There is a good reason why you all are getting such poor mileage...
In this day of high gas prices, it is amazing that so few drivers are changing any of the habits that have led to unnecessairly low mileage figures all along.
What are the major contributors for the actual mileage your vehicle gets? Well, to state the obvious, it is one part driver, and one part vehicle configuration.
1. Vehicle configuration: Every motorized vehicle built by a major manufacturer has certain inherit limits to the mileage it can obtain. These limits are dictated by certain key design elements that cannot be escaped unless the vehicle is modified in some way. Following is a brief run-down of the key design elements that most affect mileage:
A.) Vehicle Weight - A car that weighs 2,500 pounds has a better chance of better mileage than a car with similar porportions that weighs 4,000 pounds. However, a very sleek vehicle that weighs 4,000 pounds might get very good mileage, even with a large engine, given some other elements are in its favor. But overall, a heavier vehicle struggles to obtain the same mileage of a welterweight.
B.) Engine size and configuration - Put an efficient, 120 hp four cylinder motor in a 4,000 pound car and watch the gas needle move with haste. The engine needs to be more than efficient; it needs to be properly matched to the car. However, overall, smaller motors suck down less fuel than larger motors. The more cylinders you have to feed, the more fuel is required. No way around it. But keep in mind that the Chevy Corvette, with a 400 hp V8 can easily see 28 mpg on the highway, provided it is driven sanely. There are tons of "rice burners" out there that never see 28 mpg on the highway, so more factors than just engine size makes up the whole mpg picture.
C.) Coefficient of Drag - known in the industry as "cd," your car has an assigned cd that is derived from wind resistance and power loss due to that inherent wind resistance. For example, a large 15 passenger van may have a cd of 45, whereas the aforementioned Corvette has a cd of about 29. A cd lower than 28 is rare, and most modern cars shoot for a cd in the low 30's. Total frontal area, mirror shapes and sizes, vehicle height (ground clearance and overall height), roof racks, and grill design, among other external design elements, all affect the cd rating. Most trucks have a poor cd number due to their overall massive design and flat fronts. This is why you see cd ratings dictating design in the automotive world. Everyone wants their vehicles to be as sleek as possible so that they can achieve better mpg numbers, and to reduce interior noise. Either way, a high cd number hurts highway mpg numbers no matter what.
D.) Gearing - In the "old days," almost all cars had a 3 speed transmission. "Overdrive" was unheard of except among 18 wheelers. Finally, after eons of time passed, auto makers finally decided to begin installing overdrive transmissions into cars. So, what does an "overdrive" do? Well, the term overdrive means that instead of having a direct 1:1 final drive ratio (one engine revolution for one differential revolution), in overdrive, you lower the engine revolutions, much in the same way a 10 speed bicycle, through gearing, can give the rider greater speed without having to pedal faster. Lower engine speeds equals less frictional losses internally, and lower fuel consumption. So, a vehicle with no overdrive, or with a very conservative overdrive, will suffer mileage woes compared to a vehicle that has a "tall" overdrive (low rpm's at highway speeds).
There are other, less influencial factors, but those are enough to make the point. So, what is the best case scenario for achieving top mileage? Easy! Just get yourself a very sleek, very lightweight car with a small, efficient motor teamed with a transmission with 5 or 6 gears and a tall or multiple overdrives, and high mileage may be in your future.
As for a reality check, the makers of your vehicle have made compromises in all 4 areas mentioned and what they came up with in terms of vehicle parameters will greatly affect your mileage numbers.
But, there is one other major contributing factor -- YOU!
2. The Driver: Even the most fuel efficient car can get sucky mileage when in the hands of a lead footed driver. There are tons of you out there getting 14 and 16 mpg when 18 and 20 is easily obtainable, if you would only stop throttling it everywhere you go! Americans are some of the most lead footed, impatient, and drag race-oriented drivers in the world. And more often than not, the person next to you that seems to be trying to warp time is not some pencil-necked teen boy, but a youngish, cell phone talking, makeup fixing soccer mom who knows nothing of using a blinker or how to make a proper turn.
Seems like everyone is running and gunning like there is no tomorrow, and when gas is $4 a gallon, you would think there would be a little more caution applied in the right foot. But no, Americans are all drag racers, rushing off to make the most of their self centered days filled with senseless activity and deplorable relationships. And their mileage just plain sucks. But do they care? Guess not.
If, by some miracle, you would like to make a few changes in your personal driving habits so as to reap the benefits of greater mpg, here are a few basic hints:
A.) Accelerate modestly - In city driving, your mileage is almost 75% determined by how you accelerate from a stop. Gun it, and mileage goes down dramatically. Ease off the line and accelerate in a linear fashion, and you may start getting mileage you never knew was possible.
B.) Learn to coast - if you don't know what this means, it implies that there is always some time that passes between letting off the gas pedal, and applying the brake pedal. Most Americans always go directly from gas to brake, and brake to gas, with no time in between. If that is you, then your mileage is far worse than possible and you are to blame. When you are coming upon a red light or stop sign, just ease off the gas and coast for a bit. It saves your brakes and improves your city mpg and besides.....you have to stop anyway, so why not just ease off and enjoy the ride?
C.) Be Consistent - avoid stabbing the throttle. Ease into, and off of, the gas pedal, find a speed that is safe and legal, and with great finess, maintain that speed. The "rabbit" next to you gunning it will have to stop at the next red light like you do, so don't worry about him. THINK about your driving and work at being fluid and consistent.
D.) Lay off the brakes - Goes with coasting and being easy on the gas. Use your brakes to stop, but not to slow down. If you are paying attention and maintaining safe distances, you can moderate your proximity to other cars via gentle and calculated throttle inputs. Look ahead for brake lights, and when you see them lighting up coming towards you, ease off the gas and prepare to stop. Keep in mind that repeated stabbing of the brakes cuts mpg heavily, so be fluid!
Half of your mpg figure is determined by the vehicle designer, but the other half is up to you. Put down the cell phone, set aside the cola, tell the kids to shut up, and think about your driving. Slow down, ease up, become more fluid with finess, and watch your mpg numbers climb.
Drive precise!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Night Rider
Are you an "owl" when it comes to driving at night?
Most people have trouble seeing well at night when driving, for a variety of reasons. Before we get into those reasons and some possible remedies, a little common sense is in order.
If you have ever driven a motorcycle, and done so at night, you know what it is like to be practically free of sight incumberances, and yet still have trouble seeing. Amazing as it may seem, even with an open faced helmet on, and no windscreen, it can still be hard to see. Wind (causing tears), reduced visibility (due to darkness) and the distraction of driving while avoiding potential hazards all take away from what should be a truly care free visual experience. But that's on a motorcyle, outside the normal scope of discussion we have here. What about auto drivers?
It is important that everyone, regardless of age or supposed "eye accuity" understands that visibility is hindered by the darkness. End of discussion. We as humans simply cannot see as well, with as much clarity, and as far in the darkness (even with street lights, etc.) as we can in the daylight. We also must accept that our sight sense is overwhelmed, or maybe over-taxed, in the darkness, clouding our judgment and what we can concentrate upon. In layman's terms: driving at night puts more pressure upon our brain. Result? We miss more, while having higher anxiety. It's a burden upon our system to drive at night, but that does not mean we cannot navigate the dark streets without hope. Ah dear driver, there is hope! (and not the hollow type Barak speaks of)
Some Reasons for Reduced Vision during Night Driving
1. Glare: Unless you're driving a buggy, you have a windshield. It keeps bugs and rain off your face. It also refracts light coming in, creating "halo's" and "sunbursts" that effectively knock out a portion of your visual field, even if for a moment. Some glare is unavoidable, but most can be cured by.....you guessed it.....having a clean windshield. It's been said, but not heeded -- cleaning the inside of your windshield, and on a regular basis, is a very important regular maintenance item. The more smudges and dirty film you have on the inside, the more you will suffer from glare, both at night and in day. But don't ignore the outside either. Keep it clean, and treated with Rain-X or similar product so that it sheds water, bugs, and dust effectively. Scrub the inside of those windows, and take a drive at night and marvel at the difference!
2. Candle Power: Are your headlights effective? Are they old? Have they ever been adjusted? Is one of them possibly burned out? Effectiveness may be hard to quantify, but if your headlights are more than 5 years old, it's time to change them. All halogen headlamps (about 80% on the road are of this type) lose candlepower over time. 5 years is considered the useful lifespan, if you want all they can give. If this is the case, or one is burned out, always replace them in pairs, and consider switching to a more white light brand that mimics the more powerful and clear "HID" (High Intensity Discharge) Xenon headlamps. Many brands offer these imitations that basically give off a more true white light, rather than the traditional yellowish light of more common halogen.
If you have halogen headlights and want to upgrade to the current champ - Xenon - you must check with your car's manufacturer to see if this can be done. Otherwise, you will have to purchase a kit that will be fairly expensive (upwards of $500) to retrofit your vehicle with these lamps. If you are purchasing a new car, invest in Xenon then, as the cost on a new car is considerably less than retrofitting. In any case, replace and upgrade, even if your current lamps seem "fine." You WILL see the difference.
If the plastic cover over your headlamps is hazy or cloudy, there are cheap kits you can purchase at your local auto store that will help you return them to a clear lens. Spend a few bucks and about 15 minutes and see better.
And please, in all cases, make a practice of cleaning your headlamps regularly, especially after driving in the snow or in rain. Just a quick wipe with an old rag can make a big difference.
3. No Smoking, Please: If you smoke, don't do so at night. Besides the obvious reduction in vision with a smoke filled cabin, your eyes are effected by the chemicals in the cigarettes and your pupils tend to shrink, letting in less light, and reducing night vision. Smoking while driving (goes for passengers too) is analagous to smearing vasoline on your windshield. Don't do it!
