The technical name for a fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device. A fuel cell converts the chemicals hydrogen and oxygen into water, and in the process it produces electricity. Other electrochemical devices that are in use these days and for many decades is the well-known battery. The distinguishing difference between a simple battery and a fuel cell is that all the chemicals are stored inside the battery. The battery in turn converts those chemicals into electricity but in due course it “goes dead” as the chemicals are used up and at times you can either throw it away or recharge it.

Then again with a fuel cell, chemicals continually flow into the cell so as long as there is a flow of chemicals into the cell; the electricity flows out of the fuel cell. Combustion engines the gasoline engine burn fuels and batteries converted chemical energy back into electrical energy when needed. However, fuel cells should do both tasks more efficiently.

Simply put the construction and materials in a fuel cell release electrons from the hydrogen gas creating electricity and the waste product after the electricity is used to power an electrical device is water, formed with the negative hydrogen and the oxygen.This reaction in a single fuel cell produces only about 0.7 volts. To get this voltage up to a reasonable level, several separate fuel cells must be combined to form a fuel-cell stack.

However one major problem with using hydrogen is that it is cannot be stored easily for consumer use. Among the other alternatives, it could be natural gas, propane, and methanol gas. The main objective of using fuel cell technology is pollution reduction. Fuel cell is also very efficient; 80% of the fuel use in these cells is converted into usable energy as compared to only 20% for a gasoline powered engine and about 30% overall for a battery powered electric vehicle.

Evidently there is no question that the fuel cell holds greater promise for the future. However, the fuel cell technology must still gather all the pieces of finding the right ‘fuel’ source that is both easy to store and deliver to the consumer, efficiency of the vehicle using fuel cells, and the cost for the total package.

A Basic Overview Of Fuel Cell Technology. is a post from: CPH 2002 Car News

Symmetrical Vehicle Lifts

Approximately 30 years ago, when cars were built out of steel, men were strong and women wore skirts..The symmetrical lift was designed as an alternative to the hydraulic inground lift. The lift wasn’t known as “symmetrical” right off the bat; it was called a surface lift because it bolted to the concrete floor, rather than being installed through the floor. At the time of its inception, the surface lift was being designed (often times poorly) to pick up rear wheel drive vehicles that had a pretty good front to rear balance. The cars were big and heavy and mechanics relatively skinny and strong.

In order to balance these behemoths six feet up in the air, the columns were placed across from each other and the arms were all of equal length. Some lifts were connected from side-to-side overhead; a base plate connected others down below. One thing was certain about these lifts; if you were a mechanic with a beer belly trying to get out of the car after it had been driven into place, you were going to have a tough time. Since the lift was balancing the vehicle between front and back, the column needed to be located somewhat close to the center of the vehicle. What else is in the center of the vehicle? We all know the answer to that! The doors! What happens when doors meet columns? Door dings!

It took the lift manufacturers a while to figure it out, but eventually they did. Currently, very few lifts are sold as “symmetrical” lifts. The ones that are sold are usually being sold for a particular purpose, such as working on vans or trucks. (Vans and trucks have the door in front of the centerline of the vehicle, so a column really doesn’t get in the way.) Some customers will purchase a symmetrical lift because they want a “drive thru” capability, and sure enough, the symmetrical lift usually gives a few more inches in that regard.

Sure Fire Ways to Tell a Symmetrical Lift:

The columns face each other.
Front arm length is the same as rear arm length.
The lift states “symmetrical”.
You have a difficult time getting out of the car when you drive in.
You don’t have a difficult time getting out of the truck when you drive in.
You have an account with a body shop to repair door dings.

Asymmetric Vehicle Lifts

Sometimes Europeans are smarter than Americans. I don’t like to admit it, but it’s true. It turns out, some guy named Gnter was using his symmetrical lift (not a Rotary Lift, mind you), when he realized that those last two lagers had pushed his belly past the point of no return. That’s right, he was stuck in the car and couldn’t get out. Since he had some time to sit and think, he did what most mechanics do with their free time; he tried to design a better lift so that he wouldn’t have to lose his bought and paid for beer belly.

