SHELL ADMITS END OF OIL ERA IS NEAR: Words once spoken in hushed whispers behind locked boardroom doors have now been made a matter of public record by Royal Dutch/Shell. "Big Oil must prepare itself for the end of the hydrocarbon age," they recently announced.

"Oil giants from the last century will have to look to their laurels if they are not to be unseated as motorists move towards hydrogen-powered vehicles, and renewable energies, such as wind or solar power, emerge," said Shell chairman Phil Watts. "One thing I'm convinced of is that the next 50 years is not going to be more of the same. An energy company had better make sure it has the necessary expertise and knowledge," he predicted.

The world's second-largest energy firm has pledged to spend between $500 million and $1 billion on its "Long Term Energy Scenarios", a program to develop new energy businesses. They'll concentrate primarily on solar and wind energy, Shell said.    Posted Oct. 17/01

 

A POTENTIAL BRAKE PROBLEM WITH HIGHLANDERS has led to a recall of 41,169 of the Toyota-made SUVs.

Federal regulators in the United States said there's a possibility of air leakage into the braking system with some 2001 model year vehicles. This could lead to an increase in stopping distance for the Highlanders, and therefore heighten the risk of them being involved in a crash, they say.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) advised also that Saab, a unit of General Motors, was recalling 12,036 of its 1998 model year 900 vehicles.

The problem with the Saabs is that their passenger side air bags might deploy without a crash. NHTSA attributed the potential for inadvertent deployment to a static electricity build up in the compartments that house the air bags.    Posted Oct. 17/01

 

ROLLOVERS, WHEELIES AND DONUTS with you at the controls of a monster truck. Just imagine. You crank it up, drop 'er into low, and smash through lines of wrecked cars, fences and farms... just like the pros do.

Yup, if that's your idea of fun, (gasp,) get the kid to put Monster Truck Rumble on his Christmas wish list. And tell mom to stop fretting. We're talking in virtual terms, here. ("It's just a game, Mom.") Monster Truck Rumble is the latest release from ValuSoft Inc., a distributor of interactive entertainment software.

"We've captured the excitement of real monster truck action which brings thousands of of applauding fans to their feet with every trick and massive car crush," states Scott Zerby, ValuSoft's president. He says Monster Truck Rumble challenges players on six different maps, including Wyoming, the Mojave Desert, the Grand Canyon and Colorado.

No-holds barred action pits players against computer and live opponents in four competition styles - Free Run, Lane Races, Circuit Race and - the AARO staffers' probable favourite -Wreck 'n Crush. Gamers employ their driving skills to reach certain checkpoints. This requires them to maneuver around rock outcroppings and steer clear of sheer cliffs, farm buildings and livestock.

Livestock?  "DAD, I thought you knew how to play this - WATCH OUT for that COWwww!"

Monster Truck Rumble is available for $19.99 (US) at most major retailers and mass merchandise accounts. You can also visit the company's Web site and, if you wish, order Online >>> http://www.valusoft.com         Posted Oct. 16/01

 

MOTOR SPORTS 'SOFT WALL' CAN SAVE LIVES is the claim of Safari Associates Inc. of Amsterdam, New York following a controlled crash demonstration of its product at the Indianapolis Speedrome last month. The company has developed a soft wall for use at racetracks that is made from a unique, energy dampening material called Molecuthane.

In the September 26th crash demonstration, a Craftsman-type racing truck was driven into a section of the Speedrome concrete wall that was fitted with Safari's "soft wall". Brian Van Deman, president of No Limit Racing Adventure of Indianapolis was behind the wheel.

"It was really amazing," said Van Deman. "I felt the impact, but it was much less than I anticipated. It was a fraction of the force I expected. I used Molecuthane harness pads also, and felt nothing in my shoulders or collar bone. I would normally have been bruised or injured to some degree."

  Safari Associates Inc. of Amsterdam, New York and No Limit Racing Adventure of Indianapolis    conducted a controlled crash demonstration of Safari's new Molecuthane(TM) soft walI at the Indianapolis Speedrome on September 26, 2001

Safari Associate's president, Morton Berger was elated with the results of the demonstration, and feels it proves the company's product is now ready for production and installation at North American motor sports racetracks.

