Hear the sound of your car

A moving car is a complex symphony of sound, most of it reassuring--tires humming, engine rumbling, tailpipes roaring. But every now and then a dissonant note creeps into the mix--and the alert driver's ears prick up: Did you hear that? Here's a guide that identifies those oddball sounds and helps you sort out which conditions you can let slide and which ones mean repairs--and how fast you need to make them.

THUMPTHUMP
THUMPTHUMP
THUMPTHUMP
WHERE: From one or more tires.
WHEN: At low speeds, especially in the morning. Speeds up with car.
WHAT: Flat-spotted tire. As the tire rotates the flat spot thumps on the ground. Nylon-cord tires will flat-spot overnight and make this sound until they warm up. It's usually worse in colder weather. You can permanently flat-spot the tires by locking up the wheels, grinding massive amounts of rubber off the tread in one spot.
URGENCY: Nada.
FIX: Replace your nylon tires with steel-belted tires. If you've ground down your tires like a pencil eraser, you can either live with the vibration until wear reduces the flat-spotting or buy new tires.

FFFFffff ttttFFFF ffff ttttFFFFffff tttt
WHERE: Under the hood.
WHEN: Most noticeable at idle.
WHAT: An exhaust manifold gasket has failed, venting hot exhaust gases to the air.
URGENCY: It's not getting better on its own. The blowtorch of corrosive gases will eventually damage the manifold. Oh, by the way: Carbon monoxide from the leak may make you drowsy or dead.
FIX: Replace the exhaust manifold gasket before the leak eats a hole in the manifold.

Ticktickticktick
WHERE: Under the center of the car, toward the rear.
WHEN: While in motion and varying with road speed.
WHAT: U-joint (rwd or 4wd only). A U-joint in your driveshaft has finally run out of grease, is getting loose and is about to fail.
URGENCY: That's really just an urban legend about cars polevaulting over broken driveshafts when U-joints fail at speed, right?
FIX: Replace all the U-joints and keep the new ones greased regularly.

EEEEEEEeeeee
WHERE: Inside the wheels.
WHEN: Slowing down; it's sometimes worse on damp days.
WHAT: Your brake pads are stroking the discs like a violin bow.
URGENCY: Sometimes they do that. Your brakes still work fine.
FIX: Try new pads, adhesive to hold pads to the piston or shims to insulate the piston from the pads. Another option: earplugs. (Sometimes the sound is difficult to eliminate.)

SSSSSSSSSSSS
WHERE: Under the hood.
WHEN: Anytime the engine is running, but it's most noticeable at idle speed.
WHAT: Vacuum leak. A rubber or plastic vacuum line or fitting has split or fallen apart.
URGENCY: If you're wondering why your Check Engine light is on and why your car idles poorly, this is probably why.
FIX: Reconnect or replace the line.

Clang
WHERE: Under the center of the car or truck, near the middle.
WHEN: Starting off at traffic lights. Most often heard on pickups with automatic transmissions, not manuals.
WHAT: The splines that allow the driveshaft to change length where it connects to the tailshaft are binding as you slow down and then releasing when you start off.
URGENCY: Annoying, but They All Do That--or at least some of them do it some of the time.
FIX: Packing the spline area with special grease helps for a month or so. Or just sell the car or truck.

ThunkThunkThunk
WHERE: One or both front corners of the vehicle.
WHEN: Going around slow, sharp corners under light throttle.
WHAT: A CV joint that allows your front wheels to turn and still be powered is loose. The boot has failed and let out all the CV joint's grease, or maybe it's just time for it to wear out.
URGENCY: Don't leave town. Don't use a lot of throttle around sharp turns. Your car will stop suddenly when the joint completely fails.
FIX: Replace the entire off ending half-axle.

CLUNK
WHERE: Front end.
WHEN: Initially, when parking; eventually, over small bumps.
WHAT: The ball joint that connects the suspension arm to the upright has lost its lubrication and the metal-to-metal contact is wearing it out.
URGENCY: Make an appointment. Avoid bumpy roads, curbs and potholes.
FIX: Replace the ball joint.

