Pacifica Riptide

Car Guy Bruce Hotchkiss: Buying & Selling Motorcycles

Download 2.2012

(Pacifica Tribune column)

Good News About 2012 Pacific Coast Dream Machines

Head over to BRUCE HOTCHKISS for a great announcement about the 2012 Pacific Coast Dream Machines.

Riptide's Car Guy Visits 2012 Grand National Roadster Show

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Car Guy Bruce Hotchkiss @ SEMA Show

I've posted some pictures of a car show in Henderson, Nevada, just the cars that caught my eye. Click on Bruce Hotchkiss' Photos and look for "Henderson" at the link below. See my walk-through of the SEMA Show.

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Spare Parts: Car Guy Bruce Hotchkiss Got a Brand-New Blog

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California Lowers BAR on Auto Repair Fraud

Policy change at the state Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) opens California’s arms wide for shady auto mechanics.

In a lengthy article http://www.cslea.com/show_article.asp?article_id=1703 on the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association Web site http://www.cslea.com, Bruce Hotchkiss, president of the California Association of Regulatory Investigators and Inspectors http://www.cslea.com/Affiliates/CARII/index1.asp , discusses how forcing BAR inspectors to severely shorten their case closure time is bad news for consumers. Highlights include:
 
"Over at BAR, the powers-that-be have decided that a consumer complaint must be closed (finished) within 45 days. Sounds like a good idea, right? After all, that is a month and a half, and it should be more than enough to gather evidence, talk to all parties, and attempt to mediate a resolution.

• Except that is 45 calendar days, not workdays
• Except that 45 calendar days may be 24-or-less workdays
• Except not all consumer complaints fit a formula."
  

"Don’t think that BAR is unique either; the problem is throughout DCA. Even the Contractors State License Board, which has a very proactive Statewide Investigative Fraud Team (SWIFT) that primarily targets unlicensed contractors, routinely sends consumer fraud complaints to arbitration."
 
"Over the past decade, the levels of management have increased while the boots on the ground have stayed relatively stable. At DCA there is a deputy director for just about everything, and over at BAR there are so many deputy chiefs and program managers, it boggles the mind."
 
You can reach Hotchkiss for further comment at 650-678-0352. Protecting people where they live, work, and play, California Statewide Law Enforcement Association represents more than 7,000 public safety professionals employed by the State of California. http://www.cslea.com/

 

Bruce the Car Guy: Safe Driving in Wet Weather

BY BRUCE HOTCHKISS, RIPTIDE CORRESPONDENT

“Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day.” The rain may go away, but you can rest assured that if it is winter in California, the rain will return. And just as assuredly, people will drive like idiots and smash into something. It doesn’t have to be that way. Driving in the rain is not that difficult. Really. Believe me. I actually enjoy driving in adverse weather conditions; it forces me to become more aware of all that is going on around me. Driving in the rain involves more than getting into the zone, though. Before even getting behind the wheel, it is essential that your vehicle is up to the task. Tires, windshield wipers, brakes, steering, lights, and the climate control system (heater/defroster) need to be in tiptop shape.

Tires may seem the most obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people are out there speeding along with subpar tires. Tires must be able to disperse water or they will ride up on a cushion of water, otherwise known as hydroplaning. Riding on water is fine for a boat, not so fine for a car. Tires need to grip the road so you can brake and steer. If they are boating along on water there is no grip. So to disperse water, a tire must have sufficient tread to either channel the water or push it out to the sides. Ordinarily, if a tire is worn down to its tread wear bars, it should be replaced. In wet weather, grip is drastically reduced long before a tire is worn down to its wear bars. The newer the tire, the better the grip. Conversely, the more worn the tire is, the more cautious the driver must be. For maximum safety, have your tires checked by a professional prior to the start of the rainy season.

Windshield wipers may seem like an obvious item to check. I’d suggest replacing the wiper blades once a year, probably in early fall. Along with new wiper blades, fill up the windshield washer fluid with good-quality washer fluid. I’m partial to windshield washer antifreeze because it usually cuts through oily grime easier, but it is hard to find.

Brakes are always important, but a brake that grabs in wet, slippery conditions can be deadly. If you notice the slightest pull to one side or the other when braking, get the brakes checked and repaired.

The steering system needs to be tiptop, too. Any play in the steering may mean small corrections in the dry, but in the wet those small corrections may be magnified. Slow and steady is the way to go in the wet, but sloppy steering may be deadly.

During the rainy season all of my commuting is done in the dark. I depend on my vehicle’s headlights to show me the way, and I depend on the taillights to make sure I am seen. Whether you drive in the dark or not, make sure all lights on your vehicle work properly. Remember, the law states that you must have your headlights and taillights on when you use your windshield wipers.

The climate control system is often overlooked. I know because I see way too many cars with fogged-up windows. Make sure the defroster delivers proper airflow to the windshield, and check the coolant thermostat to ensure the coolant reaches its proper operating temperature quickly. If your vehicle has a separate air conditioning button, turn it on; it will aid in defrosting the windshield. Do not use the recirculation button because it will only recycle warm, moist air, fogging the windows.

