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Autoblog Maintenance 101: Transmission fluid and filter

March 31, 2006

Filed under: Ask Autoblog, Maintenance, Green, Tech

Automatic transmissions are among the most complex mechanical devices ever assembled into a mass-market consumer
product. As a result, automatic transmission fluid (ATF) has a tremendously difficult task. It has to lubricate the
myriad of moving parts, providing sufficient protection to components that will rotate literally billions of times over
the life of the transmission. It also has to provide enough friction to the various clutches within the transmission.
ATF also provides the vast majority of the transmission’s heat dissipation, and serves as a means of transmitting
hydraulic signals and power.
Yes, the demand on ATF is significant, but yet it’s often neglected when performing routine maintenance.
Transmission service is certainly not as easy or straightforward as oil changes, but considering the frustration and
inefficiency of a transmission that isn’t operating properly and the jaw-dropping cost of a rebuilt unit,
we’ll happily roll up our sleeves and crawl underneath our ‘96 GMC K2500 to [...]

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Ford jumping on AWD opportunity

March 30, 2006

Filed under: Car Buying, Concept Cars, Trends, Sedans/Saloons, SUVs, Crossovers/CUVs, Ford, Lincoln
Ford Motor Co., surprised by the popularity of the
AWD versions of its Ford Five Hundred, Freestyle, and the Mercury Montego, forecasts sales of such equipped vehicles
from automakers to reach 500,000 a year with eighty percent to be crossover vehicles (SUV or CUV). The company has
plans to jump on the opportunity.
“When Ford introduced the new AWD vehicles,” says Robert
Parker, car marketing manager for the Blue Oval, “demand outstripped supply during the initial launch. Customers
saw that AWD really provided the best value for the dollar. Based on our experience with those cars, Ford has set about
bringing the technology to a wider range of vehicles and expanding the consumers’ choices.”
The company
will be releasing AWD versions of its Fusion/Milan/MKZ (formerly Zephyr) mid-sized sedans by 2007. Ford’s foreign
subsidiary Volvo offers AWD in most of its lineup while Mazda’s Mazdaspeed6 comes standard in AWD. [...]

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Is BMW hypocritical for marketing to gay clientele without extending worker benefits to the same?

March 30, 2006

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, BMW
Can BMW
eat its cake and have it too?
That’s the question Joe LaMuraglia is asking about the German
automaker. The editor of Gaywheels.com questions how it is that the
Bimmer-builders fail to offer same-sex benefits to employees, yet buys ads in gay-oriented publications such as OUT or
The Advocate. This behavior stands in sharp contrast to such automakers like Subaru and Volvo, who offer same-sex
benefits to their workers, as well as advertise in gay-oriented media.
LaMuraglia is quick to point out
that he is not advocating a BMW boycott. He does, however, question why OUT and Advocate, would accept such
funding while being fully aware of BMW’s policies.
Shout out your opinion in Comments.
[Source:
Gaywheels.com]
Is BMW hypocritical for marketing to gay clientele without extending worker benefits to the same? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Mar 2006 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA Metro picks up more natural gas buses

March 30, 2006

Filed under: Trends, Hybrids/Alternative, Etc., Green
The 200 compressed
natural gas (CNG) buses acquired in 2003 by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro)
have worked out so well that LA Metro is hiring 96 more. The Cummins Westport vehicles, which run 20
feet longer than traditional city buses and bring 30-percent more power to the table (while claiming bragging rights to
low emissions) use a 6-cylinder, 8.9L CWI L Gas Plus CNG mill with 320 hp. Perfect for the city, the buses help LA Metro
cash in with lower operating costs, better performance and reduced emissions.
[Source: Green Car Congress]
LA Metro picks up more natural gas buses originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Mar 2006 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How to make the grade in car restoration

March 30, 2006

Filed under: Maintenance, Time Warp
Alright. So you have a hankering to restore your dad or mom’s 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle (pictured) or
1996 Ford Taurus but know little, if anything, about car restoration since you built models as a young child. SecondChanceGarage lists some basic guidelines on tackling a car restoration project. As the article points
out, many would-be restorers underestimate the amount of  time, space required, and costs (both financially and to
one’s sanity), that restoring a vehicle can take.
The steps include:

Selecting what car you want to restore. Make sure it has some personal fascination. Car restoration
is hardly a ‘Get Rich Quick’ scheme.

How to find the car. This includes contacting auto clubs.

How much space you’ll need. It’ll take a lot more than your two-car garage.

Required tools. Consider renting many of them, especially if you’re a novice.

