Automatic, 3 Pedals, or Semi-Manual?

6mt

Nissan Z's 6-speed manual tranmission.

What makes a proper performance car?

One of the key elements to the driving experience is a car’s transmission. The 3-pedal manual allows the driver full control of how the vehicle puts the motor’s power down to the ground. It also allows the driver to smoothly operate the car in and out of turns, by matching engine and wheel speeds.

For those people who do not want to emulate a professional racer, the manual transmission is simply more fun. Having a performance car with an automatic transmission is like going on a date with a supermodel and ending the night with a handshake…it is decent, but not nearly as awesome as it could be. There is no better satisfaction than taking a turn with your feet dancing on the pedals, and shifting into the next gear without so much as a hesitation from the car

autotragic

Lexus GS430's automatic transmission.

Automatics are nicknamed “autotragic” for many reasons. Automatic transmissions may claim to shift faster than a manual, but the shift itself is not always ideal. Sometimes the transmission does not recognize which gear the car should be in for maximum performance, or even gas mileage.  For example, if the driver wants to pass slower traffic on a freeway and feels the car needs to drop two gears for maximum torque, the car may only shift down one gear and thus slow acceleration, making a pass more difficult. Also, the car will often change gears when the driver does not need or want it to.  Finally, often times the gear shift on automatics is downright jerky.

Short of the old Mercedes Benz 190E 2.3 16V, one could primarily only get a C230 (now 300) or SLK230 on 3 pedal manual. Even then, the number of models produced with a manual transmission is slim-to-none. All other vehicles in the M-B lineup, including the performance cars of Benz’s AMG division, remain automatic. The cars have enormous motors with stratospheric power numbers, yet they are all hindered by the automatic transmission because the car and transmission have a mind of their own, not allowing the driver to do what he or she pleases.

Lexus’ performance IS series vehicles, short of the weakest IS250, come only with a fully automated transmission. The IS-F, a 416 horsepower beast that is intended to compete with BMW, Audi, and Mercedes Benz, comes with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Some may argue that a properly tuned fully automatic system is more consistent (on the drag strip), or even faster than a stickshift vehicle, and they would not be wrong. Many tests have proven that a stickshift car’s speed is primarily determined by the driver’s skill, while on an automatic all one needs to do is mash the gas pedal to the floor and go. However, a proper performance car is not just about raw numbers. Rather, a performance car must have a proper combination of road feel, driver control, AND numbers.

For those who prefer the convenience of not having to use their left foot but still want the control warranted by a manual transmission, the semi(or automated-clutch) manual transmission is an excellent choice. Purists argue that without 3 pedals, a gear lever in between the front seats, the ability to heel-toe downshift and rev match, a car is not a manual.

The idea of control of a traditional manual and producing maximum performance, by the elimination of the human element, is the premise of many new transmissions offered like those in the Nissan GT-R, the Audi lineup (with the DSG hydraulic dual-clutch system), the Porsche lineup (with the PDK transmission), and the SMG present in numerous BMWs. But the byproduct purists do not like, of not having a third pedal, is that you get the comfort of driving an automatic transmission . However, the truth of the matter is that the semi-manual transmission was created for pure performance, as it can shift faster than any human.

smg

BMW's SMG II.

Having driven a number of vehicles equipped with automated-clutch manuals, they behave like the standard transmission. They roll backwards on inclines like a traditional manual, and for the most part hold a gear until asked to change by the driver. If one leaves the car in one gear too long, it will not change by itself and the driver will be left with suffering the repercussions of the gas cutoff at the rev-limiter. While it is not necessary in all variants, for maximum performance a driver must generally let off the gas pedal momentarily to shift a gear, like one would on a stickshift. They even come with a gear lever in case one gets tired of the paddles on either side of the steering wheel. Once more, leaving a semi-manual equipped car in fully automated mode makes for a slow, unbalanced, and unpleasant ride. Essentially, while it can be driven like an automatic, the auto-clutch manual transmission was created to be driven like a 3-pedal manual.

The auto-clutch manual transmission is as close as one will get to the raw feel of a 3-pedal manual, without the discomfort of using the left foot to shift. Since its original inception in the early 90s with production vehicles such as the Vector M12, the semi-manual has progressed to the point of performing faster than the traditional transmission. As traditional manuals continue to wane, the semi-manual will continue to thrive and give driving enthusiasts the experience they expect, with or without the ability to compose audible motor symphonies with both feet.

The automatic transmission, then, is an absolute destroyer of driving feel and car control,  key aspects of the driving experience. The manual transmission gives the driver the ability to do what he or she wishes with the motor, something one must have in order to understand the full potential of a vehicle. While it is a shame that people are moving away from 3 pedals, the phenomenon is inevitable and the semi-manual transmission is a worthy successor, and will only continue to improve. The choice between the full comfort of an automatic with muffled driver feeling, purist stickshift, and progressive yet raw performance of the semi-manual lies solely in the individual. While there will always be a small group of purist traditional manual enthusiasts, they are a dying breed as manufacturers now search to produce cars with compromise and volume-sales in mind.

