Bio-ethanol May not Be The Biggest Hit But it Packs a Punch

Over the past few years car companies have been pushing the use of alternative fuels for vehicles. Most of these have gone unnoticed, mainly due to the fact that they are less potent than gasoline.  The fuel pump and fuel pump assembly are able to handle Ethanol without issue and the engines can as well.

The facts about Ethanol are easily seen, while the fuel may not work well in normal engines but once a few key components are changed to work with ethanol…watch out! The main issue caused by the way ethanol ignites, new injector timing and ignition are the main issues. Companies like Honda or Toyota have not really tried to push this set up because the cost to the average consumer would be around $3000 and not many of us are just willing to drop that much coin.

The companies that have been able to take advantage of the ethanol change are companies like Ferrari or Koenigsegg. While most of us will never be able to afford anything that these companies off…especially Koenigsegg who mainly makes cars that cost close to a million dollars, the technology is there for the taking.  New technology is always showcased in the more expensive cars and trickles down to the rest of us, usually in the Mercedes S class. Ferrari recently released the FF which is a 4WD that makes 650HP but tune it for Ethanol and that number jumps to around 875HP. That’s right no forced induction just a good tune. Koenigsegg tuned the Agera R from 927HP up to 1,100HP just by using Ethanol and there are many other examples of this fuel doing great things. Maybe sooner than later it will become main stream…oh and did I mention that it is a renewable fuel source.

Nissan Scratch Shield iPhone Case

I know how to repair steering parts and I know how to diagnose a failed turbocharger, but I cannot figure out how to keep my iPhone case scratch free.  Yes, the whole reason why you buy a case is so that it gets the scratches instead of the phone, but I am a car guy so any type of scratches bothers me.  Well, it looks like it annoyed some other, more important car guys too.  Nissan has come out with an iPhone case that heals itself from scratches.

The Japanese car company says this case is the first one to have “self-healing technology.” At first this sounded unbelievable, like something out of a science fiction movie.  This is a phone case, not an alligator’s tail. Nevertheless, as I read more about the case it sounded more plausible.

The iPhone case’s outer layer of paint is the same scratch proof paint Nissan uses on some of their vehicles.  The active ingredient that makes this stuff magical is called polyrotaxane.  (It’s word like polyrotaxane that make me happy to be a writer and not a reporter. I couldn’t pronounce that correctly if you gave me a hundred tries.) When the case gets dinged the chemicals flexible structure reacts by reverting back to its original state.  This action makes it look like the case is healing itself.   Small scratches can take less than an hour to heal, while deeper cuts can take up to a week.

The case is currently on a trial run in Europe.  If tests go well and demand is high, Nissan will bring the iPhone case to market.  I am not sure why they are spending all this money on testing these cases.  They could have just given my 3 year old nephew one of these things for a day and found out its true power.   

"You May Not Run Out of Gas" - Youngstown, OH

In light of news that Massachusetts has been charging $275 to fight a traffic ticket whether you win or lose, I was wondering what other ridiculous regulations were going on out there in the car world. I’m not talking about requirements that ensure your fuel injectors and turbochargers are in good working condition. I’m talking about some ridiculous, yet very real, traffic regulations such as it being illegal for a driver in Alabama to be blindfolded while operating a vehicle. This is obviously so dangerous that it should be illegal, but I wonder what happened down the line that this had to become an actual law.

Some of these laws are so old and just haven’t yet been abolished, while others are due to not-so-smart people doing some not-so-smart things. In California, no vehicle without a driver may exceed 60 mph. Also, women may not drive in a house coat. In Arcadia, CA peacocks have the right of way to cross any street, and in Temecula ducks have the right of way at all times. In San Diego, it is illegal to shoot jackrabbits from the back of a streetcar. Is your car getting dirty? Don’t go to Downey, CA where it is illegal to wash your car in the street.

