GPI Automotive

iTrip usage

2009-01-12T22:41:00.000-08:00

I just bought an iTrip by Griffin off ebay for under 7 bucks including shipping. This unit, which plugs directly into the charging/syncing plug of an ipod has a lot of bang for the buck. It works by using a weak/unused FM radio frequency to transmit the music of the ipod through a standard car stereo. I used it to listen to music on a trip from San Diego, CA to Big Bear, CA. I had only minimal static in a few areas, the rest of the time it sounded like the ipod was hard wired into the stereo. The unit automatically chooses a station and then displays it on a small LCD screen. You then tune your stereo to that station, its as simple as that. I highly recommend this unit to anyone with an ipod.

Better Bungee Cords at SEMA

2008-11-15T23:38:00.000-08:00

At GPI we are currently field testing some products that we obtained at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show (SEMA). One such product that shows some serious potential is the Link Strap by Zuru. It is a stretchable poly material strap that can be locked to itself or to other straps. Since each strap is metal free, there is no chance that it could bang/scratch against the vehicle that it is being secured to. Another advantage to these straps is that they are rated for 90 pounds each and are soil and salt resistant. The straps are designed in Australia and made in China. We will be field testing these straps on a boat and will report back our findings over the next few months. For more information on the straps, please visit www.zuru.com.

Wagon, the five letter word that trumps SUV

2008-10-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

I test drove a 2009 VW Jetta Sportwagon and was thoroughly impressed. It was nothing like the 1981 Rabbit that I drove in the mid to late 90's for an import parts house. This car actually stopped, steered, and accelerated with the confidence of a car twice its price(also known as an Audi Avant). The five cylinder engine was so smooth and quiet at idle that I had to look at the tach to see if it was still running. In addition, the clutch take up and shifter feel made it feel like a car I'd actually like to drive on a daily basis. Finding a manual in a wagon today is about as rare as it gets for anything without a propeller on the hood(BMW).

Looking at the back seat and cargo area, I realized the real value of this machine. It had more useful cargo and people space than many compact and midsize SUV crossovers without the fuel penalty. The Jetta wagon can be had with a standard 5 cylinder, a turbo 4 cylinder, or my favorite, a turbo charged direct injection diesel. That diesel gets in the high 30's around town and in the mid 40's on the road with either a DSG(dual sequential gearbox) or a real 6 speed manual.

The Jetta is loaded with little details that make it feel more expensive that it really is. These include standard heated front seats, map lights, rear seat vents with air volume control, electronic brake differential and electronic stability control. The car has 3 power points as well as a standard electronic recline on the drivers seat and an MP3 jack. The seat, dash, and headliner finish off the expensive look. It seems that VW is creeping toward Audi, which is good news for consumers of mid to low priced VW cars.

Check Engine Light (CEL)

2008-07-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

All cars since 1988 and many prior to that year have some sort of check engine light that will come on briefly when the ignition is turned on, and when the car senses their is an emission control failure. It is linked to the on board diagnostics system(OBD 1 and in 1996, OBD2) that regulates and records the actions of the various emission controls in today's computer controlled cars. The check engine light itself is the warning light that car owners will see ignited when the system detects a failure, anything from a gas cap not screwed on tight enough to a malfunctioning catalytic converter.

It is important to note that when this light comes on, there is no danger of an engine failure. The car will continue to run, it just might not be running at optimal efficiency. In addition, the car will not pass a smog inspection with the light on, regardless of how clean it's running. As cars age, the light can become more burdensome and require a code reader to diagnose the problem. The code reader is plugged into the OBD port and then displays fault a code that tells the mechanic what system is not working or not working correctly. This code may or may not be the car's actual problem, as many mechanics will tell you that the computer does not always detect the correct problem.

Sometimes the light can be reset by disconnecting the car battery for a brief period of time. Other times it will shut itself off if it fails to detect the problem after a given amount of time. Some of the newer systems actually record what triggered the light and then will store it in the car's memory, things like a cylinder misfiring.

