Monday, March 19, 2012
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Growing choices in fuel-efficient cars By Jerry Hirsch Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES — With national gasoline prices averaging about $3.80 a gallon and the fuel above $4 in many states, consumer auto information sites are taking a new look at the fuel economy of vehicles and making recommendations. Edmunds.com looked at the fuel economy of vehicles in the 2008 model year and again this year. The industry has increased average fuel economy by 16 percent. The Audi A3 had the biggest jump of any vehicle. Its fuel economy climbed 38.5 percent since the 2008 model year to an average 29.1 mpg in 2012. The Top 10 fuel economy gainers during that period represented a wide range of vehicles. The Chevrolet Equinox, a sport-utility, improved 32 percent to 25.1 mpg. The big Buick LaCrosse sedan jumped 24.1 percent to 26 mpg. “The 2008 spike in gas prices served as a wake-up call for manufacturers whose fleets just weren’t cutting it for consumers who were demanding vehicles with better fuel economy,” said Edmunds.com analyst Ivan Drury. “Automakers responded by de-emphasizing fuel-chugging V-6 and V-8 engines and turning their focus to fuel-sipping four-cylinder and diesel engines.” He said based on the improvements in fuel economy, it will cost a driver about $400 less per year to fuel a 2012 vehicle than a car sold during the 2008 model year. Meanwhile Kelley Blue Book, which operates the KBB.com website, has developed a list of the least expen-
sive, fuel-efficient new cars, based on five years of ownership. That calculation factors in such things as depreciation, expected fuel costs, finance and insurance fees, maintenance and repair costs, and state fees for new models for the initial five-year ownership period. “When it comes to purchasing an automobile, consumers need to think long term to determine all of the costs associated with owning a vehicle,” said Alec Gutierrez, senior market analyst of automotive insights for Kelley Blue Book. The list illustrates that there’s more than fuel efficiency when considering which vehicle to purchase — the Honda Insight is the only hybrid — but it also has some drawbacks that consumers should consider. The calculations look at least-expensive trim versions; most consumers would likely include some options or buy a higher trim level. Moreover, the list says nothing about how the vehicles’ driving style, reliability, styling or other characteristics would influence a purchase decision. For example, the Nissan Versa with a five-year total ownership cost of just under $26,000 has not fared well in recent automotive reviews, while the Hyundai Accent, which has a cost of about $2,000 more, has received good marks. Likewise the Toyota Yaris, at just about $28,000 for a fiveyear cost, has a reputation as a reliable car, but reviewers have knocked the way it drives. Meanwhile, the Honda Fit at about $1,300 more is a favorite of the auto critics.
Buick/McT
The 2012 Buick LaCrosse sedan is all charged up and ready to go thanks to a slick system that uses what Buick calls “light electrification” to boost the engine’s power and fuel economy. The LaCrosse was one of the Top 10 fuel-economy gainers since the 2008 model, gaining 24.1 percent to 26 mpg during that period.
Page 2 / Monday, March 19, 2012
Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve
Fiat: Aiming to win with Sheen on TV By Brent Snavely Detroit Free Press
Faced with slow sales of its tiny Fiat 500, Chrysler’s top marketing executive has taken a chance with Hollywood bad boy Charlie Sheen in a commercial that airs during the NCAA tournament. “He definitely has a bit of the scorpion in him,” said Olivier Francois, Chrysler’s chief marketing officer. It’s another example of edgy, outside-the-box angles for Francois as he tries to sell Chrysler products. He used Eminem during the 2011 Super Bowl for the “Imported from Detroit” ad and was behind Clint Eastwood’s “Halftime in America” pep talk during this year’s game. Francois, who spoke Tuesday to the Automotive Press Association in Detroit, said he recalls arriving in the Motor City in 2009 and noticing automotive advertising focused on features and pricing: “It seemed like Detroit was obsessed with cupholders and zero percent APR.” The objective is to sell “cars through a brand” instead of selling a brand through its cars, he said Tuesday. In the Sheen commercial --
which has run for two weeks on YouTube with 1.5 million views -- the actor drives the Fiat through a mansion where a bevy of party girls have gathered. As he steps out of the car, the camera zooms in on an ankle security bracelet as he’s greeted by Romanian supermodel Catrinel Menghia. “I love being under house arrest,” he says. “What do I get for good behavior?”
the timing was ripe for such a message.”