-KF

April 23, 2009 | Ilya Faynshteyn | Tags: | No Comments »

Manual Transmissions 101 (Part 3)

From someone who has been driving sticks for quite a bit of time, I have a few words of warning for you. If you master these next steps, it’s highly unlikely you’ll ever buy a performance car again with an automatic. Having earned the right to be in the elite company of manual transmission pro’s, you will not want to step down. Some think it is because you can now extract all of the performance potential out of the car, and don’t need the car to think for you. For me, it’s just plain fun to do it myself, and know that I’ve perfected the frantic Swing Dance that exists between a steering wheel, three pedals, a shifter, and my body. Exerting control, instinctively acting, and reaching motoring heaven make all of the practice worth it.

1. What do you mean double clutch? There is only one clutch pedal!
Inside your transmission are components called synchronizer (synchros for short). Their job is to match gear speeds, so when you shift from first to second for instance, the difference in gear RPM doesn’t cause the gears to grind. While this is a very simplified way to explain their function, it is all that is needed to know why we double clutch. Each time you shift, you move synchros around, and like any mechanical part, the more work you make them do, the quicker the wear out.

So why the transmission lesson? In the days before synchros, double clutching was the only way to shift a transmission down without grinding gears. Now that we have synchros, double clutching isn’t anywhere near as important as it once was, but it is still useful. When selecting first gear from a roll (not common, but it happens), there is usually along pause as you push the shifter into first before it goes in. This is because the synchro is working to match the speeds of the gears. When you double clutch correctly, you match the gear speeds, so the synchro has no work to do. End result is that the transmission selects the gear the second you want it to. While it’s not really a deal breaking skill, it falls in line with being able to exert total control and dominance over your car, and hey, who doesn’t like that?

Double clutching is like rev matching, except that you rev the engine while the shifter is in neutral and the clutch is out. By doing this, increasing engine RPM’s also increases the RPM’s internally in the transmission, thus reducing the work the synchro has to do. Combining the classroom with the car, here are the steps.

Back on our fictional road going 40mph in 5th gear, clutch in, select neutral, clutch out, blip the throttle for 3,000 RPM, select 3rd, clutch out. I highly recommend sitting in your driveway with the car off, and practice the motion quite a few times. That extra step of releasing the clutch in neutral takes some time in ingrain in your muscle memory. The first time you nail a downshift and the shifter slots into gear without a pause, hesitation and with lower effort, you’ll smile. Or, if you are nursing an old gearbox with work out synchros, you can downshift again without a huge CCCRRRRUUUNCH.

2. Heel and toeing? What ancient Shaolin magic makes that possible?

Traditional way to heel and toe, with the right foot operating both pedals

Traditional way to heel and toe. This way is quite difficult.

Heel and toeing is the art of braking, while rev matching or double clutching. That’s right, stepping on the brake, slowing down, then downshifting. This requires you to use all three pedals at the same time. Being proficient at this allows you to come up to a turn at a higher rate of speed, brake, and then select a lower gear that is appropriate for laying down the most power on corner exit. Sounds pretty boy racer, but it’s also nice when exiting the freeway, and turning onto city streets.

It’s all about footwork here, but the payoff is worth all of the frustration. In the pure sense of heel and toeing (or the manner you’ll be forced with if you have narrow or small feet), you’ll use the brake pedal with the ball of your right foot, then swing your heel over to the right, and then push your heel down to blip the RPM’s up for your downshift. This method takes a large amount of people to perfect, as the second they swing their heel over to the gas, they change the brake pressure, either increasing or decreasing their stopping distance.

With this method, just rock your foot to the right, and you'll blip the gas.

With this method, just rock your foot to the right, and you'll blip the gas.

Many people prefer the second method. Place your big toe and second toe on the brake pedal, and then rock your foot over so your pinkie toe makes contact with the gas pedal. As long as you can rock your foot over to blip the RPM’s up, mission accomplished.

ProTip: When heel and toeing, the blip you need to get the RPM’s in the right spot for the gear are going to be lower than if you were simply rev matching without being on the brakes. Think it through fully. Bingo. You’re on the brakes, slowing the car down, so simply saying “I’m going 40mph and I want 3rd gears, that’s 3,000RPM,” wont work. Unless you blip to 3,000 RPM and pull the clutch out as you are braking through 40mph, you’ll over shoot. Practice practice practice, and it will become a lot more intuitive. Drivers who have good feel and instinct, and rely less on the tachometer and more on sensation will get this down sooner.

Final Notes:
Welcome to the club! If you master all the skills I’ve described in parts one, two and three, you’re in rare company. Unless you friends with a lot of car enthusiasts, it’s doubtful you’ll come across another manual driver who knows how to do half of what you can. You should be proud of yourself, as that’s a lot of hard work and practice!

I still remember the first time I came at a turn, climbed on the brakes, and heel and toe’d down two gears, ran a perfect driving line, and powered out. That sense of satisfaction doesn’t come along easily at all, but it’s always the high hanging fruit that is the sweetest reward. Let 95% of other drivers take the low hanging fruit of automatic transmissions, while you practice how to heel and toe on your morning commute. Trust me, driving will become fun again.

-KF

April 20, 2009 | Brendan Dolan | Tags: , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Manual Transmissions 101 (Part 2)

Well look at you! If you are back for more, that’s because you’ve learned the basics of how to get around in a stick, and you want to do better. Like any challenge in life, mastering the art brings a lot of personal satisfaction, and by time you learn the skills here, you’ll be impressed with yourself.

I’m going to cover a few basics about going from a student, to a competent driver. First thing to cover is how to get the car moving from a dead stop a bit quicker.

