of meshing gears.  This act is continuous and goes by the term, “constant mesh.” This term does not apply to your friend who constantly just wears mesh basketball shorts. The lay shaft and output shaft have a pair of gears rotating on them and from the constant mesh gearing onwards it behaves just like the FWD gearbox. The main difference between a FWD and RWD gearbox is what is known as a direct ratio, which is when a system locks the two shafts together and bypasses the gear cluster.

Transmission gearboxes are either automatic, manual, or continuous.  A manual transmission can be a sliding mesh or a constant mesh style. The sliding mesh uses straight cut gears and requires the driver to time the change from one speed to another.  If it is not timed right there will be a loud grinding sound and increase the rate of wear and tear on the gears teeth, and it will also cause you to yell at your girlfriend.  The constant mesh system has diagonally cut gears that are permanently meshed. This creates a smoother transition between speeds.  The constant mesh is used mostly by agricultural equipment and race cars.

Top 10 Common Car Problems

Everyone at some point or another has had trouble with their vehicle. It usually comes at an unexpected and extremely inconvenient time too: when your late for work, need to meet an old friend for dinner, or just spent your savings on Christmas gifts for the kids. Maybe it's exhaust smoke or no pressure from the fuel pump. Hopefully if this has happened to you it was just a minor problem but let’s face it, even minor car problems end up costing hundreds of dollars out of your pocket. Out of all the possible car problems you could have, the most common (and thankfully one of the easiest to fix) is a flat tire. Hopefully you’ll have a spare and hopefully someone has taught you how to use that contraption in your trunk.

The second most popular car problem is said to be worn brakes which is also another easy fix. Maybe it’s not something you can fix on the side of the road, but at least your bill at the mechanic shop won’t be completely unexpected. The next most common issue with cars is an electrical problem which can be one of many things. It could be something simple like a blown fuse in the dash. Another common electric problem is your key failing to start the ignition which leads us into the fourth most common car problem: ignition trouble. This could be one of the most annoying issues because it is completely unexpected, and chances are you are our running errands and find yourself stranded with no ride and a huge headache. Unfortunately, ignition problems can range from something minor to very serious and you probably won’t know the extent of the damage until the mechanic gives you that dreaded call.

Number five is worn shocks, which can create a bumpier ride than normal. Number six? Dead batteries can be caused by age, but many times they are caused by us overusing them. Ever forget to turn off an interior light when leaving the car for the night? How about charging a phone or listening to the radio while the cars off? Both of these can hurt the life of your battery. After reviewing this list, it seems you can either be prepared for many of these issues (knowing how to use a spare tire) or they can be avoided through proper maintenance. Check below for the rest of the top 10 list!

7. Low Oil
8. Car Bulb Failure
9. Cracked windshield
10. Bad Serpentine Belt

Saturn Compressor AC Line Update

Over the years there are updates to parts just like there are to car models. For every model year that a vehicle is in production there are small changes that are more than skin deep. The AC compressor just like other automotive AC parts may change as the years go by. Sometimes a car company goes under and the aftermarket has to take over the production of the replacement parts. In the case of Saturn that is exactly what happened, when the company closed its doors it left many of its vehicles owners out in the cold when it came to parts. Maybe out in the cold is the wrong term to use, out in the heat is better since the OEM AC compressor was no longer available the aftermarket did what it could.

The solution to the lack of supply was to find a compressor that bolted into the same location as the original Saturn compressor. This is nice in theory but the problem arose when a compressor was found, the compressor could bolt on but the AC lines would not hook up. The solution was found in just changing them out and sending the update out whenever a Saturn L series or Vue compressor was sold.

Each one of the replacement compressors was sold with a set of the high and low side ac lines what could be easily swapped into the system. This simplistic fix is a great example of how the aftermarket is not just a bunch of cheap parts but more a community of vendors who are working to create a market for anything that has a need.

Why do Vehicles Have Tow Ratings

We have all seen the truck commercials with bold claims and flashing graphics but what are they all getting at. What is all this towing of huge boats up hills and pulling stumps out of the ground? Well this is not to show the diesel fuel pump or diesel injectors are working, no this is to give an idea of what the truck can haul. Most commercials show a “Do Not Attempt” warning to keep people from destroying the truck once they buy it. The fact of the matter is that trucks can really only haul a specific kind of weight at very specific speeds.

