So Nitrogen in your tires….That sounds odd. Cincinnati car dealerships are seeing a lot of requests for nitrogen filling options for their tires. Not sure what the fuss is about? Are you wondering what it can do for your tires? Well nitrogen filled tires are not necessarily the latest, but the could be greatest craze right now. Did you know that nitrogen is all around us? Of course you did, you passed 8th grade science. Technically speaking, the air we breathe is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and small amounts of other gasses. Science class over.
So what’s this big hubbub about nitrogen? Well, actually, nitrogen is said to have many advantages over oxygen when it comes to tire inflation. Nitrogen enhances handling, improves fuel efficiency, extends tire life, provides cooler running tire temperatures and can keep you safer on the roads….. Overall, filling up with nitrogen won’t hurt and may provide benefits. It’s really up to you to decide what you’d rather have. It is important to note that nitrogen is more expensive than ai (as air typically costs nothing)r, so be prepared for tha added expenset. But here’s the deal on that too. the added expense. You see, nitrogen particles are bigger than those of oxygen so they don’t pass through the tire wall as easily. Check out the diagram.
Here are a few stats on Nitrogen.
Maintain proper tire pressure with nitrogen, and you’ll see these three primary benefits:
• Increased Fuel Efficiency – Correct tire pressure keeps the manufacturer’s recommended “contact patch” on the road. This lessens the rolling resistance and maximizes fuel efficiency.
• Longer Tire Life – When it comes in contact with other materials, oxygen causes oxidation. Oxidation can make rubber brittle and cause it to lose tensile strength. In addition, at high temperatures and pressures, oxygen reacts and damages inner tire liners and belt packages; nitrogen does not.
• Increased Safety – Under-inflated tires cause 90% of blowouts. Nitrogen provides more reliable pressure for reduced blowout potential. Go to getnitrogen.org for more info.
Check out this video with Jay Leno on Nitrogen filled tires. Yes. Jay Leno.
Looking for a shot of nitrogen? Give your Cincinnati car dealer a shout and we can probably help out.
If you’ve ever been stuck with a dead battery, you know how miserable it is. But don’t worry, help is on the way…and no, it’s not the tow truck. It’s a battery charger! The best way to avoid any unforeseen problems is to avoid them altogether right? So, keeping your battery in good condition is one way to “avoid” one such “unforeseen problem”. Got it?
Let’s say you accidentally left your interior lights on all night and you wake up to find that you have a dead battery, what do you do? Without a battery charger, you call into work and burn a personal day in hopes of getting a jump from a neighbor or a new battery. With a battery charger, well you get to save that personal day for a time when you really want to play hooky. Let me tell you, for around $50, it’s worth it and you’ll get a pretty decent charger to boot!
How does a charger work? Check out the video.
How easy is it to use? This easy.
Of course, there could also be other reasons why your battery is discharging faster than usual or not having enough juice to turn the starter, and that is a bigger issue. I’d advise you take your car to your mechanic if your battery issues become problematic.
It is officially one sad sad day in the world of us Honda lovers. Don’t cry! There are still great Honda’s to come. Don’t you even fret your little head over it. I have to tell you…. The Honda Element is no more.
After a nine-year run, the Honda Element will officially be killed off after the 2011 model year. The Element has suffered from slow sales numbers over the past few years, and in the model’s death notice, Hondaspecifically cites that a large amount of customers prefer the better refinement and improved fuel economy of the automaker’s CR-V crossover.
Since its debut in December of 2002, more than 325,000 Elements have been sold in the United States. During its lifespan, we saw the introduction of the bolder-looking SC model in 2007, and just last year, Honda began offering the 2010 Element with a dog-friendly package. Modest facelifts over the years have helped keep the Element somewhat fresh, but newer competitors on the scene have helped expose weaknesses in refinement and power. That said, Honda’s boxy sport-ute has long been praised for its utility-oriented and easy-to-maintain interior – not to mention kicking off the modern styling trend of boxy vehicles. – AutoBlog
What do you guys think? Are you sad or happy that the Honda Element is no more?
The wagon is not dead I tell ya!! Acura has released it’s very first commercial for the all new 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon and let me just tell you it’s pretty awesome looking!!