"The wall performed exactly as we expected. Molecuthane's unique energy dampening qualities reduced the expected 20 G impact force to 5 Gs and it returned to its original shape after impact, with only a few small scuff marks," enthused Berger.

Safari's director of product development - ironically, his name is Craig Walls - agrees that the Speedrome crash demonstration proves the company's soft wall is ready for production.

"We're prepared to begin manufacturing tomorrow. We have a working soft wall solution that can save lives and help prevent serious injuries," he predicted. "We'll be talking with track owners around the country to determine the best way to begin implementing Molecuthane soft walls at their tracks. Certainly our technology will improve, but we have a working solution today that could very well prevent another tragic death," said Hill.

Posted Oct. 13/01

 

BLACK BOX DATA COMES FROM MORE THAN AIRPLANES, now it can also be retrieved from motor vehicles following a collision.

Injury Sciences LLC, a leader in engineering-based systems to aid insurance companies in their claims investigations, is currently able to harvest data from most GM vehicles manufactured since 1996. By year's end their service will be expanded to include GM vehicles dating back to 1994, and several late model Fords, they say.

The OE devices found in motor vehicles are designed to detect collision events to assess their severity for the deployment of occupant protection systems such as airbags. Injury Sciences' new Data Harvesting Service collects data from "vehicle black boxes" for an entirely different purpose, one designed to reduce insurance company exposure to fraudulent claims.

The advanced retrieval technology utilized is called Crash Data Retrieval (CDR) developed by Vetronix. The system will benefit individual claim evaluations by identifying opportunistic fraud. Example applications of the technology include:

The key information that can be retrieved from a vehicle's black box includes: Pre-crash information for the five seconds prior to impact (e.g. vehicle speeds, engine RPM, throttle position, braking status), post-crash velocity changes and various vehicle diagnostics. This data is often stored and harvestable even when the airbag is not deployed in moderate or minor collisions.

Editor's Note: No detail on premium reductions is provided. An oversight, no doubt.     Posted Oct. 13/01

 

ALERT TO HALTON-AREA MEMBERS:  We've been made aware that a Ministry of Transportation Officer in Halton County is aggressively targeting vehicles bearing dealer plates. Drivers who fail to produce the registration and insurance documentation required to operate a vehicle using a dealer plate are being hit with significant fines.

Whenever you or a staff member drive a vehicle using a Dealer Plate, the law requires that you carry the following documentation:

 

{ CRASH } ... OOPS! OUR SERVER WAS DOWN: The AARO Web site, and hundreds of our members' Web sites went offline sometime Thursday afternoon due to a "hardware failure". They remained inaccessible overnight, and were not up and running again until the required parts could be sourced and installed late this morning.

"Now I know how our members must feel when a hoist is tied-up while they wait for a part to be delivered," commented the association's membership services administrator, Luanne Ingram. "All this new technology is great, but that's only when it's working," she added with a strained chuckle.

Bonnie Black - whose voice is often the first one to be heard when members call the AARO office - said most everyone she spoke with concerning the problem had been very understanding.

"When I explained to one caller that the reason he couldn't get on our Web site was because our server had crashed, he said to me jokingly, 'it's probably those damned hackers'. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry," mused Black.

The AARO Web site, together with over 700 of our members' Web sites, are domiciled on a powerful "dedicated server" that is located in a "true facility-grade" central office in Toronto. The association owns the server, but has contracted with STN.NET (Surf the Net) Internet Services to look after its maintenance needs, and to host all of the Web sites.

"STN has been a reliable ISP, we've really had little to complain about with them. When you look at the mega problems experienced by some of those higher-profile Internet companies, well... let's just say they make STN look pretty darn good. Human error wasn't at fault here, it was a case of hardware failing us," observed Black.     Posted Oct. 12/01

 

ONLINE REGISTRATIONS ARE A SORE POINT for some of our members. The problem arises when they call to register for a technical training course and are informed the class has already sold-out. AARO's training coordinator Frances Ricci says, "But I just received this notice" is a typical reaction she gets when giving a caller the bad news that a class is full.

"I tell them that course details are put on the AARO Web site right after the instructors are booked, and point out how it could be a matter of weeks before our next association mailing is sent out. I also mention that our Web site has an Online Registration feature, but no matter how tactfully I explain this, some members remain irked there's no seats available," said Ricci.

