Australian VW Owners Speak of Sudden Power Loss, After Death of …
It seems that Volkswagen1 has some things to set straight with its cars2 in certain markets. After recent recalls over issues with DSG transmissions in China3, Japan4, there have been reports about engine problems in Australia.
According to a report from the Newcastle Herald5, Many Aussie owners of VWs spoke out this week, claiming they had problems similar to those believed to have caused the 2011 death of Melissa Ryan, a 32-year-old owner of a Golf equipped with a manual transmission.
She reportedly experienced sudden deceleration while driving on Melbourne s Monash Freeway, at which point she was rear-ended by a truck. The driver of the big rig claims to have seen her brake lights working prior to the accident, but he did not see them light up just before it happened – this would suggest that she did not use the brakes.
A coronial investigation (autopsy) recently sparked outrage in Australia, as at least 15 owners of an assortment of VW models also reported having experienced similar issues themselves, said the Australian daily newspaper. The German company s official side of the story is that cars go into limp mode all the time, especially diesels whose injectors seem to have a fairly high rate of failures on specific car models.
I can totally relate to this, as a content owner of a 2002 Ford Mondeo TDCI myself. I also had the same problem: under hard acceleration, a light would start flashing and the car would go into limp mode. However, in my case, it was all the more frightening because if you kept your foot planted on the throttle, the car would just die completely, taking the lights and (hydraulic) power steering with it. The Mondeo is listed along with the Mercedes ML350 as having similar problems, according to Fairfax.
By Andrei Nedelea
References
- ^ Volkswagen (www.carscoops.com)
- ^ set straight with its cars (www.carscoops.com)
- ^ China (www.carscoops.com)
- ^ Japan (www.carscoops.com)
- ^ the Newcastle Herald (www.theherald.com.au)
Dodge The Boris Tax With New Green Cars
The London Congestion Charge is an unpleasant fact of life for the many motorists whose livelihoods necessitate them entering the City
It is an almost certain fact that this additional motoring tax will spread, like the bubonic plague, to other cities of Britain in the not too distant future
From July 2013 it will get worse as the cut-off point for exemption on the grounds of low emissions will be reduced from the present 100g/km to a demanding 75g/km
At a stroke, thousands of cars that were previously exempt will be liable to pay
The only recourse for owners is to either cough up or trade-up for to one of the super-low emission cars, all of which have one thing in common a mains plug
Just lately it seems that the furore surrounding electric cars has died down as the present limitations of electrical automotive technology are at this time seemingly insurmountable
Nevertheless the car makers are pressing on with a selection of models
Nothing wrong with these cars of course they are eminently suited to the urban life, but the spectre of limited range still hangs over them
There are about a dozen new plug-in electric cars that will beat the congestion charge and benefit from the government s grant scheme
Some have been around long enough to be appearing on the second hand market
It might make sense for road commuters to have two cars: one for work and something for the weekend, as it were
Possibly the best used car choices would be the Prius, the Ampera and the Leaf
The good old Toyota Prius has been with us for a while now and recent improvements have reduced the CO to a meagre 49g/km, easily beating the target
It can manage about fifteen miles on electricity alone so technically it could cross the City on battery juice alone
The Vauxhall Ampera was designed to be an extended range vehicle from the outset, so battery power is backed up by a small petrol engine, but for the London run should do the journey on a fresh charge
2012 models are slowly creeping onto the used market
Then there is Nissan s Leaf
It can manage over one hundred miles on a single charge in the right circumstances, although this would be reduced if power is consumed by ancillary equipment
The latest model is much better but if the canny owner can live with the limitations of the earlier version then it should do the job well
It doesn t matter which way Britain s motorists turn, they will still be confronted by some form of automotive taxation
Cars like those above may not be the first choice for driving fans but as work transport they will soon be the only way to go
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One Hot Lap: How to Get Started in Karting: Emma's Experience
A while back, we compared track, autocross and karting1 and concluded that based on cost per seat time and thrill, karting cannot be beat! The sport is a great entry point for future pro drivers and the most effective type of racing in terms of skill development. To give you a better perspective for what goes into karting, we asked Emma, a young karter from the UK, to share her experience with us. She currently races karts in club championships, with the aim of moving on to cars and pro racing. She also invites you to check out her trackday experience website TicketHangar.com2, which helps pay for her racing expenses. by Emma Hoards
Karting. It s the one form of Motorsport where nearly every professional racing driver learned his (or her!) trade. As well as being one of the most cost effective ways of getting into the sport, you ll learn everything you need to go further and compete in whichever series you choose. I’ve put together some best practices and tips on how to develop karting skills.
Getting StartedGetting into the sport is as simple as visiting your local track and asking some questions. If you re getting into it without any previous contacts, head to your local owner-driver track and start asking questions! You’ll quickly find out what classes are raced at your local track, as well as the best place nearby where you ll be able to buy equipment.Once you’ve decided on a class and kart (if you’re just starting out, you ll want to race locally, so make sure the class has a decent number of drivers competing), you ll need to start training. You may be required to sit a test to obtain your racing license but if you are, don t panic it s just to check you re not dangerous. At your local track and in the small club events you will find that competition is strong, but once you’ve completed a few test days and races, you ll be find someone to race against. Everyone has to start somewhere, so don t worry too much about your speed!
Finding SpeedOnce you’ve got all the basics in place, you’ll want to start improving your speed. The best way to do this is to simply get out on track, and start putting in the laps. Practice days can be a great way to push your limits and learn new techniques. It doesn’t matter if you run off track! If you’ve got the funding available, it s a really good idea to spend a day with a driving coach. They will guide you and teach you new techniques to improve your speed; some will even work on helmet camera and GoPro footage. Tips That Work for MeHere’s my take on the basic way to get around a track as fast as possible. Try and be very smooth. Unless you re driving in the wet, try and keep still in the seat, as you don t want to unsettle the kart. Weight distribution is important when it comes to cornering. By transferring the weight onto the opposite side of the corner, you ll find you don t need to turn the steering wheel as much. The other main area is braking (trail braking is the technical term) but that will warrant an article on its own
The same rules apply when slowing down into corners and hitting the gas on the exits: be smooth! The more aggressive you are, the more you re taking out of your lap time. Once you really master karting, you ll realize that the super-quick drivers make small movements with the steering wheel, letting the weight transfer do the work.
The Art of the PassOvertaking is another super-important skill, and one which can be a lot easier than you think. It s often something new drivers struggle with and you’ve got to be brave! If you re going to set up a pass, try not to spend too long behind them you want to overtake as soon as you get on the rear bumper. The longer you sit behind them, the more you slow into the pace they re driving. Be bold, and go for the pass. Track walks can be a good time to pick out passing places, along with checking out the Youtube footage before the event.
Kart Setup Is KeyIn my opinion, the biggest skill to learn for karting that far too many people ignore is kart setup. Even if you have a mechanic, you need to understand the fundamentals from tire pressure to engine settings, power valves to weight distribution and carburation through ride height. Even if you re the quickest driver in the world in a poorly set up kart, you will struggle. With times so close, 0.2 seconds per lap can be the difference between 1st and 10th.
What s Next?If you’ve progressed to higher levels, you ll need to start opening your checkbook. It’s one of the most competitive forms of Motorsport anywhere in the world, and as such it gets super expensive. Several teams offer packages where you can start with the kart team and progress into the teams’ cars at a later date. It’s a good idea to start out and know what your aims are, so you can plan your progression through the series.
Good luck, the sport rocks!
References
- ^ we compared track, autocross and karting (www.onehotlap.com)
- ^ TicketHangar.com (www.tickethangar.com)
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