Car Tuning

Car tuning

Car tuning is both an industry and a hobby, in which a car is modified in order to improve its performance and handling and improve the owner's driving style. As most cars leave the factory set up for average driver expectations and average conditions, tuning has become a way to personalize the characteristics of the vehicle to the owner's preference. For example cars may be altered to provide better fuel economy, produce more power at high RPM or the ride comfort may be sacrificed to provide better handling.

Car tuning is related to auto racing, although most performance cars never compete. Rather they are built for the pleasure of owning and driving such a vehicle. Another major facet of tuning includes performance modification to the car exterior. This includes changing the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle via side skirts, front and rear bumpers, adding spoilers, splitters, air vents and light weight wheels.

Areas of modification

Engine tuning

Main article: engine tuning

Engine tuning as of late has been marketed as the replacement of basic engine components with after-market versions that perform the exact same functions as those replaced while promising an increase in power output.

Suspension tuning

Suspension tuning involves modifying the springs, shock absorbers, swaybars, and other related components of a vehicle. Shorter springs offer an improved lowered look and a lower center of gravity. Stiffer shock absorbers improve the dynamic weight shifting during cornering and normally have shorter internals to stop them from bottoming out when shorter springs are used. Stiffer sway bars reduce body roll during cornering improving the grip that the inside tires have on the surface thus improving handling response. Other components that are sometimes added are strut bars which improve the body stiffness and help better maintain the proper suspension geometry during cornering. On some cars certain braces, anti-roll bars, etc can be retro fitted to lower spec cars from sports models.

For offroad vehicles, the emphasis is on lengthening the suspension travel and larger tires to increase ground clearance.

Lowriders with hydraulic/pneumatic suspensions use another unique kind of suspension tuning in which the height of each individual wheel can be rapidly adjusted by system of rams, even to the extent that it is possible to "bounce" the wheels completely clear of the ground.

Body tuning

Body tuning involves adding or modifying spoilers and a body kit. Sometimes this is done to improve the aerodynamic performance of a vehicle, as in the case of some wings or bumper canards or to lighten the vehicle through replacing bodywork components such as hoods and rear view mirrors with components made from lighter composites such as CRFP. Cornering speeds and adhesion can be improved through the generation of down force which becomes effective at speeds of 120kmh and over.

More often however, these modifications are done mainly to improve a vehicle's appearance, as in the case of non-functioning scoops, wide arches or any aesthetic modification which offers no benefit to performance. Very rarely does an after market body kit improve performance, the majority add weight and increase the drag coefficient of the vehicle and thus reduce its overall performance.

Increasing the wheel base through spacers and wide body kits enhance the cars cornering ability. Lowering the center of gravity is another aim of body tuning dealt with via suspension modifications.

Detuning

Detuning involves returning a modified car to its original factory status. It is akin to automotive restoration. The term Detuning can also refer to the reduction or decrease of performance in a particular area of tuning. An example of this could be where the engine tune is "detuned" to allow for increased traction on a day where the track grip is not sufficient.

Terms

"Streeted" or "Tuner Cars" are Japanese imports, such as a Toyota Supra, Mazda RX-7, Subaru Impreza, and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution series. These cars are most commonly modified with the more expensive mods available. The most popular modifications include suspension upgrades, exhaust systems, and turbos.

Legal requirements

Many countries have legal requirements in regard to what car owners can and can't do in relation to vehicle modifications. For example, all vehicles in Victoria, Australia, must conform to construction standards to ensure vehicles provide drivers and passengers with a maximum level of safety.^[1] There are also restrictions for P Plate drivers which can prevent young drivers from driving modified vehicles.^[2]

In the United Kingdom and the Netherlands it is illegal for any car to have blue lights as they are used by the emergency vehicles.

In Scotland and Denmark, it is illegal for any car to have neon underlights on a car as it distracts other drivers. In the Netherlands neon is allowed under the car but only when the car is on display, if the car is on a public road the lights have to be switched off.

Recently, Belgium issued a new law which describes that bodykit parts need to be approved for safety issues.

Sanctioning organizations

Many organizations involved in competitive motorsports establish safety guidelines that far exceed legal requirements when viewed in terms safety. The NHRA, IHRA and SOLO programs all require that vehicles pass inspection to ensure that all regulations are being complied with.