Global Positioning Systems(GPS)

2008-05-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

Automotive GPS devices are slowly making there way into the hands of more and more consumers. When these devices became available the consumer about 15 years ago, they cost several thousands of dollars and were extraordinary slow and cumbersome. Like most profitable electronics, they have made the huge leap from from mere gadget to mainstream, consumer friendly appliance in a relatively short amount of time.

GPS systems work by montitoring the positions global satelites that were sent up by the US goverment in the 1980's. The government released the codes for these man made space objects and thus allowed a new industry to flourish. I remember watching 1980's television shows that showed make believe GPS systems, most notably was the mapping system that K.I.T.T from Knight Rider, that David Hasselhoff used to find the bad guys.

Today's automotive GPS systems can act like a mobile concierge. Some allow a user to connect there bluetooth enabled device, such as a mobile phone/PDA and can be voice activated. Thus, the user can locate a point of interest and then call to find out more about it/make reservations without lifting their hands off the steering wheel.

An automotive GPS device can be extremely helpful someone traveling or moving to a new town, as it allows them to find their destinations on their own and some even allow for music storage. This can be a very handy feature, as it allows the user to bring with their own music on a trip, rather than being subjected to the local fare. Since 1995 the car rental company Hertz has offered NeverLost GPS units in some of there vehicles. Today's consumer can buy a portable unit for under 200 bucks and take it with them when they travel.

Some people consider GPS to be a safety device as well, since most units have a programable HOME button that will take the user back to their house no matter where they are currently located. Automotive GPS devices can also be used to track current/average/maximum speed, which means parents can track how far and how fast their teenagers are going in their cars. They devices can also be used as a locator/signal sender in some cars, thus making it easier for emergency personnel to find a car crash.

Well beyond the term gadget...

2008-04-28T22:01:00.000-07:00

I have discovered a great new automotive tool and have been using it for over a week now with excellent results. The device is called the Scangauge 2 and its available online for about 170 bucks including shipping. This device is menu driven and has customizable displays. It plugs into the OBD2 port that most 1996 and newer cars have and is ready to go out of the box.

The Scangauge can be used to monitor engine performance, trip economy and trouble codes that light up a check engine light. Since its menu driven, even someone like me with questionable computer skills can learn to use it in an evening. Some of the gauges that are available include a volt meter, water and intake temp, throttle position, instant economy, miles per hour, load, average and maximum speed, cost per trip/day/previous day/tank, distance till empty, fuel pressure, and more.

This device has become popular among "hypermilers," which are people who try to ring every mile out of a gallon that they can. I have used the throttle positioning gauge and instant economy gauge to obtain better mileage. Unlike a lot of trip computers that come on cars today, this one continually updates the distance till empty function and gives a realistic range. The device is so adjustable that it allows the fine tuning of how much gas the car takes at the station with the ultimate goal being more reliable readouts.

The scangauge even allows users to add gauges as the codes are discovered for them. I currently have horsepower usage added. With this gauge, I can tell how much more horsepower my car needs to generate when I turn on the air conditioning. As gas prices creep over 4 dollars a gallon, this type of tool will become more and more useful.

One final note: The device allows users to figure out how much fuel they burn per hour and how much each trip costs. Its almost like the meter in a taxi....

Run-Flat$=Ha$$le

2008-04-08T22:06:00.000-07:00

The run-flat tire is really a sign of our times. The idea and intentions of this invention are easy for the average person on the street to understand. Using an extemely stiff sidewall, the run-flat tire can be driven safely for about 50 miles or so at 50mph without air. On top of that, they allow for roomier trunks, as most vehicles equiped with run-flat tires do not have spare tires of any size. Since the tires can be driven on without air pressure, a person can drive home/out of danger on them instead of having to change the tire on the side of the road or call roadside assistance. Run-flat tires are so stiff that they require tire pressure sensors, as some drivers may not be aware that they have a "flat" tire.

Automobile companies like run-flats for a variety of reasons. In addition to avoiding the cost and space of a spare/doughnut tire in the trunk, the run-flats usually require special equipment for installation that dealers and only large automotive tire shops have, thus giving them(the automotive dealers)more after-sale business.

