If there is one best tip to give motorists, it is that of taking advantage of peak seasons as far as their car maintenance needs are concerned. You don’t have to wait for the season where such parts like air conditioning or cooling systems need to be addressed. If you feel that a certain car part needs checking up, go ahead and don’t wait. Doing so may even aggravate it and cost you more than having it attended to before it actually gets worse.

Here are some tips from JC Whitney for the summer riders:

• Cooling System: In summer, the cooling system has to work harder to prevent the engine from overheating. Check the radiator, belts and hoses for leaks or cracks. Be sure all the connections are snug, and make sure all the fluids are “topped off”. When towing boats, campers, or trailers, be sure to install additional transmission or oil coolers. In all cases, take great care with a hot engine – it’s very easy to get burned by hot engine parts or fluids.
• Air Conditioning: The engine belts also drive the air conditioner’s compressor, so also inspect this system for worn or damaged belts. Have a local mechanic inspect the compressor’s cooling fluids.
• Tires: In contrast to winter tires, summer tires provide more speed, better handling, and better fuel efficiency. Many drivers keep two sets of wheels: one set mounted with snow tires and one set mounted with summer or all-season tires. For maximum mileage and wear, make sure tires are inflated to the maker’s specifications.
• Brakes: Hot weather can increase the temperature of brake systems, causing pads to wear more quickly, so it’s important to inspect the pads and rotors for wear more frequently in summer.

“A qualified technician can check the systems that often suffer from the summer heat,” added West. “Following the diagnosis, car owners can save money by buying the parts they need from JC Whitney and then having their local mechanic install them.”

(Source) Press

Tags: air conditioner, better fuel efficiency, car maintenance, car owners, cooling system, cooling systems, engine parts, hot weather, maximum mileage, oil coolers, peak seasons, press car, rotors, season tires, snow tires, summer heat, summer tires, winter tires

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Auto EV Japan Co. announces the development of a small, low-power air conditioner for electric cars that can operate without significantly reducing travel distance. Standard car air-conditioning systems typically use a gas coolant to provide the heat and cold used to modify the air that is blown into the passenger compartment. This requires a power-hungry compressor and a vaporization chamber, adding both size and energy requirements to the system.

In the case of the Girasole, the two-seater that Auto EV began selling in September of 2007, a regular air conditioner can steal away half of the 120km the electric car would otherwise be able to travel on a full charge. But the new air conditioner consumes half as much power so even with the cooler running the Girasole can travel around 100km.

The new system is based on a Peltier device, a plate-shaped semiconductor device that cools down on one side and heats up on the other when subjected to an electric current. The device is fitted into the car’s air-blowing unit and hooked up to a dedicated radiator and to piping that circulates water. Electricity to the Peltier device is supplied from a lithium ion battery fitted under the car.

Auto EV Japan plans to market the new air conditioner for the Girasole starting this summer, priced at about 200,000 yen (US$2,020).

(Source) Trading Markets

Tags: air conditioner, car air conditioning, car auto, coolant, electric car, electric cars, energy requirements, girasole, japan co, japanese cars, lithium, lithium ion battery, peltier device, semiconductor device, trading markets, travel distance

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Everyone knows that the Toyota Prius has changed the face of mobile preference thanks to its hybrid capabilities but the new batch comes with something special. They are equipped with rooftop solar panels.

Toyota just unveiled its new Toyota Prius, and it takes its eco-friendliness to the next level. Yes, it’s still a hybrid that gets excellent gas mileage, but now it also comes with a giant solar panel on the roof to soak up the sun’s rays and convert them into energy to power your stereo and air conditioner.

The great thing about these panels is that they work even when you aren’t driving. That means that when you come out to your car after working all day, it’s got a bunch of energy saved up from just sitting there in the sun. The new Prius will be on sale in Japan soon for between $21,000 and $26,000.

(Source) Crunchgear

Tags: air conditioner, gas mileage, hybrid capabilities, Japan, solar panel, solar panels, Toyota, toyota prius

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Honda’s bet into the pickup market is the Ridgeline RTL. When Honda decided to enter the pickup truck market with its own open bed hauler, it decided the traditional American pickup would be hard to beat, playing the home team on their home field. Cheaper wasn’t the Honda way. So it would be different.

The Honda Ridgeline isn’t like any other pickup truck on the market, but even with a unit body construction including even the bed, it still has a load capacity of 1,100 pounds. It’s available only as a four-door with a full-automobile-sized cabin, and it also fully independent suspension so it really does have that coveted car-like ride.

The Honda Ridgeline was given a minor restyle for the 2009 model year. The most readily apparent change is the new grille. It doesn’t look nearly as much like a heating element as the original did. Front and rear bumpers were changed and the RTL now gets fog lights and 18-inch wheels.

Honda made a variety of changes inside as well, from larger icons on the air conditioner controls to a redesigned instrument panel to MP3/WMA compatibility.
(more…)

Tags: air conditioner, automobile, body construction, Honda, honda ridgeline, instrument panel, pickup truck, rtl

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How would you feel about automating you car settings via one simple card? Well such a technology is here and it is called the Car Setting Card. Rather than make the necessary adjustments for comfortable driving, this card can automatically do it all for you. The card however is still in the testing stages and open to negotiations (to whomever would want to patent and buy this new technology).

The card sets automatically items such as seats, steering wheel, mirrors, windows, air conditioner, etc. Even drivers with no card may adjust the items according to his or her preferences, however the electronic automotive system emulate and store the settings as adjusted by the driver in memories of the data card.

This technology addresses mainly the troubling to access a car and set its several adjustments.

(Source) Zyrist

Tags: air conditioner, automotive system, patent, steering wheel

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