The Corvette has been intermittently turning on three different complaints: "SERVICE ABS" "SERVICE ACTIVE HNDLG" and "SERVICE TRACTION" for a year or so--but the problem always went away when I restarted the car. This set of complaints came on solidly a few days ago, so I took it into All Things Automotive in Meridian. One of the error codes involves the sensor on the steering column, which feeds data into the ABS, active handling, and traction control systems. As I suspected it might be, my mechanic found that the wires from that sensor had been damaged by a rock (probably because of the crummy road between our driveway and the old highway). He is seeing about armoring the replacement wires.
I'm still waiting on the other error code, which is a complaint about low voltage from the ABS pump, but I am hoping this also turns out to be something as simple as a broken wire caused by bad roads.
UPDATE: No such luck. I'm afraid that my good and faithful companion is about to leave. The ABS pump electronics part is $1700 alone--and there's another part needed to get that operational. There comes a point where you have to own your possessions, not the other way around. I'm going to miss it, but unless the mechanic finds evidence that the rock collision that knocked out the steering sensor caused this other failure, I'm not getting it fixed. Without ABS, it is still safe to drive. I'm sure the Chevy dealer will be able to repair at a reasonable price and resell it.
I'm going to miss this car, but it was a hangover from the days when I worked in the private sector, and could afford silly luxuries like this.
UPDATE 2: I just put it up on Boise Craig's List for $15,500. If no one bites in a week, I'll probably let the dealer take it. They will detail it, fix the ABS system a lot cheaper than I can, and probably offer it for more like $17,000.
UPDATE 3: Praise God! I paid $147.10 this morning--and all the complaints are gone! The ABS system and Traction Control System idiot lights? Gone. As near as I can tell, whatever is throwing codes C1217 and C1243 was intermittent, and once my mechanic repaired the problem with the wires to the steering column sensor, the other problems stopped complaining. How will I know if there is still a real problem there? I've had this car 55,000 miles so far, and I have yet to feel the ABS system pulsing back at me through the brakes--because I don't tend to get myself into situations that require extreme braking, and let's face it, the Corvette's brakes and tires create an entirely new definition of "extreme braking." In any case, it's happy, I'm happy, and I'm glad that I didn't have to put out any real money to get this fixed.
UPDATE 4: No, it's intermittent because the relay in the EBTCM is intermittently failing--and I should expect continued decline until it gives out altogether. Oh well. When I worked at HP, I would get together at lunch with some fellow Christians. Tom reminded me, shortly after I bought the Corvette, "It's all going to burn." Yet another reason why we own possessions--but don't let them own us--and above all, we don't let things don't precedence over stuff that matters.
Showing posts with label cars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cars. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Corvette Check Engine Light
This blog posting is for the benefit of other Corvette owners who may be reading this in the future, and search for the phrase "Check Engine Light." This dreaded light came on Friday afternoon on my way home--and the engine definitely felt a bit short of breath. I've noticed this shortness of breath a couple of times in the last few weeks, but it was never very long.
Anyway, when I reached home, I searched for information on this, and several references indicated that the MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensors can cause this problem if the air filter is clogged or otherwise is preventing the engine from getting enough oxygen. Since we live on a dirt road, I pulled the filter out--and the filter wasn't just dirty--several ounces of dirt fell out when I opened it up.
I bought a replacement filter on Saturday afternoon--but the Check Engine light stayed on. Monday morning, on my way to All Things Automotive in Meridian, after about a mile and a half of driving--the light went out. And guess what? The engine now runs much more smoothly and feels like it wants to go zoom. I suspect that it takes a while for the sensors to reset all the appropriate inputs.
Anyway, when I reached home, I searched for information on this, and several references indicated that the MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensors can cause this problem if the air filter is clogged or otherwise is preventing the engine from getting enough oxygen. Since we live on a dirt road, I pulled the filter out--and the filter wasn't just dirty--several ounces of dirt fell out when I opened it up.
I bought a replacement filter on Saturday afternoon--but the Check Engine light stayed on. Monday morning, on my way to All Things Automotive in Meridian, after about a mile and a half of driving--the light went out. And guess what? The engine now runs much more smoothly and feels like it wants to go zoom. I suspect that it takes a while for the sensors to reset all the appropriate inputs.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Corvette Tips
There are two Torx fasteners that hold the front latches of the glass top to the frame of the car. One of them was loose--and I could not see how to get access to it. There was insufficient clearance for any Torx tool that I could imagine to fit in there.
The trick is to remove the little pad by pressing it out from the top.
Then rotate the handle until the hole that the pad covers is lined up with the Torx that you otherwise can't reach.
Careful as you remove the pad. There are three little plastic prongs that hold it in place, and I think I broke one when popping it out. (And I'm sure it's a $50 part from Chevrolet.) It still stays in place, however.
The trick is to remove the little pad by pressing it out from the top.
Then rotate the handle until the hole that the pad covers is lined up with the Torx that you otherwise can't reach.
Careful as you remove the pad. There are three little plastic prongs that hold it in place, and I think I broke one when popping it out. (And I'm sure it's a $50 part from Chevrolet.) It still stays in place, however.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Made Enough Money?
Made Enough Money?
I can't take Obama seriously when he talks about people who have made enough money--since he apparently made $5.5 million last year--but I confess that there are times when you can understand why, in a nation where millions of people can't afford health insurance, some people see red (and start to think red) when you see ads like this:
I suppose if Ferraris were reasonably cheap (you know, $30,000 for a slightly used one), I could consider owning one. But when someone has $400,000 worth of transportation, reality really should arrive.
