Rear Windshield Defogger

Topic for today is rear windshield defogger which can be easily recognized in the rear windshield of a car as a pattern of multiple thin lines. As the name suggests this system works to remove the fog from the rear windshield of your vehicle when the outside atmosphere is very cold. I will tell you why this system is used and how it is used..So lets, start with why it is used...

Rear Windshield Defogger Button

Why Rear Windshield Defogger :

How do you feel if someone closes your eyes and ask you to walk?? Same feeling comes when a driver has to reverse a car with fog blocking the view. To prevent this from happening the cars are coming equipped with defogger in rear windshield, So that in case there's  fog on the windshield you can remove it just by turning on the defogger. 

Although there's a valid point that fog on the windows and front windshield gets removed just by turning on the Air Conditioner. This process is good but for rear windshield the thing either work too slow or in some cases doesn't work.  For this reason a rear defogger is a must and it works quickly.

Rear Windshield Defogger in Toyota Innova

How does it works:

The mechanism used inside this system is just similar to the mechanism used in Heated Seats. A very basic mechanism in which there is a circuit with few wires and a resistance. The logic behind is that when the current is passed through the circuit the resistance opposes the flow of current through it and thus resistance generates heat. This heat is generated in the resistance which is present on the windshield in the form of wired pattern. As son as heat comes up the fog present near the pattern gets evaporated and we are left with a clear windshield for our ultimate driving experience.

Grid lines present in the rear defogger

Pros:

• Quick
• Very much needed in winters
• Easy mechanism
• Current flowing is very low so no chances of shock in case of touching. 

Cons:

• The wired pattern is very thin and can easily be chipped off if not taken care of.
• Since it is electrical system problems can occur without notice.

Heated Seats : Comfortable Winters

Winter season is on and here is a useful automotive thing that makes your driving very comfortable in this cool weather...As many of you must have noticed that when there's chilling atmosphere outside and you enter your car, you find the seats very uncomfortable to sit as they are too cool to sit on..but the car manufacturers have this unique thing to make you happy....I am talking about Heated Seats...I'll discuss what is Heated Seats and how they work??

Heated Seats button in a car

Heated Seats:

Heated seats is the optional set of seats which are configured to heat up with a press of a button. These days it is common features of costly luxury cars. The seats are stuffed with electronic circuitry which develops heat and makes them hot enough to make your driving comfortable. The whole functioning is done with the help of a button present in the car. Many car owners opt for external heated configuration in the form of seat covers or customize their seats with some outside vendors. Now take a look on how it functions..

How Heated Seats Work ??

The functioning of Heated seats is done with the help of following materials:

• Relay
• Heating element
• Thermostat 
• Connecting Wires

Inside of a Heated seat (Wired Network is heating Element)

The basic logic behind the heating mechanism is very simple. If you remember anything about current and resistance in physics then it is very easy for you. A current is passed through the heating element and heating element generates heat to make the seats warm. When a person switches on the button, the relay allows the current to flow through the heating element(which can be a wire and acts as resistance). As the current passes through the heating element, it resists the current from flowing through it which in turn generates heat and that what we need. This heat makes the seats hot and comfortable for winters. But there has to be some limit for the temperature as it may burn the fabric, for this reason the whole setup is connected to a thermostat which reads the temperature of heating element and disconnect the current supply as soon it reaches a preset limit. After sometime when the temperature of the seat lowers, the thermostat allows the current to flow through the circuit and that how temperature is maintained.

Few systems have setting for different ranges of temperature to suit your needs.

Pros and Cons:

As this is boon for all the drivers who wish for cozy seats in this winter season but since it is electrical configuration that's why it's bit risky. Although the car manufacturers make sure the the systems are fault proof and reliable for longer runs.

Share your views and suggestions..Hope you liked it!! Happy Reading!!

Keyless Entry : Smart Key

This post of mine is about a technology that is a part of the higher end segment of automobiles, the technology is Keyless Entry which is realized with the help of Smart Key. Although this feature is mainly present in the costlier versions of automobiles but few car makers are introducing this feature in their lower segments. In this post we will discuss about what is keyless entry, how its done and what are its advantages.

