A Car or a Computer or Both?

Imagine you are a time traveler from 1940, and you just got plunked down into a car dealership.  That machine isn’t as much as a machine as it used to be, is it?

While the technology has greatly improved our cars, one unintended consequence has happened:  Those colorful touch screens are quite distracting!  Once, you could reach down without taking your eyes off the road and simply adjust the temperature.  Now, you have to swipe to the right page, zoom in on the virtual knob, and slide it to the right position.  Assuming you haven’t already driven off the road by now.

Enter the whiz-kids at Apple.  According to appleinsider.com, they have just received a patent from the U.S. government for a whole new way to control your dashboard.  One idea: a projection onto a generic knob that would change things like the volume or the air conditioning, depending on what was being projected.  Existing technologies such as “heads up displays” or like what you see on cameras that detect the position of your head would allow you to keep your eyes on the road.

The most interesting technology is for a touch screen that actually forms ridges and raised areas to give you the ability to “feel” your way across the touch screen, without the need to look at it.  All of these technologies not only make driving in the car easier, but safer too.

Now… if the computer would just hand me my French fries…

Too Hot for Air Conditioning?

When traveling through the impossible heat of Death Valley in Nevada, you may see a sign telling you to turn OFF your air conditioning.  Could that be right?  Switch off the sweet cool air while traveling through the place with the hottest recorded temperature in the world?  Who would do such a thing?

Well, it turns out it’s a pretty reasonable bit of advice.  While our area almost never sees such extreme temperatures, it’s good to know what is happening when you use your air conditioning.

While you are nice and cool inside, your air conditioning is working hard.  Real hard.  It takes quite a bit of energy (heat) to keep you cool.  Thus, when traveling through Death Valley, the park rangers recommend turning the air conditioning off so the engine doesn’t overheat. 

This is good to remember, because if you are ever pulling a boat, camper, or trailer you may glance down and notice the engine really starting to heat up.  A good way to back that temperature down is to turn off your A/C.  You may sweat a little bit, but you can save some major damage to your engine.

As always, before you go on any long trip, make sure the cooling fluid is at the proper levels, the tires and brakes are in good shape, and the belts and hoses are not getting oldand cracked.  Got any questions?  Stop by and we can help!

The Rain and Your Brakes

Water on the roads isn’t good for anybody, and it really causes havoc with the ability to stop your car.  Inevitably, you’re going to drive through a puddle, and that’s likely to splash water up into your brakes.  A light tap a few times afterwards will actually help dry the brake pads to help you stop better the next time.

Got your cruise control on?  Turn it off!  Cruise control works on how fast it “thinks” the car is going. If you happen to hydroplane with cruise control on, those wheels will start spinning crazy-fast and you could have some big troubles once the tires make contact with the road again.

Lastly, if you hear some temporary squealing in your brakes after it rains that could be a couple of things.  Sometimes a little harmless rust forms on the surface rotors and makes noise until it gets knocked way, or trapped water in little grooves heats up and actually whistles like a tea pot as it steams away.  If the squealing lasts more than a minute or two, you might have something completely different going on and you may need to bring your car in for a complete check.

Beyond that, all the other safe driving rules apply:  Don’t drive through standing water, slow down during rain, and bring an umbrella.  You don’t want your hair all mussed up, do you?

What About Electric Trucks?

Part of the reason electric cars, for now, are rather small is because there’s only so much power in those batteries.  Make no mistake, the strides made in alternative power for cars has been remarkable, but it is also somewhat limited.  The biggest limitations are distance and the size of the vehicle.  While there are smaller trucks used right now that are electric, semi-trucks and buses, which do account for a good portion of the fossil fuels consumed, are left out.

Frito Lay uses electric trucks in California that can travel 80 miles on a single charge

So, what about trucks?  The biggest challenge right now is that the battery to run a big truck or an interstate bus line would be so ridiculously huge, the truck would need a second truck just to carry the battery for the first truck.  And, a four passenger bus isn’t very sensible either.

Enter power lines… in the roads.  While the technology is far from perfect, the idea is an interesting one.  Researchers at Volvo are working on a way to electrify the highways so that trucks, buses, and presumably cars, can travel along for great distances without the need for a recharge. 

Problems abound.  Rebuilding the entire interstate system is one.  Another issue is just how to get the power from the road into the car.  While these are no small hurdles, some of the advances the auto industry has seen just in the last 5 to 8 years in alternative energy vehicles has been revolutionary.

Of course, if vehicles constantly run without the need to pull over and refuel we may create another problem:  Where will we take a potty break and who is going to make us a frozen Coke?

Can You Save Gas by Turning Off an Engine?

You probably heard your Dad tell you that it “uses more gas to start a car than it does to keep it running.”  He probably heard it from his Dad, and someplace along the way, it was really a thing.

 

When cars engines used to have carburetors, you did expend a little extra gas getting the car started.  Hence, it wasn’t the worst idea to leave your car running when you ran in the old service station to get a pack of Lucky Strikes.  And, besides… that nice rumble of idling is a great way to get Peggy Sue’s attention and see if she might want to grab a malt.  Two straws, please.

Let’s fast forward to present day.  Engines now have more advanced fuel injection technology.  It’s a much more realistic way to use gas, and turning it from on to off to on again isn’t going to waste gas.

Now, it would be a bit silly to be killing the motor every time you come to a red light… and the savings would be pretty small.  But, if you think you’re going to be sitting for a couple minutes, like while a lengthy train passes by, or that fast food order isn’t coming quite fast enough… you may save some gas by shutting the engine off.

Many hybrid cars have been perfecting this technology over the past decade.  As you come to a stop, the engine just quietly shuts down and the internal battery takes over.  A bit hard to get used to at first, but the fuel savings are real.

Now, all that otherstuff your Dad told you still applies.  Don’t rev the engine, don’t go over the speed limit, and always hold the door for Peggy Sue. 

Happy Father’s Day, and safe driving!

Brake fluid, Unicorns, and Other Myths

The brake fluid is low… so just add some more, right?  We get that a lot at U.S. Automotive, but unfortunately brake fluid isn’t the same as coolant or even your oil.  If your brake fluid is low, something might be wrong. 

 

Topping off your Brake Fluid could mask larger issues

Here’s what’s going on:  As your brakes start to wear down, more fluid is needed to fill the caliper space.  You don’t need to know all those details, but you do need to know that just “topping off” the brake fluid could end up masking something important.

Brake fluid is actually helping the hydraulics in your system apply pressure to the brakes.  It’s a good idea to flush and change the brake fluid every couple of years, but it’s not always a good idea to just add some extra just so your little light goes off. 

If you do add some, it’s always important to release the old stuff when you have any work done on your brakes.  It’s the kind of thing that could make the difference between a nice parking job, and driving through the window of the flower shop.  As always, if you think something just doesn’t seem right, bring it on in and we’ll be happyto take a look.

Here’s to safe driving!