Source from : www.wikipedia.org

ALL NEW AUDI A4: Sexier, Sleeker, Stunning

ALL NEW AUDI A4: Sexier, Sleeker, Stunning

It is tough being the ‘head of sales’ at Euromobil Sdn. Bhd! Why do I say this? Because the head of sales is a good friend of mine and since we meet every now and then to chit chat, I never seem to give him a statement that he wants to hear. Let me elaborate. Whenever I test drive a product of his, I have nothing but praises for all Audi products that have come to Malaysia in recent years. The B6 and B7 A4 and also the A6 and Q7. But after all the good positive comments about the interior design, layout, material quality, ergonomics, looks, price, accessory features and power I always end my statement with a long silence and the 'but' word. 'But the handling is still short of a BMW. From the 3 series, 5 series to the X5'.

Last month however my conversation with the head of sales of Euromobil Sdn. Bhd. ended with still a long silence but with a different last statement for the very first time. 'This new B8 Audi A4 has now taken the handling crown away from BMW'. I mean every word of it as this new car has set new standards in all areas for the segment and better still it has a selling price that cannot be ignored even with it being fully imported. Yes! This new A4 1.8T is fully imported and cost less than the immediate competition and has more features than the rest. Read on and absorb.

You cannot but admire the new look of the A4. Starting with the daytime running lights first introduced in the ground breaking R8 supercar, this string of LED lights inside the headlamps bring a facial character to the A4. Stand back and take in the new nose design and you have to say that this is a very handsome car with a strong chiseled jawline (under bumper skirt with built in fog lamps) and a very dynamic profile. There is a strong resemblance to the stunning A5 with a short rear boot lid (with a built in spoiler) that hides a deep boot. The A4 also sits lower on the ground with a sport car like stance and carries with it a very visually groundbreaking sedan look. In a quick glance one would first think the new A4 to be smaller than the outgoing model but bring along a measuring tape and you will be surprised to find out that this latest A4 is longer and wider than the previous model as well as its closets rival. It is 4703mm long which makes it just 23cm shy of the bigger A6 sedan and 12cm longer than the older A4. The rear boot volume is 480 liters making it larger than the Lexus IS250 boot volume. Inside you get more passenger room thanks to a 117mm-longer wheelbase (the distance between the wheels), which also helps for better rear passenger room.

Now the good news does not end just with it looks. Climb inside the cabin and you get an all-new dashboard design that is slightly curved towards the driver and comes with great ergonomics. The interplay of red lights against blue hue lighting's on the instrument display and the bright and clear digital display makes for pleasing eye contact. The intuitive and easy to use Audi Infotainment System controls climate, audio and park sensors is included. This system also provides a long list of useful information like service schedules, VIN number and cabin settings. You do not need a guidebook to get going and better still it comes with the competitive selling price as standard accessory. The multifunction steering wheel houses paddle shifters that are easy to use and have a racy feel. There is no hand brake lever; instead the new A4 has an electronic hand brake switch located on the right side of the gear shifter.

Euromobil have specified the new A4 with 'Audi Drive Select' located right below the gear shifter, which, at the touch of a button, varies the suspension's damping, shifts the speed on the auto box and tightens the steering ratio for a more sporting or a more comfortable drive. This gives the A4 varied drive characters for the driver to choose in different drive conditions. There is still a premium 'Symphony' sound system and real aluminum trim inside along the dashboard and surrounding the gear shifter. Finally you get real race like seats for the front passenger and driver and for the first time if you purchase the 'S line' version which is just RM25K plus more you not only get the larger alloys and body styling, but you also get the full race seats that our test car came in. This puts the new A4 well ahead of the pack with all these features added at its selling price starting from RM235,000.00.

Now for the best part. The engine ignition is now a slot for the key fob. With just a push of the fob, the 160 horsepower engine starts up with little drama. The engine is quieter now and with little intrusion into the cabin. This is the new TFSi engine which is part shared with the VW Group and provides a decent amount of pickup and top end speed despite its modest output. Using the Drive Select buttons, we started our test in 'Auto' mode and left the 7-speed gear shifter in 'D'. There is decent pickup and mid range power is ever ready to keep up with fast moving traffic on the highway. The first thing we noticed was how direct and full of feedback the steering was. It is now more direct and has a nice lightweight at parking and traffic speeds and gets nicely weighty as you speed up. All the time returning a decent amount of directness as we flicked the steering left and right weaving in and out of traffic on the highway to Westport in Klang. By moving the front axle further forward and having the engine sitting further back, this new A4's balance has also been much improved. Taking in fast and quick corners leaves little tail happiness and this with the Drive Select still in 'Auto' mode. Here the system reacts in seconds to provide the best combination of suspension firmness and steering feedback. Change the mode to 'Dynamic' and there is an immediate reaction in your drive
as the car tightens around you. Handing moves up a few notches and the engine response is much better with the 8-speed working faster. The A4 gets around the same corner faster and with less drama and there is a raunchier engine note.

