- Nevada law enforcement targets illegal window tinting
- How To Fix A Drooping Car Window
- Solar powered Bluetooth handsfree speakerphone
- iLane reads your email to you on the go -in a Bluetooth handsfree car-
- How to Change a Serpentine Belt: DIY Auto
Nevada law enforcement targets illegal window tinting
March 23, 2009
Northern Nevada law enorcement agencies have received a hundred electronic window tint meters from the Department of Public Safety, which will be used to measure the shade of your car window.
The device slides right into your window, to detect dark tint. Tint that's too dark, or that blocks too much light, will fall anywhere below 35% on the meter.
Nevada law says it is illegal to add dark tint to your windshield, and two side windows. The law doesn't apply to your rear windows.
Every day, troopers and traffic sergeants come across hundreds of violations throughout Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County.
Sparks Sergeant Pat Dyer says, "we want everyone to be safe out there, and these windows that are illegally tinted are obstructing the view of drivers...it's especially unsafe to drive [with dark tint] in the evening hours."
If your caught with windows that are too dark, you'll be fined about $110 dollars.
Sources from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29765003/
How To Fix A Drooping Car Window
It's common to see older cars with misaligned windows unable to roll down evenly. Here's how to fix a drooping window with hand tools and a few bucks worth of parts. There are lots of reasons why a window will separate from the track it sits on and, if you have a newer car with complex electric systems, you're probably better off taking it to a mechanic if you're not entirely sure what you're doing. For drivers of older cars, the underlying cause is often a weakness with the adhesive holding the window in place. As it ages, the adhesive loses its adhesiveness and elasticity. Roll a window down too fast or let something get in the way and the window will separate. In our case, the truly hideous sound system installed in our 1986 Volvo 245 was the culprit. The speaker in the front passenger's side was too large for the window and the speaker's magnet was pushing against the glass when the window was in the down position. All of the glass in the car is original, which makes the adhesive holding the driver's side window in place almost as old as I am. Combine the two and you end up with a window separated from the track and sitting unevenly in the doorframe. If you don't drive in cold or wet weather and keep your car in the garage constantly, this isn't a big deal. If you want to actually enjoy your car but don't want to take it to a mechanic, you can do the job yourself on the cheap if there's no serious damage. Step One: Remove The Door Trim And Accessories Step Two: Prep Insulation And Identify Problem Step Three: Grease Any Dry Moving Parts Step Four: Re-Adhese The Track Step Five: Drop The Window In The Track Step Six: Reconnect The Panel And Pieces Step Seven: Wait... Enjoy Bonus Step: Fix The Speaker Sources from: http://jalopnik.com/5166862/how-to-fix-a-drooping-car-window
Solar powered Bluetooth handsfree speakerphone
Mar 24, 2009 by David Masters
Scosche has launched a new Bluetooth speaker phone that’s powered using solar energy.
The $100 (￡69) solCHAT device is designed for handsfree calls made whilst driving.
The solar panel is designed to be stuck in the corner of the car’s windscreen, recharging the device whenever the car is left is the sun.
SolCHAT’s features include easy install that guides users through set up and integration with their mobile handset.
Once set up, the user’s mobile phone is automatically recognised by solCHAT each time he or she steps into the car.
Voice Announce speaks the name of incoming callers so drivers can keep their eyes on the road.
Volume buttons enable users to control the volume of calls.
A USB charger is included for recharging the device on cloudy days.
Sources from:
http://www.mobilewire.co.uk/23-03-2009-solar-powered-bluetooth
-handsfree-speakerphone.html
iLane reads your email to you on the go -in a Bluetooth handsfree car-
23 March 2009 By Verity Burns
A new device has been developed by Intelligent Mechatronic Systems that will help you keep in touch with your email while you're on the go.
The iLane, designed for use in the car, will alert you when you receive a new email and even read it out to you as well to keep you handsfree and on the right side of the law.
The device is powered through the car's cigarette lighter and connects wirelessly to BlackBerry smartphones, with users wearing a Bluetooth headset to listen to emails and issue voice commands to respond.
Users can currently choose from two stock email responses – "I am in transit and will respond shortly" and "Call me if it's important" – or alternatively, they can record a voice memo up to 15 minutes long and the iLane will send it as an email attachment .
As well as handling email messages, the iLane will also call people from your phone book when you say their name, and read out the latest news headlines, weather forecasts and traffic reports.
It can also remind you of any appointments, birthdays and events stored in your phone's calendar.
iLane is currently only available in the US and Canada, but its manufacturers have said they hope to introduce it to Europe before the year is out. It currently retails for $600 (￡415), plus a $8 (￡6) per month subscription.
At the moment, the device is only compatible with BlackBerry phones, but more compatibility with other smartphones is intended in the near future.
Sources from: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/news.phtml/23127/24151/iLane-reads-email-on-go.phtml
How to Change a Serpentine Belt: DIY Auto
By Mike Allen
Photographs by Dennis Kleiman
Published in the April 2009 issue.
