Brian Early - Loose Nut Behind the Wheel

2011-12-30T01:22:00.000-05:00

Harry Pegg (L), Nauman Farooq (C), and Mazda's Susumu Niinai (R) discuss engineering details - Mazda SkyActiv event

You can read my Wheels article about my Best and Worst (automotive) Experiences of 2011 here.

2000 Audi S4 quattro - transmission removal and reinstallation - times 3

Shameless Self-promotion

2011-12-30T00:56:00.000-05:00


2012 Jaguar XKR-S Coupe

You can read my Wheels article on my Best and Worst Vehicles driven in 2011 here. Guess which one of these two vehicles was chosen as best?

2011 Nissan Quest LE

Shameless Self-promotion

2011-12-30T00:48:00.001-05:00


2011 Volkswagen Jetta GLI - Mosport Driver Development Track

You can find my Toronto Star Wheels preview of Volkswagen's 2011 Jetta GLI here.

Shameless Self-promotion

2011-11-06T20:44:00.000-05:00

2012 Hyundai Veloster - AJAC's Best New Sports/Performance Car (under $50,000)

You can find my Wheels coverage of the Best New Sports/Performance (under $50,000) category of AJAC's Canadian Car of the Year TestFest here.

2012 BMW X3 xDrive35i - AJAC's Best New SUV-CUV (over $60,000)

You can find my Wheels coverage of the Best New SUV-CUV (over $60,000) category of AJAC's Canadian Car of the Year TestFest here.

AJAC's 2012 Canadian Car of the Year and TestFest

2011-11-06T20:30:00.002-05:00

Category Winners - AJAC's 2012 Canadian Car and Utility Vehicle of the Year

The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) holds an annual event dubbed "TestFest" during the last week of October at which every new or substantially redesigned light-duty vehicle has an opportunity to compete. For the past six years, this has taken place at the Niagara District Airport, whose runways are shut down and used as a road course.

Competition occurs first within groups of its peers (categorized as best as possible), and then for the title of overall Best New Car or Best New Utility vehicle. Scores are based on an amalgam of subjective votes by the journalists, test vehicle pricing, and measured scores derived from on-site performance testing. TestFest and the Canadian Car of the Year process are constantly being refined, and this is the only event of its kind in the world.

For several reasons, you won't find models that have either already competed (whether they won or not), been on sale for more than one year, or that have received only minor changes for this coming model year. The most critical of those reasons is logistics; there has to be at least three examples of each competitor on site and available for evaluation, and each must be driven by each voting journalist on the same day for their votes to count. Just getting through the "new and improved" crowd is tough enough - this year's larger categories had 7 entrants (there have been 10 car categories in past years), with the assigned drive route and off road or on-track testing for each car taking approximately 40 minutes just complete. That doesn't count time juggling keys, which are expertly handled by students from Georgian College.

This year (as in years past), journalists were expected to complete their 3 assigned categories, as well as as many additional complete categories were required to bring their total to a minimum of 18 vehicles altogether. That's over the course of the two primary testing days, Tuesday and Wednesday, and votes must be submitted early Wednesday evening. It's tougher than it sounds.

On Thursday, while the category votes are tabulated, journalists are free to drive other vehicles in other categories. (This year there were several electric vehicles available for brief drives in addition to those competing.) Thursday is a chance to drive models you might not otherwise be able to experience, and also a chance to try and guess winners from other categories that you weren't able to complete.

That's because on Friday the category winners are announced, and each journalist is required to drive whichever category winners they haven't yet tested. The votes for overall Car and overall Utility Vehicle are submitted by that evening. The final winners are announced in February at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto.

Five of this year's eleven category winners were Korean, with the Germans claiming all but one of the remaining spots. The Dodge Journey was the sole "domestic" winner, but before you cry "foul", please note that last year's results included five domestics, two of which - the Chevrolet Cruze and Ford Edge - went on to claim overall Car and Utility Vehicle wins.

Here, in the order of the photo above, from left to right, are your eleven winners:

Hyundai Elantra - Best New Small Car (over $21,000)
BMW 1 Series M Coupé - Best New Sports/Performance (over $50,000)
Kia Optima LX - Best New Family Car (under $30,000)
Mercedes C-Class C350 4MATIC - Best New Luxury Car
Dodge Journey - Best New SUV-CUV (under $35,000)
BMW X3 - Best New SUV-CUV (over $60,000)
Volkswagen Touareg TDI - Best New SUV-CUV ($35,000-$60,000)
Kia Optima Hybrid - Best New Family Car (over $30,000)
Mercedes S-Class S350 BlueTec 4Matic - Best New Prestige Car
Hyundai Veloster - Best New Sports/Performance (under $50,000)
Hyundai Accent - Best New Small Car (under $21,000)

As for which ones claim the title, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the Kia Optima LX takes overall Car, and either the Dodge Journey overall Utility Vehicle, though I'd not be surprised to see the VW Touareg or Hyundai Elantra in those places instead. We'll have to wait until mid-February to find out if I'm right.

In the meantime, click this link to read Wheels comprehensive coverage.

Knee-jerk Politics

2011-10-11T00:19:00.001-04:00

Earlier today a 25 year-old man lost his life after he crashed his Honda Accord in what police believe was a street race that went wrong. This is unfortunate, and it tends to happen several times per year in the Greater Toronto area. The Toronto Star's article on this (available here) says that 34 people have died in incidents like this in the GTA in the past six years. Without trying to trivialize that or detract from the significance to those involved and their families and friends, that's less than 6, on average, per year. For perspective, 241 people were murdered last year in Toronto. I don't have access to the numbers, but I'll bet that many more than 6 people die each year as a result of inadequate driver training and testing standards.

Why this issue bothers me so much is that politicians and high-ranking police officers with political aspirations (Mr. Fantino, I'm looking squarely at you) leap at this as an opportunity to show how much they care about the safety of the public and taking positive action to do the right thing. That's when we get asinine laws passed like Bill 203, Safer Streets for a Safer Ontario, which resulted in Ontario Highway Traffic Act Regulation 455/07, commonly know as the Street Racing Law. If you have several minutes, you should read it here.

The act contains some good ideas, but also many that are not as productive. The biggest negative is the ability for an officer's discretion to result in your vehicle being towed and impounded for a week, on the spot, while you lose your license for the same period. Additionally, fines from between $2000 to $10,000 apply, and it's possible to face jail time. The towing and impound fees themselves are almost guaranteed to total into the four digit range on their own. Don't own the vehicle? The lucky owner gets to pay the towing and impound fees; it's up to them to get you to pay them back.

Even if you go to court and the charge is dismissed, you are not reimbursed for the towing and impound costs. Have a nice day.

This puts far too much power and responsibility into the hands of the officers, and as far as I'm concerned, violates my right to trial before prosecution. Speeding 50 km/h over is a bit more clear cut, but it should be pointed out that laws already exist that cover many of the actions described in this regulation, and police already had charges like Careless Driving to use their discretion on. What should have happened is that the penalties for those charges should have been increased to meaningful levels, not taken to the political spotlight level that occurred instead.

The latest to jump on the road safety bandwagon is Jim Karygiannis, MP for Scarborough-Agincourt, who according to the Star "released a statement today saying he will introduce a federal bill on limiting speed. Karygiannis wants manufacturers to install a device that will limit the maximum speed of any car to 150 km/h. He proposed a similar bill previously but it died when the election was called last May."

