Yes, we’ve heard it again and again, seatbelts save lives and this is true if they are indeed used. There are however some precautions in the use and care of seatbelts which like any other part of your car is a simple machine that can indeed mean the difference between life and death in a crash. Now to begin with, statistics show that most injuries occur at slower speeds (too high the speed and even seatbelts cannot provide total safety without supplementary support from airbags and other active systems) and in the most unlikely places such as the parking lot where say the car backing up behind you miscalculates and hits you injuring your neck or smashing your face onto the dash or steering wheel. So even if you do not expect to go far and fast, just wear it so you are protected from such incidents.
If you do get into a crash while you were wearing your seatbelt (May it be at slow or fast speeds) have the seatbelts inspected (by a certified mechanic of course) for any damage. Since the belt itself retracts into the side of the car’s decorative moldings, there are several parts that need inspection after such an incident to assure you stay protected in the event of another crash. The restraining action of a seatbelt (which many of us hate for it wrinkles our clothes and causes streaks across your new white shirt) is done on purpose to prevent your body from getting thrown around in the event of a crash. It holds you against the seat (which is usually contoured against your body) providing maximum protection from a rear or frontal collision. Seatbelts can be quite effective in a frontal or rear collision, but with side impacts, not as effective without side collision airbags, reinforced doors and other supplemental restraint systems in most high end cars. The amount of material and space between you and the door is so small that yes you can be protected from a little force but at higher speeds, seatbelts may not be enough.
Ending this, these safety belts should be worn properly (which is stated on your owners manual) the lap belt on your hips or belt line and the shoulder strap across your torso. Placing it in other places defeats their restraining properties thus rendering them useless in the event of a crash. If you have children, adult seatbelts are not suited for them for they can easily slip through adult sized belts, consider getting child restraint systems such as a child seat or adapters that lowers the points at which the shoulder belt is in relation to the torso. Children are always safer at the rear rather than in front even with safety equipment. Also take into consideration that even the most expensive child restraint system if not properly installed would result in no protection at all for your child. Buckle-up for safety’s sake, for the life you save can be your own. (Tip: Want to know the actual production year of your vehicle, check out the driver’s side seatbelt which should have a tag sewn onto it having the said information) Drive Safe, Wear your Seatbelts.
Well, this might have to do more with the way the human body is designed and how much information we can process in a short period of time. Scientific data has shown that our actual active line of sight window (or the area of our vision which is fully analyzed and can be reacted to instantaneously) is limited to a few square inches in front of you. The rest is what is considered to be the peripheral vision area which we are aware of but do not have too much concentration on. Add to it the tunes playing on the radio, the shifting combination of the depressing the clutch and changing gears and you have a lot of information to handle for the human body to actually process (try this test to see if you are a safe distance from the car in front of you).
At 40 kmh, the average car (with stock brakes) can stop reliably in about 5 car lengths which translates to around 50 or 60 feet. This might sound quite far but this is true. Now back to the speed limit thingy, well these are placed due to many considerations such as the type of road surface, the amount of traffic that is to be expected, and the surmised fuel savings and so on and so forth. The one about speed in relation to fuel consumption is a good one, for at 80 kmh, your vehicle is running in balance with it’s weight and the momentum or it’s forward thrust that the engine is running efficiently burning only enough fuel to maintain that speed no more and no less. Now with most carburetor type vehicles that would be a good idea for these vehicles do not have computer brains like the newer models of cars which seem to have technology crammed into each and every corner.
The ECU (Electronic Control Unit) or computer of newer cars has the necessary programming to obtain information from a bank of sensors on the engine (temperature, idling speed, revolutions, amount of air entering the engine and many more) that allows it to adjust the performance of its parts to provide or attain maximum efficiency while maintaining fuel economy. Depressing the gas pedal on a carb-type vehicle and you pour gas into the engine even if it doesn’t need it sending some into the overflow line onto the street. Newer cars have recovery lines which send excess fuel back into the fuel delivery system or the gas tank for re-use. The speed limit is the determined safe speed to maintain necessary distances for braking allowing you enough time to react properly to the events that unfold such as in emergency cases in front of you. The human body reacts quite fast (in milliseconds actually which is the time your eyes see the information, sends it to the brain, processes it and comes up with the necessary response and sends the nerve impulses to the necessary muscles on your limbs for you to react) but at high speeds, that might not be enough. Why race down a street which is only a few blocks long? Just ease on the gas pedal and accelerate gradually for it not only saves fuel, it also saves on the wear and tear on other parts of the vehicle(brakes, suspension and other parts). Enjoy the trip and not the ride for it allows you to ponder about better things than the darned traffic jam ahead of you.
A road monster of a car, its sleek looks comes with the stylish looks of a Mercedes, the performance from AMG and more innovations from it’s Formula 1 technology combined to make a true head turner. Its looks, from the front grille that has a low of area to allow the monster power plant to breathe, the chrome dual-tailpipes, bi-xenon headlights that illuminates beyond compare and the turbine looks of the specially designed mags on the wheels all make a good show of a car. Power without compare at more than 600 hp, it truly can be akin to its track counterparts.