There's a squeal emanating from underneath your hood-and it doesn't sound good. The noise started a few months ago, on a gray and rainy morning, but it went away before you even pulled out of the driveway. Problem solved, right? Sorry pal. Unfortunately, the noise was back the very next morning, and this time it lasted all the way to the corner of your block. You lifted the hood and zoomed in on the offending racket-it was the serpentine belt. As the weeks dragged on, your morning commute got noisier and noisier every day. Then you began to hear it on the way home too. Now it's a constant reminder to replace the belt. Soon.
Most modern cars don't use old-fashioned V-belts anymore. In the 70's, as more and more cars were optioned with lots of power-hungry accessories running off the crankshaft pulley, it often became necessary to have as many as four V-belts, each running a different gizmo. There just isn’t room for that many belts and pulleys anymore-not to mention, this belt configuration means that it's a service nightmare to replace just the inner belt by itself. You'd have to remove the other three first-not a fun job.
There are several advantages to the new style of serpentine belts. A single belt, winding its way through a forest of pulleys, can now drive every single engine accessory at the same time. A single belt only an inch or so wide saves 3 or 4 in. of engine room real estate. Better still: Most of the serpentine-belt installations use a spring-loaded tensioner pulley that keeps a constant preload on the belt, eliminating the need to adjust the tension. If you've ever needed three hands and a tire iron to pry an alternator away from the block while simultaneously tightening the adjustment bolt-and-nut combo, you'll appreciate what a giant leap forward that is.
There's one last, very compelling advantage to serpentine belts: They don't wear out, at least not for a really long time. A fresh belt will probably last 150,000 miles without any maintenance at all. Contrast that with the expected 40,000- to 50,000-mile life span of a heavily loaded V-belt.
Failure Modes
So when, exactly, does one of these belts need to be replaced? Usually, you get plenty of warning before you hear the final Bad Noise, to wit, that squealing. A squealing noise is indicative of a problem, but might not require replacement of the belt. Misaligned pulleys or a seized tensioner or idler pulley can generate some noise as well.
A belt that's starting to disintegrate will show damage to the ribs or cords, which can usually be seen without dismantling anything. But you might need a flashlight and a dental mirror to see the fraying or cracking.
Fresh Belt
Start by studying the old belt's routing, which should be easy if the belt is still in place. But it's probably not so easy to spot if the belt is wadded up like macramé next to the a/c compressor's mounting bracket. Fear not: There should be a belt-routing placard under the hood. If the car has had bodywork or been repainted, the placard might have been covered. Look in the owner's manual; there's usually a routing diagram. With a half-dozen pulleys to choose from, it's possible, sometimes, to install the belt the wrong way. It might look right, but spinning the a/c compressor or water pump backwards isn't good. If the belt is hard to install or seems to fit poorly, you may have it routed incorrectly. Don't freak-sometimes the water pump is driven by the flat, back side of the belt. Any pulley that has grooves on it is intended to contact the grooved side of the belt. If you need to, sketch the correct routing down before you remove the old belt. As a last resort, check the shop manual.
Most cars provide a common 3/8-in.-sq hole in the tensioner's arm to release the tensioner. Simply use a ratchet to loosen the belt, and unthread it from the pulleys.
Inspect the belt for damage. Cracks across the ribs are the most common indication of a belt that's simply at the end of its life span. Little rubber bands of rib, tufts of fiberglass reinforcing belt or disintegrating belt edges are indications of a problem with the pulleys, idlers or tensioners. A high-mileage belt that's just looking worn can simply be replaced. If there are other indications of damage from misalignment, get out the straightedge and make note of what isn't square.
A bent accessory-mounting bracket can make a pulley crooked, and you'll need to realign it. A steel bracket could be bent back into place, but a couple of shim washers might be a better option. If you're replacing a belt because of a fried alternator or seized a/c compressor, don’t assume the new accessory or bracket will run true either.
Check the tensioner. The pulley should freewheel smoothly. The spring should have an appropriate amount of tension (which you can check with a belt tension gauge once the belt is installed), and there should be no friction in the pivot. Tensioner assemblies are usually not very expensive. Ditto for any idler pulleys, which should spin freely. We replaced the tensioner on our Suburban and added a drop of threadlocker to the bolt. The tensioner came with a new bolt-nice.
Is the area where the belt lives oily? Engine oil will rapidly degrade the rubber in the belt. Repair any leaky engine seals, like the crankshaft or camshaft front seal, or any gaskets-lest the new belt should go south in short order. Clean up any old oil too.
Check all the pulleys as well. Old rubber or dirt can build up in the bottom of the pulley grooves. You may need to clean the grooves with brake cleaner or a wire brush to remove any debris.
Buttoning Up
It's a simple matter to install a new tensioner and reinstall the belt, holding the tensioner slack with one hand as you thread the last pulley. Once the belt's in place, start the engine and let it idle for a minute or two. Check the belt tension by looking at the tensioner arm-the mark cast into the tensioner body will fall between the high and low marks if the belt is the correct part number and is installed properly.
If you removed any of the radiator shrouding to access the belt, don't neglect to reinstall it once you've finished. You certainly don't want any new noises coming from under the hood.
Sources from: http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/how_to/4311197.html