There are two reasons why a person usually gets a flat tire and in both cases the run-flat makes a bad situation worse. The first situation and most common is when a tire runs over something sharp like a nail. On a regular tire, the consumer usually has the option to change out the temporarily defective tire for a spare and fix it at their leisure. On a run-flat, once the tire has been driven without air, it is considered junk. The consumer must then buy a new tire, usually to the tune of over 200 dollars, after the tire is punctured . The second scienario, which is far less common, is when the tire is shredded and cannot be repaired. In this stituation, a spare tire can be mounted on a non-run-flat equiped vehicle and the owner can then head to the local tire store and purchase a tire. The run-flat tire owner in this situation is now stuck and cannot move their car until help via tow truck arrives. In addition, they now have to find a shop/dealer that has their tire and the equipment to mount it.

The consumer is the real loser here in the long run. Many are sold cars with run-flats and only to find out later that they have over a thousand dollars worth of tires on their vehicles that must be replaced every 20-40 thousand miles.

Marketing and the Station Wagon

2008-03-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

Today there are countless vehicles on the road that even twenty years ago would have been labeled station wagons. The politically correct term for this type of vehicle is now "cross over." The term station wagon has been banished from the current automotive vocabulary and is now as jurassic as a curb feeler.

The interesting thing about the the current crop of wagons, now called cross overs, is that they compromise some of a station wagons best qualities. For example, new vehicles like the Nissan Rogue and the Infiniti EX are higher off the ground than the cars they are based on (Nissan Sentra and the Infiniti G35) and thus they are less fuel efficient, more prone to roll due to a higher center of gravity, and require a tall person/ladder to reach the roof rack. The worst part of this is that companies making these products jacked them up so no one would confuse them with a station wagon. Further more, putting a car on stilts does not make it an off road vehicle and each car maker makes it clear that these vehicles are not designed for off road use. This is where the marketing comes in and never leaves. Car makers today seem to be paying more attention to the image than the product itself. The cross over is less capable than either a car or a truck and thus fails at both jobs.

The Missing Third Pedal

2008-02-19T21:51:00.000-08:00

There are few things left on the modern automobile that are as mechanically simple as a cable or hydraulically operated clutch. There have been three pedals on the floorboards of vehicles since the Model T. While the T didn't use a clutch as we know it today, its competitors of the same vintage, as well as the modern vehicles of today use the same clutch, brake, and accelerator order. The clutch allows for the smooth transition between gears. Without the clutch, one must match revs when shifting and even then the gears will occasionally crash into one another when changing from one to another.

Learning to drive for many people over the age 60 today involved learning the delicate foot dance between the clutch, brake and accelerator pedals. Many of these individuals chose to drive automatics later, but they learned on manuals and can drive them today. I bring up this point because being able to drive a manual transmission can come in handy even in todays world. The skill of being able to drive a stick shift can be useful when renting a car outside the US, taking the keys from someone with both a stick shift car and a high blood alcohol content, and buying the only manual car on the dealership lot that they, the dealer will sometimes deal more on just to get rid of it.

The advantages of well driven stick shift over automatic include less maintenance, higher city fuel economy (most of the time), more power, more control, and finally theft protection. I state his last advantage because one has to be able to drive manual in order to steal a manual car.

The trends over the last 15 years have put the mechanical manual transmission on death row. There are many cars today that include two gates on their automatics like the Tiptronic system that Audi/VW/Porsche use. These systems allow drivers to manually shift through the gears of an automatic. Some even go further and use real manual gear boxes like VW's Twin Clutch system and BMW's Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG). In these systems computers push in the clutch and match RPM's automatically while the driver can opt to either shift gears themselves or let the computer complete the shift.

While the automatic/automated manual gear boxes will probably replace most stick shifts in the coming years, there are those that cling to the third pedal and won't drive anything else. For the US market only, BMW most recently had to reverse engineer a stick shift gear box to work with their current M5, a car that was never designed to work with anything but SMG. I suspect though with time manual transmissions will go to the same place as carburators, manual chokes, crank starters, speedometer cables, and tube tires. Due to advances in technology, the third pedal will probably become more of a novelty than a genuine option on cars in the future.

