The automotive industry has evolved for the past 125 years. Gas prices have sky rocketed, competition and global economies have put pressure on car makers. Due to these, there are increasing changes compared to the past and it is foreseen to speed up even more in the next years. Based on observations and forecasts, here are the five car trends for this year:
40MPG
The Korean manufacturer Hyundai set the bar so high when they released the new Elantra compact in 2010. It was the first ever model which offered “the same fuel mileage across all trim levels”. The 40mpg bar will be implemented with half a dozen Kia and Hyundai models for 2012. This has been the key to their successful sales –good gas mileage. It is expected that other car makers will surely follow this trend.
Improved Safety
There is a high demand for safer vehicles. Manufacturers are now offering increased traction control, improved roofs, and side curtain air bags for instances when the car meets an accident and rolls over. New improvements to be expected this year include collision avoidance systems and inflatable seat belt airbags.
Environmentally Friendly
There is an increasing demand for environment friendly products and this goes the same for cars. Consumers don’t just see cars as hybrids or electric. The materials used for these vehicles re also a big factor. The fillers for the seats, headliner used for the carpets must also be eco-friendly or made of recycled materials. The Ford Fusion Hybrid for example has seats made from reclaimed plastics.
Leasing
In the next few years, it is expected that leasing will become the new trend and not buying. Consumers are starting to realize “that some cars offer and excellent residual value three years out which means lending companies are lowering lease rates to some of the best levels”. More and more people are now driving cars they “can’t afford to buy, but can afford to rent”.
Other trends expected this year include more use of the “eight-speed transmissions, expanded hybrid and electric choices and new in-cabin navigation technologies”.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Keegan
Image from: theKCB
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.
This has become the case with many cars whether they be green (alternative fueled) or newer generations of classics that still use petroleum-based products but are so efficient with respect to their emission controls that they have little or no emissions at all. Catalytic converters have long been a mainstay of the auto industry since they became mandatory by law way back in the late 70’s and early 80’s but unbeknownst to all, these devices though considered to be quite rugged can and do get their fair share of problems. Leaks, cracked pipes and elements are just some of them. They are also quite expensive for the reactive compounds use exotic metals such as platinum and silver.
Catalytic converters refine the exhaust of your vehicle via chemical reaction converting harmful/highly toxic gasses to less toxic ones. The trend nowadays is to produce a more efficient emission control device that would strip most if not totally eliminate the waste products of internal combustion engines. There are currently vehicles that are powered both by alternative fuel and gas that have the best emission control systems on earth but as the blog states, not all American states have them as part of their inventory. As it turns out, green cars are only available in those states that have the highest pollution control penalties.
So even if you do want to go green and got the cash to shell out for the extra they charge for these green machines, they might just not be available in your state, yet. Till all the states and eventually the world places enough laws to allow them or make them mandatory, you might have to wait a few more years for you to get one parked into your car as we all try to lower our carbon footprints in the future.
Cars nowadays are far from what they used to be a few years back – you can now fine-tune them to such an extent that your head can easily spin from the complexity of it all. One of the more recent trends on the market has been the use of Hypertech programmers – specialized devices which can adjust your car’s performance and tweak it in a way that will give you the maximum throttle you can get when you step on that pedal.
Hypertech programmers wok in various ways – though they ultimately achieve the same goal and give your car more horsepower as well as torque. The specific numbers vary from one device to another – and you’ll have to do some searching around to find the one that’s right for you. Make sure you don’t just jump to the one with the most horsepower stated on it, as each car has its own specific needs and you risk damaging its engine permanently if you install an inappropriate one.
With regards to the above, make sure you check the programmer’s compatibility with your car’s particular model before buying it – in some cases, there are some specific incompatibilities present between some models on the market, so you should ensure you’re getting the one that will work for you. In some cases, the programmer can also provide you with some extra benefits as well – like a fine control over your car’s cooling fans, as well as an option to reset its settings back to the default in case you’re not comfortable with the results. With the right Hypertech programmer, your car can run as fast and good as it was ultimately meant to be!
We are at an age where most cars come with special features. One thing that is bound to get our nod as far as preference is the all-power features that include power locks, power windows and power steering. Of the three, the power steering is what captures the attention of modern drivers since unlike the conventional vehicles of yesteryears, they don’t have to worry about hard steering that some may call as a reason for developing muscles while driving.
But while power steering does make it easier for people to steer and drive, it also means you have to be careful as far as preventive maintenance. The more advanced features that come with your car means that you also have to address small issues and avoid them from getting out of hand.
Some people care less. Leaks or weird sounds in the steering wheel area can worsen over time if not addressed immediately. The last thing you would want is to get a completely busted steering wheel mechanism which can cost a lot and hard to repair.
This is one waterloo if you are not paying much attention to car maintenance. Do not allow small issues to get out of hand. Bring your car to the car garage and have it fixed. You save a lot more money that way and prolong the durability and reliability of your car in the process.
Several reports from consumers have been found to have accidents linked to
old tires being sold at many tire centers across the world. Even newly installed tires that have been manufactured years before they were installed onto vehicles have the potential to fail miserably soon after installation. These tires have long since been in inventories that though they are new have been sitting for as long as 10 years, maybe more in shelves and stocks. Tires like all manufactured goods have a specific timeframe fro them to retain their reliability and for something that is supposed to carry your car as you drive around that becomes a serious matter. Many have died as a result of old tires that have been stripped of treads sending vehicles crashing into everything in its path. Tires that blow out takes away control form the driver for the much needed traction which is the main form of control for all motorized vehicles. Tires that have been sitting on shelves for more than 10 years lose integrity with plies separating and shearing off resulting in accidents.