I have a major problem with that. Do I think that we should all be blazing along at over 150 km/h on the 400-series highways? No, I don't, even if I do think that the 100 km/h maximum is antiquated and needs rethinking. That's what greater enforcement and stricter penalties are for. Governing cars to 150 km/h isn't going to prevent deaths such as occurred this morning either. Mr.Karygiannis claims on his website (here) that the two cars were going about 180 km/h. I'm skeptical that the Honda Accord pictured was doing that speed when the driver lost control. Besides, his proposed legislation won't keep morons from doing 80 km/h through residential streets or speeding through school zones. Sure sounds "tough on crime" though. Way to go.

Happy 25th Birthday, Wheels!

2011-09-27T21:52:00.002-04:00

Wheels' chief scribe Jim Kenzie with a copy of the first Wheels section (Dave Cooper/Toronto Star image)

You can find Wheels editor Mark Richardson's article regarding the 25th Birthday of the Star's Wheels section here. While there, you'll also find additional links to looks back and looks forward from several regular contributors and the automakers themselves.

I'm personally proud to have been associated with this section, and am looking forward to as many more years as they'll have me. Wheels' contributors and staff are a good bunch of people who really do share a passion for automobilia and writing, and I think that it comes through in the final product. As the saying goes, "imitated, but never duplicated!"

So here's to another 25 years - at least - of Wheels. Congratulations!

When Engineers Get Bored

2011-09-26T23:59:00.002-04:00

Actually, this entry falls more into the "When Engineers Get Stupid" category, though you could argue that to be completely accurate I'd have had to title it "When Engineers Try Stupid Things To Try And Impress Someone In Accounting By Saving The Cost Of Three Fasteners".

Heater fan motor - pre-replacement

From an assembly standpoint, incorporating the heater fan motor assembly into the heater case itself makes a certain amount of sense. Unfortunately, these things do fail. I won't say "occasionally", because in certain applications, it isn't. Consequently, some provision has to made to service it (translation: replace it). In the case of this particular design, you actually cut the heater case open to access the motor assembly.

Now, to their credit, the designers of this farce have made cutting the case open fairly simple - there's a clearly delineated circle where you're meant to cut, and the plastic is molded thinner at this point to accommodate the process. A good sharp utility knife will do it, if you're careful not to snap the blade. As this particular part lives on the underside of the heater case, beneath the passenger side of the instrument panel, and is accessed from the passenger side foot-well (a common location for these things), it would help to be triple-jointed or perhaps a retired circus performer.

Cut here... carefully. Getting light-headed yet?

OK, so you've cut the blasted thing out. The problem is, now you've got to somehow install the replacement part. A hot glue gun won't make it happen. (Well, it might, but only if you're truly desperate.) If you've already quoted the customer on this job and the parts counter staffer missed the little footnote on the listing for the fan when you called, you just might consider that option. (Fortunately, we hadn't priced the job yet - we'd just been told to fix it.)

Something's missing here...

No, you need the $62 kit, which is comprised of a stamped steel ring that bridges the gap between the heater case and the piece of the case you cut out earlier (that the fan motor itself bolts to), eight self-tapping screws, a couple of strips of foam (to seal the opening), and an instruction sheet. At least for that price the adapter comes painted.

...that'd be it

Tada! You may now reinstall the new motor assembly and bask in the return of functional heating and cooling.

Fini.

In most vehicles, this sucker is held in by screws already. Undo them, remove the motor, reinstall, simple. In this one, someone at Delphi re-invented the wheel. It's half asinine, half brilliant. After all, not only do you have to buy a motor, but the adapter too! It's obvious that the whole thing is designed with this in mind - note the pre-molded screw holes. So deviously clever that I just can't bring myself to give it a Jackass Award.

Probably not too many of these cars out there.

So, what vehicle family might you find this in? That would be GM's Epsilon cars; this one was a 2007 Pontiac G6, but I'd bet that the Chevy Malibu and Saturn Aura of the same generation use the exact same setup. Probably not too many of those running around.

Shameless Self-promotion

2011-09-20T20:41:00.001-04:00

Press Conference; BMW Stand, Frankfurt Motor Show 2011

You can find my Wheels coverage of the latest high-end exotic and sports concepts from the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show here.

Shameless Self-promotion

2011-09-20T20:27:00.002-04:00

2011 Ford Explorer XLT

You can find my Wheels review of Ford's 2011 Explorer XLT here.

Shameless Self-promotion

2011-08-09T01:01:00.001-04:00

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

You can find my Wheels article on the new 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid here.

Shameless Self-promotion

2011-05-15T18:34:00.001-04:00

2011 Ford Fiesta SE

You can read my Wheels review of Ford's 2011 Fiesta SE Hatchback here.

Jackass Award - Nice Parking Job, Stupid

2011-04-10T21:31:00.001-04:00

And here I thought that Pontiacs were "Built for Drivers". Not good ones, apparently, as the owner of this parked G6 clearly proves.

Actually, you have to give this knob some credit, as they have managed to effectively screw up four parking spots at once. That level of inconsideration/incompetence borders on skill.

For this excellence in failure, you, Sir or Madam, are most deserving of a Jackass Award.

Shameless Self-promotion

2011-04-03T23:48:00.001-04:00

2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid

You can find my Wheels review of Porsche's 2011 Cayenne S Hybrid here.

When Engineers Get Bored...

2011-02-20T15:59:00.004-05:00

2009 VW Tiguan rear caliper (removed), illustrating servo motor

...they design things like electronic parking brakes, where through the miracle of technology, they replace perhaps $250 worth of handles/pedals and cables with well over $1000 worth of electrical switches, control units, wiring, and servo motors. That is, of course, if they don't also use cables, as in models like the 2010 Subaru Outback.

2009 VW Tiguan parking brake control switch (located in centre console)

Theoretically, an electric parking brake does allow certain things, such as automatic application when the vehicle is placed in park - none that I'm aware of will do that, even if many will release when the throttle is pressed. Auto Hold, as seen here, will hold the vehicle when you come to a stop (until you press the throttle) so you don't have to stay on the brake in traffic, as well as preventing roll-back on inclines. Didn't a manual handbrake also do those things?

Using a switch instead of a handle or lever also potentially frees up space in the centre console which... ...wait a second, the Tiguan's switch is where the hand lever would go. No space gained there.

Well, you do get some added coin storage, I guess, but look at how much coffee has already found its way into the switch due to the proximity to the cupholders. This would, at worst, make a handbrake handle sticky, but it could potentially spell intermittent operation or even death for these two switches, which are not likely cheap to replace.

Speaking of not cheap, when the time comes to replace the rear pads (with or without the rotors), you now need to command the parking brake servo motors open, which requires either a VW-capable bi-directional scan tool, or a specialized, purpose-specific control device, like the one seen below. There is no other way to do the job properly, and you can bet the shop's added costs in equipment will be factored into the job.

Strategic Tools' 30369600 VW/Audi EPB service tool

We won't even get into Volkswagen's corporate fascination with unusual fastener drive systems, such as the "triple square drive" bolts that retain the brake caliper bracket (and, it appears, the wheel bearing assembly too). Thanks for making me spend even more on yet another set of special sockets - they'll complement the metric Allen drive set that already gathers dust in my toolbox between German car repair jobs...

2009 VW Tiguan - rear upright as seen from inboard side

Shameless Self-promotion

2011-02-20T14:46:00.003-05:00

Audi e-tron Concept (Frankfurt), front; A1 e-tron, rear

You can read my Wheels coverage of Audi Tech Day on Electromobility and the company's future electrified vehicle plans here. (The uncaptioned image seen there is the instrument cluster of the white Audi A1 pictured above.)

A picture of the R8 mule mentioned can be seen in my earlier post for my Wheels article about my Best and Worst (Automotive) Experiences for 2010 here.

