Cars We Drive!

[jcman311]



Ever taken out and swapped a Fuel pump and level sending unit? -interesting mechanism.
Their design in most cars could lead one to think that the rate of drop could be progressive. Or delayed drop when so full the float cannot drop until a certain level. -then progressive drop.

I have. Helped a buddy swap the fuel pump in a 1992 Ford Bronco. Rust bucket. But the swap worked. (old pump failed, wouldnt start)

Good thing gf never had a car where it was literally impossible to read the gauge if the car was moving. The dial would just fly between empty and full and settle on a reading once the car came to a stop.

 

[ridethecliche]

I have. Helped a buddy swap the fuel pump in a 1992 Ford Bronco. Rust bucket. But the swap worked. (old pump failed, wouldnt start)

Good thing gf never had a car where it was literally impossible to read the gauge if the car was moving. The dial would just fly between empty and full and settle on a reading once the car came to a stop.

This brought back a hilarious memory of driving with my dad in Delhi when I was a kid. He had this GIANT white fiat and I remember looking at his dash and telling him that it was running out of fuel. Apparently he thought the reading wasn't working well so he basically brushed it. Sure enough, a km down the road and the engine starts to sputter. The two of us had to push that car into a gas station in traffic during the summer in Delhi. We were lucky it was a few blocks down the road.

I must have been like 7 or 8.

Pretty sure this was the car:

 

[Thrift Vader]

Cool car.
Your Dad has good taste.


Re: Toyota's direction in the future, and the flacid renaissance of Japan's auto industry making fun cars. .

I NEED to test drive one of these. -SR.

[VIDEO] [/VIDEO]

Some clues to their direction, although a self driving hybrid/electric seems the opposite of fun. I Shuddered when imagining a race series like JGTC using self driving cars).

What say you internet car commentators?
Does it imply the fun is coming back?
Is this where Toyota makes a move at the Tesla market, releasing an equally capable car in a smaller , more sporty package? In the commercial i caught that they mentioned the Mirai, does this mean the sportscar will be hydrogen?

So many questions. .

 

[ridethecliche]

Went out driving last night to take a study break. Tried shifting down from 4th a few times to see if I could get into third without pissing off the car. It worked a few times. I think the trick was to shift smoothly (instead of slamming it) and just giving the gas a bit of a budge. Obviously, this will all get smoother as time goes. I think I have the tendency to slam the shifter in instead of just nudging it and the car doesn't like that.

Easy does it.

 

[ramuman]

What's with the rtc and study breaks? Is he living in the top floor in some dark corner of the library? I rarely went to the classes I was registered for and I turned out...oh wait bad example .

Really glad you're enjoying the ins and outs of proper driving. Once you're a little further along, I'd suggest a local track day with an instructor - you'll learn a ton from that.

/ramuzen

Also good riddance on hydrogen @Thrift Vader - it's a non starter. Good luck getting around on this massive network of fill up stations: http://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/hydrogen_locations.html

Compare that with: http://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_locations.html

Also on the next Tesla killer. If a car company wants to do it, just ********** it. Right now, Tesla just competes with themselves at the high end. The Leaf dominates the low end. The i3 and Volt are sorta the sideshow entertainment.

This is like hearing about fusion power plants. They've been perpetually 20 years out since I was a kid.

/ramuwrath

 

[sonick]



Went out driving last night to take a study break. Tried shifting down from 4th a few times to see if I could get into third without pissing off the car. It worked a few times. I think the trick was to shift smoothly (instead of slamming it) and just giving the gas a bit of a budge. Obviously, this will all get smoother as time goes. I think I have the tendency to slam the shifter in instead of just nudging it and the car doesn't like that. 


Easy does it.

Yup, that's called blipping the throttle. If you can do that in a turn while braking and downshifting simultaneously, that's heel-toeing.

Rather than gripping and pushing the knob into gear, I find nudging it in the direction with an open palm/fingers helps with learning to not 'slam' the shifter. e.g. http://www.driving-school-beckenham.co.uk/changing-gears-palming-method.html

 

[ridethecliche]

Yup, that's called blipping the throttle. If you can do that in a turn while braking and downshifting simultaneously, that's heel-toeing.

Rather than gripping and pushing the knob into gear, I find nudging it in the direction with an open palm/fingers helps with learning to not 'slam' the shifter. e.g. http://www.driving-school-beckenham.co.uk/changing-gears-palming-method.html

I've also realized that if you shift too fast when you're upshifting, you don't let the revs drop enough and it makes things less smooth. So being smoother takes a bit longer and makes that less of an issue.

I think I need a bit more practice before heel-toing. It'll happen soon enough. Heh, driving a manual is fun. So much stuff to keep track of and learn/perfect when you're driving.

 

[Dino944]

Why is it that in almost all cars (the ones I've driven, at least), the first 1/4 of a tank seems to take forever to deplete. Then going from 1/4 to 3/4 empty takes fewer miles. And then the last 1/4 seemingly vaporizes into thin air and gets you laughably low miles.

It's like the car front-loads all the mileage. Anyone else notice this?

