You have no items in your shopping cart.
Dear Start My Car,
For some reason, we love speed. Whether it is the idea of simply getting there faster, or the exhilaration of the experience, we have always been drawn to going faster. Our need is not limited of course to our cars but extends to how fast we run, cycle or even fly.
But speed is dangerous (and sometimes illegal). This means that our vehicles need to be safe before we push them to the speed limits. It is wise to make sure that our brakes and tyres are in good shape.Have a look at the article below from Car Magazine UK, as well as our specials that will help to keep your car driving as it should.
Let me know if there is anything that you need that you might not find on the site.
And mostly, drive safe.
Regards
Baruch.
The Need for Speed
The European Parliament has released new plans to introduce mandatory speed limiters in all new cars sold in the region from 2022, among other fresh safety tech to be installed.
The ‘Intelligent Speed Assistance’ safety kit is designed to use speed limit road signs and GPS navigation data to actively reduce your speed, but the system can be overridden. We've already tried the software in one of our regular 'Does It Work?' features -
Europe’s Parliament says ‘the equipment could reduce fatalities on EU roads by 20%’ and Róża Thun, a Polish member of the European Parliament said ‘this will not only make us safer, but also help drivers to avoid speeding tickets.’
Dr. Suzy Charman, executive director of the Road Safety Foundation, said 'we welcome these technologies with open arms, recognising that to make them work as well as they can we still need investment in our roads to ensure lining and signing are both as clear as consistent as possible so that cars can read the road to help us drive safely.'
The agreement is provisional for now, as it needs to be confirmed by member states, committees and the EU Council for final approval.
It’s not the only part of the plans; the Parliament is also requesting all new cars be equipped with data recorders to assist during crashes and other safety tech already found optionally on many premium cars like reversing assistance, lane keep assist and driver distraction warnings.
If it were to go through, it is highly likely that the UK will enforce it, even after Brexit – the Vehicle Certification Agency has said that it will continue its relationship with European partners ‘by pursuing a mutual recognition of UK and EU type-approval certification.’
The news follows on not long after Volvo announced its plans to limit cars to 112mph and introduce driver-facing cameras to monitor for distractions or intoxication.
GUESS THE PART
LAST WEEKS WINNER:
Stewart John Fullerton
ANSWER:
Castrol Magnatec Engine Oil 10W-40
SILLY SPARES
Weekly Deals
Workshop Wisdom
Making Sense of LAMBDA Sensors
Why this ingenious device is overlord of the engine
Invented by Robert Bosch GmbH in the early 1960s, the Lambda sensor, aka oxygen sensor or air/fuel ratio sensor is one of those auto components that packs small but plays big. The role Lambda sensors play in governing engine performance cannot be overstated – in essence, the Lambda sensor tells the electronic control unit (ECU) how to regulate the air/fuel mixture going into the cylinders. If a Lambda sensor is faulty, the engine will not receive the optimum air/fuel blend and as a result, will run poorly with increased fuel consumption and excessive exhaust emissions.
OEMs recommend replacing Lambda sensors around the 100 000km mark, but they do last longer if the car is well maintained. Nonetheless, most vehicles today are equipped with Lambda sensors and your workshop should be equipped to diagnose old Lambda sensors and to source and fit quality replacement units.
Here’s what you’ll need...
• The vehicle’s service manual to locate the Lambda sensors. Newer vehicles will have at least two Lambda sensors – one upstream of the catalytic
converter and one downstream of the cat unit.
• An OBD2 engine scan tool to ascertain if a Lambda sensor is faulty before you remove and replace it. Get one at www.takealot.com
• A multimeter to check the resistance [Ohm) of the unit. Visit www.startmycar.co.za
• A Lambda sensor socket to remove and replace sensors with ease. Visit www.takealot.com
• A new DOE Lambda sensor from www.startmycar.co.za
• A tube of Anti-seize paste to apply to the threads of the new sensors to enable easy removal during future servicing. Visit www.startmycar.co.za
And now the diagnostic and replacement tasks...
• Make sure the engine is cool.
• Locate the Lambda sensor. If a service manual is unavailable, check online or contact a dealer workshop.
• Plug in the OBD2 scanner and determine whether or not the Lambda sensor is faulty. If a ‘Check Engine’ warning light is illuminated on the car’s dash,
it’s probably due to a faulty Lambda sensor.
• Remove the plastic Lambda sensor connector at the ECU.
• Check Ohm and voltage reading with a multimeter connected to the black wires on the Lambda sensor connector. If there is a low or zero Ohm
reading, the unit is faulty and should be replaced.
• Remove the old sensor and fit the new DOE Lambda sensor using the special Oxygen Sensor Socket tool and a spot of anti-seize paste.
• Start the car and take it for a short test drive. If the ‘Check Engine’ warning light doesn’t come on, you’ve solved the problem.
Bottom line – Aftermarket Lambda sensors aren’t expensive and the DOE range of Lambda sensors from www.startmycar.co.za is genuine OE-quality, guaranteed. By becoming a Lambda sensor specialist, you’ll help your customers save fuel and the environment while restoring their car’s engine to peak performance!
