Getting Started - The best planning guide is your owner’s manual. Read it; and follow the manufacturer’s recommended service schedules.
Air Conditioning - A marginally operating system will fail in hot weather. Have the system examined by a qualified technician. Cooling System - The greatest cause of summer breakdowns is overheating. The cooling system should be completely flushed and refilled about every 24 months. The level, condition, and concentration of the coolant should be checked periodically. (A 50/50 mix of anti-freeze and water is usually recommended.) Never remove the radiator cap until the engine has thoroughly cooled! The tightness and condition of drive belts, clamps, and hoses should be checked by a pro. Oil - Change your oil and oil filter as specified in your manual - more often (every 3,000 miles) if you make frequent short jaunts, extended trips with lots of luggage, or tow a trailer. Engine Performance - Replace other filters (air, fuel, PCV, etc.) as recommended - more often in dusty conditions. Get engine drive-ability problems (hard starts, rough idling, smiling, diminished power, etc.) corrected at a good shop. Windshield Wipers - A dirty windshield causes eye fatigue and can pose a safety hazard. Replace worn blades and get plenty of windshield washer solvent. Tires - Have your tires rotated about every 5,000 miles. Check tire pressures once a month; let the tires “cool down” first.
Don’t forget your spare, and be sure the jack is in good condition. Examine tires for tread life, uneven wearing, and cupping; check the sidewalls for cuts and nicks. An alignment is warranted that if there’s uneven tread wear or if your vehicle pulls to one side. Brakes - Brakes should be inspected as recommended in your manual, or sooner if you notice pulsation, grabbing, noises, or longer stopping distance. Minor brake problems should be corrected promptly. Battery - Batteries can fail any time of year. The only accurate way to detect a weak battery is with professional equipment. Routine care: Scrape away corrosion from posts and cable connections; clean all surfaces; re-tighten all connections. If battery caps are removable, check the fluid level monthly. Avoid contact with corrosive deposits and battery acid. Wear eye protection and rubber gloves. Lights - Inspect all lights and bulbs; replace burned out bulbs; periodically clean dirt and insects from all lenses. To prevent scratching, never use a dry rag.
Carmakers have been adding superchargers and turbochargers to relatively small engines to make them feel like big engines for years. You can do the same–and if you have a big engine to start with, all the better. Superchargers and turbos can provide 25 to 50 percent more horsepower; plus, they typically have no impact on emissions and little to no impact on fuel economy.
Breathe Freely
Many vehicles perform as if their engines are sipping air through a tiny straw. Installing a high-flow air filter or mass air sensor will remove some of the restrictions in the intake system, so the engine can draw bigger breaths and make more power. In fact, a simple change in air filters can be good for up to 15 horsepower, and reusable filters reduce waste heading to landfills, too.
Exhale
Just as an engine must inhale, it needs to exhale. For more power, consumers can remove restrictions in their exhaust systems–e.g., by changing to high-performance mufflers, headers or even high-flow catalytic converters. Exhaust enhancements not only add horsepower, they typically increase gas mileage and reduce emissions, too.
Light My Fire
Enhancing a vehicle’s ignition system helps it burn the air-and-fuel mixture more completely during each combustion cycle, making the engine more efficient. The engine therefore produces more power, and it gets better fuel economy with a reduction in tailpipe emissions. Even a simple change to low-resistance spark plug wires often can make a noticeable improvement in performance.
Change Its Mind
Automotive computers can be taught to make more power. You can easily perform a simple chip change or you can have fun using a computer reprogrammer to add 10 to 25 horsepower–and to maximize performance gains after making other modifications.
Stop Slipping
Automatic transmissions are set up to slip every time they shift, so they throw away perfectly good horsepower. It’s easy to recover some of those lost ponies by installing a transmission shift improver kit, which improves acceleration and towing abilities. Because the kit reduces heat and slippage, it extends the life of the transmission, too.
Of course, some of you will be ready to race after watching the horses run or the NASCAR and Indy Car drivers turn some laps. You’ll want to check out the JDM racing swaps we offer, but remember me smart and obey all local laws.