I can't take Obama seriously when he talks about people who have made enough money--since he apparently made $5.5 million last year--but I confess that there are times when you can understand why, in a nation where millions of people can't afford health insurance, some people see red (and start to think red) when you see ads like this:
How cute! Matching Ferraris! A convertible for the nice days, and a coupe for the rainy days!2007 Ferrari F430 Spider - $199,900 (obo)
About This F430
I suppose if Ferraris were reasonably cheap (you know, $30,000 for a slightly used one), I could consider owning one. But when someone has $400,000 worth of transportation, reality really should arrive.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
The Corvette
The Corvette
I mentioned several weeks ago that the Corvette's differential was leaking--and the dealer told me that it might be $485 to repair it--or it might be $1985. They wouldn't really know until it was well under way, because they weren't sure if they could remove the differential without dropping the transmission.
Fortunately, I found a Corvette specialist who has a more realistic view of what his time is worth--and who knew that he could remove the differential without dropping the transmission. He charged me a bit more than $500 to replace the two leaking seals. (There was so much dirt that the dealership missed one of the leaks.)
Anyway, if you are in need of car repair in the Boise area, let me recommend All Things Automotive at 617 N. Linder Rd., Meridian, ID. Mathew Lenord runs it, and while he is a Corvette specialist, he won't turn his nose down at repairing lesser automobiles.
I mentioned several weeks ago that the Corvette's differential was leaking--and the dealer told me that it might be $485 to repair it--or it might be $1985. They wouldn't really know until it was well under way, because they weren't sure if they could remove the differential without dropping the transmission.
Fortunately, I found a Corvette specialist who has a more realistic view of what his time is worth--and who knew that he could remove the differential without dropping the transmission. He charged me a bit more than $500 to replace the two leaking seals. (There was so much dirt that the dealership missed one of the leaks.)
Anyway, if you are in need of car repair in the Boise area, let me recommend All Things Automotive at 617 N. Linder Rd., Meridian, ID. Mathew Lenord runs it, and while he is a Corvette specialist, he won't turn his nose down at repairing lesser automobiles.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
The End is Near!
The End is Near!
At least, of the Introduction to Personal Computers class that I teach. One more session, during which I will teach them the rudiments of IP addresses, net masks, DNS, how routers translate addresses, and then the final exam. Then I grade the final, enter their grades, and get a bit of my free time back!
The Corvette developed a bit of a leak at the rear differential, so I took it to the Chevrolet dealer. I was expecting this to cost several hundred dollars--but the estimate took my breath away. It would be either $485--or, if they couldn't get the differential off the transmission shaft without dropping the transmission--$1985. At that point, I found myself wondering if it was time to sell it. Unfortunately, you can't just keep adding oil to the rear differential--it's not like it is easy to access, and if it goes dry, it's a major problem.
However, it would be difficult to sell except at a greatly reduced price, because even if a buyer didn't ask me if it had any problems, only a fool would buy a car this expensive without an inspection first, and I haven't meant too many fools buying Corvettes. So I called around a bit, and I found an independent Corvette specialist who said that he could indeed remove the differential without dropping the transmission--and even if he did, his labor is only $55/hour, so it would be about $525 to replace the two leaking differential seals. (The seals, of course, are just a few dollars each--it's almost entirely labor.)
Anyway, the Corvette is in the shop until Wednesday. But I just for amusement looked to see what the used Corvette market is like--and I was surprised! There are some amazing deals, at least in some of the more depressed parts of the Northwest. A 2007 with 12,000 miles and the GM extended warranty out to 70,000 miles--for $34,900. Astonishing.
At least, of the Introduction to Personal Computers class that I teach. One more session, during which I will teach them the rudiments of IP addresses, net masks, DNS, how routers translate addresses, and then the final exam. Then I grade the final, enter their grades, and get a bit of my free time back!
The Corvette developed a bit of a leak at the rear differential, so I took it to the Chevrolet dealer. I was expecting this to cost several hundred dollars--but the estimate took my breath away. It would be either $485--or, if they couldn't get the differential off the transmission shaft without dropping the transmission--$1985. At that point, I found myself wondering if it was time to sell it. Unfortunately, you can't just keep adding oil to the rear differential--it's not like it is easy to access, and if it goes dry, it's a major problem.
However, it would be difficult to sell except at a greatly reduced price, because even if a buyer didn't ask me if it had any problems, only a fool would buy a car this expensive without an inspection first, and I haven't meant too many fools buying Corvettes. So I called around a bit, and I found an independent Corvette specialist who said that he could indeed remove the differential without dropping the transmission--and even if he did, his labor is only $55/hour, so it would be about $525 to replace the two leaking differential seals. (The seals, of course, are just a few dollars each--it's almost entirely labor.)
Anyway, the Corvette is in the shop until Wednesday. But I just for amusement looked to see what the used Corvette market is like--and I was surprised! There are some amazing deals, at least in some of the more depressed parts of the Northwest. A 2007 with 12,000 miles and the GM extended warranty out to 70,000 miles--for $34,900. Astonishing.
Monday, December 21, 2009
This Looks Almost Plausible
This Looks Almost Plausible
But not quite. I was curious to see what can be done to give a bit more punch to the Jaguar (once the extended factory warranty expires in 2011), and I ran into this $89.95 supercharger kit that just made me start to laugh.
Superchargers compress incoming air in the intake manifold, usually with a compressor that runs off an engine belt. This gadget, however, is essentially an electric fan that goes inside the duct that feeds air into the intake manifold, and takes less than five minutes to install.
Now, if it actually increases the amount of air going into the engine, then it could provide more power. The fuel injection system will feed more fuel as it gets more air. (Superchargers were originally invented for aircraft to compensate for reduced oxygen at altitude.) But I'm more than a little skeptical that an electric motor is going to sufficiently pressurize the incoming air mass enough to make much of a real difference. But I do have to hand it to someone for being clever enough to come up with a cheap way to fool the rubes.