4. Practice Forward Viewing: A fancy way of saying, "practice looking further down the road." This is a great tip for driving under any condition, and especially at night. Force yourself to routinely (like 2 times every 5 seconds) look as far down the road as your natural vision will allow. In certain dark conditions, this may be just as far as your headlights shine, but most of the time, you will be able to pick up on small visual cues like animal eyes shining, a bicycle reflector, or a street sign glimmering, indicating intersections, hazards, etc. It is normal for most drivers to let their eyes rest on the road about 15 to 20 feet in front of their hood, and that is asking for trouble! Realize this and make a habit of looking into down the road, as far as 1/4 mile. You may be amazed how this will help you react far quicker and maintain a much safer position on the road.
5. Think Ahead: Sounds reasonable, right? Well, many drivers forget to think ahead (just observe drivers at any off ramp on any interstate) while playing with the radio, talking on their cell phones (sorry), eating a cheese danish muffin and a coke, or whatever. Distractions are always a bad idea, especially those we invite in on purpose. It's enough to just drive with both hands on the wheel and giving it our undivided attention so that we can get home alive, so we don't need any more stress. Stress is bad! So, especially at night, we want to remove as many distractions as possible (since our brain is already being over taxed) and focus upon driving and looking for hazards and thinking about our next move. Look for visual landmarks. Allow more time to merge and turn. Quit talking (if doing so) when entering intersections and on unfamiliar roads. Put down the cell phone! Sit up straight, use the high beams whenever you can, and pay attention.
If you were to snoop around for more fantastic night driving ideas, most would revolve around the basics of having a clear visual field, being alert, and improving your head lights. Don't be a lazy Lucy and just yawn at these stellar suggestions. Take a minute, invest a few bucks, and be amazed at how much better and further you can see at night!
It might even help you to drive more precisely at night.
Most people have trouble seeing well at night when driving, for a variety of reasons. Before we get into those reasons and some possible remedies, a little common sense is in order.
If you have ever driven a motorcycle, and done so at night, you know what it is like to be practically free of sight incumberances, and yet still have trouble seeing. Amazing as it may seem, even with an open faced helmet on, and no windscreen, it can still be hard to see. Wind (causing tears), reduced visibility (due to darkness) and the distraction of driving while avoiding potential hazards all take away from what should be a truly care free visual experience. But that's on a motorcyle, outside the normal scope of discussion we have here. What about auto drivers?
It is important that everyone, regardless of age or supposed "eye accuity" understands that visibility is hindered by the darkness. End of discussion. We as humans simply cannot see as well, with as much clarity, and as far in the darkness (even with street lights, etc.) as we can in the daylight. We also must accept that our sight sense is overwhelmed, or maybe over-taxed, in the darkness, clouding our judgment and what we can concentrate upon. In layman's terms: driving at night puts more pressure upon our brain. Result? We miss more, while having higher anxiety. It's a burden upon our system to drive at night, but that does not mean we cannot navigate the dark streets without hope. Ah dear driver, there is hope! (and not the hollow type Barak speaks of)
Some Reasons for Reduced Vision during Night Driving
1. Glare: Unless you're driving a buggy, you have a windshield. It keeps bugs and rain off your face. It also refracts light coming in, creating "halo's" and "sunbursts" that effectively knock out a portion of your visual field, even if for a moment. Some glare is unavoidable, but most can be cured by.....you guessed it.....having a clean windshield. It's been said, but not heeded -- cleaning the inside of your windshield, and on a regular basis, is a very important regular maintenance item. The more smudges and dirty film you have on the inside, the more you will suffer from glare, both at night and in day. But don't ignore the outside either. Keep it clean, and treated with Rain-X or similar product so that it sheds water, bugs, and dust effectively. Scrub the inside of those windows, and take a drive at night and marvel at the difference!
2. Candle Power: Are your headlights effective? Are they old? Have they ever been adjusted? Is one of them possibly burned out? Effectiveness may be hard to quantify, but if your headlights are more than 5 years old, it's time to change them. All halogen headlamps (about 80% on the road are of this type) lose candlepower over time. 5 years is considered the useful lifespan, if you want all they can give. If this is the case, or one is burned out, always replace them in pairs, and consider switching to a more white light brand that mimics the more powerful and clear "HID" (High Intensity Discharge) Xenon headlamps. Many brands offer these imitations that basically give off a more true white light, rather than the traditional yellowish light of more common halogen.
If you have halogen headlights and want to upgrade to the current champ - Xenon - you must check with your car's manufacturer to see if this can be done. Otherwise, you will have to purchase a kit that will be fairly expensive (upwards of $500) to retrofit your vehicle with these lamps. If you are purchasing a new car, invest in Xenon then, as the cost on a new car is considerably less than retrofitting. In any case, replace and upgrade, even if your current lamps seem "fine." You WILL see the difference.
If the plastic cover over your headlamps is hazy or cloudy, there are cheap kits you can purchase at your local auto store that will help you return them to a clear lens. Spend a few bucks and about 15 minutes and see better.
And please, in all cases, make a practice of cleaning your headlamps regularly, especially after driving in the snow or in rain. Just a quick wipe with an old rag can make a big difference.
3. No Smoking, Please: If you smoke, don't do so at night. Besides the obvious reduction in vision with a smoke filled cabin, your eyes are effected by the chemicals in the cigarettes and your pupils tend to shrink, letting in less light, and reducing night vision. Smoking while driving (goes for passengers too) is analagous to smearing vasoline on your windshield. Don't do it!
4. Practice Forward Viewing: A fancy way of saying, "practice looking further down the road." This is a great tip for driving under any condition, and especially at night. Force yourself to routinely (like 2 times every 5 seconds) look as far down the road as your natural vision will allow. In certain dark conditions, this may be just as far as your headlights shine, but most of the time, you will be able to pick up on small visual cues like animal eyes shining, a bicycle reflector, or a street sign glimmering, indicating intersections, hazards, etc. It is normal for most drivers to let their eyes rest on the road about 15 to 20 feet in front of their hood, and that is asking for trouble! Realize this and make a habit of looking into down the road, as far as 1/4 mile. You may be amazed how this will help you react far quicker and maintain a much safer position on the road.
5. Think Ahead: Sounds reasonable, right? Well, many drivers forget to think ahead (just observe drivers at any off ramp on any interstate) while playing with the radio, talking on their cell phones (sorry), eating a cheese danish muffin and a coke, or whatever. Distractions are always a bad idea, especially those we invite in on purpose. It's enough to just drive with both hands on the wheel and giving it our undivided attention so that we can get home alive, so we don't need any more stress. Stress is bad! So, especially at night, we want to remove as many distractions as possible (since our brain is already being over taxed) and focus upon driving and looking for hazards and thinking about our next move. Look for visual landmarks. Allow more time to merge and turn. Quit talking (if doing so) when entering intersections and on unfamiliar roads. Put down the cell phone! Sit up straight, use the high beams whenever you can, and pay attention.
If you were to snoop around for more fantastic night driving ideas, most would revolve around the basics of having a clear visual field, being alert, and improving your head lights. Don't be a lazy Lucy and just yawn at these stellar suggestions. Take a minute, invest a few bucks, and be amazed at how much better and further you can see at night!
It might even help you to drive more precisely at night.
Friday, March 14, 2008
The Green of Things
Can cars help make our planet green?
Wrong question. The right question is: are cars making our planet less green, as in, harder for life to exist?
The answer? No. In fact, to have over 8 billion motorized vehicles on this planet, we are remarkably green, friendly, and healthy. Chalk up another divine win for the Lord.
How can this be? Haven't the left wing, liberal, tree lovin' media types told us that it's all this mechanized madness that is supposedly, allegedly destroying our ozone, our atmosphere, and our polar bears? Of course, there is no hard and fast data to give an inkling of proof, but that doesn't keep them from shouting their message of mass awefullness.
Ever since 1970, auto manufacturers in North America have been installing equipment on cars and trucks that is designed to lower the harmful emissions they naturally produce. In the 38 years hence, some of that equipment has evolved, grown, and been added to, and along with great strides in other technologies, we now have cars and trucks that run so efficiently and cleanly, the ever present smog that used to lay over NYC and Los Angeles is all but forgotten. To be sure, it's been the tree huggin' folks that have pushed Detroit to build cleaner running cars, but there was a natural evolution occurring already that was going to lead auto builders to design more efficient, more powerful vehicles anyway. The green crowd just pushed them a bit.
Today, the typical car relies upon catalytic converters, EGR (exhaust gas recurculator) valves, PCV (positive crankcase valves) valves, and a myriad of electronic engine controls to clean the tailpipe exhaust. The advent of multi-port fuel injection (and in more recent day, direct injection), coil-on-plug (distributorless) ignitions, and computerized engine management controls has not only made smaller engines as powerful as big blocks were 3 decades ago, they also are more efficient and run very clean. The reason? Why, it's simple....
The internal combustion engine is inherently inefficient by design, but steady improvements in the field of technology has raised what used to be a standard of 25% efficiency, towards 60%+ efficiency today. Igniting gas and oxygen in a combustion chamber is not a complicated process, but that process creates heat, and all together, fumes such as NoX and Co2 are produced. The good news is -- the more efficient the engine, the less noxious gases are produced. Better efficiency means better mileage, and better mileage means you can now afford to buy a coke, instead of settling for water.
What the tree huggin' crowd doesn't realize is that there is no need for such novelty jokes as compressed hydrogen, E85, and electric cars. All those "technologies" are inefficient, costly, and promise far more than they can deliver. Electric cars are by design highly inefficient, and the battery technology just isn't there. Maybe one day, but for now, battery technology is analagous to where TV technology was in the 1950's.
