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How do airbags work? The airbag works as a barrier between you and the inner compartment of your vehicle in case of a collision. The bag itself is made of a thin, nylon fabric that is folded into the steering wheel, dashboard, seat or door. The air bag’s inflation system is similar to that of a solid rocket booster. The system ignites a solid propellant which burns extremely fast to create a huge volume of gas to inflate the bag. To be more specific, the inflation system triggers a chemical reaction between sodium azide and potassium nitrate to produce large amounts of nitrogen gas to inflate the air bag. The air bag literally bursts from its storage site at up to 322 kph – faster than the blink of an eye! A second later, the gas quickly dissipates through tiny holes in the bag allowing you to move. What triggers an airbag to inflate? There are sensors in front of your vehicle that detect a collision. Inflation happens when there is a collision force equal to running into a brick wall at 16 to 24 kph. The sensor then sends a signal to the canister containing the propellant and detonates the igniter compound. What is amazing is that from the time the sensors detect the collision to the time the airbag is fully inflated takes only 30 milliseconds. Fifty milliseconds after the accident, that’s when the car’s occupant hits the airbag, thus absorbing the impact and protecting him from injury. But remember, airbags work in conjunction with seatbelts for maximum protection. When combined with the proper use of a seatbelt, airbags reduce the risk for serious head injuries by up to 75% compared to only 38% with seatbelts alone. So buckle up! Whenever I turn on the aircon in my car, it stinks like anything! The smell lasts for about a minute and then disappears. What can I do to solve the mystery of the aircon with B.O.? Whenever the air-conditioner is on, you can expect moisture to condense on cold surfaces inside the system. Most of this moisture should drain harmlessly away. But in some cases, moisture is retained on the evaporator and that standing water is a perfect breeding ground for mold, fungi, bacteria and mildew. So the next time you turn on the air-conditioning, the mold spores get sucked out and you get blasted in the face with this most unpleasant musty odor. One way to avoid this problem is to turn off the compressor but keep the aircon fan running just as you near your destination. Some people advice completely turning off the air-conditioner shortly before you get to your stop. This should allow some of the condensed water to drain off the evaporator surfaces and accelerate the drying process. But for those who’ve already got the problem, you can try this simple do-it-yourself method first. Spray some bacterial disinfectant or antifungal spray into the air vents. You need to spray it in as far back as you can so you may want to attach a special nozzle to your disinfectant spray so you can direct the spray deep into the air vent. Unfortunately, this is no guarantee because you need to kill all of the mold. If even a few survive, they’ll just multiply all over again and the odor will return. So the best option would be for you take your car to a service center where they can open up the system and give your evaporator a thorough cleansing. Most shops will just use soap and water but this may not give you the long-lasting protection you want. Ask your service center to apply a antibacterial/antifungal disinfectant. The idea is to make the environment inhospitable to the microorganisms. So make sure the mold is killed completely to make it difficult for the problem to return. What is the proper way to break-in a new car? When you think about breaking in a new vehicle, think of it as a mating process. Not between you and your new car, but between each piston ring and its corresponding cylinder wall in the engine. The main purpose of breaking in is to allow the piston rings to "seat," or conform to the exact shape of the cylinder walls so that they make a tight seal. When the piston rings are broken in or seated, they do not allow combustion gases to escape the combustion chamber past the piston rings into the crankcase section of the engine. These escaping gases or “blow-by” can cause the crankcase to become pressurized, forcing normal oil vapors out of the engine’s breather. This in turn will cause the engine to consume excessive amounts of oil. Preventing “blow-bys” with properly broken in piston rings will therefore keep your engine running cleaner and cooler. In addition, piston rings also manage the amount of oil present on the cylinder walls for lubrication. If the rings do not seat properly, excessive amounts of oil accumulate on the cylinder wall surfaces and this oil gets burned each time the cylinder fires. And that means, you consume more oil.Overall, proper engine break-in will have a major impact on how strongly your engine will perform, how much oil it will consume and how long it will last. Most experts agree that the best way to properly break in your engine is to keep the engine rpm below 3,000 and to vary the engine speed. That means, don't drive at one constant speed for a long time – whether fast or slow – for the first 800 km. You should also avoid hard stops for the first 325 km or so for the sake of your new brake linings. I would like to know about the catalytic converter. How does it work? With pollution having become an ever growing concern, automakers have made many refinements to car engines and fuel systems to help reduce the amount of pollution produced by cars. One particular device was developed to help reduce emissions further by treating the exhaust before it leaves the car. This is the catalytic converter. Its name comes from the principle that it uses a catalyst to convert harmful emissions. Essentially, it is a pollution-control device, placed in the exhaust system of an automobile, which uses a catalyst to convert three harmful compounds in car exhaust into harmless compounds. The most familiar or notorious of these harmful compounds is carbon monoxide. It is a