Car Issues

2010 Honda Insight Hybrid

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:13:09 +0000

2010 Honda Insight Hybrid

Hybrid technology is by and large a good thing. On that we can all agree. But cleanrunning and environmentally responsible though they may be hybrid cars have been out of reach for all but wellheeled buyers. Most consumers simply arent willing to or cant shell out the 30000 40000 needed to get behind the wheel of a partinternal combustion partelectric automobile.

There are a few exceptions of course. General Motors Aura Greenline sedan has a reasonable price tag all things considered as does the Chev Malibu Hybrid but in terms of what you get for your money hybrid vehicles have yet to attract consumers in any significant numbers….especially younger buyers.

Honda is hoping to change that with the introduction of its second generation Insight hybrid. Priced below both the Civic Hybrid and popular Toyota Prius its aimed squarely at firsttimers and buyers under 35 according to Honda Canada manager of production planning Ryan Kelly.

“The number of hybrid products on the market is six times greater than it was when we first introduced the Insight in 2000″ he observed at the launch in Scottsdale. “And there are 38 times as many of them on the roads….but few of them are being driven by younger buyers.” So when it goes on sale this Spring the 2010 Honda Insight will be priced in a “sweet spot” around 20000 or below according to Ryan Kelly.

With technology fundamentally similar to that found in the current Civic Hybrid the new Insight is expected to yield fuel consumption of 4.8 L/100 km in town and a miserly 4.5 L./100 km on the highway. These are better numbers than the Toyota Prius and only marginally inferior to those delivered by the first generation Insight which is still the fuel consumption champ in Canada.

Like the Civic and original Insight the new Insight will have a compact electric motor sandwiched between the vehicles internal combustion engine and a gearless CVT transmisison. The engine displaces 1.3 litres and the electric motor develops 10 kilowatts. Together they generate some 98 horsepower and 123 footpounds of torque. The engine also features Hondas iVTEC variable valve technology drivebywire throttle and is virtually identical to that found in the Civic Hybrid if a smidgeon less powerful. It is purposebuilt just for hybrid drivetrains and is what Honda calls a “low friction” powerplant. Total output for the nickel metal hydride battery pack is 128 volts and Honda claims it will last for 15 years or 240000 kilometres….whichever comes first.

Managing the combined output of the batteries electric motor and gas engine is Hondas Integrated Motor Assist IMA system which in this configuration is more powerful and lighter than that found in the Civic or the original Insight. The IPU Intelligent Power Unit for the new Insight is located under the floor in the rear cargo area along with the battery pack. Unlike its predecessor this model will actually seat five adults but back seat elbow room is still at a premium and the guy in the middle will be snug. With the back seats folded flat the Insight provides some 450 litres of cargo space.

Behind the wheel drivers are confronted by a “two tier” instrument panel and multiinformation display. An eyeshaped nacelle above the tachometer and IMA readout displays vehicle speed with a tricolour background that shows you at a glance if youre driving sensibly and gleaning maximum mileage from the drivetrain. Top fuel economy gives the display a green background while “somewhat less than efficient” shows light blue and inefficient driving behaviour shows dark blue. Like all good hybrid vehicles the new Insight has regenerative braking that harvests electrical power during deceleration.

But thats not all. An “Econ” switch located on the left side of the dash allow s you to choose driving modes and the multiinformation display also has a cute little “tree” graphic that “scores” your driving performance.

“The economy mode harmonizes the engine electric motor and transmission” explains Yuji Fujiki Hondas project leader for the Insight “as well as reducing the time the air conditioner operates and controlling the idle time of the engine when the car stops.” To wring optimum fuel economy out of the entire system the driver would ideally be in “green” mode with all the “leaves” of the tree in place.

It may sound kind of childish and maybe even a tad precious but the whole arrangement actually works well and is easy to get along with and quite userfriendly. On a 45kilometre driving loop laid out at the product launch I managed a 5.0 L/100 km fuel economy average and that was while keeping up with traffic and staying at the speed limits. The key is to avoid jackrabbit starts letting the engines momentum carry the vehicle coasting downhill and braking gently and well ahead of stop signs/traffic lights. The system is designed to allow drivers to closely monitor their performance and its almost fun to use. According to Honda the whole idea is to encourage drivers to “take an interest in developing fuelefficient driving habits over the long term.”

The new Honda Insight will be offered in two trim levels: LX and EX. Most of the usual modcons power windows etc will come standard with the LX and the EX will have extras such as a Navigation system steering wheellocated paddle shifters Bluetooth capability steering wheelmounted audio controls and lightweight alloy wheels.