Compressed hydrogen is fraught with packaging problems, as is natural gas. Want to drive a certain explosion vehicle? Get yourself a compressed gas ve-hickle. Makes the Pinto of yore look like a fire cracker.
E85? Has anyone gotten the memo that E85 produces more torque, less power, and far less mileage than regular gasoline? Sure, run E85 in your big bad F-150, but be prepared to pump in about 25% more corn flakes in your tank at each fill-up. And guess what? The farming community already knows that far more land will have to be used to keep up with the demand on corn, raising the price even more. Oh, don't forget that E85 requires more expensive conversion systems on your car, raising the buying price by at least 15%.
But what about those pesky little hybrids? Again, that technology is in it's infancy, ever-changing, and frankly, does not look promising. The lofty Toyota Prius has routinely returned actual mileage far lower than expected. The average Prius is reportedly getting closer to 38 mpg on the highway, rather than the 48 that was supposed to be seen. It's underpowered, over complicated, highly expensive, and the trees are greener than ever. Not due to this "earth saving" vehicle, but because it's spring.
Auto makers of the world cringed when President Bush announced the CAFE standards for 2020, set at the ridiculous level of 35 mpg. What this means is that all auto makers will have to build and design cars and trucks in their fleet that meet, on average, 35 mpg on the highway. Now, that's a gross over-generalization, but it is close to the truth. This new standard will have to be interpreted and wrangled over with the energy secretary and the auto makers, and together they will hack out deals and loop holes, but regardless of how it plays out, it means one thing: either vastly more efficient gas fired motors, or far smaller and lighter cars, or both. Don't look for tidy little electric cars zooming around, because that is not likely going to happen. What is far more likely is that Americans,. at the very least, will be forced to change from high riding SUV's (sorry, sadistic soccer moms) to low riding, little mini-movers with turbo-charged 3 and 4 cylinder motors that are direct injected, run clean, and return great mileage. Detroit can do it, and will, and then the Japanese and Germans will steal our technology, develop it further, and call it their own.
Ah, well, such is the world of the automobile.
Ignore the ignorant hype and the promise of a cleaner environment. Smaller, cleaner, more powerful, and better packaged cars are coming, and they will burn good old gasoline, and all will be well with the world. This global warming fiasco will abate, such as it has already three times in the past century, and small minded people with a left leaning will get back to working, spoiling their children, and voting for candidates that represent the former Soviet Union more than the United States.
Maybe we will still be able to buy loud aftermarket mufflers and make those turbo'd 4 bangers sound fierce.
Drive precise!
Wrong question. The right question is: are cars making our planet less green, as in, harder for life to exist?
The answer? No. In fact, to have over 8 billion motorized vehicles on this planet, we are remarkably green, friendly, and healthy. Chalk up another divine win for the Lord.
How can this be? Haven't the left wing, liberal, tree lovin' media types told us that it's all this mechanized madness that is supposedly, allegedly destroying our ozone, our atmosphere, and our polar bears? Of course, there is no hard and fast data to give an inkling of proof, but that doesn't keep them from shouting their message of mass awefullness.
Ever since 1970, auto manufacturers in North America have been installing equipment on cars and trucks that is designed to lower the harmful emissions they naturally produce. In the 38 years hence, some of that equipment has evolved, grown, and been added to, and along with great strides in other technologies, we now have cars and trucks that run so efficiently and cleanly, the ever present smog that used to lay over NYC and Los Angeles is all but forgotten. To be sure, it's been the tree huggin' folks that have pushed Detroit to build cleaner running cars, but there was a natural evolution occurring already that was going to lead auto builders to design more efficient, more powerful vehicles anyway. The green crowd just pushed them a bit.
Today, the typical car relies upon catalytic converters, EGR (exhaust gas recurculator) valves, PCV (positive crankcase valves) valves, and a myriad of electronic engine controls to clean the tailpipe exhaust. The advent of multi-port fuel injection (and in more recent day, direct injection), coil-on-plug (distributorless) ignitions, and computerized engine management controls has not only made smaller engines as powerful as big blocks were 3 decades ago, they also are more efficient and run very clean. The reason? Why, it's simple....
The internal combustion engine is inherently inefficient by design, but steady improvements in the field of technology has raised what used to be a standard of 25% efficiency, towards 60%+ efficiency today. Igniting gas and oxygen in a combustion chamber is not a complicated process, but that process creates heat, and all together, fumes such as NoX and Co2 are produced. The good news is -- the more efficient the engine, the less noxious gases are produced. Better efficiency means better mileage, and better mileage means you can now afford to buy a coke, instead of settling for water.
What the tree huggin' crowd doesn't realize is that there is no need for such novelty jokes as compressed hydrogen, E85, and electric cars. All those "technologies" are inefficient, costly, and promise far more than they can deliver. Electric cars are by design highly inefficient, and the battery technology just isn't there. Maybe one day, but for now, battery technology is analagous to where TV technology was in the 1950's.
Compressed hydrogen is fraught with packaging problems, as is natural gas. Want to drive a certain explosion vehicle? Get yourself a compressed gas ve-hickle. Makes the Pinto of yore look like a fire cracker.
E85? Has anyone gotten the memo that E85 produces more torque, less power, and far less mileage than regular gasoline? Sure, run E85 in your big bad F-150, but be prepared to pump in about 25% more corn flakes in your tank at each fill-up. And guess what? The farming community already knows that far more land will have to be used to keep up with the demand on corn, raising the price even more. Oh, don't forget that E85 requires more expensive conversion systems on your car, raising the buying price by at least 15%.
But what about those pesky little hybrids? Again, that technology is in it's infancy, ever-changing, and frankly, does not look promising. The lofty Toyota Prius has routinely returned actual mileage far lower than expected. The average Prius is reportedly getting closer to 38 mpg on the highway, rather than the 48 that was supposed to be seen. It's underpowered, over complicated, highly expensive, and the trees are greener than ever. Not due to this "earth saving" vehicle, but because it's spring.
Auto makers of the world cringed when President Bush announced the CAFE standards for 2020, set at the ridiculous level of 35 mpg. What this means is that all auto makers will have to build and design cars and trucks in their fleet that meet, on average, 35 mpg on the highway. Now, that's a gross over-generalization, but it is close to the truth. This new standard will have to be interpreted and wrangled over with the energy secretary and the auto makers, and together they will hack out deals and loop holes, but regardless of how it plays out, it means one thing: either vastly more efficient gas fired motors, or far smaller and lighter cars, or both. Don't look for tidy little electric cars zooming around, because that is not likely going to happen. What is far more likely is that Americans,. at the very least, will be forced to change from high riding SUV's (sorry, sadistic soccer moms) to low riding, little mini-movers with turbo-charged 3 and 4 cylinder motors that are direct injected, run clean, and return great mileage. Detroit can do it, and will, and then the Japanese and Germans will steal our technology, develop it further, and call it their own.
Ah, well, such is the world of the automobile.
Ignore the ignorant hype and the promise of a cleaner environment. Smaller, cleaner, more powerful, and better packaged cars are coming, and they will burn good old gasoline, and all will be well with the world. This global warming fiasco will abate, such as it has already three times in the past century, and small minded people with a left leaning will get back to working, spoiling their children, and voting for candidates that represent the former Soviet Union more than the United States.
Maybe we will still be able to buy loud aftermarket mufflers and make those turbo'd 4 bangers sound fierce.
Drive precise!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Ice Capades
Winter is in full bloom and in reality, it is beginning to wind down across the nation, which means that those final, unexpected snow/ice events will be surprising motorists and weather forecasters alike for at least another month. But must you be caught unprepared? Of course not, because you have access to superb literary tomes such as this one. Read on, dear driver and learn more about driving precisely.
Unless you live in Key West, there is a slight chance that you will encounter some frozen fun on the roads sometime in your life. Now, it goes without saying that at least 99.999 percent of all American drivers lose what little sense they had when they encounter snow/ice on the roadways, so this list of helpful hints and instructions is an attempt to reclaim a few percentage points of common sense in the hopes that fewer of you will wind up wadded around a tree or in a ditch when driving in snow/ice. So, read on, take note, and heed.
Top Ten Ways to Avoid Disaster When Driving on Snow/Ice Covered Roads
10. Slow Down: Makes sense, doesn't it, but how much, and when? Why you need to slow down when in the winter stuff is due to decreased traction, which leads to increased braking distances. Driving at 70 or at 7 mph on a snowy roadway won't cause any problems, so long as you don't encounter slip angles (turns) or the need to brake quickly. But since turns and braking is part of driving on any roadway, slowing down helps, in theory, the driver to brake in an appropriate manner. Driving steadily never killed anyone. Stopping suddenly does. If visibility is poor, and the road is habitated with other drivers, slow down more. General rule of thumb is to decrease your speed from what is posted by 5 mph for every 1/4" of snow on the ground. If ice is present, or the snow pack is freezing, cut speed by half.
9. Plan Turns in advance: On the interstate, highways, or surface streets, this does not change. When your vehicle encounters slip angles (G-forces that can cause the front end to understeer, or push, when traction is broken) at low speeds, such as on ice or snow, you have to slow sooner, turn more gradually, and be prepared for excessive understeer. "Understeer" is when you turn and the front end "plows" beyond what you intend. "Oversteer" is when the rear end of your car sweeps around unexpectedly due to loss of traction. To combat understeer, a little less braking and a little more acceleration usually does the trick, but jamming on the brakes does nothing. To avoid either condition, turn the wheel slowly and steadily, swing out wider for the turn, and reduce speed.
