The RON list

TThe following list has been compiled based on confirmations and unofficial discussions with some car companies. MTM Multimedia Sdn Bhd and its employees do not accept any liability or responsibility for any effect arising from use of this information. In some cases, even though an engine may be originally tuned to run on fuel with a certain RON, its age and condition may require a higher RON grade to avoid knocking. Some engines may also have knock sensors which can automatically adjust ignition timing if knocking is detected but this will result in some reduction in power output. If in doubt, do contact the car company dealing with your model.

This list will be updated as often as possible when we get more confirmations from the car companies so do check back regularly. (* indicates a new addition to the list). For the Peugeot 206/Naza Bestari and Naza Forza/Sutera, Naza/NASIM have run tests and found that these models are able to run on RON95 without problems.

Most Mercedes-Benz engines, except the high-performance ones in the AMG and SL/SLK models, are able to run on fuel with RON91 to RON95. However, for optimum performance, RON95 is recommended while use of RON92 will result in marginally reduced output. For the Cefiro 3.0, Murano, 350Z/370Z, RON97 is recommended for optimum performance. For older models such as the Sunny 130Y, Bluebird, Altima and AD Resort, RON95 can be used.

Volvo engines can use RON91 to 98 RON unleaded petrol. Volvo Car Malaysia says that for best performance and lowest fuel consumption, RON98 (or closest RON) is recommended. For normal driving, RON95 is acceptable and RON91 should only be used in cases where RON95 is unavailable. Knock sensors in the engines will adjust the engine timing to prevent damage with very low RON fuel.

source of reference: Motor Trader
Thank You to Chip for infomation.

speedometer

The dashboard instrument cluster in your car organizes a variety of sensors and gauges, including the oil pressure gauge, coolant temperature gauge, fuel level gauge, tachometer and more. But the most prominent gauge -- and perhaps the most important, at least in terms of how many times you look at it while you're driving -- is the speedometer. The job of the speedometer is to indicate the speed of your car in miles per hour, kilometers per hour or both. Even in late-model cars, it's an analog device that uses a needle to point to a specific speed, which the driver reads as a number printed on a dial.

Photo courtesy of Dreamstime A modern speedometer

As with any emerging technology, the first speedometers were expensive and available only as options. It wasn't until 1910 that automobile manufacturers began to include the speedometer as standard equipment. One of the first speedometer suppliers was Otto Schulze Autometer (OSA), a legacy company of Siemens VDO Automotive AG, one of the leading developers of modern instrument clusters. The first OSA speedometer was built in 1923 and its basic design didn't change significantly for 60 years. In this article, we're going to look at the history of speedometers, how they work and what the future may hold for speedometer design.

Types of Speedometers

Photo courtesy of Siemens VDO Automotive The speedometer has gone through many changes in the last century.

There are two types of speedometers: electronic and mechanical. Because the electronic speedometer is actually a relatively new invention -- the first all-electronic speedometer didn't appear until 1993 -- this article will focus primarily on the mechanical speedometer, or the eddy-current speedometer.

Otto Schulze, an inventor from Strasbourg, filed the first patent for the eddy-current speedometer in 1902. Schulze conceived of the revolutionary device as a solution to a growing problem. Cars weren't only becoming more popular, they were also traveling faster. The average automobile's top speed just after the turn of the 20th century was 30 miles per hour, slow by today's standards but sizzling fast at a time when much of the world still moved at the leisurely pace of a horse-drawn carriage. As a result, serious accidents began to increase dramatically.

Schulze's invention allowed drivers to see exactly how fast they were traveling and to make adjustments accordingly. At the same time, many countries established speed limits and used police officers to enforce them. Early solutions required automobiles to have speedometers with two dials -- a small dial for the driver and a much larger dial mounted so police could read it from a distance.

How an Eddy-Current Speedometer Works

Photo courtesy of Dreamstime An eddy current speedometer

Let's say a car is traveling along the highway at a constant speed. That means its transmission and driveshaft are rotating at a speed that corresponds to the vehicle speed. It also means that the mandrel in the speedometer's drive cable -- because it's connected to the transmission via a set of gears -- is also rotating at the same speed. And, finally, the permanent magnet at the other end of the drive cable is rotating.

As the magnet spins, it sets up a rotating magnetic field, creating forces that act on the speedcup. These forces cause electrical current to flow in the cup in small rotating eddies, known as eddy currents. In some applications, eddy currents represent lost power and are therefore undesirable. But in the case of a speedometer, the eddy currents create a drag torque that does work on the speedcup. The cup and its attached needle turn in the same direction that the magnetic field is turning -- but only as far as the hairspring will allow it. The needle on the speedcup comes to a rest where the opposing force of the hairspring balances the force created by the revolving magnet.