About the writer: Ted is a famous writer who writes on the topics related to motorcycle road tests automobile reviews automobile reviews and ratings for Driverseat.

3 Ways To Save Money At A Car Auction

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:08:38 +0000

3 Ways To Save Money At A Car Auction

Car auctions have gained popularity and accessibility over the years. What was once mainly closed to the public is now open for everybody to take advantage of. You can save tons of money just by going to one. But you can save even more money by following these 3 easy to remember steps that will maximize your savings.

1. Only pay up to or around the car’s tradein value: You can find this value by using a Kelly’s Blue Book or Edmunds guide. Anything significantly over this price is not worth it because you can get the same car at a dealership with a warranty included.

2. Take a mechanic with you: Nothing would be worse than buying your dream car only to find out that it needs extensive repair work that can cost you hundreds of dollars. Remember that these cars are sold in asis condition. So have your mechanic check the engine transmission electrical system etc. Basically give the car a through inspection before bidding on it.

3. Always arrive early: This will give you time to look at all the cars you want without the distraction of the crowd. It also gives you extra time to see what cars are popular for that day. In general the cars that get a lot of attention also receive a lot of bids. Which can drive the price up. on the other hand you will have less competition when bidding on the cars that received less attention. Thus allowing you to walk away with a steal.

As long as you remember these three things you are well on your way towards saving big at the next auto auction you attend. Just arrive early bring a mechanic and don’t pay more than the car’s tradein value.

Did you that 90 of car auction sites are scams? Save yourself from a headache and loosing your hard earned money by visiting MyCarAuctionReview.com for the best car auction sites around.

About the writer: Dennis Wilson writes for Irish Rover Car Hire who offer a car hire Shannon Airport and a car hire Knock Airport service as well as rental cars in many other Irish locations

Why You Need To Run Your Car On Water?

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:29:52 +0000

Why You Need To Run Your Car On Water?

First and foremost benefit of running your car on water is financial. You will cut the cost your gas bill by at least 40 percent. With the sky rocketing price of petrol and diesel all over the world it is right time to take the advantage of the technology and start running your car on water. It is not new discovery and since past few decades the technology is there and the fact is that only a handful of people know about it. In recent past when the crude oil price escalates beyond 60 mark people started realizing the expenses made on their gas bill and a few people started using the technology and gained financial advantage of using it.

If you looking for why you need to run your car on water there are number of reasons for you and not only financial benefit you will achieve you will also contribute less pollutants and hence protect your environment. Actually the hydrogen is first produced from water and than it is used along with conventional fuel i.e. petrol or diesel as it does not produces harmful gases it helps us from polluting our environment. In burning of conventional fuels such as gasoline or diesel oxides or carbon nitrogen and sulfur are emitted and these not only pollute our environment but also contribute greatly towards global warming. So hydrogen as fuel which ultimately comes from water provides a great benefit not only to you but all of us on the earth. A clean environment will be helpful for all of us on earth and future generations.

The other answer of your question is that the efficiency of the car running on water is higher than the car engine that runs on petrol or diesel. This is due to quick burning of hydrogen produced from water after an electrochemical process known as electrolysis. The other benefit of hydrogen as fuel is that it is one of the best fuels available in the world. It provides highest energy per gram of hydrogen burnt and further as it burns quickly the car engine utilizes the energy in an efficient manner and thats why the efficiency of engine is higher than the conventional petrol or diesel based engines. Further as the combustion product of hydrogen is water only which keeps the engine cooler and therefore the engine durability and life also enhances.

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;There are variety of ways to save gas such as by running your car on water or getting coupons.Learn
How to Run your car on water and save environment as well as money.

Why You Need Good Motor Trade Insurance

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:25:28 +0000

Why You Need Good Motor Trade Insurance

Why motor trade insurance is so important to get right

Businesses that are involved in the motor trade must have a good insurance policy to cover any problems that may occur. As every business is different so are the policies available. A company or sole trader must consider what one is right for them but will have the help of an insurance sales team who are obliged to get the best deal for a particular motor trade business if there are not entirely sure.

However much each individual policy will be different there are five main types; Third Party Only policy Third party Fire and Theft policy Comprehensive policy Liability policy and the Combined policy. Each has their own advantages with varying levels of cost.