8. Accelerate Gracefully: Some uninformed motorists swear that front drive vehicles are better in the snow, but that is only true under some narrow conditions. Therefore, whether your car is front drive, rear drive, or some form of all-wheel drive or 4x4, accelerating steadily and methodically is a big bonus on slick roads. If your car begins to spin (especially from a dead stop) avoid letting off the gas suddenly, but rather, back off slowly and allow the tires to get a grip. Forces of inertia fade quickly as the vehicle gains just a little speed. Ease into the gas pedal, don't panic if there is some spin, and get used to the idea of having to "throttle" into moving. Some spinning is unavoidable on really bad roads, and nothing on your car will suffer or break from this event. Just as on rain soaked roads, gentle, methodical application of both the gas and brake pedal is the way to go.
7. Correcting a Spin: OK, suppose you've either performed a ham-fisted maneuver, or you just got unlucky and your car is now spinning or sliding out of control on the ice or snow. What to do? First of all, recognize right now that the decision to drive beyond your limits on snow/ice covered roads may well be a decision to wad up your precious vehicle. In certain conditions, the best of advice will either not apply, or will help too little. But, for now, let's suppose that there is time and distance available to do something. If that's the case, realize that the brake is not your friend in most cases. Modern ABS (anti-locking systems) brake systems helps tremendously, but on really slick roads, all it will do is help you steer somewhat better, but may not decrease stopping distance any at all. If you get into a spin or a slide, apply the brakes GENTLY. This will be hard to do, but at least think about it. Second, steer -- look for exits, a safe area (absence of other cars or trees, etc.) or any option that prevents a crash. Steer towards the best choice with smooth motions, understanding that the tires will be behind your steering input. Give them a second to catch up. If the car is oversteering (rear end coming around), steer into the slide. This means that you are sliding with the rearend coming around on your right, you steer to the right, and vice versa. It works like a charm, so long as you quickly adjust your steering back towards center when the car begins to respond (to avoid snap-countersteer). If you encounter gross understeer, gently let off the brakes and just as gently, get on the gas, steering towards exactly the direction you want to go. Remember, these steps only sometimes help to avoid an accident in bad conditions, but they are far better than doing nothing.
6. Uphill & Downhill: If you have to drive up a hill that you feel will present problems, try to accelerate in such a manner that you could let off the gas half way up and still make it, then do exactly, if possible. Remember that inertia will work against you if you have to change your rate of acceleration greatly while at mid-climb.
When going down a hill, and if driving an automatic, slow before you begin your descent, and select a gear other than overdrive, such as "3", or "2". Select the lower gear before you begin to pick up speed. Avoid any sudden jabs at the brake (even with ABS). Always be aware of alternate escape routes at the end of the hill should you slide or have to avoid another car. Always look ahead.
5. Be a Loner: There is no strength in numbers when it comes to driving in ice/snow. Stay away from other motorists if at all possible. In really bad conditions, allow for at least a 5 car distance from the car in front, and the car behind. This not only helps avoid accidents, but it also helps your car avoid being covered with the salt and snow spray thrown up by the car in front. If you really want to play it safe when on a multiple lane road, choose a lane to the left and check your distance from other cars by gently slowing or accelerating to maintain. If you come upon a "pack" of cars (really dim motorists feel the need to pack up in bad conditions) find a way to either get around them, or just pull off at a safe place so they can get way ahead. When you slide or spin, room and space are your two best friends in the world.
4. Use your assets: Your defroster and rear window heater are there for these times. Use them, but do yourself and your car a favor and turn off the radio, seat warmers, and ipod junk while in this mode, so as to lessen the drain on your battery and alternator. Try to avoid putting excessive heat into the defroster as this will only increase the chance of "fogging" the windows inside. Acclimate to the point where the least amount of heat does the job, and turn off the defroster when all is clear. If possible, ever-so-slightly lowering a window can help stave off fogging altogether.
3. Stay Home: Really, probably the best advice.
2. Routine Maintenance: Prepare before the snow fall. Change wiper blades. Treat the windshield with Rain-X. Properly inflate the tires. Throw a scraper, a small blanket, a flashlight, some gloves, and some bottled water and candy bars in a bag in the back. Keep your cell phone charged too. Clean the inside of your windows regularly. Visibility is king.
1. Practice: When it snows or there is ice, and if possible, get out in a deserted parking lot (or something like it, maybe a deserted road) and practice turning, accelerating, and braking where you have lots of extra room for run off and correction. Get to know what your vehicle will do under these conditions and you'll be better prepared to stop, go, turn, and avoid costly mistakes.
Drive precise!
Unless you live in Key West, there is a slight chance that you will encounter some frozen fun on the roads sometime in your life. Now, it goes without saying that at least 99.999 percent of all American drivers lose what little sense they had when they encounter snow/ice on the roadways, so this list of helpful hints and instructions is an attempt to reclaim a few percentage points of common sense in the hopes that fewer of you will wind up wadded around a tree or in a ditch when driving in snow/ice. So, read on, take note, and heed.
Top Ten Ways to Avoid Disaster When Driving on Snow/Ice Covered Roads
10. Slow Down: Makes sense, doesn't it, but how much, and when? Why you need to slow down when in the winter stuff is due to decreased traction, which leads to increased braking distances. Driving at 70 or at 7 mph on a snowy roadway won't cause any problems, so long as you don't encounter slip angles (turns) or the need to brake quickly. But since turns and braking is part of driving on any roadway, slowing down helps, in theory, the driver to brake in an appropriate manner. Driving steadily never killed anyone. Stopping suddenly does. If visibility is poor, and the road is habitated with other drivers, slow down more. General rule of thumb is to decrease your speed from what is posted by 5 mph for every 1/4" of snow on the ground. If ice is present, or the snow pack is freezing, cut speed by half.
9. Plan Turns in advance: On the interstate, highways, or surface streets, this does not change. When your vehicle encounters slip angles (G-forces that can cause the front end to understeer, or push, when traction is broken) at low speeds, such as on ice or snow, you have to slow sooner, turn more gradually, and be prepared for excessive understeer. "Understeer" is when you turn and the front end "plows" beyond what you intend. "Oversteer" is when the rear end of your car sweeps around unexpectedly due to loss of traction. To combat understeer, a little less braking and a little more acceleration usually does the trick, but jamming on the brakes does nothing. To avoid either condition, turn the wheel slowly and steadily, swing out wider for the turn, and reduce speed.
8. Accelerate Gracefully: Some uninformed motorists swear that front drive vehicles are better in the snow, but that is only true under some narrow conditions. Therefore, whether your car is front drive, rear drive, or some form of all-wheel drive or 4x4, accelerating steadily and methodically is a big bonus on slick roads. If your car begins to spin (especially from a dead stop) avoid letting off the gas suddenly, but rather, back off slowly and allow the tires to get a grip. Forces of inertia fade quickly as the vehicle gains just a little speed. Ease into the gas pedal, don't panic if there is some spin, and get used to the idea of having to "throttle" into moving. Some spinning is unavoidable on really bad roads, and nothing on your car will suffer or break from this event. Just as on rain soaked roads, gentle, methodical application of both the gas and brake pedal is the way to go.
7. Correcting a Spin: OK, suppose you've either performed a ham-fisted maneuver, or you just got unlucky and your car is now spinning or sliding out of control on the ice or snow. What to do? First of all, recognize right now that the decision to drive beyond your limits on snow/ice covered roads may well be a decision to wad up your precious vehicle. In certain conditions, the best of advice will either not apply, or will help too little. But, for now, let's suppose that there is time and distance available to do something. If that's the case, realize that the brake is not your friend in most cases. Modern ABS (anti-locking systems) brake systems helps tremendously, but on really slick roads, all it will do is help you steer somewhat better, but may not decrease stopping distance any at all. If you get into a spin or a slide, apply the brakes GENTLY. This will be hard to do, but at least think about it. Second, steer -- look for exits, a safe area (absence of other cars or trees, etc.) or any option that prevents a crash. Steer towards the best choice with smooth motions, understanding that the tires will be behind your steering input. Give them a second to catch up. If the car is oversteering (rear end coming around), steer into the slide. This means that you are sliding with the rearend coming around on your right, you steer to the right, and vice versa. It works like a charm, so long as you quickly adjust your steering back towards center when the car begins to respond (to avoid snap-countersteer). If you encounter gross understeer, gently let off the brakes and just as gently, get on the gas, steering towards exactly the direction you want to go. Remember, these steps only sometimes help to avoid an accident in bad conditions, but they are far better than doing nothing.
6. Uphill & Downhill: If you have to drive up a hill that you feel will present problems, try to accelerate in such a manner that you could let off the gas half way up and still make it, then do exactly, if possible. Remember that inertia will work against you if you have to change your rate of acceleration greatly while at mid-climb.
When going down a hill, and if driving an automatic, slow before you begin your descent, and select a gear other than overdrive, such as "3", or "2". Select the lower gear before you begin to pick up speed. Avoid any sudden jabs at the brake (even with ABS). Always be aware of alternate escape routes at the end of the hill should you slide or have to avoid another car. Always look ahead.
5. Be a Loner: There is no strength in numbers when it comes to driving in ice/snow. Stay away from other motorists if at all possible. In really bad conditions, allow for at least a 5 car distance from the car in front, and the car behind. This not only helps avoid accidents, but it also helps your car avoid being covered with the salt and snow spray thrown up by the car in front. If you really want to play it safe when on a multiple lane road, choose a lane to the left and check your distance from other cars by gently slowing or accelerating to maintain. If you come upon a "pack" of cars (really dim motorists feel the need to pack up in bad conditions) find a way to either get around them, or just pull off at a safe place so they can get way ahead. When you slide or spin, room and space are your two best friends in the world.
