Doug Newcomb goes social with new car tech blog

Lots of people blog about automotive technology, but few have the chops to grab my attention. Doug Newcomb is an exception, and I invite you to check out his blog, which came online two weeks ago.

The blog may be new, but Doug himself has deep roots in automotive journalism. Among other things, he created the car technology section of Edmunds.com; edited several publications, including Car Audio and Electronics, Car Stereo Review, and Road&Track Road Gear; and contributed to many others, including Popular Mechanics, MSN Autos, Corvette Quarterly, and SEMA News. On top of that, he wrote Car Audio for Dummies.

So far, Doug's blog posts have run the gamut — from the new Garmin Suzuki infotainment system to the virtual exhaust sounds emitted by Audi's e-tron supercar. Speaking of which, here's a video showing how those sounds were created:



To learn more about this and other developments in car tech, take a minute to visit Doug's blog or connect with him on Facebook.

PostScript: In case you're wondering, I wrote this post before I discovered that Doug had written a short article on QNX's membership in the Car Connectivity Consortium. Holy synchronicity, Batman!
 

Porsche officially revealed 2013 Porsche Cayenne GTS

Porsche has officially revealed 2013 Porsche Cayenne GTS which is most sporting SUV, offering more powerful engine, increased dynamic power development and tauter chassis with lower ride height.

The 2013 Porsche Cayenne GTS is powered with 4.8-litre V8 engine which produces 420 hp. The Power transmission is via 8speed Tiptronic S with integrated auto start/stop function. The engine and gearbox have been tuned to deliver sporting levels of responsiveness. The car is accelerated from 0 to 62mph in 5.7 seconds and 100 mph in 13.3 seconds. The top speed of the car is 162mph and the Combined fuel consumption on the car is 26.4mpg.

The 2013 Porsche Cayenne GTS exterior has sportiness with eye catching features including front end styling window surrounds and trims in high gloss black finish, prominent side skirts and wider wheel arches and distinctive roof spoiler with twin wing. The interior features ambience courtesy of bespoke interior finished in leather and Alcantara, and front sports seats with eight way adjustment. The standard features include SportDesign steering wheel with paddle-shift, sports exhaust system and Bi-Xenon headlights.

The 2013 Porsche Cayenne GTS chassis settings have been modified to further raise dynamic ability of Cayenne. The suspension is more tautly tuned and equipped with Porsche Active Suspension Management, Porsche Vehicle Tracking System, sophisticated vehicle security package approved to Thatcham Category 5 standard. The body of GTS is lowered by 24mm.

The 2013 Porsche Cayenne GTS is going to make its debut at Beijing Motor Show on April 23. The Cayenne GTS will be available for sale in UK in July 2012. The price of 2013 Porsche Cayenne GTS is from £67,147.

What is Your Check Engine Light Trying to Tell You?

If you’ve ever had a check engine light come on in your vehicle, you know the fear and annoyance it can strike to your heart and wallet. You might be aware of this light if you have ever tried to get a smog test with it illuminated – it is grounds for automatic disqualification, and usually requires a replacement of an air fuel ratio sensor or 02 sensor. We’re going to explain a little about what this light is, what the light means, and what you can do if it comes on in your car.

 Modern check engine lights, or malfunction indicator lamps, are in place to tell the vehicle owner of an issue with the engine. All cars made in the last few decades come with an engine monitoring system in place called an OBD-II . OBD stands for On-Board Diagnostics, and has become standard in all vehicles to monitor the engine and emissions of the vehicle.  In case of a minor issue, the light will turn on and stay lit – this is usually a loose gas cap, or a failing oxygen sensor. In case of a major issue like a catalytic converter failure or other more serious problems, the light will flash on and off. 

Some have argued that the system was put in place for dealerships and mechanics to get more money in maintenance costs from their customers , but there is no need to go straight to the mechanic if the CEL comes on (an exception to this is if the CEL is blinking – then you need to stop the car and have it towed to a mechanic right away.) If something goes wrong with your vehicles monitoring systems, it will trigger a code that is specific to the problem your engine is experiencing. You can purchase a code reader to get these codes from your vehicle via a small plug on the underside of your dash.

  

 Nowadays OBD-II code readers can be purchased just about anywhere for you to diagnose why the CEL came on.  They usually cost what a mechanic would charge you for checking it once – and of course you get to keep it forever, so it pays off after two uses. Some readers will just tell you the code itself, and others will tell you what the code actually means in English. If your reader just gives you a code, say P1443, you can go on the internet and type in your year, make, model, and your code and it should come up with a definition of what the code might mean. Of course, if you are unsure, it’s always best to take it to a licensed mechanic.

Once you know what is wrong with your vehicle, you can go about fixing it. Simple repairs like a mass air flow sensor gone bad can be done at home in the garage, while more intricate repairs need to be done by a licensed mechanic. Either way, knowing the issue is the most important step for fixing the problem. Next time your CEL comes on, you will at least know what it might mean and take the steps necessary to remedy the problem.

Source: AOL Autos