YouTube trials
Timing over perfection
Brand image and awareness are more important than features and sales gimmicks in automotive advertising, according to Francois. Whether a commercial is about the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chrysler 200 or Fiat 500, the automaker has employed emotional images, iconic artists and narratives to capture the attention of consumers who might not have given Chrysler much thought before. For Francois, the brand should always take priority over the vehicles when crafting the advertising message. That philosophy was especially important as Chrysler rebuilt its image after its 2009 Chapter 11 bankruptcy. “I keep telling my team,
Mark Boster/Los angeLes tiMes/MCt
In another example of edgy, outside-the-box ads, Chrysler’s top marketing executive has taken a chance with Hollywood bad boy Charlie Sheen in a Fiat commercial that airs during the NCAA tournament. don’t shoot for perfect marketing. Shoot for the perfect timing,” Francois said Tuesday. For example, Francois said the timing was right for the first-ever two-minute Super Bowl commercial featuring Eminem. Using the “Imported from Detroit” tagline, the spot
portrayed Chrysler as an underdog, fighting for another chance. “One year earlier, it probably wouldn’t have been relevant,” Francois said. “One year later, and it would have been old news.” In the Clint Eastwood Super Bowl commercial, Chrysler’s timing again hit a
nerve. In the eyes of some, it seemed to endorse U.S. President Barack Obama’s aid to the automotive industry in “It’s Halftime for America.” Francois repeated earlier statements that the commercial was not designed to be political, but added that “we were absolutely aware that
When Chrysler isn’t sure about how the public will receive a commercial, it tests the ad first on YouTube, said Timothy Kuniskis, head of the Fiat brand in North America. Kuniskis said the company was initially concerned about reactions to a Fiat Abarth commercial showing a nerdy guy leaning into an image of Romanian supermodel Catrinel Menghia. At the last second, Menghia disappears and the Fiat Abarth appears. After posting the commercial on YouTube and quickly drawing more than 1 million views, Chrysler decided to air the commercial, called “Seduction,” during the Super Bowl. “We thought we’d be killed for showing it,” Kuniskis said. “We’ve gotten no heat on this ad. None.” Using YouTube to test reaction to the Charlie Sheen ad also proved beneficial. “Had we put it out, and it was a disaster, clearly we wouldn’t put it on TV,” Kuniskis said. “When we have something we are not positive of, this is a good way to reconfirm what we are thinking.”
Lexus, Mini top J.D. Power customer service index
By Jerry Hirsch Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES — Drivers gave the service departments of the Lexus and Mini brands the highest ratings in the latest J.D. Power & Associates customer service index. Lexus was the top luxury brand. The Toyota Motor Corp. unit scored 861 points out of a possible 1,000 on the J.D. Power scale and
stood out in three of the five measures: service initiation, service facility and service quality. The rest of the top five in the luxury segment were Cadillac (852), Jaguar (849), Acura (838) and Porsche (836). With 796 points, Land Rovers scored the worst among luxury brands. The remaining bottom five were Volvo (811), Lincoln (817), BMW (823) and Infiniti
(824.) Mini was the top massmarket brand with a score of 809. It performed well in four of the five measures: service quality, service advisor, service facility and vehicle pickup. Also among the top five were Buick (805), GMC (803), Chevrolet (801) and Hyundai (791). The bottom five were: Dodge (739 points), Suzuki (740), Smart (740), Jeep (741)
and Scion (752). Overall, satisfaction with dealer service improved by 19 points in 2012 compared with 2011. “Steady improvements in vehicle quality, longer intervals between recommended service visits and a higher mix of maintenance service events have had a positive effect on overall dealer service satisfaction,” said Chris Sutton, senior director at J.D. Power & Associates.
Manufacturers and dealers are working to improve their interactions with customers because they understand that substandard service will hurt their chances of a future vehicle sale or repeat service business, Sutton said. The study examines satisfaction among vehicle owners who visit a service department for maintenance or repair work. The rankings are based on dealer service
performance during the first three years of new-vehicle ownership, which typically represents the majority of the vehicle warranty period. Five measures are examined to determine overall customer satisfaction with dealer service, listed in order of importance: service quality, service initiation, service advisor, service facility and vehicle pickup.
