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There's one born every minute.
Some time ago, we took a Ford
Mustang into our shop that was misfiring and burning gas at an incredible
rate.
After analysis, we discovered that the owner had changed his spark plugs
to the fabulous new Splitfires.
We promptly changed him back to the recommended Motorcraft plugs and all
his problems went away.
SplitFire spark plugs were popular
and heavily advertised in the 1990s despite controversy over their effectiveness.
In 1997, the United States Federal Trade Commission charged SplitFire with
deceptive advertising. The manufacturer
settled the charges with the FTC; as part of the settlement, SplitFire was
prohibited from making deceptive claims
about fuel economy or emissions.
After the settlement, the popularity of SplitFire's spark plug range declined,
but many drivers, probably embarrassed by their gullibility, continued to
use the product.
Now, as I watch Formula One
racing broadcasts, I see that another spark plug is making the same claims.
It's called the E3.
Over the years, countless companies have come up with devices claimed to
reduce fuel consumption. The claims have ranged
from plausible to the ridiculous. For example, Shell Oil company is flogging
"nitrogen enhanced gasoline".
There is absolutely no evidence that Shell gas is any better than anyother
name brand in this regard.
Air, is after all, 80% nitrogen to start with.
Wrapping magnets around your
fuel line will not double your mileage and the only way you will ever get
rust protection for
your car is to buy the right car in the first place and have it sprayed underneath
with oil formulas after the first five years of
factory protection have started to wear off. Electronic rust prevention costs
upwards of $400 and simply
DOES NOT WORK - AT ALL
Spark plugs have long been a popular area for "innovation" of this sort.
One of the latest comes in the form of the E3 spark plug
featuring its DiamondFire electrode. This one falls into the plausible-but-unlikely
category.
A writer named Larry Edsall
recently undertook the latest iteration of a 5,000 mile annual road trip
and decided to try out the
E3 plugs. While E3 claims a 3-5 percent improvement in mileage, Edsall found
his dipped from between 20.11/19.98 the
previous two years to 19.18 with the E3 plugs. He did all the usual maintenance
things like oil changes and tire pressure
checks before leaving. Of course the vehicle was a year older and more worn
which may have contributed to the dip.
But even a fully scientific
test with two or more vehicles running side by side in the same conditions
(aside from the spark plugs)
would probably yield a negligible difference at best. The E3 plugs aren't
that pricey ($6-7 each) so if you do choose to try them
it won't cost a lot. Just don't be too disappointed if you don't see much
improvement in mileage or if you pull into your favourite
garage only to be told that your experiment in engine design and engineering
was a complete failure
A basic question no one seems
to ask is why, if these devices are so effective, is it that the Society
of Automotive Engineers
(SAE) has neither bothered to test any of them, or more importantly, recommend
them.
The following article was widely
published this week, including CTV:
"Canadians are spending significantly
less on vehicle maintenance this year as they put their faith in more reliable
vehicles
to help them save money in an uncertain economy.
Canadians' annualized spending
on repairs and maintenance has decreased 12.5 per cent to $9.8 billion this
year from
$11.2 billion in 2009. The study, based on responses from 14,500 owners
in Canada whose vehicles are between three
and 12 years old, attributed the drop to less routine maintenance spending
by owners.
Consumers are forking out
less cash as cars become more reliable and the average age of Canadian vehicles
drops.
Stagnant economic conditions may be one reason owners might postpone expenditures,
including routine vehicle maintenance.
There are also other factors contributing to this decline, including longer
manufacturer-recommended service intervals (and)
improved vehicle reliability....
It seems Canadian vehicle
owners are becoming comfortable with the notion that they don't need to do
as much to maintain
their vehicles as they once did. Average spending per service visit fell
more than 18 per cent to $287 this year from $352 in 2009,
while the overall number of service visits also declined. The study attributed
the decrease to lower spending on maintenance,
saying revenue from vehicle repair work was stable. Average annual spending
on repairs and maintenance was highest in
Ontario at $730, and lowest in Quebec at $499. In the Atlantic provinces,
consumers spent an average of $681 per year.