But not quite. I was curious to see what can be done to give a bit more punch to the Jaguar (once the extended factory warranty expires in 2011), and I ran into this $89.95 supercharger kit that just made me start to laugh.
Superchargers compress incoming air in the intake manifold, usually with a compressor that runs off an engine belt. This gadget, however, is essentially an electric fan that goes inside the duct that feeds air into the intake manifold, and takes less than five minutes to install.
Now, if it actually increases the amount of air going into the engine, then it could provide more power. The fuel injection system will feed more fuel as it gets more air. (Superchargers were originally invented for aircraft to compensate for reduced oxygen at altitude.) But I'm more than a little skeptical that an electric motor is going to sufficiently pressurize the incoming air mass enough to make much of a real difference. But I do have to hand it to someone for being clever enough to come up with a cheap way to fool the rubes.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Percussive Maintenance Again
Percussive Maintenance Again
I mentioned the problem that I had with the air conditioning display on the Corvette requiring "percussive maintenance." It turns out that this is a sufficiently common problem that there is a detailed description of how to fix it at Corvette Forum. It involves removing several parts, and then resoldering the contacts on the printed circuit board. It doesn't look all that hard, but I suppose until tapping the display doesn't fix the problem anymore, I'm not going to put this much effort into it.
I mentioned the problem that I had with the air conditioning display on the Corvette requiring "percussive maintenance." It turns out that this is a sufficiently common problem that there is a detailed description of how to fix it at Corvette Forum. It involves removing several parts, and then resoldering the contacts on the printed circuit board. It doesn't look all that hard, but I suppose until tapping the display doesn't fix the problem anymore, I'm not going to put this much effort into it.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Corvette Percussive Maintenance
Corvette Percussive Maintenance
You may have heard the humorous phrase "percussive maintenance" used to describe hitting a malfunctioning piece of equipment--and having it fix the problem. Often, this is because there is some loose connection that just needs some jostling.
For the last year or so, I have been frustrated by a problem with the Corvette's heating and A/C system. The panel that displays outside temperature, thermostat setting, etc., has become so faint that it was difficult to read with the top on the car in daylight, and completely impossible to read with the top off the car. At the same time, all the rest of the dashboard displays worked fine. The dealer had not a clue how to fix it without replacing the entire control display--which would be very, very expensive.
I spent some time thinking about this on the way home this evening, and it occurred to me to start experimenting with the dashboard rheostat that controls the rest of the dash panel illumination. Sure enough, the very faint display changed approximately in relation to the rest of the panel illumination--it was just too faint, even at the brightest setting. So there was power going to the faulty display--and it was varying as it should. Could it be just a loose connection? So I tapped on the front of the faulty display with my finger--and it briefly brightened up, then faded again.
As one of the operative rules of percussive maintenance says, "It hitting it doesn't solve the problem, use a bigger hammer. If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway." So I tapped it a bit harder--and this time it brightened up, and stayed bright. It still isn't quite as bright as the stereo controls, but then again, it never was quite as bright, even when I bought the car in 2002. But it is now so bright that I have confidence that I will be able to read it in daylight again.
You may have heard the humorous phrase "percussive maintenance" used to describe hitting a malfunctioning piece of equipment--and having it fix the problem. Often, this is because there is some loose connection that just needs some jostling.
For the last year or so, I have been frustrated by a problem with the Corvette's heating and A/C system. The panel that displays outside temperature, thermostat setting, etc., has become so faint that it was difficult to read with the top on the car in daylight, and completely impossible to read with the top off the car. At the same time, all the rest of the dashboard displays worked fine. The dealer had not a clue how to fix it without replacing the entire control display--which would be very, very expensive.
I spent some time thinking about this on the way home this evening, and it occurred to me to start experimenting with the dashboard rheostat that controls the rest of the dash panel illumination. Sure enough, the very faint display changed approximately in relation to the rest of the panel illumination--it was just too faint, even at the brightest setting. So there was power going to the faulty display--and it was varying as it should. Could it be just a loose connection? So I tapped on the front of the faulty display with my finger--and it briefly brightened up, then faded again.
As one of the operative rules of percussive maintenance says, "It hitting it doesn't solve the problem, use a bigger hammer. If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway." So I tapped it a bit harder--and this time it brightened up, and stayed bright. It still isn't quite as bright as the stereo controls, but then again, it never was quite as bright, even when I bought the car in 2002. But it is now so bright that I have confidence that I will be able to read it in daylight again.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Corvette ZR1 at the Nurburgring
Corvette ZR1 at the Nurburgring
For those of you who don't follow racing, the Nurburgring in Germany is one of the most demanding road circuits in the world. Manufacturers use it to really wring out the ultimate in performance from their cars. Here's a video of a Corvette ZR1 completing the circuit in 7 minutes, 26.4 seconds. That makes it the eighth fastest production automobile, right behind the Ferrari Enzo. And it isn't just the 180 mph that the Corvette hits on the straightaways. It's really quite exciting as the driver hits the corners.
For those of you who don't follow racing, the Nurburgring in Germany is one of the most demanding road circuits in the world. Manufacturers use it to really wring out the ultimate in performance from their cars. Here's a video of a Corvette ZR1 completing the circuit in 7 minutes, 26.4 seconds. That makes it the eighth fastest production automobile, right behind the Ferrari Enzo. And it isn't just the 180 mph that the Corvette hits on the straightaways. It's really quite exciting as the driver hits the corners.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
This Is So Cool!
This Is So Cool!