4. Use your assets: Your defroster and rear window heater are there for these times. Use them, but do yourself and your car a favor and turn off the radio, seat warmers, and ipod junk while in this mode, so as to lessen the drain on your battery and alternator. Try to avoid putting excessive heat into the defroster as this will only increase the chance of "fogging" the windows inside. Acclimate to the point where the least amount of heat does the job, and turn off the defroster when all is clear. If possible, ever-so-slightly lowering a window can help stave off fogging altogether.
3. Stay Home: Really, probably the best advice.
2. Routine Maintenance: Prepare before the snow fall. Change wiper blades. Treat the windshield with Rain-X. Properly inflate the tires. Throw a scraper, a small blanket, a flashlight, some gloves, and some bottled water and candy bars in a bag in the back. Keep your cell phone charged too. Clean the inside of your windows regularly. Visibility is king.
1. Practice: When it snows or there is ice, and if possible, get out in a deserted parking lot (or something like it, maybe a deserted road) and practice turning, accelerating, and braking where you have lots of extra room for run off and correction. Get to know what your vehicle will do under these conditions and you'll be better prepared to stop, go, turn, and avoid costly mistakes.
Drive precise!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Driving in the Rain
Why does everyone act like Noah when it rains?
Noah built the ark, under the direction of God, even though he had never seen rain where he lived. Therefore, if Noah took a little time to be amazed and dumbfounded when he saw droplets from Heaven, he could be forgiven for his amazement and distraction.
The same forgiveness cannot be given to the average driver, for the average driver, driving in the most arid parts of our country, has seen rain dozens of times a year, if not hundreds of times in just the past 3 years. For those of you unfortunate to live in the Northwest area, you see more rain than sunshine. So, as for pulling a "Noah" when it rains -- America -- get a grip!
OK, so let's go ahead and admit that wet pavement, whether it be asphalt, concrete, or some other aggregate, offers less traction than similar dry pavement. Also, rainy conditions generally reduce overall visibility to some degree, albeit to a far less degree than the Noah's would want to admit. Generally speaking, driving in the rain calls for a tad more caution, slightly lower speeds (in certain conditions) and on-going precise driving habits.
So in review, what was not said is that driving in the rain calls for drastic measures, or is a sure way to get in an accident.
But why does driving in the rain cause drivers who are normally distracted, incompetent, and unprofessional to begin driving like a half dead drunk with a recent lobotomy? Good question!
Driving in the rain, either in day or night conditions, or even on damp roads, calls for nothing more than the following of these few simple rules:
1. Give more space: rain is a bad time to tailgate. Stopping distances (the emergency type) can be lengthened (not a good thing) by as much as 30% on wet pavement.
2. Account for less visibility: use your lights, use a few extra blinks of the turn signal indicator, and watch for blind spots (both yours and the other drivers)
3. Reduce speeds in heavy traffic, on very curvy roads, and when in the presence of a thick sheet of water on the road. However, reduce your speeds in these conditions marginally, not liberally. Keeping the flow of traffic steady and very close to the posted limits is of high importance.
So, you still want to drive like a blind man with a trigger brake pedal in the rain? If following the 3 basic rain driving rules listed above hasn't completely changed your mind, the follow these hints aimed at car maintenance:
1. Clean the windshield: If your windows are cloudy and smeared, get off your TV butt and get some Windex and paper towels and get out there and clean them! This most simple and basic of chores may cost you a total of 15 minutes, but will result in drastically better visibility for months. If your smoke in your car or ride with the windows down often, clean them more like every month. Even better, use non-color newspaper and window cleaner. Seems to leave less residue.
2. Change your wiper blades: Do this twice a year (for a total cost of about $30) or at least once annually and enjoy actually seeing the road, instead of a lot of wet haze. This is such an easy and cheap maintenance item and yet so many of you refuse to take 5 minutes and spend$12 to do it. Amazing. Don't forget the rear window wiper, if you have one.
3. Prep your windows: This author has endorsed Rain-X before, and does so again. Liberal use of Rain-X (a clear window treatment you put on and take off, much like wax) will result in water sheeting off your windshield and your other windows (use on mirrors too) with such efficiency that you may not even have to use your wipers under certain conditions! In all cases, this product will greatly enhance visibility when used regularly (minimum of 6 X a year?) and allow you to clean your windows with better ease.
The main idea is to enhance visibility so that you can drive with greater accuracy and confidence. To take matters a step further, keep those tires rotated, properly inflated, and the front end aligned. The benefits of those 3 maintenance items are more readily realized in rainy conditions. If you know your car is properly maintained and you can see with high levels of clarity, you will be far less likely to drive like most of the idiots who behave like they have rabies every time a few water drops fall on their windshield.
Driving in the rain does not have to mean accidents, traffic jams, and brake-and-throttle, herky-jerky driving for those on the road. In fact, 30 minutes of your time spent on simple maintenance once every three months can all erase the negative impact of driving in the rain. So why not just go ahead and admit that it will rain, you will be driving in the rain, and you need to prepare.
After all, if you have enough sense to tie your own shoes, you should be able to change wiper blades, apply a little Rain-X, and wipe off some interior film from your windows. But, if you do not possess such intelligence, then do us all a favor -- get a tricycle and get off the road.
Especially when it is raining.
Drive precise!
Noah built the ark, under the direction of God, even though he had never seen rain where he lived. Therefore, if Noah took a little time to be amazed and dumbfounded when he saw droplets from Heaven, he could be forgiven for his amazement and distraction.
The same forgiveness cannot be given to the average driver, for the average driver, driving in the most arid parts of our country, has seen rain dozens of times a year, if not hundreds of times in just the past 3 years. For those of you unfortunate to live in the Northwest area, you see more rain than sunshine. So, as for pulling a "Noah" when it rains -- America -- get a grip!
OK, so let's go ahead and admit that wet pavement, whether it be asphalt, concrete, or some other aggregate, offers less traction than similar dry pavement. Also, rainy conditions generally reduce overall visibility to some degree, albeit to a far less degree than the Noah's would want to admit. Generally speaking, driving in the rain calls for a tad more caution, slightly lower speeds (in certain conditions) and on-going precise driving habits.
So in review, what was not said is that driving in the rain calls for drastic measures, or is a sure way to get in an accident.
But why does driving in the rain cause drivers who are normally distracted, incompetent, and unprofessional to begin driving like a half dead drunk with a recent lobotomy? Good question!
Driving in the rain, either in day or night conditions, or even on damp roads, calls for nothing more than the following of these few simple rules:
1. Give more space: rain is a bad time to tailgate. Stopping distances (the emergency type) can be lengthened (not a good thing) by as much as 30% on wet pavement.
2. Account for less visibility: use your lights, use a few extra blinks of the turn signal indicator, and watch for blind spots (both yours and the other drivers)
3. Reduce speeds in heavy traffic, on very curvy roads, and when in the presence of a thick sheet of water on the road. However, reduce your speeds in these conditions marginally, not liberally. Keeping the flow of traffic steady and very close to the posted limits is of high importance.
So, you still want to drive like a blind man with a trigger brake pedal in the rain? If following the 3 basic rain driving rules listed above hasn't completely changed your mind, the follow these hints aimed at car maintenance:
1. Clean the windshield: If your windows are cloudy and smeared, get off your TV butt and get some Windex and paper towels and get out there and clean them! This most simple and basic of chores may cost you a total of 15 minutes, but will result in drastically better visibility for months. If your smoke in your car or ride with the windows down often, clean them more like every month. Even better, use non-color newspaper and window cleaner. Seems to leave less residue.
2. Change your wiper blades: Do this twice a year (for a total cost of about $30) or at least once annually and enjoy actually seeing the road, instead of a lot of wet haze. This is such an easy and cheap maintenance item and yet so many of you refuse to take 5 minutes and spend$12 to do it. Amazing. Don't forget the rear window wiper, if you have one.
3. Prep your windows: This author has endorsed Rain-X before, and does so again. Liberal use of Rain-X (a clear window treatment you put on and take off, much like wax) will result in water sheeting off your windshield and your other windows (use on mirrors too) with such efficiency that you may not even have to use your wipers under certain conditions! In all cases, this product will greatly enhance visibility when used regularly (minimum of 6 X a year?) and allow you to clean your windows with better ease.
The main idea is to enhance visibility so that you can drive with greater accuracy and confidence. To take matters a step further, keep those tires rotated, properly inflated, and the front end aligned. The benefits of those 3 maintenance items are more readily realized in rainy conditions. If you know your car is properly maintained and you can see with high levels of clarity, you will be far less likely to drive like most of the idiots who behave like they have rabies every time a few water drops fall on their windshield.
Driving in the rain does not have to mean accidents, traffic jams, and brake-and-throttle, herky-jerky driving for those on the road. In fact, 30 minutes of your time spent on simple maintenance once every three months can all erase the negative impact of driving in the rain. So why not just go ahead and admit that it will rain, you will be driving in the rain, and you need to prepare.
After all, if you have enough sense to tie your own shoes, you should be able to change wiper blades, apply a little Rain-X, and wipe off some interior film from your windows. But, if you do not possess such intelligence, then do us all a favor -- get a tricycle and get off the road.
Especially when it is raining.
Drive precise!
Friday, November 30, 2007
The Top Five
A certain, buck-toothed night time entertainer has his top ten, but this weeks entry is cutting that in half, and will do so in a hasty manner. So hang on because this article will be short and sweet, getting right to the point and without superfluous verbiage.
If you want your vehicle to last longer, and offer better service during your ownership period, follow these 5 simple points.