On the Prairies it was $665 and in British Columbia it was $589."
At our shop, we have certainly
seen a slow down. Although the work continues, a two week reservation booking
is currently a thing
of the past.
I think there may be one more
factor. A "zero percent financing, seventy two months to pay, $3500 cash
back" offer may have
tempted quite a lot of people, faced with fairly large repair estimates
from a stealershipto take the plunge.
Certainly GM is using taxpayer
bailout money to bribe people into buying their products. GM is the incentive
leader in this market.
But in our business, there's
an old saying: "Pay me now, or pay me much more later".
The concept of planned maintenance
is well known in most industries and every plant engineer knows that if you
ignore your
equipment, it will fail at the most inconvenient time. As far as cars
and trucks are concerned, planned maintenance breaks
down (if you'll excuse the expression!) into two parts - safety and reliability.
For the most part, reliability
is no more than an inconvenience, particularly if you are an auto club member.
But safety is a
completely different issue.
A loose ball joint MAY not give
you any warning before it lets go. A tie rod end failure can leave you without
any steering.
A rusty brake line can leave you with that sinking feeling as your brake
pedal goes to the floor.
I can sympathise greatly with
the person who just lost his or her job, has two kids to feed and clothe
and needs to remain mobile
to go for job interviews.
So I would suggest that a check
up every 6 months at a time when tire changes are necessary anyway, is the
minimum that you
should do. At least disastrous defects can be dealt with and other defects
coming at you can be scheduled and allowed for in
the family budget.
Putting on your own wheels
in your driveway unfortunately will not tell you enough about the general
condition of your car.
Lifting a car up in the air gives one an amazing view of what's really
going on underneath. If you decide to have such an inspection
done, please make sure it is carried out BEFORE any rust treatment is
applied.
That process makes our job unpleasant
and far more time consuming.
Be nice to your turbocharger and it'll do the same for your bank account.
Red:
HOT
Blue: Very cold
Most of the major car manufacturers
and a couple of Ponzi scheme upstarts are rushing headlong into the production
of
electric cars.
Either with ICE back up, or
with batteries alone.
Most of these manufacturers
really don't want to get into this rat race, but there is so much bailout
money, so many Obamabucks,
available that they can't afford not to. All the testing in the world,
doesn't prepare the manufacturers for what happens when their
products are placed into the tender, loving care of the general public.
Let's wait awhile and see how much negativity develops
and how much unintended consequences occur as these wonderful (?)
new machines hit the market.
In the meantime, what the manufacturers
would like to do and are doing very quietly, is developing very
high mileage cars and
trucks that are both comparatively uncomplicated, easy to assemble
and very profitable. They all seem to have one common
agenda and that is the use of turbochargers.
Hyundais' new four cylinder,
two litre engine in the Sonata for example, produces 135 HP per litre.
Which is an absolutely phenomenal figure obtainable only by outright
racing cars ten years ago.
The ultimate turbo engine was Renaults' F1 twin turbo 1 1/2 litre
engine which could exceed 1000 HP
when the "pull to pass trigger" was activated.
In principle, turbo charging is an elegant engineering solution to the need for both power and economy.
The turbocharger is not new.
It was invented by Swiss engineer Alfred Büchi. His patent for a
turbocharger was applied for
use in 1905.
Diesel ships and locomotives with turbochargers began appearing in the
1920s.
A turbocharger is a small radial
fan pump driven by the energy of the exhaust gases of an engine. A turbocharger
consists of
a turbine and a compressor on a shared shaft. The turbine converts
exhaust heat and pressure to rotational force, which is in
turn used to drive the compressor. The compressor draws in ambient
air and pumps it in to the intake manifold at increased
pressure, resulting in a greater mass of air entering the cylinders
on each intake stroke.
