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Preparing Your Car For Warm Weather Driving
October 26, 2011 | 
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Get some tips for preparing your car for warm-weather driving. In the spring and summer driving takes on new meaning with road trips so get ready for a successful road travel season with these tips from Goodyear. Remember, a tough winter leaves your car in need of some helpful and simple maintenance…be sure to check out these easy car care tips today.
(ARA) – With warmer weather setting in across the country, now is the perfect time to enjoy a road trip. While millions of Americans are hitting the pavement in hopes of a travel adventure, many do so without realizing that the effects of winter are still taking a toll on their vehicles.
Here are a few tips to make sure drivers are prepared for a successful road travel season.
* Watch For Inflation:
As temperatures change, so can tire pressure. Proper tire inflation is essential for automotive safety, optimum driving performance and significant cost savings, including better fuel mileage. Tires should be inflated to the vehicle manufacturer recommendations printed on the vehicle door placard or in the glove box and should be checked monthly. Over-inflation can lead to premature or irregular tire wear and under-inflation reduces a vehicle’s fuel efficiency by an average of 3.3 percent.
* Breathe Free:
Replacing a dirty air filter can increase a vehicle’s life expectancy and fuel efficiency by reducing the strain on the engine, especially during warmer months. Over the winter months, salt, sand and other impurities may have built up in the vehicle’s air filtration system and replacing the air filter can improve acceleration time by 6 to 11 percent.
* Keep It Clean:
Cars, trucks or SUVs likely took a beating from this winter’s harsh conditions and corrosive elements, including freezing rain, snow, ice, sand and salt. Keeping vehicles clean will help protect them from the chemicals and dirt that may attack the car’s finish and undercarriage. Be sure to use quality cleaners.
* Check That Tread:
The economy has forced many to postpone tire purchases, but after enduring what was most likely a harsh winter and coping with wet spring weather, it is a bad time to have low treads. The lower the tread depth, the less traction on wet roads, and the greater the distance needed to stop. It is imperative that the tires on a vehicle are in good working order. Advances in tire technology are helping deliver a new generation of tires that offer all-season traction and increased comfort. For those in need of new tires, drivers should consider Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring tires, which are built for a smooth, comfortable ride.
For more helpful car care advice or information on tires for cars, light trucks, SUVs and more, visit your local Goodyear retailer or go online to www.goodyear.com.
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Ford Escape Hybrid – First Drive Review – Auto Reviews – Car and Driver
Cheers swept through the cheap seats four years ago when rookie Billy Ford, brought out of the backfield to lead America’s stumbling No. 2 automaker, reaffirmed the company’s pledge to lift the fuel economy of its SUV fleet by 25 percent, and do it by 2005.
Then nothing happened. Years went by. Ford had promised a hybrid version of the compact
, but the pause button had been pushed on that program so often—or was it the stop button?—that the greenies lost faith completely. They called for a boycott of all Ford products.
Skeptics at the C/D nerve center watched GM send up halfhearted "hybrid" idea cars that surely brought giggles from Toyota and Honda, the experts in the field. Would Ford be a short hitter, too?
Now, for 2005, Ford’s play is in motion. We’ve driven a preproduction Escape hybrid. It’s a solid whack into the outfield, the real thing—in engineering parlance, a full "parallel" hybrid. That means the Ford, like the Toyota Prius, can propel itself with its gas engine, or by battery alone, or engine and battery together.
"Okay, but give us the numbers," you say. Sorry, nothing but estimates so far. Certification was to be completed late this summer, just before real production models hit the showrooms. Until then, Ford says "35 to 40" mpg in stop-and-go city driving, and somewhere approaching 30 mpg on the highway.
That metro estimate agrees with our observations from the dashboard computer over an afternoon’s drive, which offered too little highway exposure to make a judgment on that task.
All ’05 Escapes get a mildly face-lifted nose with fog lights and new quad headlights. The hybrid version is marked by a green-leaf "HYBRID" badge on the front doors and liftgate and by special five-spoke alloy wheels wearing 235/70R-16 all-season tires.
Labels aside, how should
hybridness be expressed to the driver? Toyota, Honda, and now Ford have gone separate ways, with Honda having the most involving game-like presence. Ford sticks to simplicity with a bit of genius. Its hybrid gets four silver-faced dials outlined by glittering chrome bezels. On the large tachometer, the needle drops below zero during electric propulsion, to an odd symbol labeled "EV." It’s the best short-hand indicator of engine-off "motoring" we’ve seen.
Just to the tach’s left is a simple ammeter-like gauge indicating battery charge when the needle drops below center and electric assist when it rises. To get mileage numbers along with various screens depicting power flow and cumulative fuel economy, you must opt for the computer-navigation-audio system playing through a four-inch screen in the dash center.
Under the hood, the hybrid machinery is tightly integrated into a module that bolts to the back of the transverse 2.3-liter four (driver’s side) in a space not much bigger than an automatic would require. The hybrid transmission is made by Aisin-Warner, which also makes the Prius package, although the parts differ substantially in detail. Ford has combined the motor, the generator, and the brain module into a much tighter package than Toyota has, suggesting future use in more models.