2011 Audi Q5 Hybrid

Shameless Self-promotion

2011-02-11T21:45:00.002-05:00

2012 Audi A6 3.0 TFSI quattro

You can find my Wheels preview of Audi's 2012 A6 executive sedan here.

Jackass Award - Proof That a Mechanic Slept with an Engineer's Wife...

2011-01-27T22:38:00.008-05:00


2008 Saturn Vue 3.6 L V6, as seen from below - front is at the top. (See the filter?)

Understandably, service access is not always the top priority when designing a new vehicle; cost and relative ease of production often trump it. I get that.

I also sympathize with the engineers somewhat as they don't always have the big picture, having to design a door hinge or a heater or whatever without specific knowledge of what's around it beyond basic dimensions. This same component - this engine, in this case - also often has to be able to fit into multiple vehicles. That's reality. I get that too.

However, what I don't get, and can't deal with, is stupidity when it comes to stuff that has to be serviced regularly, and oil changes are about the most regular service any vehicle will ever require. An oil filter isn't like a hydraulic valve lifter that will probably last the lifetime of the car. It will be replaced at a pre-determined interval, as many as 50 times in the 250,000+ kilometer life expectancy of the average private vehicle. We're talking several times a year.

So why would anyone put the oil filter in a location that almost guarantees that it will make a mess of the A/C compressor, subframe, and probably the technician? It's an awkward extraction at best.

More critically, why would anybody put it within millimetres of a catalytic converter that's designed to get several hundred degrees of temperature within a minute or so of the vehicle running, so as to virtually ensure that whatever poor sap has to change it will receive severe burns?

You can't tell me that this filter's location didn't receive some amount of consideration, yet there it is. Someone deserves a career of designing glovebox hinges for this one.

It's easy to criticise: what could they have done differently? At the minimum, they could have angled the converter away from the filter - there's clearly space to do so. They could also have made it possible to access it from above (it isn't), or have provided an opening or door in the air deflector to get at it from in front of the subframe (there's almost space for that with this same engine in the larger Lambda models {GMC Acadia, etc.}). Not as preferable, but it could also have been integrated into the oil pan as was the case on the earlier 3.5 litre DOHC Oldsmobile V6.

While GM is by no means alone in doing things like this (everyone does them to some extent), something this dumb feels like it could only be malicious. Proof that a mechanic slept with an engineer's wife...

Credit Where Credit is Due Department

2011-01-16T17:12:00.000-05:00

...thanks, Janis.

A tip of the hat must go to Mercedes-Benz, or at least their advertising department, for coming up with this impossible-to-miss, skyscraper-sized poster advert, located immediately across the street from Cobo Hall, site of the 2011 Detroit Auto Show.

It's a clear thumb of the nose to Porsche, who returned to Detroit after a several year hiatus. This has shades of the Audi vs. BMW PR war that's been going on for several years (my favourite - a wall-sized ad for BMWs on a billboard above a Hong Kong Audi dealership). Who say the Germans lack passion?

Shameless Self-promotion

2011-01-16T17:02:00.001-05:00

2012 Ford C-MAX

You can find my Wheels coverage of the "people-movers" (vans, larger crossovers, and SUVs) at this year's Detroit Auto Show here.

Shameless Self-promotion

2011-01-16T16:58:00.001-05:00

GMC Sierra All-Terrain HD Concept

You can find my Wheels coverage of the "conventional" (non-hybrid, EV, or alternative fuel) concept vehicles at this year's Detroit Auto Show here.

Shameless Self-promotion

2011-01-16T16:49:00.001-05:00

Audi R8 e-tron Concept "mule"


2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS

You can find my Wheels article about my Best and Worst Automotive Experiences here.

Shameless Self-promotion

2011-01-16T15:41:00.002-05:00

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 GT

2010 Cadillac SRX 3.0 AWD

You can find my Wheels article on my Best and Worst Cars (test vehicles) for 2010 here. Extra points if you can guess which one of these was Best and which was Worst...

(With apologies for the delay in updating.)

When Engineers Get Bored...

2010-11-24T23:49:00.002-05:00

2011 Buick Regal

When engineers get bored, they needlessly redesign things. This may be to justify their existence, I really don't know.

This photo is of the left taillight of a 2011 Buick Regal, a car largely based upon the award-winning Opel Insignia. The Insignia is built in Germany and sold in a large number of global markets. This Regal, in fact, was also built in Germany, though production will soon shift to Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.

So why show this photo? That's easy. Assume that this car is one car ahead of you, so this is as much of it as you can see...

Quick! Is this Regal braking or indicating a turn?

The correct answer is "who the hell knows?!?", because some wise ass engineer decided to redesign the electrical system of this car to equip it with what's sometimes known as "combination lamps". Combination lamps are where a single red lamp (or group of lamps) performs the brake light and turn indicator functions for each side of the vehicle. Basically, they are a brake light unless being over-ridden for use as a signal.

Virtually no other world market allows this stupidity (or even separate red rear turn indicators), including the other markets that this vehicle is sold in, where this bulb would be orange/amber. Functioning only as a signal, no confusion would be possible.

The larger red portion of the lamp above it would be the brake lamp in the Insignia - and as seen in this picture, it does not function as a brake lamp in the Regal.

You could argue Buick tradition - the majority of Buicks have used combination lamps over the years, but there have also been numerous Buicks with dedicated orange signals (it was even a hallmark of the top "T-Type" models for a while), including the model one notch above the Regal in Buick's current model matrix, the Lacrosse.

As the red part of the lamp above it still contains a bulb (it's a parking light), it's not like GM saved any money on bulbs, and I doubt more than a few cents on wire. It looks pretty hokey too.

GM is not the only offender here, as most new Audi vehicles use combination lamps in the Canadian and US markets. BMW and Mercedes stop just short of that, equipping most of our models with red rear signals.

My big question here is: Why spend the money on redesigning these parts to make the car less safe?

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-11-24T23:26:00.000-05:00

It may not be sexy, but you can read my Wheels coverage of the Minivan cateory at this year's AJAC Canadian Car of the Year here.

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-11-24T23:21:00.000-05:00

You can read my Wheels coverage of the Best New SUV-CUV (over $50,000) category from this year's AJAC Canadian Car of the Year here.

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-11-24T23:15:00.000-05:00

2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STi

You can read my Wheels article on my recommended choices for buying a Sports or Performance Car (below $50,000) from the outgoing model year here.

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-11-08T01:09:00.000-05:00

2011 Honda Odyssey Touring's rear entertainment system

You can find my special Toronto Star A-section article about vehicle connectivity here.

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-11-08T01:08:00.002-05:00

Myself (L), Mark Richardson (C), and Jil McIntosh (R)

Perhaps the ultimate in patting oneself on the back, you can read Mark Richardson's editorial about my Wheels colleagues and I receiving awards at this year's AJAC (Automobile Journalists Association of Canada) awards dinner here.

My award was the Wakefield Castrol Award for Journalism; Technical Topics, given for my article on Mercedes-Benz's new "V" engine families, which can be found here and here.

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-11-08T00:47:00.001-05:00

'09 Malibu vs. '59 Bel Air - IIHS image via the Toronto Star

You can find my special Toronto Star A-section article about vehicle safety systems here.

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-10-25T22:24:00.000-04:00

You can find my Wheels article on what to look for when buying a used car (such as overspray in the doorjamb {top} or unmatching fender {bottom}) here.

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-09-29T21:22:00.000-04:00

2011 Mercedes CL 63 AMG

You can read my Wheels preview of Mercedes' revised 2011 CL-Class models, including the CL 550 4MATIC, CL 600, CL 63 AMG, and the twin-turbo V12 CL 65 AMG here.