1. I’m tired of getting honked at. I want to leave stoplights faster!
Now that you’ve memorized the spot where the clutch makes the car move forward, we can add another two factors. Start by moving the clutch to the point where the car starts to move. That spot is called the friction point. Usually there is 2-3” of pedal movement till the car starts moving. Practice moving the pedal to the friction point quickly, and then as usual, move the clutch pedal nice and slowly till the car starts to roll. Trick here is only moving it quickly to the friction point, not quickly through it. If you move the pedal quickly through it, you’ll stall the car.

The next stop in moving faster is adding a little bit of gas right after the clutch passes the friction point. It’s not going to be a lot, but just a little extra juice to keep you from stalling. Take a peek at the tachometer while you are starting with a little gas. You never want to see the RPM’s higher than 1,500 when starting. Any more than that, and you’ll put more wear on your clutch.

With added gas, you can move the clutch through the friction point just a little bit more rapidly. If you move it too fast, you’ll stall, but it can cut the time you are moving the clutch pedal by half.

Note: Only start accelerating once the clutch pedal is all the way out. If you add too much gas too soon, you’ll wear the clutch out quickly.

2. I can’t start on a hill without stalling!
Don’t beat yourself up too much here. I’ve been driving stick since I was 13, and I still stall my car on a hill every now and again. It’s fairly uncommon to do so, but as anyone who has driven on Sacramento Street in San Francisco will tell you, it happens. Here are the basics to avoiding this situation.

Go to your favorite empty lot, and find an incline. It can be a driveway enterance, the front side of a speedbump, or anything that makes your car want to roll back. Once you’ve found a spot that makes your car roll back, get ready to have some fun!

Set the handbrake, and pull it up enough till the car wont roll back when you take your foot off the brake. Start the car like normal, and select first gear. With the handbrake still up, slowly pull the clutch out till you feel the car want to move. Push the release button on the handbrake and hold it in. As you slowly let the handbrake down, slowly add gas and release the clutch. This slow smooth motion should result in the handbrake releasing just as the car starts to move forward.

Since you are on a hill, you’ll need more gas to start from a stop without stalling, so it is ok to use up to 2,000 RPM while starting. Practice this until you can do it without stalling the car, or letting the engine RPM’s go over 2,000.

ProTip: If you are coming to a stop sign at the top of a steep hill, you can time everything to accomplish a start without using the handbrake. As you are rolling to a stop with the clutch in, select first before you come to a stop. Right before the car fully stops, release the clutch and add gas.

If for some reason you make a mistake doing this, just apply the brakes, put the clutch in, and come to a stop. Once you are stopped, just use the handbrake like normal.

3. I want to downshift fast and smooth!
The purpose of rev matching is to make quick, accurate, and smooth downshifts. Rather than making a slow shift, and feeling the slight jerk as you pull the clutch out, you’ll get the car in the gear you want without any fuss. This is step one in driving like a pro. Since you have been driving long enough to know what gear works at what speed, we will improve on the speed of the shift, and the accuracy of your shift. These are the fundamentals of “rev matching:”

If you are driving along at 40mph in 5th gear, you will be spinning the engine at a very low RPM. Lets say you want to accelerate up to 60mph quickly, but when you hit the gas, the car is slow to respond. What you want to do is downshift into 3rd gear. The typical way to do this is to clutch in, select 3rd, slowly let the clutch out, and then accelerate. Next time you are out driving, do this a few times to see what engine RPM climbs to. This difference in engine RPM between the two gears is what you need to start remembering, as rather than using the clutch to pull the engine RPM’s up, you’ll start using the gas pedal to do so.

Back on our fictional road, we are going 40mph in 5th gear. Engine is spinning at 1,200 RPM, and we want 3rd gear. We also know that in 3rd gear, the engine should be spinning at 3,000 RPM. Knowing this, the steps are: Clutch in, select 3rd gear, using the gas pedal, rev the engine to 3,000 RPM, let the clutch out. With enough practice, this makes the shift happen a lot quicker, and a lot smoother.

Now, revving the engine to 3,000 RPM is a lot easier than most people think. Most people want to slowly rev the engine up to get it to hold exactly at 3,000, then they release the clutch. Easiest way to do it is to quickly hit the accelerator down near the floor, release it, and then pull the clutch out when the RPM’s fall down through 3,000. With a lot of practice, you’ll learn how much and how far to hit the gas to get the RPM exactly where you want them. This action is called “blipping” the throttle; tap the gas, send the RPM’s up, and then pull the clutch as they fall down to the RPM you want.

When you are driving from now on, pay attention to how much the RPM’s change with each shift. Once you remember the difference, you know how many RPM’s to add when you want to shift down.

ProTip: Once you can comfortably shift quick, and do so comfortably, start revving the engine as you are moving the shifter. You speed the process up quite a bit, which helps when you want to pass.

Final Notes:
Mastering these techniques will put you well on your way to becoming a better driver. Most stick drivers haven’t heard about rev matching, have no clue how to accomplish it, and lack finesse. Becoming proficient not only is easier of the mechanical systems of your car, but also connects you more with the car. The feeling of control, knowing you can get the car in the gear you want perfectly gives you a sense of satisfaction that is hard to match.

Check part three for the final techniques: Double clutching, and heel and toeing.