GrumbleGrumble
WHERE: Front of the car.
WHEN: At idle. (Check for weeping coolant at the bottom of the water pump, too.)
WHAT: Water pump bearings.
URGENCY: When the bearings fail completely, the fan will pull forward and slice a nice big smile-shaped chunk out of the radiator, making it leak profusely.
FIX: You need a new pump.

Yyyyoooooowwwwrrrrrrr
WHERE: Under the hood. WHEN: Whenever you rotate the steering wheel all the way to the left or right steering stop and hold it there.
WHAT: The pressure relief valve inside the pump is dumping excess power-steering hydraulic fluid back into the reservoir. It's supposed to do that, although maybe a little more quietly.
URGENCY: No big deal.
FIX: It's normal. Actually, you should check the level of powersteering fluid in the pump. Don't hold the wheel hard on the stop like that; it annoys pedestrians and is tough on the belt.

YEEEEeeeeeaaaaawwwppp
WHERE: Under the hood.
WHEN: Right after startup until you rev the throttle a couple of times and the rubber warms up.
WHAT: Belt squeal. A loose or glazed belt, bad tensioner or misaligned pulley.
URGENCY: Make an appointment, and don't take a long trip. This won't go away on its own--until just before the belt fails.
FIX: Check belt tension and pulley alignment; replace the belt.

source: Popular Mechanic Nov. 2005

VW Mini (2)

FRANKFURT — Volkswagen is building the Beetle again. OK, not really, but thanks to a trendy campaign and a cute little car called the Up!, VW is set to take on the likes of Smart and Scion as early as 2010. The new mini-car is part of the company’s plan to get back to its roots, building affordable rides for the masses.

Despite its diminutive size, the concept has four seats and room for a fair amount of luggage—plus a variable interior for fitting in awkward objects. User-friendly buttons on the steering wheel are reminiscent of those on an iPod (or at least an iPod Classic), while most of the dash controls can be accessed via touch-screen.

VW will offer the Up! (we feel as ridiculous typing it as you do reading it) with two- and three-cylinder engines—an obvious result of the group’s focus on efficiency and economy. It’s claiming the mid-engine, rear-wheel drive car gets some 67 mpg, but VW is trying to raise that number even higher. Despite these claims, the company has remained vague with regard to future powerplants.

The car looks awfully similar to a Smart from the outside, with a body draped around the drivetrain and cockpit. Small overhangs and R8-style LED lights mounted up front add flair to Walter de Silva’s design. You might expect to see these on American streets—VW chairman Martin Winterkorn said today that the car will be sold in other continents, but with different features, as well as in emerging markets. —James Tate

VW Mini Space Up!

LOS ANGELES — With NBA legend Jon Salley by his side, Volkswagen head of technical development Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg unveiled the Space Up! Blue electric-powered concept car to a large crowd here—its first in North America. Small in stature, Hackenberg warned us not to judge a book by its cover: “There is plenty of interior space for four full-size people.” Styled after the classic Samba Bus from the 1950s (a hippy favorite), this slick looking, zero-emission van is powered by an electric drive system that includes a 45-kW motor, 12 lithium-ion batteries with a total of 12 kWh, and a hydrogen fuel cell. It can be recharged via the onboard hydrogen fuel cell or an electric outlet when hydrogen isn’t available. On battery power alone, the diminutive vehicle has a range of 65 miles. The fuel cell extends that by another 155 miles. A large solar panel mounted on the roof doesn’t hurt either.

Hackenberg also showed the 2009 VW Tiguan and 2009 VW Jetta turbo-diesel. The Tiquan is a sporty yet capable crossover designed to shake up the category. “It’s the GTi of crossovers,” Hackenberg Ulrich Hackenberg. It’ll come with a robust 2.0-liter, 200-hp turbo four, a six-speed manual or automatic transmission, electromechanical power steering, an electronic parking brake and all-wheel drive. The Jetta’s two-liter clean diesel engine makes just 140 hp, but promises 35/36 combined fuel economy. —Chuck Tannert

VW Van Volkswagen Routan

CHICAGO — If you’ve been dreaming of some hip, new-wave version of the hippie microbus, dream on. Instead of drawing on its storied van heritage, Volkswagen said here today that it plans to implement Chrysler’s minivan architecture for a distinctly American van.