AARO executive director Bill Burkimsher says the problem is an ongoing member relations concern, but one for which there is no ready-made or easy solution.

"The Internet facilitates communication. On a business-level, the net's ability to disseminate information quickly is widely acknowledged to be one of its more obvious, and most valuable attributes. We'd have our head in the proverbial sand not to utilize it," said Burkimsher. "But as with all things new - particularly things technical, it seems - some folks are slower to embrace the Internet than others," he conceded.

We asked Frances Ricci to review the course registration process again, and in full detail, for the benefit of our readers:

"I give the updated numbers - concerning seat availability - for all of our scheduled courses to Bill on a daily basis, said Ricci. He usually uploads these to the training section of the AARO Web site the very same day I've given them to him. Obviously, as members register from day-to-day, the seats that are available become fewer and fewer. Eventually, when there are no seats left for a course, Bill posts the 'Sorry, Class Full' message," she explained.

Sounds simple enough, doesn't it. All one needs to do is log onto the association's Web site occasionally. But wait, some members say they've got no time to surf the net, and others inform us that they can't access the Internet at their garages. What about them?

"Okay, I know our members are busy guys, but calling-up just one Web site - www.aaro.ca - takes only a matter of minutes, if not seconds. That, I respectfully suggest, can hardly be categorized as surfing the net," said Ricci. "Even in situations where the Internet is unavailable to a member at his shop, there'd likely be someone who could retrieve training information for him on the family computer at his home," she added.

"And bonus... if we were to find out sooner, rather than later, that more members wanted to register, we might just have enough time to organize additional overflow courses," Ricci exclaimed.

Makes sense to us, dear readers - we rest our case.     Posted Oct. 10/01

 

RICH GUYS GET RECALL NOTICES TOO:  The envelope is always stamped "IMPORTANT"... the return address bears the name of the company that made your car... it's a dreaded Recall Notice. And recall notices aren't just mailed to po' boys driving modest, bottom-of-the-line vehicles. No way. Case in point: Volkswagen's luxury Audi unit just sent out 41,000 of them.

No mention was made of the costs incurred, but the German automaker is replacing rear axle control arms on Audi A3, S3 and TT models produced between 1999 and the spring of 2000. There's a corrosion problem, it seems.     Posted Oct. 5/01

 

AARO TO FIGHT FOR INDEPENDENTS' RIGHT TO OE DATA: Most shops are unaware of it, but they'll soon run into problems when trying to service certain Ford products. The cars involved are just now coming off their warranties according to well-known technical instructor Glenn McNally.

"Apparently there's a lock-out of needed data that will force vehicle owners to return to Ford dealerships for required repairs. From what I understand about this, unless we move quickly we'll be facing some big problems," said AARO president Jim Angier. "If Glenn's expressing his concern about it, I think we all better get concerned," he added.

"A bill was introduced in the United States just before the August congressional recess- it seems to address the same problem Mr. McNally has raised here," said AARO VP Lynda Collins. "I haven't seen the text of it, but the bill is called the Motor Vehicle Owner's Right to Repair Act."

"According to the Automotive Service Association down there, the legislation, if it's passed, will require OE vehicle and parts makers to provide access to service information - both emissions and non-emissions - to Independent garages," Collins explained. "It seems to me we may need similar legislation up here."

Bill Burkimsher, AARO's executive director, feels a good approach to the problem in Ontario would be to sound the alarm with the Ministry of Environment, and also the Ministry of Transportation.

"The way I see it is this - both of those ministries have a major stake in the ability of Independent repairers to access the information they require to properly repair motor vehicles," he observed.

Burkimsher points out that the Ministry of Environment has accredited hundreds of Independent garages as Drive Clean facilities, and certified hundreds-upon-hundreds of their technicians to do emissions-related repairs as required under the program. He says the same goes for the Ministry of Transportation relative to vehicle safety inspections.

"I can't imagine the Ontario government turning a blind eye as these programs go right off the rails because Ford of Canada - or any other automaker - is withholding technical data and locking-up their onboard computers. If we make them aware of what's going down here, I'm sure they'll put a stop to it," said Burkimsher.

