I knew that NASCAR was not going to put up with a lot of bending the rules and were waiting to hand out some harsh punishments. They went overboard with Matt Kenseth and his crew chief and owner. The connecting rod in question was 3 grams under weight or 1/10 of an ounce, and to make it worse the engine was manufactured by TRD not the team. They had no control over the parts, they received the engine assembled. I see no way this penalty can be upheld but then this is NASCAR and stranger things have happened. Kenseth was penalized 50 championship points. In addition, his pole award from the Kansas race will not be counted as eligible for next season’s Sprint Unlimited and his bonus points for the win will not count if he makes the Chase for the Sprint Cup when the field is reseeded. In addition, his win will not count toward earning the wild-card spot for the race. Crew chief Jason Ratcliff has been fined $200,000 and suspended from NASCAR until the completion of the next six Sprint Cup points races, a period that also covers the non-points Sprint All-Star Race. He has also been placed on probation until the end of the year. Team owner Joe Gibbs has also lost 50 owners points and has had the owner’s license for the No. 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car suspended until the completion of the next six points events and the team is therefore being ineligible to receive championship
Cheap Oil Filters
Be careful of the oil filters that many shops offering cheap oil change or coupons are using. Quality oil filters have a drain back valve which keeps the oil from draining, this feature is missing or cheaply produced causing early failure, in some of the lower priced filters. This allows the oil to drain out of the filter so there is no oil at start up. The indication is that it takes longer them normal for the oil pressure to come up and may also cause noisy lifters. This problem seems to be more prevalent in Toyota and some Chrysler products. As the price of oil increases many shops are looking for a way to cut costs and are switching to cheaper filters.
Dodge Journey
While on vacation in Arizona, we came back to early still snow on the ground, we rented a 2013 Dodge Journey. Overall it was a nice ride, a little low on power but then most rental cars are. The seats were very comfortable even the far rear that made it a 6 passenger were not that bad according to the couple that rode about 25 miles back there. The one problem with the seats was the adjustment and the feature that made the second seat slide forward to gain access to the rear. The rear seat was difficult to slide and we never did get the rear access feature to work. The HVAC and radio controls were touch screen and very easy to use. Satellite radio was also a nice feature when you are in a strange town and don’t know the stations it is a great help. My wife said that it sounded like the same guy on the 60s station back home, not only sounds like but is. Gauges were sparse, only temp, which I imagine is a necessity in Arizona. I liked the speedo which had both needle and digital. The remote lock and unlock was keyless, which is becoming standard, but the lock and unlock feature was a bit difficult to understand how it was working. Any closer than 5 feet and the doors lock and unlock when you pull on the handle. The handle also has a lock all button which is nice, you do have 5 seconds to check for a locked door which I like to do but the time is to short. Owner’s manual would have helped here and with the seats. Finally found it by the spare tire on the day we were leaving. The major drawback is the rear visibility, if you have ever driven in Phoenix you know what I mean. The traffic is terrible and the speed limit is largely ignored. The second row of seats have high headrest which restrict visibility and the mirrors just seem to be improperly placed. Would I buy one, doubtful, I like to drive a pickup and my wife likes her Bonneville. If I was shopping for a crossover I would give it a second look but only after driving a few others.
Traction Control
Little rain, sleet and 6 inches of snow here yesterday. My wife said her traction control light kept coming on; hello you should not use traction control on ice. It works great in snow and in some wet conditions but not on ice. Traction control uses the anti-lock brake system by Appling the brake on the spinning wheel thus transferring power to the wheel with traction. It is really a simple system all controlled by computer along with the ABS system. The problem is if you are on ice and the brakes are applied to the slipping wheel it grabs for a split second and it starts spinning so the system applies that brake and so on, causing a sliding situation called crab walking. It keeps going from one wheel to another very quickly kind of like ABS only applied to one wheel. Certain types of 4 wheel drive and in a rare instance some all wheel drive can do the same thing. There will no doubt if it ever happens to you as you will be totally out of control. Imagine one brake being applied on ice not a fun ride. I am not a big fan of ABS either but as I get older and a little slower in my reaction time I have been using it more, I also hate the warning light when it is turned. For many years you did not drive with a red light on and I just cannot shake that idea.
Coffee With Santa
As usual I had coffee this morning with Santa as we have done for many years, he needs my advice on his naughty or nice list. So if you have been nice no worry and you know the rest of the story. I did notice fewer politicians on the nice list this year. One deserving addition to the nice was Heidi. As usual you will have to wait till Christmas morning to find out which list you are on. Sorry no coal this year, to expensive, using charcoal in its place. After many years I still could not convince him to put me on the nice list. Just can’t see the upside in being good all year, I would miss out on so many things. My advice to all of my friends who are on the wrong list with me is to go out and buy yourself something nice. My Christmas is made complete by a wife of 48 years, who still puts up with me, 2 great kids and 6 great Grandchildren. Santa can’t put that in my stocking MERRY XMAS TO ONE & ALL
Fall Check Up
It is that time of year again to check the little things we don’t do on a weekly or monthly basis. Most of us do a walk around of our vehicle on a regular basis, but there are things we miss.
- Lube and check the door locks including the trunk. This is important on vehicles with remote functions as we never use the key and the locks can become inoperable, A major problem when the battery dies in the remote.
- Check the license plate light, had a few too many and should not be driving, this is one of the major reasons law enforcement uses for stopping a vehicle.
- Check the wiper blades and don’t just run your finger across them but clean them with a alcohol swab or something similar. I use either WD 40; hey it has to have some use besides cleaning gunk off.
- Check the spare for air and yes the compact spares do take that much pressure.