Firstly there are the Third Party policies which include Third Party Only or Third Part Fire and Theft. If a business is involved in the motor trade insurance in areas involving the trading and repairing of such vehicles this policy would appeal to them. Many MOT and other garages have this type of policy. Valier and other people involved in vehicles should at least have this kind of cover. It is not only for insurance but is also required by law. A comprehensive policy is an addition to the Third Party policies which includes accidental damage concerning fire or theft. A Liability policy is for the larger motor trader insurance companies. It allows and covers the general public on the premises while repairing motor vehicles and the spare parts. Employees are also covered by this package. Within the Liability policy there are three sub sections of insurance; Employers and Product Public and Sales and Service Indemnity. Again a business would have to consider which is best for them. Finally the Combined policy is the policies already discussed in one deal. This is for companies involved in all types of the motor trade.

A motor trade business must evaluate which policy is most suitable and cost efficient and decide from there. Not all circumstances can be predicted but by covering what is a possible problematic outcome for a company can save a lot of money in the long run.

Firstly there are the Third Party policies which include Third Party Only or Third Part Fire and Theft. If a business is involved in the motor trade in areas involving the trading and repairing of such vehicles this policy would appeal to them. Many MOT and other garages have this type of policy. Valier and other people involved in vehicles should at least have this kind of cover. It is not only for insurance but is also required by law. A comprehensive policy is an addition to the Third Party policies which includes accidental damage concerning fire or theft. A Liability policy is for the larger motor trade companies. It allows and covers the general public on the premises while repairing motor vehicles and the spare parts. Employees are also covered by this package. Within the Liability policy there are three sub sections of insurance; Employers and Product Public and Sales and Service Indemnity. Again a business would have to consider which is best for them. Finally the Combined policy is the policies already discussed in one deal. This is for companies involved in all types of the motor trade.

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Abdul Aziz is the director of Debt Free
Expert one of the leading online debt management advisors in the UK. He has been working
within the debt
management industry for over 5 years and has thousands of satisfied
customers.

Why Limousines For Special Occasions

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:06:32 +0000

Why Limousines For Special Occasions

As travelling in a limousine makes a person more attractive limousine service rentals are now much in demand. A number of people who wish to travel in luxurious cars even for a single night or for a special occasion prefer to rent cars as service; specifically they choose limousine as service.
A special event can be a lot different with a limousine. If you crave your special event to be memorable you need to think about the transportation too. Certainly you do not want to add problem on your event so you need to make sure that you will be driven to your special event location safely and with lots of fun connected with it.
Limousine can make you look great in each occasion or business event. You might have uncertainty which is the right limousine service you will hire. You can ask your friend coworker or family member for idea and advice. The best form of advertisement of limousine service; the person who rent the limo is satisfied and pleased with their service. This will give you perfect idea which limousine service you can hire.

You have to make booking for the date of your occasion and what kind of limousine obtainable on that date and so onwards. It will depend of what kind of limousine or model you wish to rent. Limousines come in different assortments so getting a limo means that you will be having many choices. You can select vehicles such as Cadillac or Lincoln sedans BMW Mercedes Benz or limos. In fact in picking it actually depends upon the occasion and how many people who will ride with you in the limo.

Do not simply go to a limo company and book a limo service you need to assure yourself that you are going with a reliable and trustworthy company. The best thing that you must do is check on the company’s insurance information. Keep in mind that this is essential; you can know that the company is insured and with that you can be sure of your safety. Check out the essential authorization that can guarantee you that you are with a reliable company.

In doing all of this you can get the right Limousine Service for your special occasion. You will enormously have an unforgettable and ideal event. A special event can be a lot different with a limousine. If you crave your special event to be memorable you need to think about the transportation too. Certainly you do not want to add problem on your event so you need to make sure that you will be driven to your special event location safely and with lots of fun connected with it.

No matter what the occasion or reason is it can be business trip vacation with your loved ones or friends birthday anniversary wedding prom night and so on renting a limousine service can give you the best transportation solution for Traveling in Sydney or will give you an impressive entry to an event or party that you will attend to.

About the writer: For Wedding Car Hire Limos for Special Occasions Limousine Hire Sydney Formals Airport Transfers and hire cars by professional Chauffeur driven stretch Limousine drivers contact Impressive Limos or log on to http://www.impressivelimos.com.au

What You Need To Do To Acquire Discount Wholesale Car

admin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:51:29 +0000

What You Need To Do To Acquire Discount Wholesale Car Audio

While buying on wholesale you always buy at relatively low prices but this prices can further be reduced when a discount is added. Discount wholesale car audio is available in wholesale stores and you do not have to pay exorbitant prices for your wholesale car audio stock. Firstly you need to decide which systems you want to buy. They may be car stereos subwoofers amplifiers speakers or any other car audio accessories. Then have in mind the kind of features you desire to buy if you are a dealer you will have conducted a survey and seen the car audio systems that are popular with your customers. You can also add a few products with new features that your clients may feast on and decide to buy.