Monday, March 19, 2012 / Page 3
OnTheMOve / Tallahassee Democrat
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Page 4 / Monday, March 19, 2012
Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve
Lincoln looks to Audi, Lexus for luxury By Alisa Priddle Detroit Free Press
DETROIT — For any luxury car brand, one indicator of success is whether customers know the mainstream brand to which it is related. It’s better if they don’t. Audi has gone to great lengths — even foregoing the cost savings that come with sharing parts — to erect a firewall between itself and parent Volkswagen. All 228 Lexus dealerships in the U.S. are exclusive and physically separated from Toyota. The purpose is to keep the two brands distinct in the minds and experience of buyers. Ford studied Audi and Lexus closely as it prepared to reinvent Lincoln. It won’t be easy, but it is necessary. The stakes are high. Ford has invested in seven new or upgraded Lincoln vehicles by 2014. Lincoln has concentrated its dealer network in the top 130 metro markets. Dealers have spent significantly to upgrade showrooms and service departments to deliver better customer service. A successful luxury brand “has to offer something that you can’t get from your mainstream brand,” said Michael Robinet, managing director of IHS Automotive Consulting. Ford created the Premier Automotive Group in 1999 to showcase its Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin brands that “offered something Ford didn’t have inhouse.” That strategy backfired. Ford has since sold all those luxury brands except Lincoln to help pay off debt. In 2010, Ford phased out Mercury. Lincoln was the only channel left to reach upscale consumers. The priority is to create vehicles “uniquely Ford and uniquely Lincoln,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s global product development chief.
Romain BlanquaRt/DetRoit FRee PRess/mCt
The Lincoln MKZ concept is unveiled at the North American International Auto Show at Cobo Center in Detroit on Jan. 10. It starts with the all-new 2013 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ midsize sedans. Their underlying structures are the same. That’s about all they have in common, said Kuzak, who revealed both cars last month at the Detroit auto show. “There isn’t a piece of (shared) sheet metal. The glass roof, the interior is all unique,” Kuzak said. Dimensions such as wheelbase and track may be the
same, but “the heights are different; overall lengths are different,” said Moray Callum, Ford’s North American design chief, which means differences in headroom and legroom. The automaker created a separate Lincoln team and moved the designers and engineers into their own dedicated studio in space carved out of a Ford product-development center. Audi’s headquarters in
Ingolstadt, Germany, is hundreds of kilometers from VW’s base in Wolfsburg. “We operate as separate companies,” said Filip Brabec, Audi of America’s general manager of product planning. “If we can find synergies and platforms and parts that fit, that’s great, but that is not the priority,” Brabec said. The level of sharing varies by vehicle. “The Audi A4 is a dra-
matically different car, even underneath, than the VW Passat, just by the arrangement of the engine and all the underpinnings,” Brabec said. The smaller Audi A3 and VW Golf ride on the same platform, but no more than one part in five is found in both models. “So 80 percent of the vehicle is completely new and unique to the brand,” he said. Even the shared components are adapted for a different
driving experience. Brabec said the fierce independence means Audi’s cost could be higher. “But it is absolutely worth it,” he said. “The image of Audi is preserved by doing this.” “VW and Audi have been doing it well for years and have a lot of momentum,” IHS’ Robinet said. “They have mastered the art of sharing what’s See LINCOLN, Page 6
Monday, March 19, 2012 / Page 5
OnTheMOve / Tallahassee Democrat
Lincoln From Page 4
important for economies of scale, but have convinced the public the vehicles are very different.” For Lincoln, “I think the MKZ is different enough,” Robinet said. “It has some borrowed pieces but is different where it matters.” When Ford was cashstrapped in its lean years, there was a greater need for economies of scale that translated to greater parts sharing across Ford, Mercury and Lincoln products. “Though the demise of Mercury is sad, I think it’s helped us to be able to differentiate the Lincoln product,” Callum said. Under designer Max Wolff, who came from Cadillac, there will be Lincoln styling hallmarks, including a signature full-size retractable glass roof and a new horizontal grille. Other technologies, such as electric gear selection with the push of a button, will