Regularly change lubrucants and filters and replace worn components, ie., spark plugs. Some vehicle repairs, such as replacing faulty oxygen sensors, may significantly improve fuel economy.

2. Use the recommended grade of Motor Oil and fuel

To maximize fuel economy, use the motor oil and fuel recommended in your owners manual.

3. Properly Inflate Tires

Check tire air pressure monthly and before long trips as proper inflation increases fuel economy up to 6%.

4. Slow Down

Fuel economy decreases about 1% for each mile per hour over 55, ie., driving 65 mph vs. 75 mph increases fuel economy about 10%.

5. Use Overdrive Gears and Cruise Control

Overdrive gears slow engine speeds, saving and reducing wear. Cruise control helps maintain a constant speed, reducing fuel consumption. Use when safe and appropriate.

6. Avoid Quick Starts and Aggressive Driving

You’ll save fuel and avoid unnecessary wear and tear

7. Clean Out Your vehicle

Unnecessary weight lowers fuel economy.

8. Avoid Rush Hour and Combine Trips

Stop-and-go driving burns more fuel, as does each time you start up a cold engine.

Here is a quick list of videos I spotted on YouTube concerning the Pontiac brand. Watch them all here or click on the title you wish to watch.

2008 Pontiac G8
Driving shots of the 2008 Pontiac G8, which was unveiled at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show

Pontiac GTO vs. Subaru WRX STi Video by Edmunds’ Inside Line
Inside Line pits the Pontiac GTO against the Subaru WRX STi both on the track and out on the streets of Los Angeles. It’s King Kong vs. Godzilla and only one can come away the winner.

Pontiac Reinvents Itself: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT by Inside Line
The conversation went something like this: “Hey, Steve, come by with the Bee. Let’s see how it stacks up against this 2008 Pontiac G8 GT.”

Motorhead Steve lives up the street. His dad was a Dodge dealer back in the 1960s. The guy knows option codes from the muscle car era like they’re his kids’ names and has a tattoo on his left forearm that reads “Mopar is Mom.” More important, he just bought himself a screaming yellow 2007 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee. We knew he wouldn’t hesitate

07 Pontiac Torrent
A stylish, athletic urbane crossover. Enjoy utility without sacrificing agility.

2008 Pontiac G8/ Quick Drive
Cars.com’s Dave Thomas takes a look at the 2008 Pontiac G8. It competes with the Chrysler 300 and Ford Taurus.

Toyota had begun receiving a few reports from customers that excessive corrosion was occurring on the frames of some older Tacoma pickups, specifically 1995 to 2000 models. The Japanese automaker determined that during this half decade of production, some Taco frames may not have received the kind of corrosion protection from the factory that’s needed to withstand harsh climes, especially ones where salt is used to deice roadways. While there is no recall and Toyota says that the number of instances where it has found rust go beyond the surface of the frame to penetrate the metal is small, the automaker is pulling an unorthodox move and doing something about anyway.

Toyota is extending the rust perforation warranty on all 1995-2000 Tacoma pickups, some 813,000 units, to 15 years from the original date of purchase, AND you don’t have to be the original owner, or the second or the third even. Anyone who owns a Tacoma from this era and finds rust perforation on the frame can have his or her truck officially inspected for rust damage, in which case Toyota will either repair or buy back the truck regardless of its condition. Owners will start receiving letters by mid-March, and those who don’t can visit a dealership for a free inspection.

Now if you’d excuse us, we need to start shopping for a used 1995-2000 Toyota Tacoma in Syracuse, NY.

[Source: Toyota Open Road Blog] 

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We all know that keeping your tires properly inflated will prolong their tread life, help you burn less fuel and increase your safety. But finding a working air hose when you’re away from your garage is like trying to find a working clock in an early-80’s Buick.

This is probably what led Coda Development, a Czech Republic company, to invent a new self-inflating tire. Sure, self-inflating tires aren’t new, they’ve been around for years on commercial vehicles and even a few passenger vehicles . But most of those systems use compressed air to keep the tires inflated.

Coda’s new system uses a peristaltic pump built into the tire to constantly maintain air pressure. You may have seen a peristaltic pump used in hospitals to deliver intravenous drugs to patients. It’s basically a spinning wheel pressed against a liquid-filled tube. As the wheel turns, it pushes the tube’s contents through one end and pulls more in the other. In our case, your car’s wheel is the wheel and your air-filled tire the tube. A valve ensures that your tire’s pressure is always constant. Theoretically, the peristaltic pump is much simpler and therefore more reliable than a compressor-based system. It’s also potentially lighter, cheaper and doesn’t require a power source. Sounds like a darn smart idea to us. Coda plans to display its system at the 2008 SAE World Congress in Detroit on April 14th through the 17th, so we’ll see if it makes a splash there with auto industry engineers.

[Source: Coda]

Continue reading New self-inflating tire constantly under pressure

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