Most trucks have a towing rating that can handle towing a car or truck behind it but what are the dangers of going over the tow rating? First off is the danger of extended braking distance, while some trailers have their own braking system most use free spinning wheels. The added weight of the trailer means more work for the brake system to handle and that translates to greater stopping distance. This means that the driver must think differently then he normally would. Also it means that the brakes will heat up and begin to “fade” faster. Brake fade is when the heat cannot be dissipated and the pads become molten. When this happens the braking ability drops to almost zero.

The next huge issue for towing capacity is what the frame of the truck can handle the added weight. Now must trucks are built with a very sturdy frame that can handle a good 10,000lbs more than the trucks weight. When this weight is increased the stress on the “back bone” of the vehicle can be pushed past its rating. Exceeding the rating can cause the frame of the vehicle to bend or even break.

The ratings given by the manufacturer are there for a reason and they do give a bit of flexibility but should never be exceeded. There are many other issues that can arise when the tow rating is exceeded which can not only be dangerous but also kill your gas mileage!

How To Install New HID Bulbs

Many times the headlights of a car seem to be dull or dirty which is “yellowing” that occurs for a number of reasons. Like the sound from your car radio or in–dash navigationscreen the headlights can degrade over time too. Chemicals used for cleaning the car can sometimes cause this effect on a headlamp and other times it is the weather. Acidic rain or just unrelenting sun can cause yellowing along with the “salt” used to deice roads is also huge reason for yellowing headlights. Just like the Giants beating the Packers...the cold can always be a factor. Many times the effect is so bad on a headlight that the unit must be replaced. 

When replacing a headlight it is not always necessary to replace all the bulbs at the same time. HID bulbs are pretty expensive and most of the time will still work perfectly fine in a new assembly. Unlike conventional bulbs they do not dull over time since they are gas powered not filament illuminated. The part of changing these bulbs is to purchase the correct headlight housing for your application. While the same year, make and model headlights may “fit” in your car it is not always the same part if those lights did not have HID. 

The first step to taking apart the old headlight unit that was in the vehicle, which requires removal of the old unit. With the unit removed from the car remove the clips or screws holding on the dust cover and pull the bulb out of the assembly. Be sure not to touch the bulb at all on the glass, the oil from your finger will cause the bulb to shatter once it heats up. Next remove the ballast for the HID unit and inspect both the bulb and ballast for damage.

For the install part of this process, place the bulb in the new assembly and secure with clips or screws depending on the application. Now attach the ballast to the headlamp and reassemble all the other parts of the light. Attach the power source to the headlight to check that all bulbs and signals are working. Once the proper operation is certain, install the unit and check for proper “Gaping” around the unit. Gaping is the space around the unit to the body panels which should all be even. With the headlight in place test the unit once more. If everything checks out the install process is complete.

Finally, a Traffic Jam Assistant!

On Tuesday I joked about cars soon driving themselves considering they already know how to parallel park. It seems this idea isn’t as far off as I really expected because Audi just announced at CES that our wheel hub and bearing assembly might learn to drive themselves after all. They call it the driver’s “Traffic Jam Assistant”, and it combines existing technology with new ideas to add even more convenience to driving.

Have you ever been stuck in bumper to bumper traffic that requires you to pay constant attention to the road? Every day, twice a day? You know what I’m talking about, but Audi may have set the trend to end this daily rush-hour struggle. Who knows, this may eventually even help solve the problem of traffic. Two wide-range scanning radar sensors on the vehicle will monitor the surrounding area for other vehicles. A wide angle video camera will monitor the lane markings and other objects in your vicinity, such as pedestrians and guardrails. Eight more ultrasonic sensors will monitor what’s directly in front, behind, or to the sides of your car. Add this to the existing adaptive cruise control and ah ha!, you have a Traffic Jam Assistant. They have even made adjustments in case you need to make an emergency maneuver such as the guy in front of you slamming on his brakes for no reason.

Audi’s Traffic Jam Assistant will operate between 0 and 37 mph (that seems kind of fast to me..), but they say this will be completely safe for use on expressways or in cities. When I first heard of this I thought it could cause more accidents because it’s new technology, but it appears their goal is to reduce or even eliminate injuries behind the wheel. Seems pretty cool to me, what do you think?

