Have you ever imagined what your driving experience would be like without suspension? What a bumpy ride!
Today we investigate how dampers work – a vital part of any suspension system. More commonly called shock absorbers, these hydraulic suspension components keep your car’s springs from bouncing uncontrollably over bumps.
But do you know what dampers are or how they work?
Dampers control the bouncing movement of the spring by providing resistance – ensuring that the tyres are kept in contact with the road. However, dampers do not support the weight of the car - the springs, another suspension component – do this job.
Inside the damper’s cylinder are valve passages and hydraulic fluid. As the suspension travels up and down, the piston moves inside the cylinder and the flow of fluid is slowed by the valve passages, which control the speed of the piston’s motion. This process controls the movement of the suspension. This is important as the dampers play a role in the handling of your car – from the vehicle’s stability, cornering and handling through to traction and braking.
Clearly, dampers are an important part of your car – but these are often overlooked and not properly maintained. Often people fail to tell if their car’s dampers need replacing as they wear out over a long period of time – slowly deteriorating. Swerving when braking is a tell tale sign that it’s time to change out worn out dampers.
Adaptive headlights are increasingly common on all cars from affordable models to German-engineered performance vehicles. But why adaptive headlights?
Adaptive headlights are relatively new and still remain unfamiliar to most drivers. They are an active safety feature which assists in widening your field of vision for night driving. Adaptive headlights use different systems – depending on the manufacturer – but use either sensors or cameras to monitor the car’s position and alter the headlights functionality accordingly.
A few features that adaptive headlights have to offer
Auto High beam
Auto high beams have high beams as the default light setting. Forward mounted cameras identify oncoming vehicles and send signals to your headlight which automatically switch to low beam without any help from the driver.
Self-levelling headlights
Another cool feature from adaptive headlight systems are self-levelling systems. These counter upwards movements of the car from travelling over bumps – by self-levelling the headlights, avoiding glare for drivers travelling in the opposite direction.
Swivel headlights
Adaptive headlights use swivelling headlights or static headlights equipped with additional reflectors – which widen the field to either the left or the right, specifically when the car turns to change direction.
GPS enabled headlights
A further advancement of adaptive headlight technology includes the integration of GPS location data. Such integration will create the possibility of using GPS location data to predict road type and location – setting the light required ahead of time.
Buying your first car can be exciting – but also overwhelming and maybe even scary. From the paperwork to the legalities, there are many pitfalls along the way.
Check out our tips for buying your first car
Choosing the right car for you
With so many options, you are spoilt for choice. Before you start to research any cars, it is best to understand your needs – do you need a city runabout or something more substantial to take you cross country.
Understanding the law
It’s important to always be sure of the law in your state – and what applies directly to you. Be sure to brush up on this and keep up to date with any changes.
Ongoing costs
From ongoing service costs, insurance implications and fuel economy, there are many long-term costs that you should consider when buying your first car.
Warranty
Most new cars come with a standard warranty on purchase, be sure to find out what is covered with your warranty and for what duration. It’s also a good point to find out costs of replacement and repair costs are for your car – especially if you decide to keep your car after your warranty has expired. If you are buying a second hand car, ask about the warranty cover that has been taken out on the car and if it is transferrable to you as the new owner. There are also extended warranty purchases that you can make – be sure to ask what is best for your needs and budget.
Does your car come fitted with a spacesaver spare? Spacesaver spare tyres have become part of modern automotive life – but have you considered their safety or the rules when using one?
Being properly prepared for a flat tyre is a necessity to any car owner – do you know if you have all of the proper equipment to change your tyre in your car? But have you also considered what type of spare tyre you have and when last you checked the air pressure?
Spacesaver spare tyres are a smaller, more compact option that many manufacturers fit into their cars – these are more temporary use spare tyres compared to the full-sized spare tyres.
There are both pros and cons to spacesaver spares however, and there are some key rules to follow if you fit a spacesaver spare to your car.
Rules to follow when driving with a spacesaver spare:
Spacesaver spare tyres are designed to only get you back home or to the mechanic, they are not designed to be driven as a long-term alternative to a full-sized tyre.
Typically, you are able to drive a few hundred kilometres on a spacesaver tyre.
Spacesaver tyres have a speed rating of 80km/h, driving over this speed is dangerous as these tyres don’t properly grip the road, reducing steering and stopping ability.
Pros of spacesaver spare tyres
Spacesaver spare tyres are more compact and take up less space than full size spare tyres
Spacesaver tyres are lighter than a full-size tyre
Cons of spacesaver spare tyres
Spacesaver tyres have a low range and can be worn out very quickly
They are only rated and safe up to speeds of 80km/h
The full-size flat tyre may not fit into the spacesavers position in your car after changing it out for the spacesaver
The brakes in your car are important – they are one of the most vital systems in your car. But do you ever give them much thought?