poison for any air-breathing animal and it is formed by the combustion of gasoline. Secondly, there are hydrocarbons in the form of unburned gasoline which produces smog. And finally, there are nitrogen oxides which lead to both smog and acid rain and are created when the heat in the engine forces nitrogen in the air to combine with oxygen. The catalyst at work is in the form of platinum and palladium and is coated onto a ceramic honeycomb. The honeycomb is really made up of ceramic beads housed in a muffler-like package. The catalyst helps to convert carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide; the hydrocarbons to carbon dioxide and water; and the nitrogen oxides back into nitrogen and oxygen. What is the best way to lengthen the life of my clutch disk? Everybody knows the clutch is a consumable item and has an average lifetime of anywhere from 80,000 to 160,000 kilometers to it. But with proper care, you can make it last much longer than that. There are actually two parts of the clutch that wear out. First is the clutch disc -- which is basically a metal plate covered in frictional fiber that goes between the flywheel and the pressure plate. When the clutch is engaged, the disc is "squeezed" or “grabbed” between the flywheel and pressure plate, and power from the engine is transmitted to the input shaft of the transmission. In simple terms, the clutch disc has to be “squeezed” to allow for smooth starts from a stop and for smooth shifting from one gear up or down to the next. The way you ruin the disc is by taking a long time to get into, and out of, each gear. That's called "riding the clutch" and avoiding this is the key to long clutch life. The other part of the clutch that wears out is the throw-out or release bearing. That's the part that presses against the pressure plate and "releases" the disc. How to help preserve it? When you're driving a manual transmission car and you stop at a red light, simply shift into neutral and take your foot off the clutch. Of course, some things simply can’t be avoided. For instance, city driving usually wears out the clutch faster than long-distance or “super-highway” driving -- simply because you have no choice but to depress the clutch pedal more often during rush-hour traffic. But the worst clutch abuse usually happens when you hold the clutch part-way in to make the car go slower. Under this condition the clutch is continually engaged, and a lot of wear takes place. To lengthen clutch life, “baby” the clutch. No "jack-rabbit" starts, ease the clutch out when shifting, and don’t "pop" the clutch. I’ve read that you can shave cylinder heads to increase compression ratios. What is the advantage of this? If you ever find yourself racing in a class where the rules state that you must use a stock OEM or original equipment cylinder head, stock valve lift and stock diameter valves, and you want to get a little more power out of your engine, what you could do is "shave your head” – your cylinder head, that is. There’s no question that the cylinder head is really the heart and soul of the engine, because that’s where the power is made. And when you shave it to some degree to make the surface flat, it increases the compression ratio. But what exactly is the compression ratio and why increase it? The compression ratio is the ratio between the cylinder’s maximum volume (when the piston is at its lowest point) – and its minimum volume (when the piston is at its highest point in the cylinder). So a 10:1 static compression ratio means there is 10 times the cylinder volume at piston bottom dead center (BDC) than there is at piston top dead center (TDC). A higher compression ratio, to a point, means higher thermal efficiency and better fuel economy while producing relatively low emissions during normal driving conditions. The trouble is that high compression can also cause an engine to knock and have other problems particularly when a driver pushes the pedal to the metal. So for the most of us, rebuilding and modifying the cylinder head is best left to the experts. Is it advisable to use coolants? Absolutely. Coolants keep your engine cool by increasing the boiling point of water. By doing that, they help keep the engine temperature within limits. It isn’t meant to stop the engine from heating up entirely because an efficient cooling system allows the engine temperature to rise as soon as possible and then maintain the right temperature levels. In addition to protecting your engine from overheating, the coolant in the radiator also protects the engine from rust or corrosion in the water jackets and the radiator. The blocking of engine passages can also be curbed by the use of coolant. Furthermore, high quality coolants protect and lubricate the radiator. For best results, mix coolant with distilled water and not just water from your faucet. That’s because minerals in your tap water could build up as sediment in your radiator. Also make sure you have the right water and coolant ratio for optimum heat transfer capability, overheating resistance and lubrication. So be sure to check the manufacturer’s recommendations. You should also have your car’s engine coolant flushed or changed every year or every 20,000 kms whichever comes first. To say goodbye to troubles caused by radiators and to keep your cool while driving, use the right level of coolant and maintain it regularly. By following these measures you will be extending the life of your car radiator. If you’re tempted to scrimp, keep in mind that in the long run it will pay to change the engine coolant on a regular basis rather than spend on the replacement of the radiator or related accessories later on. What is the meaning of ESP? Imagine this, it’s a rainy night and you’re rushing to get home down a dark, deserted road when suddenly, some street children playing in the rain shoot across the road and you turn the wheel hard and hit the brakes to avoid them. It’s moments like this that ESP kicks into action and saves lives. ESP stands for Electronic Stability Program and is an innovative braking technology that intervenes within fractions of a second via the