- Check your headlights for brightness, one of the problems with the modern bulb is they lose considerable lumens before they burn out. As it happens over a period of time we don’t notice it unless we are paying attention, often we tend to think they are dirty. Also are your lenses cloudy a simple fix.
- Check the tranny fluid this is often not done on a regular basis as the engine has to be up to temp and running. Check your owner’s manual for the proper method to check the level as many are different.
- One last one that may seem obvious but check where you park for fluid spots, often the vehicle is parked when we are close to it and this is often overlooked.
Cheap Fuels
All the gas comes out of the same pipeline so why should I spend more for a name brand? True it all comes out of the same pipe but what happens to when it goes into the tanker is where the difference lies.Unbranded gas has very little additives added if any in some cases. Whereas the name brand fuels add a mixture of their own and this is where the difference is. Cetane is the main additive and it is what allows gas to explode in all temperatures. Heavy cetanes in hot weather and light in cold. When you hear that the switch is being made from winter to summer gas this is the biggest change. Cetanes are added at the refinery and are basically the same in all fuels however some brands add a type of cetane at the pipeline, this is for a chemist to explain and I will not even try to get into it here. Many other additives are also added cleaning, antiknock, octane booster and a lead substitute. Amoco Silver was the fuel with the highest additive count when they were still in business and I used this exclusively for years. Now I use Cenex I don’t know what they add but I have had no problems and it is close to my house. Name brands are become hard to find. There are several discounts being offered at some stations, so much off a gallon with grocery purchases. I have tried these and had no adverse effects, but I still shy away from a high percentage of ethanol which is all they offer. I don’t know if ethanol causes problems or not but I do know and have seen evidence of it holding water in suspension and causing fuel system problems.Don’t bother with a higher octane then your vehicle calls for, it is a waste of money. As are over the counter additives, there are 2 that may help some and they are Seafoam and any cleaner with Techron. They are meant to be used as a maintenance item but will help if the case is not to severe. In most cases save your money and get it repaired properly. There are several suppliers that are paying a fine daily for not releasing what they add to their gas, I don’t understand this and I have no idea what they are hiding but it cannot be good.
Memorial Day
I have ignored several holidays this past year, call it old age, they seem to just slip by. But I have to mention Memorial Day, no hugs or big thank yous are necessary a simple tip of the head, a smile a quick thank you will do, they really dont want to make a big deal out of there service. My personal Thanks to all of you who still remember your serial number
Dex Cool Problems
Having to replace the intake manifold gasket at 43K in my wife’s 2005 Bonneville I decided some research was necessary on Dex cool. What I found is the best example of planned obsolescence I have ever witnessed. Introduced in 1996 it has changed very little if any since then. As a coolant it works until it is introduced to air, according to GM, IE you have a slight coolant leak and the system runs low, it causes the coolant to deteriorate rapidly. The coolant does not have to be that low but just a slight loss of volume in the radiator can cause problems. The intake and manifold gaskets are also unchanged to prevent the coolant from causing a problem. There was a change in the gaskets a few years ago but it had nothing to do with coolant contamination. Dex cool is a organic acid technology and when it breaks down tends to drop out inside the engine in the low spots. Dex cool can turn to a gooey, muddy, orange corrosive gel that will attack the plastic surfaces and the gaskets causing leaks. In severe cases it can clog the heater core, radiator and in some cases the water pump. . In severe cases this can harden and actually push the gaskets out of place. If air was in fact the cause of the problem why doesn’t the coolant in the overflow container turn to sludge? Basically all 27 brands of coolant start out the same it is the additives that are added for corrosion protection that cause the problems. For years this protection came from silicates. Recently more of the brands are using OAT and a few are using both. The actually cause of this problem is unknown and the only cure is to replace the Dex cool with a good quality green antifreeze and replace it every 2 years. Why it happens to some vehicles and not others is the question that is unanswered. GM says that the radiator cap may be the answer a cheap form of prevention and I do recommend replacing the cap with an aftermarket when doing the first flush. Even if your coolant looks fine it may be carrying a small electrical charge which will cause corrosion. Check the parasitic voltage with a volt meter, positive lead in the coolant and the other to ground you should have very little if any voltage. If voltage is present replace the coolant and check the engine grounds. I install a ground wire from the radiator to the body, a little anal perhaps but remember the radiator has very little if any metal to metal contact. Rubber hoses and mounted in bushings. There is a class action suit for this problem but that is for a later date.Before I get a ton of Emails, yes I did say aftermarket radiator cap if there is a problem with the GM cap why use another when a aftermarket will work, perhaps better.
WD-40 New Products
In 1953, Rocket Chemical Company, on the 40th try perfected WD-40. In 1993 a can of WD-40 could be found in 2 out of 3 homes. In 2005 they introduced the Smart Straw, which I think is a better idea then the product itself. I am not a big fan of the product, I think the best use is for cleaning, it will remove glue residue and tar better than any other product. It is also great for water protection. Want to make garage tools look great, use it, Drain pans are the grungiest thing in a shop , spray on a little wipe it off and you have a new pan. It will work in a pinch as a rust penetrant or a lubricant, but there are better products. Be careful if you use it on a switch as it will not conduct electricity. For the last 50 plus years they have touted it as a cure all in one can, and if you only want one can this is somewhat true. So why would they come out with the Specialist line of products including a silicone spray and a penetrant, among others. I have heard that the rust remover soak works great. Almost all these new products come with the smart straw which is a great idea. I also think they are a little spendy compared to other products. I haven’t used any of them yet but next time I need a new can of one of these products I will give it a try, why not at worst it will probably be a better cleaner.