What Gunter came up with seemed to be a pretty good design. By making the rear arms of the lift longer than the front arms, the vehicle would theoretically sit far enough back to allow him to open the doors. Not only that, since most of the cars being manufactured in Gunter’s day were front wheel drive, the balance of the vehicle on the car lift would be better. (Gunter had never forgotten the time that he had pulled the engine out of a car, only to have the car flip backwards off the lift due to the newly created weight distribution imbalance). It would also help to reduce the number of times he had to have a customer’s door fixed after dinging the door on the column.

Gunter’s design worked for about two years. He still dinged a door occasionally, but he was able to continue growing his belly and was always able to get out of the vehicle. One day however, Gunter raised a car with his vehicle lift and heard a horrendous squealing noise, metal on metal. He also noticed that the arms of his lift were shaking and rocking and he stopped to make sure that the vehicle didn’t bounce off the lifting pads.

After some serious investigative work (and several snaps of his suspenders), he noticed that there were metal shavings on the floor near the columns. It soon became apparent that when he had changed the load center of the lift by extending the rear arms, he had caused excessive wear on the load bearings that ride inside the column. Soon, all of Gnter’s beer drinking buddies (who had copied Gunter’s idea) were shaking their heads and refusing to buy Gunter beer anymore. Gunter was not a happy man.

Thankfully, those smart engineers in the United States don’t drink beer while they are trying to solve a problem. (Most of the time.) They had seen Gunter’s design and saw the problem right away. They also realized that their solution would have an added benefit to the beer belly problem. Rotate the columns to face the new load center and you automatically get extended door-opening clearance. Ever wonder why American automotive lift engineers have big beer bellies? Because they CAN!

Enough about Gunter; A TRUE asymmetric lift has columns that are rotated 30 degrees to point the load center of the lift in the general direction of the load center of the car as it is being lifted AND front arms that are shorter than the rear. A semi-asymmetric lift only has the front arms shorter than the rear, without addressing the load bearing issue.

Very few manufacturers take the time to make this distinction on their auto lifts. The good majority of two-post auto lifts that are advertised as “asymmetric” are the exact same as the symmetric auto lift with different arm lengths. Does this concept work? Of course it will for a while. But remember what happened to Gunter and his buddies, you will experience severe wear on the bearings (or slider blocks) over time.

We highly recommend purchasing a TRUE asymmetric lift when you purchase this design. A quality auto lift manufacturer will also include a wheel-spotting dish to help you or your techs spot vehicles properly when positioning the vehicle.

Sure Fire Ways to Tell a True Asymmetric Lift:

Columns are rotated 30 degrees from each other, facing the load center of the vehicle.
Front arms of the automotive lift are shorter than the rear arms.
You have a beer belly bigger than Gunter’s and don’t have a problem.
A Rotary Lift engineer tells you it’s a True Asymmetric Lift.
Reduction in bill from the body shop allows for a bigger beer belly.

Sure Fire Ways to Tell a “Semi-Asymmetric” Lift:

The columns face each other, rather than the load center of the car.
The front arms of the vehicle lift are shorter than the rear arms.
The lift squeals, shakes and whines when lifting a load.
You have metal shavings on the floor near the column.
You bought the lift so you wouldn’t bang the door on the column, but continue to bang the door on the column.
You pay a company like mine to replace slider blocks every few years.

“Versymmetric” Design Auto Lift

If you have been really doing your research, you will have probably heard the term “Versymmetric” thrown out there from a few manufacturers. The theory behind this term is that they have designed an automotive lift that is capable of being both symmetrical and asymmetric at the same time.

One opinion is that this design takes the worst situations of two different types of lifts and combines them to really confuse a technician.

First off, a symmetrical auto lift will cause door dings and clearance problems with cars, no question. Second, an “asymmetric” lift that doesn’t have columns rotated will still cause door dings. Third, if the technician isn’t properly trained on how to set up each and every vehicle properly, the lift will be used improperly. The end result will be an unsafe lifting situation with the vehicle, door dings and excessive bearing wear.

Some of these lifts are listed with the ALI and pass 3rd party testing. They can be constructed well and the sales people selling the concept really have their pitch down. Having seen the products used improperly in the shops and having serviced numerous “Versymmetric” lifts that have had failed bearings (slider blocks), our opinion isn’t very positive.

We here at Standard Industrial & Automotive Equipment are happy to discuss various issues regarding automotive lifts, quality and what is best suited for your shop. Feel free to contact us if we can be of any assistance.