The objective of a turbocharger
is the same as a supercharger; to improve the engine's volumetric efficiency
by solving one
of its cardinal limitations. A naturally aspirated automobile engine
uses only the downward stroke of a piston to create an
area of low pressure in order to draw air into the cylinder through
the intake valves. The pressure in the atmosphere is no
more than 1 atmosphere (approximately 14.7 psi), so there ultimately
will be a limit to the pressure difference across the
intake valves and thus the amount of airflow entering the combustion
chamber. Since the turbocharger increases the
pressure at the point where air is entering the cylinder, a greater
mass of air (oxygen) will be forced in as the inlet manifold
pressure increases. The additional air flow makes it possible to
maintain the combustion chamber pressure and fuel/air load
even at high engine revolution speeds, increasing the power and
torque output of the engine.
To avoid detonation and physical
damage, the pressure in the cylinder must not go too high, to prevent
this the intake pressure
must be controlled by venting excess gas. The control function is
performed by a waste gate, which routes some of the exhaust
flow away from the turbine. This regulates air pressure in the intake
manifold.
If
you took two identical cars, one turbocharged and one normally aspirated
and drove them side by side, thereby eliminating all
variables such as wind speed, humidity, ambient temperature and tire
pressures, the turbo charged car would produce much
better fuel economy, because it is using waste energy from the exhaust
system. In real life, the exhilaration of acceleration
causes the driver to push down much harder on the right hand pedal
and fuel economy goes to hell in a hand basket.
A
turbo is very stressed component when operating. On the one side it is drawing
air at as low a temperature as minus fourty
degrees and on the other side is handling waste gas at 3600 degrees.
Consequently, the centre bearing and the connecting
shaft have to be very, very strong. In the last few years, the impellers
have been made of ceramic material to better withstand
the temperature shock and eliminate turbo delay.
It
has long been recommended that turbos be allowed to cool down by having
the engine idle for at least three minutes
after an extended run at high speeds.
Therefore,
as turbos become more and more common, on more and more vehicles, a word
of warning is needed;
1)
Never buy a used car with a turbo unless you are absolutely sure that
maintenance has been carried out to the letter
throughout the vehicles' life.
A turbo is almost as expensive as an engine when replacement
is required and therefore, proper lubrication is vital.
2)
If you buy a new car with a turbo, RELIGIOUSLY FOLLOW THE MAINTENANCE
SCHEDULE TO THE LETTER.
This doesn't mean you have to go to a dealer, necessarily,
but make sure that the "jiffylube" or independent repair
garage knows exactly what engine oil has to be used
and when it should be changed.
3) ALWAYS use the best synthetic lubricant you can. Amsoil and Total
Quartz, for example being two of the best.
Make sure that the viscosity specification shown
in your owners manual is always used.
4) Treat the turbocharger with
some deference. From a cold start, let it warm up slowly with gentle
driving and, as previously
mentioned, let the engine idle for a few minutes
before you shut it down.
Starting any engine before you
fasten your seat belt and adjust the mirror, or clear snow off the windows
is a good habit to
acquire.
For this reason and in the case
of turbos particularly, remote starting is probably a good thing to have.
Why is this man smiling?
Probably because he just billed you for
repairs you didn't need.
I have, in my archives, a VCR tape
of a program that CTV ran in conjunction with the Automobile
Protection Association of
a test in which the APA renovated a minivan
and then deliberately sabotaged it by loosening a battery
ground cable.
They then took it across Canada
complaining that intermittently, the van failed to start. I'm proud to say
that most of the
independent repair shops came out looking
good - having charged $20, or nothing for tightening the cable.
The worst offenders were Sears and
Canadian Tire (CT). In one instance, a hidden camera catches
one so-called CT
mechanic destroying ignition wires to
justify their replacement. Some estimates went
as high as $1200, for a loose battery cable.
Not by coincidence, Sears abandoned
the business of car repairs immediately following the airing
of this investigation.
They had also been caught doing the same
thing in the USA and fined a lot of money.
This week, CBS ran a segment where
they prepared cars in California by renovating them and
then grinding down the
front brake pads to practically nothing.
The people who prepared the cars advised, that since the rotors
were brand new,
the repair charge should be in the region
of $160. Which, in my view, is about right.