Okay, now that you’ve got your vehicle in shape, it’s time to head out on the road. Slow(er), smooth, and steady is the rule. Quick moves may be deadly. Do not jerk the wheel, stab the brakes, or jump on the accelerator. Learn to read the road. Look as far forward as possible. “They” say to look at the horizon, but that’s impossible in traffic. Keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you. If you hit a puddle of standing water, do not panic, hold onto the steering wheel, ease off the gas, and STAY OFF THE BRAKES.

In my not-so-humble opinion, the majority of collisions happen because a driver did something stupid. This is especially the case in bad weather. I am well known for my fast driving, but I routinely cut my speed in the rain. I often have cars whizzing by me on 280. How many of them will end up in the guardrail or ditch? Will it be you?

Bruce the Car Guy: "Unintended Acceleration"

BY BRUCE HOTCHKISS, RIPTIDE CAR GUY

Once again, “unintended acceleration” is in the news, this time striking Toyota. People are afraid to drive their Toyotas for fear they will rocket down the road. We have seen vivid videos of crashed Toyotas, and people have died. I do not want to minimize the tragedy, but one simple little action could have saved their lives: SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL! If you feel your vehicle accelerating without your foot being on the gas pedal, reach over and bump the gearshift into neutral. Yes, the engine will rev like crazy. It may even self-destruct (unlikely, because most modern vehicles have a “rev limiter” to keep the engine from self-destructing), but a blown engine is far cheaper than a lost life. Now that the engine isn't pushing (or pulling) the car to ever faster speeds, brake gently and pull off the road. As soon as the vehicle has come to a stop, shut off the engine and call a tow truck. The steps to saving your life are simple: DON’T PANIC, shift into neutral, come to a safe stop, and shut off the engine.

California Smog Inspection Program's Dirty Secrets

Go to http://www.imreview.ca.gov/ and click Presentations for Dr. Jeffrey Williams, acting chair of California EPA's  Inspection and Maintenance Review Committee (IMRC). His comments of December 15, 2009, are a straightforward and damning review of the state's smog inspection program. Click the link below to download an article from Inside Cal/EPA on this refail report: Download Refail Report

(Full disclosure: I sit on IMRC.)

BRUCE HOTCHKISS, RIPTIDE AUTOMOTIVE CORRESPONDENT

Bruce the Car Guy: How to Drive Safely in the Rain

"Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day. We want to go outside and play." That’s what we used to sing when we were kids. Now that we’re grownups, we don’t have the luxury of staying inside when it rains. Duty calls and it’s off to work we go, but not all of us make it there. Some slip and slide off the road and wonder why. Maybe it is because we were simply driving too fast for conditions. It goes much further than that, though. It is not simply rain that makes conditions treacherous; it is a combination of factors.

The most important factor in any driving, especially in inclement weather, is the condition of your car's tires. Tires last a long time now and we tend to take them for granted. Even when there may seem to be adequate tread depth on a tire, it may not be optimum for use in the rain. Every street tire, except the very high performance tire, has sipes—tiny grooves in the tire to help it squish the water between the tread and the road out of the way. Without sipes, tires would aquaplane, or ride on a thin film of water instead of contacting the pavement. There are other grooves on tires besides sipes, often deeper grooves that also channel water from between the tire and pavement. Because of their size, sipes are quieter than the deeper grooves, but they also wear away quicker because they do not go as deep. If the sipes are no longer visible, it doesn’t mean you need new tires, just that you need to drive more cautiously. For more information on tires and how they work in the wet, check out TIRE RACK.

The road itself is the next most important factor when driving in the rain. You have to learn to read the road; it’s an inexact science, to be sure, but it can help. A few days ago I was going to work and cars were whizzing by me even though the road was damp. More than the dampness, though, was the sheen or film of grease. It was not the clean shine of water. That was the morning so many cars went off the road.

Standing water on a road, or a mini-river running over it, are big dangers that many drivers make even worse. If you see water ahead and you cannot change lanes well before you get there, slow down (without jumping on the brakes, just ease up on the gas) and keep the steering as straight as possible. You will get through it even if the car twitches a bit. If you slam on the brakes or jerk the steering wheel, you invite a spinout. Legendary Formula One driver Juan-Manuel Fangio, an acknowledged master in the wet, was once asked his secret. Fangio reportedly said that if in dry conditions a corner called for second gear, in the wet he would use third. The idea is that there is less torque multiplication in the higher gear, lessening a chance of wheel spin when accelerating out of the corner. Most of us will never drive a race car in the rain, but the lesson is the same—drive with a light touch: easy on the gas, easy on the brakes, no sudden steering inputs, and keep your eyes on the road.

I would be remiss if I did not mention two other mechanical systems: the windshield wipers and the brakes. You cannot see if the wipers smear the glass. Windshield wipers have improved immensely over the past few years, thanks to new materials. The new mono-blades are amazing. Invest in high-quality wiper blades and keep your vision clear. Make sure your brakes are in tiptop shape. A pull to one side or the other is just a minor annoyance in the dry, but in the wet it may cause you to spin out.

Keep in mind that the most important safety device in any car is the nut behind the wheel.

BRUCE HOTCHKISS

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