Tires do have a code to indicate when they were manufactured but they come in
cryptic codes that only the manufacturer knows how to read. Families of people who have died as a result of tire blowouts, wants congress to issue strict laws that would require tire manufacturers to include manufacturing dates on the information stamped on tires and that a ten year limit to be imposed as shelf life for them.
The deaths have to stop and it would only be prudent for these manufacturers who sell millions of these tires worldwide to take measures that allow
consumers to determine the lifespan of their products. Hopefully, these measures would make the Sunday drive safer and people would be assured of safer cars with brand their new tires.
The advances in automobile technology has been so much that a great number of deaths are prevented especially due to the use of newer materials that has increased the safety of vehicles so much that they are literally cages within the car. Automotive manufacturers have installed airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners and the use of exotic alloy metals/materials that are lighter yet several times stronger than normal steel are not common place that the term safety has translated into a total safety zone within the vehicle which prevents the passengers and driver from serious injury. This is a good thing for all of us till accidents occur and people get stuck in these types of vehicles with the best passenger protection technology installed.
Fire and rescue personnel are the ones who bear the brunt of injuries sustained during rescues from such vehicles. Airbags that are triggered by rescue people trying to free trapped people from crashes send the rescuers and the rescue both to the hospital. Regular extrication techniques are proving to be very ineffective as metals and composite materials need very expensive hydraulic systems such as the “Jaws of Life” which can cut the posts off a car in minutes. Those volunteer departments without enough funding cannot afford such equipment which translates to lost time in the critical period it takes to get a person out of the crashed vehicle to the hospital increasing the risk of death or permanent injury.
Firemen and rescue people are now being more careful in their trying to get people out trying to avoid hazards wasting time searching for the wires that send signals to the airbag systems and belt tensioners to free their patients. This might necessitate the need for more safety and rescue equipment which can be effective as the jaws was in it’s early days. Another solution may be a standardized emergency radio disabling system with a frequency that is unique to emergency situations which can disable such safety systems preventing injuries to rescuers as they try to save lives. Carbon fiber which is used in more exotic cars is a very difficult material to deal with for it is many times stronger than steel that only hydraulic cutters can deal with. Better measures such as improved budgets, training materials and re-training of personnel in how to deal with such materials should they need to be handled.
Research into possible assistance by the car’s computers along with various sensors in aiding drivers when driving in bad weather is underway to make the roads safer. Funded by Veridan and Honda, the researchers at The University of Buffalo are working to perfect and prototype a system which would have some built-in reflexes into the car allowing it to assist the driver in case of a skid or slide. Many drivers still get into accidents when ice, rain and other weather impair the usual driving environment.
The system would involve the car’s computer which would have some pre-loaded reflex routines that tackle most driving situations, sensors that will be embedded in every part of the vehicle and active assist systems much like ABS assists you in maneuvers on slick roads. There is a required level of skill that is involved in order to recover from a spin such as which way to turn the wheel to counter the spin and how fast the driver has to turn it to effectively avoid disaster. The braking, engine, steering and many more parts of the car would assist the driver in making that critical split-second decisions on which way to turn the wheel and how much braking and engine power would be required. The parameters that would be built into these proposed systems are being tried out in simulators to obtain repeatable and standard results.
Researchers have found that the best and least invasive assistance technique can be achieved by audible warnings which allow the driver to keep his eyes on the road to allow better understanding of the situation. The new system would supplement but not totally take over the control of the vehicle for the best and fastest computer in the world is still the human brain which makes hundreds of thousands of calculations from visual cues and other sensory gathered information to allow the proper technique to be executed. The driver is still the most dangerous part of a motor vehicle for even with all the advanced technologies and safety systems that have been developed; the person is still the biggest threat to himself. Proper training and stimuli can help make a person more focused on his driving and lessen the accidents that have become more common on the streets of today.
Continued from the previous post.
For the cons, well there isn’t much for the only problem they have seen so far is that there was a higher emission level for carbon monoxide (which is deadly to humans) and that it will decrease the engines maximum output to some extent. There is also a nasty trait of BioDiesel that it is a very good solvent that any deposits in the engine or fuel system can get dislodged by the fuel causing clogging in filters, pumps and other fuel delivery parts. After switching to BioDiesel or the other available blends (pure biodiesel or B100 or mixed with petroleum diesel and sold as B20) it is recommended that you get the fuel pump changed and all other parts that are made of rubber in it’s many forms and shapes with non-rubber ones to avoid leaks and spraying you with the stuff.
No fuel alternative is perfect for most of them are still in the development stage. Opposed to the almost century old history of the current diesel and gas powered engines, the technologies for alternative energy/fuel are still in their infancy. There are some who argue that shifting to BioDiesel will increase emissions rather than decrease it. It would also create problems with grain exports for farmers would opt to farm higher yield BioDiesel producing crops than export grains. The landscape would change from diverse fields of several diverse grains to corn or other more productive oil producing crops. An answer to this would be research into using algae (microscopic plants) for BioDiesel production to minimize the economic impact crop shifts would have.
We will surely see more and more green vehicles and alternatives at the gas pump in the future for we have no choice. We have poisoned the earth for so long that the effects are now causing catastrophic changes to our weather and health. We just hope these technologies would filter down faster to the end-user (which is you and me) as they get to perfect their respective technologies before it is too late for mother earth.