Actually, there may be some truth to that. Someone asked the same thing on one of the car shows on I think the Velocity channel a while ago. On the show they said, several manufacturers, have their fuel gauges (and related equipment) set up to so that people feel like they are getting great gas mileage in the beginning, with the needle (old cars) or the electronic markers (newer cars), hardly moving for the first 1/4 to 1/2 tank used. Then it moves down faster for the next quarter, and they have it drop down much faster for the last quarter. However, they said typically there is more fuel in the tank than what is indicated has been used in the final 1/4. They said they have the needle set move down faster in that last 1/4, so that drivers who tend to procrastinate when it comes to going to the pump, will feel they need to get to the pump sooner, rather than running out of fuel.

 

[ramuman]



Actually, there may be some truth to that.   Someone asked the same thing on one of the car shows on I think the Velocity channel a while ago.  On the show they said, several manufacturers, have their fuel gauges (and related equipment) set up to so that people feel like they are getting great gas mileage in the beginning, with the needle (old cars) or the electronic markers (newer cars), hardly moving for the first 1/4 to 1/2 tank used.  Then it moves down faster for the next quarter, and they have it drop down much faster for the last quarter.  However, they said typically there is more fuel in the tank than what is indicated has been used in the final 1/4. They said they have the needle set move down faster in that last 1/4, so that drivers who tend to procrastinate when it comes to going to the pump, will feel they need to get to the pump sooner, rather than running out of fuel.  

Interesting, so there's a pshycology element in that. That would make a lot of sense.

Also to keep the thread lighthearted:

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

 

[ridethecliche]

I wonder if anyone's been so high that they thought it would be a good idea to hotbox a miata with the top down.

 

[ramuman]

Hard to hate the guy. Level 3 is almost here.

https://mobile.twitter.com/elonmusk/status/771005524322033665

 

[UnFacconable]

The fuel gauge thing always bothered me, but I have accepted that the goal is not accuracy it's perception at the full end and caution at the empty end. I do think they are fairly precise and consistent however.

I believe they don't attempt to show you how much fuel you actually have left at empty because people have developed an expectation that they have 30+ miles to go when the needle is on E and 75+ miles when the gas light comes on (which I think is typically 1/8 tank). The other big issue is that people feel good when their tank is full and it makes them think they are getting better fuel economy than if it were to drop off F right away. So when you have a car that stays on F for 1/8 of a tank and E for 1/8 of a tank, the needle movement will feel exaggerated throughout the range.

My experience with my older car which I have been paying attention to this issue for many years, I get about 300 miles until the gas light comes on (1/8 on the gauge, which it turns out really corresponds to about 25% remaining fuel). I think it stays on F for about 15% of the tank. When I'm cruising on the freeway, after 200 miles the needle is at 1/2. That means my gauge movement from just below F to 1/8 represents only about 60% of my tank and from 1/2 to 1/8 represents only about 25%.

 

[ramuman]



The fuel gauge thing always bothered me, but I have accepted that the goal is not accuracy it's perception at the full end and caution at the empty end. I do think they are fairly precise and consistent however.

I believe they don't attempt to show you how much fuel you actually have left at empty because people have developed an expectation that they have 30+ miles to go when the needle is on E and 75+ miles when the gas light comes on (which I think is typically 1/8 tank). The other big issue is that people feel good when their tank is full and it makes them think they are getting better fuel economy than if it were to drop off F right away. So when you have a car that stays on F for 1/8 of a tank and E for 1/8 of a tank, the needle movement will feel exaggerated throughout the range.

My experience with my older car which I have been paying attention to this issue for many years, I get about 300 miles until the gas light comes on (1/8 on the gauge, which it turns out really corresponds to about 25% remaining fuel). I think it stays on F for about 15% of the tank. When I'm cruising on the freeway, after 200 miles the needle is at 1/2. That means my gauge movement from just below F to 1/8 represents only about 60% of my tank and from 1/2 to 1/8 represents only about 25%.

This would be an interesting test between 1/8 at 12.5% to 25% in reality. Too lazy to search, but some one has surely tried this with a gas container with a gallon or two in the trunk on YouTube.

Besides:

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

 

[UnFacconable]

I should note there is probably one other factor which is that depending on the shape of your tank and whether you are on flat, incline or decline, bumpy road, etc. your fuel pump may start sucking in some air which could cause damage or premature wear and I've read that gas acts as a coolant to your fuel pump motor so better to have more of it than less.

The most I can recall filling up is about 90% of my tank (23 out of 25 gallons).

Great Seinfeld reference ramu, loved that episode.

 

[brokencycle]

I should note there is probably one other factor which is that depending on the shape of your tank and whether you are on flat, incline or decline, bumpy road, etc. your fuel pump may start sucking in some air which could cause damage or premature wear and I've read that gas acts as a coolant to your fuel pump motor so better to have more of it than less.

The most I can recall filling up is about 90% of my tank (23 out of 25 gallons).

Great Seinfeld reference ramu, loved that episode.

I know several people that would ride around with 1/4 tanks all the time because the decrease in weight improves fuel economy. Every person I know who did this had a fuel pump burn out.