There's a show on TV at the moment called 'Destroyed In Seconds' which is a showcase of exactly what its name implies. One of the staples of this program is cars running into store fronts, down steps, up lamp posts etc. In every case, the excuse given by the driver is that they mistook the accelerator for the brake.
I must admit I'm mystified by this. The pedals are in a different place, they're a different shape and size, and the back pressure is different on them. I'm honestly not sure how people can genuinely do this. In most of these cases, I reckon it's actually distraction. People think they've moved their foot to the brake when they haven't, then step on the gas. Even then I wonder how it's possible that they don't realise what's going on and swap to the brake.
Have you ever done this? And what was the cause?
Monday, April 11, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
How is this possible?
I've talked about this before, but I have to bring it up again. Why can't American car manufacturers build decent cars or engines? Take the Chrysler Crossfire for example. Somehow, and I just can't fathom how they managed this, they built a 3.2 litre V6 engine and managed to only get 215hp out of it. Or the Plymouth Prowler with it's 3.5 litre V6 that produced 1hp less than the Crossfire at 214hp. I could build the same engine out of Lego and accidentally get 300hp out of it. It's like they're stuck in the 80s - an era when Ford managed to produce a Mustang - a 'muscle car' - that produced a pathetic 111hp out of a 4.2litre V8. Bear in mind the same year that came out, Audi had the 5-cylinder 2 litre inline engine that produced 110hp. How could Ford have 3 extra cylinders, a 'V' engine layout and more than double the capacity and only gain 1 extra horsepower? Given the comparitive weight of the cars, that means a stock 1985 Audi Coupe GT could easily out run a 1984 Ford Mustang (and it could certainly out-handle it).
It takes a peculiar sort of skill to build big engines with no power. To put it into perspective, my current ride - a VW Tiguan - has a 2 litre 4 cylinder engine that produces 200hp. If the Germans and the Japanese can manage it, why can't the Americans. Really. It's not that difficult.
It takes a peculiar sort of skill to build big engines with no power. To put it into perspective, my current ride - a VW Tiguan - has a 2 litre 4 cylinder engine that produces 200hp. If the Germans and the Japanese can manage it, why can't the Americans. Really. It's not that difficult.
Monday, March 28, 2011
The real reason budget petrol is cheap.
Call it cheap petrol, call it supermarket petrol. Everyone knows it's cheaper and millions of motorists fill up at non-premium stations every day without giving a second thought to why the petrol is cheaper. The normal excuse is "it's all the same isn't it?". I'll tell you why it's not.
A friend of mine is a petrol delivery driver for one of our local refineries. They subcontract with four well known brands (Texaco, Chevron, Phillips66 and Exxon or Esso) as well as two budget chains.
First of all, he has two different trailers. If he's delivering to the premium outlets he uses one trailer. The budget outlets use another. For the four big chains, the process is essentially the same. The truck is filled with 3 loads of 3,000 gallons of petrol (3 tanks for the three octane levels) then stops at the additive pump for the relevant chain and add in a measured amount of their additive package to each tank (eg. Techron for Chevron and Texaco). The additive package is mixed during the delivery purely by the motion of the truck and the resulting pumpout. The tanks are dumped into the underground storage tanks at the petrol station, then he goes back to get another load. Rinse and repeat.
For the budget chains, things are slightly different. He has to use the other trailer and fills that up from a different delivery pump at the refinery. No stop at the additive pumps - straight to the retailer to fill their underground tanks. In the bottom of that trailer, from weeks of delivery work, there's a layer of sand, silt, grit - something particulate - lining the bottom of the tanks. With the dipstick, he can poke a measurable hole in the particulate, like poking your finger in wet sand.
Essentially, when oil is turned into petrol, it's distilled and filtered a great many times to create the final product. Cheap supermarket/budget petrol misses out one last step of filtration and refining. That's why it's cheap. The grade and quality isn't as high, and it has the potential for more particulates held in suspension. It shifts the responsibility to the owners of the petrol stations to ensure their pump filters are kept clean and in good working order. Cutting that last step at the refinery means cheaper bulk prices to the petrol station, which is why they can undercut the major chains. In the area where I live, this is especially important to know because one of the sources of our oil is oil shale, an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock.