Check out this new commercial and see that the TSX sedan turns into the wagon! It’s pretty cool.
There are a lot of people in and around the Cincinnati area that have fallen in love with the brand new Sonata. There has even been buzz about the Sonata Wagon. Unfortunately it is not available in the United States… yet. If Hyundai were to give us a Sonata wagon would you drive it? Would you want one? What do you think?
While Hyundai has yet to unveil a wagon derivative of its Sonata/i40 family sedan, copious spy shotshave been captured while the car has been undergoing testing around the globe. The load-lugging Korean is a lock for Europe and will doubtlessly surface in other markets, but to date, there has been no word as to whether the wagon will haul itself into U.S. showrooms.
While there’s still no official word from Hyundai, Autoblog has learned that American executives definitely want the car and are working to build a business case for it. Further, according to our source:
“We can’t comment on future product plans. But we certainly are aware of the upsurge in popularity of well-executed wagons, especially in markets like Europe where consumers demand the high degrees of versatility and fuel economy that wagons deliver. The Elantra Touring has been a terrific addition to our lineup and is a huge hit with its customers. A great wagon can bring in incremental customers who otherwise might not consider a given brand’s sedan.”
With the popularity of Hyundai and the Sonata growing everyday I think it is just a matter of time before we get to see the Sonata Wagon here in the states.
Honda is competing with the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf with the Civic GX. It’s new appeal comes from the fact that it runs on Compressed Natural Gas (also known as CNG) and can qualify buyers for $4,000 tax credit because of the lower emissions. According to DriveClean.ca.gov, “Driving a compressed natural gas vehicle reduces smog-forming and greenhouse gas emissions as well as our dependence on foreign oil. Although the range between fills is slightly less than their gasoline counterparts, the benefits such as HOV lane access, cheaper fuel and the ability to fuel at home can outweigh this seemingly negative attribute.”
Here’s some quick facts about the model from the Edmunds Daily Blog:
The Civic GX is equipped with a 1.8-liter, i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine that produces 113 horsepower @ 6300 rpm and 109 lb-ft. of torque @ 4300 rpm, and achieves an EPA-estimated2 city/highway fuel economy of 24/36 miles per Gasoline-Gallon Equivalent (GGE). Maximum fuel-tank capacity is 8.0 GGE at 3,600 pounds per square inch. A 5-speed automatic transmission is standard.
Built on a high-rigidity, unit-body platform, the Civic is designed to deliver precise and refined handling performance with its fully independent MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension designs. A sweeping roofline and a sleek windshield angle convey an advanced, one-motion profile. The interior focuses on sophisticated styling with a two-tier instrument panel, CNG-optimized fuel gauge, comfortable seating and accommodating storage areas with room for mobile phones, compact discs and more.
A wide array of standard safety technologies includes the Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure; side curtain airbags; driver’s and front passenger’s side airbags with a passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS); and dual-stage, multiple-threshold driver’s and front passenger’s front airbags (SRS). Active front-seat head restraints are designed to help reduce the likelihood of neck injury in the event of a rear collision. Additional safety features include an anti-lock brake system (ABS) with electronic brake distribution and a pedestrian injury mitigation design incorporated into the front exterior of the vehicle.
Standard equipment includes 15-inch steel wheels with covers, P195/65R15 tires, air conditioning, cruise control, power windows with auto up/down driver’s window, power door locks, keyless entry, a 160-watt AM/FM Audio System with CD Player (MP3/ Windows Media Audio (WMA) enabled), auxiliary audio input jack, multi-function center console with sliding armrest and progressive blue illumination instrument panel meters.
The Civic GX is the only OEM-built, CNG-powered passenger car assembled3 in America. The Civic GX is built on the same assembly line as the gasoline-powered Civic four-door models at Honda’s Greensburg, Indiana, manufacturing facility.
As an inherently clean-burning fuel, natural gas produces 75 percent fewer smog forming pollutants (oxides of nitrogen) compared to the output of a conventional gasoline engine. Natural gas is also an abundant, domestically sourced fuel that is approximately 30 percent less expensive than gasoline when purchased at a public access refueling station.