-KF

| Brendan Dolan | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Manual Transmissions 101 (Part 1)

The inside of a transmission, courtesy of howstuffworks.com

The inside of a transmission, courtesy of howstuffworks.com

Of all the automotive features to go by the wayside, the slow phasing out of the manual transmission is the hardest for the enthusiast to swallow. By automating cars more and more, the pleasure of driving is being chipped away, and skills that set above average drivers apart from plebeian motorists are no longer needed. With features such as automated manuals, rev matching automatic transmissions, and CVT’s, the average car buyer no longer cares to learn how to drive stick. Why should you even bother to learn then?

It’s more fun! You don’t have to be a dyed in the wool car enthusiast to enjoy the feeling of being one with a machine. Exerting control, finesse, and extracting performance from your car can not only brighten your commute, but it can also be step one into becoming an enthusiast.

For those of you that never learned how to drive a manual transmission, here are the basics of how to get a dreaded “stick” down the road. While these skills can be used to have more fun in a car, they can also be used to drive someone else’s  car (ever dated someone who has a stick but you can’t drive it?), or drive a stick in case of an emergency. Plus, everyone over 21 has been a designated driver, and being able to drive stick opens up the options for whose car you take out to the bars or club.

Disclaimer: These are just the basics of how to get the car from point A to point B. Check parts two and three for more advanced techniques.

1. Three pedals? I only have two feet! How do I work this contraption?
The new pedal on the left controls the clutch. The other two pedals work exactly the same as in an automatic. Just like an automatic, you use your right foot to operate both of them. You might notice that the brake pedal is thinner; this is done to make sure there is enough room down there for the extra pedal.

What does the clutch do? The clutch is a disk that when the pedal is out, connects the engine to the transmission. Why do you need to disconnect the two? When you are stopped, and the car is in gear, your engine is turning at 600 rpm, and your tires are obviously spinning at 0 rpm. If they were turning, you’d be moving. To allow the engine to run while you are stopped, you need to keep the spinning parts separate from the non spinning parts.

Finally, when you do start to shift gears, you’ll need to disconnect the engine from the transmission. Transmissions route the power of the engine to the wheels, but if you are trying to transmit power while shifting gears, they will grind.

2. What are gears? Why do I need so many of them?
A simple way to describe this is comparing the gears in your car to the gears on a bicycle. Your bike will have different gears tailored for different situations: starting off, going fast, climbing hills. Cars operate the same way. While your bike might have 21 gears (or speeds as they are known in the bike world), your car will have at the most six. Why is this? Well, on a bike you have one human power, and in a car, you have at least 100 horsepower. Extra power requires less options, hence less gears.

Gears are arranged in most transmissions in an “H” patten. First is on the top left, second is below it, third is on the top right, and fourth is below it. Gears higher than fourth will continue up and to the right. Low numbered gears are used for slow speeds, and higher gears are used for highway speeds.

Reverse is hiding here somewhere. Since it is in a different spot in a lot of cars, look at the shift knob to see where it is at.

When you haven’t shifted into a corner of the “H,” you are in neutral. Neutral isn’t a gear, rather it points out that you haven’t selected a gear. Since no gear is selected, no power will transmit through the transmission, even if the clutch it out, and you rev the engine. This is used while idling, turning the car on, and can be used while waiting at long stop lights.

3. Enough theory! Let’s drive.
Press the clutch pedal to the floor. You are doing this to make sure that the engine can start spinning without trying to spin the wheels. Next, select neutral with the shifter. By doing this, there is no way possible that the engine will turn on and the car will start moving without you wanting to.

After turning the engine on, select first gear (left, then up). First thing I always do for students, is tell them to just take their foot off the clutch. WHAM! The car has stalled. Congratulations! You have just broken your stick driving cherry. Everyone will stall a car while they are learning. Getting the fear out of the way early makes it easier to keep practicing when you do it later.

Now we are going to get the car rolling without stalling the engine. Without touching the gas, slowly pull the clutch out till the car starts to move. Once you feel where the car wants to start moving, put the clutch back in, and slow to a stop. Repeat this 10 times till you remember how far you have to move the pedal till the car starts to move. Keep in mind, each time you stop, you’ll need to put the clutch back in, otherwise the engine will stall. If you forget, you’ll feel the vibrations of protest come out of the engine. If this happens, put the clutch in. If you do stall, just put the clutch in, and turn the engine back on

The key here is being slow and deliberate. Most people will stall the engine because they move the clutch too fast. You need to move the clutch slowly so the car slowly starts to move. If you tell it to start moving too quickly, the engine might not have enough power, and it will turn off. It might take 3-5 seconds before the car is moving quick enough that you can take your foot off the clutch. This is ok, you’re learning, and it isn’t a race. If the engine keeps stalling, move the clutch out slower. Keep practicing starting and stopping till you can do it the majority of the time without stalling.

4. I’m Ricky Bobby! I want to go fast!

Correct way to hold the shift knob, with your hand cupped over the top.

Correct way to hold the shift knob, with your hand cupped over the top.

Now that you can get the car rolling without stalling, we’ll learn shifting. First thing to remember is never touch the shifter until the clutch is in. Repeat after me. “I, (insert name here), will not touch the shifter until the clutch is in.” Again, you don’t want the transmission to send power to the wheels while you move gears around; you’ll grind the gears.

After you have the car rolling, you can now touch the gas to speed up. When do you shift? Wait till you have sped up to about 15-20mph, or till the tachometer says the engine is turning between 3,000-4,000rpm. Now, clutch in, pull the shifter down into second, and slowly let the clutch out, without touching the gas pedal. Once the pedal is out, add some gas, and you are going faster! Same technique should be applied till you have accelerated to the speed you want. When you are going the speed you want, shift into a gear that keeps the engine between 2,000-3,000rpm.