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-09-22T22:34:00.000-04:00

Light on its feet for a big van.

You can find my Wheels preview of Honda's 2011 Odyssey minivan here.

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-09-07T00:25:00.001-04:00

You can find my Wheels article about my taking Durham College and Canadian Safety Council's M2 motorcycle training course here.

Additional information about the process to get your motorcycle licence in Ontario - also from Wheels - can be found here.

(An observant reader is correct in that you can undertake your M1 Exit test prior to the 60 days, but that you must wait until then to file your paperwork. Hey, I only had so much space to work with... ...but thank you for catching it.)

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-08-17T22:39:00.000-04:00

2011 GMC Sierra (L) and Chevrolet Silverado (R).

You can find my Wheels review of General Motors' 2011 HD pickups - the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra - here. You can also find my sidebar article about the diesel models' new Diesel Exhaust Fluid (urea) system here.

Shamless Self-promotion

2010-08-17T22:38:00.000-04:00

Mercedes' Prof. Dr. Leopold Mikulic (L) and Gerhard Doll (R)

You can find my CanadianDriver.com coverage of Mercedes' new V-6 and V8 engine families here. Additionally, you can find my sidebar article about the company's engine test facility here.

Panic in the Streets!

2010-07-01T00:32:00.003-04:00

This was the scene at my local gas station at 11:30 PM, Wednesday July 30th. On a normal Wednesday evening, it would be unusual to have more than two or three cars total at the eight available pumps at any one time. Tonight, with one pump mysteriously blocked off, there were often several drivers waiting for a vacancy.

Just half an hour before taking this photo, I waited in a line-up three deep for my turn at the pumps. When I had first passed by, at around 6:00 in the evening, the lines were overflowing out of the station onto the surrounding streets.

Why the sudden rush? It's because at midnight, the new Harmonized Sales Tax comes into effect. Yes, as of July 1st, sales tax on fuel goes from the current 5% GST to 13% as the previous 8% PST gets added in - and it should be noted that like the existing tax, it compounds on taxes built in to the price of fuel already, meaning it's partially a tax on a tax.

It's appropriate that the addition of the HST (to this and a number of other items, though not everything) occurs on Canada Day, as taxing citizens in new and creative ways appears to be a Canadian tradition. Remember, Income Tax was strictly a wartime measure when it was introduced - back in 1917!

Topping the family's two cars at the current 96.4¢ per litre cost me $40 even (call it $38 pre-GST). With the new HST, the same amount of fuel would have cost me $42.94. Does an extra $3 really matter in the grand scheme of things?

Look at it this way: That same $40 would have bought me 8% less fuel. Whether you figure it by the litre or lifetime of driving, my fuel dollar now takes me 8% less distance, so it effectively costs me 8% more to get anywhere.

Think of how much this one item alone will add to the provincial coffers and it's not hard to see why they've done it. I hope that Premier McGuinty and his Liberal government have enjoyed their stay in office, because I can see the HST being political suicide.

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-06-21T21:54:00.000-04:00

(Mercedes' Dr Leopold Mikulic and Gerhard Doll find the humour in posing for photos with their new V8 engine - both were good sports)

You can find my Wheels article about Mercedes' latest V6 and V8 engine families and their advanced technology here.

A New Look!

2010-06-21T21:41:00.001-04:00

Blogger has been kind enough to offer new templates to its blog users. Who would I be to ignore their kindness?

The new background reminds me a little of carbon fibre, and I thought that the light font on a dark background might provide some relief for eyes that have dealt with the bright backgrounds typically found elsewhere on the 'net.

You'll find that links are now red to make them easier to pick out. This applies to both article links and links to other related posts within my blog.

Let me know what you think - good move? Bad move? What changes would you like to see?

Brian

Shameless Self-Promotion

2010-06-21T18:37:00.000-04:00

(Two Mercedes test vehicles narrowly miss each other at a simulated intersection)

You can read my Wheels article about Mercedes' new automated driving system and facility here.

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-06-20T11:04:00.002-04:00

You can find my Wheels review of Hyundai's 2011 Sonata Limited here.

Toyota's Ongoing Recall Woes

2010-04-19T22:55:00.002-04:00

In the past day or two, Toyota Canada has issued a voluntary recall for somewhere in the neighbourhood of 270,000 first and second-generation Sienna minivans.

This one is for spare tire retainer cables, which may corrode and fail, causing the spare tire to fall out of its stowed position beneath the vehicle, potentially causing damage or loss of control for the affected vehicle or others following behind. All-wheel drive Siennas, which do not have a spare tire (the rear driveshaft needs the same piece of underbody real estate), are obviously not included in this recall.

OK, I agree that this is a potentially serious safety concern. I'll even agree that it warrants some kind of fix (like using chains, as nearly everyone did prior to adopting cheaper, lighter cables).

Clearly, Toyota, having just paid a large fine (and suffering much public humiliation) for not reacting quickly enough to potential safety issues - and facing another, embarrassing situation with Consumer Reports trumpeting a handling issue with its 2010 Lexus GX 460 - is going all-out to deal with anything remotely concerning as fast as possible.

What bugs me here is that other automakers will seem innocent here because Toyota is the only one presently addressing this issue. They're not. Countless hundreds of thousands of minivans and pickups from nearly every automaker are currently plying our streets with the same kind of frankly crappy design as that used on the Sienna, and I speak from experience that they can - and do - fail in exactly the same fashion. I can't count the number of minivans I've been beneath where the frayed end of a rusty cable is all that remains where the spare once resided.

Spare tire on a (new at the time) 2005 Buick Terrazza

I've actually been hit in the face by a spare tire falling off the bottom of a GM minivan, disturbed when I bumped it with the heel of my hand to see if it was tightly secured during a safety inspection (the cable broke and it fell on me while the van was up on the hoist).

There are ways around this problem. Chrysler vans have had a mushroom-shaped plastic safety catch since their 1996 revamp, and I've yet to see one of them so afflicted - not to say it's foolproof. Honda Odysseys store their spares inside; that's about as close to foolproof as you'll find in this industry - at least until you get a flat with a full load of stuff inside - then you might wish it was externally mounted.

I'm sure that the popular media will take this latest Toyota recall and run with it until the next hot news item comes along. Maybe the pro-domestic crowd can come up with another clever bumper sticker to place alongside their newly minted "Toyotas - keep 100 metres back!" decal to commemorate the occasion.

In the meantime, I will continue to believe that Toyota's products are among the best and safest available, and will hope that the company's way of dealing with these problems improves vastly over the train-wrecks that have occurred so far.

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-04-17T15:46:00.000-04:00

You can read my Wheels review of Ford's 2010 Taurus SEL AWD here.

(Somewhat) New Technology

2010-04-05T22:30:00.007-04:00

Accessory drive belts are nothing new, and neither are V-ribbed belts. What is new - the past couple of years new - are "Stretchy Belts".

As you can see in the above photo, which is of the 2.3 litre "MZR" four cylinder in a 2006 Mazda5, there is no tensioner for the outermost belt.

Normally, if you didn't have a dedicated tensioner, you'd have some provision for using one of the driven components as a source of adjustment.

Perhaps not entirely obvious in this photo is the fact that the one and only component driven by this belt (the upper pulley is the crankshaft) is the air conditioning compressor, and it's bolted firmly to the oil pan. No adjustment is possible.

So what gives? Well, as the name implies, the belt is stretchy - stretchy enough that it can be coaxed over the pulleys to get it into place, but not so stretchy that it fails to transfer power to the compressor, which can require several horsepower to function.

