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Idle Time, Does It Harm My Diesel Engine?

Idle Time

Does idling your diesel powered vehicle have long term effects on the engine? One would think not, since diesels have been around for years, and idling on big rigs has always been the norm for over-the-road truckers.

The diesel engines of years past have changed drastically to keep up with emission standards and computer controlled engines. Since 2007, the diesel engine has seen a change in the way the engines exhaust is measured and purified.

Components were added to help reduce the carbon the engine emits helping to keep our air cleaner. But is it all really working and at what cost?

Changes In 2007

The 2007 standards include a 50% reduction in the various nitrogen oxides (NOx) produced during combustion and a 90% reduction in particulate matter emissions compared to 2004 standards. The regulation requires on-vehicle monitoring of the performance of the engine’s emissions system.

The industry standard is called Engine Manufacturer Diagnostics (EMD) and will detect issues within the emissions control system and inform the driver with indicator lights on the dashboard.

Since engine changes alone cannot meet the new requirements, new “clean diesel” technologies include improved electronic control systems, ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD), exhaust after treatment such as catalytic converters and diesel particulate filters (DPF), enhanced exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), cooling system changes (due to higher heat loading), and fuel/air ratio change

DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER (DPF)

A diesel particulate filter, or DPF, is an exhaust after treatment device that traps particulate matter such as soot and ash. A DPF typically uses a substrate made of a ceramic material that is formed into a honeycomb structure. 

In order to reduce emissions from diesel vehicles, diesel particulate filters capture and store exhaust soot, which must be periodically burned off to regenerate the filter. The regeneration process burns off excess soot deposited in the filter, which prevents harmful exhaust emission and the black smoke you commonly see emitted from diesel vehicles when accelerating.

The life of the DPF is substantially reduced if non-ULSD is used. Typically, DPFs need to be cleaned of noncombustible materials (“ash” that comes from the unburned detergents from engine oil) every 150,000 to 200,000 miles using an exchange program or “clean it on the truck” process estimated to cost between $150 and $400.

Equating Hours To Miles

So what does this have to do with idling? Hours of idling adds miles to your engine. First you need to determine how many hours have accumulated on your engine. Multiply the amount of hours on your engine by 60.

Use the number you come up with to estimate how many miles is on your engine. For example, 1,235 hours on an engine equates to approximately 74,100 miles. Just knowing how many more miles you have racked up on the engine isn’t the only thing to worry about. If you change your oil every 6,000 miles, divide 74,100 by 6,000, leaving you with 12.35 missed oil changes, fuel filters, which will eventually lead to early engine failure.

Over the course of a year, a long-haul truck will idle about 1,800 hours, using nearly 1,500 gallons of diesel. For one heavy truck, the cost of idle fuel waste averages about $4,000. The cost of poor fuel efficiency for a large fleet of vehicles is high. This equates to 1.2 gallons of fuel per hour.

If you plan on purchasing a diesel powered vehicle, understand the maintenance these engines require today, otherwise you might be racking up expensive repair bills. Happy Motoring

Do I Really Need Auto Repair Insurance?

  Owning a car offers us freedom and the ability to be very mobile. Along with owning that vehicle, comes a responsibility for repairs and maintenance. In order to get those wheels turning on the road, one must purchase automotive insurance. What about auto repair insurance?              

One of the big advantages of having the right auto repair insurance policy is that it covers the total cost of some major repairs. When customers are paying out of their pocket, some mechanic shops have no problem charging endless amounts of money for their services. With the right auto repair insurance, the insurance company not only picks up the tab, but it also regulates the costs and lets a customer or policyholders know if the mechanic’s charge is excessive.


Do You Need Bumper to Bumper?
Bumper to bumper car insurance means that most of the components needed to operate your vehicle safely are included in the policy. This includes, but is not limited to, the engine, drive train, transmission, exhaust, brakes, and electrical components. However, things like body repair, broken lights, windows, and interior fixes are not covered. Bumper to bumper coverage will keep you from having to spend large amounts of money for repairs.


When you purchase a bumper to bumper auto repair insurance policy, always pay attention to the fine print. This usually means hidden fees, penalties, and limited coverage. One example is restrictions on what is paid to the service center. If they charge $75 per hour for labor, some policies only pay out $55 per hour. Check to make sure that you are aware of these limits and restrictions before they happen.