What is Keyless Entry:

As the name suggests this technology gives the convenience to the car owners  to move into their cars without actually inserting the key into it. Some of you might be thinking that i am talking about the central locking system that is present in the car, but you are wrong. Yes, keyless entry systems have remote just like the regular central locking remotes but here the difference is that the remote doesn't have a key attached to it. Now that's the reason why the technology is called keyless entry as there is no key present.

     These days the remote present in these cars are called smart key as the remote is smart enough to recognize you and allow you to enter inside the car and do what you want. If you wonder that if there is no key then how the engine is going to start. For this read the next section Push Start /Stop button.

Keyless entry : A smart key from Nissan's Car

Push Start/Stop button:

For a keyless entry to be literally keyless the car should be equipped with such a technology that allows the owner of the car to start the engine without the key, for this the solution is push start/stop button. 

         Its a normal button present below the steering wheel near by the position where actually ignition keys are inserted. The sole purpose of this button is to start the engine if user presses it once and to turn off the engine when the user press it again. Its like a toggle switch with on/off functionality and thus eliminating the need of key to start. Shown below is a push start stop button present in the cars. In india the car which first introduced Push start stop function is Nissan's Micra.

Keyless Entry : Push Start Stop Button

How it works:

The keyless entry systems depend upon infrared signals to function. These signals are sent by the smart key (actually the remote)  to the infrared receiver present in the car which receives the signals and check the signals if they are from the right smart key. The signals sent are encrypted so that nobody can tweak the signals in case of stealing. When the owner reaches near the car, the receiver matches the signals and unlock the car.  The range of keyless entry is restricted to few inches and that's why the car unlocks only when the  user is close enough to enter the car and preventing the car unlocking unnecessarily. 

         Now lets see how the Push Start Stop Button works. The button has a spark triggering mechanism which gets activated when the button is pushed for start. The spark burns the fuel and engine starts but there is a catch. The Start-stop button doesn't work without getting the signals from the smart key. Nobody can start engine just by sitting inside the car. The car checks the infrared signals and then only starts the engine thus increasing the security strength of the technology. The smart key sends a different code every time to improve security and integration.

It's Advantages:

• You can enter and start driving without looking for key in your pocket.
• The car cant be started without having the Smart Key and due to coded signals the security is add-on.
• Easy locking and unlocking.
• You have less chances of loosing it as you don't take it out.
• And yes Style to flaunt :)

This is it for Keyless Entry : Smart Key...Have a look at the other interesting posts on KnowtheAuto.

Stay tuned to KnowtheAuto and for suggestions you can comment or Contact Me. Happy Reading!!!

Top 5 Costly Bikes

These type of posts I personally like..where there is lots of expensive automobiles are involved. Below I will tell you guys about the most expensive manufactured bikes present on the earth till now. You will get to know about the bikes in the order of lowest to highest...but mind it even the lowest ones are way too costly than your existing ones.. :) Have a look at the Top 5 Costly Bikes..

5# : Mv Augusta F4 CC  ($135000)

Mv Augusta

Mv Augusta Rear Look

Although the bike is least costly in this list but that doesn't make it a looser as it has an engine with capacity

of 998 cc which throws out max. power of 128 kW (174 hp) @ 11900 rpm. Being available at $135000 makes it to the number 5 slot in my top 5 costly list.

4# : Mtt Turbine Superbike ($175000)

Mtt Turbine

Look at the beautiful exhaust that it has

This bike has automatic transmission and is powered by a Rolls-Royce-Allison Model 250 producing 320 hp (240 kW) at 52,000 rpm. And what a wonderful chrome plated exhaust it has..loved the bike. For such kind of beauty the price is Appropriate and makes it to number 4.

3# : Macchia Nera ($200000)

Macchia Nera

Ducati 998R Engine

The bike has a full race Ducati Testastretta 998R engine rated at 180hp and weigh only 297lbs which makes it lighter and amazingly fast. The bike has most of the components in titanium. For such a beautiful engine the bike is well placed at number 3.

2# : Ecosse Titanium ($250000)

Wow Engine

Ecosse Titanium

The name includes Titanium because of the beautiful titanium chassis and the titanium exhaust. It has a 2100cc engine mated with 6 speed transmission. That our well deserved number 2 bike.

1# : Dodge Tomahawk ($550000)  - The Number One!!!

