I am often asked why we need all the electronic controls in our cars. After all, they don’t always work well during our winters, they are expensive to fix because we can no longer do the work at home and it just doesn’t seem right to do a tune up with a laptop instead of […] Read more
Author Archives
Computers provide luxury, power
Toyota deals with fall from grace
Toyota’s vehicle recalls have been well documented in the news. Unfortunately for consumers and Toyota Canada, most media outlets do not understand that Canadian Toyotas and their accessories are different than American Toyotas. In addition, reporting suspected problems is different in each country. In Canada, recalls are not initiated until the company can prove it […] Read more
Nitrogenated gasoline: snake oil or the real deal?
When Shell began advertising nitrogen enhanced fuel, I was skeptical. It’s not as if we’re short of nitrogen on our combustion chambers because nitrogen makes up roughly 78 percent by volume of the air that we breathe. Because of the way nitrogen be-haves in the combustion chamber, automakers spend plenty of money making sure the […] Read more
Transmissions find balance between fuel economy and power – Getting Around
Automatic transmissions were three-speed hydraulic units about two decades ago. Then came electronic controls and lock-up torque converters, all of which were developed in the name of improved fuel economy. Exotic cars of the day, such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW, began to use four-speed automatics. Today, four- and five-speed automatics are common and light duty […] Read more
Electric car making a comeback – Getting Around
One of the most amusing points about the development of electric cars is that in the early years of the automobile industry they were seen as a convenience. Clara Ford, Henry Ford’s wife, had an electric car, as did Alice DuPont of Dupont Motor Cars and General Motors. The reason was simple. Gasoline engines were […] Read more
Disc brake calipers: sliders vs. squeezers – Getting Around
If you have to resort to mathematical formulas, you’ve lost your audience. Well, brake systems are all applied mathematics, whether it be fluid dynamics, hydraulics or thermo- dynamics. Suffice to say that when you push the brake pedal you unleash an impressive series of actions. I became interested in brake systems when the brake pedal […] Read more
Rear disc brakes vs. rear drum brakes – Getting Around
There is a saying that the table is round. In the case of brake systems on pickup trucks, this means that what fell from favour a decade ago is back. In case you haven’t read the specifications sheet for the new Dodge Durango, Dakota, some Ram pickups, or the sheets on 2006 Silverado-Sierra trucks, drum […] Read more
Tacoma puts Toyota in the real truck business – Getting Around
Everyone laughed when the first Toyota Hilux came to Canada in the early 1960s. It was such a small truck that it could hardly get out of its own way. With the 2005 Tacoma, no one is laughing. This is one serious new truck and what makes it important is that the Tacoma does not […] Read more
Ford Escape Hybrid is “green’ and comfortable – Getting Around
Ford fans have a great deal to cheer about in the 2005 Escape. The company has put together a package that is a North American first. The Escape Hybrid is a true hybrid in that it has two sources of power that can work independently of each other or in conjunction. The main power source […] Read more
Silverado Hybrid and Trailblazer EXT offer improved fuel economy – Getting Around
You may wonder what a Silverado pickup and a Trailblazer sport utility vehicle have in common. Until now the answer would have been little, except that they are both made by Chevrolet. For 2005, these two gas guzzlers have been chosen to showcase Chevrolet’s fuel improvement technology. There is a reason why the company has […] Read more
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