Switch the selector to 'Comfort' mode and executives will feel right at home as the damping and steering gets lighter and gears change to extract the best fuel consumption from the car. This is now a real drivers car!

With a long list of impressive accessories, fantastic drive dynamics and great new looks, there is little else that is needed to be said with this all new Audi A4 except go and test drive one to believe completely about all that we have mentioned above. Even BMW owners will have to come to terms with this new A4 and agree with us.

Source from : www.asianaauto.com

Turbo Charge

Tuning turbo engines.

"A lot of hot air."

What is a turbo. If you go back to your childhood you probably remember those windmills sold at the seaside. Imagine a windmill with 2 propellers back to back.

As the wind blows the first propeller a shaft turns the second one and it will blow air in your direction.

A turbo contains 2 impellers which are located in the exhaust flow and along the intake path. The exhaust side rotates as the exhaust gases flow and this turns the impeller on the intake effectively sucking in fresh air.

So the turbo essentially generates power from the waste exhaust gases. Although sticking a propeller in the exhaust flow will reduce the exhaust efficiency the power gains on offer more than make up for this.

So who invented the the turbo? Aircraft running on fuel were altitude restricted due to the thin air and lack of oxygen this contains. By using a turbo the air could be forced into the engine and allowed the aircraft to run at higher altitudes or faster at lower altitudes.

It was not long before someone saw the application in car engines and we started to see turbos arriving in popular cars. In recent times manufacturers have been forced to produce more economical cars. With a turbo you get more power per cc making an engine more efficient. It is the power gains that TorqueCars members are most interested in, although the economy is nice to have.

Turbos allow small and light engines to produce the same power as a large engine twice its size but with lower fuel consumption.

The potential for turbo tuning power gains is massive. Most engines are over engineered for reliability and can take increases in power of 30-50%. Some engines can support even larger power gains. There is little surprise that in our 2 most tunable engines report, both are turbo driven.

With the advent of modern engine computer control we get a method of maximising the power produced by the turbo.

For example the exhaust gases are vented away from the turbo when certain levels of boost are reached. With a remap you can overcome this limitation. Fuel delivery also needs to matched to avoid running a lean mixture so the computer controls the timing and quantities of fuel delivery. Please review the articles on Remaps,BOVs, Boost controllers for more detailed information.

Are there any drawbacks to turbo engines? Until the exhaust gases start to flow quickly enough there is little the turbo can do. This is manifest in what is referred to as lag where the engine seems lifeless until the turbo kicks in. The bigger the turbo the greater the lag problem. Also when you compress air you heat it up and as we all know hot air carries less oxygen than colder air. This is easily solved with an intercooler.

No longer are we limited to a single turbo. Many cars now come equipped with Twin Turbos such as the GTO and Nissan 300zx. Big turbos are also on offer and this is the usual path an upgrader will take. We also see triple and quad turbo setups with boost controllers kicking in each turbo as exhaust flow increases for a steady power delivery.

Uprating turbos.

Adding a turbo to a standard engine is another option but there are quite a few considerations so read our turbo uprating article for a brief overview of some of the obstacles you will encounter.

Turbos are one of the best innovations in automotive engine technology.

They allow a small engine to produce similar power to much larger engines.

This enables the engine to be more efficient and with the move away from large V6 and V8 engines the turbo enables a manufacturer to build a car which has both economy and performance.

Your main aim in tuning a turbo is to enhance the airflow through the turbo. This applies equally well on the exhaust and intake side. Enlarging the intake channel and polishing the internal surfaces will dramatically reduce internal friction.

Many turbos and exhaust manifolds are cast and the casting process leaves seams and pits which dramatically affect air flow.

Using ball bearings instead of thrust bearings will allow the turbo to spool up more quickly. Ball bearings also last longer than trust bearings. Ceramic bearings have also been used for their heat resistant properties.

We should add that the larger capacity engines including the V6 and lazy V8's will produce phenomenal power gains if they were turboed as some of our serious drag racing members have discovered.

A 2.5 litre engine in NASP form will usually produce around 200-260 bhp. When the same engine is setup for a turbo we see power figures from 400 to 1000bhp.

Just a word of warning from TorqueCars - the turbo is spinning at 100,000's of RPM so be cautious when you switch off it needs oil if it is going to survive. If you switch off the engine whilst the turbo is hot you will burn off the oil inside the turbo causing excessive friction and wear.