Actually, you might be surprised at just how strong a Stretchy Belt is. This particular Mazda5 is on engine number 2 - engine number 1 suffered catastrophic internal damage when the A/C compressor seized, and - instead of slipping or breaking - the Stretchy Belt hung on tight enough to spin the keyway-less crank pulley and the crankshaft's timing gear on the end of the crankshaft, resulting in the smashing of pistons into valves. Stretchy Belt 1; Engine 0.

Mazda isn't alone in using Stretchy Belts; Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors also use this technology, and it's not hard to imagine other quickly following suit once they realize that they can eliminate the expense, space, and potential warranty replacement of a tensioner by using one.

The downside? It's a bit more expensive than a conventional belt of equal size, it's not possible to reliably determine wear or health by just looking at it (there's a little plastic gauge available), and it requires special tools and/or creativity to remove or reinstall - your mechanic will curse the first one or two they have to change.

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-03-21T16:37:00.000-04:00

You can find my Wheels review of Nissan's 2010 Sentra sedan here.

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-03-07T23:26:00.000-05:00

You can find my Wheels review of Cadillac's 2010 SRX here.

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-03-02T11:03:00.000-05:00

You can read my CanadianDriver article about Porsche's Ivalo, Finland Driving Experience Center here.

Huh?

2010-02-28T20:04:00.002-05:00

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm fairly certain that beyond a single event in Montreal in 2008, NASCAR stock cars haven't had windshield wipers since a few years after they stopped running on the sand at Daytona. I highly doubt that the cars running in Montreal had windshield washers to go with their wipers.

So how is it that NASCAR branded windshield washer fluid, seen here at retailer Canadian Tire, makes any sense?

What's next? NASCAR branded headlight bulbs? (Our high-performance NASCAR headlights now feature 30% stickier adhesive!)

Good thing that the fluid is rated for -49ºC - you never know when you'll need that level of protection when you're racing in Fontana, California...

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-02-28T17:26:00.000-05:00

You can read my review of Lexus' 2010 GX 460 in Wheels here, and my review of the same vehicle for CanadianDriver.com here.

Shamless Self-promotion

2010-02-28T17:19:00.000-05:00

You can read my Wheels article about my visit to Porsche's northern Finland driver training facility here.

Jackass Award - Lamborghini at the Toronto Auto Show

2010-02-16T21:44:00.002-05:00

I can't decide if Lamborghini's display at this year's Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto is the result of ignorance or arrogance, but I'm leaning towards arrogance.

Segregating the unwashed masses from your cars is completely understandable; I don't begrudge you that. Prevents greasy fingerprints and zipper scratches while adding to the mystique and all that. Got it.

Even having black walls and black carpet is fine. It can look very classy.

Not having any sort of light, other than the few pot lights in the Convention Centre's ceiling isn't particularly clever though. Doesn't show off your cars or their exquisite styling details too well, nor does parking them as far from the crowd as possible at the rear of your stand, perpendicular to the public's viewpoint.

However what cements your booth as a Jackass Award winner is the choice of colour of the two cars present, particularly given the lighting and the display's colour choice. Why would you show black cars with black wheels on a black carpet against a black backdrop?

Do you boneheads realize how difficult it is to photograph a black car under ideal lighting against a contrasting background? It's hard enough to see them well.

Had it occurred to you that some small percentage of the crowd gawking at your cars over the barrier and desperately trying to get a good camera-phone image might one day be potential buyers? Or that the desirability of your product - that your customers can purchase what the majority want but can't have - is a large part of what sells them, not just their performance?

Desktops on computers and profile pictures on Facebook - these are the modern bedroom wall posters, and you should be encouraging your future fan base, not spurning them.

Reinforcing the notion that Lamborghinis are the sole domain of aloof, pretentious jerks isn't what I'd call a positive marketing effort.

For that, Lamborghini, whether intentional or not, you win a Jackass Award.

(Inaugural) Jackass Award - GTAA/Lester B. Pearson International Airport

2010-02-16T21:11:00.002-05:00

On a recent trip via Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International Airport, I encountered a set of sliding entrance doors that weren't working. On each door in the pair there was a little yellow sign which read, "Temporarily out of service" in both English and French.

OK, fair enough, stuff like this breaks. No big deal. After entering the functional set to their immediate left - which lead into the same small foyer - I came to the next set of doors.

Lo and behold, they weren't working either, but had the same signs on them.

I believe in coincidence, but this was a bit annoying, as I had to diagonally cross the foyer to use the righthand doors, which did work.

It wasn't until I was walking down the Terminal to my check-in point that I realized that all of the entrance/exit doors in the building were the same, and all were forcing people to use diagonal sets of doors. Upon my return, I discovered that it was the same on all three floors.

What the hell is that about?!? Is this some kind of bizarre attempt at improving security? Like preventing terrorists or suicide bombers or girl guides selling cookies from walking conveniently straight in would somehow make any difference at all?

I'm going to be generous and suggest that it was done to reduce the intrusion of cold gusts of air from outside. Even if that's the case, it's still stupid; a band-aid solution to a lousy design. At least indicate that this is the intention, because to those that somehow don't notice the other sets of doors, it makes it look like the place is falling apart and poorly maintained - not the message that air travellers really want from their airport. Spend a bit of your world-beating gate fees and install big revolving doors if this is the reason.

To whatever person or group - GTAA, this means one or more of your employees - that thought that this was a good idea, you need to give your head(s) a massive shake and realize that what you're actually accomplishing is to inconvenience and annoy nearly every single traveller - these would be your customers, dummies - that passes in or out of your facility.

For that, unknown GTAA personnel, you win my first Jackass Award. Congratulations!

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-02-16T20:32:00.000-05:00

You can find my Wheels review of Buick's 2010 LaCrosse here.

Much ado about Toyota

2010-01-28T11:14:00.002-05:00

(Accelerator pedal in a 2010 Lexus GX 460 - and no, it didn't stick.)

The past few days have been nothing but hell for Toyota, as the media all jumps on the bandwagon to make as big of a deal of this sticking throttle situation as possible. Guess the bloom is off the Haiti rose. Gotta have something to hype.

Don't get me wrong - it is a serious problem, and one that can lead to death or serious injury - but what is driving me nuts is the apparent lack of knowledge that is leading to this sensationalistic fear that every Toyota vehicle is just waiting to send you hurtling to your doom.

This is compounded by the recent floor-mat debacle, where certain floor-mats (Toyota USA's All-Weather accessory mats in particular) can jamb beneath the accelerator pedal and/or bunch up beneath the brake pedal, potentially causing unintended acceleration and loss of control.

That was brought to the public's attention by the tragic death of an off-duty CHP officer, his wife and daughter, and his brother-in law in a crash in California a couple of months ago. The vehicle in question was a 2009 Lexus ES 350, a dealer loaner fitted with the affected mats.

I'll admit to still not having all of the facts in this matter, but here's what I do know: there was sufficient time in this case for the car's occupants to place a 911 call.

While I understand that the mat was interfering with the brake pedal, I can't figure out why the driver didn't simply shift the car into Neutral.

Even if this car probably had push-button ignition (which I really don't care for) and thus didn't appear that it could be readily turned off (a lack of familiarity or confusion would come into play here), shifting to Neutral would have prevented any further acceleration, allowing the driver to apply the emergency brake if necessary, or at least slowing the rate at which everything was happening.

It's possible that it would have given him time to rub a guardrail or take other actions to slow down. As for the engine revving freely in Neutral - who cares? Besides, like every modern car, the ES 350 has a rev limiter, and frankly, if it's me or the engine, I'm picking me anyway.