        Auto repair insurance policies are “À la carte,” in that a driver can purchase an insurance policy for specific parts or systems, from the engine and transmission to different auto parts systems, such as an electrical system or brake system. A customized auto repair insurance policy can cover just what the driver is worried about, providing precise, effective coverage for specific mechanical breakdown situations.


Despite the benefits of car repair insurance, a huge number of drivers prefer to take their chances without it. Why? Here are a few reasons why car repair insurance is not a universally applauded product:


Partial coverage

Car repair insurance is customizable. That is, there are different options for insuring the transmission, the engine, the fuel system and all other kinds of parts. The problem is that these add up. Drivers generally don’t know which part of their car is going to break first, nor can they really predict which parts of the car will be most troublesome over its lifetime. That’s one problem with signing up for car repair insurance that only covers certain parts systems. The insurance burden.

Drivers already pay a good bit of insurance, just to get a car on the street. Since today’s basic liability insurance doesn’t cover at-fault damages, many drivers go with comprehensive insurance, which incurs additional costs. Many drivers are happy just to get all of the required insurance for dealing with the costs of a wreck or collision. Car repair insurance puts even more of an insurance burden on the driver’s wallet.


Claims handling.
Those who routinely deal with any kind of insurance know the game that insurers often play: an insurer will enthusiastically endorse an insurance product, and sign up new customers. Where it gets tricky is when the insurer is asked to actually pay a claim. Insurance buyers know that fine print can “void” much of the insurer’s obligation. In the minds of many drivers, there’s no point in paying for theoretical breakdown situations, only to find that in the rare chance that they do occur, some clause in the policy lets the insurer off the hook.


The Waiting Game.
When insurers do payout, it may take months for the payment to reach the customer. That’s the time that a driver may not have to balance his or her checkbook against the financial liability of the vehicle breakdown. Again, a large number of drivers choose instead to keep money on hand for use in the event of a parts malfunction or breakdown of the car or truck they depend on for daily transportation. Happy Motoring.

Is Your Car A Solar Panel?

With the push for automobiles to go green, harnessing the electrical power while you drive is getting closer than you think. Solar power is there for the taking, but getting it to power your car has taken some time for engineers to develop.

Hyundai has made a break through with its new Sonata Hybrid. This Hybrid has solar panels, which can power a few extra miles of driving a day. The panels are locked on the top side of the vehicle, from the hood, rooftop and trunk lid to help give you those extra miles and keep your batteries charged while you drive. The company claims its shiny photovoltaic top could give the car an additional 808 miles of travel each year.

So they say. But not everyone has the option to park their cars in the sun, or even want to for that matter. Sun damages the vehicles paint and interior when left day after day in the sun in hopes of gaining 808 miles for the year. Not to mention, the panels will add weight to the vehicle which results in lost mileage.

With all the new technology evolving everyday, battery life will increase, but no where near what a full tank of gas or diesel can offer. Electric vehicles take fossil fuels to charge the battery packs. And when the batteries fail, they must be disposed of. Electric powered cars, trucks, and buses are not going away, but going the distance is the name of the game. Let’s see who wins.

Happy Motoring.

Life Inside The Boys’ Club Press Sheet

Want to book the Author, Teresa Aquila as your special guest? Here is the books press sheet to help you decide. Teresa is an inspirational and motivational speaker. She is a local icon in both her careers.

Teresa’s experiences make for truly entertaining and inspiring reading. Teresa’s love for automobiles came at a very early age, despite the discouragement of many including her mother. Self-driven, she rose to her dreams of one day being a police officer and automobile mechanic. Her mission shifted from empowering herself to empowering other women to pursue their dreams.

Press Sheet

The Future Of Transporation

Have you ever wondered what the future of transportation might look like? With the increasing traffic on our roadways, from traffic jams to cities filled with smog, our current state of transportation doesn’t seem to be adequate in moving people from point A to point B. So what is the answer?

Magnetic levitation seems to be on the radar for futuristic transportation.

What is Maglev? It’s a method by which a vehicle is suspended in the air by using magnetic force to counter gravitational force that pulls the vehicle toward the ground. The technology has been tested on cars.

Maglev technology is in contrast to hovercraft technology, in which vehicles are cushioned on a bed of air. Magnetic forces are already in use today driving trains. Happy Motoring.”

Nissan Helps Make The Putt Every Time

When you hear the name Nissan, you quickly think of automobiles. But did you know that Nissan is also known for its technology? Nissan’s ProPILOT 2.0, the driver assistance technology, is about to debut in September, allowing golfers to put their putting nerves aside.