1. Change the Oil: Everybody knows this one maintenance item, but few follow it like they should. Oil is the lifeblood of the engine, and changing it on schedule will greatly enhance the motor's longevity and performance. But what to do? A general rule of thumb is this: the shorter distances you drive, and the fewer intervals of driving you perform, dictate shorter intervals between oil changes. Conversely, if you routinely drive long distances at a time, and do so frequently, your oil changing intervals can increase. But consider two more factors: the type of oil you use, and the mileage on your car. If you use conventional oil, change your oil more often than if you use synthetic oil (which is usually twice the price per quart). If your engine is way up in miles, it will need oil changes a little more often than one that is under 50,000 miles. The variances are subtle here, but worth noting. The differences come from the fact that your engine needs to run at normal operating temperatures for a certain amount of time to burn off contaminants that naturally infect your engine oil. Short, infrequent trips are analogous to a person only getting out of bed or a chair once or twice a day to walk to the mail box, for instance. That person will suffer health concerns if that is all they ever do. The analogy carries over to your engine.
So, if you drive infrequently and short distances, and you use conventional oil, change that oil every 4,000 miles or sooner. If you routinely drive on the highway for extended periods and use synthetic oil, you may be able to go up to 8,000 miles between oil changes safely. Deduct about 10% from both numbers if you engine is cranking over 100,000 miles, and another 20% if using conventional oil. Oh, and don't ever neglect to change the oil filter too. It's pretty much worthless without that.
2. Front end Alignments: Every front end component on your car, ranging from ball joints, to tie rod ends to tires and bearings, all suffer more rapid deterioration if your front end is out of line. Simply put, a front end alignment puts the tires (and all the components attached to them) in proper geometric alignment so that your car steers and handles as the factory intended. Having routine front end alignments will greatly increase tire wear and steering component wear on your vehicle, as well as make your car more safe, and easy to drive. In certain cases, it can even enhance gas mileage to a degree, because an improperly aligned vehicle realizes more friction and resistance and is thereby less efficient.
Timely front end alignments will keep your vehicle handling and driving crisply long into it's serviceable life, and will help make it much safer too.
So, how often do you need to perform this maintenance? As a general rule, about every two years or every 30,000 miles will do for most vehicles in most situations. However, as your car ages, or if you drive in the pot hole-ridden snowbelts of our nation, you may be wise to shorten those intervals all the way down to every year or 15,000 miles. Some people make a habit of having this service done when putting on new tires, and then again at about the mid-life of those tires. Depending upon the longevity of your tires, this may work, but don't wait for the steering wheel to pull hard to either side, or for obvious signs of uneven wear on the tires. By that time imperceptible wear on all components has already occurred.
3. Cleaning: Car lots have secrets to making a neglected car look good for resale, and those secrets are nothing more than the same things any of you can do on a routine basis to keep your car looking good year round. First, wash your car at least once a month, if not twice. This not only improves the appearance, but it also removes harmful contaminants such as oil, bird poop, acid rain spots, and just everyday grime that harms the paint and glass surfaces. Don't neglect to scrub those aluminum wheels while you're at it - brake dust is highly caustic and will quickly pit the surface of those wheels if left unattended.
Second, get out the vacuum! Dirt, grass, leaves, and gravel - when ground into your carpet - does irreversible damage in a short time, so vacuum weekly or bi-monthly and use a good quality carpet spray cleaner once a year to help remove unavoidable stains. Don't forget to wipe down the dash and kick plates often too, and clean out that nasty center console!
Third, apply wax and other surface treatments on a regular basis. It is possible to have a new car shine 10 or even 20 years later if a good carnuba wax is used on a regular basis.
Fourth, with great caution, clean your engine bay and undercarriage. This may be best left to a highly reputable detail shop, but if you do it yourself, you will need to exercise caution and use quality cleaning supplies. The result can be a cooler running engine and it can help certain components last longer (belts, hoses, etc.), and it can aid in finding leaks or other problems that may have been masked by all the accumulated grime.
4. Shocks: This list of 5 is anything but comprehensive, but changing the shocks/struts on your vehicle when needed will make such a drastic difference in ride and handling, that you will want to spend the money to have it done more often. Timely shock replacement will shorten stopping distances, decrease tire wear, improve handling, and enhance the ride of your vehicle all at the same time. Most motorists never change the shocks/struts unless they utterly fail, but now you know that this maintenance item is very warranted and needed if your shocks/struts have more than 50,000 miles on them. Period. No exceptions. There is no grace period, and regardless of what you think is the ride quality of your vehicle, the shocks are worn out by 50,000 miles, if not much sooner. You will never know just how much your old worn out shocks are affecting all parameters of your vehicle until you change them.
If you have a strut type front suspension, ask the shop to replace the strut "cartridge" and save about 30% on the cost of a total strut replacement. Make sure you replace all the shocks at the same time too. The cost may be steep, but you are jeopardizing your life and the life of your passengers by ignoring this important maintenance item.
5. Other Fluids: If you want to avoid costly repairs and increase the efficency of your vehicle, then you will want to change the following fluids in a timely manner:
A.) Brake fluid: few people know that brake fluid is scheduled by all car manufacturers to be changed on a regular basis. Brake fluid naturally attracts water, and it also wears out over time, just like engine oil. So, have a service technician flush your brake system about every 40,000 miles and your entire brake system will not only function better, but will last far longer.
B.) Transmission fluid: replacement of this fluid every 40 - 50,000 miles can increase your servicable life by tens of thousands of miles! Don't forget that filter too, and while you're at it, install synthetic transmission fluid for a boost in longevity.
C.) Power steering fluid: Almost universally neglected, changing this fluid about every 50k can help your steering box or rack and pinion outlast every other component on the car. It may also help hoses and seals last the life-time of the car too. Again, use a proper viscoscity synthetic replacement when changing.
D.) Differential fluid: on some front drive cars, changing the transmission fluid also includes the differential, but not often. Otherwise, changing this fluid approximately every 60 - 80,000 miles will help gears and limited slip mechanisims (where applicable) last far longer than the paint!
Follow these top 5 suggestions and realize a better running, longer lasting vehicle that will avoid most common service issues and be the envy of all your driving friends.
Another way to look at it -- just one transmission replacement can easily surpass the combined costs of all 5 suggestions at one time. So, as the old ad once said, "you can pay me now, or pay me later." Go ahead and pay now, and enjoy driving a safer and more reliable car now as well.
Drive precisely!
If you want your vehicle to last longer, and offer better service during your ownership period, follow these 5 simple points.
1. Change the Oil: Everybody knows this one maintenance item, but few follow it like they should. Oil is the lifeblood of the engine, and changing it on schedule will greatly enhance the motor's longevity and performance. But what to do? A general rule of thumb is this: the shorter distances you drive, and the fewer intervals of driving you perform, dictate shorter intervals between oil changes. Conversely, if you routinely drive long distances at a time, and do so frequently, your oil changing intervals can increase. But consider two more factors: the type of oil you use, and the mileage on your car. If you use conventional oil, change your oil more often than if you use synthetic oil (which is usually twice the price per quart). If your engine is way up in miles, it will need oil changes a little more often than one that is under 50,000 miles. The variances are subtle here, but worth noting. The differences come from the fact that your engine needs to run at normal operating temperatures for a certain amount of time to burn off contaminants that naturally infect your engine oil. Short, infrequent trips are analogous to a person only getting out of bed or a chair once or twice a day to walk to the mail box, for instance. That person will suffer health concerns if that is all they ever do. The analogy carries over to your engine.
So, if you drive infrequently and short distances, and you use conventional oil, change that oil every 4,000 miles or sooner. If you routinely drive on the highway for extended periods and use synthetic oil, you may be able to go up to 8,000 miles between oil changes safely. Deduct about 10% from both numbers if you engine is cranking over 100,000 miles, and another 20% if using conventional oil. Oh, and don't ever neglect to change the oil filter too. It's pretty much worthless without that.
2. Front end Alignments: Every front end component on your car, ranging from ball joints, to tie rod ends to tires and bearings, all suffer more rapid deterioration if your front end is out of line. Simply put, a front end alignment puts the tires (and all the components attached to them) in proper geometric alignment so that your car steers and handles as the factory intended. Having routine front end alignments will greatly increase tire wear and steering component wear on your vehicle, as well as make your car more safe, and easy to drive. In certain cases, it can even enhance gas mileage to a degree, because an improperly aligned vehicle realizes more friction and resistance and is thereby less efficient.
Timely front end alignments will keep your vehicle handling and driving crisply long into it's serviceable life, and will help make it much safer too.
So, how often do you need to perform this maintenance? As a general rule, about every two years or every 30,000 miles will do for most vehicles in most situations. However, as your car ages, or if you drive in the pot hole-ridden snowbelts of our nation, you may be wise to shorten those intervals all the way down to every year or 15,000 miles. Some people make a habit of having this service done when putting on new tires, and then again at about the mid-life of those tires. Depending upon the longevity of your tires, this may work, but don't wait for the steering wheel to pull hard to either side, or for obvious signs of uneven wear on the tires. By that time imperceptible wear on all components has already occurred.
3. Cleaning: Car lots have secrets to making a neglected car look good for resale, and those secrets are nothing more than the same things any of you can do on a routine basis to keep your car looking good year round. First, wash your car at least once a month, if not twice. This not only improves the appearance, but it also removes harmful contaminants such as oil, bird poop, acid rain spots, and just everyday grime that harms the paint and glass surfaces. Don't neglect to scrub those aluminum wheels while you're at it - brake dust is highly caustic and will quickly pit the surface of those wheels if left unattended.
Second, get out the vacuum! Dirt, grass, leaves, and gravel - when ground into your carpet - does irreversible damage in a short time, so vacuum weekly or bi-monthly and use a good quality carpet spray cleaner once a year to help remove unavoidable stains. Don't forget to wipe down the dash and kick plates often too, and clean out that nasty center console!