free space in the center console. The trick is in deciding when Lincoln features can or should migrate to Ford vehicles. For example, the MKZ suspension has a continuously controlled damping system for a better ride. Kuzak confirmed that when the Fusion goes on sale in Europe next year as the Ford Mondeo, it will have the more responsive suspension. “It will be on some select Ford vehicles,” Kuzak said, but the distinguishing point is that it will be “across the board” on all Lincoln vehicles. Engines can be tweaked to alter their character and mated to 8-speed transmissions for Lincoln, 6 speeds for Ford. Another differentiator is the experience at the dealership, a concept Lexus has embraced. All 228 Lexus dealers in the U.S. offer higher level of service and more amenities, said Andrew Coetzee, Lexus vice president of customer services and brand development. Lincoln has 172 standalone
dealerships, representing 35 percent of the stores in the top luxury markets. The goal is to raise that to 70 percent by 2015. At Lexus, dealers display a “Lexus covenant” that requires customers be treated like houseguests, Coetzee said. “The Toyota affiliation is weak in the minds of buyers,” Coetzee said. Lincoln must now blaze its own trail, and the 2013 MKZ will help. But it will take a number of hits to establish a new image. Said Robinet: “It won’t be defined overnight.”
A new look
Many customers see a Lincoln as a more expensive but largely rebadged Ford. Never again, Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s global product chief, has vowed. After many fits and starts, this is Lincoln’s last stand to build a genuine luxury reputation. Ford will start selling the all-new 2013 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ later this year. Though the two midsize sedans share basic underpinnings, the similarities stop there. The look and features, as well as how the MKZ drives, are meant to be as distinctive from the Fusion as an Audi A4 from a Volkswagen Jetta — a corporate strategy Ford benchmarked. Lincoln dealerships aim to be as different from Ford showrooms as Lexus is from Toyota. Last year, Ford Fusion sales nearly tripled those of Lincoln’s entire lineup. “It (Lincoln) needs to distance itself from Ford products on the same lot, as well as from its luxury competitors,” said Michael Robinet of IHS Automotive Consulting. “It is something Lincoln should have done six years ago.” Ford once was a contender in the luxury market after it bought Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin and Volvo. Now Lincoln is all that’s left. There won’t be any more chances to reach the same level as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Cadillac and Audi.
Kathleen GalliGan/Detroit Free Pres/MCt
Hyundai introduces the 2013 Veloster Turbo at the North American International Auto Show, January 9, 2012.
Veloster turns heads, though not too quickly By Barry Spyker McClatchy Newspapers
A parking-lot security guard smiled and nodded approvingly. Others glued their eyes to the 2012 Hyundai Veloster, watching it all the way down the street. Truth is, the Veloster is the boldest-looking and most stylish compact hatchback to come along in many years. Featuring one primary oddity — three doors, not two or four — the Veloster has attitude and it grabbed me the moment I saw it. On the driver side, a coupe-like door; the other side has two sedan-like doors. That’s where the rearseaters will want to enter but, with a center cupholdersetup dividing the rear seat, it’s not the easiest of slideovers. Also, six-footers may grumble about headroom. But it’s still cool. Based on the Elantra, though no one will really notice, the Veloster is the
2012 HYUNDAI VELOSTER Base price, including destination: $18,060 Price as tested: $22,200 (with Style and Tech packages)
new guy in the hatchback neighborhood. It arguably is the sharpest looking of the bunch, is definitely not the fastest, but may offer the best bang for the buck with a host of standard amenities. It is sleek, even racy, from the profile. The front end is aggressive-looking, and its rear spoiler and dual, trapezoidal exhausts will garner attention, too. Front and rear overhangs are short and the optional 18-inch wheels will draw even more gawks. So one might expect its aggressive look to be matched with aggressive performance. Well, Houston, we have a bit of a problem. The Veloster screams (or was it just me?) for some turbo aid. Fortunately, I