Asymmetric vs Symmetric Vehicle Lifts Which Is Right For Me is a post from: CPH 2002 Car News

Worried about the high price youre paying for gasoline? Eliminate your money worries by traveling around town on a fun electric or gas motor scooter. Go weeks without adding gas to your tank. Or better yet, get an electric motor scooter and never add gas at all. In addition, most scooters are compact enough to be stored in a small place such as in a closet or in a public transportation compartment.

Electric powered scooters range in size from mini to full-size and boast an assortment of speed options. Travel at a safe 15 mph or find fast gas or electric power scooters that will get your heart pumping with excitement. Electric motor scooters also come in an assortment of fun colors and optional features. Stand up or sit down, its your choice. Plus, choose between the more popular 2 wheel electric powered scooter or locate a 3 wheel model.

When looking for a vehicle to get around town in there are certain considerations that you have to keep in mind. How expensive is the transportation? What kind of gas mileage does it get? Is it easy to find a spot to park it? And most of all, is it fun to drive?

When it comes to gas motor scooters or electric power scooters the answers are positive to all of the above. The initial expense is minimal, even less than $100 for many models. Gas motor scooters will go 50 miles on a gallon of gas or more and an electric power scooter will never need a fill-up ever.

Plus, its easy to find a parking spot because they are so compact. You can even take it into your office with you and park it in a closet or under a desk. Its just that simple because many models are foldable. Thats right, they are made for folding.

But of course the best part is that they are fun to drive. And thats the truth. If youve never been behind the handlebars of one of the many gas or electric scooters available youve missed out on some real excitement.

Scooters are made for everyone, kids to adults, for fast fun or for the handicapped. If you are elderly or have a handicap youll need to find a popular motorized mobility scooter that will get you around safely. They can make life fun again, allowing you to go practically anywhere you want.

Motorized scooters, whether gas or electric, are fun, reliable, cheap and easy to store. What more could anyone want from a vehicle?

Electric Scooters – A Thrilling Ride for All Ages! is a post from: CPH 2002 Car News

This vehicle has been greatly compared to the Toyota Corolla for most people would mistake the Daewoo Lanos with the Toyota Corolla. However, if one would look more closely, the difference would be that the Daewoo Lanos has a vertical chrome Infinity-like grille. That is the main difference actually. The 2006 Daewoo Lanos holds a 1.6 liter engine with four cylinders that has the capability to produce some 105 units of horsepower. However, this engine is much noisier than other vehicles who own engines with four cylinders.

There are some critics who find the Daewoo Lanos to be just a version of the Daewoo LeMans. And when they say this, they mean that it would be a no-frills type of transportation. However, Daewoo made it a point that the Daewoo Lanos would be a different vehicle from the Daewoo LeMans. The only similar characteristic or feature that the two vehicles have are the stiff seats with small side bolsters. The Daewoo Lanos is far more different than the LeMans in a lot of other ways. The former holds a much more attractive exterior with its thick body side moldings that offer good body and panel protection. The interior is very roomy as well. The rear seats provide sufficient and enough room for two adults.

This new vehicle has a very spacious trunk to store a large amount of packages and cargo. To add up to the space, the rear seat backs could actually fold down flat. The passengers and the driver in the front are also given ample seating room. For people who like the colored variety, the cloth seats of the 2006 Daewoo Lanos would be up your alley for they are actually multicolored coming in blue, red, yellow, and white.

The 2006 Daewoo Lanos uses a wheelbase measuring some 99 inches. The four-door Lanos is some 167 inches longer than the two-door version. This vehicle come with the standard features that include a power steering, dual air bags, a five speed manual transmission system, a four wheel independent suspension system, an AM/FM stereo with cassette, central locking doors, power windows, and power windows for the drivers side as well as the passengers end. The optional features include a remote keyless entry system, a four speed automatic transmission system, a cruise control, air conditioning, and a power sunroof.

Daewoo Lanos owners and aficionados who want to maintain the superior performance of their Daewoo vehicles could go to Auto Parts Online. Auto Parts Online is the leading supplier of BMW discount-priced finest quality Daewoo auto parts. For performance demands, this online store offers condensers, bumpers, coolant tanks, exhaust, fenders, hubcaps, and a whole lot more. A tremendous line of discount Daewoo parts is guaranteed at the online site to be the best of its kind.

