Go ahead...ask those car questions you were always afraid to ask...

[jebglx]

b/c you'd think people would make fun of you.

driving on a small 2 lane hwy the other day when i approached a small town. there was a big sign that said Brake Retardation Prohibited

brake retardation? what does that mean???

bill

[arozanski]

Do you really not know, or are you being silly?

Brake Retardation = No Jake Brakes, although they could have come up with a better sign. Suprised they are not being sued for emotional distress by the ADA (Autos with Disabilties Association)

[enriquejcu]

here's one:
Do they really need to post "No Passing" signs on roads with a double yellow center line?

[axe]

Why did the steering wheel replace the Tiller in early cars?

[VT1.8T]

Quote, originally posted by enriquejcu »

here's one: Do they really need to post "No Passing" signs on roads with a double yellow center line?

In Vermont yes, because passing on a double solid line is LEGAL as long as you are not in a "No Passing" zone. Knowing this comes in handy this time of year as the leaf-peepers are cruising around well below the speed limit.

[FLank_Sinatra]

Quote, originally posted by enriquejcu »

here's one: Do they really need to post "No Passing" signs on roads with a double yellow center line?

those are probably for the SUV driving people who don't use their turn signals, they need all the help they can get. Maybe the can have someone coaching them on their cell phone they are on all the time.

[Flipdriver80]

Quote, originally posted by enriquejcu »

here's one: Do they really need to post "No Passing" signs on roads with a double yellow center line?

think about all the people on roads who you yell "idiot" to. thats why. A lot of drivers are just dumb.

[Air and water do mix]

Quote, originally posted by enriquejcu »

here's one: Do they really need to post "No Passing" signs on roads with a double yellow center line?

Because there are so many stupid people out there... meaning not here in the Car Lounge of course!

[Armed Escort]

What the hell is "Symmetrical AWD", anyway?

[nyyankee]

Quote, originally posted by Armed Escort »

What the hell is "Symmetrical AWD", anyway?

^^^^^^^^^^this is the all wheel drive on Subaru's^^^^^^^^^

What does "IMO" mean
i just found out what LMAO, ROTFLMAF, and LMFAO mean

[okanTDI]

all drive shafts are even from the differential maybe?

[FiveAinOne]

Quote, originally posted by enriquejcu »

here's one: Do they really need to post "No Passing" signs on roads with a double yellow center line?

You'd be surprised. I have a friend that thinks its okay to exit out a carpool lane with quad yellow lines. He said that white line besides the yellow means he could exit anytime.

[the_toad]

Why do they call it a fox body mustang? do the other bodies have names?

[BRealistic]

Quote, originally posted by the_toad »

Why do they call it a fox body mustang? do the other bodies have names?

It's on the Ford Fox platform.

The Ford Fox platform has been slangified into "Fox body" over the years.

Just like your NB is on the Volkswagen Group A platform.

It's an A body Beetle.

[TooFitToQuit]

Quote, originally posted by the_toad »

Why do they call it a fox body mustang? do the other bodies have names?

There is the S95 and New Edge, both of which are still Fox chasses. There is also the new S197 chassis (05-13) and the 2010-13 hasn't received a special name yet to differentiate it from the 05-09 cars.

[PsyberVW]

Quote, originally posted by FiveAinOne »

You'd be surprised. I have a friend that thinks its okay to exit out a carpool lane with quad yellow lines. He said that white line besides the yellow means he could exit anytime.

Please correct him, immediately.

Quote »

Carpool Lanes And Onramps A carpool lane is a special freeway lane only for buses and/or carpools. You may use a carpool lane or onramp if your vehicle carries the minimum number of people required for the carpool lane or you drive a low-emission vehicle displaying a special DMV-issued decal. Motorcycle riders may use designated carpool lanes, unless otherwise posted. Signs at the onramp or along the freeway tell you the minimum number of people required for the carpool and the hours the carpool requirement applies. The pavement in this lane is marked with a diamond symbol (◊) and the words "Carpool Lane." These lanes are also known as high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Do not cross over double parallel solid lines to enter or exit any carpool lane except at designated entry or exit places. Vehicles towing trailers are typically not allowed to use carpool lanes because they must drive more slowly and are usually restricted to the right-hand lane.

http://test-www.dmv.ca.gov/pub...5.htm

[tonytomasi88]

here's one:
Do they really need to post "No Passing" signs on roads with a double yellow center line?

yes... sometimes it snows and you can't see the road

[jebglx]

uh...jake brakes ?

i really don't know

bill

[texture]

Quote, originally posted by jebglx »

uh...jake brakes ? i really don't know bill

what the heck are jake brakes???

[GTI 20v]

Quote, originally posted by texture »

what the heck are jake brakes???

Remember the old fitness series Body by Jake (tm)? It's like that.