STEP 1: Don’t put off a 30,000-mile full service, if your car is due.
STEP 2: Flush the cooling system and replace the coolant.
STEP 3: Replace the windshield wiper blades. Put windshield washer fluid in the windshield washer reservoir (plain water will freeze).
STEP 4: Have the battery serviced (clean the battery terminal ends and add water) and load-tested to check its ability to hold a charge. If the battery is more than 4 1/2 years old, replace it.
STEP 5: Use a tire gauge to check the tire pressure. Air contracts with cold, and the tires may become low as the temperature drops.
STEP 6: Make sure there is air in the spare tire and that all the proper tire-changing equipment is in the trunk.
STEP 7: Make sure the tires are in good condition. If you are not sure what this means, ask a mechanic (in a shop that doesn’t sell tires) for an opinion.
STEP 8: Check the lights, heater and defroster.
STEP 9: Keep the gas tank as full as possible to prevent moisture from freezing in the gas lines.
STEP 10: Get a brake check if you haven’t had one in the last six months.
STEP 11: Put together an emergency winter kit for the trunk of your car: blanket, extra boots and gloves, ice scraper, small snow shovel, flashlight and kitty litter (for traction when stuck in the snow).
The distinction lies in the type of ignition. While gasoline engines operate on spark ignition, diesel engines employ compression - ignition for igniting the fuel. In the latter, air is drawn into the engine and subjected to high compression that heats it up. This results in a very high temperature in the engine, much higher than the temperature attained in a gasoline engine. At peak temperature and pressure, diesel that is let into the engine ignites on account of the extreme temperature.
In a diesel engine, air and the fuel are infused into the engine at different stages, as opposed to a gas engine where a mixture of air and gas are introduced. Fuel is injected into the diesel engine using an injector whereas in a gasoline engine, a carburetor is used for this purpose. In a gasoline engine, fuel and air are sent into the engine together, and then compressed. The air and fuel mixture limits fuel compression, and hence the overall efficiency. A diesel engine compresses only air, and the ratio can be much higher. A diesel engine compresses at the ratio of 14:1 up to 25:1, whereas in a gasoline engine the compression ratio is between 8:1 and 12:1. After combustion, the combustion by-products are removed from the engine through the exhaust. For starting during cold months extra heat is provided through ‘glow plugs’.
Diesel engines can either be two cycle or four cycle and are chosen depending on mode of operation. Air-cooled and liquid-cooled engines are the variants to be chosen appropriately. It is preferable to use a liquid-cooled generator as it is quiet in operation and has evenly controlled temperature.
Advantages of a Diesel Engine
The diesel engine is much more efficient and preferable as compared with gasoline engine due to the following reasons:
Modern diesel engines have overcome disadvantages of earlier models of higher noise and maintenance costs. They are now quiet and require less maintenance as compared with gas engines of similar size.
They are more rugged and reliable.
There is no sparking as the fuel auto-ignites. The absence of spark plugs or spark wires lowers maintenance costs.
Fuel cost per KiloWatt produced is thirty to fifty percent lower than that of gas engines.
An 1800 rpm water cooled diesel unit operates for 12,000 to 30,000 hours before any major maintenance is necessary. An 1800 rpm water cooled gas unit usually operates for 6000-10,000 hours before it needs servicing.
Gas units burn hotter than diesel units, and hence they have a significantly shorter life compared with diesel units.
White smoke: White smoke is caused by water and or antifreeze entering the cylinder, and the engine trying to burn it with the fuel. The white smoke is steam. There are special gaskets (head gaskets are the primary gaskets) that keep the antifreeze from entering the cylinder area. The cylinder is where the fuel and air mixture are being compressed and burned. Any amount of antifreeze that enters this area will produce a white steam that will be present at the tailpipe area.