"We alerted our lobbyist Leonard Domino about this pending problem with Ford- he's since been in touch with Glenn McNally by telephone to get some background on the issue. Apparently they decided to get the details down on paper," said Angier. "I understand that Glenn has kindly agreed to provide Len with a one-page data sheet, documenting the situation. When it's ready, Len is going to arrange a meeting for AARO - likely with MOE first, and if necessary, with MOT after that," he explained.     Posted Oct. 5/01

 

AZTEK - 'A BABY ONLY A MOTHER COULD LOVE':  A recent survey has added credibility to the old axiom "everyone is loved by somebody".

Okay, substitute the word "everything" in this instance, because we're speaking here of the oft' derided Pontiac Aztek sports utility vehicle. GM's entry-level SUV has been the target of ridicule - even late-night television hosts make fun of it - but its owners dearly love the boxy-looking vehicles.

Want proof? Aztec just took top-spot in a J.D. Power and Associates study on "the attitudes of new vehicle owners". While it has failed to live up to their lofty sales expectations, General Motors can take solace from the fact its Aztec has been finding good homes.

"We've been saying now since we launched Aztek, the owners love this vehicle," said Aztek brand manager Jim Vurpillat. The whole vehicle was a risk for GM. We know we were trying to do something different, something unique."

Ads for the vehicle - predominantly aired on the popular Survivor television show - focused on Aztek's extra-large cargo space and other unique features like the portable center storage console for outdoorsy-types to remove and use as a cooler.

The automotive media critics were brutal, however. They relentlessly maligned Aztec's sagging front-end, its sloping split-glass rear, and the liberal use of plastic cladding along its sides. Other boo-birds soon joined the chorus. David Letterman placed the vehicle No. 1 on his list of "Top 10 Survivor Pickup Lines"... "Ever done it in the back of a Pontiac Aztek?"

The J.D. Power study brings more old axioms to mind. How about, "Every dog has its day". Hey, seriously, could this ugly swan actually be a beautiful duckling? The study's findings seem add credence to the possibility.

Word has it that GM is already hard at work looking for ways to parlay those survey results into increased sales for its much-maligned Aztek. Given that so much of the prior press has been negative, is anyone surprised at this?    Posted Oct. 4/01

 

THE AFTERMARKET, AFTER 9-11:  If the economy was already weak before Sept. 11th - or 9-11 as the media is prone to calling the day of the terrorist attacks - conditions have since eroded to the point of fragility.

On a year-to-year basis Ford Canada's September vehicle sales dropped more than 16 percent. Checking-in at minus 28 percent for that same period, one can argue that the Chrysler division of DaimlerChrysler is in a state of free-fall.

Ford blamed assembly line disruptions caused by border delays of parts shipments for its decline. Several of the company's 2002 models were in short supply, and that contributed to the negative sales figures, they said.

DaimlerChrysler was less specific about the cause, saying only that it will be trimming its October production by 28,000 vehicles to cut inventories. The automaker's large van plant in Windsor will be shut-down for three weeks, and assembly lines at four other plants will be idled for one week each during the month of October.

Comparatively speaking, General Motors Corp. came through the 9-11 fray sporting mere bruises. Their September sales were off by only 3 percent, a number much brighter than financial analysts had projected for the dark days following the attacks. The world's largest automaker was quick to launch zero-interest and low-interest loans on its vehicles in the wake of the tragic events. It appears their 9-11 sales strategy worked.

The prognosis for the coming winter months? Tough call. Hell, if we could predict that we'd make a killing on the stock market. Admitting the futility inherent in prognostications, perhaps we can nevertheless glimpse what lies ahead by first looking back:

Buoyed by tax cuts earlier in the year - and prior to those evil assaults on humanity in New York and Washington - Canadians had been busy shoppers. Busy indeed; we were spending money like drunken sailors, and we were spending it despite signs of economic weakness that had begun to appear. The questions of the day are: Will we resume making all those purchases once our post-attack fears ebb? And when will that be? How many months must pass before we are again feeling something akin to "normal", two months... four...?

Shopping, or "not stopping shopping" will make or break our economy in the next few months, most analysts seem to be saying. "It's one of the most important things," said the chief economist for the Canadian Export Development Corp., Stephen Poloz. "Consumer confidence is probably the most important variable in the outcome," he reiterated.

Poloz feels something positive could come from the fact that consumers have stopped flying en masse, meaning money saved on airfares could be spent in other areas of the economy. AARO wonders if people will use some of these freed-up dollars to fix their cars.