********

Other automakers are having a field day with this latest pedal situation. GM is offering cash incentives to current Toyota owners to buy GM vehicles - basically "avoid the flaming Toyota death, buy a Chevy!". Good thing that blower motor resistors aren't gas pedal assemblies, or GM would be recalling one hell of a lot more cars and trucks than Toyota. People that live in glass houses...

Toyota will undoubtedly produce a fix, but it will be interesting to see what consequence this has in sales, long term. I'm betting not much, and those who want a Toyota today still have several models to choose from, including the Prius.

Can I interest anyone in a Nissan Sentra?

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-01-28T09:21:00.004-05:00

You can read my Wheels article on the Chevy Camaro SS that I drove to Detroit for the 2010 North American International Auto Show here, and my choice of which vehicle at the show I (and my colleagues) would drive home in here.

Bonehead Engineering - Not Just Cars

2010-01-24T08:58:00.005-05:00

Because of changes to the laws in my home province, this past year I replaced my seemingly indestructible Samsung cell phone with a Bluetooth and hands-free capable Sanyo PRO-200 model (a Qualcomm product). I actually paid more to get this phone - which does not have a camera, doesn't play MP3's, and is not equipped with a touch screen or slide-out QWERTY keypad - because it is the "shirt and tie" twin to Sanyo's PRO-700 yellow and black rubberized "military grade" flip-phone. Nothing else available at the time seemed like it would hold up to my level of neglect and accidental abuse.

Unfortunately, it and I don't much get along, because my ancient Samsung was so much easier to use, had better voice-recognition, and had a better built-in speaker when used as - gasp! - an actual phone. I even liked the Samsung's admittedly lame mono-tone ring tones better.

I don't trust hotel wake-up calls, and I'm not a big fan of the digital clocks or TV-based alarms that are available in-room. In particular, the Sony "DreamCube" clocks used in many hotels may as well be an initiation test for Mensa, as they're next to impossible to figure out. I use my cell phone's alarm feature instead.

My Samsung was multi-voltage compatible, so even if I had to set the time initially (it wasn't European-network compatible), I could leave it plugged in, and it was 100% reliable as an alarm clock. It was also loud.

The new Sanyo? Good thing I checked, as my first trip to Germany would have killed it - it's not 220 volt friendly - but it had enough charge to function, and I did figure out how to set the time by subtracting the time zone difference from its internal (home-based) time. There probably is a way to set the time, but it didn't readily reveal itself.

No, what really ticked me off was my trip to the Detroit Auto Show. In the interest of courtesy, I set my phone to "vibrate" so as not to have it ring in the middle of some automaker's presentation. I wasn't concerned about the alarm, because as you can see from the attached picture, it clearly allows you to set a dedicated ring-tone and volume for that function.

Guess what? Despite what the alarm menu might have you believe, on "vibrate", even the alarm vibrates - no ringer. Thank goodness my wife phoned me that morning. About two minutes later, my cell phone quietly vibrated across the nightstand and fell on the floor. I nearly left it there. Stupid!

Shameless Self-promotion

2010-01-16T18:11:00.000-05:00

My coverage of this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit for Wheels can be found here and here. (2011 Lincoln MKX and Hyundai Blue Will Concept pictured)

2010 Detroit Auto Show - Day Two

2010-01-16T17:58:00.001-05:00

The light at the end of this tunnel is Winsdor, Ontario, Canada.

Day Two of the Detroit Auto Show was previously not the last day of the show. With less to say and fewer manufacturers saying it, this year there were only two days.

The final day is basically the wrap-up, with a few important presentations in the morning from the big players, and then press conferences from the secondary players, like the tire, electronics, and component producers that are really important only to those in production.

Day Two this year started typically, but also had presentations from the two Chinese manufacturers and a group of small, privately-owned electric-vehicle makers. BYD's promised the world - US availability of an electric crossover with previously unheard-of range and recharging capability. CT&T introduced an electric roadster and two other electric vehicles, while promising to revolutionize transportation, with costs of ownership that changed at least once during the span of their glitch-laden presentation.

While overall more optimistic than the few years before, it is clear that Detroit's glory days are in the past - both as a hub of the automotive world, and as an auto show - and it remains to be seen whether or not it will ever reclaim all or any of its former importance.

Despite the positive spin given to this year's North American Internaional Auto Show, "better" still doesn't mean "good". Let's see what happens in the next 12 months...

2010 Detroit Auto Show - Day One

2010-01-11T23:46:00.005-05:00

As far as I'm concerned, the big news this year is the relative lack of actual news. Many of the reveals were either anticipated, leaked, or simply rehashes of vehicles that we've already seen in some form or another; even the massively cool Buick Regal GS Concept, which is simply a powerful turbocharged four-cylinder version of the existing (turbo V6) Opel Insignia OPC that it is heavily based upon.

Chrysler in particular had primarily content and trim changes to announce - the Chrysler-badged Lancia Delta "Concept" seen above is pretty much the single most substantial item, an Italian model apparently hoping to "reignite the American Dream". The other noteworthy vehicle on the Chrysler show floor is a battery-electric version of the will-it-be-a-Fiat-or-will-it-be-a-Chrysler 500. The company's display area did provide such unusual sights as a ceiling-mounted Ram pickup and a Grand Caravan parked next to a Maserati.

Unlike the past couple of years, there were no bag inspections, sniffer dogs, or twenty-question security officers to gain access to the display halls. Getting in to the Ford presentations in the attached Cobo Arena still required a process just short of body cavity searches.

The expected proliferation of hybrid and electric vehicle concepts continued unabated. I'm waiting for the industry to finally realize/recognize that hydrogen internal combustion is the best mid-term solution in terms of maturity and cost of the technology and its implementation, and the use of exotic and costly materials (like lithium for batteries and the rare earth magnets used in high-efficiency electric motors). In my mind, hybrids and electrics are an answer, not the answer.

Lots of otherwise vacant floor space in the Cobo Hall basement is being used for a further expansion of last year's indoor hybrid/electric test track. I wonder how green the eventual composting of most of the plants and (massively smelly) mulch that is used in the several thousand square feet of fancy landscaping really is.

The Chinese once again have a presence, though Geely is conspicuously absent. BYD seems the only serious Chinese attendee (with three vehicles on their stand today - two of which were identical F3 DM plug-in hybrid models, the third a concept all-electric E6 crossover). Tomorrow's press conference may flesh that lineup out a bit. It will be interesting to see if the eventual production vehicles that result come anywhere close to BYD's present range claims.

The C T & T (China) booth next door has plenty of vehicles, many of which are comical-looking versions of their two low-speed electric models, the C Zone (a fancy golf cart) and the E Zone (intended for places like gated communities or parks). A sports car and a concept amphibious 4 seater are to be shown tomorrow. In a throwback to times not so long past, C T & T also had three rather provocatively-attired representatives on stage with their vehicles - a policewoman for their E Zone patrol car, a postal worker (who I promise you looked like no postal worker I've ever encountered) for their E Zone delivery van, and a black PVC-clad dominatrix (for lack of a better description) whose role was decidedly less clear. Ironically, however un-PC, it's "mission accomplished" for C T & T - look at how much print they got here! I'm just waiting for some automaker to have the guts to put male models around one of their female-oriented models (like a V6 Mustang Convertible, for instance).

Speaking of Ford, it won both Car and Truck of the Year awards for the Fusion and Transit Connect respectively. I'd have expected the Chevy Equinox to take T.o.t.Y., even if I do really like the T.C.

Stay tuned for more North American International Auto Show to come...

Shameless Self-promotion

2009-12-28T21:48:00.001-05:00

You can find my Best and Worst experiences of 2009 here in Wheels.

Shameless Self-promotion

2009-12-21T22:42:00.006-05:00

Find my "Best and Worst Vehicles of 2009" here in Wheels.