If white smoke is present, check to see if the proper amount of antifreeze is inside the radiator and the overflow bottle. Also check to see if antifreeze has contaminated the engine oil. You can look at the engine oil dipstick, or look at the under side of the engine oil filler cap. If the oil is contaminated with antifreeze, it will have the appearance of a chocolate milkshake. Do not start the engine if the oil is contaminated with antifreeze, as serious internal engine damage can result.
How did antifreeze get in the oil or cylinder in the first place? The engine probably overheated and a head gasket failed due to excessive heat, thus allowing antifreeze to enter the cylinder (Where it is not meant to be).
Blue Smoke: Blue smoke is caused by engine oil entering the cylinder area and being burned along with the fuel air mixture. As with the white smoke, just a small drop of oil leaking into the cylinder can produce blue smoke out the tailpipe. Blue smoke is more likely in older or higher mileage vehicles than newer cars with fewer miles.
How did the engine oil get inside the cylinder in the first place? The car has many seals, gaskets, and O-rings that are designed to keep the engine oil from entering the cylinder, and one of them has failed. If too much oil leaks into the cylinder and fouls the spark plug, it will cause a misfire (engine miss) in that cylinder, and the spark plug will have to be replaced or cleaned of the oil. Using thicker weight engine oil or an oil additive designed to reduce oil leaks might help reduce the amount of oil leaking into the cylinder.
Black Smoke: Black smoke is caused by excess fuel that has entered the cylinder area and cannot be burned completely. Another term for excess fuel is “running rich.” Poor fuel mileage is also a common complaint when black smoke comes out of the tailpipe. Black smoke out the tailpipe is the least cause for alarm. Excess fuel will usually effect engine performance, reduce fuel economy, and produce a fuel odor.
How did the fuel get into the cylinder in the first place? Some of the causes of excess fuel are a carburetor that is out of adjustment, a faulty fuel pump, a leaky fuel injector, or a faulty engine computer or computer sensor. If black smoke is present, check the engine oil as in the white smoke example to make sure excess fuel has not contaminated it. Do not start the engine if a heavy, raw fuel smell can be detected in the engine oil. Call your mechanic and advise him of what you have found.
Your car should receive a tune-up (often referred to as a “major service”) every two years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first. Here’s what needs to be done.
Steps:
1. Replace the fuel filter. If you have a fuel-injection system, regular cleaning isn’t necessary unless the injectors are clogged.
2. Change the spark plugs (unless they’re platinum, in which case you have 30,000 more miles to go). Also examine the spark plug wires and replace as needed. A new set of high-quality wires is worth the cost. They may be permanently attached to the distributor cap, so it will have to be changed as well.
3. Replace the distributor cap and rotor if your car has them (some newer models with distributorless ignition don’t).
4. Change the points and condenser if you have an older car (roughly pre-1978) that doesn’t feature electronic ignition. You’ll actually want your points changed, or at least adjusted, every six months or so (if they’re changed, check the ignition timing as well).
5. Check the ignition timing and adjust as needed (rare for a car with electronic ignition - post-1980 - and some cars don’t allow this at all).
6. Adjust the valves as needed (unless your car has hydraulic valves). Be sure to replace the valve-cover gasket as well, especially if you see oil on top of your engine.
7. Check the belts. Replace if worn.
8. Check the fluids under the hood and replenish as necessary. Change the oil and oil filter if it’s been 3,000 miles since the last oil change.
9. Replace the air filter, which should be changed between major services - every 15,000 miles - as well.
10. Adjust the clutch, if you have a manual transmission (although some cars now sport self-adjusting clutches).
11. Service the battery, adding distilled water (if required), cleaning terminals and cable ends.
12. Replace the PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) valve. It can make your car run rough or stall if it gets clogged, and it’s cheap and easy to replace.
Buy your gas when it’s cool. Gas is more dense the colder the weather, so you get more for your money.
Keep your car clean. Mud on the undercarriage can weigh a significant amount and slow you down.
Consolidate your daily trips and errands. This will also save you the cost of restarting your engine, which uses a lot of gas.
