Category Archives: engineering

GM Airbag Recall Active for All 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 Models

GM is recalling all model year 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 vehicles because the front occupant can be harmed in crash. The GM airbag recall is prompted by head injury criteria (hic) measurements that far exceed the limits imposed by U.S. regulations. More than 38,000 vehicles are involved in the U.S. Continue reading

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U.S. Automakers Push for Single EV Fast Charging Standard

Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen agreed to support a harmonized single-port fast charging approach for use on electric vehicles in Europe and the United States. Noticeably absent thus far is Nissan, arguably the leader in EV’s along with Alliance Partner Renault. Continue reading

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More Jobs to China as GM Will Develop a New Global Engine Family with SAIC and Pan Asian Technical Center

General Motors will develop an all-new global family of small-displacement “Ecotec” gasoline engines over the next several years in China in conjunction with the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC), Shanghai General Motors (SGM) and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC). Continue reading

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Volkswagen Recall for Leaking Diesel Engine Fuel Lines Active

A Volkswagen recall is now active for leaking fuel lines on Jetta, Golf and Audi A3 vehicles. The 2-liter TDI diesel engine is susceptible to a resonance that cracks the number two cylinder fuel line. The resonance is caused by the operation of the EGR system, which decreases emissions of nitrous oxides, a particular problem with diesel engines. More than 168,000 VW and Audi cars are affected by the fuel line safety defect, which because of the high pressure fuel system makes the cars susceptible to fires if the fuel line fails. Continue reading

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NHTSA Probes GM Electric Power Steering Sudden Failure

Complicating matters for General Motors is the EPS system used in those vehicles is the same as that used in 2005 -2010 model year Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 models. In March of 2010, GM recalled more than 1 million of them to fix a defect with the EPS assist motor. Continue reading

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General Motors to Debut World’s First Center Airbag in 2013

A GM analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System database (FARS) found that far-side impact crashes accounted for 11% of the belted front occupant fatalities in non-rollover impacts between 2004 and 2009. Also implied in the data GM looked at is that much more work remains to be done on interior design, including seat belts that don’t hold an occupant laterally, the now ubiquitous center consoles that are causing serious and fatal injuries, and the seat itself, which allows deadly movement. With intense engineering, some of these problems could be dealt with by passive solutions, which could be far less expensive than adding another airbag to every new vehicle. Continue reading

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NHTSA Ups Scrutiny of Failing Chrysler Minivan Headlights

According to NHTSA, the minivan headlights randomly shut off and remain dark on Town & Country and Dodge Caravan minivans. More than 600,000 vehicles are potentially affected according to a NHTSA filing. Continue reading

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2012 Cadillac SRX Dries Wet Brakes Automatically

Building on ESC technology, Cadillac has announced that 2012 SRX SUVs will use its electronic stability control (StabiliTrak) to automatically dry wet brakes. This is not as frivolous as it may seem on first glance: data that predates Hurricane Irene, the U.S. Department of Transportation says 620,000 crashes on the nation’s roadways in 2009 or 10% occurred in the rain. Continue reading

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Amerigon Gets Taxpayer Funds for Thermo Energy Recovery

Amerigon will share the $8 million grant with project partners including Ford, BMW of North America, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)/California Institute of Technology, and Faurecia Emissions Controls Technologies. Continue reading

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Milestones: 100 Millionth Chevy Small Block to be Built in 2011

From 1929 and 1955, Chevrolet only offered six-cylinder engines – in spite of Ford Motor’s runaway success with the Flathead V8 introduced in 1932, and Oldsmobile’s Rocket V8 of 1949. Chevrolet chief engineer Ed Cole set out to design a V8 that was powerful, lightweight and affordable. Continue reading

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Stanley Cup of Fuel Economy? Canada vs U.S. in EcoCar2

The competition employs Canadian engineering students, together with 13 U.S. university teams, to explore ways to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles without “compromising” performance, safety and consumer acceptability. Continue reading

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General Motors Recalling TRW ESC Because it Can Run Wild

This seemingly benign electronic programming glitch can have severe consequences because it can result in the ESC activating at high speeds without warning resulting in “sudden changes in vehicle handling and deceleration, particularly at higher speeds, which may cause the driver difficulty in maintaining the vehicle’s desired path of travel and desired vehicle speed, and could result in a crash without warning.” Continue reading

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Goodyear Experiments with an Inside Tire Air Pump

The technology involved is interesting if only because underinflated tires result in between a 2.5% and 3.3% decrease in fuel mileage, according industry research. That translates to about 12 cents per gallon at the pump at current – outrageous – fuel prices. Continue reading

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Ford Europe Changes Product Development Team

Ford Motor Company today announced a realignment of its global Product Development leadership team, naming Barb Samardzich, vice president, Global Product Programs, to the position of vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe. Continue reading

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Toyota Opens a European Proving Ground in Belgium

The new Zaventem Proving Ground will play an important role for Toyota’s European vehicle development as part of the company’s plan to become Toyota’s global development center for the small and compact vehicle segments, the Japanese company said in a release. It’s hard to believe Toyota will move those jobs out of Japan where generations of Corolla and other small models have been developed. Continue reading

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