VW’s seven-passenger Routan minivan will be manufactured at Chrysler’s Ontario plant—the same line that produces the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan, both of which won a 2008 Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Award in the versatility category.

To set the Routan apart from the twin Chryslers, it’ll get its own grille and exterior design. But more importantly, the Routan appears to have a real VW interior, meaning far more upscale materials and designs. But otherwise the Routan is very close to the Chrysler duo in terms of room, space and standard amenities. It has 32.7 cu. ft. available behind the third-row seats, plus 83 cu. ft. with the second row stowed.

The Routan will come with two Chrysler engines: a standard 3.8-liter V6 rated at 197 hp and 230 lb.-ft. of torque, combined with a six-speed automatic transmission; and an optional 4.0-liter V6 at 251 hp and 259 lb.-ft. VW says the Routan has European-style suspension, steering and driving dynamics and that prices will start below $25,000. —Jim McCraw

Jetta (2)

WASHINGTON — Fifty years ago, station wagons accounted for 15 percent of all new cars sold. Squaring off against super-sized Americruisers such as Ford’s Country Squire and Chevy’s Bel Air, Volkswagen sold its doughty little Transporter in Kombi, Microbus and Camper versions. Sure, it looked like a loaf of Wonder bread on wheels, but with as many as 21 windows and eight seats, it was the stoked choice of the homemade-granola-and-sandals crowd. Funny thing is, those old Microbuses are collectors’ items today. Today, with fuel prices spiking, Volkswagen thinks this just might be the right time for a new transporter in its lineup. But this go-round, it’s a tidy little wagon. “Station wagons are a common thread in our collective experience,” insists VW America COO Mark Barnes. More important, the Wolfsburgers know how to build a solid little hauler that’s surprisingly roomy, economical and fun to drive. Jetta wagons arrive in July with three engine choices. The base 2.5-liter inline Five brings 170 hp and 177 lb.-ft. of torque paired to a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. You can step up to a 200-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged inline Four with 207 lb.-ft. of torque. But we dig the 50-state approved, 140 hp I-4 TDI diesel with 235 lb.-ft. of torque. The diesel arrives in August and will run on B5 biodiesel. No official fuel economy figures were available, but we’d guess 20 to 21 city, 28 to 29 highway for the inline Five—nd probably well north of 40 mpg for the diesel. We drove the Sportwagen near here in the rolling countryside of Virginia, at the edge the Blue Ridge Mountains. The 170-hp 2.5 SE, VW says, sprints to 60 mph in 8.4 seconds. No official numbers on the Turbo, but it felt noticeably quicker, smoother and more responsive. Jetta Sportwagens all have MacPherson struts in front and independent multilink rear suspension that’s taut and supple, but not too stiff.

The Jetta’s power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering is crisp, with nice on-center feel, just enough boost and a reasonably quick turn-in. It’s definitely a driver’s car, with an adjustable steering wheel, a well-placed dead pedal and firmly supportive buckets. And the brakes hauled both Jettas down repeatedly on twisty Virgina backroads, with no judder or fade. The Jetta Sportwagen is in many ways like a junior-league Audi. Visually, this is a high-quality piece—the interior and exterior panel gaps are perfect, and it has that just-short-of-luxurious feel. Bottom line: We’re impressed. Once again, Volkswagen has found a way to deliver impressive German-style performance at an affordable price. Close your eyes (although we don’t recommend it at speed) and there’s that unmistakable, rock-solid feel you get in competitive models from Ingolstadt, Munich or Stuttgart, but for much less money. You really have to turn around to realize you’re in a station wagon. But you are. Plus, it delivers 32.8 cu. ft. of cargo volume with the rear seats up. Fold them flat and there’s a whopping 66.9 cu. ft. And this puppy is classified as a compact car? Not in our book. The Sportwagen’s standard equipment list runs deep. Options include a huge Power Sliding Panoramic sunroof, a touchscreen nav system with an iPod connector or a console-mounted CD changer and a rearview camera. As yet, we won’t get “4MOTION,” VW’s all-wheel drive system. Apparently European demand is so high, we colonists will have to wait a while. Drat. At last November’s SEMA show in Vegas, Volkswagen previewed a lowered 2009 TDI Sportwagen with Brembo brakes, H&R sport springs and 19-inch alloys. It looked way cool. But the fact is, even a stock Jetta Sportwagen looks hip—especially in black. Prices start at $19,000. —Ken Gross