learned, one is expected next year. Meanwhile, the 1.6-liter, inline four-banger falls short on the sprint. It’s not awful — the dang Veloster only weighs 2,600 pounds — and direct injection helps the cause. But the 138-hp motor will not please the driving enthusiasts, the folks who like to get on it. Zero to 60 takes nearly 9 seconds. But, surprisingly, Veloster is more about economy. Cruising the highway at a reasonable speed can get you 28 mpg around town and up to 40 mpg on the highway. Regulating the speed is done by two smooth-performing systems: a sixspeed manual that offers tight, short throws or a six-
speed dual-clutch automatic that comes with shift paddles on the wheel so you can take more control. And Veloster becomes much more fun when you hit the twisty roads. While steering was not as crisp as a cracker, Veloster handles the curves with good finesse. Body roll is minimal, aided by anti-roll bars and gascharged shocks. While its punch fails to live up to its racy looks, Veloster’s interior hits the mark nicely. Two-toned seats are well bolstered to hold you in, but not annoyingly so. And the cushioning is comfortable even for a longer haul. Plenty of headroom and legroom up front; leg room is sufficient in the rear but, as aforementioned, the sloping rear roof line may crowd the taller guys. A deep trunk provides 15-plus cubic feet of space. See HYUNDAI, Page 6
Page 6 / Monday, March 19, 2012
Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve
Cars’ connectivity seen as safety hazard By John Boudreau San Jose Mercury News
SAN JOSE, Calif. — American drivers are about to become a lot more distracted. As safety officials fret about drivers taking their eyes off the road to play with smartphones, automakers from Detroit to Japan are rolling out vehicles that are becoming virtual iPads on wheels. Next-generation vehicles, safety experts warn, could make multitasking motorists even more of a hazard on the nation’s roads and freeways. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has called distracted driving “a dangerous epidemic.” What began as perks for luxury cars are now becoming standard features of lower-end vehicles, said Carroll Lachnit, an editor at auto information site Edmunds.com. Motorists can press steering wheel buttons to buy movie tickets and give voice updates for their Facebook pages. Daimler AG, the German manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz and other vehicles, is working on technology that will enable drivers to read information on the windshield by waving their hand. Ford is offering consumers a car system that converts smartphones into routers, giving passengers Internet access while barreling down the road. “It’s a little bit of an arms race,” Lachnit said. Within five years, more than 90 percent of new cars will come equipped with Internet-connected technol-
Hyundai From Page 5
Pull down the 60-40 rear seats and you can more than double that to 35 cubic feet. The dashboard instruments are conveniently situ-
Dai Sugano/San JoSe Mercury newS/McT
A 17-inch touch display of Tesla’s Model S beta prototype showing a website and battery information. ogy features, said Dominique Bonte, group director of telematics and navigation at ABI Research, a technology consulting firm. Ford CEO Alan Mulally has coined a new slogan for his company: “Ford, The App of Choice for Car Buyers.” Last month, Ford announced it was setting up a research center in
Palo Alto, Calif., joining other carmakers that have opened up offices in Silicon Valley working on new advances in automotive technology that emphasize computer science and Internet communications. The merging of Detroit and Silicon Valley’s mobile technology has government offi-
cials increasingly concerned. Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed new dashboard technology guidelines that calls for automakers to ensure these new systems are automatically disabled once a vehicle is moving to deter distracted driving. “Auto manufacturers are
under big pressure to bring more technology into the car,” Bonte said. “We are used to all this technology at home, on our mobile phones, tablets and computers. At the same time, they have the very big responsibility of keeping driving safe. It’s a contradiction.” Automakers are chasing members of the millennial
generation — ages 19 to 31 and nearly 80 million strong — who see app technology as extensions of themselves. A recent survey published by consulting company Deloitte revealed that 75 percent of these consumers want touchscreen technology in their
ated. A 7-inch touch screen displays audio controls and optional back-up camera, and its graphics are sharp and bright. On it you’ll see Hyundai’s new BlueLink telematics system, which offers navigation, messaging and even location sharing through Facebook.
Visibility from within is good, not obstructed, but the rear-hatch glass distorts the view somewhat. Give it a C-plus. A panoramic sunroof is available to brighten the cabin. Veloster comes in just one trim, but it’s nicely appointed.