engine computer and brake system to stabilize the vehicle in case of any unstable driving condition – such as a sudden evasive move. ESP unites the essential safety components of ABS (Anti-lock Brake System), EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution), EDL (Electronic Differential Lock), TCS (Traction Control System) and AYC (Active Yaw Control). ESP continuously monitors measurement data from a number of sensors strategically placed throughout the vehicle. Then it analyzes this data to determine whether the actual course of the vehicle corresponds with the driver’s commands. If it senses a difference, ESP jumps into action, making sure the vehicle retains its cornering and directional stability in all situations. Instability, oversteer and understeer are immediately registered and corrected. If a critical condition occurs, ESP stabilizes the vehicle by actuating the brakes on individual wheels and adjusting the engine torque. Overall, ESP makes the car’s handling performance safer all around – even in adverse weather conditions. So you can say that the initials ESP can also mean clairvoyance because it’s a safety feature that goes into action before an accident happens and actually prevents it. What’s the difference between R-12 and R134a car freon? Which is cooler? The R in both stands for Refrigerant. The big difference, however, is that R-12 –- the gas commonly known as Freon -- contains CFCs or chlorofluorocarbons. And everybody knows that CFCs damage the earth’s ozone layer. That’s why an ozone-friendly alternative, Refrigerant 134a, was introduced. Older vehicles from the early 90s and before that had air conditioning systems filled with R-12 gas. Now if you own one of these vehicles and would like to do our planet a favor, you can’t just switch to R-134a instantly. Its introduction to a system previously running on R-12 gas will require some changes. You could consider buying entirely new air conditioning equipment or you can retrofit. Retrofitting is what you call the process of converting existing equipment using CFC refrigerants to operate with non-ozone depleting refrigerants like R-134a. Most R-12 systems can be retrofitted to the new ozone-friendly type of gas, but every vehicle needs to be evaluated and quoted for individually, since converting some vehicles can be more difficult and expensive than others. As for the question which refrigerant is cooler –- studies indicate that R-134a is about 10% less efficient in moving heat that R-12. But on the other hand, if you stick to R-12 and it ends up attacking our ozone layer, things are going to get hotter than any of us want to imagine. What is better, front wheel drive or rear wheel drive? The one most common among vehicles these days is front wheel drive. Why is it common? Because one big advantage of front wheel drive is reduced manufacturing cost. Front wheel drive systems are cheaper to manufacture and install because there’s no driveshaft or rear axle housing to build, and overall, there are less parts needed. Reduced weight is another advantage, which improves the vehicle’s acceleration, braking and fuel economy. And, placing the transmission up front leaves more room in the passenger compartment, since it eliminates the hump on the floor pan that covers the drive shaft. With no rear differential, you can also get more trunk space. One other advantage of front wheel drive is the improved traction – especially in rain -- since the weight of the engine and transaxle presses down right over the driven wheels. That's why, as cars have gotten lighter over the years to save fuel, more and more of them have turned to front-wheel drive. Its most significant disadvantage: It's harder to work on. Because everything is jammed up front, the harder it is to reach certain things, like water pumps, cylinder-head bolts and sometimes even spark plugs. As for rear wheel drive, with some of the mechanical parts removed from the front and installed at the rear, vehicle balance and handling are much improved. Race car drivers may also prefer rear-wheel drive because when they accelerate, the weight of the car "shifts" back over the driven wheels, which is important when you're pushing the car to the limits of its grip. But for the rest of us, there's not that much difference these days. In terms of performance, rear-wheel drive is probably a little better, because there's absolutely no torque steer. But most people would be hard pressed to tell the difference. What is HEI? The letters HEI stand for High Energy Ignition, and as the name implies, it produces a considerably greater amount of spark energy. To understand its benefits better, you’ll have to understand the basic purpose of the ignition system. And that is to create a voltage high enough to arc across the gap of a spark plug. This will create a spark strong enough to trigger combustion (of the air/fuel mixture), and therefore it is called “ignition”. The conventional ignition system creates just enough voltage to jump a .035-inch spark plug gap. But in a High Energy Ignition system (HEI), where terminal posts are spaced farther apart, you get enough voltage to jump a .045-inch spark plug gap. So what does a difference of .01 of an inch do for you? It gives your distributor the capacity to handle the higher voltage levels generated. Your stock ignition coil supplies only about 20,000 volts of power to the distributor. The coil used in high energy ignition systems puts out over 30,000 volts of usable spark energy to your spark plugs! Higher voltage means a hotter spark. And that hotter spark will burn your fuel more efficiently thus increasing gas mileage. It also burns more thoroughly, reducing emissions and pollution. A hotter spark also means a more responsive engine, even in cold weather or with “cold starts”. It also improves idle and high speed performance. By reducing the chances of cross-firing with spaced out terminal posts, an HEI produces a much smoother idle. And, by triggering larger combustion in your piston chambers, it also increases your horsepower and torque.
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