We're in the 21st century now! Need a car part? No need to every auto dismantler in your neighborhood, hoping to find what you want. You can go to Car-Part.com, and search auto dismantlers all over the U.S. for a particular part!
We're in the 21st century now! Need a car part? No need to every auto dismantler in your neighborhood, hoping to find what you want. You can go to Car-Part.com, and search auto dismantlers all over the U.S. for a particular part!
CD Changers For The Corvette
CD Changers For The Corvette
I was able to finish getting the CD changer to give me back my discs--but if I had any doubts about the potential of repairing it before, I no longer have that delusion! At least I was able to get my discs and the magazine that holds them (in the event that I buy an identical changer).
Well, there are some currently manufactured CD changers that plug into the GM stereo, such as this ten disc one. At $329, the price is a bit of an "ouch." Here's a company called Neo that builds a ten disc version that plugs into the CD changer cable.
It turns out that with a couple of exceptions, all GM cars used compatible twelve disc CD changers, and they are interchangeable. Here's the list of exceptions. There are some vendors offering used ones at pretty horrendous prices. But I also found them a bit more reasonably priced ones on eBay. Some are cheap enough that I may buy two, to have a backup, and in case one of them doesn't work.
I was able to finish getting the CD changer to give me back my discs--but if I had any doubts about the potential of repairing it before, I no longer have that delusion! At least I was able to get my discs and the magazine that holds them (in the event that I buy an identical changer).
Well, there are some currently manufactured CD changers that plug into the GM stereo, such as this ten disc one. At $329, the price is a bit of an "ouch." Here's a company called Neo that builds a ten disc version that plugs into the CD changer cable.
It turns out that with a couple of exceptions, all GM cars used compatible twelve disc CD changers, and they are interchangeable. Here's the list of exceptions. There are some vendors offering used ones at pretty horrendous prices. But I also found them a bit more reasonably priced ones on eBay. Some are cheap enough that I may buy two, to have a backup, and in case one of them doesn't work.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Replacing a CD Changer With An MP3 Player
Replacing a CD Changer With An MP3 Player
My 12 disc CD changer in the Corvette seems to be jammed again. I'm going to try and open it up, and see if I can unjam it--but if not, I have been looking at replacements/alternatives. It turns out that you can't just replace it with any old CD changer. The factory stereo ("the head" as stereo techs call it) has to be compatible so that the controls for changing discs, track seek, etc. work. So far, I have found the GM labeled unit (which is made by Pioneer)--for more than $500. There is also a 6 disc changer that apparently is plug compatible, and responds to the factory stereo controls--for about $200.
But there are a lot of people replacing 12 disc CD changers in Corvettes with iPods. There are adapters that let the iPod respond to the stereo CD controls, just like a several hundred disc CD changer. But the adapter is $150, and then you need to spend a couple hundred dollars for the iPod.
What I am not finding is an adapter that lets you put an MP3 player in the trunk in place of the factory CD changer--and I'm a little surprised that this market opportunity has been missed. The factory stereo for the Corvette (and I suspect most other GM cars of the period) needs a pretty limited set of capabilities at the far end of the CD changer cable: select the next CD; play CD; skip to the next track; skip to the previous track; go back a second; go forward a second. And of course, provide electrical power to the MP3 player.
Think about this for a second: here's a chance for some company to make a bit of money with all the CD changers that are starting to fail (like mine) or where someone wants more CDs than they can currently put in the changer. At the same time, MP3 players are quite inexpensive, and far more durable than a CD changer. They also don't have the skip problem on rough roads that even a pretty decent CD changer has. And they take up less space in the rear of the car. So why hasn't this market demand been met? Or have I just not found the product that I need?
UPDATE: I'm disappointed to report that even the iPod adapter doesn't exactly provide the functionality of the CD changer. No surprise: it can't feed the iPod's track number (or whatever its equivalent is) into a device that is limited to only two digits. And the 6 disc CD changer offered that is compatible with the GM stereo is substantially cheaper than the combination of cables and a 4 GB iPod. Yes, I could replace the stereo as well, and have a really cool stereo that hands 8 GB DVDs with a vast number of albums recorded in MP3 format--but this is starting to get more complex than music for a car justifies at this time.
My 12 disc CD changer in the Corvette seems to be jammed again. I'm going to try and open it up, and see if I can unjam it--but if not, I have been looking at replacements/alternatives. It turns out that you can't just replace it with any old CD changer. The factory stereo ("the head" as stereo techs call it) has to be compatible so that the controls for changing discs, track seek, etc. work. So far, I have found the GM labeled unit (which is made by Pioneer)--for more than $500. There is also a 6 disc changer that apparently is plug compatible, and responds to the factory stereo controls--for about $200.
But there are a lot of people replacing 12 disc CD changers in Corvettes with iPods. There are adapters that let the iPod respond to the stereo CD controls, just like a several hundred disc CD changer. But the adapter is $150, and then you need to spend a couple hundred dollars for the iPod.
What I am not finding is an adapter that lets you put an MP3 player in the trunk in place of the factory CD changer--and I'm a little surprised that this market opportunity has been missed. The factory stereo for the Corvette (and I suspect most other GM cars of the period) needs a pretty limited set of capabilities at the far end of the CD changer cable: select the next CD; play CD; skip to the next track; skip to the previous track; go back a second; go forward a second. And of course, provide electrical power to the MP3 player.
Think about this for a second: here's a chance for some company to make a bit of money with all the CD changers that are starting to fail (like mine) or where someone wants more CDs than they can currently put in the changer. At the same time, MP3 players are quite inexpensive, and far more durable than a CD changer. They also don't have the skip problem on rough roads that even a pretty decent CD changer has. And they take up less space in the rear of the car. So why hasn't this market demand been met? Or have I just not found the product that I need?