The engine is a version of the Escape’s standard Duratec four adapted to the more efficient Atkinson cycle by closing the intake valve late, well after the compression stroke has begun. This increases the expansion ratio, which adds four-percent efficiency at a cost of lower torque. The engine’s 133 horsepower, supplemented by the 94-hp electric motor, gives performance similar to the nonhybrid 200-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 Escape, Ford says. We think that’s about right. Ford adds that the hybrid could cost up to $3500 more than a base four-cylinder Escape.
The 330-volt nickel-metal hydride battery pack, all 200 pounds of it, lives under the load floor behind the rear suspension. This is a heavy machine—3800 pounds for the all-wheel-drive version—requiring lots of expensive battery to get the 1.5 to 2.0 miles of "engine off" range (the distance the Escape can travel solely on the electric motor) claimed by Ford. We saw indicated speeds of nearly 30 mph on the battery alone. Electric power steering maintains assist while the engine is shut down. The air conditioner uses a belt drive from the engine, however, so cooling soon peters out.
Like other hybrids with CVTs, city fuel economy is better than on the highway. In traffic, this a peppy runabout. In the country, the CVT sensation dominates. Going uphill, the engine sings along at high revs quite independently of road speed. The burner is smooth enough, but the sound is "disconnected," rather like that of an ancient Powerglide.
Cargo space is unchanged from the standard Escape. Warranty covers the hybrid-related parts for eight years or 100,000 miles. The interval between routine service stops is 10,000 miles.
This is a serious hybrid. And with fuel prices rising, it comes at the right moment.
Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/04q3/ford_escape_hybrid-first_drive_review
Communication Vital to Quality Auto Repairs
Seniors: Good Communication Vital to Quality Auto Repairs…yes, older folks are very detailed when it comes to talking about car maintenance and repair.
(NewsUSA) – A poll of ASE-certified automotive technicians indicated that drivers over 60 are among the most conscientious when it comes to taking their vehicles in for routine maintenance and repair.
The experts at the nonprofit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) remind consumers that good communication between shop and customer can help make the repair process go smoothly.
“Professionally run repair establishments recognize the importance of two-way communications,” notes Martin Lawson, ASE’s editorial director. “Just as you would with your physician, be prepared to discuss your vehicle’s aches and pains once you are at the repair shop.”
The following tips from ASE should make the repair process go smoothly:
Don’t ignore what your vehicle is telling you.
Look for:
* Unusual sounds, odors, drips, leaks, smoke, warning lights, gauge readings.
* Changes in acceleration, engine performance, gas mileage, fluid levels.
* Worn tires, belts and hoses.
* Problems in handling, braking, steering, vibrations.
* Note when the problem occurs and whether it is constant or periodic.
Stay involved; communicate your findings:
* Be prepared to describe any symptoms. In larger shops, you’ll probably speak with a service consultant rather than with the technician directly.
* Carry a written list of the symptoms that you can give to the technician or service consultant.
* Do not be embarrassed to request simple definitions of technical terms.
* Ask to be called and apprised of the problem, course of action and costs before work begins.
* Before you leave, make a note of shop policies regarding labor rates, guarantees and acceptable methods of payment.
* Keep a record of all repairs and service.
ASE was founded to improve the quality of automotive service and repair through the voluntary testing and certification of automotive technicians. ASE-certified technicians can be found at every type of repair facility; certified technicians wear blue and white ASE shoulder insignia and carry credentials listing their exact area(s) of certification, while their employers display the blue and white ASE sign. For more information, including seasonal car care tips, visit www.ase.com.
2010 Hyundai Tiburon / Veloster and Genesis Coupe – Car News – Car and Driver
Hyundai will not have a sports coupe for the 2009 model year, but will have front- and rear-drive choices for 2010 with the
and a replacement for the .
The current Tiburon ends its run with the 2008 model year. Its replacement will be based on the
fixed-roof two-plus-two concept that debuted at the 2007 Seoul auto show.
The front-wheel-drive Veloster was shown with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. And John Krafcik, vice president of product development for Hyundai Motor America, tells us the automaker’s turbocharged 2.0-liter—the base engine for the Genesis coupe—will make its way into a number of future Hyundai products. Krafcik won’t go so far as to connect the dots officially in an interview with
Car and Driver , but our Sharpies have little trouble completing the picture.
Nor will Krafcik comment on the platform underpinning the Veloster except to say it will not ride on the current Tiburon architecture. He says he can’t discuss possible shared platforms with sister company Kia, noting that Hyundai and Kia execs in North America sign antitrust agreements prohibiting info sharing—collaboration and decisions are strictly made in Korea. All of which means Krafcik was mum about Kia’s own front-drive coupe unveiled earlier this year at the 2008 New York auto show, dubbed the
, and derived from the
.