The Civic GX is the only vehicle certified by the EPA to meet both Federal Tier 2 Bin 2 and Inherently Low Emission Vehicle (ILEV) zero evaporative emission certification standards. The Civic GX has earned recognition from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) as the “greenest vehicle of 2010″ for the seventh consecutive year.
It’s safe to say that Honda is definitely keeping up the competition with their “green” technological efforts and it will be interesting to see if this sparks a rise in popularity of CNG fueled cars in the future.
In a recent study by the UK blog, Autoquake.com, they revealed some astonishing statistics in regards to women and men maintaining their vehicles. What do you think?
More than one-in-ten female drivers (12%) never check their car’s oil level. Just under 8% of men confess to the same neglect. Twice as many women (14%) as men (7%) admit to never checking their tyre pressures while almost one-in-five say they never check the tread-depth.
Women drivers are also more likely than men to pay someone else to carry out basic maintenance for them. Just over 14% of women pay to have coolant levels checked compared with 5% of men. A staggering 9% of women pay someone else to check their washer fluid level. Just 3% of men won’t do this simple job for themselves.
You can avoid becoming one of these statistics by bring your vehicle to one of our auto-service centers.
I just so happened to be hopping around on the internet today and stumbled upon this wonderful series on the design of the Acura ZDX. We’ve all seen it, we all love it and now you can see what inspired its existence. I think you will be amazed at the different places, and ideas that influenced what this wonderful Acura would become. From a Japanese sports stadium to wildlife to San Francisco, sit back and take a few minutes to see a dream come to life.
This is a 4 part series but I only wanted to show you a couple. If you want to see the rest of the series just visit the Acura YouTube channel.
Enjoy!!
Pretty neat isn’t it? Do you drive the Acura ZDX? Can you see the inspiration behind it as you are cruising the streets of Cincinnati?
Hyundai Concept RB Introduced at the 2010 Moscow International Motor Show
Hyundai has no shortages of amazing concepts over the past 10 years. We have also been very lucky in seeing some of these concepts come to life. When I saw the footage from this latest concept I knew you would want to see it. Why? Because I feel like you will be just as stunned as I was. This thing looks good! It looks sleek, roomy, fun and most importantly sporty! Now we all know that just because Hyundai comes out with a new concept and they do decide to produce it, it doesn’t mean we will see it here in the United States. I will tell you one thing….. I want this one. Check out the video below of the Concept RB courtesy of Hyundai and let me know what you think. Is it a bang? Or is it a bust?
Hyundai Motor Company introduced a new sub-compact family sedan concept RB at the 2010 Moscow International Motor Show (MIMS). The RB projects a coupe-like dynamic styling that is sculpted, stately and performance-oriented. – Hyundai
I will admit that I didn’t always know how to drive a manual transmission. It was pretty entertaining at 28 years old to finally be learning how to drive a manual transmission and someone younger than you is teaching you how to do it. Not to mention the fact that I dumped the clutch probably 5 or 6 times before I got the hang of it. I was so close to giving up it wasn’t even funny. I stuck with it cause I knew I needed to learn. I had a lot of friends and family that drove cars with manual transmissions and I kept wondering what would happen if for some reason one day they were hurt and I had to drive their car. What would I do? So as you can see it was mandatory that I learn how to do that.
Have you learned yet?
I found this great video on how to teach yourself how to drive a manual transmission and I think it is very helpful.
Driving a car with manual transmission requires a good balance between engine power and the throttle, as the clutch is pressed to disengage the engine power during gear shifts, and it is gently released while the gas pedal is pressed. Drive a manual transmission vehicle with instructions from an ASE-certified technician in this free video on driving.
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So Nitrogen in your tires….That sounds odd. Cincinnati car dealerships are seeing a lot of requests for nitrogen filling options for their tires. Not sure what the fuss is about? Are you wondering what it can do for your tires? Well nitrogen filled tires are not necessarily the latest, but the could be greatest craze right now. Did you know that nitrogen is all around us? Of course you did, you passed 8th grade science. Technically speaking, the air we breathe is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and small amounts of other gasses. Science class over.
Check out the diagram.