-Nick

[mister_g60]

Quote, originally posted by texture »

what the heck are jake brakes???

ok, I know *what* these are and generally how they work, but can someone post up some pics and a general tech description of the jake brake/engine brake? I've always wanted to understand how it worked - though apparently I'm too lazy to actually search it out.

[Harv]

Quote, originally posted by jebglx »

i really don't know

highlight ^^^^

[Parklife]

Quote, originally posted by jebglx »

uh...jake brakes ? i really don't know bill

Never fear, Mr. Cho: Google is your friend.

Quote »

The Jake Brake takes its name from the manufacturer who invented the most common implementation of the technology, the Jacobs Company. The Jake brake is an add-on engine brake for diesel engines. Big semi trailers, the 18 wheel trucks that move everything we use, can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds. Stopping them or slowing them down results in a great deal of wear on the brakes, which have to be replaced frequently. The Jake brake, as an engine system, causes no wear and tear and can help slow the truck before the wheel brakes need to be applied. Its primary use is on long downhill grades where the wheel brakes would otherwise have to be frequently pumped to keep the truck from gaining dangerous speed. When the driver presses a button in the cab to activate the device, two things happen. First, the switch excites the engine brakes' solenoids. By itself, this would help only a little but it is necessary for the second step. What happens inside of the engine goes roughly like this. As a four-stroke internal combustion engine, each piston in a diesel normally moves up and down twice in each cycle. For the nit-pickers out there, there are many two-stroke diesel trucks on the road as well. The process begins when the fuel and air valves are closed and the piston moves upward. This compresses the air in the cylinder to as much as 25 times atmospheric pressure. This is much higher compression than a gasoline engine (typically ten times atmospheric pressure) and results in the air getting very hot, about 900 degrees Fahrenheit. At this time fuel is sprayed into the superheated air which immediately begins burning. The second stroke, the power stroke, is the downward movement of the piston as fuel burns. The third stroke is an upward movement with the exhaust valve open to clear out the combustion products while the fourth stroke refills the cylinder with air. The Jake brake completely changes all this, redefining what the valves do as each piston moves up and down. With the fuel flow terminated, the upward moving first stroke still compresses the air to very high pressure. As we said above, this transfers mechanical energy into heat as the air becomes highly compressed. If nothing else were done, most of this energy would be recovered, except for frictional losses, as the cylinder moved back down and the compressed air expanded. The Jake brake, however, opens the exhaust valve just as the air reaches maximum compression, dumping all of that energy in an almost instantaneous explosive release. The result is a very effective slowing of the vehicle as mechanical energy is converted to heat and then dumped. The Jake brake effectively transforms the internal combustion engine into an air compressor. It has only one drawback: it is very noisy. You may have heard a semi use the Jake brake without realizing what it was. Sometimes when a truck is approaching a stop sign or stop light it suddenly emits a load roar, very much like a large lawnmower, for five or ten seconds. It is the noise that is causing many towns to ban the use of the Jake brake. Even though tests have shown the decibel level to be about as loud as a large lawnmower, at night or early morning the low frequencies seem to carry a long distance and are very noticeable. Because it extends the life of wheel brakes and saves money, trucking companies generally lobby against the bans and some towns are compromising by allowing the Jake brake to be used in daylight hours. Yet more and more signs, with the words Jake Brake and the international symbol for "banned", are certain to appear. Since the primary use of the Jake brake is to slow the truck on long downhill grades, the technology will continue to be widely adopted for use on the open road.

[okanTDI]

jake brake = engine brake. for big rigs you flip a switch and whenever you let go of the gas the truck brakes hard by means of engine

[gtivr4]

This is a question for the women:

If a sports car with a long hood is supposed to be a falic symbol and for men who are 'compensating' for a small 'member', then why aren't women attracted to men in say a classic Mini, which would logically be the opposite?

You would think women would be attracted to men who are sure of themselves and aren't showing off or compensating, but that never seems to be the case.

[Kafer Wolf]

Quote, originally posted by gtivr4 »

This is a question for the women: If a sports car with a long hood is supposed to be a falic symbol and for men who are 'compensating' for a small 'member', then why aren't women attracted to men in say a classic Mini, which would logically be the opposite? You would think women would be attracted to men who are sure of themselves and aren't showing off or compensating, but that never seems to be the case.

i'm not a woman, but i'm guessing they're attracted because a guy driving around in a sports car spells S-U-C-C-E-S-S or W-E-A-L-T-H.

but personally, i think if a woman gets attracted to you because of your expensive car, she's not worth it.


Modified by Kafer Wolf at 10:47 PM 10-8-2005

[sniper101]

I think this thread is great, it is teaching me a great deal of things I never knew, let alone questioned...

[alman]

Another transmission question:
On the paddle based shifting transmissions (SMG, DSG, auto stick, etc) is there any logic in the software to prevent a dumb person shifting from 5th to 2nd(assuming highway speed) or a really bad miss shift?