The interior is a sensual blast with supple leather seats and controls that are always within reach (not forgetting the stick-shift one-button start) it comes with a 7-speaker Bose audio system for unsurpassed audio performance in and out of the car. The suicide doors open as if you are entering a spaceship on steroids. The engine is hand-made (which accounts for the low production rates) which delivers 0-60 in just under 4 seconds. The engine is placed almost mid-way giving a ratio of 50-50 for unparalleled handling and balance on the road making it a very much stable yet powerful car. Made almost entirely of carbon composite materials, the chassis and exterior offers the protection of Formula one for the road with more than four times the energy dissipation characteristics of steel making it one of the safest cars on the road (it should be at a more than $ 500,000. They also threw in 6 airbags for good measure).
The car has killer looks and that might be due to the prestige associated with the brand. More related to James Bond than any other car (well in one movie he used a Mercedes and controlled it with a Nokia Communicator), the brand has become synonymous with cutting edge technology and sleek stylish looks inside and out.
With a chassis made up mainly of aluminum, magnesium alloys and carbon composite materials (which has been the trend to increase fuel efficiency making them lighter and stronger than steel) the car truly is a product of cutting edge research into alternative materials that have begun to go out of the space industry. An all alloy engine with quad-overhead camshafts, 48 valves, 5935 cc. V12 it is one of the most powerful and complex engines around. The brakes are also out of the sci-fi box with six pistons which would be needed for it has a maximum speed of almost 200 miles per hour.
The steering has servotronic speed-sensitive power assisted and the suspension, well, it has double wishbones in front with incorporated anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bars and monotube adaptive dampers. For the rear, we have double independent double wishbones with anti-squat and lift technology (mostly derived from F1 Racing technology as most European cars have under the hood). The nice thing about this monster, it has settings for road and track making racing as easy as pie with the switch of a button adjusting all suspension, steering, engine and braking systems accordingly.
The headlights are high intensity discharge adaptive lights that are now becoming standard on most luxury cars allowing maximum illumination during the darkest driving hours. The rear brake lights are LED type with adaptive displays allowing maximum visibility on and of track. The Aston martin DBS, a breed on it’s own.
Now, to the maintenance part for as you have seen there are actually many parts that form the whole brake system which is imperative that you keep in tip top shape as possible for safety’s sake. Any fluid leak should be inspected or at least have it looked at by a mechanic to ensure they are not a danger. Worn out hoses and brake lines can suddenly burst (the pressures are immense if you were only able to see the small brake pads in how they stop your vehicle) leading to sudden loss of pressure preventing them from functioning. There is however a safety feature on brake systems which is now standard which is a dual line system which divides the wheels into two brake circuits. The driver’s side wheel is linked to the one at the rear of the passenger’s side and the other way around. This allows braking even if one of the brake systems fails and as last resort, there is still the mechanical parking brake (check out the post on how to stop without power assisted brakes for if not done properly you could lock the wheels and totally loose control).
The brake disks and drums also have to be inspected for they eventually develop deep grooves that have to be re-milled in a process called re-facing wherein the rotor/disk and drums are machined to make the surfaces flat removing the deep grooves that occur naturally. The break pads are replaced even if they are new so as to avoid making new grooves on the newly re-faced parts. Wheel cylinders get stuck or springs leak (which usually happens if they get submerged in water, say in a flood) causing them to bind which leads to smoking wheels for the brakes don’t release and the wheels have a hard time turning. Some problems can be repaired and some may have to be replaced but with proper maintenance and care you should be able to have brake trouble free use of your vehicle providing for your transportation needs for times to come.
The brake system of your car is one of the most vital safety features that without which driving would be impossible. There are many things that can go wrong with your brakes and as preventive maintenance and regular inspection, it would be best to check on a few parts so you don’t get caught without brakes on the road.
Under the hood of any vehicle there is a container or reservoir as it is called that contains brake fluid and to most drivers, is the most known part of the brake system. Don’t keep this only topped off but make sure you use the right type of brake fluid (DOT 3 is the most common brake fluid grade used). The metal thing this reservoir sits on is called the Master cylinder which contains the pistons that forces the fluid from the reservoir into the brake lines (more on the other parts as we go on) to the wheel cylinders. Directly behind that is a metal drum like thing that is the brake booster which has a rubber gasket inside which multiplies the amount of force exerted by your foot on the pedal into immense pressures to stop your car. The brake fluid then goes through the brake lines to each wheel which are actually metal pipes with some rubber hoses in tight corners and moving areas to the wheel cylinders. The wheels all have individual cylinders or pistons that push the brake pads or drums to close and stop the vehicle. The parts the pads come in contact with are the rotors for disk brakes and drums for drum brakes.
More on the next post regarding maintenance and troubleshooting of the brake system.