They drove the cars across the USA
and this time it was car dealers who caught it in the neck.
One dealer actually managed to boost
the bill to $600, including an injector cleaning (a big
favourite with the rip-off brigade)
and a rad flush. Again and surprisingly,
it was the independents in New York who gave an honest answer
and $160 is about
what they quoted.
Canadian Tire is run, in many cases,
by franchisees who make their own decisions, but this disease
of constantly over charging
for unnecessary work and parts replacement
is rampant at CT. They know about it, because they started
to run a TV ad campaign
that showed a couple being given a no
charge invoice for work done, because it was a simple problem.
That TV ad lasted about
6 weeks before it was laughed out of court
(I assume).
Last weekend, the Toronto Star
ran an article documenting how CT was going to "go back to basics" and change
their way of
doing business. The article implied, but
did not actually state, that CT had a long way to go to improve
its' reputation.
What follows is here is Star reader
comments. I hope the powers that be at CT were suitably
embarrassed:
CT should stop treating everyone
who drives an "import" (in CT parlance, not a Ford, GM or
Chrysler product) like a freak.
Get with the 21st century: Most cars on
Canadian roads are now made by offshore companies! The former
Big 3 are now
the oddballs, not "import" drivers.
I
made a mistake not listening to all my friends advice and
tried CT in February this year. This was a brainless job-Ontario
Drive
Clean certificate for my 4 year old car.
The technician had a hard time to find and turn off the traction
control feature.
Then he reported that the gas cap needed
to be replaced .... or no certification. I was suspicious but
paid the $17,
rather than spending time to do this elsewhere.
Two days later, the "Check Engine" was flashing. It cost
me $120 at a
GM dealership to find out the CT gas cap
was no good. I returned to CT but the Service Manager said
he could not care less
about what happened. E mailed to canadiantire.com
and nobody ever bothers to reply. I'm sure not even Michael
Medline
could send me back to their service bays.
The only reasons I got to Canadian Tire's
auto service bays: I'm desperate for auto repair and can't
drive further, and I ONLY
want my tires rotated.. The most BASIC
tasks that Canadian Tire messes up: performing an oil change
and not lubing the filter's
seal- difficult to remove later, mounting
tires and not using a torque wrench to tighten the wheel
nuts- I've often stood on my tire
iron unable to remove nuts installed by
Canadian Tire.. There is an ignorance of "good practice" when
it comes to the mechanics..
The auto service bays are commonly knows
as APPRENTICE CENTRAL, because MOST of Canada's mechanic apprentice's
START at Canadian Tire..
They need to do something about trust
for auto repairs. Everybody in our town knows is you take
your car in for brake linings
you will end up with rotors, calipers,
pads,and probably an alignment .I know a guy who took his car
in for a safety check
and was told he needed the entire front
end rebuilt. He went to the dealer who said it was OK. Why
would he ever go back for repairs.
My 65 year old mother suffered a battery
failure in her car and someone at CT saw her coming. Not
only did they replace the
battery but tried to sell her an new alternator
when the old one was perfectly good. She refused and had
it checked out be her
regular mechanic. When asked about the
alternator he said he could change it for her but he had to
sleep at night.
Most of my gripes are covered. Lack of
staff knowledge is a really big one. Place things on the
shelf in a logical order,
don't push for the impulse buy. CTC used
to be recognized as providing good value get rid of the junk
and do that again
I received a Mastercraft toolbox for
Christmas and the latch got bent. I went to exchange it,
and the clerk wanted a receipt.
I advised her that this was a Christmas
gift so how would I have a receipt? They refused to take
it back. I asked her who
else makes Mastercraft? Only Canadian
Tire does! They still refused. I left disgusted and will
never spend a dime in a
Canadian Tire again. The staff are incompetent
(if you can ever find one). I wouldn't trust them to top up
washer fluid, let
alone an oil change/car repair/installing
tires. I've seen the Canadian Tire story on Silverman Helps.
An independent mechanic meets my car repair
needs better as he has an actual interest in keeping me safe
and happy.