Pump Parade
I've read your article "IC Spray Pump Test" – it’s an interesting read.
In the past I've done some pump tests myself. I've found that the pumps that
produce really high pressure started leaking after a while. Especially the
headlight washer pumps, which could reach a very high pressure when connected to
the spraying nozzle, but are really meant to flow a lot more water at a slightly
lower pressure. All pumps that started to leak did so between the tiny shaft of
the motor and the seal that seals it from the pump. After a while, the motor
gets too wet inside and breaks down. I'm not sure whether you tested long enough
for that to happen, but I'd go with a windscreen washer pump and ignore the big
headlight washer pumps.
I'm now using two very cheap windscreen washer pumps in series - the output
pressure is approximately twice as high when two pumps are used in series. These
pumps are from a VW Golf - a very common car over here and therefore very cheap.
I've tried the VDO pump you used in the original article "Intelligent
Intercooler Water Spray" – it is slightly better than the VW pump, but I couldn't
find two of them at that time, so I decided to go ahead with the VW
pumps.
Bas van Elten
Netherlands
We didn’t notice any of the water pumps leaking during our test – however,
they probably weren’t run for long enough for this to occur. Thank you for the
fantastic info. Running a pair of pumps in series is an excellent idea.
Spell Check #1
Check your spelling of 'Champagne' on your cover story (Champagne Taste, Beer Budget - Part One)...
Mr. Gammarr
New Zealand
Spell Check #2
Your article title "Champaign Taste Beer Budget" (Champagne Taste, Beer Budget - Part One) appears to spelt incorrectly, should it actually be
"Champagne Taste Beer Budget"?
Brett Cashmore
Australia
Spell Check #3
Have you guys misspelled Champagne in Champagne Taste, Beer Budget - Part One or am I missing something?
James Whitbourn
Australia
Well spotted everyone – article now fixed!
Hot Holdens/HSVs
I was looking back through some old issues and came across the road test of
the HSV VX2 SV300 (New Car Test - HSV SV300). The pictures in this article are some of the best shots of
this car I have seen. Is it possible to get these pictures big enough for wall
papers (high resolution)?
Also are you going to do a road test of the new LS2 VZ HSV's soon? I would
love to read a comparison between the new LS2 VZ and the superseded LS1 VY2.
Anyway keep up the good work.
Darren Kirwin
Australia
Just click on the image(s) you like to expand to a size and resolution you
can use. A road test of the LS2 is certainly something we'd like to do!
DFA on MAP Sensor Solution
Re: Implementing a Digital Fuel Adjuster in a Normally Aspirated MAP sensor
equipped vehicle ("Tuning Qs" at Response - 17 April 2005)...
I have a 2000 model Suzuki Baleno 1.6 that uses a MAP sensor. I have been contemplating how best to use my Digital Fuel Adjuster and hand-controller which
I am still to build and install.
After reading up a lot about it, in particular the AutoSpeed article
(The Fueltronics AMFC) on the problems encountered implementing an interceptor on
the MAP sensor equipped Charade, I was wondering if anyone has gone to the level
of implementing a Digital Fuel Adjuster combined with the Frequency Switch on such a
car.
I was thinking about it and thought why not use the Frequency Switch kit to
turn on the Digital Fuel Adjuster only in the higher RPM range - that way you won't
lean out the lower RPM mixtures.
What do you think of this idea?
I just have to go and get a frequency switch kit now and after that find a
good dyno tuner.
Damian Robins
Australia
Yep, that sounds fine. Let us know how it goes!
Re: Trapped #1
At Response - 17 April 2005...
"I'm sick of speed traps - they are, in most cases, revenue raisers. I have
been cited by the QLD Police Dept for warning drivers that they were entering a
speed trap. I was flashing my light. Any ideas on how to fight this?
Dave
Australia"
I have read somewhere that someone got booked for a similar thing - they took
it to court and won. The argument used was this:
1. The point of "safety" cameras is to slow people down - not raise money
2. By "flashing" oncoming traffic, you are merely assisting the police in
their efforts to slow people down.
Anyway, keep up the good work - and get some euro cars dammit!
Dustin Bartlett
Australia
Re: Trapped #2
A quick response to the guy done for warning about a radar trap (Response - 17 April 2005)...
A good friend of mine, who is currently training to join 'the Force', has
told me that it is not illegal to warn motorists of a radar trap. But what they
will do if they catch you (and have done in this case) is to cite you for is
operating your headlights in a manner which may dazzle oncoming drivers.
In your defence, it may be appropriate to say that you were attempting to
warn oncoming drivers of a potential hazard on the road ahead (make no reference
to a radar trap), and (if this is the case) that as the warning was made during
the day so it was unlikely that your lights would be likely to cause any risk of
dazzling drivers due to the ambient sunlight.
Worth a shot...
Michael O'Brien
Australia
Trapped #3
In reply to Dave's letter in Response of 17 April, 2005
As I understand it, the two laws applicable to Dave's case are:
1. Using High Beam within x hundred metres of another car
2. Perverting the course of justice
The first is not applicable if you were simply switching your low beams on
and off rapidly. The question is whether an observer could pick the difference -
switching on low beam in most cars MAY show the parkers coming on first. Test
this out. In future, use this technique as it is quite legal to turn your
headlights on and off.
The second is also only applicable if the police can prove that there was a
'crime' occurring. If each car that you allegedly signalled went through the
trap below the speed limit, then there is no such evidence.
Note that I am not a legal professional.
Philosophically, if you are slowing traffic down, then aren't you supporting
the police intent? The alternative view is that the police want to ensure that
drivers continue to exceed their speed limits. At a bigger picture level, you
have to ask yourself whether or not the speeds of those drivers negatively
affected public safety. Fixed speed limits, after all, are by definition
arbitrary.
Rick
Australia
Missing R32 ‘Dub
How come you have not test driven the Volkswagen R32? I need your opinion on
this new car.
LT
USA
We haven’t done a test on the R32 Golf because VW has not yet made one
available. We’ll keep trying.
Reverse Fan Flow
How hard is it to make radiator fans work in reverse?! I would love to be
able to manually run the fans of my 300 hp WRX auto cross car in reverse ...
between runs ... so that I get continued cooling through the top mounted (STI)
intercooler instead of blowing hot air up through the IC...
Mako Koiwai
USA
All you need to do is wire the fans with opposite polarity so they run
backwards when you flick a switch. This is the same idea as the ‘reverse’ switch
on a model railway!
Tweaked Cool-Down
Re: Electronic Radiator Fan Switch
I want to keep my radiator fans running after the car is stopped, as my old
car (Renault 19) used to do. Will this require the coolant pump to run to make
any difference to temperature, and is that possible using the DPDT relay on the
kit, or is the pump connected to the drive belt? The car is a Nissan EXA with a
CA18DE.
Also, in the article The Simple Voltage Switch there is a bit of a typo: The SVS actually uses an on-board
double pole, double pole (DPDT) relay.
Kent Slaughter
Australia
If the manufacturer (Nissan) has set up the car with fans that switch off
with the engine, chances are you won’t find much advantage letting them run
longer. On the other hand, temperature measurement is the only way to find out.
The EXA’s water pump is connected to a drive belt so, no, you can’t keep it
operating without the engine running. You may be able to use a timer circuit to
keep the engine idling when you switch off (like a turbo timer). If the fans are
wired to operate during the count-down period you might achieve a more
progressive engine cool-down.
Typo now fixed.
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