UPDATE: I'm disappointed to report that even the iPod adapter doesn't exactly provide the functionality of the CD changer. No surprise: it can't feed the iPod's track number (or whatever its equivalent is) into a device that is limited to only two digits. And the 6 disc CD changer offered that is compatible with the GM stereo is substantially cheaper than the combination of cables and a 4 GB iPod. Yes, I could replace the stereo as well, and have a really cool stereo that hands 8 GB DVDs with a vast number of albums recorded in MP3 format--but this is starting to get more complex than music for a car justifies at this time.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
One More Interesting Aspect of Corvette Mileage
One More Interesting Aspect of Corvette Mileage
I mentioned yesterday the good gas mileage the Corvette gets. I made another discovery as well on the trip back from Bend.
You are perhaps aware that gas mileage of most cars declines somewhat if the windows are open--and in some cases, enough that you actually get better mileage with your windows closed, and the air conditioning running.
I was driving with the top off the car, and I decided to find out if the "closed windows get better mileage" is true under these circumstances. Sure enough! The Corvette had an instantaneous gas mileage setting, which seems to sample fuel consumption every second.
When I had some dead flat sections of road (or at least, with the same apparent slope for miles on end), I did some experimenting. First I rolled down the driver's window--and I seem to have lost about .75 or 1.0 miles per gallon. Rolling down the passenger's window seemed to give almost the same amount of loss (which is not too surprising). It would appear that both windows down with the top off took me down about 1.5 miles per gallon. With the windows up, and the cruise control set at 68 mph, the instantaneous measure bounced around between about 29.5 and about 31.5. With the windows down, it was more like 27.4 to about 29.8.
I'm not sure what the mileage would have been like with the top on (since you can't really put it on and off while driving, unless you are incredibly stupid), but I suspect better.
I mentioned yesterday the good gas mileage the Corvette gets. I made another discovery as well on the trip back from Bend.
You are perhaps aware that gas mileage of most cars declines somewhat if the windows are open--and in some cases, enough that you actually get better mileage with your windows closed, and the air conditioning running.
I was driving with the top off the car, and I decided to find out if the "closed windows get better mileage" is true under these circumstances. Sure enough! The Corvette had an instantaneous gas mileage setting, which seems to sample fuel consumption every second.
When I had some dead flat sections of road (or at least, with the same apparent slope for miles on end), I did some experimenting. First I rolled down the driver's window--and I seem to have lost about .75 or 1.0 miles per gallon. Rolling down the passenger's window seemed to give almost the same amount of loss (which is not too surprising). It would appear that both windows down with the top off took me down about 1.5 miles per gallon. With the windows up, and the cruise control set at 68 mph, the instantaneous measure bounced around between about 29.5 and about 31.5. With the windows down, it was more like 27.4 to about 29.8.
I'm not sure what the mileage would have been like with the top on (since you can't really put it on and off while driving, unless you are incredibly stupid), but I suspect better.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Things I Love About The Corvette
Things I Love About The Corvette
On the road to Bend Sunday: 28.6 mpg. On the road back from Bend today (by wild coincidence): 28.6 mpg. And the cruise control was set at 65, 66, or 68 almost the entire way (except for a stretch of I-84 when I re-entered the Free State of Idaho). It took me 4 hours and 19 minutes elapsed time to get there on Sunday from Horseshoe Bend. (The Corvette has an elapsed time counter as well.)
In spite of being a "sports car," it has a very comfortable, controlled but firm ride on reasonably smooth pavement.
On the road to Bend Sunday: 28.6 mpg. On the road back from Bend today (by wild coincidence): 28.6 mpg. And the cruise control was set at 65, 66, or 68 almost the entire way (except for a stretch of I-84 when I re-entered the Free State of Idaho). It took me 4 hours and 19 minutes elapsed time to get there on Sunday from Horseshoe Bend. (The Corvette has an elapsed time counter as well.)
In spite of being a "sports car," it has a very comfortable, controlled but firm ride on reasonably smooth pavement.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Craziest Drivers
Craziest Drivers
I think Utah is going to give Los Angeles a serious challenge this year for the craziest drivers contest. As we were driving north on I-15 through Utah, we were driving about 80 (which was barely keeping up with traffic). An older Oldsmobile attempted to bully its way through traffic, weaving in and out, tailgating to get my wife to get her into the slow lane (where she did actually belong). As the Oldsmobile passed, doing about 90, I looked in to see if the driver was angry. No, she wasn't angry--she was applying makeup while driving aggressively, looking in a compact mirror, instead of at the road or or the other cars.
But there was something that topped this: my wife noticed a moped struggling to maintain freeway speed as we drove through Salt Lake City's actually pretty severe rush hour traffic. And what is the moped driver doing while attempting to navigate traffic that provided a quite sufficient adrenalin rush? Why, he appeared to be texting on his cell phone!
I think Utah is going to give Los Angeles a serious challenge this year for the craziest drivers contest. As we were driving north on I-15 through Utah, we were driving about 80 (which was barely keeping up with traffic). An older Oldsmobile attempted to bully its way through traffic, weaving in and out, tailgating to get my wife to get her into the slow lane (where she did actually belong). As the Oldsmobile passed, doing about 90, I looked in to see if the driver was angry. No, she wasn't angry--she was applying makeup while driving aggressively, looking in a compact mirror, instead of at the road or or the other cars.