What if the car increases or decreases its speed? If the car travels faster, the permanent magnet inside the speedcup will rotate faster, which creates a stronger magnetic field, larger eddy currents and a greater deflection of the speedometer needle. If the car slows down, the magnet inside the cup rotates more slowly, which reduces the strength of the magnetic field, resulting in smaller eddy currents and less deflection of the needle. When a car is stopped, the hairspring holds the needle at zero.

reference from howstuffworks.com.thanz for information

Oxygen Sensor

Every new car, and most cars produced after 1980, have an oxygen sensor. The sensor is part of the emissions control system and feeds data to the engine management computer. The goal of the sensor is to help the engine run as efficiently as possible and also to produce as few emissions as possible.

Rob Bouwman/Getty Images The amount of oxygen the engine can pull in depends on factors such as the altitude and the temperature of the air and engine.

A gasoline engine burns gasoline in the presence of oxygen (see How Car Engines Work for complete details). It turns out that there is a particular ratio of air and gasoline that is "perfect," and that ratio is 14.7:1 (different fuels have different perfect ratios -- the ratio depends on the amount of hydrogen and carbon found in a given amount of fuel). If there is less air than this perfect ratio, then there will be fuel left over after combustion. This is called a rich mixture. Rich mixtures are bad because the unburned fuel creates pollution. If there is more air than this perfect ratio, then there is excess oxygen. This is called a lean mixture. A lean mixture tends to produce more nitrogen-oxide pollutants, and, in some cases, it can cause poor performance and even engine damage.

The oxygen sensor is positioned in the exhaust pipe and can detect rich and lean mixtures. The mechanism in most sensors involves a chemical reaction that generates a voltage (see the patents below for details). The engine's computer looks at the voltage to determine if the mixture is rich or lean, and adjusts the amount of fuel entering the engine accordingly.

The reason why the engine needs the oxygen sensor is because the amount of oxygen that the engine can pull in depends on all sorts of things, such as the altitude, the temperature of the air, the temperature of the engine, the barometric pressure, the load on the engine, etc.

When the oxygen sensor fails, the computer can no longer sense the air/fuel ratio, so it ends up guessing. Your car performs poorly and uses more fuel than it needs to.

reference from howstuffworks.com

Tips Menjaga Keselamatan Tayar, memanjangkan j/hayat tayar anda

SELAIN enjin dan brek, tayar adalah antara komponen terpenting dalam sesebuah kenderaan. Kedegilan dan kecuaian menjaga dan menukar tayar yang tidak berbunga boleh mengundang masalah di jalan raya.

Tayar memainkan peranan penting ketika membrek dan mesti tahan lasak untuk menangani tekanan itu serta permukaan jalan yang ada kalanya tidak rata. Tayar juga mesti memberi keselesaan ketika mengambil selekoh dan kawalan stereng dalam apa juga keadaan.

Lazimnya, pengeluar tayar utama di negara ini sentiasa menyediakan tips keselamatan tayar kepada pemandu.

Berikut adalah antara beberapa panduan berguna:

# Segera tukar tayar jika bunganya sudah haus. Tayar begini mudah tergelincir, terjejas akibat kesan membrek dan kurang sensitif dari segi cengkaman. Dalam keadaan jalan basah, kenderaan mungkin terbabas dan menyukarkan kawalan pemandu.

# Pemilihan tayar memang penting untuk keselamatan, keselesaan, kawalan dan ekonomi.

Membrek dengan mengejut boleh menyebabkan tayar tergelincir. Periksa tekanan tayar sekurang-kurangnya dua kali sebulan, ketika tayar dalam keadaan sejuk. Pengeluar juga menekankan keutamaan mengekalkan tekanan tayar.

# Jangan memandu dalam keadaan tayar rosak. Tukar atau perbaikinya secepat mungkin.

# Segera baiki tayar tidak normal. Biasakan memeriksa tekanan, penjajaran dan pusingan tayar. Elakkan tabiat buruk ketika memandu seperti memandu terlalu laju, membrek secara mengejut dan mengambil selekoh secara berbahaya.

# Pastikan tayar gantian sentiasa dalam keadaan baik dan boleh digunakan serta memiliki tekanan angin mencukupi.

# Jangan gabungkan tayar dengan jejari dan tayar tanpa jejari. Pada kelajuan tinggi, keadaan itu menyebabkan gangguan kestabilan kenderaan yang mengakibatkan hilang kawalan serta kecederaan serius.

# Sentiasa pastikan skru tayar dipasang dengan betul dan tidak terlalu ketat. Mustahil dapat membuka skru tayar dengan pembuka tayar biasa sekiranya ia terlalu diketatkan dengan mesin pembuka tayar udara.

# Jangan biarkan tayar lebih muatan. Carta berat dan tekanan angin biasanya terpapar di tempat mengisi angin di mana-mana stesen minyak. Tayar hanya mampu menampung muatan maksimum jika ia memiliki tekanan angin maksimum.

# Jangan pasang tayar yang sudah digunakan sesuka hati melainkan anda tahu sejarahnya. Ia bermakna, anda bertuah sekiranya kakak anda menghadiahkan satu set tayar kerana beliau ingin membeli tayar baru.