Shameless Self-promotion

2009-12-12T22:23:00.003-05:00

You can find my Preview of Lexus' 2010/2011 LFA supercar here at CanadianDriver.com.

You can find my 2009 Christmas gift list for Wheels here.

It Ought to be Criminal

2009-12-07T22:30:00.008-05:00

What's worse than doing a motor in a 2003 Jeep Liberty once? Doing the same motor in the same Jeep two months and one day later. It didn't even make it to its next oil change.

The motor in question is a 3.7 litre SOHC V6 - basically a sawed-off version of the 4.7 litre SOHC V8 engine first used in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, and later (like the 3.7 litre V6) used in a bunch of Chrysler's trucks and SUVs.

That motor has a known issue with internal faults (whether it's a head gasket or a cracked head or block, I don''t know) that result in coolant consumption - I've personally seen it a few times, and no surprise, the V6 appears to have the same affliction. The V6 is also known for chucking the rocker arms off the passenger side valves when the lifters bleed down prior to a cold start.

We dealt with that issue first, but not too long after, the Liberty's V6 began consuming coolant and misfiring after sitting. Ka-Blam, motor number one out, motor number two in.

Just under two months later, Blamo! Motor number two does exactly the same thing. In goes motor number three. Ugh!

This customer's Liberty is not a high mileage vehicle, and it has received better than average care and maintenance, right down to always using the proper $25 per jug Mopar coolant.

Two identical engine failures in less than 90 days. Criminal. Am I ever grateful that this customer is super relaxed and very understanding.

Update: Jeep came back with a misfire - this time, no cause found, which means that so far, it's not an engine issue. Time will tell...

Shameless Self-promotion

2009-11-23T22:41:00.004-05:00

My review of BMW's 750Li-based ActiveHybrid 7 can be found on CanadianDriver.com here. (This is not the same one found on Wheels' site.)

Huh? The Chrysler 500? Whatzat?

2009-11-11T22:15:00.006-05:00

When I heard that Fiat was going to purchase Chrysler, I was a little confused. What did the Italian automaker hope to gain from buying the weakest of the three domestic car companies? The best that I could come up with was that it would give Fiat a dealer network and some assembly capacity on this side of the Atlantic. I'm still not completely certain.

Regardless, Chrysler/Fiat's future product plans have been announced, and the only Fiat badged models apparent are the tiny 500 (seen above), and a "large commercial van" - probably Fiat's approximate equivalent to the Dodge Sprinter (now back to being a Mercedes Sprinter, thus a competitor), the Ducato.

All other Fiat-sourced models will be Chryslers, Dodges, or Jeeps, probably completely unlike their Italian forebears in style or form.

That leaves the 500, which will be built in Mexico (instead of Poland, as European 500's are), but may be badged as a Chrysler when it goes on sale either this year or next.

Here's where they lose me. There's no Chrysler tie-in for this vehicle. It doesn't look like any current Chrysler in any way, and Chrysler doesn't have a model like this in its heritage. Chrysler isn't known for small cars, unless you count the couple of years that the Canadian-market Neon was branded as a Chrysler. They probably hope that you've forgotten about that anyway.

Frankly, the majority of the kind of buyer that would be interested in what is effectively going to be a premium subcompact along the lines of a Mini are savvy enough to realize that this is a Fiat - and probably young enough to be blissfully unaware of just how bad Fiat's products were the last time they were sold here.

Not only that, but if you're expecting customers to fork out extra for a badge, wouldn't you think that the "Fiat" brand would carry more intrigue and potential cachet than "Chrysler"?

Maybe this is why I repair and write about cars instead of selling them...

Shameless Self-promotion

2009-11-07T12:56:00.004-05:00

My preview of BMW's very impressive ActiveHybrid 7 (the hybrid version of the 750Li) can be found here at Wheels.

When Engineers Get Bored...

2009-11-07T12:10:00.008-05:00

...they complicate what should, or even used to be, something simple.

Case in point, a 2006 BMW 325i that I replaced the rear brake pads on yesterday. BMW is among several manufacturers that incorporate wear sensors into their brake systems, which in itself is not a bad thing. It's really simple, actually: a soft plastic piece with a simple loop of wire in it clips into one inner brake pad at each end of the car. When the pad wears, this piece hits the rotor, and eventually wears through. Once the wire loop either
a) contacts the rotor and grounds against it, or
b) wears through and opens the circuit,
it illuminates a warning light on the dash. Much more effective than squeaker tabs, the circuit "latches" once activated to prevent the light flickering on and off as the pad touches the rotor. So far, so good.

(Photo of E90 cluster from user "NoKids" at E90post.com -
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=291247 )

This is where it all goes wrong. In older BMWs, you'd replace the pads and the sensor (sensors are about $35 each, no big deal), then you leave the key "on" with the engine off for 10 to 60 seconds to reset the light. Not this one. In this version, the "E90" model, things are a little more complicated, and don't look for the procedure in the manual or in the Mitchell or Alldata information most shops use. You won't find it.

Here, courtesy of an online BMW fan forum (and much surfing), is the final operation required - unless you have a factory BMW scan tool:

- insert key fob into dash receptacle.
- push "Start" button, but do not have your foot on the brake at the time (this puts the car in "run" but not running).
- wait for "Service" warning message to go out in message centre, replaced by the clock and odometer display.
- immediately push and hold "BC" button on signal stalk until "Service" indicator returns.
- use up and down toggle switch on signal stalk to highlight the desired service reminder.
- push and hold BC button until "Reset" appears in display.
- release and reapply BC button until a rotating clock symbol appears and then goes out.
- you may now exit the menu, turn off the car, or restart it as desired. Test drive it to ensure that the service warning is actually is out.

Hey, that was easy! I'd probably have figured it out on my own eventually - you know, an infinite number of monkeys at an infinite amount of typewriters, and so on...

Shameless self-promotion

2009-11-03T21:15:00.002-05:00

My look forward to Kia's upcoming Cadenza sedan can be found here on CanadianDriver.com.

Shameless self-promotion

2009-11-01T21:45:00.004-05:00

A partial listing of additional, past Wheels articles can be found on their website here. So can a really weird-looking masthead picture. Perhaps it's just me...

Shameless self-promotion

2009-11-01T21:27:00.005-05:00

Find my latest published review, Chevrolet's 2010 Equinox, here at Wheels.

When engineers get bored...

2009-10-29T22:34:00.006-04:00

... or in this case, creative, they design things like this: http://www.eta-hpb.de/

Stefan Riederer is one of BMW's engineers (and a heck of a nice guy), and in talking with him over dinner during the launch of the new (and impressive) ActiveHybrid 7, he mentioned that he designed and built the unusual bicycle-based hydrofoil seen in action below.

Completely human powered, it doesn't float at all, relying entirely on forward motion and hydrodynamics to keep it from sinking. Stefan used to work in BMW's aerodynamics lab, which no doubt helped in this pursuit.

What would he like to tackle next, were space and expense not major considerations? Human powered flight. Doubtless this man could do it...

(Photo courtesy of Stefan's website, found at the above link)

Truth in advertising...

2009-10-28T20:39:00.005-04:00

...but should they really have to tell you?

(2010 BMW ActiveHybrid 7)

When engineers get bored...

2009-10-22T21:27:00.004-04:00

...they design hubcaps with hubcaps, and then use plastic caps that thread onto the wheel nuts to hold the whole arrangement on...

Oblivious, apparently.

2009-10-22T20:49:00.006-04:00

Most days I wonder how a species as completely oblivious as ours ever managed to dominate the planet. I mean really, isn't our defining characteristic supposed to be intelligent thought?