All standard: 17-inch wheels, AC, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, full power seats and accessories, six-speaker sound system with CD player, Bluetooth and USB iPod connectivity. Then you can option it out in two packages: Style and Tech. Style provides, well,
style: chrome grille, fog lights, panoramic sunroof and 18-inch wheels. Tech package gets a nav system, rear-view camera and parking sensors. Standard safety features include ABS, traction and stability control, front-seat side air bags and full-length
side-curtain air bags. With startlingly good looks, impressive mileage and price (starting around 18 grand), the Veloster has plenty going for it. Truly, I liked it. To love it, let’s see more spring in its step: Bring on that turbo.
See HAZARD, Page 7
Monday, March 19, 2012 / Page 7
OnTheMOve / Tallahassee Democrat
Hazard From Page 6
cars and nearly as many want in-dash apps. “There is a sense among carmakers that if they don’t start presenting these kinds of vehicle systems, they will be left in the dust,” Lachnit said. Jim Buczkowski, Ford’s director of electrical and electronics systems, said a driving motivation behind his company’s connected car technology is the fact consumers are engaging in these activities already, often unsafely, as they put the pedal to the metal. Indeed, a survey sponsored last year by insurer Liberty Mutual and Students Against Destructive Decisions revealed that more than half of high school students admitted to sending text messages while driving. The iPhone revolution is “changing the behaviors of people, whether they are in their car or not,” Buczkowski said. “Young people today are interested in the latest phone, even more so than the latest car.” Ford, which deploys voicecommand technology in its new models, tests every new application it adds to its cars to ensure it doesn’t lead to dangerous distractions, he said, adding: “We do a lot of experimenting.” Ford’s latest connected technology enables motorists to verbally select music, directions and even retrieve stock quotes. They can also listen to text messages and send them. The messages drivers can send, though, are limited to a collection of 15 prewritten texts, such as, “I’m going to be late,” and can only be edited when the car is not moving. But despite such safeguards, industry and government experts worry as car lots fill up with automobiles with touch-screen dashboards. LaHood, whose agency is pressuring states to outlaw texting and handheld phone use while driving, has called for more research on “oth-
THE CONNECTED CAR To meet the demands of the iPhone generation, automakers are rolling out models packed with new information and entertainment features. n BMW: New models come with Internet access and allow
videos to be viewed through an iPhone and on-demand streaming music. n FORD: Using voice commands, drivers can make phone calls, hear in-coming text messages and get news updates. n GENERAl MOTORs: Motorists can play with a 7-inch, high-resolution touch screen. System also allows text messaging and audio streaming from smartphones. n MERCEDEs-BENz: Voice-activating system for radio, phone and navigation system; comes with a Facebook app. n TEslA MOTORs: Upcoming Model S will be equipped with Internet access and a 17-inch touch screen.
er distractions” in the car. In California, it is illegal for drivers to chat on a cellphone without a hands-free device or send, read and write text messages. Drivers under the age of 18 are banned from talking on cellphones, even with hands-free devices. The National Transportation Safety Board recommends similar regulations for all 50 states after investigating a deadly 2010 Missouri chain-reaction accident involving two school buses caused by a 19-yearold driver after he sent or received 11 text messages just before the pileup. The brain is not wired for multitasking, said Stanford University researcher Clifford Nass, who specializes in automobile interfaces and is a consultant to automakers. “Yes, it will create more distraction,” Nass said of nextgeneration auto infotainment systems. “There really hasn’t been enough research on how to safely design for these things.” Drivers whose eyes glance away from the road for more than two seconds increase the risk of a crash by at least two times, according to a study commissioned by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. David Champion, director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports, is concerned that touch-screen dashboards require more attention than, say, pushing buttons on a radio or CD player. Game consoles such as the Xbox rely on the tactile experience of touching a button so users don’t have to
take their eyes off the screen, he observed. Touch-screen controls, on the other hand, require users to focus on what their fingers are reaching for, Champion said. “I hate to stifle innovation, but I think there should be some sort of requirement that the controls in cars be intuitive and don’t require taking your eyes off the road for long periods of time,” he said. Champion also believes speech-command technology is problematic. “Voice controls are OK as long as you don’t have an accent,” he said. “The more mental energy you are using to enunciate words to make sure the system understands you, the less attention you are paying to the road.” Silicon Valley is sure to play a major role in these new innovations, said Alison Chaiken, a member of a new group, Silicon Valley Automotive Open Source, which aims to find ways to make automobiles more technologically advanced but also safer. For instance, she believes technology used in cameras to detect red eyes could be deployed in vehicles to prevent people from falling asleep behind the wheel by sounding a beep when eyelids shut. But a lot of the emerging dashboard technology is untested and it will take time to figure out how it can be deployed safely, Chaiken said. “It’s going to take five years,” she said. “First, we will make systems worse. That’s what always happens.”