Exploring The Marketing of Hybrids

2008-02-14T21:35:00.000-08:00

It appears that like most things in the automotive world, styling and the "look at me factor" have been the reasons for a hybrid's success or failure. The first mass produced hybrid (gas and electric) on the market in the United States was the Honda Insight. That vehicle was styled to be attractive to the wind, not the eyes. Its tear drop shape made it the most economical vehicle for sale in the US for its entire life cycle. Many people thought it was the rebirth of the Civic CRX that was also a fuel economy champ in its time. Unfortunately for the Insight, it had bit too much styling and not enough practicality to be loved by those who bought a hybrid as a fashion accessory.

Honda later came out with the Civic Hybrid, which to the untrained eye looked identical to a garden variety Civic. This vehicle had the opposite problem of the Insight, it actually looked too much like a regular Civic. The car returned over 50 mpg on the highway in manual form, but it was a partial failure on the showroom floor. It appeared that hybrid buyers were more interested in what others thought of their choice rather than the fact that vehicle was more frugal on gas.

Toyota seemed to recognize Honda's mistakes when they brought the first generation Prius to the US market in 2001. The Prius looked different enough to be noticed by the average motorist, but not different enough be considered an eye sore. The Prius could also be driven at slow speeds without internal combustion power, which meant it had the ability to impress people that new nothing about cars. Toyota also acknowledged that the only way they were going to see a profit(which they supposedly did on the last of the first generations ones that went out the door), they had to make the vehicle practical enough to be a daily driver for a family, not a two seater with limited load capacity like the Insight. Unlike the Insight, Toyota equiped every Prius with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and air conditioning. These features allowed it to be considered more of a real car and less of a toy/extra car that the Insight was by design. The 20+ thousand dollar Prius managed to rack up mileage in the mid 40's, which while good, was not significantly better than a 12 thousand dollar Corolla, especially one equiped with a manual transmission.

Both Honda and Toyota are well into their second generation hybrids and have more or less stayed on the same path as the first generation cars. They Toyota still looks like nothing else on the road and the Honda easily be mistaken for a Civic that costs thousands less. As a result of these styling changes, the Prius continues to outsell the Civic Hybrid. Honda even tried to make its best selling sedan, the Accord, a little greener by making it into a hybrid as well. That car, which was cancelled after about two model years, was faster than the regular six cylinder car and got great reviews. Unfortunately, the Accord Hybrid didn't look much different than a standard Accord and had trouble matching the four cylinder Accord's fuel economy.

Toyota must have learned from the Accord lesson when the marketed the Lexus RX400h and subsequent "performance hybrids." Instead of going after the green crowd, Toyota realized that if they made a vehicle a hybrid, all it had to do was get slightly better mileage than the regular version and people would buy it. Most of advertising and marketing for these types of hybrids focus on the performance of the vehicle, not the gas mileage.

The fact that many of today's hybrids, excluding the current GM full size SUV system, get only fractionally better mileage than their non-hybrid models the proof that many people today buy these vehicles for the environmental statement that they make. Even the state and federal government has bought into the hybrid statement and issues a limited number of car pool lane passes to each model of hybrid that can meet certain combined fuel economy criteria. The ironic thing about this is that hybrids are most efficient and cost effective when sitting in traffic and when being driven in the city. All commerically available hybrids today need gas engine power to run at freeway speeds.

I mention the GM hybrid system because it seems to be the first one that has the potential to pay off as an economical alterative to the non-hybrid version. It is projected to get about fifty percent better mileage in the city than the standard model. This is significantly better than the smaller hybrids when compared to their standard models.

Welcome to the Automotive Blog for Geeks!

2008-02-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

My name is Brett Litoff and I am the automotive consultant for GPI geeks. I have worked in the automotive industry for over 15 years, doing everything from consulting for new car purchasers to sorting grey market vehicle parts at a salvage yard. I intend to use this blog as a service to the internet community by identifying myths from the realities of the automotive world. I would like this column to be interactive and would encourage an active discussion on the topic at hand.

Some to topics I intend to discuss include hybrid vehicles, the decontenting of cars, new diesel technology, the evolution of computers in vehicles, and the disappearance of the clutch pedal.