101Carsense

AC vent In early cars like the 70s Peugeot 504 and other cars before that era when car AC compressors were bulky and not very efficient, it is indisputable that using your car Air Conditioner while driving means parting with some extra liters of fuel.   But we are in an era when car compressors are better built and lighter. That doesn't mean they don’t require power from the engine to be driven as is most noticeable at low rpm like when the car is idling and you switch on the AC. The noticeable drop in rpm is mostly due to inertia. So, your glasses are down and your AC is off so you can save fuel. I bet the only place you are going to save that fuel in today’s cars is ‘in your head, not in your fuel tank’. If your glasses are down and you are driving at speeds in excess of 80km/h (about 55mph), the inside of your car will be working like a big balloon or parachute to pull your car back as air flows in through the windows. This way, the engine will be wor...

old car modern car If you have been driving for many years now or you owned or drove a classic car (say one from the 70s), you may have taken one or two old habits to your modern car. The mid 19th century was really a fun period for the automobile industry as many technologies such as power steering, antilock brake system, locking differential and others were introduced then. Before the use of Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) , the proper way to break in an emergency situation is to step on the breaks as hard and safe as possible, then let go a little to avoid locking the wheels, then step on it again. You do this repeatedly until you’ve totally avoided the hazard or brought the car to a stop. If you step on the breaks and stay there, the break pad grabs the break disc so hard that the wheel locks (stops spinning), putting the car into a skid. This makes the driver loose his steering ability (he could be steering left but the car will be going in the opposite direction) a...