Now does the last step in refining make any difference to your car's ability to use it? Absolutely not - it's gravy. But it's the gravy that's required for the blend of additive package to work correctly for the big chains. They create those additives dependent on fully refined petrol. And because it goes through one more filtration process, the larger chains can be guaranteed of a cleaner end product with less particulate in suspension, which translates to a reduced risk of filter problems on the forecourt.
So there you go. It's not "all the same" - not by any stretch of the imagination. Pay your money and make your choice.
A friend of mine is a petrol delivery driver for one of our local refineries. They subcontract with four well known brands (Texaco, Chevron, Phillips66 and Exxon or Esso) as well as two budget chains.
First of all, he has two different trailers. If he's delivering to the premium outlets he uses one trailer. The budget outlets use another. For the four big chains, the process is essentially the same. The truck is filled with 3 loads of 3,000 gallons of petrol (3 tanks for the three octane levels) then stops at the additive pump for the relevant chain and add in a measured amount of their additive package to each tank (eg. Techron for Chevron and Texaco). The additive package is mixed during the delivery purely by the motion of the truck and the resulting pumpout. The tanks are dumped into the underground storage tanks at the petrol station, then he goes back to get another load. Rinse and repeat.
For the budget chains, things are slightly different. He has to use the other trailer and fills that up from a different delivery pump at the refinery. No stop at the additive pumps - straight to the retailer to fill their underground tanks. In the bottom of that trailer, from weeks of delivery work, there's a layer of sand, silt, grit - something particulate - lining the bottom of the tanks. With the dipstick, he can poke a measurable hole in the particulate, like poking your finger in wet sand.
Essentially, when oil is turned into petrol, it's distilled and filtered a great many times to create the final product. Cheap supermarket/budget petrol misses out one last step of filtration and refining. That's why it's cheap. The grade and quality isn't as high, and it has the potential for more particulates held in suspension. It shifts the responsibility to the owners of the petrol stations to ensure their pump filters are kept clean and in good working order. Cutting that last step at the refinery means cheaper bulk prices to the petrol station, which is why they can undercut the major chains. In the area where I live, this is especially important to know because one of the sources of our oil is oil shale, an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock.
Now does the last step in refining make any difference to your car's ability to use it? Absolutely not - it's gravy. But it's the gravy that's required for the blend of additive package to work correctly for the big chains. They create those additives dependent on fully refined petrol. And because it goes through one more filtration process, the larger chains can be guaranteed of a cleaner end product with less particulate in suspension, which translates to a reduced risk of filter problems on the forecourt.
So there you go. It's not "all the same" - not by any stretch of the imagination. Pay your money and make your choice.
Monday, March 21, 2011
OnStar for everyone.
Starting this spring, OnStar will begin selling their OnStar Anywhere product for $299. Essentially it's an OnStar-equipped rearview mirror that you swap out for your existing mirror. It's designed to allow access to many of OnStar's services for either a monthly or annual fee. Because the mirror itself includes accelerometers, it will allegedly be able to detect a crash and call OnStar for you. In addition, it provides access to emergency services, stolen vehicle location (it has built-in GPS too), turn-by-turn navigation (call them, tell them where you want to go, and OnStar will download directions into your mirror), roadside assistance and hands-free calling via bluetooth to your phone.
Now I'm ambivalent about OnStar. Frankly I don't see the point, and I think their fear-mongering TV commercials are patronising and unethical. But this at least product does get rid of the biggest evil - because it's a standalone device, it's not hooked in to your car's on-board computer or engine management system, meaning it's not open for hacking and abuse. Of course this also means that if you're dumb enough to lock your keys in your car, GM can't unlock it for you.
However because it has a mic in it for the hands-free telephone integration, OnStar will be able to listen in to whatever is going on in the car, whenever they want, and the GPS can be used to track you without you knowing. Both have happened before, and both will happen again - don't kid yourself that the law will protect you on that front.
So if you're desperate for the mental crutch that OnStar provides, and don't mind a constant GM spy in your car, it's yours shortly for $299 and a recurring fee.