Estimating how long a project will take. Just like remodeling a house, it’ll always take longer than
expected.

Costs. [...]

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Austrian magazine votes Mercedes-Benz S-Class “Fleet Car of the Year”

March 30, 2006

Filed under: Car Buying, Gadgets, Contests, Euro, Safety, Tech, Mercedes-Benz
The
Mercedes-Benz S-Class received high praise from the Austrian motor specialist magazine “Firmenwagen” with the
magazine’s readership voted the luxury sedan as “Fleet Car of the Year 2006.” The S-Class was chosen in
recognization to its array of technology such as:

Brake Assist PLUS with radar sensors
PRE-SAFE Occupant Protection Service
Infrared Night View Assist
Distronic Plus
Standard AIRMATIC air suspension
Improved Active Body Control system

A dozen new features were recognized by the readership. An official listing of the S-Class’ features can be
found here.
NOTE: Information on a hybrid
version, which was not mentioned in the original article, can be found here.
[Source:
The Auto Spectator}
Austrian magazine votes Mercedes-Benz S-Class “Fleet Car of the Year” originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Mar 2006 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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London Land Speed Record up for grabs!

March 30, 2006

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc.
Autocar magazine announced
Wednesday that it is sponsoring a bid to set a “London Land Speed Record” this July, in conjunction with
the British International Motor Show.
The event will feature a gaggle of supercars attempting to set a
London speed record on a mile-long runway at London City Airport (shown
above). Although speed is the object, braking will be rather important, too. In a masterpiece of understatement,
Autocar editor Rob Aherne says, “It’s as much a test of braking performance; not least because the runway
ends in a dock.” (The airport is located in London’s “Docklands” area)
Could this be the start
of city vs. city speed contests? Why not? We at Autoblog think the logical site for the next urban speedfest would be
none other than London’s sister city, New York. After all, NYC already has the New York International Auto Show, so all
we need to do is get some track time at JFK [...]

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Honeywell orphans crash test dummies

March 30, 2006

Filed under: Etc., Plants/Manufacturing, Safety
Honeywell
International announced Wednesday that it will sell its First
Technology Safety Systems unit, which provides integrated crash testing solutions (including an extended family of
crash test dummies), to a European private investment group for $87.3 million.
FTSS is based in Plymouth,
Michigan and is a subsidiary of First Technology plc. Acquisition of the
U.K.-based parent company by Honeywell was completed just last week, for $508 million. Unfortunately for the dummies,
Honeywell bought First Technology for its gas sensing business, not its automotive operations.
FTSS’s crash
business is pretty interesting, actually. Their website is worth a
quick look if you’re the technologically curious type.
[Sources: First Technology, Reuters]
Honeywell orphans crash test dummies originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Mar 2006 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Maintenance 101: Air filter change/clean

March 30, 2006

Filed under: Maintenance, Trucks/Pickups, GM, GMC
 
Oh, the humble air filter. Destined to toil away in darkness, it’s often ignored when performing regular
maintenance. That’s a shame, because a clogged air filter can have dire consequences. In the short term, the additional
restriction can dramatically decrease fuel economy and increase emissions– a dirty element can increase fuel
consumption by 10% or more. Should the filter pass dirt through to the delicate inner workings of the engine, severe
damage can occur. Fortunately, it’s usually quite straightforward to service the filter element.
[Click through to walk through the task of air-filter R&R...]
Continue reading Autoblog Maintenance 101: Air filter change/clean
Autoblog Maintenance 101: Air filter change/clean originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Mar 2006 12:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another importer to bring Chinese cars to U.S.

March 30, 2006

Filed under: Car Buying, Trends, China

While most critics have been distracted by launches of new Geely models (and dubbing Chery Malcolm Bricklin’s
newest albatross), another company, Global Holdings International, Inc. has quietly been readying an arsenal of new
vehicles to be sold in the U.S. come 2007. The company ambitiously says their lineup of
vehicles (including sedans, minis, coupés, SUVs, minivans, trucks, light trucks, buses and heavy
equipment), are almost ready for U.S. consumption at prices that are reportedly 30-to 50-percent less than their
counterparts currently sold in the States.
The company plans to import Brilliance (a Chinese joint venture with BMW), Foton Auto and Boading Tianma Auto
vehicles, and will kick off the effort with a tour of the Brilliance M1 sedan in California this summer. The company
says it plans to open a showroom in Las Vegas later this year.
[Source: Auto Industry UK]
Another importer to bring Chinese cars to U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Mar 2006 11:01:00 EST. [...]

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