2006 Daewoo Lanos: Totally Pleasurable is a post from: CPH 2002 Car News

I realize that I am in the minority of car critics, but I think that Buick is on the right track. The Lucerne, a full sized car based on the Cadillac DTS, is a beauty and Buicks next newest model, the mid sized Lacrosse, is another attractive looking car. Still, Buicks remaining fleet has been scaled back with only two SUVs and one crossover vehicle, the Terraza, left. At times it isnt clear what plans GM has for its near luxury division, but if the Enclave is one example, then Buick has a promising future.

Without having pictures available to show you, it can be difficult to describe the Enclave. When I viewed pictures on various web sites, I couldnt help but think that the Enclave was similar to the Subaru B9 Tribeca. Before you get your knickers twisted in a wad, the Enclave is a swan in comparison to the ugly Subaru.

Sporting a front end akin to the Lucerne, the back end looks a lot like the Tribeca. Overall lines are somewhat car like but the Enclave certainly does sport an SUV look with calmer lines.

What we know about the Enclave at this point is fairly limited. The vehicle sits on a 119 inch wheelbase and is powered by a 3.6L V6. So, it appears that Buick will replace the smaller Rendezvous with the Enclave and keep the larger Rainier. Or, perhaps, the Rainier will be retired altogether.

The Enclave has all the amenities a Buick owner is accustomed to including: leather appointments, power everything, OnStar, a variety of entertainment options, responsive handling, and a quiet cabin. Pictures reveal 21 tires with seven spoke wheels. Seating is for six, spread out over three rows. No couch seating either; individual bucket seats are planned for all six passengers.

There is no official word yet whether the Enclave will see the light of day at least in its present interpretation. Still, the vehicle is a fresh look for a refreshed division, something that Buick certainly needs in order to keep the momentum going.

2009 Buick Enclave: From Concept to Reality is a post from: CPH 2002 Car News

Vincent Van Gogh biography had gained several cinematic adaptations. Lust for Life with Kirk Douglas as the struggling artist is one of the most notable. The movie is based on a best selling book by Irving Stone, who also authored The Agony and the Ecstasy about Michelangelo, which also had appeared on the silver screen.

If you are a fan of Van Gogh artwork, you would enjoy watching Last for Life, which features almost 200 of Van Goghs original paintings. However, if you are familiar with Kirk Douglas previous filmographic, seeing him as a tortured Dutch painter might take a little adjustment. Another recommended film about Van Gogh is Robert Altmans Vincent and Theo from 1990.

Surviving Picasso directed by James Ivory in 1996

Like Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso image made him an iconic figure outside the artistic circles. While Van Gogh symbolizes the self destructive, manic depressive artist who achieves success only after his death, Picasso represents the misanthropic and womanizer artist. Picasso infamous relationship with women is the focus of this Merchant and Ivory film. The story is told from the eyes of Picasso mistress Francoise Gilot and features only reproductions of Picasso works. With Anthony Hopkins talent and his physical resemblance to Picasso, Surviving Picasso manages to create an unflattering portrait of an artist as a cruel, self centered genius.

Girl with Pearl Earring directed by Peter Webber in 2003

Comparing to Van Gogh and Picasso, Vermeers biography is less known and less controversial. Therefore Girl with Pearl Earring is much more restrained and delicate. The movie focuses on a short period in Vermeers life in which he was painting the portrait of his young low class maid. Although Girl with Pearl Earring does not avoid filmic conventions by over dramatizing Vermeers painting process, the movie is worth watching if only for its artistic design, which success in evoking Vermeers perception of light and color.

Basquiat directed by Julian Schnabel in 1996

The most common critique against movies that deals with visual arts is the way they depict the creation process. Therefore, there were big expectations from Basquiat, which was directed by the celebrated painter Julian Schnabel. Schnabel did well in depicting Jean Michelle Basquiat rise and fall story in less the predictable manner we have seen millions time before. However, the only reason to watch Basquiat is David Bowie plays the role of Andy Warhol.