Q&A: Repairing older car might not be worth it By Paul Brand Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
QUESTION: We own a 2004 Honda Civic Hybrid with just less than 100,000 miles on it. The check-engine and IMA (integrated motor assist) lights came on, so we took it to the dealer. The mechanics said nothing was wrong but to come back if the warning lights came back on. Well, they did two weeks later. The dealer said that the battery needs to be replaced at a cost of about $3,000. It looks like the book value of the car is $4,000 to $5,000, but that doesn’t include the battery replacement. At what point do you throw in the towel and replace the car — when the cost of the repair is about the same as the value of the car? ANSWER: The lithium-ion battery pack in your Honda was warranted for eight years or 80,000 miles, except in California and several other states where the mandated warranty was 10 years or 150,000 miles. I’d be inclined to encourage the dealer to ask Honda for some level of customer goodwill help. All they can do is say no. Looking at your basic question regarding repair cost vs. replacement vehicle, I can’t argue with choosing to replace the vehicle when the cost of repairs approaches the value of the vehicle. Repairs do not enhance vehicle value, thus are not recoverable. Putting major repair dollars toward the purchase of a replacement vehicle
probably makes more sense in the long run, particularly if you’re planning to trade in your older vehicle. In most cases a dealer can repair — in this case replace the hybrid battery pack — for less than you can, so the dealer may value your trade a bit higher than someone purchasing it at retail and facing the cost of battery replacement. Q: I have a 1999 Pontiac Montana with 129,000 miles on it. Occasionally the upshifts are hard or harsh. On the next trip, it will be smooth. When it’s acting up, I baby it and take it super easy on the gas. I’m guessing maybe a transmission solenoid or valve sticks once in a while. Is there any damage from the occasional “thunk” upshifts? I do change the transmission fluid and filter on a regular basis. A: Start the diagnosis by checking for fault codes with a scan tool. If the transmission operates in the “limp” or “fault” mode, hydraulic line pressure is increased to prevent slippage, which will make the upshifts noticeably more firm. Hard or firm shifts may not feel good, but they don’t hurt the transmission. Intermittent harsh shifts could be due to a higher than normal transmission fluid temperature causing limpmode operation. Another possible cause is dirt or debris in a hydraulic passage, accumulator or the control valve body. I’d try adding half a can of SeaFoam Trans-Tune to help clean and degunk hydraulic passages
and components. Next time this occurs, pull over safely, shut off the ignition, then restart the engine. If transmission shift quality returns to normal, a scan tool should identify the trouble code related to the problem. Q: Our right turn signal — front and rear — quit working on our ‘97 Buick Park Avenue. No indicator light on the dash. The four-way flashers work. The fuses under the hood look OK. An auto parts store said it could be the flasher units under dash. I’m 72 and physically unable to lie under dash to look. A local shop said it could be a $700 fix. Unbelievable! Any input would be greatly appreciated. A: Your Buick uses a common flasher module for the turn signals and four-way flashers. If the right-hand cornering lamp operates when the turn signal is engaged, plus the fact that the four-ways work, the problem may be in the module or a short in the module harness or connector. If the cornering lamp does not illuminate with the turn signal, the problem is most likely in the turn signal’s multifunction switch or harness in the steering column. — Paul Brand, author of “How to Repair Your Car,” is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race-car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn. 55488 or via email at paulbrandstartribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number. It isn’t always possible to send a personal reply.
Page 8 / Monday, March 19, 2012
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