Vote Now if You Like the Name Tiburon As for the name of the new Hyundai two-door, it is still being decided. The name Veloster, a cross between “velocity” and “roadster,” will not make it into production, confirms Krafcik. The bigger debate is whether to introduce a new name for the small coupe or continue to use Tiburon. Internal research shows the Tiburon name has low awareness. But the 150,000 buyers who have owned one over the years—and the word-of-mouth from their experiences—have been positive. “It’s not a bad name if we do keep it,” Krafcik says. “We have time to figure it out and see if there is equity in the Tiburon name.”
Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/08q3/2010_hyundai_tiburon_veloster_and_genesis_coupe-car_news
2009 Chevrolet HHR / HHR SS – Review – Auto Reviews – Car and Driver
Introduction The HHR is a stylish retro wagonette based on the platform. Introduced in 2006, it offers more interior space and better looks than the Cobalt, although the roughly $3000 premium for the HHR is not insubstantial. An economy-minded ride, the regular HHR offers a choice of 2.2- and 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines, with 155 hp and 172 hp, respectively. Transmission choices are a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic.
In 2008, Chevrolet added the
to the lineup. With a 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder squeezing out 260 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, the performance numbers this cutesy wagon generates will shut up plenty of naysayers. In addition to the powerful engine, the SS gets such hard-core features as launch control and a nifty no-lift shifting function for manual-transmission models that allows the driver to keep his foot planted on the gas during full-throttle acceleration. The transmission options are the same, although the five-speed is beefed up to handle the additional power, and choosing the automatic will cost you 10 hp and 37 lb-ft.
An HHR Panel is available as well, deleting the rear side windows and door handles for the old surfer-wagon look. You can also mix and match Panel and regular HHR, deleting the rear side windows but keeping the normal set of windowed rear doors. If you want solid rear doors, but windows in the rear, you’ll have to do some scrap-yard scrounging, because that combination is not available from the factory.
Verdict Although Chevy claims the HHR is inspired by the 1949 , we think the styling was more inspired by the success of the
. The look is, to put it nicely, derivative. Regardless, the HHR has a pleasant shape for something costing so little, and the seating position is nicely elevated. The interior, however, will remind you just how cheap the HHR is, as hard plastics and vast panel gaps abound.
The HHR Panel does a great job of capturing the 1950s surfer vibe, but utility is compromised by a bizarre plastic box inside conjured up to provide a flat load floor. Although it accomplishes this task, cargo volume is significantly less than it would have been if engineers had just removed the rear seat. It’s intended for those with small businesses, for which it makes a fetching mobile billboard, but they’d better not have any big items to carry.
The HHR SS is a surprisingly competent little machine: powerful, responsive, and easy on the eyes and ears. The short-throw five-speed feels crisp, the steering is tight, and the balance nearly on par with the best hot hatches on the road.
What’s New for 2009 The HHR sees no major changes for 2009, but it does receive a number of minor updates. Both the 2.2- and 2.4-liter four-cylinders can now burn E85, and the 2.2 gets variable valve timing for a 6-hp boost in power and a 2-mpg bump in its highway fuel-economy rating. All models add a full complement of standard safety features, including stability and traction control, ABS, and curtain airbags. A backup camera—a boon on the low-visibility Panel models—and Bluetooth phone interface are optional.
Buyers can now get an HHR SS and Panel in one vehicle—the combination was previously unavailable—and a new SS Performance pack ($895) bundles the previously la carte limited-slip differential and four-piston Brembo front brakes.
Highlights and Recommendations The base HHR is the LS, which starts just under 20 grand and includes the 2.2-liter four, a five-speed manual, and all the safety equipment the HHR offers. Panel versions of the HHR add about a $300 premium.
Options on the LS are limited, and that model is only available with the smaller engine. It’s also the only way other than the SS to get a manual transmission with the HHR. Upgrading to the automatic transmission costs a grand and, as a bonus, includes a remote starter. Those who want an automatic HHR should start with the 2LT trim, which comes with the auto standard and is just $1000 more than an LS with the automatic. The 2LT also nets the more-powerful engine, which the HHR needs when equipped with only four gears.
Notable options include the Sun and Fun package, which is only available on 1LT models in sunny areas of the country, sadly. It includes a sunroof, a chrome grille, a roof spoiler, and 16-inch chrome wheels and costs about $2000. Those who don’t live in a sunny-enough clime can still get a chrome grille with the Bright Chrome package, which also splashes chrome onto the side-view mirrors, door handles, and 16-inch wheels. Interior improvements small and large are also available, with a Pioneer seven-speaker stereo fetching about $300 and dual headrest-mounted DVD screens going for around $1900.
The SS starts at more than $25,000; steep for an HHR, but fair for its competitive set and considering its capabilities. The Performance package is worthwhile, the $295 reconfigurable performance display is not.
Safety For 2009, all versions of the HHR come standard with traction and stability control, anti-lock brakes, dual-stage driver and passenger airbags, curtain airbags, and tire-pressure monitoring.
Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/09q1/2009_chevrolet_hhr_hhr_ss-review