battery per auto
abc27 News - Dennis's Auto Blog
- The Conspiracy Theory And MPG
My wife and I stayed at a B and B recently. Conversation around the breakfast table with other guests the next morning covered all sorts of topics until one of the guys started talking about cars and fuel mileage. A fellow auto enthusiast! Now they're talking my language! Several of the older guests complained how this small car or that small car back in the 1970's got fifty miles-per-gallon and now even the highest mileage machines are only achieving thirty-eight MPG or so. Technology hasn't advanced at all when to comes to fuel mileage they exclaimed. I reminded them that most cars now are much larger because consumers want the comfort. Cars are also heavier due to added safety features like front and side airbags, anti-lock brake systems and more. And luxury features like premium sound systems and road noise deadening material all add weight to modern cars. On top of that, consumers want more performance so engines are larger with more horsepower, even in most compact cars. Throw in the mileage reducing factor of ten-percent ethanol fuel and it all adds up. One of the guests then declared, "Well the car makers could make very high mileage cars but they are conspiring with big oil companies to keep the mileage down and oil profits up." He went on to mention how cars in research competitions can achieve a hundred miles per gallon or more. Remember, high mileage research vehicles are not only tiny in most cases, the technology and materials used to reach those lofty mileage goals are usually very expensive. It reminds me of the time I was able to drive one of Honda's fuel cell powered cars during the New York International Auto Show a few years ago. As I zipped in and out of mid-town Manhattan traffic in the zero-emissions machine, I asked the Honda engineer riding along how much the car was worth. " Oh about a million-point-seven I suppose," he said. That made me slow down a bit I can tell you. The thing we need to remember is the manufacturing cost of a car is a very important factor in the fuel mileage it can achieve. I do not buy into any "conspiracy theory" at all. The market place dictates what cars manufacturers mass produce and the mileage they achieve. If car companies introduce a car and the public does not buy it, it fails. Pure and simple. The first fully electric car with a realistic range between battery charges will soon be available. The "Tesla" will sell for about $100,000 for a two-seater. That's not exactly the next model "T". With gasoline now at three-and-a-half dollars a gallon, the government should not mandate minimum fuel mileage to car makers. You will take care of that by the cars you choose to buy and drive. - What's Wrong With My Car?
Many of the posts and calls I've received since starting "Dennis's Auto Blog" have dealt with diagnosing a particular problem or problems with a car or truck. I think if all of us who use this blog put our heads together, we can steer readers toward possible solutions for whatever is wrong with their vehicle. I hearby proclaim this section "Troubleshoot My Ride." I am not a certified mechanic by any means but I've been poking around under the hood since I was a teenager. With all of your automotive knowledge, I think we can do some good and by all means, have some fun. I'll post some of the troubleshooting questions I've already received to get us started. Thanks! Dennis Buterbaugh abc27 Consumer Reporter - Ethanol Fuels
Some of you have probably noticed how more and more gas stations are selling fuel that may contain up to ten percent ethanol. There's usually a small sticker on the gas pump but it's so small that sometimes you don't even notice it. The ethanol is being added because of a federal mandate to increase ethanol production and decrease our dependence on foreign oil. Ethanol in this country is usually produced from corn. Ethanol contains less energy than gasoline so it gives you fewer miles per gallon. I've heard from some viewers who notice a drop in mileage with the ethanol blend. Some tell me the performance of their vehicle drops off. The effect on performance is sometimes subtle, but one viewer told me his early 80's motorcycle is practically useless when he buys the ten percent ethanol fuel because of rough idling and stalling. I would be interested in hearing from some of you about your experience with the ethanol fuels, both the ten percent blend and the E85 version that is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Any gasoline vehicle can burn the ten percent blend but only purpose built "flex-fuel" vehicles can use the E85. Only a handful of stations in our area even carry the E85. The mileage on a flex-fuel pickup truck I recently reviewed dropped from about 19 miles-per-gallon on regular gasoline to about 14 miles-per-
gallon when I filled up with E85. By the way the only reason that E85 is priced about the same as regular gas is because tax dollars are used to subsidize each gallon sold. Because of demand for ethanol the price of corn is up and many foods that contain corn or corn products cost more. Growing more corn also creates more water pollution because of increased fertilizer and pesticide use. There is no doubt that ethanol can reduce our dependence on foreign oil but at what cost to consumers? - Automatic Transmission Repairs
Recruiter, your post on automatic transmission repairs caught my eye because I get quite a few calls and emails about that topic. I think too many people driving $2000 cars take them in for automatic transmission repairs when they might be better off looking for another vehicle or searching the salvage yards for a replacement transmission. Diagnosing what's wrong with the automatic transmission on an old, high mileage car can take quite a bit of work by the transmission shop. So even before any repair work is done you're looking at the labor costs for figuring out what's wrong with it. When the time comes to buy an older, high mileage car with an automatic, be sure to check the transmission fluid before you buy the car. Fluid with a "burnt" smell that is very dark could be an indicator of trouble already brewing. Pay attention to how the car shifts when you take it for a test drive. Rough shifting with noticable slipping are warning signals. I always tell people that if you only have $2000 to spend on a car, choose one with a manual transmission. Manuals are usually cheaper to repair and more dependable to start with on a high mileage vehicle. Do some research in Consumer Reports magazine to see if the transmission of the car model you're considering has a history of problems. Checks blogs and chat rooms on line. If you have to use a transmission shop, ask friends and even car dealers if there's a shop they've had good success with in the past. Check with the District Justice Office in the area where the shop is located to see if consumers filed complaints that ended with judgements against the shop . Also check with the Better Business Bureau. - Diesel Versus Gasoline Pickup TruckThanks for the question Mike in Lebanon. I've reviewed both the standard gasoline and HD Diesel versions of Chevy's Silverado.....GMC's Sierra and Ford's gasoline and "Super Duty" diesel pickups. I must say I was impressed with the extra torque in all of those diesel models. You mention in your post how you tow campers in addition to your bass boat. Something as lightweight as a bass boat can probably be handled by a gasoline burning pickup with no problem. If your camper is on the larger size, you may like the extra low RPM grunt of a diesel powerplant. On the other hand, don't forget finding diesel fuel is sometimes not easy. The diesel burner is also a noisier engine. The prices I've seen lately on diesel fuel are also considerably higher than regular grade gasoline so keep that in mind too. If you really plan on keeping the truck for 150-thousand plus miles, the extra initial cost of the diesel may be worth it because in the long run the diesel does require less maintenance in most cases. Dennis Buterbaugh
- Welcome
As many of you know from watching abc27 News over the years, cars and car topics are my passion. That's why I'm pleased to let you know that "Dennis's Auto Blog" will become a regular feature here on our website. I'm looking forward to sharing my thoughts on all sorts of automotive topics and I'm hoping you'll chime in too. We'll have some fun, hopefully save you some money and we'll better enjoy our love for cars. Stay tuned. We'll be rolling out of the garage real soon. Dennis Buterbaugh abc27 News Consumer Reporter