Smokeless oil on the horizon?
An oil change may mean something new in years to come. Go Green Smokeless Oil International, Inc. offers smokeless oil, which is formulated to help reduce greenhouse gases and smoke emissions from older vehicles. The company recently announced the grand opening of its new prototype concept in environmentally friendly lube centers, beginning with its Go Green Oil Change Center in Austin, Texas, which offers both smokeless and traditional oil changes. However, motor oils will include a re-refined synthetic blend, a full synthetic motor oil processed for accelerated biodegradation if introduced to the environment, and a bio-based full synthetic product formulated with non-crude oil base stocks. The Department of Energy (DOE) and The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimate that approximately 400 million gallons of oil is spilled or illegally dumped into the environment every year. A single gallon of oil can pollute 1 million gallons of fresh water. When oil is leaked on streets and parking lots, it is washed into storm drains and into waterways. Go Green’s goal is to accelerate the rate at which leaks and spills are biodegraded, ideally, before they reach local waterways.
Complaints about in-car electronic systems on rise
Problems with in-dash electronic systems are a growing problem for many automakers, according to Consumer Reports in a recent Annual Auto Reliability Survey. The report, which is based on data for about 1.1 million 2005-14 model-year vehicles leased or owned by Consumer Reports subscribers, including 248 models from 28 brands, attempts to predict the reliability of 2015 models currently in dealer showrooms by evaluating models from past years. Lexus led the rankings from owners who participated in the survey, followed by Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Audi, Buick, Subaru, Scion, Porsche and Kia — meaning that Japanese brand in-dash electronic systems prove most reliable. For a second consecutive year, General Motors has the most reliable brands among the Detroit automakers. Ford and Lincoln show improvement, and Chrysler’s brands remain low by comparison. Models in their first year from Infiniti, Jeep, Fiat, Ram, Cadillac, Ford and Honda all have significant problem rates caused by glitches in their infotainment systems, or in-car electronics that provide navigation, smartphone connectivity, audio and more, according to Consumer Reports. For all cars included in the survey, in-car electronics generates more complaints from owners of 2014 models than any other survey category. Issues such as freezing screens, lagging touch controls, malfunctioning voice recognition and problems in pairing smartphones continue to be a problem. That said, Consumer Reports says automakers continue to improve their electronics technology.
Safe travels
The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. offers five tips for weatherproofing one’s car before hitting the road this rainy spring:
- Check, change or top-off the oil, coolant, brake and transmission fluids. This helps important car systems to perform well.
- If the windshield wipers are not working well or are more than six months old, replace them. Bad windshield wipers make driving in the rain on unfamiliar roads more dangerous.
- Have the tires checked and, if necessary, rotated. Err on the side of caution by replacing any tires that look suspect to help prevent dangerous blow-outs.
- Check the headlights and taillights to make sure all are working. New bulbs are easy to install, inexpensive, and they help improve visibility and safety. And, in most states one can also receive a traffic violation for a non-working vehicle exterior light.
- Clean the windows on the inside and out to increase visibility. Especially when traveling on unfamiliar roads or in the dark, having good visibility is important.
Hanover offers customers year-round maintenance apps to help diagnose car problems, locate mechanics, provide recall notices, and generate repair cost estimates.
Better safe than sorry
Winter may be winding down, but one can never be too safe when it comes to cold-weather driving. Michigan-based Meemic Insurance offers 10 Safety Tips for Winter Driving:
- Clear snow and ice from all windows, lights, hood and roof for maximum visibility and to avoid having ice and snow fly off your vehicle.
- Before starting out, turn on the lights to increase visibility to other motorists.
- Posted speed limits are for dry pavement. Decrease speed on icy, snow-covered roads and allow extra distance between you and other vehicles.
- Watch the traffic well ahead for extra reaction time. Always drive defensively and give yourself a cushion of time to deal with wintery conditions.
- Stay at least 200 feet behind maintenance vehicles and snowplows, and don’t pass on the right. Use extreme caution when passing in a passing lane.
- Avoid abrupt lane changes. There may be a snow ridge between lanes, and the passing lane may be in worse shape than the driving lane.
- Brake early and gently to avoid skidding. It takes more time and distance to stop in adverse conditions. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake and don’t pump the anti-lock brakes.
- Watch for signs alerting you to slippery bridge decks and other areas prone to becoming slick, even when the rest of the pavement is in good condition.
- Don’t use cruise control or overdrive in wintery conditions. Even a slight depression of your brakes to deactivate can cause loss of control on hidden slippery patches.
- Do not assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles encounter trouble on winter roads, just like other vehicles. The false sense of security these vehicles offer can leave you less prepared to deal with emergency situations.
Going green in 2015
BMW’s i3, an electric car built with a lightweight carbon fiber passenger cell and an aluminum drive module, has been named Green Car Journal’s 2015 Green Car of the Year®. The first all-electric vehicle to win Green Car Journal’s Green Car of the Year®, the i3 benefits from BMW’s years-long ‘project i’ initiative, which focuses on future mobility and strategies for sustainable transportation. Designed as a battery electric car, the i3 features an optional REx gasoline engine-generator, which enables an extended driving range with electricity created on board. Green Car of the Year winners are selected based on their potential to make an impact on improving air quality, reducing greenhouse gases and promoting transportation efficiency.