Frida directed by Julie Taymor in 2002

Like most of the visual artists who had their life story appear on the silver screen, Frida Kahlo carried an unusual biography, which includes bus accident, problematic marriage, and an affair with Leon Trotsky. Like Van Gogh, Picasso and Jackson Pollock, who was the subject of a biopic from 2000, Frida Kahlo was an icon long before Frida was released, but the 123 minutes film did help to strength her position as a feminist idol and probably the most famous woman painter of the 20 century. Frida tries its best to integrate Frida Kahlo life story with her painting and the result is very colorful and pleasant, but still does not stay far enough from the conventions of depicting artists on film.

Artists Biographies on Film: Top Movies about Visual Artists is a post from: CPH 2002 Car News

Electric RC cars use rechargeable battery packs to power their motor and steering, which are usually recharged from a 12-volt car battery or wall socket. Batteries run for about 5-10 minutes, depending on the type of engine your car has, and charging the battery usually takes 15-30 minutes. Because of this, it is strongly recommended you have at least two battery packs, to allow for quick replacement of the battery. This means your car can keep running while the other battery is recharging, giving the car more overall running time.

At first glance, getting started with an electric RC car can be much less expensive than a nitro vehicle. But there are other costs to consider as well, such as additional battery packs, a battery charger and other accessories that will add to the cost, making it closer to the price of a nitro car in the long run. Of course, this cost also depends on what kind of car you end up purchasing and what kind of battery pack it requires, as well as how often you run the car and the quality of the batteries you get. Though the initial outlay of cash can be steep, but youll want to get quality battery packs and a good charger to save replacing cheaper batteries.

The main reason electric RCs are said to be easier than nitro is in the amount of maintenance and tuning their engines require. Though the care, maintenance and cost of battery packs is steep, it is still less trouble for the new driver than the air filters, tuning, fueling and various other engine parts that require attention on a nitro car. Instead, careful conditioning and proper storage of your battery packs will keep your electric RC running smoothly for years. Always consult your manufacturers instructions to make sure youre getting the right battery packs for your car, and that youre caring for them properly.

Easier and cleaner, electric RC cars and trucks offer the genuine racing experience to the beginner on an easy learning curve. Proper conditioning and maintenance of the car and its battery packs are still easier than the many parts and problems often associated with nitro RCs. If youre a beginner, or if you just want to get to the races, an electric RC can offer you the speed and fun youre after for less work.

Also keep in mind that if you think youd prefer an electric RC, but still want the experience of building your own car, that you can also purchase electric kits. These include complete instructions to build your own car from scratch, and because their systems are less complex than the nitro cars, they are a little easier to build yourself.

Electric RC Car Motors

In order to prevent unnecessary wear and tear on your electric motor, it is important to always break in your motor, before you drive it for the first time, and every time after you change its brushes. One easy method is to run the vehicle with the wheels off of the ground at about 1/4 power for about 5 minutes. This will slowly get the brushes fully seated to the commutator without causing wear and tear on the engine, and will allow your motor to run at its full potential.

Your electric car will come with instructions on how to change the brushes on the motor, as well guidelines for how often. Remember, if you change the brushes on your motor, be sure to break it in again. How often you replace the brushesand the motor, for that matterdepends on where and how much youre running or racing your car. Generally, a motor should be replaced after it has gone through five or more pairs of brushes, but it will always depend on the individual car, its motor and how well theyre running.

Electirc RC Cars for Fun and Excitement is a post from: CPH 2002 Car News

More Power A V6 is a great engine, especially in these times of high gas prices. Still, if you opt for a car of the Impalas size, at least having the option of purchasing a V8 makes sense, doesnt it? You better believe it. GM has sweetened the deal by plunking in a V8 that incorporates Corvette technology as the engine heads with their pentroof combustion chambers and flattop pistons deliver high horsepower, this according to Chevrolets promotional material. In addition, GMs displacement on demand technology allows the V8 to squeeze out a miserly 28 mpg on the highway [18 mpg city] with computer equipment that shuts down unneeded cylinders at the appropriate time. Cadillac tried this in the early 1980s with its V8-6-4 engine that failed to live up to the job as computing technology then wasnt what it is today. Fortunately, current GM technology makes this a reality for current models.

Better Looks When it comes to looks beauty is subjective. Yet, previous Impala models had a bit of a pedestrian look to them. In the highly competitive large sedan category, this can easily mean lost sales as the choices for similarly priced, but more aggressive looking cars is strong. All new sheetmetal, a more assertive nose similar to the Cobalts and updated headlights and tail lights gives the Impala a fresh and assertive look.