This is the costliest bike till now and yes it looks like so..Have a look at the engine, the engine has 8300cc displacement and churns out 500hp @ 5600rpm. With the engine so big and prominent the bike is a real superstar. Having 4 wheels it can surely compete with a sports car.. 

That's it for the Top 5 Costly Bikes list. Will be back with some other interesting post. If you liked this post then you will also like the Top 5 costly cars post. Do have a look.

Stay tuned to knowtheauto.com and let me remind you that the blog is open for suggestions. 

You can comment or Contact Me for any suggestions. Happy Reading!!  

TubeLess Tire : Runs even after punctures

TubeLess Tires

The tires which don't have a tube in it are called TubeLess tires. The definition is very easy but the technology behind making these wheels has replaced the conventional tube tires. Nowadays almost all the vehicles are equipped with these tires as an standard equipment.

What's the Difference:

A tubeless tire cutout to show you the interiors

The major difference between tube and tubeless tires as I discussed is the Tube which is not present in the tube-less ones as obvious. Another difference is that the tire and the rim makes a non-leaking air compartment and the valve is fitted directly to rim unlike in tube tires where the valve is fitted onto the tube.

Below is the comparison between the tube and tubeless tires.

Comparison among the tires 

Advantages:

• More resistant to puncture as the construction is robust.
• Sustain the air for longer duration.
• Doesn't cause instability when the air pressure is low.
• Increase efficiency as friction between tire and tube is eliminated.
• Easy to remove punctures as there is no need to take out the whole tube to fix it.

How the puncture is fixed:

The tools used for fixing the puncture are reduced in numbers and size as there is no need to take out the whole to fix the puncture. Nowadays fixing a puncture is not a tedious job and even you can fix the puncture with the help of a fixing kit.
   Shown below is a puncture fixing kit for tubeless tires which is all you need.

   

First the tire is checked for any nail or other sharp object then the tire is drilled down at that point with a tool shown below. Then a fixing strip is coated with the adhesive solution and then with the help of the tool, the strip is pierced deep within. That's It!!! 

    Take out the tool out leaving behind the strip inside the tire and you are ready to go...

Puncture fixing in process

So this is it about the TubeLess Tire....Comment for any query or suggestion.

Stay tuned to knowtheauto.com and the blog is open for suggestions. You can comment or Contact Me for any suggestions. Happy Reading!!  

Types of Cars

As mentioned in my previous post (Types of Motorcycles) Today i'll discuss the different types of cars that are popular in the world. But before discussing the types, let first see what exactly is a car??

Car:

A car is a vehicle which has 4 wheels and takes its passenger from one place to another by road. Now before you guys start contradicting the above statement let me tell you a technical definition of car:

       "It is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally for the transport of people rather than goods."

Now lets have a look on its types:

• Hatch Back
• Sedan
• Convertible
• Coupe
• SUV
• MUV
• Sports
• Limousine

A Hatch Back:

Its the most common type and has 4 doors and slightly hatched from their back to make room for goods storage  in the back. It has small engine which is good enough to carry passengers and roam around. Have a look at few Hatch-backs.

Ford Focus

Renault Pulse

A Sedan:

Its a car which has a slightly stretched back and are longer than the hatchbacks. It has a separate compartment to keep your goods at the back and the inner space is also better as compared to hatch-backs. he engines present are of more power but not much and in some cases the engine displacement of sedan is equal to a hatchback from the same company. Have a look at few sedans.

Lexus ES

Toyota Camry

A Convertible:

Its a car which has a retractable roof top and allow its owner to drive it as a sedan with roof up and as a classy car with roof down. These cars come in two types :

        Soft-Top: The rooftop in this car is made up of a cloth like material which is easy in operating but prone to cut and tear offs.

BMW Convertible Soft Top

        

        Hard-Top: The rooftop is made up of same material as of normal car and the car looks a normal car with roof up. But the retraction of this type of rooftop is difficult to engineer and requires precise controls.

Hard Top Convertible

A Coupe:

A car which has 2 doors and has slightly lower height is known as a Coupe. This car sits 2 passengers and has door length much more than a normal car. These cars look stylish and are very popular among youngsters. Here are some pics of Coupes.