Often times, customers will drive into the parking lot of our two-bay shop and pull up in front of our bay doors. Quite often they bypass the vacant parking spot immediately to their left. Or the other empty spots elsewhere in the lot.

Granted, there are frequently times when our lot is full, in which case, OK, I can see that there's no alternative. However at any other time, you are now preventing us from bringing cars in or taking cars out, and this ability is the lifeblood of our business. I have to wonder if these same people would park in the drive-through lane at Timmies to go in and choose their Timbits from the rack.

Today our parking lot was jammed to overflowing - all of the spots were full, our secondary (not marked) spots by the road and by our property line had cars in them, and we had a couple of cars double parked in front of our shop and in front of the far bay door. A gentleman who hasn't dealt with me since before my boss took over five years ago parks in front of my bay door (the bay with no car in it, since I was just about to bring one in), and asks if we can "just do brakes" on his full-size pickup. He has his own parts, so it shouldn't be a problem, right? He needs it done today; can't wait until Monday. Seemed surprised and a bit dissapointed when we were unable to help him.

My past dealings with this gentleman have been positive, but the only thing positive about this encounter was his being positively oblivious. Oblivious to the congested shop environment that he'd just pulled into, oblivious to the concept that hey - we make a profit on parts, so aren't keen on installing yours, particularly when your cut-rate junk parts go bad and you'll probably expect us to warranty the work - and oblivious to the explanation that there are several loyal customers and major jobs in the queue ahead of you that take precedence.

Maybe opposable thumbs are all that human beings really have going for them...

The Credit (where credit is due) Department

2009-10-18T23:13:00.007-04:00

It is just as important to recognize things done right as it is to point out shortcomings, so I've created "The Credit Department" to give it where it's due.

Not everything good has to be major - sometimes it's little touches that delight, like a dampened glove-box door, or the perfectly counter-balanced trunk that pops up just enough to aid arms-full opening, but not so much as to instantly expose the entire contents of the trunk to the rain.

Kudos today to whoever builds and/or designed GM's generic audio head unit (the part in the dash that the driver interacts with) - I'm guessing it's Delco/Delphi, but it could be Clarion or anyone else.

Sure, it sounds just fine in most of the applications that I've encountered it - in some it sounds fantastic. But that's not why I like it.

It's not because it's the prettiest out there either, with its oddly positioned knobs. Not that I'm complaining about that - I'll take knobs over rocker switches any day.

What it's got going for it is that it's easy to use, yet also allows for a pleasing amount of customization - right down to how many "pages" of radio station presets you want.

Why does that matter? Most GM vehicles with steering wheel controls allow you to thumb through the presets, and if you don't have enough stations to fill 36 slots, you don't have to backtrack, or go through multiple vacant or unset presets to start back at your first saved station.

Better yet, those presets can be any combination of AM, FM, or XM, in any order. Want to organize by genre? Mix and match freely.

I'm also pleased that this radio's XM tuning is near-instantaneous from channel to channel. I'd speculate that the system monitors the channels on either side of the current one to make that happen, since few others that I've tried can do that - not even the excellent-sounding ELS surround system found in Acuras, which have a considerable delay in playback when switching XM stations.

In this one, even the channel name comes up immediately, and the remaining artist/song info is available pretty well the moment that station is tuned. You can choose what XM/RDS info displays as well - it doesn't have to be the station ID. A clock displays independently of the radio's readout.

GM would do well to retain the interface architecture of this design as they update their models, since the more integrated audio system found in the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox that I've just driven wasn't nearly as user-friendly.

The type pictured (this one is in a Saturn Aura) passes what I call the "rental car test" - how fast could an unfamiliar driver figure out the basic audio controls, find a station, or even set their presets. The last BMW that I drove, a 750Li, required seven separate i-Drive steps to set one radio station preset. This GM unit? Select the band (one button), then twist the tuning knob until the desired station appears. Push and hold any preset button for a few seconds until the setting is acknowledged. Your preset stations will be displayed above the button that selects them. How much more simple could it get?

Hard to Love

2009-10-12T00:50:00.005-04:00

Daily, I face a huge conundrum, as I'm forced to balance my unabashed love of cars with my occasionally deep hatred of fixing them.

It's only at certain times, or during particular tasks, but I'm convinced that there are at least two parallel conspiracies afoot.

Conspiracy 1: Automakers not only don't care about what is involved in servicing their vehicles once they're manufactured, but that they often deliberately make them both failure-prone and as difficult to service as possible.

Why, you might ask? Well, it costs money to take the time to consider service access while designing a vehicle, and even more money to actually implement those changes. That's not gonna happen - as long as the POS makes it out of warranty and doesn't require any recall work, it doesn't matter to them. Almost nobody buys a new car based on ease of future service, so why would they care?

As well, if they can force consumers to have to return to the dealerships for repairs, that's money both in their franchisee's pockets and their own, as factory parts and equipment are typically required. A perfect example is body control modules, many of which now have the anti-theft system built-in. Replacement requires reprogramming, and in some cases, the module has to be in the car and the car connected to the dealer's corporate uplink to make it happen. Some independent shops have the equipment for this, but precious few, and fewer still can reflash more than a couple of makes.

Even creating parts that will be difficult or cost-prohibitive for the aftermarket (ie: non-factory) suppliers to produce will ensure that consumers have to return to the dealership for parts. GM did this in the mid-eighties with its (initially) non-serviceable CS-series alternators. Took the aftermarket about three years to suss that one out.

Conspiracy 2: I like to call this "proof that a mechanic slept with an engineer's wife"; designs so needlessly stupid that they could only have occurred through malicious intent. I give you the DOHC GM 3.4 litre "Twin Dual Cam" V6. This is the only engine that I know of that has both a timing chain and a timing belt. I understand the reason for it (a pushrod engine retrofitted with DOHC heads), but I don't understand why the rear cylinder head has to overhang - by less than 2 cm - the oil pump drive, whose seal is/was a well-known and considerable oil-leak point. This means that replacing this $4 seal - it's on that circular silver item near the centre of the photo - requires removing the rear cylinder head. Oy!
Other gems include serpentine belts routed through engine brackets (mid '90's GM 3800 V6), spark plug access that requires triple-jointedness and the dexterity of a Cirque du Soleil performer (Ford Aerostar), or overly complicated diagnostic procedures that don't always condemn the correct parts (certain Honda EVAP failures).

Not to mention nearly every automaker locating the oil filter on at least some of their models in such as place as to guarantee
a) a big, oily mess that will drip on the customer's driveway for days, even if you empty half a case of brake-clean trying to rinse it.
b) multiple lacerations from all of the precision-sharpened heat shields and plastic fan shrouds placed in tight proximity.
c) second, or possibly even third degree burns if the vehicle has been running for more than a two minutes in the previous three hours. These will likely occur from a combination of the 150ºC oil running down the tech's arm and the hot underhood components (like catalytic converters) that the filter will be sitting next to or immediately above.
Not that you'd expect to ever need to change the oil filter.

Geez folks, you make it hard to keep feelin' the love...

Well, at least it cranks and starts...

2009-10-11T09:41:00.001-04:00

Welcome to my grand experiment!

Those who know me know that the blogosphere isn't my natural element. Those who don't, well, prepare to watch a train-wreck in slow motion as I stumble around, learning as I go. Definitely a training-wheels-on exercise, so please bear with me.

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I'll post this disclaimer just once:

I work in a town that has a General Motors assembly plant, therefore there is a disproportionate amount of GM and domestic product both in my door at work and around where I live. Don't think that I'm singling GM or the Detroit Three out for my rants - I just see more of their vehicles to rant about.