Head over to the east coast and you’ll find some pretty crazy regulations as well. In Hartford, CT it is illegal to cross the street if you happen to be walking on your hands. In Marietta, GA it is illegal to spit from a car or bus, but you can from a truck! In Tennessee, driving is NOT to be done while asleep. In Virginia Beach, if you are drunk and not driving, but the driver is drunk as well, you can BOTH receive a DUI. What if you happen to hit a pedestrian in Sarasota, FL? Be prepared to pay the $78 fine.

While many of these regulations were made many, many years ago and just haven’t been abolished, they are all still active laws in their respective states. While I don’t think that a woman would be ticketed for driving a car without a man waving a flag in front of it (yes, this is still “illegal” in Louisiana), it is interesting to read some of these outdated traffic laws. And back to Massachusetts charging $275 to fight a ticket. They say these fees are necessary as thousands of people appeal tickets which are causing rising administrative costs. Sounds to me like pressure to just pay your ticket whether it was deserved or not, and I don’t think you should be charged to defend yourself in court.

The Tow Plow

The kids are screaming in the back seat so you look down to press play on your DVD Player, but when you look back up you see what appears to be an out of control semi.  You panic and yell out, “HOLY FUEL PUMP! That truck has lost control.” I am here to inform you not to worry; it is all part of the show.  This crazy device cruising down the highway is called the Tow Plow.  It’s a snow plow on steroids.  It can do the job of two and a half snow plows all by itself.  It makes the Mr.Plow look pathetic.

The Tow Plow is basically what it sounds like.  It is another plow that a normal snowplow tows behind it.  The operator of the snow plow can operate the tow plow with two controls.  One of the controls lifts and lowers the blade, while the other steers the device. The primary use of the Tow Plow is to clear highways with multiple lanes. It can do its job at speeds up to 55 miles per hour, and can also come equipped with the ability to drop sand, salt, or liquid calcium chloride.

The Tow Plow was developed in Missouri but is currently being used in several states, such as Minnesota, Utah, Maine, and Pennsylvania.  Even though it costs a hefty $100,000, states say it makes sense to buy them, because it does the job of two plows and two snow plow drivers.  Check out a video of the Tow Plow in action, CLICK HERE.

Cars to Avoid on Friday the 13th

Car Problems are a scary thing.  It does not matter whether it’s a faulty Diesel Injector or a malfunctioning Engine Control Module.  The issue is either going to cause unsafe driving, or scare the stuffing out of your wallet.  Although failing car parts are bone-chilling, cars themselves can be even more menacing.  Over the years, the movie industry has tapped into this and has given us some classic movie villains.  While the movie, Friday the 13^th did not star any of these vehicles, I thought I would mention some of the definitive horror cars to honor this day.

Any conversation about horror movies and cars must start with Christine.  The killer in this John Carpenter movie was a 1958 Plymouth Fury.  In Stephen King’s book Christine was haunted by her past owner, but in the movie adaptation the car was born bad.  The film’s tagline claims the vehicle was possessed by Hell.  So, before you decide to restore an old Plymouth make sure you warn your girlfriend, because it may try to kill her.

One of the creepier cars to grace the silver screen was the rusty old 1941 Chevy COE (Cab Over Engine) in Jeeper Creepers.  The movie starts off with a young brother and sister driving back from spring break in a 1960 Chevy Impala.  As they drive through some corn fields the massive COE tries to run them off the road.  Then a bunch of people die, more non-car related stuff happens, the driver of the COE grows wings and I think someone gets eaten.  At least I know the COE’s license plate was, B EATING U, so someone better have gotten eaten.

Stephen King makes his second contribution to this list with his 80’s horror movie stinker Maximum Overdrive.  In this movie, Emilio Estevez is chased by a bunch of vehicles that came alive because of a freak radiation storm.  The leader of these deadly automobiles is a White Western Star 4800 semi-truck, with the face of Green Goblin from Spiderman.  Unlike the Spiderman movie this Green Goblin was not voiced by Willem Dafoe, it simply made a lot of vroom vroom and toot toot sounds.