5. Help! I’m in 5th gear on the freeway, I want to exit, but I don’t know how to slow down!
This part confuses most people. They know how to get up to speed, but when it comes time to slow down, they don’t know what gear to put the transmission in. It’s really simple. Leave the shifter alone. I’ll teach you later how to be a pro, but now, we want you to just get around town.

Just like an automatic, slow down using the brakes, and if you are going to come to a complete stop, make sure you remember to put the clutch in. Select neutral, let the clutch out, and you are good to go driving again.

If you exit the freeway but keep driving at a normal city speed and the car doesn’t accelerate when you hit the gas, it’s because you are in too high of a gear. Rather than freaking out about which one of the 5 or 6 to try, just take the easy route. Put the clutch in (because you wouldn’t touch the shifter without the clutch being in would you??), shift down one gear, let the clutch out slowly, and then add gas to see if the car accelerates. If it still doesn’t want to, try going down one more. After you get a lot of practice, you’ll remember which gears work at what speeds, and you’ll have the experience to shift there from the start, but for now, take your time.

6. That’s a lot to learn! Run it all by me again in a simple way.
Clutch in. Shift to neutral. Turn on the car. Shift into first. Let the clutch out without adding gas. Once it’s rolling and the clutch is all the way out, add gas. Get to 20mph, clutch in, shift into second. To slow down, use the brake and don’t worry about anything else. If you want to speed up again and the car wont accelerate, clutch in, select one gear lower, clutch out, and try again. To come to a complete stop, leave it in the gear it is in, and put the clutch in right before you stop.

Final notes:
Most American drivers in automatic cars are as impatient as a spoiled kid in a Chuck E. Cheese’s. They’ll honk at you, drive around you using their middle finger as an IQ meter, but don’t get flustered. Learning how to drive stick takes time, but you’ll get it.

Your best bet is to find an empty parking lot (church, mall, movie theater) to learn the basics of starting and stopping. After that, start driving on public roads that have light traffic.

Check part two of the tutorial for a few more lessons. In the next installment, I’ll teach you how to start from a stop quickly, how to start on hills, and how to downshift from higher gears like a pro.

-KF

| Brendan Dolan | Tags: , , , | No Comments »

Enthusiast Forums 101

Having spent countless hours over many years posting on car forums, I’ve come across some universal truths to get you from the new kid on the block phase, to a seasoned vet quickly. While the process may seem a little daunting at first, there are many benefits to becoming part of the community. Whether you are a proud new owner looking to show off your ride, or someone who needs advice on tuning, the information is out there. Why brave unknown modifications when you can simply run a search to see what is popular?

Here are the basics of what to expect in case you haven’t joined a car forum yet. Sadly, it’s all too common for a new guy (n00b) to start off on the wrong foot, get flamed, and quit before they learn anything.

1. Don’t sign up! Lurk the forums for a week.
After using search engines to find a forum specific to either your brand or model, you need to see their content firsthand.  There are many out there, but some are much better than others. Some either don’t have enough active posters, have an immature group, or are too young to provide any real useful content. Last thing you want is to join a small forum full of teenagers adding Pep Boy intakes to their parents old commuter car. What you want to look for is a forum that does in fact answer questions, has a friendly atmosphere, and that the threads get replies quickly. Threads can last for weeks if not months, but if threads only get a few replies a day, your questions will probably go unanswered.

2. Use the search button. It is your friend.
The true mark of a noob isn’t just their post count, it’s the posts they make. When someone has just joined after buying their new car, and asking what their first mod should be, you’ll end up with more rude comments than you can reply to. Why? Search for a few minutes, and you’ll usually find numerous threads answering the exact question you have. This not only saves you time, but a little bit of embarrassment after the jaded forum veterans remind you “Learn to search noob.”

If you are looking to add a cold air intake, exhaust or a different ECU, someone has done it before, and has given their advice. By reading this before you make your first post, you can ask the community questions weighing the pros and cons of a setup, and generally get better answers from the start.

3. Make a profile, and make your first thread!
First things first here. Car enthusiasts love pictures. Do not forget to add a few original pictures of your car. Showing off even a bone stock car tugs the heart strings of the enthusiasts, and proves that you love your car. Lacking a picture might invoke the unspoken “rule number one,” a simple rule that states all car content must include a picture.

While your first post doesn’t need to say “Hi I’m John, this is my GT-R, I like long walks on the beach and the Beatles,” you should let the community know what your intentions are. If you are thinking of modding your car, ask questions based on what you searched. If you plan to keep it stock, let everyone know. If you are interested in local track events or autocrosses, bring it up.

Last part on getting a few replies. Type in a somewhat educated manner. While forums host people from many different countries and walks of life, threads that start with “Yo dawgz chek da whip, I jus pickit up” are not usually going to end well. Simple rules the roost here. “New guy with a GT-R, have a few questions” will serve you much better.

4. Repeat after me: I will not feed the trolls.

Stop trolls by ignoring them.

Stop trolls by ignoring them.

Whats a troll? Just like the creatures that live under bridges, forum trolls are the members that climb out of the woodwork and post just to annoy others. Whether or not they do it on purpose is deeply entrenched in troll folklore, but the end result is one good troll can ruin a thread. If you see a member being combative, being rude, or making personal attacks, ignore them. Getting into a fight with them will only get the moderators involved, which generally means locking up your thread so all discussion stops.