[IntrstlarOvrdrve]

Oops

[B20VTEC]

Well, this is a question I have been wondering for a while now, but the reason I didn't ask isn't because I was afraid to, I just simply never found a thread so aptly titled.

Anyway, is there a proper way to brake?

More specifically, is there a proper way to brake so that the brake rotors will not warp or wear unevenly?

Every car I have had over the years develops uneven rotor wear which causes the steering wheel to shake violently during normal to hard braking.

This thread is like psycho-therapy for car nuts.


Modified by B20VTEC at 6:12 PM 10-11-2005

[Dubai Vol]

Quote, originally posted by B20VTEC »

Anyway, is there a proper way to brake? More specifically, is there a proper way to brake so that the brake rotors will not warp or wear unevenly? Every car I have had over the years develops uneven rotor wear which causes the steering wheel to shake violently during normal to hard braking.

I used to have that problem until I read about not leaving your brakes clamped on a hot rotor when you stop. It had just never occurred to me and it's so obvious. When you come to a stop, release the brakes and even let the car roll a bit. If your pads stay clamped on the rotor that spot stays hot while the rest cools faster, presto, warped rotor!

[13minutes]

Wow- I already do that- I must be a genius!

Actually, I have always had a habit of stopping short- then rolling into a final position before coming to a complete stop.

My question: What is the proper way of storing wheels (with tires) when not in use?

[sweatyworker]

Interesting Article on this very issue

http://www.stoptech.com/tech_i...shtml

[NewVWgirl]

O.k I am always hearing my husband talking about big block cars and small block cars.

Please forgive the extreme auto ignorance but what's the difference between the small block and big block?

[texture]

Quote, originally posted by NewVWgirl »

O.k I am always hearing my husband talking about big block cars and small block cars. Please forgive the extreme auto ignorance but what's the difference between the small block and big block?

Good question, I think the definition varies, but a small block is typically a GM V8 engine up to 350 cubic inches (can be higher if it's bored and or stroked), big blocks starts around 396 cubic inches but this is what wikipedia has to say:

SMALL BLOCK

A small-block engine is a North American V8 in a family of engines which generally have less than 6 liters (360 cubic inches) of displacement, although some derivatives have grown larger (up to 400 cubic inches, 6.6 litres). Larger families of engines are called big-blocks. The distinction came about in the early 1960s when the large full-size cars needed a bigger V8 than the smaller mid-size and compact cars. Prior to that point, manufacturers normally had only one V8 engine line.

The term is normally used only for engines from the "Big Three" (Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Chrysler Corporation) since the other companies did not keep two V8 engine size families. However, it's sometimes used for the more modern and compact V8s produced by others, such as Studebaker.

Although a small-block V8 is of significantly smaller displacement than the equivalent big-block, a small-block engine can be tuned to develop significant amounts of power. Additionally, many small-block engines were more advanced technologically than their big-block counterparts, and were much lighter and smaller. For this reason, they were often preferred in racing and sporting applications. Many hot rods and custom cars are fitted with small-block V8s, particularly the GM (Chevrolet) 350 engine and the Ford 351 Windsor.

BIG BLOCK

A big-block engine is a North American V8 in a family of engines which generally have greater than 5.9 litres (360 cubic inches) of displacement; factory engine sizes reached a peak of 8.2 litres (500 cubic inches) in Cadillac's 1970s range. Smaller V8 engines are known as small-blocks; some members of small-block engine families may exceed 6 litres, blurring the distinction somewhat. The distinction came about in the early 1960s when the large full-size cars needed a bigger V8 than the smaller mid-size and compact cars. Prior to that point, manufacturers normally had only one V8 engine line.

The term is normally used only for engines from the "Big Three" (Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Chrysler Corporation) since the other companies did not keep two V8 engine size families.

Big-block V8s were most commonly used in full-size and luxury cars, rather than performance vehicles. Thus, they were commonly tuned and built for smoothness, low-end torque to get heavy cars rolling and effortless cruising. Many big-block engines were less technically sophisticated than their small-block counterparts, and their power-to-weight ratios were often lower.

They did see performance applications, however. Performance-tuned big-blocks were used in NASCAR racing, and homologation requirements saw these engines sold for road use. NASCAR's 7-litre engine size limit explains why many high-performance big blocks are of this size; Chevrolet's 427, Ford's 427, Chrysler's 426 Hemi. In the mid to late 1960s, the explosion of the muscle car market saw performance big-blocks fitted to intermediate-size cars. Some used derivatives of the racing engines, but in addition performance versions of former luxury motors were produced.

After the 1973 oil crisis, the days of the big-block in passenger cars were numbered. By the end of the 1970s, they were no longer to be found. However, these engines remained in use in pickup trucks and other non-car uses.