But there was something that topped this: my wife noticed a moped struggling to maintain freeway speed as we drove through Salt Lake City's actually pretty severe rush hour traffic. And what is the moped driver doing while attempting to navigate traffic that provided a quite sufficient adrenalin rush? Why, he appeared to be texting on his cell phone!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Corvette In The Shop
Corvette In The Shop
It is going to be about $500 to replace that oil pressure sending unit, mostly because of the time required to remove the intake manifold, and then replace the gaskets. I'm pretty irritated that they didn't do a better job designing this to be repaired.
I can't recall the last time that I spent any real money on a car repair, and I haven't had car payments on the Corvette since last August, so I guess that I shouldn't cry too loudly about paying for a repair like this. If my little piece of automotive fluff starts to need repairs this expensive more than once or twice a year, however, the temptation will be very strong to find someone that wants a toy like this, and sell it.
It is going to be about $500 to replace that oil pressure sending unit, mostly because of the time required to remove the intake manifold, and then replace the gaskets. I'm pretty irritated that they didn't do a better job designing this to be repaired.
I can't recall the last time that I spent any real money on a car repair, and I haven't had car payments on the Corvette since last August, so I guess that I shouldn't cry too loudly about paying for a repair like this. If my little piece of automotive fluff starts to need repairs this expensive more than once or twice a year, however, the temptation will be very strong to find someone that wants a toy like this, and sell it.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Why Overfilling Your Car With Oil Is A Bad Idea
Why Overfilling Your Car With Oil Is A Bad Idea
You've doubtless seen the warning in your owner's manual (you have read the owner's manual, cover to cover, right?) about overfilling your engine with oil. I've never had a problem with that before--except that shortly before I shut the Corvette down for the winter (perhaps a couple of weeks before), I checked the dipstick in the garage, which isn't spectacularly well illuminated. It looks like I was a quart low (which is quite unusual), so I added a quart of Mobil 1.
When I brought it out from hibernation, I noticed that the oil gauge was pegged at 80 psi. I didn't think much of it, because I hadn't driven it in a while, and I couldn't remember what it was normally running. Then yesterday, I turned to the digital display for that, it showed 130 psi. So I called the dealer, and the shop foreman indicated that it was probably the oil pressure sending unit (which does fail on Corvettes now and then).
This morning, I did a little reading online. It appears that when the oil pressure sending unit fails, it goes open circuit, and 130 psi is the open circuit reading. Then I noticed that while the pressure hit 130 psi quite rapidly, it didn't start there. So it was probably not a complete failure of the sending unit.
My thought was: "Hmmm. If I take it to the dealer, and they spend several hundred dollars replacing the sending unit--and it was just that the oil had thickened over winter, when I wasn't driving it, I'm going to feel very stupid." So I took it Wal-Mart for an oil change--and they told me that the engine with overfilled with oil.
I think what happened was that Mobil 1, because it is a synthetic oil, and quite clear, is very easy to miss on the dipstick in less than blazing sunlight--and I overfilled the engine. Unfortunately, I believe that the extra pressure damaged the oil pressure sending unit--because after the oil change, the pressure is still 130 psi nearly all the time.
Or maybe the sending unit was about to fail anyway--I have 69,000 miles on the car. That's my rationalization, and I'm sticking to it! Anyway, I guess I'll take it to the dealer on Tuesday. The shop foreman when I talked to him on the phone Friday indicated that it was a couple hundred dollars to replace. The sending unit itself isn't all that expensive, but the factory method of getting to it involving removing the intake manifold--and once they do that, they replace the manifold gaskets as well.
I could probably do this myself. But the last time I tried anything even close to this ambitious on car repair, I saved not a penny; injured myself slightly; and threw away an entire afternoon. The dealership charges a bit more for a mechanic's time than I charge for my time as a software engineer; why look for frustration and suffering when I can pay someone else to be frustrated and suffer instead?
You've doubtless seen the warning in your owner's manual (you have read the owner's manual, cover to cover, right?) about overfilling your engine with oil. I've never had a problem with that before--except that shortly before I shut the Corvette down for the winter (perhaps a couple of weeks before), I checked the dipstick in the garage, which isn't spectacularly well illuminated. It looks like I was a quart low (which is quite unusual), so I added a quart of Mobil 1.
When I brought it out from hibernation, I noticed that the oil gauge was pegged at 80 psi. I didn't think much of it, because I hadn't driven it in a while, and I couldn't remember what it was normally running. Then yesterday, I turned to the digital display for that, it showed 130 psi. So I called the dealer, and the shop foreman indicated that it was probably the oil pressure sending unit (which does fail on Corvettes now and then).
This morning, I did a little reading online. It appears that when the oil pressure sending unit fails, it goes open circuit, and 130 psi is the open circuit reading. Then I noticed that while the pressure hit 130 psi quite rapidly, it didn't start there. So it was probably not a complete failure of the sending unit.
My thought was: "Hmmm. If I take it to the dealer, and they spend several hundred dollars replacing the sending unit--and it was just that the oil had thickened over winter, when I wasn't driving it, I'm going to feel very stupid." So I took it Wal-Mart for an oil change--and they told me that the engine with overfilled with oil.
I think what happened was that Mobil 1, because it is a synthetic oil, and quite clear, is very easy to miss on the dipstick in less than blazing sunlight--and I overfilled the engine. Unfortunately, I believe that the extra pressure damaged the oil pressure sending unit--because after the oil change, the pressure is still 130 psi nearly all the time.
Or maybe the sending unit was about to fail anyway--I have 69,000 miles on the car. That's my rationalization, and I'm sticking to it! Anyway, I guess I'll take it to the dealer on Tuesday. The shop foreman when I talked to him on the phone Friday indicated that it was a couple hundred dollars to replace. The sending unit itself isn't all that expensive, but the factory method of getting to it involving removing the intake manifold--and once they do that, they replace the manifold gaskets as well.