Easiest way to spot a troll is their demeanor on the forums. If they are acting like a spoiled child, ignore them. If they are acting like they are the smartest man in the world, but their post doesn’t make sense, ignore them. The more you post back to them, the more you feed them. So, repeat after me, as I’ve learned the hard way: Do not feed the trolls.

5. Have fun and enjoy the perks!
Having amassed over 15,000 posts on various boards, I’ve had a blast helping people down the path of what to mod, how to improve your driving skills, or bantering in the off topic forums. I’ve attended car control clinics, driven rare cars (Ruf BTR-2 was a highlight), and spent time at more local car shows than I care to admit. Spending time around like minded car enthusiasts not only keeps you motivated to have fun with your cars, but also helps you pick up the friends needed for late night repairs that always crop up at the wrong times. It’s odd to think that some of my best car buddies were met after talking online, but the fact remains: If I want to go canyon carving, replace a clutch, or help someone buy a car, I’ve met people online who make this possible.

-KF

April 8, 2009 | Brendan Dolan | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Vehicle Systems 101

A typical car is made up of over 30,000 parts. Vehicles released in the last couple years have no less than 12 computers, over 250 sensors, and their electronics are at least five times more complicated than the Voyager Spacecraft. The various mechanical and electronic systems in a vehicle are vital for peak performance, efficiency, and passenger safety.

Another thing that doesn’t help is that each manufacturer has a different moniker for similar systems and uses acronyms, making for an alphabet soup that would even give a seasoned veteran a hard time. Once again, KarFarm to the rescue! Please note: this is a beginner’s guide to the automobile systems, so keep your advanced knowledge to yourself.

Steering Systems
There are two types of systems. In the not too distant past there was non-assisted and power assisted steering. These days you’ll be hard pressed to find a car without hydraulic pump-driven power assisted steering. Still to this day, more than half of the new cars on the market will have ‘hydraulic power assisted steering’, or just ‘power steering’ (PS). The new system that’s becoming more prevalent is ‘electric power assisted steering’ or ‘electric power steering – EPS.  The advantage of EPS is that the assist comes from electric motors that don’t require the engine power to operate. EPS is more efficient than the hydraulic pump.

Braking Systems
We’re not going to bore you with the history of automobile brakes. More than 90% of current vehicles on the market will have anti-lock brakes (ABS), and the rest will have them as a option. ABS is very important because the system allows you to steer while braking. Note, though, that this system is not meant to help you stop shorter, it merely allows the driver to steer under emergency braking situations. Along with ABS, there are two other important acronyms – BA (Brake Assist) and EBFD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution). BA measures how fast you step on the brakes, not how hard, and apply maximum braking force under emergency situations. The EBFD calculates the load of the vehicle and the road conditions then redistributes braking power where you need it most.

Traction Control Systems
If you’re on a slick road and/or carrying too much speed into corners, the computer unit will measure the slippage of the wheel and use the ABS system and throttle to slow down your speed and to gain traction. Traction Control (TC or TCS)  mainly uses ABS for straight line traction from a standing start. Vehicle Stability Control (VSC or ESP) uses ABS and the throttle to keep you in the line before you spin out of control. Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC or VDIM) employs ABS, the throttle, and various sensors to keep you from ever going out of control. This system is active, meaning that it monitors the vehicle and the driver’s input and is based on factory pre-programmed parameters. When the vehicle doesn’t go where the driver’s input tells it to, the system will use the above mentioned vehicle system to bring the car back to the driver’s intended input. Because the TC and VSC are reactive, the systems only kick in after the stuff has already happened.

-KF

April 1, 2009 | Taeyang Yoon | Tags: , , , | No Comments »

Maintenance 101

Maintenance can be a daunting task for a lot of people. Here at KarFarm, we are all about explaining technical stuff in easy to understand manner, so we’ll break it down in simple terms.

Usually depending on the make, you would do regular maintenance in the 3,000 or 5,000 mile increments. Very few manufacturers will have a 10,000 mile interval, but they do exist. In the past, some manufacturers had two maintenance schedules depending on what type of driving you do… throw that out the window. You should do your servicing every 3,000 miles, 5,000 miles, or 10,000 miles depending on the make you are driving.

If you do not see ‘maintenance’ items below, it’s not maintenance… you need repair!

Items that must be replaced

Oil and Oil Filter Change
This is done at every service interval (3k, 5k, or 10k). There are conventional oils, synthetic oils, and there are blended oils. If you have a turbocharged or supercharged engine, please use synthetic oils. Also oil weight, which is designated as 5W-30, 10W-30, 10W-40 and so on, 95% of us are going to use 5W-30 (colder climates) or 10W-30 (milder and warmer climates) weights. This is Maintenance 101, so we’re not going into turbo timer and those things.

Fluid Check
A visual check of the various vital fluids under the engine bay, such as washer fluid, brake fluid, coolant, transmission fluid, etc… If it’s low, fill it to the top of the recommended levels, and have a mechanic inspect the vehicle to see where the fluid loss is coming from.

Tire Rotation
Rotating the tires have to be done to ensure even wear and longevity of the tire life. Do this at every service levels.

In-Cabin Microfilter
Most new cars since 2002, will have these things. It keeps the air inside the passenger clean. You should replace this every 6 months or at 6,000 miles.