There have been recent studies that have shown that Nitrogen gas for use in inflating your car’s tires makes them last longer. Well, there might be a good scientific backing for this for many of the new muscle cars that are coming out onto the market have them in their tires. Nitrogen being an inert gas that prevents the problems associated with regular compressed air which contains a sizeable amount of moisture that causes corrosion in aluminum and steel wheel rims. Oxygen causes oxidation which can eventually weaken wheels whatever type they may be. Nitrogen is also cooler than regular air which can translate to better mileage which may be needed due to ever increasing gas prices. As it turns out, the tires on your car looses air even if it does not have a puncture which translates to 2 psi per month compared to 6 months for nitrogen gas.
Nitrogen also causes less problems with your car’s wheel valves making them last a tad longer than usual. Wheel valves should be replaced everytime you have your tire changed to ensure they are at par with the wheel. They might be slowly leaking air which if added to the leak in the rubber tire can get you in an odd spot when you least expect it. Also, it would be a good idea to make it a ritual to have the tire pressure checked everytime you fill up to ensure your wheels are running as designed. Uneven wear, cupping and other wheel maladies should be taken seriously for they are indicative signs of other problems such as in the suspension. Low tire pressure leads to poor mileage (it also heats up the wheels excessively even causing failure). If you have experienced having to run on a flat tire due to an emergency or unexpected flat the tire would surely be a goner for the plies of the tire tends to separate on the sidewalls for they are not designed to come in contact with the surface of the road. Till next time, keep safe on the road and off guys. Drive safely.
A True American Classic which comes from a long line of muscle cars that have graced racetracks all over the world. Loaded with an 8.4 liter V10 a356 T56 Aluminum engine, capable of generating 600 hp controlled by the new Venom Engine management system giving maximum output while still staying within idle and OBD requirements. It has a 6-speed manual transmission using wider gears (10%) giving more power than previous generations. It has independent front and rear suspension, along with a 4-wheel disk brake with ABS. The car is a true muscle car in its class and along with manufacturer approved and tested upgrades it can even get better. Priced under $100,000.00 US, it is still in the moderate range falling below European cars that are in the upper echelons.
Being a Muscle car, it can go from 0 to 60 in less than 4 seconds, the engine features variable valve timing which allows phasing of intake and exhaust called Cam in Cam making it more fuel and emission efficient. Using twin disk clutches, it shifts easier and faster than previous models and can rival any other car in its class. Using Brembo Brakes for unparalleled braking and cornering allowing maximum control even on those tight corners coupled with GKN Visco-Lok Limited slip differentials you get the power when and wherever you need it. And it doesn’t stop there, the styling and looks of the viper truly makes it worthy of the name Viper which has been known for stunning looks that is sure to make heads turn where ever you go whatever the weather adding the hum of it’s powerful engine that is music to the ear of the most avid car lover.
Hailed by many as one of the greatest sports cars ever to come from Japan, the Nissan GTR Skyline is truly in a class of its own. GTR stands for Gran-Turismo which is an American that was deemed necessary by the Japanese manufacturer to increase sales of their top-racer. Featuring a VR-series twin turbocharged 3.8 liter V6 engine it is capable of delivering 480 hp at 6,400 rpm. It has dual overhead camshafts with variable intake- valve timing. The car is a great car indeed jam loaded with Japanese innovation and features that is enough to give it a spot as one of the best sports cars in the world. It uses a carbon composite driveshaft between the engine and transaxle making it lighter thus taking more of the power to the tires than in propelling the vehicle itself. Also has a VDC-R or Vehicle Dynamics Control which has three user selectable modes for normal, R-mode which uses maximum control from the car’s many sensors in the engine and transmission and an off option to give the driver full control. This allows less guesswork from the driver as he drives allowing the car’s computer to run itself optimally as it sees fit.
The car comes from a long line of technology loaded cars (featured as a user-friendly car due to the car’s easy interface with a laptop and other add-ons that can allow customization of the engine’s performance handling and many other user-changeable controls) and was even banned in the US for being one of the most used cars in illegal racing etc. It has earned the respect of many Americans even with their Corvette’s and hefty V8’s, the skyline would continue to be in the category of great sports cars for many years to come.
We just had our Baguio trip on new year’s eve and I noticed “speed” reminders at NLEX and the subsequent warning that we are being monitored via radar. Speeding on the expressway is so tempting specially if you want to test the mettle of your car, or when some dude just overtaken you.
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Yes, we’ve heard it again and again, seatbelts save lives and this is true if they are indeed used. There are however some precautions in the use and care of seatbelts which like any other part of your car is a simple machine that can indeed mean the difference between life and death in a crash. Now to begin with, statistics show that most injuries occur at slower speeds (too high the speed and even seatbelts cannot provide total safety without supplementary support from airbags and other active systems) and in the most unlikely places such as the parking lot where say the car backing up behind you miscalculates and hits you injuring your neck or smashing your face onto the dash or steering wheel. So even if you do not expect to go far and fast, just wear it so you are protected from such incidents.