More Models 6 in fact. The return of the SS as the signature model should help sales. SS, or Super Sport is a term that was originally used for the 1961 Impala and by the mid 60s came to represent each of the performance models in the fleet. The Chevelle, Nova, and Camaro all had that designation then while the Impala, Cobalt, Malibu, and TrailBlazer wear it today.

Improved Interior If you are going to change the skin and what is found under the hood, you might as well dress up the interior, right? The LTZ model who the heck knows what that stands for has heated front bucket seats trimmed in leather. Throw in 8 way power and lumbar support for the driver and you are talking top of the line comfort. On select models new flip and fold rear seating is available; side curtain air bags for the front seat is standard on all Impalas; and keyless entry, power windows, tilt wheel, OnStar, cruise control, and a host of other features all come standard on the Impala.

Prices start in the low 20s {US} and climb to nearly 30K {US} for fully loaded SS models. How the SS sells remains to be seen, but its bold, fresh look will certainly appeal to those who previously dismissed the Impala.

2006 Chevy Impala SS: More Vroom! is a post from: CPH 2002 Car News

People shopping for cars today, face the same decisions they did in years past, 2-door or 4-door, car, truck, van, or SUV. The idea of buying versus leasing is now on the table once again. The idea of buying a car in the middle of 2007 and having to decide between a 2007 and a 2008 muddies the water. Some of these vehicles will be all-new models, others radically different, while still others with only slight alterations.

Manufacturers are using the release of the new 2008 products as more of a strategy than in years previous years. They realize they have the power to create targeted traffic at given points of the selling season with these new releases. They no longer have to share the same pie with every other automaker. The traditional introduction of the models in early October created to much competition between the manufacturers. All the automakers were introducing their new lineup at the same time and sharing the spotlight with all the other automakers. A model can be deemed a 2008 so long as it goes on sale after January 1st of the current year.

Consumers are split relatively evenly between the bargain of the left over model and the idea of having the latest and greatest. There is certainly a price to be paid for stepping up into a new 2008 model. Many consumers opt to pay more for the 2008 because the 2007 does not seem quite so new anymore. While the bargain hunters can save even more during the buzz of the newly released models.

This is a win-win for the dealerships. The manufacturers need to assist the dealers in moving out the 2007 products (heavier incentives) and the profits for the dealers can be significantly higher on the fresh 2008 products.

More and more new models for 2008 are being produced monthly.

2008 New Car Release Strategy is a post from: CPH 2002 Car News

When questioned, most said they couldn’t afford, or didn’t want to pay the high prices of replacements from their local auto dealer. The average price for a pair of replacement plastic headlights at local auto dealerships was around $450 – that didn’t even include installation and alignment (that would be another $60-120). Aftermarket headlights do exist, but have received mixed reviews, and the savings aren’t that great, quality and fit is lagging, and then you still had to have them installed and aligned. And for what so you can do it again in another year or two?

There is another solution, there is a patented headlight cleaner and restorer kit. Its under $20, much less expensive than replacement lenses, and it works!

Plastic headlight lenses are the norm in the automotive industry now – every car has them. Some have fancy names like plexan and Lexan, but they all have the same problems. The sun, acid rain, harsh weather conditions, chemicals (brake fluid, power steering fluid, hot radiator fluids, hot water, harsh cleaners, etc…) will all cause the plastic lenses to degrade and weaken quickly. Some manufacturers have gone to including a protective film on the lenses. Regardless, they are all susceptible to this weakening and yellowing over time.

With this headlight cleaner and restorer even junk yard car lenses have been restored to brand new. These same lenses used to be discarded and now have become new profit centers for salvage yards all over. The treatment is applied to the exterior of the headlight lens where the damage is worst and it doesn’t take a mechanic to do it.

It is easy to do, doesn’t take very long, and the results are fantastic. So there is a very economic solution to the problem of yellow, cloudy, worn headlights. There’s no excuse now to not have sparkling clean headlights. Car dealerships everywhere are using headlight cleaner and restorer on their cars and you can too.

Anyone Can Clean Their Car, But What About Those Cloudy, Yellow Headlights? is a post from: CPH 2002 Car News