Honorable mentions go to, Herbie from The Love Bug and The Delorean from Back to the Future 2. Herbie makes the list because anything that has to do with Lindsay Lohan scares the me.  Sadly, the Dolorean gets a mention because Back to the Future 2 was one of the worst sequels of all time, It was scary bad.  Also, it’s 2012… WHERE IS MY HOVERBOARD!!!

Hope you have a frightening Friday the 13^th Muahahahahaha

Push to Start, Push to Park, Push to Drive?

It’s again the week that brings us the latest in tech from the CES convention in Vegas and the latest from the automobile industry at the NAIAS in Detroit. But this year the lines between the two seemed to blur as automobiles took a prominent spot at CES and technology was booming at the Detroit Auto Show. We’re not just talking about your standard car stereo or car navigation system; almost every automaker introduced better-than-ever entertainment systems that connect the driver like never before.

Chevrolet, Toyota, Audi, Hyundai and Ford are among the many automobile companies that have recognized the growing importance of technology while driving. Chevrolet’s “MyLink” offers wireless phone compatibility which can link your calls and address book directly to the vehicle. The car also offers wireless streaming of music from your phone including the use of Pandora and other music apps. Toyota’s “Entune” offers the same features, but also has built in apps including Pandora, iHeartRadio, Bing search and more. Audi Connect will feature a pop-up 7-inch touchscreen display, connected wirelessly and automatically to your phone to access a multitude of features. The knob by the driver’s side can scroll through screens and text, making it easier to operate than a traditional display screen. With this system you can store and track flights, view and play your phones entire music library, get news, weather and gas prices, and even create a Wi-Fi hotspot in the vehicle! Almost every new model offers a remote-link app for your cell phone which allows you to unlock, lock, sound the alarm, and sometimes start your vehicle from anywhere in the world. The days of car keys are slowly becoming a thing of the past.

Almost nothing excites me more than the progression of technology, especially when it comes to entertainment. For years the capabilities of our phones and other gadgets have exceeded that of our vehicles and it’s about time these features were incorporated into our cars.  I wonder how long it will be until our cars are the ones doing all the driving; they can already park themselves.

Stop Risking My Life When You Drive

Driving is hazardous to your health no matter how you look at it, traveling at speeds faster than we were ever meant to go. Think what people just 100 years ago would say if they saw the cars we have now…Amazing! I am not talking about cars equipped with superchargers, turbochargers and nitro’d out race cars no I am talking about your Honda. For thousands of years humans have gotten by with foot travel known as walking or running only recently have people begun to drive. This mode of transport is brand new in the great scheme of things and still many people don’t take it seriously.

Everyday modern humans do things that would be considered to be magic or the work of a higher power. Imagine how someone would have reacted to your 50” LED TV 200 years ago, they would have called you a witch and burned you for summoning demons. Cars are a device that has been designed to move people from one place to another more quickly than horseback and the car has revolutionized the human race.

There are a few key factors that should be followed when driving a car, the first and certainly not least important is to pay attention. Today on the freeway there was a woman in an Audi driving at 55 – 60 MPH and had her laptop mounted on the steering wheel. This is not only illegal but so stupid it cannot be over exaggerated how dumb and dangerous this is. There is a ban on cell phone use in cars but this just takes the cake for distracted driving, using a laptop while driving…sheesh. Another failure that people make is failing to realize what on-ramps and off-ramps are. These stretches of road are here for accelerating to highway speeds and slowing from them. In other words you can exit the highway without braking in traffic and causing a slowdown.  On ramps, even the ones in Cali with lights on them are meant to give the driver a chance to get to highway speed so they can merge. Too many people ignore this and cause accidents or congestion just because they failed to use the provided facilities correctly. One thing to remember is that roads and highways are government property not yours so follow the rules.