BMW Z4 Coupe

Mercedes Benz Coupe

A SUV(Sport Utility Vehicle):

These cars have bigger engines and have off-road driving capabilities. They are made to tackle the difficult of terrains and thus have latest of technologies like 4WD, EBD, and great suspension. Have a look.

Ford Endeavor

Range Rover

A MUV(Multi Utility Vehicle):

This type of car can be utilized as a SUV or as a passenger car or a goods carrier as it has power, comfort and space t fulfill every need. These cars have enlarged boot space to accommodate more passengers or goods.  Have a look.

Tata Aria (Cross Over)

Nissan Nv200

A Sports Car:

These cars have the biggest engine and have the precise technologies inbuilt to make them perform better. The design and aerodynamics are taken care of to exceed their performance as these cars are used for racing purposes. These are super costly and i have mentioned them in one of my post- Costly Cars.

Have a look at few of them.

White Lamorghini

A beautiful white Bugatti

A Limousine:

Its not just a car, its the class. These cars are super long in dimensions and super big in luxuries. They have their driving compartment separated from the rear one and is mainly used by the People of Highest power.

Even in India the car is appointed as the official vehicle for our President. See The President's Car.

Have a look for few pictures.

Black Limousine 

Limousine Interiors

This is it about the types of cars. Visit my another post Types of MotorCycles . Will be back with another interesting topic.

Stay tuned to knowtheauto.com and you can comment for any suggestions. Happy Reading!!  

      

Types of Motorcycles

MotorCycle:

In most of the cases if a vehicle has two tires and one engine than it can be called a MotorCycle. :)

Well there are cases in which the above condition fulfills but is called a Scooter or Moped. So I am ignoring the latter case and concentrating on the case of Motorcycles. This type of vehicle was first introduced by American, Sylvester Howard Roper (1823-1896) with a two-cylinder, steam-engine motorcycle (powered by coal) in 1867. This can be considered the first motorcycle, if you allow your description of a motorcycle to include a steam engine.

First Motor Cycle

That was the history, now I will discuss the types of the motorcycles present in the world these days. Different people and regions have different types in their mind but the broad classification of MotorCycles comprises of three types:

• Cruiser Bikes
• Off-Road Bikes
• Sports Bikes
• Regular Bikes 

I will discuss these types one by one starting with the cruiser bikes.

Cruiser Bikes:

These bikes were introduced by the Americans in early 20th century. These bikes are mainly distinguished by a large engine , a laid back seat and engines are tuned in such a way that the rider has to shift the gears less. These bikes are used by touring guys who are fond of travelling on there bikes. These bikes are called "Choppers" by few people when thee are custom modified. Here are some pictures of these bikes for reference.

Harley Davidson

Royal Enfield's Bullet

A Chopper

Off-Road Bikes:

The bikes which are not treated as a vehicle to go from one place to another are called Off-Road Bikes. :)

Well these are used for races on the off-road terrain and are also preferred by stunt freaks to show off their skills. These bikes have a robust structure with light weight and comparatively less displacement engine and are also called Dirt Bikes because the terrain they run in is full of dirt and Mud. If you are fan of these bikes then you must have participated in a race or two :) Here are some pictures of these bikes.

Dirt Bike

Dirt Bike in action

Sports Bikes:

The bikes which are made just to show off power, speed and style are called Sports Bikes. These bikes have heavy displacement engine tuned to outperform, and aerodynamics to keep the rider ahead.These bikes are preferred by bike racers as well as by the rich guys to show off. A lot of technology and research goes into making these bikes, so that the bike performs more than its expectations. Here are few pics of the Style Icons.

Suzuki Hayabusa

Kawasaki Ninja

Regular Bikes:

Here comes the most used and popular bike segment - Regular Bikes. These bikes are good enough to ride and roam around but are not performance oriented. These comes with a average engine with regular styling just to suit your pocket and daily needs. As the engine is not too big, they have very good efficiency and have cheaper maintenance as compared to its other counter parts which makes this segment the most loved segment. Here are some pictures of the regular bikes

Honda Shine

.

That was all about the different types of motorcycles. Now the question arises which one you like???

Do write me about your views and suggestions to me.

My Favourite:

Harley Davidson

This is it about the types of motorcycles..Have a look on my post Types of cars..
Stay tuned to knowtheauto.com.. Happy Reading..The blog is open for suggestions.. :)