Avoid air conditioning when possible. However, when driving at higher speeds, having your windows open also creates drag.
Don’t throttle the gas or brake! Sudden starts or stops use more gas than gradual changes of speed.
Don’t idle for too long. Turn off the engine if you anticipate a lengthy wait.
Limit car warm-ups in winter (often not applicable in Los Angeles).
Clear out the trunk. More weight, more drag.
Avoid high speeds. We know this is almost impossible for L.A. drivers when traffic breaks, but you can improve your gas mileage about 15 percent by driving at 55 mph rather than 65 mph.
Use overdrive. If your car is equipped with overdrive gearing use it as soon as your speed is high enough.
Use cruise control. Keeping a constant speed is ideal for improving your gas mileage.
In the regular four-stroke automobile engine, the intake and exhaust valves are actuated by lobes on a camshaft. The shape of the lobes determines the timing, lift and duration of each valve. Timing refers to when a valve is opened or closed with respect to the combustion cycle. Lift refers to how much the valve is opened. Duration refers to how long the valve is kept open. Due to the behavior of the gases (air and fuel mixture) before and after combustion, which have physical limitations on their flow, as well as their interaction with the ignition spark, the optimal valve timing, lift and duration settings under low RPM engine operations are very different from those under high RPM. Optimal low RPM valve timing, lift and duration settings would result in insufficient fuel and air at high RPM, thus greatly limiting engine power output. Conversely, optimal high RPM valve timing, lift and duration settings would result in very rough low RPM operation and difficult idling. The ideal engine would have fully variable valve timing, lift and duration, in which the valves would always open at exactly the right point, lift high enough & stay open just the right amount of time for the engine speed in use.
In practice, a fully variable valve timing engine is difficult to design and implement. Attempts have been made, using solenoids to control valves instead of the typical springs-and-cams setup, however these designs have not made it into production automobiles as they are very complicated and costly.
The opposite approach to variable timing is to produce a camshaft which is better suited to high RPM operation. This approach means that the vehicle will run very poorly at low rpm (where most automobiles spend much of their time) and much better at high RPM. VTEC is the result of an effort to marry high RPM performance with low RPM stability.
Additionally, Japan has a tax on engine displacement, requiring Japanese auto manufacturers to make higher-performing engines with lower displacement. In cars such as the Supra and 300ZX, this was accomplished with a turbocharger. In the case of the RX-7, a wankel rotary engine was used. VTEC serves as yet another method to derive very high specific output from lower displacement motors.
Basically, drifting is getting your car sideways down a road. A drifter causing a drift and then countering to straighten out, he will instead over-counter so his car goes into another drift. That is the reason many drifters do it in the mountains in Japan or in empty parking lots here in the U.S. So in essence a good drifter has the ability to take five or six opposing turns without having traction at any point in time.
There are two ways to start a drift. The first is the clutching technique. When approaching a turn the driver will push in the clutch and shift his car into second gear. Then rev the engine up to around 4000-5000 rpm (it all depends all the model of the car being used) and then slightly turn away from the turn and then cut back towards it hard while at the same time popping the clutch and causing the rear wheels to spin. At this point the drifter has a loss of traction and is beginning to slide around the curve. Now comes the hard part. You have to hold the drift until the next turn. To do this you must keep your foot on the accelerator while at the same time adjusting your car with the steering wheel so you don’t spin out. Then as the drifter reaches the end of the turn and approaches the next turn which is in the opposite direction he must cut the wheel in that direction and in some cases, if the previous drift was to slow and they start to regain traction, they must pop the clutch again to get the wheels spinning. And that is how you drift a rear wheel drive car.The second technique is used by a few drifters in rear wheel drives, but is the only way you can really drift a front wheel drive. You have to use the side brake. A front wheel drive can not whip it’s tail out because the tires are being driven in the front as opposed to the rear. So when approaching a turn you pull the side brake to cause traction loss. And the rest is pretty much the same except that it’s much harder to take more than one turn with a front wheel driver
Ask the Motor Dog!