Switching off the engine also stops the delivery of fresh oil. So allow the turbo to cool down by slowing up towards the end of your journey. Sadly people are generally ignorant of the oil and heat problem and will just switch off their engine after a spirited run.

Adding an aftermarket turbo to a car.

"Fully charged"

The basic reason for forced induction (turbo or supercharger) is not to increase compression or the maximum pressure in an engine cylinder, it is to increase volumetric efficiency (the efficiency of the engine at drawing in air) although forced induction is the most effective method of upping compression.

Put a turbo on an engine with an 10:1 compression ratio and watch it go bang!

Things to take into account when adding a turbo to a non turbo car (NASP or naturally aspirated engine).

When a naturally aspirated engine sucks air in, it can only draw so much in before the intake valve closes and seals the cylinder. The average N/A engine will pull in around 60% of its volume, so as a result is only 60% volume efficient. The more highly tuned an engine is the more efficient it will be, a typical Torquecars member will have already spend much time and effort tuning their engines but still struggle to get anything approaching 85% efficiency. The best way to improve this is to force the air/fuel mixture into the cylinders (forced induction) thus filling them more. The average forced induction engine runs from 110% to 150% volumetric efficiency.

Some examples of the result. a 2.0 N/A motor will use effectively around 1200-1300cc of its capacity. A turbo'd or supercharged 2.0 will use much more of it capacity, producing more power as it is able to burn more fuel. The more boost you run, the more efficient the engine hence we have 1.4 litre turbo engines producing as much power as large v6's. But the main benefit from increasing boost is to increase the final compression ratio and getting a better bang from the air/fuel mix in your cylinders (the actual engines compression ratio stays the same but as there is more air coming into the engine it will become more compressed).

If you increase the amount of air/fuel in the cylinders, then as a result you will increase the compression, which could be too much. In order to keep the final running compression the same, the initial compression (without boost) has to be dropped to compensate. More air will enable more oxygen to be available for burning and with the addition of additional fuel the engine will release more power. Turbo charging is the best way to increase the efficiency of an engine. When adding a turbo to an engine which was not originally designed for a turbo there are some major complications to take into account.

Detonation or knock - this is where the fuel ignites under pressure before the spark happens. This will cause a piston to move in the opposite direction if it has not reached the top dead center and will have disastrous consequences for the engine. As the intake valve will also generally be open the whole intake manifold, injectors and air filter will effectively carry the exhaust of the combustion and the movement of the piston in the wrong direction will cause internal damage and many components of an engine will be ruined.

To avoid this from happening you will need to lower the compression of the engine, and or restrict the turbo to a low boost threshold. (Low compression engines plus a turbo will also avoid some of the turbo lag problems inherent in most turbo applications.) The best turbos to add to a non turbo NASP (Naturally aspirated) engine are small. To lower the compression you can go with a re bore and fit lower compression pistons, you can add a stroker kit to alter the compression ratio or you can get a larger head and thick head gasket thus increasing the cylinder size and reducing the compression ratio. You need to aim for around a 7:1 compression ratio if you are adding a turbo, anything above 9:1 you will have problems. In all cases you should use the highest octane fuel that you can find as the higher the octane the more resistant the fuel is to engine knock.

If you can reduce the boost pressure to 5-7psi (as opposed to 25-35psi), and used the higher octane fuels available (e.g. Shell Optimax) you should be able to run a turbo on a standard engine with around the 9:1 compression ratio. For information on Octane and its effect on engine knock read our octane article.

When adding a turbo, for maximum performance gains, you should also get the head flowed increase the port size, fit bigger valves and go with a larger exhaust header and system as there will be a much larger volume flowing through the engine. Fitting a boost controller will allow you to experiment on a rolling road while attached to diagnostic equipment to find the optimum boost pressure.

Particular attention should be paid to fuelling. More air requires more fuel or you risk the danger of burning too lean. You also want to avoid overfuelling when the boost from the turbo drops as this can destroy the engine. On most turbo applications it is not likely that the cars existing fuel delivery system will be able to deliver sufficient fuel so you will need to uprate the fuel pressure with a new pump and fuel pressure regulator, the injectors will also need uprating. The car computer will also need to take into account the new fuelling requirements of a turbo, especially with regard to throttle position and wastegate control and rapidly changing fuel requirements between on and off boost conditions.

Most kits contain only the necessary parts to physically get the turbo onto the engine such as an exhaust header and the necessary intake plumbing to the air filter.

Turbos are expensive but will add the most power for your money. You should allow about 40 hours for fitting.

Source from : www.torquecars.com