As a dealer consider seriously about how you are going to distribute the various varieties of brands in your shop. You may specialize in popular brands only and find that some customers have to go elsewhere to have their car audio needs met. You need to do everything in your power to make your store a one stop shop for you to achieve the success you would want. Discount wholesale car audio will offer a good opportunity for you to buy the products at an affordable price. Therefore make sure you have in stock major and minor brands and while getting minor brands make sure you have the details on quality. By conducting a search on the background of a company you can get to know the kind of products they produce.

There should be enough information about the discount and about the product. The staff of a car audio store should be very conversant with every detail. Online stores are usually very detailed and have a forum where you can ask all the questions you may have as well as write comments and reviews. Reviews are invaluable because they give you an account of the experience of a real person with a particular product and you do not have to learn from your own mistakes. Read reviews from companies like CNET and others and get to know what the products are all about. Take time while viewing or inspecting discount car audio. You need time to read everything the pictures try to portray and you will discover so much that you will be amazed.

While doing your research on discount wholesale car audio you might realize that the products and information can be a bit overwhelming. You will even be tempted to buy products that you clearly cannot afford. It is therefore necessary for you to spread your search over a specific period of time. This will give you time to digest every aspect of the products and you will be doing this with a clear mind. Have time to go through many discounts from different stores. This will enable you to have multi discount opportunities because you do not have to buy from one store. Once you have known exactly what to buy know the details about shipping and other aspects of your purchase and there is no doubt that you will be glad about acquiring goods with such ease.

About the writer: Peter Gitundu is a web administrator For more information on Discount Wholesale Car Audio visit his site at Discount Wholesale Car AudioI Will Highly Appreciate Your Views On Discount Wholesale Car Audio On My Blog Here

What To Do When Your Check Engine Light Comes On

admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 01:38:42 +0000

What To Do When Your Check Engine Light Comes On

When you are about to embark on a long road trip or even worse when you are in the middle of it having the check engine light come on can be a disastrous thing. In fact having the check engine light come on in general usually leads to some pretty bad feelings. Fortunately just because the check engine light is on does not always mean that you need to spend a ton of money on repairs. Sometimes having the check engine light come on is not a big deal at all.

If you are lucky your check engine light is just on because your gas cap is not on tight enough. This frequently happens because sometimes the internal computer in your car cannot differentiate one problem from another and alert you to the differences. Instead of having dozens of lights to let you know when every little thing goes on many times your car alerts you to minimal problems by turning the check engine light on. If you suspect this is the case pull over and tighten your gas cap. It may take a few trips for the check engine light to reset itself but it is definitely worth a try.

If you have tried that but it did not seem to have an effect on your check engine light look around your dashboard to see if there are any other warning lights on. Check your gauges for an indication of an overheating issue or a low oil pressure problem. If you find that one of the gauges is off pull over as soon as it is safe to as running your car with low oil or when it is overheating can lead to much bigger problems down the road.

If you have an OnStar subscription give them a call. If you have a 1997 General Motors vehicle or later the people at OnStar can tell you whether or not the check engine light is alerting you to a serious problem with your vehicle. This is because the operators at OnStar can read your vehicles trouble codes remotely saving you from an unnecessary trip to the mechanic or as the case may be speeding you along to the mechanic sooner than you would have gone on your own. Of course if you do not have OnStar you can always take your car to a mechanic who will read the trouble codes for you.

About the writer: To know and read more about check engine light please visit our website.

What Is Rms Power?

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 02:06:48 +0000

What Is Rms Power?

RMS power verses Maximum power.

When purchasing car audio equipment you will find that there are Maximum powers and RMS powers.

The term RMS stands for Root Mean Square. This can be put more simply as the average running power of an amplifier. RMS is a much more important factor to consider rather than maximum power. If an amplifier has a high RMS power you will be able to use it constantly at a high volume. The maximum power of an amplifier is exactly that. You will not be able to run the amplifier at that power for more than a split second as a fuse is likely to blow or the overheat function will kick in and turn the amplifier off. Also running at maximum power will significantly reduce the quality of sound produced.

Power is measured in Watts. It is calculated by multiplying the voltage by the current flowing through the component.

How can this be calculated?

Imagine a Sin wave. It has a maximum value and a minimum value. If you were to take the difference between these you would get the peak to peak difference. The RMS power is calculated by dividing the peaktopeak difference by the square root of two. The RMS value can never be more than the maximum because it is an average.