"The automotive repair industry is somewhat resilient to economic downturns," said Bill Burkimsher, the association's executive director. He thinks a case can be made that when the economy is hot, consumers are buying new vehicles, and the auto recyclers do well. Conversely, during economic downturns, things tend to be slow for the recyclers, but repair garages are busier than ever, he contends.

"It's because when there is consumer uncertainty, people prefer to fix-up their older cars and thereby avoid going deeper in debt to buy a new one," explained Burkimsher.     Posted Oct. 3/01

 

WARNING TO MEMBERS DEALING IN USED VEHICLES:  Some good advice has been passed on to us from our friends at UCDA, the Used Car Dealers Association of Ontario.

A UCDA member recently purchased a GM truck for $24,000 in a private transaction with a customer. He asked about prior accident damage, but the customer "forgot" to mention a major accident, and had not been asked to sign anything.

Subsequent investigation turned up some bad news. The truck's frame, front fender and bumper had been replaced following a collision while the customer owned the vehicle. When the dealer called the customer about his failure to disclose this information, his response was, "You bought it - you're stuck with it."

According to UCDA, its member/dealer could have avoided this costly experience by using a Bill of Sale form that contains a necessary "disclosure section".

Proper forms with a complete customer disclosure section are available from UCDA. The area is shaded in red and prefaced with a heading that states:

"DEALER MAY NOT COMPLETE SECTION IN RED. THIS SECTION MUST BE COMPLETED BY OWNER OF VEHICLE BEING TRADED".

The customer is required to provide information about his vehicle concerning its previous use, distance traveled, pollution controls, lien amount (if any) and accident damage (if any).

We think the UCDA Bill of Sale forms are a must for AARO members that buy and sell used cars. To order a supply, call them using their toll free number: (800) 268-2598.  Posted Oct. 2/01

 

SAFETY DEVICES LIKELY TO PROTECT THOUSANDS:  So says Roka Inc., a distributor of personal security and safety devices that has announced the release of two new patented products. Both are designed to provide direct two-way, hands-free communication to trained Command Centre operators should the owner find themselves in an emergency situation.

The Personal Safeguard Companion (PSC) is a hand-held device that is carried similar to a cell phone or pager. The other new product (CVL) is installed in a vehicle or on a motorcycle, and comes with a remote key fob to activate its alarm. Should a dangerous situation arise, a "mayday" button is depressed to alert the Command Centre.

Once the system has been activated, even if the user of the device is being assaulted physically, or has a healthcare emergency and is unable to speak, an operator will immediately dispatch emergency units to his/her exact location. Utilizing Global Positioning Satellites technology, ACM U.L. Monitoring Station's Global Link Command Centre Operators will identify the caller's location with military precision.

Roka Inc. says its vehicle-installed unit (CVL) will help in emergency situations such as carjacking, when a driver is lost or broken down by the side of the road, and to retrieve stolen cars and motorcycles. Companies will also find the device useful for monitoring their fleet vehicles- the uses for CVL are really endless, they say.  

Editor's Note:  A thief stealing one of these devices, and later playing with it would be an ideal candidate for that TV show, "America's Dumbest Criminals".       Posted Oct. 2/01

 

A NEWLY DESIGNED INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE could improve fuel efficiency by at least 40 percent, and decrease emissions by 50 percent. That's the claim of a British engineering group, Mayflower Corporation Plc. The company is heralding their e3 Variable Motion Engine as being "a quantum leap in the design and development of the internal combustion engine".

Crazy technological concepts are commonplace in the automotive industry, but the deputy chairman of British carmaker Rover, for one, has seen the engine designs and he's impressed. "You can rest assured this is a serious and clever idea," said Rover's Nick Stephenson.

According to Mayflower, a company better known as a bus and truck manufacturer, its e3 Variable Motion Engine represents a simple change. The technology works by changing the piston motion from circular to elliptical, allowing the engine's capacity to become larger when more power is needed, and smaller and more economical when it is not.

In a statement released yesterday, Mayflower said the new engine is the result of an 11-year research program, and could be used in everything from buses to lawn mowers within five years. As there are no additional costs involved in the manufacture of its engine, there should be no larger cost to the consumer, they said.       Posted Oct. 2/01

 

MERGERS AND JOINT VENTURES: GOT A SCORECARD? The latest to be announced is a Uni-Select "parts venture" with the autoparts division of Acklands-Grainger.