Items should be inspected and replaced when necessary

Engine Air Filter
As the name states, this is essential for not only for performance, but fuel economy. Dirty filter means the airflow coming into the engine will be partially blocked. Think of a vacuum cleaner, the dirtier the filter the less suction power. The engine air filter should be checked at every service interval and be replaced at around 15,000 miles or sooner.

Tires
Depending on the vehicle you are driving the tire replacement will vary. Summer compound, race compound, or high performance tires will last you about 10-15k miles. All-seasons and touring tires will go for about 30-40k. The low resistance tires will last you about 50-60k. Off-roaders will go until at least 75k miles. You should know what type of tires you have, they are the most important safety items on your car!

Brake Pads and Brake Rotors
You will notice a slight high pitched metallic grinding noise when it comes to time to replace the brake pads. But for most drivers, that don’t ride the brakes or slam on the brakes excessively, the brake pads will last you for about 30,000-40,000 miles. Remember the first time you replace the brake pads, you have to resurface the rotor or you will feel vibrations every time you step on the brakes. But the second time you replace the brakes, you should replace the rotors as well. There is not enough metal to resurface the rotors twice and be safe for repeated emergency braking.

Fuel Filter
This is your last step to a clean fuel before entering in the engine. This little device actually catches a lot of junk, however the fuel filters should last you at least 60-90k miles.

Brake Fluid Flush
Sometimes when you replace the rotors, your technician might recommend a flush as well. By the time you replace the rotors you will have close to 90-100k miles, a good time to flush out the brake fluid and replace it with fresh fluid. It’s like cooking oil. When you repeatedly heat the cooking oil (deep frying), the oil loses viscosity and won’t be good anymore. Same thing applies here, after so many repeated use of the brakes break down the brake fluid and make it pretty useless giving you a mushy brake pedal feel. After this procedure, you will have firm brake pedal feel again.

Transmission Flush
The number one enemy of transmission is heat. Same thing with all vital fluids, with repeated heating the oil becomes thin and will not lubricate and cool the transmission effectively. This should be done at every 60k miles, sooner if needed.

Fuel Injector Flush
The fuel injector flush is tricky, because some manufacturer’s don’t recommend it. Please check your owner’s manual about this. The injectors should last you at least 120k miles or so, even throughout the life of the car. But if your manufacturer does recommend it, do it at every 60k miles.

Power Steering Flush
Some new cars since 2005 will have Electric Power Steering, you will not need this service. For the rest, please see brake fluid flush.

Coolant Flush
Coolant is sort of easy. Because of its color it is easy to check on. Make sure you look at the color, if it’s dingy or brown, replace. If your technician is recommending it, please have them show you the condition of the coolant. Most drivers will flush at around the 75-100k miles mark, or sooner.

Struts and/or Shock Absorbers
For passenger cars don’t need this replaced for at least a 120k miles, and SUVs and pickup trucks around 80-100k miles. But as with everything in this section, you have to replace when necessary. If you hear squeaks when you go over bumps or there is excessive bouncing, then it’s time.

Spark Plugs
If you own a vehicle that was born in this century (2000 – present), the chances are that you don’t need spark plug replacement until at least 90k miles. Even about 15 years ago, vehicle owners had to do a ‘tune-up’ every 30,000 miles or so. With advancements in automotive electronics and other mechanicals, a true tune-up is done at every 90k-120k miles thesedays.

-KF

March 20, 2009 | Taeyang Yoon | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Tuning 101

It’s called tuning, modding, or modifying. You either tune or modify your vehicle for looks, for going faster or commonly, for both. The word ‘tuning’ has different meaning for different crowds, and almost always you get a image of a young urban kid with oversized shirt, baggy jeans, and a sideways turned cap driving a Honda Civic. Yes, there is that type of crowd. But tuning means much more than that. From simply accessorizing your car to getting every drop of performance out of your machine, ‘tuning’ is a broad term that covers a very wide automotive spectrum. If you have a boring sedan or a sports coupe with tons of performance potential, you can make it look top notch and perform like a supercar.

Think of this as the beginner’s guide to modifying your ride. Please check with your local and State law enforcement agencies. Most of the items that are covered here maybe illegal in some areas. As our slogan says, this is the first step to a great ride, enjoy!

Lowering you car
You might want to lower the car for couple of reasons. Either you want it to look good, closing the unsightly gap between the tire and the fender, and/or you want it for cornering performance. This step is probably one of the first modification done to the car because it has the most visual impact on your vehicle, other than paint and body kit. You can use lowering springs (mild and most common), racing coil-over-springs (coilovers), or airbags (for shows and cruising, not performance oriented). Remember if you use lowering springs, your shocks and/or struts will work extra hard and wear out faster, so you should invest in heavier duty shocks/struts made for performance application. When using springs or coilovers to lower the vehicle, you also lower the center of gravity. Because you are using stiffer springs, you reduce the vehicle’s body roll (side to side rocking motion), therefore giving you maximum enjoyment on twisty roads, and you will often hear “it handles like it’s on rails” from enthusiasts.

Cold-Air Intake
Your engine is nothing more than a fancy air pump. How the air moves in and out of the engine is the measure of power and efficiency. Cold-Air Intake (CAI), or ‘intake’ as it is often called, is the first step to making your engine breathe better. The manufacturers often make this part of the engine restrictive, because of noise issues. The less restriction the intake has, the more noise you will hear- sort of like a loud sucking sound. But most performance car will have a really good performing intake from factory and may not be necessary.