What is a Mass Air Flow Sensor?

A Mass Air Flow Sensor (MAF) is a device that measures the volume and density of the air entering the engine.  It is the first sensor to read the amount of air entering the motor. The MAF is made up of an air temperature sensor, an electronic control unit, and a hot wire.  The main job of this sensor is to convert the amount of air coming into the vehicle into a voltage signal.  Along with the assistance of oxygen sensors, the MAF provides the Engine Control Unit (ECU) with vital information. This data lets the ECU know how much fuel to inject, the timing of ignition, and when to shift a transmission.

There are two main types of mass air flow sensors in automotive engines, the vane meter and the hot wire. The vane meter is an older style.  It measures the amount of air with a spring loaded flap attached to a resistor.  The vane meter is not used as often as the hot wire because it restricts airflow, the moving parts wear easier, and finding a space to mount it is difficult. On the other hand, the hot wire style has minimal airflow resistance, it’s smaller, it has no moving parts that wear, and it responds very quickly to changes in air flow.  So, basically the hot wire is a skinnier, smarter version of the vane meter.

If your Mass Air Flow Sensor is malfunctioning your car may idle erratically, run lean, try to stall, and the throttle could decrease at highway speeds.  If you have a digital scanner you can make sure that your MAF is to blame by hooking the scanner up to the housing circuit and checking for codes. In some cases the sensor is just dirty and needs to be cleaned, but more commonly the part is broken.  MAFs are rarely repairable and a new one will run you a couple hundred dollars.

Time for an Oil Change?

If your oil changes are costing close to $100 chances are your engine requires synthetic oil. The metal components of your vehicle (such as steering racks and steering gearboxes) need oil to stay lubricated, but there is more than one type of oil available. Most vehicles take conventional or natural oils which are derived directly from crude oil. This oil has many natural properties which protect and lubricate the engine over long periods of time.

A downside to natural oil is that it contains many impurities such as sulfur which can slow down the flow of oil throughout the engine. Over time contaminants can also build up and create deposits or wax within the engine.  With this in mind, synthetic oils were developed with specific chemical properties in order to create a more consistent substance. While natural oils can break down quickly at extremely high temperatures, synthetic oils are made to withstand this heat. There are even synthetic oil blends developed for specific purposes such as lubricating a high-performance or high-mileage vehicle. Despite its higher cost, synthetic oil offers the benefits of improved lubrication, better stability, reduced oil breakdown and fewer deposits.

However, just because synthetic oils offer these advantages does not mean that you need to switch up the type of oil at your next oil change. In most cases conventional oil does the job just fine; synthetic oil is only required for specific vehicles. If you are thinking of switching up your oil be sure to check with your manufacturer before-hand for vehicle-specific recommendations.  

How Long Should Brake Pads Last?

“Why are my brakes already squealing? I only have 35,000 miles on my car, this shouldn’t be happening.”  Actually, even though it seems pretty early for your brakes to go out, 35,000 miles is not unheard of.  The normal range for brake pads to go bad is 30,000 to 70,000 miles. Just like most wearable parts, such as wheel hubs and starters, the length of time the part last depends on the many variables.

The main reason why some brake pads go bad faster than others is because of what the brake pads are made out of. Brake Pads come in four diverse types; Organic, Ceramic, Metallic, and Semimetallic.  Organic Brakes are made from bonded non-metallic fibers. They have the best stopping power, but this means that more of the pad is worn down during braking.  Thus, they are not the longest lasting pad and even though they are organic, you cannot buy them at Whole Foods.  Ceramic Pads are most often made out of fiberglass. They are half as heavy as other pads but more importantly they are stronger.  These pads last the longest but they cost the most.  Metallic Pads have basically become obsolete because of the emergence of organic and semimetallic pads.  So why did I bring them up? I guess I just like to waste your time.  Anyways, Semimetallic Pads is a hybrid of Metallic and Organic pads.  These do well with heat, last longer than organic, and are the type of pad found on most cars.