Third, apply wax and other surface treatments on a regular basis. It is possible to have a new car shine 10 or even 20 years later if a good carnuba wax is used on a regular basis.
Fourth, with great caution, clean your engine bay and undercarriage. This may be best left to a highly reputable detail shop, but if you do it yourself, you will need to exercise caution and use quality cleaning supplies. The result can be a cooler running engine and it can help certain components last longer (belts, hoses, etc.), and it can aid in finding leaks or other problems that may have been masked by all the accumulated grime.
4. Shocks: This list of 5 is anything but comprehensive, but changing the shocks/struts on your vehicle when needed will make such a drastic difference in ride and handling, that you will want to spend the money to have it done more often. Timely shock replacement will shorten stopping distances, decrease tire wear, improve handling, and enhance the ride of your vehicle all at the same time. Most motorists never change the shocks/struts unless they utterly fail, but now you know that this maintenance item is very warranted and needed if your shocks/struts have more than 50,000 miles on them. Period. No exceptions. There is no grace period, and regardless of what you think is the ride quality of your vehicle, the shocks are worn out by 50,000 miles, if not much sooner. You will never know just how much your old worn out shocks are affecting all parameters of your vehicle until you change them.
If you have a strut type front suspension, ask the shop to replace the strut "cartridge" and save about 30% on the cost of a total strut replacement. Make sure you replace all the shocks at the same time too. The cost may be steep, but you are jeopardizing your life and the life of your passengers by ignoring this important maintenance item.
5. Other Fluids: If you want to avoid costly repairs and increase the efficency of your vehicle, then you will want to change the following fluids in a timely manner:
A.) Brake fluid: few people know that brake fluid is scheduled by all car manufacturers to be changed on a regular basis. Brake fluid naturally attracts water, and it also wears out over time, just like engine oil. So, have a service technician flush your brake system about every 40,000 miles and your entire brake system will not only function better, but will last far longer.
B.) Transmission fluid: replacement of this fluid every 40 - 50,000 miles can increase your servicable life by tens of thousands of miles! Don't forget that filter too, and while you're at it, install synthetic transmission fluid for a boost in longevity.
C.) Power steering fluid: Almost universally neglected, changing this fluid about every 50k can help your steering box or rack and pinion outlast every other component on the car. It may also help hoses and seals last the life-time of the car too. Again, use a proper viscoscity synthetic replacement when changing.
D.) Differential fluid: on some front drive cars, changing the transmission fluid also includes the differential, but not often. Otherwise, changing this fluid approximately every 60 - 80,000 miles will help gears and limited slip mechanisims (where applicable) last far longer than the paint!
Follow these top 5 suggestions and realize a better running, longer lasting vehicle that will avoid most common service issues and be the envy of all your driving friends.
Another way to look at it -- just one transmission replacement can easily surpass the combined costs of all 5 suggestions at one time. So, as the old ad once said, "you can pay me now, or pay me later." Go ahead and pay now, and enjoy driving a safer and more reliable car now as well.
Drive precisely!
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Here's Your Sign
You know who you are....
When you are driving along, and you come upon an octagon-shaped sign that is mostly red with a 4 letter word on it painted in white, what you take that sign to mean is....
A) "You may want to slow down somewhere in this vicinity"
B) "If there are no cars around, just keep going"
C) "Stop here, and then proceed lawfully"
D) "Gun it!"
E) "Stopping is for suckers and old people. I'm in a hurry"
F) "All of the above, except C"
Now, this author is sympathetic to the notion that coming to a full stop out in the middle of nowhere at an intersection that rarely sees 3 cars a day, with a full peripheral view of 300 yards in every direction, is subject to review, but that kind of scenario is the exception, not the norm. So, for those of us who drive on average surface streets laced with intersections, STOP signs have a very decided and useful purpose, which is - to keep us all from slamming into one another.
Before you yawn and dismiss this subject, just do a simple experiment: get a comfy lawn chair, meet some of your neighbors, and sit where you can see a local 4 way stop. As you relax, sipping sweet tea, take note of how average drivers treat that intersection. If all the roads leading to the intersection are full of cars, everyone stops, but note their lack of reasoning and judgment as to who has the right of way. Want to throw the "average" driver into a tizzy? Let them come upon a busy intersection where two cars arrive at the stopping point at the same time. It's like watching a cat chase its own tail. However, if that intersection is largely abandoned, or seeing low traffic flow, count how many drivers just blow through, with little semblance of even slowing down. You may be surprised to find that less than 20% even pretend to stop under such circumstances.
STOP means STOP. So, maybe it's not terribly important for your car to have time to rock back and forth due to the forces of inertia and so forth, but you know good and well what an actual stop is, and what is not. But this is where all you "average" drivers out there think that such discussions are unimportant and childish. After all, you are keeping an eye out, right? And this is YOUR neighborhood, after all! You drive these streets year in and year out, and you've never run into someone or over someone, so what's the big deal?
Big deal, indeed.
As with so many traffic laws, a STOP sign is there in the anticipation that at any given time, all four lanes leading into the intersection (or two, or three lanes, or more) could be occupied by a driver, and so the worst case scenario is always handled first. This is reasonable rationale when you get to the point that you understand that you are not the only driver on the road. There are other drivers out there, and their very safety depends upon both you and them obeying simple driving laws that take into account all possible scenarios.
The problem is this: when you make a habit of running through stop signs, sooner or later you are going to miss something. You are going to fail to see that child, bicyclist, or other motorist that assumes you will stop, and they begin to cross. But of course, you know this area, drive it all the time, and run that stop sign all the time, and so while you're engaged in useless conversation on your cell phone, while eating fries and drinking your beverage -- supremely sure that you are so "cool" -- you do what you have done in the past, and roll right through, but this time, something happens. That child is crushed, that bicyclist is bounced, or that car is crunched, and there you sit, with such a stupid look on your face, asking, "how did this happen?"
The universal law is this.....regardless of your supposed skill level, you will eventually make a mistake and miss something if you continue to run through stop signs. Stopping allows you to check, and then double check, every direction, looking for possible hazards as you obey the law. In this case, the law is very helpful and should be obeyed with care, if for no other reason than that the other driver approaching your intersection may be intending to run through too. Hate to see that bill!
Go ahead and stop. Doubt it will kill you.
Drive precise!
CAR CARE TIP OF THE DAY
Speaking of brakes....
Did you know that not all brakes are created equal? Did you know that when certain elements of your brake system need to be replaced, you often have options?
It's true! In fact, most people don't service their brakes themselves, so they just accept that whatever the service technician provides is the one and only choice. Even those that venture into the dark world of brake repair often miss the opportunity to upgrade and reap the benefits of shorter stopping distances, lower noise, and less brake dust.
If you drive a car less than 10 years old, it is very possible you have disc brakes at all four corners. Even if you have drum style brakes on the rear, you can still obtain upgraded components that will reap the benefits listed above. But first, a quick review of your major brake components.
A brake disc looks like a big metal pancake, often viewed behind the wheel of your car. It is round, has two flat sides, and will often be "vented" in the middle, which means that the two flat surfaces have hollowed out portions between them, providing better cooling. You see, your brakes essentially take forward motion and turn it into heat energy while exerting pressure on the rotating assembly. Therefore, your brake components get hot, and it is critical that your brake system can handle this heat. Many upgrade components deal with, and dissipate that heat more effectively than stock parts. Along with the discs, calipers hold disc brake "pads" that are pressed against the disc on both sides, providing the necessary friction to stop the car. This design is inherently efficient and has become the industry standard. Just 30 years ago, four wheel disc brakes were rarely seen on anything but the most exotic sports cars.
A drum brake system is older, but still fairly efficient at stopping. Drum brakes have brake "shoes" (they look like half moons) that exert pressure from the inside out upon a circular drum that rolls with the tires. This design is not as effective and powerful as disc brakes, but usually weighs slightly less and is the old standby.
Next up are brake lines. Standard brake lines are both solid (metal tubing) and flexible (rubber tubing) and will normally last a decade or longer. However, with age, these lines can corrode or crack, both internally and externally, causing a serious risk for failure. Stock replacements are fine, but upgraded stainless steel braided, Teflon lined hoses are available for many cars and trucks, and provide extra pressure due to their more resilient design.
Finally, there is the actual brake fluid. DOT 3 is the most common type (DOT standing for "Department of Transportation"), used for decades. Rarely seen, but readily available, is a DOT 4 substitute, which is still of the same chemical design, but has a higher boiling point. You see, brakes create heat, and excessive heat will eventually transfer to the brake fluid that is used to operate your hydraulic brakes. If that fluid boils, you will experience brake fade, whereas the brake pedal either becomes excessively mushy, or just drops to the floor due to loss of pressure. Since it is recommended that your brake fluid is flushed about every 30,000 to 50,000 miles, that is a good time to upgrade to DOT 4. There is a DOT 5, but it has a different base and cannot absorb moisture, so it is regulated to race cars only (all standard DOT brake fluids aggressively attract moisture, which degrades the fluid and can harm internal brake components, hence the need to flush the system regularly).
So, what are the other possible upgrades? First of all, keep in mind that your brake system should be visually inspected at least once a year. If it has been 3 years, or if more than 30,000 miles since your last brake inspection or repair, you are more than due. Regardless of how the brakes feel, take your car in (or do it yourself) immediately if that is the case.