Conventional braking systems convert the kinetic energy of your moving car into heat energy through friction – if the heat energy generated exceeds the energy making the car move, your car will slow down. When you press the brake pedal, hydraulic pressure is fed to the brake assemblies at each wheel through brake lines – in turn forcing pressure against the friction surface which turns the wheel.
Accumulated heat, vapour lock and improper maintenance are all problems that increase the likelihood of brake failure.
There are a few different types of brakes – the most common being the disc braking system. A disc provides the friction surface that turns with the wheel, while a calliper squeezes the rotor with the friction liner to generate the friction and slow the wheel.
Another type of braking system is the drum braking system, these are less commonly used on passenger vehicles. A drum forms the friction surface while a pair of semicircular shoes, housed in the drum, are forced outwards and onto the internal surface by a hydraulic cylinder.
Newer and higher performance systems also exist – from conventional discs that can be cross-drilled and slotted to carbon-ceramic disc brake systems that use a rotor made from a blend of carbon and ceramic materials.
Maybe you have a mate that’s a die-hard car enthusiast or just someone who you know would love a gift fit for their car, then check out these nifty gift ideas for any car enthusiast
Dash Cam
Dash cams are becoming an essential security and safety mechanism. Dash cams are great to capture any incidents that occur on the road – either to yourself or to other cars around you. With a wide range of both quality and price points, it is important to work out your budget before shopping around. From built-in GPS, HD video recording and viewing angle range, there are many options that could suit your pocket
Price ranges: $57 - $430
Portable Car Jump Starter
A practical gift, a portable car jumper start is a great emergency toolkit addition.
Multiport Charger
Not all cars have USB ports built in – and having a way to charge all of your tech devices is always helpful.
Price ranges: $10 - $37
Car Seat Protectors
Seat protectors are great for transporting kids – or pets – around, no need to worry about food or paws staining or scratching up your backseat.
Car And Boot Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
A great gift for anyone who owns a car! From beach sand to dirt, a handy vacuum is great to keep a car squeaky clean.
Does your car have a turbocharger? Should you be concerned with turbo lag? Perhaps you aren’t even sure if your car is even in the turbo category – more and more mainstream cars and performance cars are generally fitted with turbo or turbo boost.
Turbochargers offer a great option for directly increasing the power of an engine – without having to make significant changes to the engine itself. Another advantage is that it is a low maintenance solution.
Turbochargers work by forcing extra air from the exhaust flow into the engine, in turn creating a more explosive air-fuel mix in the cylinders. Most turbocharged engines – both diesel and petrol – may use intercoolers which cool the air before it goes into the engine. Cooler air is denser and contains more oxygen – maximising the power produced in the combustion process. Turbochargers, however, can only spin up to a speed when there is exhaust gas pressure turning the impeller. This means that the engine has to be working/moving before the turbo can generate enough boost to build on the engine’s power.
Turbo lag is this delay from the time you as the driver hit the accelerator and the arrival of the extra boost. Turbo lag can be felt in both turbocharged petrol and diesel engines.
Keeping your car feeling shiny and new also includes proper paint maintenance – we’re not talking about obsessive or compulsive spot management but rather putting some effort into looking after your car’s paint job. Besides keeping your car looking good, it will also play a role in rust prevention and will help attract more buyers when you do eventually sell your car.
Try to stick to a few key car wash tips
Proper car maintenance doesn’t have to be a chore – but you should stick a few good practices. Washing your car is one of the most important steps to maintaining your car’s paint. Properly removing dirt, bird droppings and foreign residue regularly, before bonding to the paint.
Over time dirt and grime will start to bond with the paint – this can leave the paint finish feeling rough and require plenty of work to clean off.
Rather stay away from automated machine washes – these are generally not as great as the brushes used in such machines can be too rough and harsh on the paint surface. Contactless waterjet machines are also a no-no as these facilities usually use aggressive cleaning chemicals which strip away the paint’s protective wax and sealants.
Try park under the shade
Exposing your car’s paint to the sun for long periods of time can cause UV damage. If you are planning on parking outside for long periods of time, rather park under shade provided by a carport, garage or underground car park. Parking under trees is a big no-no as they play host to insects and birds – and will quickly drop residue and bird droppings onto your car.
Take care of any scratches properly
A scratch really isn’t the worst thing – but depending on the severity of the scratch, properly taking car of it is recommended. Most scratches are best polished out with a proper polishing machine – preferably done so by a professional car detailer.