VW Jetta 2009

The new era of clean diesel in America will officially be ushered in by the new VW Jetta TDi when it goes on sale in a few months. Powered by a 2.0-liter four-banger that produces 140 hp and 236 lb.-ft. of torque, it will be the first automobile to meet the world’s most stringent emission control standards, California’s Tier II, Bin 5.

Although it won’t be wearing the “BlueTec” badge, the Jetta will be using emission-cleansing technologies developed under the cooperative formed by Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen to make it 50-state legal. Most BlueTec vehicles control NOx emissions—one of the biggest environmental hurdles facing diesels, along with particulate matter—by injecting a urea-based solution into the exhaust system upstream from the catalytic converter, where NOx is then converted into nitrogen and water. The Jetta will instead use a NOx-storage catalyst, which is basically a reservoir that temporarily holds the noxious emissions, like a particulate filter, until they can be burned off during one of the engine cycles.

In addition, the new engine will feature a common-rail fuel injection system, instead of VW’s traditional mechanical system, that uses piezoelectric fuel injectors. This technology permits higher injection pressures, which better atomize the fuel and make it easier to control pollution.

We recently test drove the Jetta through the streets of San Francisco and were pleasantly surprised. The Jetta has always been agile and zippy, but the new, more powerful TDi gives it more oomph, allowing us to power through traffic and accelerate from stoplights with authority and a little bravado—we totally tooled on a Toyota Prius. We were also shocked as to how quiet the engine operates: You have to consciously listen for the knocking, or you wouldn’t even notice it.

If reports are correct, the Jetta should get upwards of 50 mpg, combined highway and city. Although pricing hasn’t been announced, expect it to be within a few thousand of the current models (an estimated $18,000 to $23,000). We can’t wait for chance to spend some more time with the new TDi Jetta—and test its real-world feul economy. —Chuck Tannert

source: www.popularmechanics.com Apr. 7th 2008

410 Ribu VW Passat Ditarik dari Pasaran

Demi keamanan dan kenyamanan pelanggannya, pihak Volkswagen menarik varian Passat bermesin bensin yang terjual di Amerika Serikat pada tahun 1999 hingga 2005, dengan jumlah mencapai 410 ribu unit, untuk diperiksa. Mobil-mobil tersebut akan diteliti menyangkut tiga isu yang dikhawatirkan berpotensial merugikan konsumen.

Untuk varian transmisi otomatis, pihak VW akan melakukan pemeriksaan pada bagian firewall (passive fire protection) . Pihak VW mengkhawatirkan adanya kerusakan pada bagian firewall di sekitar catalytic converter. Jika ditemukan kerusakan, bagian tersebut akan dilapisi kembali.

Kemudian, untuk varian Passat dengan kapasitas mesin 1.8 liter yang dilengkapi turbo-four akan mendapatkan pemeriksaan kerusakan atau cacat produksi di bagian jalur bahan bakar. Terakhir, varian all-wheels drive Passat akan diteliti kemungkinan kerusakan pada jalur ventilasi tanki bahan bakar.

Meskipun terdapat sejumlah kemungkinan kerusakan tersebut, tapi tidak ada laporan mengenai korban luka ataupun kecelakaan akibat isu tadi. (Leftlane/GLO) ..

sumber: Kompas.com Senin, 7 April 2008