Now I'm ambivalent about OnStar. Frankly I don't see the point, and I think their fear-mongering TV commercials are patronising and unethical. But this at least product does get rid of the biggest evil - because it's a standalone device, it's not hooked in to your car's on-board computer or engine management system, meaning it's not open for hacking and abuse. Of course this also means that if you're dumb enough to lock your keys in your car, GM can't unlock it for you.
However because it has a mic in it for the hands-free telephone integration, OnStar will be able to listen in to whatever is going on in the car, whenever they want, and the GPS can be used to track you without you knowing. Both have happened before, and both will happen again - don't kid yourself that the law will protect you on that front.
So if you're desperate for the mental crutch that OnStar provides, and don't mind a constant GM spy in your car, it's yours shortly for $299 and a recurring fee.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Insuring an undriveable car
Most motorists know that you must have car insurance. Most drivers in the UK are also aware of the SORN programme - Statutory Off Road Notification. It's a system the UK has in place to let the driver and vehicle licencing authorities know that you own a car but that it's off the road and thus is exempt from road tax and insurance. For example a project car that spends a year in pieces in the garage while you're working on it.
Tighter regulations are coming in shortly meaning that if you haven't filed a SORN, you still need to insure your car. The fact that the car is not being driven (and in some cases will be in pieces) and therefore could not be involved in an accident is no longer a get out clause when it comes to car insurance.
The new Continuous Insurance Enforcement Legislation states that if a car has not been declared as a SORN and does not have adequate car insurance, the registered owner can expect to receive a letter advising them of their obligations. This will be followed by a £100 fine if the letter is ignored. Carry on ignoring the notices and the vehicle will then be seized or clamped and court prosecution could follow. If the process reaches this stage, then fines up near the £1,000 mark will be issued.
It is worth noting that the legislation also applies to motorcyclists.
You can fill out a SORN declaration online : DVLA SORN programme
Tighter regulations are coming in shortly meaning that if you haven't filed a SORN, you still need to insure your car. The fact that the car is not being driven (and in some cases will be in pieces) and therefore could not be involved in an accident is no longer a get out clause when it comes to car insurance.
The new Continuous Insurance Enforcement Legislation states that if a car has not been declared as a SORN and does not have adequate car insurance, the registered owner can expect to receive a letter advising them of their obligations. This will be followed by a £100 fine if the letter is ignored. Carry on ignoring the notices and the vehicle will then be seized or clamped and court prosecution could follow. If the process reaches this stage, then fines up near the £1,000 mark will be issued.
It is worth noting that the legislation also applies to motorcyclists.
You can fill out a SORN declaration online : DVLA SORN programme
Monday, March 7, 2011
Your tax dollars are seizing Nissan Skylines. Again.
Did you know that Nissan never officially sold the Skyline in the US? Those that are here had to pass all manner of emission and safety tests in order to be imported. Well it turns out that one of the importers - Motorex - was a little "economical" with that mandate and didn't bother to convert them to DOT spec. There was a big blow-up about this in 2005 and again in 2008, and now it seems it's the Department of Homeland Security's turn. Teams are again being sent out to seize and impound Nissan Skylines all over the country. Because I guess they're a threat to our security? Either way this seems totally overblown to me. Given the number of properly dangerous cars I see every day - ones held together with rust, with smashed up fenders and lights, huge cracks in the windscreens, missing windows, bald tyres and such - you'd think that time and money would be better spent getting those vehicles off the road.
Sadly though, Skylines are fewer and easier to find and if you're fortunate enough to be a Skyline owner, you're soon to be unfortunate enough to have it taken away from you and there is, it seems, nothing you can do about it.
Full info at Nicoclub (Nissan Skyline forums).
Nicoclub : Nissan Skyline seizures
Forum : Nissan Skyline seizures
Sadly though, Skylines are fewer and easier to find and if you're fortunate enough to be a Skyline owner, you're soon to be unfortunate enough to have it taken away from you and there is, it seems, nothing you can do about it.
Full info at Nicoclub (Nissan Skyline forums).
Nicoclub : Nissan Skyline seizures
Forum : Nissan Skyline seizures
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