In a statement made today, the two firms said they'll combine their trademarks and other branding, and that each will hold an equal 50 percent stake in the newly created Canadian company.

Operating as a nation-wide aftermarket parts distribution chain, the new entity will be managed by Uni-Select, and is expected to generate $120 million in yearly revenues.    Posted Oct. 1/01

 

FEDERAL-MOGUL FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY:  Deluged with asbestos-related litigation, the auto parts maker today filed for protection from its creditors under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The move was not unexpected. Alarm bells were triggered in July when Federal-Mogul abruptly halted all employee retirement fund contributions to its own common stock fund.

The huge company's subsidiaries in the United Kingdom have followed suit. They also jointly filed for Chapter 11 and for administration under the UK Insolvency Act of 1986. In spite of these developments, Federal-Mogul said it will be business as usual, and that no job losses directly related to its asbestos liabilities and subsequent bankruptcy filings are anticipated.

In a prepared statement, Federal-Mogul CEO Frank Macher said the Chapter 11 and administration processes were necessary. The filings are intended to separate the company's asbestos liabilities from its true operating potential, and thereby avoid having it become financially crippled as a result of the payments being made to claimants.

The move comes amid a sharp slowdown in new vehicle and auto parts sales that has been further exacerbated by the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.     Posted Oct. 1/01

 

VALEO VISIONARY ON VISION: The company - which ranks among the world's top automotive suppliers - has recently unveiled two new products from its "Seeing and Being Seen" domain. A High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamp that features "automatic leveling" is one, an innovative windshield cleaning system, the other.

The distinctive blue-white light you occasionally encounter on today's highways is the visible signature of HID headlamps, a technology developed by Valeo Sylvania, a 50-50 joint venture of Osram Sylvania and Valeo.

HID lamps are still relatively rare on North American roads. Here they are found as original equipment on only a couple of luxury-brand vehicles, but the folks at Valeo say that's about to change. They point out that HID is vastly superior to the lighting one gets from conventional halogen lamps, and confidently predict HID headlamps will become increasingly prevalent on our highways beginning next year.

Furthermore, Valeo Sylvania product is destined to corner the lion's share of the market, and there's good reason for this, they say. Model year 2002 is when the company will introduce its "advanced HID module". The system incorporates a unique "automatic leveling" feature that will be offered by two domestic vehicle manufacturers.

According to Tony Garrison, Valeo's systems engineering manager, some fifty percent of the platforms launching HID in North America will include his company's automatic leveling feature. The technology is already well established in Europe. There, it is a required safety measure to minimize headlight glare from oncoming vehicles at night, he said.

"Unlike conventional lighting which tends to be diffused and attenuates quickly into obscured darkness, HID light bounces back with minimum diffusion so the road ahead is much more visible for a greater distance- almost day-like," exclaims Garrison. Because the blue-white colour HID gives off approximates the crispness of natural daylight to the human eye, it makes night driving more comfortable for motorists, and they experience far less fatigue, he claims.

HID light sources produce approximately three times the amount of light (lumens) at a lower wattage than traditional lamps, and are about four times more efficient - 91 lumens per watt compared to 22 lumens per watt for a comparable halogen light source. In spite of their significantly better performance, HID lights have a two to three times longer life expectancy than standard halogen bulbs- that's approximately 3,000 hours versus 1,200 hours, according to Garrison.

Valeo is also helping to maximize driver visibility with the debut of its OPTI-Wash(tm) Heated Wash System for vehicle windshields. The claim for this new product is that it will make a major contribution to driver comfort and safety by dramatically improving visibility in all weather conditions.

OPTI-Wash responds to consumer demand for a simple and effective method to improve on the existing cold windshield wash/wipe function that is found as standard equipment on most of today's vehicles. By heating a small amount of washer fluid to approximately 65 (degree) C as it travels to the washer nozzles, OPTI-Wash quickly and easily improves driver visibility by enhancing the cleaning of most contamination from a vehicle's windshield.

The system has a very short initial heating time, typically less than 60 seconds after the ignition is switched-on. That means hot washer fluid is always readily available to assist in the de-frosting of a windshield. Here in Canada, Valeo spokespersons predict this attribute alone is certain to be welcomed as a convenient vehicle safety feature. Another advantage they are claiming is an economical one. OPTI-Wash is compatible with any type of windshield washer fluid, and saves up to half the volume that's normally required by conventional systems, they say.