Headers
This is part two of the whole ‘engine breathing apparatus’. Exhaust manifold, the correct term for this system, is the part where the exhaust gases are collected directly from the engine and passed to the exhaust piping underneath the vehicle. Often the manufacturers will use a cast piece that is a little restrictive, mainly for noise issues but also for emissions controls. Because of the casting process, the exhaust manifold is a bit rough and has a lot of imperfections, not to mention how heavy these plumbing pieces are. With aftermarket headers, you not only increase the airflow but save weight and it is more attractive to look at.

High Flow Cats (Catalytic Converters)
Stock catalytic converters are often restrictive, sucking up precious power and fuel economy. But it’s a necessary evil, because you don’t want to be irresponsible to the environment. You can replace the stock units with the high flow ones, but the high flow units generally do not clean the exhaust gases as well as the stock ones.

Cat-back (Catalytic Converter and back) Exhaust System
The most power is hidden here. The stock units are often cheaply produced with sharp angles and crushed bends. Remember the sole mission of performance tuning is having the engine breathe better, which means a proper exiting of the spent gases. Having the exhaust gases flow out more efficiently means more power, not to mention deeper, louder sound. Be careful here, because improper sizing of the exhaust piping will make obscene levels of noise, and do almost next to nothing for your performance. The cat-back exhaust includes the piping, but also the muffler and the tip.

Forced Induction
Supercharging, turbocharging, and/or nitrous oxide systems (NOS or laughing gas) artificially pressurize the incoming air into the engine. Once again, it’s all about the breathing thing, the more air in the engine the more power. Superchargers (aka blower) use some of the power from the engine itself to pressurize the air. Superchargers are used in bigger engines mostly. Turbochargers are a form of supercharging, but they use the exhaust gas in the exhaust manifold to spin the turbine (turbo) to pressurize the air. The turbos are more efficient than the superchargers, but require more plumbing (piping). Nitrous oxide systems use the NO2 gas stored in bottles, and forcibly blow the oxygen rich air into the engine. Obviously because the nitrous gas is stored in a bottle, you constantly have to refill/replace. Also it is the least expensive way to get forced induction. In any form of forced induction it is generally a good idea to build up your engine with stronger parts for reliability and longevity.

Front Lip Spoiler
Sometimes it’s referred as ‘front lip kit’, ‘air dam’, or ‘front splitter’. They serve one function: aerodynamics. It extends the front bumper down a few inches. This means the air flows around and over the car, instead of going underneath the bumper creating ‘lift’ at high speeds. When you get lift in the front at high speeds, the front wheels lose some traction and steering becomes less responsive and squirrely.

Side Skirts
These are just extension of the side sills of the vehicle, making the car look lower to the ground. Similar in function to the front lip spoiler, but the side skirts do not help with reducing lift. The skirts are made to have the airstream flow around the car a little cleaner, reducing drag. Having less drag is important in aerodynamics. Because the vehicle is slipperier to air, it means less wind noise and more top speed.

Rear Diffuser
Same purpose as the front lip spoiler and side skirts. It’s meant to calm the turbulence within the airflow around the vehicle, creating a more stable ride at high speeds.

Rear Spoiler
We’ve covered lift, drag, and turbulence. Now it’s time to talk about downforce. Unless your car’s bottom edge is touching the ground, there will be some space that the air can flow under the car. The faster you travel, the more air will want to get underneath, hence the lift. Along with the front lip spoiler or splitter, the rear spoiler will produce downforce to keep the car planted on the pavement.

Body Kit
When a vendor offers the above four items as a matching set, it is called a ‘body kit’. In the old days, the body kits were also called the ‘ground effects’. Another popular name, especially among the automotive companies, is ‘aero kit’ or ‘aero package’.

Strut Tower Brace
Some high performance vehicles already are equipped with them. The engine bay and trunk/cargo/hatch area are just vast open cavities. It also happens that the struts/shocks are mounted in these area, creating stress points in the chassis. When you take hard corners at speeds, these stress points flex as the cornering/speed load increases. When the chassis flexes, the suspension parts do not work as efficiently as they are designed to be. The braces go on top of the strut/shock mounts, and strengthen the chassis. They do not eliminate chassis flexing totally, but reduce enough of it so that your suspension can do its job.

Sway Bar
These work much like the strut tower brace, the bottom of the suspension are not supported as well as the top side. So using sway bars (anti-roll bar or anti-sway bar) brace the bottom side of the suspension parts to reduce flexing of the non-compressing suspension parts. These also work to keep the suspension level, reducing body roll of the car while cornering aggressively. Be careful though, going too stiff, or not matching the front and rear rates to the rest of the setup, can cause your car to have a poor ride and undesirable handling characteristics.

Wheel Size and Offset
Not only big wheels look cool, but they actually have a purpose. The less sidewall rubber gives you less flexing of the tires. That increases the overall sharpness of the handling competency of your vehicle. You will also feel more of the road, giving you more input, so you can make corrections you need to. The offsets of the wheels are mainly dependent on which wheels drive the vehicle. For example, front-wheel-drive cars will have high offset and rear wheel drives will have lower offset. The most obvious way to tell this is the face (or spokes) of the wheel are flush with the tire or sunken in, creating a lip.

-KF

| Taeyang Yoon | Tags: , , , , , , | No Comments »