The ProPILOT 2.0 was designed to work with the vehicle’s navigation system. The ProPILOT golf ball can now assist golfers to sink a putt every time, helping even novice golfers to perform like the pros.

ProPILOT golf ball is guided by an overhead camera, detecting the position of the ball and cup. The ball’s monitoring system calculates the best route based on the direction of the ball, and adjusts its direction to help make a perfect putt. Golf will never be the same. Happy Motoring

Women with Wheelz Car And Classic Fashion Show 2020

Click here for Women With Wheelz Entry Form 2020

Click here for Classic Fashion Show Entry Form 2020

Women with Wheelz Car Show 2020. This years show will once again be held in Virginia City, Nevada at the Silverland Inn and Suites. Virginia City and Silverland Inn are co-hosts to the show featuring women and their machines. A portion of the proceeds benefit Moms On The Run.

In 2020, we are adding a classic/vintage Fashion Show. Many of the female car owners outfit themselves to connect with their classic automobile. So this year, we wanted to highlight those women who express the cars era. If you are interested in being apart of the Fashion Show, please fill out the entry form. Link is listed above. The cost will be $5.00.

The show will also feature classic music, vendor display’s, and special guests. You won’t want to miss it.

Please check out last years video on How Women Celebrate Hot August Nights.

Automtive and First Responders – What’s the Connection?

Is there a connection between those who have a passion for anything automotive and those who want to be a first responder? For me, since childhood, I wanted to be two things in life: a mechanic and a police officer. It was a challenge for me. Today that dream is within reach. During my upbringing, these professions were considered taboo for women. Women knew their so-called place in society – barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen.

In 2018 with the Me Too movement, that last phrase was probably ripped from the male vocabulary. Women have made big strides over the years within the workplace. First, there was the right for women to vote in 1920; then in the 1960s, the women’s movement helped more women enter the workforce. The most common jobs held by women are:

1. Secretaries and administrative assistants 

2. Registered nurses 

3. Elementary and middle school teachers 

4. Cashiers 

5. Nursing, psychiatric and home health aides 

6. Retail salespersons 

7. First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers 

8. Waitresses

The two careers you do not see on this list are mechanics and police officers. These types of jobs were considered unfeminine, and society felt women were not physically capable of performing these duties. If you tried, they considered you an outcast.

Times have changed and so have the women. On my weekly radio show, “Teresa’s Garage,” I have interviewed hundreds of women in the automotive and racing industry since its first airing in 2014. Learning about what makes these women and young girls tick, I have found something very interesting.

With some of those I have interviewed, we are years apart; others are close to my age. The one thing I found interesting among 85 percent of all of these ladies is this similarity that seems to connect us: we all have interest in automotive work as well as wanting to be a first responder.

At first, I thought it might be a coincidence, but as time went on, the number of women with both interests grew, which increased my curiosity. So what is the connection between the two careers that makes us want to include both in our lives?

For me, it was an easy decision; I knew early on I wanted to be both, but for other women, I am still trying to find the link to the reasons. I find it very interesting that these two careers really have a connection, even though they are so different from one another.

Let’s break down each career. First Responders are quick to respond; they help people; they are doctors, nurses, firefighters, police officers, etc. Lifesaving is a top priority. They repair lives, work on call, wear a uniform, solve problems, work as a team, and must have tools to do their job, not to mention the adrenalin rush this profession creates on a daily basis.

Now let’s look at the automotive industry. This industry is not just about mechanics, it also includes race car drivers. Like first responders, mechanics must solve problems, diagnose issues, and wear a uniform; they save lives by performing their jobs correctly and keeping the customers’ cars operating safely. They work as a team most times, and they need tools to perform their duties.

Race car drivers get an adrenalin rush when soaring down a track at high rates of speed. They must help their mechanics solve problems with the race car and working as a team is a must. On the track, maintaining control of your vehicle under these intense conditions saves lives, otherwise more crashes could occur. They wear a racing suit and helmet for safety, and depend on their mechanics to ensure the car is safe at such high speeds.

So these professions do share some common elements – but what is the true connection between these two careers? Frankly, I could not pinpoint the answer. The one thing I learned is we are tomboys. I will continue to pursue the reason and continue to enjoy the interviews of all these amazing women who dare to be different and follow their dreams.

Happy Motoring.