What is natural gas

What is natural gas?
Natural gas is a mixture of hydrocarbons found in the ground independently or together with crude oil. Its composition varies (depending on where it is found), but its main component is "Methane"(CH4}. The rest of the gas is made up of varying amounts of other gases like ethane, propane, butane, and heavier hydrocarbons, plus Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen, water and traces of other substances. Natural gas is a by-product of decaying vegetable matter in underground strata. Natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel; it can help improve the quality of air and water,especially when used in highly polluted places.

Malaysia is blessed with abundant natural gas reserves. At 82.5 trillion cubic feet, these reserves are two times the amount of oil, thus there is opportunity to promote and diversify the use of the natural gas not just as a power source in the industrial and utilities sector; but also as an alternative fuel for vehicles. PETRONAS, through its wholly, owned subsidiary, PETRONAS NGV Sdn Bhd , have been making NGV available to Malaysian motorists through its expanding chain of NGV outlets in the Klang Valley and other major urban areas in the country.

FAQ's at bottom of this page. For more info on NGV visit: IANGV or Green Car Congress

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What is NGV ?
NGV stands for Natural Gas Vehicle. They operate similarly to traditional vehicles, but they use natural gas as fuel. Natural gas can power existing cars and trucks by converting the engines to a bi-fuel capability. To convert vehicles to natural gas requires installing a tank, fuel pressure regulators, and fuel lines. Most systems incorporate an electronic module which adjusts the engine to maintain comparable performance levels with either fuel. Limited production of dedicated natural gas engines and vehicles is under way at motor vehicle manufacturers. Refueling stations use the same natural gas as commercial facilities and residences. These stations now provide compressed natural gas for quick-fill.

FAQ's at bottom of this page

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How a Natural Gas Vehicle Work ?
1. Natural gas is compressed and enters the vehicle through the natural gas fill valve (receptacle).
2. It flows into high-pressure cylinders located in or under the vehicle.
3. In a bi-fuel NGV, a fuel selector on the dashboard permits selection of natural gas or gasoline to act as the fuel for the vehicle. A dedicated NGV operates solely on natural gas.
4. When natural gas is needed by the engine, it leaves the cylinders and passes through the master manual shut-off valve.
5. The gas goes through the high-pressure fuel line and enters the engine compartment.
6. Gas enters the regulator, which reduces pressure from up to 3,600 psi to near atmospheric pressure.
7. The natural gas solenoid valve allows natural gas to pass from the regulator into the gas mixer or natural gas fuel injectors. (Or, it shuts off the natural gas when the engine is not running or when, in the case of a bi-fuel vehicle, gasoline is selected).
8. In a bi-fuel NGV, natural gas mixed with air flows down through the gasoline carburetor or fuel injection system and enters the engine's combustion chambers. In a dedicated NGV, natural gas is injected into the engine's combustion chamber via specially designed natural gas fuel injectors.
9. In a bi-fuel NGV, when the driver selects gasoline, the conventional gasoline system is activated and the natural gas system is automatically shut off.

FAQ's at bottom of this page

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Why NGV?
Presented below is an outline of the benefits that CNG offers:

Green fuel - Commonly referred to as the green fuel because of its lead and sulphur free character, CNG reduces harmful emissions. Being non-corrosive, it enhances the longevity of spark plugs. Due to the absence of any lead or benzene content in CNG, the lead fouling of spark plugs, and lead or benzene pollution are eliminated.

Increased life of oils - Another practical advantage observed is the increased life of lubricating oils, as CNG does not contaminate and dilute the crankcase oil.

Mixes evenly in air - Being a gaseous fuel CNG mixes in the air easily and evenly.

Safety - CNG is less likely to auto-ignite on hot surfaces, since it has a high auto-ignition temperature (540 degrees entigrade) and a narrow range (5%-15%) of inflammability. It means that if CNG concentration in the air is below 5% or above 15%, it will not burn. This high ignition temperature and limited flammability range makes accidental ignition or combustion very unlikely.
Properties

Low operational cost - The operational cost of vehicles running on CNG, as compared to those running on other fuels, is significantly low.At the prevailing price of fuel ,operational cost of CNG vehicles is 68% lower than petrol and 36% lower than diesel.

FAQ's at bottom of this page

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Government Incentives & Legislations To Encourage Use of NGV

NGV is supported by the government of Malaysia with incentives and legislation to encourage vehicles owner to use NGV. NGV price is only 68 cent/litre equivalent of petrol, is cheaper than other fuels. NGV conversion kits are exempted from import duty and sales tax.
Reduction of road tax from existing levels:

* Monogas vehicle (NGV only) - 50% off
* Bi-fuel vehicle (Petrol & NGV) - 25% off
* Dual-fuel vehicle (Diesel & NGV) - 25% off

All these are major factors for potential owners to consider when making their vehicle fuel choices. However, what many owners may not be aware of is the safety record of NGV vehicles. NGV vehicles safety record compares favourably to other traditional fuels or alternative fuels available today. This is due to the superior (and still improving) technology, higher safety standards and the physical properties of NGV itself which makes it as safe or safer to use than petroleum-based fuels.