I could probably do this myself. But the last time I tried anything even close to this ambitious on car repair, I saved not a penny; injured myself slightly; and threw away an entire afternoon. The dealership charges a bit more for a mechanic's time than I charge for my time as a software engineer; why look for frustration and suffering when I can pay someone else to be frustrated and suffer instead?
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The Corvette Is Out Of Winter Storage
The Corvette Is Out Of Winter Storage
I turned on the collision insurance, checked the vital fluids, charged it up, and took it out for a spin. I am so glad that I didn't sell it.
The Jaguar is sophisticated, genteel, elegant, and quiet.
The Corvette is raw, loud (both visually and auditorially), and brassy.
The Jaguar is easy to control at the limits of its cornering, with mild understeer.
The Corvette jumps up and down and begs to taken to the cornering limits--where you can pick between barely detectable understeer and oversteer that reminds you that you need to know what you are doing.
The Jaguar is sensible and respectable, but not exactly stirring.
The Corvette is, as my wife calls it, the tart: not sensible, not respectable, but incredibly exciting to take for a drive.
I suppose when the economy fully recovers, and demand for cars like this is again strong, I might come to my senses and find a buyer for it. Or I might decide: it's paid for. It works great. Even the insurance isn't too bad on it. And at my age, I'll never have another job good enough to let me buy something like this new.
I turned on the collision insurance, checked the vital fluids, charged it up, and took it out for a spin. I am so glad that I didn't sell it.
The Jaguar is sophisticated, genteel, elegant, and quiet.
The Corvette is raw, loud (both visually and auditorially), and brassy.
The Jaguar is easy to control at the limits of its cornering, with mild understeer.
The Corvette jumps up and down and begs to taken to the cornering limits--where you can pick between barely detectable understeer and oversteer that reminds you that you need to know what you are doing.
The Jaguar is sensible and respectable, but not exactly stirring.
The Corvette is, as my wife calls it, the tart: not sensible, not respectable, but incredibly exciting to take for a drive.
I suppose when the economy fully recovers, and demand for cars like this is again strong, I might come to my senses and find a buyer for it. Or I might decide: it's paid for. It works great. Even the insurance isn't too bad on it. And at my age, I'll never have another job good enough to let me buy something like this new.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Back From Oregon
Back From Oregon
Instead of just going to Bend to work, I continued out to the coast to visit my mother, brother, and sister who live in one of the small coastal cities there. I'll have some pictures in a day or two--but right now, I am exhausted. I left at 6:15 AM this morning, and arrived home about 8:15 PM. Adding to the exhaustion, I have discovered that I am too dense for the Jaguar's seat on long drives.
This is not the first car seat where this has been a problem. Remember that density of an object goes up with the cube in linear dimension, so a person who is 10% taller, all other factors being equivalent, will be roughly 33% heavier (1.1 to the third power), and have about 21% more buttocks area (1.1 to the second power).
It turns out that a lot of car seats are designed to give a bit in the middle of the bottom cushion--but not so much on the edges of the bottom cushion. The theory is that people who are fairly small in height and width are also pretty light--so if the seat gives a bit in the middle, they sink in on the test drive, and this gives that cushy feel that many people expect. If you are a good bit heavier, you are generally a good bit larger in all linear dimensions, and the weight is distributed across not just the middle of the cushion (which has a lot of give) but also the sides of the cushion (which are usually better supported).
On several cars that I have owned, including my 1978 Camaro Z28, my 2000 Impala LS, the Jaguar X-type, and to a lesser extent, my 2000 Corvette, I have found that, to my shock and amazement, I am apparently considerably heavier for my dimensions than the average customer for whom these seats were designed. I am not a body builder, by any means, but I seem to be much more muscular (and thus denser) for my height and dimensions than normal. (Which is not bragging--it's a bad sign about the average person's level of condition!) It is quite common for people to underestimate my weight by 20-30 pounds--and thus, I'm a good bit heavier for the amount of seat that I cover than normal.
As a result, I sink into the less supported part of the bottom seat cushion much more deeply than the average person with the same number of square inches, and after four or five hours, I started to develop pain in my legs just above the knees. Because my rear has sunk lower than normal, the seat cushion puts excessive pressure on the legs in this spot. After six hours in the car, I start to develop pain in my lower back, for reasons that aren't quite as clear.
Now, car makers know how to solve this problem. I can remember being astonished the first time I sat in a Mercedes. The seat was extremely firm--enough so that I am sure that more than a few "luxury" car buyers were so turned off by the first five minutes that they simply refused to consider it. But ride on a firm car seat for a while, and you start to appreciate it.
Back in the late 1970s, Chevrolet would (if you asked nicely, and were on good terms with your dealer) let you order their sedans with many of the special parts used for police cars and taxis (using the Central Office Production Order list, instead of the Regular Production Order list). At my encouragement, a couple of friends ordered up a Malibu and an Impala with the police car parts. Some of these were performance items: enhanced versions of the sport suspension; quicker shifting automatic transmissions; pursuit tires designed for continuous high speed travel. Some of these were durability enhancements for the peculiar needs of pursuit vehicles: stiffer engine valve train parts for durability; even heavier duty versions of the wheels, cooling system, and oil cooler.
One of the most unexpected parts was the heavy duty front bench seat in my friend Eric's Impala. The standard Impala had a steel bottom to the seat--but with cut outs where the driver and passenger bottoms would be--to make sure that the seat had some give when you first sat down in it.
The heavy duty bench seat that came with the 9C1 package had a solid piece of steel at the bottom of the seat--and what a difference it made! Probably because the average police officer (in spite of the nasty stereotypes of them as donut munchers) is in much better physical condition than the average Chevy buyer, those cutouts weren't there.
