Free Online Mechanic

A key selling point of Nissan’s new Leaf electric vehicle is its 100-mile range. Delivering that distance on a full battery will allay most cases of range anxiety, Nissan reckons.

But real-world performance will vary wildly. In fact, Nissan says the Leaf will deliver only half of that range under driving conditions a lot of people find typical.

Consider the following scenarios outlined during a recent Leaf test drive:

– If your Leaf is stuck in stop-and-go traffic, doing 15 mph on a cold winter day with the heater on, you can count on a range of around 62 miles, said the car’s chief engineer, Hidetoshi Kadota.

– If it’s a hot day, in the 90s, and you’re cruising down the road at 48 mph, your full-charge range would be about 70 miles before having to plug in again to juice up the lithium ion batteries.

– If the weather’s perfect with no need for air conditioning, you can get 105 miles in normal city-highway driving. And when touring the countryside at a steady 38 mph, the range climbs to 138 miles.

“Depending on the way you use the air conditioning and the driving mode, the autonomy varies largely,” Kadota said. “This is a physical characteristic of electric vehicles.”

I have a 1989 f250 5.8 the hose that hooks to the check valve blew out and where the deverter is connected it melted and the connection came off and hot air from it melted the top of the oil cap am I right in thinking the check valve is clogged and where can I find a diagram of the California emissions system for 1989 f250 5.8

Response:

I’m guessing you are referring to the PCV valve that plugs into a grommet on the valve cover.  This is a 2 buck item, but if you shake it and hear a rattle, it’s working.  Just replace the melted stuff, and connect it back together.  As for the CA stuff, Google works for me.  Or the dealer should have a copy of it.
 check valve allows air or liquid to pass in one direction only.  Remove it, blow in both ends.  If you can blow thru it from both ends it’s bad, if you can’t blow thru it from either end it’s bad.  If you can blow thru it in only one direction, it’s good.  As far as the second valve, don’t know what it is. 

Given that a car’s tires are the only part that makes contact with the ground, it’s surprising that few motorists understand how they work. While it’s unnecessary to memorize the chemical compounds used to make the rubber last, it’s worth having a rudimentary appreciation for the factors that influence their life. The longer they last, the less often you’ll need to have them replaced. And that trickles down to your budget’s bottom line.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at your wheels and identify a few warning signs that suggest replacements may be in order. I’ll describe a few items to look for and what those items imply. I’ll also explain a few technical details that are helpful to keep in mind when it’s time to invest in a new set.

An Overview Of Wearing

If you’re not already doing so, get into the routine of checking the tread wear on your tires two or three times each month. If they begin wearing unevenly, they’ll eventually expose you and your passengers to safety issues. The key is to understand what different forms of wearing suggest.

If you notice excess wear in the center of the tread, that means your tires are overinflated. The excessive pressure causes the outer edges of your wheels to make less contact with the ground.

The opposite is often true if you notice excess wear on the sides. That means your wheels are under inflated. Keep in mind that driving aggressively (for example, taking turns quickly) can also lead to side tread wear.

If you see excess wearing on one edge, but not the other, the problem is likely due to misalignment or an issue with your suspension. Have a mechanic inspect your car to identify and fix the culprit.

A Few “Technical” Details

The wheels that are installed on your Read Entire Article