From this we can conclude that the higher the RMS is of an amplifier the more power it can transfer without distorting. This means better quality sound. When buying an amplifier or some speakers aim to buy products with a high RMS power. Also try to match the powers so that the amplifier is suite to the speaker.

Written by Steven Lewis

About the writer: please visit my website dedicated to free car audio advice www.iceadvice.com

What Is Better A Two Seat Car Or A Four

admin — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 07:18:31 +0000

What Is Better A Two Seat Car Or A Four Seat Car?

There are many people that ask this kind of question. It’s really not that hard to answer once you know the facts about each different one.

Four seat and two seat car have been around for a long time and you may have ridden in one of each at one point or another. You just may not have realized that there was a huge difference. There is and knowing this difference can help you to find the right one for you and your situation.

A two seat car is going to be a great choice for those that may not have any kids and are not really into a bigger car. These cars normally have auto parts that are easy to find as well as a small body to work with. These cars are also a great thing for people that want to have good gas mileage as well. If you are commuting a long distance then you might want to think about getting this kind of car because of the god gas mileage that it has. Two seat cars normally have a smaller engine as well and you are able to find the auto parts in many places so there is no having to hunt for them a long time.

Four seat cars are the choice for families. This is because you are able to fit many of your friends and family in these cars for road trips and other things. You may like to have a lot of people in your car and crave that extra attention. These four seat cars are for you then. Many people find that you are more able to find these cars for sale and may have a harder time finding the two seat cars when you are ready to purchase a car.

There are many reasons why you would want to get a two seat car as well as a four seat car. The choice is really yours on what one you think will work better for you. You should get the kind of car that you think is going to work well for your many trips to work or taking yourself to the store. You will be the one driving this car and you should be happy with it. Take some time and pick the one that is right for you so that you can get out there and drive around.

About the writer: Victor Epand is an expert consultant about motorcycle gear used motorcycle parts and used car parts. When shopping for motorcycle gear or used parts we recommend only the best stores for motorcycle gear used motorcycle parts and used car parts.

Water Fuel- A Solution For The Rising Fuel Prices

admin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:15:10 +0000

Water Fuel- A Solution For The Rising Fuel Prices

The fuel prices are sky rocketing day by day. Everyone is wondering what it will take to lower the rising fuel prices. Even if there is an appropriate solution for this problem it will take ages for the fuel prices to come down. The fact is that the peak fuel prices will never just drop overnight. So the correct answer for this rising fuel price is definitely an affordable alternative fuel or improvements in the existing vehicle to get more mileage.

WATER FUEL THE BEST SOLUTION

Everybody are now searching for either alternative fuels the best gas mileage cars on the market or ways to make gas mileage improvements to their existing vehicle. The water fueled cars are the viable options for the rising fuel prices. The concept of water fueled cars has been around for some time. This concept was not fully developed for some reason. However today with the rising fuel prices the technology of water fuel has seen a big way and is in the path of resurrection.

THE CONCEPT

As everyone knows water cannot be used alone as a fuel. Ie. You wont be able to fill the gas tank of your car with water from your home and drive all the way. What this system does is to use HHO gas to increase the efficiency of your engine to give you gas mileage improvements of between 30 to 50.

This water fuel system termed as a kit is basically a small hydrogen generator for cars. It generates HHO from a small reservoir of water with the aid of a tiny amount of electricity from your car battery. This HHO gas is then mixed with the regular gas from your fuel tank and fed into your engine in the usual way. This mixture burns much more efficiently and cleanly giving you better performance more power and huge gas mileage improvements.

ADVANTAGES OF WATER FUEL

Apart from fuel savings there are many other advantages of using water as fuel. Other than reducing expenses at the gas pumps another advantage that can not be overlooked is the environmental friendless. Using water fuel can contribute to a greener Earth. The environmental impacts of driving a water fueled car are actually unprecedented. Instead of toxins being emitted into the air while driving a gasoline operated car water cars emit water nontoxic vapor and oxygen which will ultimately have a much more cleansing effect on the environment. Driving a water fuel car not only reduces pollution from the atmosphere but it can also improve your personal health or that of your family members by cleaning the air and making it much easier to breathe.

BOTTOMLINE

To conclude there is no denying that HHO technology should have been a fuel resource long ago if for nothing else for its environmental benefits. While it may already be too late perhaps people of the world could adapt to the benefits of this technology. So go ahead install the water conversion kit and be the proud new owner of a water power car!

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About the writer: John Troxell writes articles on Water car hho. Other articles written by the author related to water fuel cells water fuel can be found on the web.