I drove Eric's Impala on a number of occasions for prolonged periods of time--and even if I was a little tired when I got into it, I was wide awake after I started to drive it. Like those stiff Mercedes seats, it actually made me more awake, and more alert than I would have been otherwise. At the same time, when I sat in the front passenger's seat, which was also correspondingly stiff--I would nod off immediately--probably for the same reason that a firm mattress lets you sleep so well.
I've done similar stuff before to some of the aforementioned car seats, using the densest foam rubber that I could find to reduce the play in the center of the bottom seat cushion, and the results, while not perfect, have at least been better. As an expedient, somewhere in eastern Oregon, I stuffed a rather stiff blanket under the driver's seat to reduce that sinking feeling. It wasn't perfect, but it did make some slight improvement.
Anyway, one of tomorrow's tasks is to figure out how to make a proper corrective assembly for the Jaguar's driver seat so that it handles dense driver's like myself. It looks like the frame will allow me to machine a couple of crossbars out of aluminum channel that will substantially reduce the opportunity for the unsupported part of the cushion to drop. If it works well, perhaps ScopeRoller will have a new product to sell!
Instead of just going to Bend to work, I continued out to the coast to visit my mother, brother, and sister who live in one of the small coastal cities there. I'll have some pictures in a day or two--but right now, I am exhausted. I left at 6:15 AM this morning, and arrived home about 8:15 PM. Adding to the exhaustion, I have discovered that I am too dense for the Jaguar's seat on long drives.
This is not the first car seat where this has been a problem. Remember that density of an object goes up with the cube in linear dimension, so a person who is 10% taller, all other factors being equivalent, will be roughly 33% heavier (1.1 to the third power), and have about 21% more buttocks area (1.1 to the second power).
It turns out that a lot of car seats are designed to give a bit in the middle of the bottom cushion--but not so much on the edges of the bottom cushion. The theory is that people who are fairly small in height and width are also pretty light--so if the seat gives a bit in the middle, they sink in on the test drive, and this gives that cushy feel that many people expect. If you are a good bit heavier, you are generally a good bit larger in all linear dimensions, and the weight is distributed across not just the middle of the cushion (which has a lot of give) but also the sides of the cushion (which are usually better supported).
On several cars that I have owned, including my 1978 Camaro Z28, my 2000 Impala LS, the Jaguar X-type, and to a lesser extent, my 2000 Corvette, I have found that, to my shock and amazement, I am apparently considerably heavier for my dimensions than the average customer for whom these seats were designed. I am not a body builder, by any means, but I seem to be much more muscular (and thus denser) for my height and dimensions than normal. (Which is not bragging--it's a bad sign about the average person's level of condition!) It is quite common for people to underestimate my weight by 20-30 pounds--and thus, I'm a good bit heavier for the amount of seat that I cover than normal.
As a result, I sink into the less supported part of the bottom seat cushion much more deeply than the average person with the same number of square inches, and after four or five hours, I started to develop pain in my legs just above the knees. Because my rear has sunk lower than normal, the seat cushion puts excessive pressure on the legs in this spot. After six hours in the car, I start to develop pain in my lower back, for reasons that aren't quite as clear.
Now, car makers know how to solve this problem. I can remember being astonished the first time I sat in a Mercedes. The seat was extremely firm--enough so that I am sure that more than a few "luxury" car buyers were so turned off by the first five minutes that they simply refused to consider it. But ride on a firm car seat for a while, and you start to appreciate it.
Back in the late 1970s, Chevrolet would (if you asked nicely, and were on good terms with your dealer) let you order their sedans with many of the special parts used for police cars and taxis (using the Central Office Production Order list, instead of the Regular Production Order list). At my encouragement, a couple of friends ordered up a Malibu and an Impala with the police car parts. Some of these were performance items: enhanced versions of the sport suspension; quicker shifting automatic transmissions; pursuit tires designed for continuous high speed travel. Some of these were durability enhancements for the peculiar needs of pursuit vehicles: stiffer engine valve train parts for durability; even heavier duty versions of the wheels, cooling system, and oil cooler.
One of the most unexpected parts was the heavy duty front bench seat in my friend Eric's Impala. The standard Impala had a steel bottom to the seat--but with cut outs where the driver and passenger bottoms would be--to make sure that the seat had some give when you first sat down in it.
The heavy duty bench seat that came with the 9C1 package had a solid piece of steel at the bottom of the seat--and what a difference it made! Probably because the average police officer (in spite of the nasty stereotypes of them as donut munchers) is in much better physical condition than the average Chevy buyer, those cutouts weren't there.
I drove Eric's Impala on a number of occasions for prolonged periods of time--and even if I was a little tired when I got into it, I was wide awake after I started to drive it. Like those stiff Mercedes seats, it actually made me more awake, and more alert than I would have been otherwise. At the same time, when I sat in the front passenger's seat, which was also correspondingly stiff--I would nod off immediately--probably for the same reason that a firm mattress lets you sleep so well.
I've done similar stuff before to some of the aforementioned car seats, using the densest foam rubber that I could find to reduce the play in the center of the bottom seat cushion, and the results, while not perfect, have at least been better. As an expedient, somewhere in eastern Oregon, I stuffed a rather stiff blanket under the driver's seat to reduce that sinking feeling. It wasn't perfect, but it did make some slight improvement.
Anyway, one of tomorrow's tasks is to figure out how to make a proper corrective assembly for the Jaguar's driver seat so that it handles dense driver's like myself. It looks like the frame will allow me to machine a couple of crossbars out of aluminum channel that will substantially reduce the opportunity for the unsupported part of the cushion to drop. If it works well, perhaps ScopeRoller will have a new product to sell!
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