Other aspects also contribute to the lifespan of your brake pads.  A main cause of premature brake wear is hitting the brakes at high speeds.  For every 10 mph more you travel it takes a third more energy to stop.  So, stop tailgating me at really high speed to only stomp on your brakes before hitting me.  Not only is it pissing me off and dangerous, but it also decreases the lifespan of your brakes.  Another cause of going through brakes quicker is where you drive.  If you live in a mountainous area and your brakes have to work against gravity than they will wear quicker.  So, you may enjoy living in San Francisco but your brakes do not.  Size and weight of a vehicle also affects the brake wear in a vehicle.  The bigger and heavier the car the harder it is on brakes.

So, even though 35,000 miles is definitely in the low range it is still in the range.  To extend the life of your brake pads concentrate on gradually slowing down.  Let off the gas and let your car slowdown naturally before hitting the brakes.  If you have a manual focus on downshifting to slowdown instead of slamming on the brakes.

Oil: The Creator of Many Fuels

It may not be very surprising that Volvo’s V60 Plug-in Hybrid was originally set to target the European market. North Americans as a whole strongly prefer gasoline powered vehicles over diesel (equipped with diesel fuel pumps and diesel injectors). They also usually prefer SUVs over wagons. But what is the difference between diesel and gasoline, and why do we prefer gas?

There are chemical differences between the two as they are both derived from oil at very different temperatures, but I won’t bore you with that. The main reason that American’s tend to prefer gasoline over diesel, although diesel engines get better gas mileage, is because gasoline burns much cleaner. Diesel engines are also known to be much louder. Because gasoline engines have a low compression ratio they require spark plugs to ignite the fuel. In addition to a spark plug they need electrical support from an electric coil, a distributor, and an alternator. A diesel engine has a much higher compression ratio and creates enough heat to ignite the fuel at injection, therefore eliminating the need of a spark plug and additional electrical support.  Both engines create energy in a four stage process (although differently): the intake stroke, the compression stroke, the combustion stroke, and the exhaust stroke.

In the past years there have been many improvements in diesel technology and it is being used more commonly than it has before. In regards to Volvo’s diesel wagon, they have recently announced the XC60 plug-in hybrid as the gasoline alternative and it will be headed to US markets soon. This vehicle can travel up to 35 miles running on just electricity and is said to get about 100mph in Hybrid mode. What’s more important to you, better gas mileage or lower emissions?

How Brakes Work

The braking system is one the most and least understood parts of a car. Brakes are not like an O2 sensor or air fuel ratio sensor there perform their task in many different ways that all seem the same. The basic idea of the braking system is that the calipers clamp on the disc and create resistance which stops the vehicle.  While the idea behind braking is basic the way each piece of the system works is not as simple. 

The brake discs are very important and come in many varieties from basic solid plates to carbon ceramic cross drilled and vented. Each of the different discs has different aspects that make them good or bad. Bigger will always stop the vehicle faster but weight is much higher and so is cost, so on an economy car they are not appropriate. Small light rotors are good for a vehicle’s acceleration since there is less weight around the hub but they will not create as much stopping power. A common mistake made by people looking to upgrade the brake system on their vehicle is to just buy some cross drilled rotors. The main issue here is that not there is less surface area for the pad to contact and thus less braking ability. Cross drilled will allow for more heat to be removed from the brakes more quickly so cross drilled are great if the diameter of the disc is increased. 

The calipers are another important part of the system since they press the pads onto the rotor with specifically placed pistons. The size and number of pistons in the caliper control how evenly and hard the caliper can push. The most common is the single piston type which has one large piston in the center of the pad and is the cheapest of make. The multiple piston types can more evenly disperse the pressure to all areas of the pad which means more pressure with less chance of lock up. A huge issue when upgrading the calipers is the amount of fluid that the calipers. If the system is not upgraded to handle the increased pressure demand then the brakes will not press as hard and even with larger calipers and rotors on a vehicle the braking power will be reduced. 

Understanding the brake system is the best way to make sure they work properly. Many people think that cross drilled means better but unless it is done correctly it actually means worse. The brakes are the part of the vehicle that stops the movement and thus avoid accidents. It is vital to not only the performance of the car but also the lifespan of the drive to have proper brakes.  Next time your mechanic tells you that your brakes need to be changed just consider that using the brakes to stop is better than the back of someone else’s car.