Valeo design engineers have succeeded in packaging the components of the OPTI-Wash system into a small unit weighing less than 500 grams. The device is self-contained with automatic electronic controls, and is a simple and quick connection to a vehicle's existing wash and electrical systems. It has an almost universal application since 12, 24 and 42 Volt versions will be available that can be retro-fitted to most vehicle makes and models, including commercial vehicles.

The OPTI-Wash(tm) system is scheduled for production in 2002 and will initially be supplied to aftermarket customers through Valeo Distribution, leading to application as standard equipment on production vehicles.

Editor's Note: Illustrations of OPTI-Wash can be downloaded from the Valeo Internet site >>>  www.valeo.com                          Posted Oct. 1/01

 

DELPHI COPS NEW CONTRACTS FOR TWO PRODUCTS: You don't get to be "numero uno" sitting on your corporate thumbs, waiting for the economy to pick-up. Need proof? Delphi Automotive Systems Corp., already the world's largest auto parts maker, has just secured major contracts for its advanced airbag technology and its remote-controlled sliding door.

The company reports landing a fourth contract for its passive occupant detection system (PODS). The airbag technology utilizes sensors in a vehicle's seat cushions to measure a passenger's weight to determine whether or not to deploy. Legislation requiring the development of airbags that are safer for small children means its PODS system could generate as much as $300 million in annual revenue, the company predicts.

Delphi says it has also scored $54 million in European contracts for another of its products; side sliding doors - typically used on minivans and SUVs - that can be opened remotely.     Posted Sept. 26/01

 

GRAND CHEROKEE COMPLAINTS REBUKED: DaimlerChrysler says an internal investigation has failed to explain 506 complaints about its Jeep Grand Cherokees "suddenly lurching into reverse". No mechanical or manufacturing problem with the vehicles was uncovered, they contend.

Federal officials in the U.S. have recorded 59 injuries and three deaths involving 1995-1999 models of the popular SUV suddenly shifting into reverse. The German automaker suggests driver error could have been a factor, and said it believes two of the deaths were not linked in any way to the transmission complaints.

The company said it has complied with a request from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, (NHTSA,) by providing the agency with information on their investigation.      Posted Sept. 26/01

 

TIGHTER BORDER SECURITY IS WREAKING HAVOC on Canadian auto plants. Dependent on the "just-in-time" parts delivery system, slowdowns at border points are leaving vehicle manufacturers hard-pressed to keep their assembly lines operating efficiently.

The rationale behind just-in-time delivery is to reduce costs associated with high parts inventories. The idea - taken from the Japanese - was heralded as a savior for the auto industry when it was introduced a couple of decades ago. Taking delivery of car parts as they need them, usually within a window of just a few hours, has since become the modus operandi for automakers.

The just-in-time system is dependent on pinpoint precision, however, and border delays resulting from the U.S. terrorist attacks have thrown a giant monkey wrench into the works. Plant production - initially brought to a virtual standstill - has since ramped up, but concerns remain. Vehicle manufacturers fear the increased security measures could still lead to backlogs. Some industry analysts are actually speculating that a return to the old system - inventories of parts all over the place - might be necessary.

One thing is certain. Chronic delays in the delivery of OEM parts must be avoided at all costs- particularly here in Canada where one in seven workers is employed either in vehicle production or parts manufacturing. An estimated $150 billion worth of auto-related trade, and $30 billion in parts alone flows across the border each year. The impact of continued slowdowns on our economy would be devastating.

Buzz Hargrove, head of the Canadian Auto Workers union (CAW), says the automakers may have to consider shelving the just-in-time parts delivery system as a way to temper production losses. Gerald Felchun, the president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturing Association (APMA) disagrees.

"Just-in-time is absolutely the best way to go because it is way less expensive than the old system of putting inventory all over the place," he said. "We really have to come up with a new way of doing this (getting parts across the border) while still maintaining a high level of security, and that's what we'll have to work on."

APMA is calling on the Canadian government to form a task force to resolve the problem.     Posted Sept. 26/01

More archived News Briefs (Sept. 19/01-Oct. 9/01) ... CLICK HERE