OK, so the upgrades: one of the easiest is to upgrade to premium pads for disc brakes. Most manufacturers will install a pad that offers the best compromise between power, noise, and dust, but that rarely means you have the best pads available on your car. In almost every case, the pad offered as a factory replacement is superseded in the list of options by better pads that cost more, but do everything better too. Now, if you drive a Porsche or a Lambo, you might want to stick to the stock stuff, but even then, there are better pads to be had. So, the shortcut here is to get the most expensive pads available, provided they are not rated as "track pads," for autocross or racing only. What you are likely to notice is less noise, shorter stopping distances, and less dust, to be sure. The same basic advice goes for drum brake "shoes."
Another upgrade is in the disc itself. In many cases, the factory replacement will cost much more than options from leading aftermarket brake companies. Brembo is an excellent brand that builds discs of better material, with designs that improve upon most build parameters. If you have had a problem with your brake discs warping or cracking, get away from factory replacements or cheap-o off brands, and search out a good upgrade replacement.
Keep in mind that as to the design of brake discs, most have a flat surface, but some upgraded designs have flutes cut into the surface (often called slotted), while others may have small holes drilled in to them (referred to as cross drilled). These designs are intended to help remove water from the disc, and to help get rid of gasses that can build up between the disc surface and the pad under extreme use. Frankly, slotting is about as exotic as most street driven cars need to get, as cross drilled rotors can be prone to crack, but they give the car a racy look! The discs that have these features cost more, and are not available for every car on the road.
Is stock good enough? Depends upon the car, but again.....if you can't stop, you are certainly in deep trouble, and in many dangerous situations, being able to stop just a few feet shorter can be the difference between a close call, and calamity. It's worth the few extra bucks to improve upon a decent design, even if just a little. So check those brakes, and if any repair or replacement is necessary, do some investigation, and upgrade. You will be glad you did.
When you are driving along, and you come upon an octagon-shaped sign that is mostly red with a 4 letter word on it painted in white, what you take that sign to mean is....
A) "You may want to slow down somewhere in this vicinity"
B) "If there are no cars around, just keep going"
C) "Stop here, and then proceed lawfully"
D) "Gun it!"
E) "Stopping is for suckers and old people. I'm in a hurry"
F) "All of the above, except C"
Now, this author is sympathetic to the notion that coming to a full stop out in the middle of nowhere at an intersection that rarely sees 3 cars a day, with a full peripheral view of 300 yards in every direction, is subject to review, but that kind of scenario is the exception, not the norm. So, for those of us who drive on average surface streets laced with intersections, STOP signs have a very decided and useful purpose, which is - to keep us all from slamming into one another.
Before you yawn and dismiss this subject, just do a simple experiment: get a comfy lawn chair, meet some of your neighbors, and sit where you can see a local 4 way stop. As you relax, sipping sweet tea, take note of how average drivers treat that intersection. If all the roads leading to the intersection are full of cars, everyone stops, but note their lack of reasoning and judgment as to who has the right of way. Want to throw the "average" driver into a tizzy? Let them come upon a busy intersection where two cars arrive at the stopping point at the same time. It's like watching a cat chase its own tail. However, if that intersection is largely abandoned, or seeing low traffic flow, count how many drivers just blow through, with little semblance of even slowing down. You may be surprised to find that less than 20% even pretend to stop under such circumstances.
STOP means STOP. So, maybe it's not terribly important for your car to have time to rock back and forth due to the forces of inertia and so forth, but you know good and well what an actual stop is, and what is not. But this is where all you "average" drivers out there think that such discussions are unimportant and childish. After all, you are keeping an eye out, right? And this is YOUR neighborhood, after all! You drive these streets year in and year out, and you've never run into someone or over someone, so what's the big deal?
Big deal, indeed.
As with so many traffic laws, a STOP sign is there in the anticipation that at any given time, all four lanes leading into the intersection (or two, or three lanes, or more) could be occupied by a driver, and so the worst case scenario is always handled first. This is reasonable rationale when you get to the point that you understand that you are not the only driver on the road. There are other drivers out there, and their very safety depends upon both you and them obeying simple driving laws that take into account all possible scenarios.
The problem is this: when you make a habit of running through stop signs, sooner or later you are going to miss something. You are going to fail to see that child, bicyclist, or other motorist that assumes you will stop, and they begin to cross. But of course, you know this area, drive it all the time, and run that stop sign all the time, and so while you're engaged in useless conversation on your cell phone, while eating fries and drinking your beverage -- supremely sure that you are so "cool" -- you do what you have done in the past, and roll right through, but this time, something happens. That child is crushed, that bicyclist is bounced, or that car is crunched, and there you sit, with such a stupid look on your face, asking, "how did this happen?"
The universal law is this.....regardless of your supposed skill level, you will eventually make a mistake and miss something if you continue to run through stop signs. Stopping allows you to check, and then double check, every direction, looking for possible hazards as you obey the law. In this case, the law is very helpful and should be obeyed with care, if for no other reason than that the other driver approaching your intersection may be intending to run through too. Hate to see that bill!
Go ahead and stop. Doubt it will kill you.
Drive precise!
CAR CARE TIP OF THE DAY
Speaking of brakes....
Did you know that not all brakes are created equal? Did you know that when certain elements of your brake system need to be replaced, you often have options?
It's true! In fact, most people don't service their brakes themselves, so they just accept that whatever the service technician provides is the one and only choice. Even those that venture into the dark world of brake repair often miss the opportunity to upgrade and reap the benefits of shorter stopping distances, lower noise, and less brake dust.
If you drive a car less than 10 years old, it is very possible you have disc brakes at all four corners. Even if you have drum style brakes on the rear, you can still obtain upgraded components that will reap the benefits listed above. But first, a quick review of your major brake components.
A brake disc looks like a big metal pancake, often viewed behind the wheel of your car. It is round, has two flat sides, and will often be "vented" in the middle, which means that the two flat surfaces have hollowed out portions between them, providing better cooling. You see, your brakes essentially take forward motion and turn it into heat energy while exerting pressure on the rotating assembly. Therefore, your brake components get hot, and it is critical that your brake system can handle this heat. Many upgrade components deal with, and dissipate that heat more effectively than stock parts. Along with the discs, calipers hold disc brake "pads" that are pressed against the disc on both sides, providing the necessary friction to stop the car. This design is inherently efficient and has become the industry standard. Just 30 years ago, four wheel disc brakes were rarely seen on anything but the most exotic sports cars.
A drum brake system is older, but still fairly efficient at stopping. Drum brakes have brake "shoes" (they look like half moons) that exert pressure from the inside out upon a circular drum that rolls with the tires. This design is not as effective and powerful as disc brakes, but usually weighs slightly less and is the old standby.
Next up are brake lines. Standard brake lines are both solid (metal tubing) and flexible (rubber tubing) and will normally last a decade or longer. However, with age, these lines can corrode or crack, both internally and externally, causing a serious risk for failure. Stock replacements are fine, but upgraded stainless steel braided, Teflon lined hoses are available for many cars and trucks, and provide extra pressure due to their more resilient design.
Finally, there is the actual brake fluid. DOT 3 is the most common type (DOT standing for "Department of Transportation"), used for decades. Rarely seen, but readily available, is a DOT 4 substitute, which is still of the same chemical design, but has a higher boiling point. You see, brakes create heat, and excessive heat will eventually transfer to the brake fluid that is used to operate your hydraulic brakes. If that fluid boils, you will experience brake fade, whereas the brake pedal either becomes excessively mushy, or just drops to the floor due to loss of pressure. Since it is recommended that your brake fluid is flushed about every 30,000 to 50,000 miles, that is a good time to upgrade to DOT 4. There is a DOT 5, but it has a different base and cannot absorb moisture, so it is regulated to race cars only (all standard DOT brake fluids aggressively attract moisture, which degrades the fluid and can harm internal brake components, hence the need to flush the system regularly).
So, what are the other possible upgrades? First of all, keep in mind that your brake system should be visually inspected at least once a year. If it has been 3 years, or if more than 30,000 miles since your last brake inspection or repair, you are more than due. Regardless of how the brakes feel, take your car in (or do it yourself) immediately if that is the case.
OK, so the upgrades: one of the easiest is to upgrade to premium pads for disc brakes. Most manufacturers will install a pad that offers the best compromise between power, noise, and dust, but that rarely means you have the best pads available on your car. In almost every case, the pad offered as a factory replacement is superseded in the list of options by better pads that cost more, but do everything better too. Now, if you drive a Porsche or a Lambo, you might want to stick to the stock stuff, but even then, there are better pads to be had. So, the shortcut here is to get the most expensive pads available, provided they are not rated as "track pads," for autocross or racing only. What you are likely to notice is less noise, shorter stopping distances, and less dust, to be sure. The same basic advice goes for drum brake "shoes."
Another upgrade is in the disc itself. In many cases, the factory replacement will cost much more than options from leading aftermarket brake companies. Brembo is an excellent brand that builds discs of better material, with designs that improve upon most build parameters. If you have had a problem with your brake discs warping or cracking, get away from factory replacements or cheap-o off brands, and search out a good upgrade replacement.
Keep in mind that as to the design of brake discs, most have a flat surface, but some upgraded designs have flutes cut into the surface (often called slotted), while others may have small holes drilled in to them (referred to as cross drilled). These designs are intended to help remove water from the disc, and to help get rid of gasses that can build up between the disc surface and the pad under extreme use. Frankly, slotting is about as exotic as most street driven cars need to get, as cross drilled rotors can be prone to crack, but they give the car a racy look! The discs that have these features cost more, and are not available for every car on the road.
Is stock good enough? Depends upon the car, but again.....if you can't stop, you are certainly in deep trouble, and in many dangerous situations, being able to stop just a few feet shorter can be the difference between a close call, and calamity. It's worth the few extra bucks to improve upon a decent design, even if just a little. So check those brakes, and if any repair or replacement is necessary, do some investigation, and upgrade. You will be glad you did.
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