Automotive Addict

"Only GM has the most cars that get 30 miles per gallon or better on the highway". You have heard the commercial, well here is a list of the cars: Buick Lacrosse, Chevy Cobalt, Chevy Aveo 5, Chevy Malibu, Chevy Malibu Maxx, Chevy Monte Carlo, Chevy Impala, Chevy HHR, Pontiac G6, Pontiac Vibe, Pontiac Grand Prix, Saab 9-3 Sport sedan, Saab 9-3 SportCombi, Saturn Ion.
*Based on 2006 EPA highway estimates.

GM is also looking to the future with advanced engine technology to save us money on fuel costs. Have you heard of Active Fuel Management? This is a technology that allows the vehicle to operate on 1/2 of the cylinders when driving with light loads. When full power is needed, the other cylinders kick in. For instance, at cruising speeds on the highway, your V8 engine will operate on 4 cylinders. When you are accelerating from a traffic light, your vehicle will operate on 8 cylinders. The vehicles that offer this technology in the 2006 model year are: Buick Rainier, Chevy Trailblazer, Chevy Monte Carlo SS, Chevy Impala SS, Chevy Tahoe, GMC Envoy XL, GMC Yukon, Pontiac Grand Prix GXP, and Saab 9-7X.

Still looking at GM Engines, there is (VVT) Variable Valve Timing. This helps to lower emissions and optimize combustion for greater performance and fuel economy. This is done by keeping the timing of the intake and exhaust valves in sync. The 2006 GM vehicles offering VVT are Chevy Colorado, Chevy Malibu Maxx SS, Cadillac CTS, Buick Rainier, Chevy Monte Carlo, GMC Envoy, and Pontiac G6 GTP.

Now for Flexfuel engines using E85 Ethanol. E85 vehicles can run on gasoline or a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. Did you know that for every 37 gallons of E85 ethanol used you are saving a barrel of oil! GM is projected to have nearly 2 million Flexfuel vehicles on the road by the end of 2006. Available Flexfuel vehicles are these 2006 models: Chevy Avalanche, Chevy Impala, Chevy Monte Carlo, Chevy Silverado, Chevy Suburban, Chevy Tahoe, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL; and these 2007 models: Chevy Avalanche, Chevy Suburban, Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon.

GM has numerous Hybrid transit buses on the road in US and Canada which reduce emissions by up to 90%. Also, BMW and DaimlerChrysler have joined GM to develop a two-mode full hybrid for rear, front, and all wheel drive vehicles.

Maybe if more manufacturers would join together for the good of all we could drastically reduce our dependance on foreign countries for oil. I have heard of an engine that is in the prototype stage that converts H2O Liquid to an H2 Gas. Wouldnt it be nice to run our cars off water! I believe the technology is there, but it will take money out of too many pockets to push forward.

There are several things you can do to save money on your auto insurance.
-The best way to save on auto insurance is to have a good driving record!
-One of the best money saving ideas for car insurance is to shop around for the best deal. The easiest way to do this is on the internet--you can get several quotes from one form.

Before you buy a car, check what the insurance is going to cost you. There is a big difference from a safe car compared to a car that had crash test problems. There are some company's that offer discounts for good driving records, certain features on cars, good grades, or even non-smokers, so make sure you find out what discounts are available with the company you are with.

Raise your deductibles to save on your car insurance premiums. If you have a $100 deductible, your insurance will be much higher than if you have a $500 deductible. If you have your car financed, make sure what the lender requires--usually $500 deductible. This may also vary by state.

If you have an older car, drop the full coverage and pay for liability only. If you wreck an older car, you will not get much money for it anyway.

WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT! It has been proven in studies that drivers who wear seat belts are in fewer accidents because they are more aware of being in an accident. It is also the state law in many states and could SAVE YOUR LIFE!

Step One: . . . The Conversion Process


We have to break down carbohydrate sugars, such as the starch from corn. Create it into "Mash". Grind or crush the feedstock (corn, soybeans, wheat, etc...). Then dilute and add an enzyme (alpha amylase) to turn the mixture into a liquid. Once liquified a second enzyme is added(glucoamylase) to convert the starch into sugar. (If the source is mainly sugar, i.e...rotten fruit, molasses, etc..., the conversion step can be skipped.


Step Two: . . . Fermentation


Add yeast and make it into a beer (wine) type solution.


Step Three: . . . Distillation


The beer (wine) type solution needs to be run through a still to extract the alcohol from the solution.


Step Four: . . . Filtration


The ethanol now needs to be filtered to get rid of excess organic volatiles.


Step Five: . . . Dehydration


The ethanol needs to be "dried". After the distillation process there will be a certain amount of water in the ethanol you have just created - this can be dried running the ethanol through Zeolite a readily available product for drying ethanol.


Step Six: . . . Ethanol Into e85


Now simply convert the pure ethanol into e85 by adding 15% unleaded gasoline to your ethanol. e85 is nothing more than 85% ethanol mixed with 15% gasoline.

I have to say, I am not a big dodge man, but the Challenger has everyone turning their heads. The specs that I have seen show the Challenger with a 6.1 liter Hemi V8 with 425 horse power at 6000 rpm and 420 lb-ft torque at 4800 rpm. It showes an impressive 0-60 in 4.5 sec. I wish GM would have taken the retro look with the GTO!

GM's OnStar is becoming more popular with the car buying public. On Star's one year free safe and sound package covers airbag deployment notification, remote vehicle diagnostics, remote door unlock, emergency services, stolen vehicle location assistance, roadside assistance, accident assistance, remote horn and lights if you are having trouble locating your vehicle, and 30 minutes free personal hands free calling. When OnStar was first introduced customers were apprehensive and did not want this feature and now they will not consider a vehicle without it. The dealership that I work at has a 92% renewal rate after the first year. The second year costs $199, but most customers feel this is a small price to pay for peace of mind.

GM's OnStar Feature has added voice activated Navigation. You contact an OnStar Advisor, tell them where you want to go, they download the route to your vehicle, voice commands tell you every turn to make. You can even go to Map Quest on the Internet and plan out a trip, download the trip to your OnStar Account, after naming the trip you can download it to your vehicle for directions and destinations that you have pre-determined on Map Quest. You can even plan how many miles you want to drive per day, where you want to stay, etc. OnStar is adding new features that Customers have found they do not want to live without.

One of the keys to negotiation is understanding the language. Most car dealers use the trade difference method and this is very confusing to some customers. For instance, the salesperson will say "We will trade for $7000 difference, plus payoff, plus TTF-Tax, Title, Fees". Just to make things simple we will say that you are buying a $27000 vehicle. This means that your vehicle appraised for $20000, or less if there are rebates involved. Now, you may owe $30000 on your car, meaning that you are actually financing $37000 on this vehicle, plus TTF. Most customers cannot understand that the payoff has to be added back to the deal.
$27000 minus $20000 is $7000 trade difference, plus payoff, in this case $30000 which will give you $37000, plus TTF.
This method is used to make you forget about how much your trade is worth because it makes you focus on the payoff instead of the amount appraised on your car. Ask the salesperson to break your numbers down so you can analyze them better. Sale price, trade amount, rebates if applicable, taxes, and so on. I myself would rather lay everything out in the open for the customer and not give the old smoke and mirror approach.