Random Automotive Blogs (5)

Yes I confess I was wrong. I realised it just after but couldn't apologize. I do it now.
My mind was playing games with me by assurances and reassurances that it was not that bad as she claimed and that she mistook and misunderstood me
But those mind games are crystally clear to me now. Yes for sure, I insulted her. I know it's too late 8 long years late.
She was so enthusiastic.She was so energetic and vibrant. I killed her innocent advances... I killed something precious within her. Yes I did How could I be that mean.
If you can forgive me... come lets play again.
I know you didn't stop playing chess after this mishap.

If you happen to read it, be informed that you are my crush.
And you know it.

I was waiting at a red light yesterday when a guy in an SUV pulled along side of me. The music coming out of his vehicle was so loud, it was making my car thump. I didn't know the (hip-hop) song, but I could clearly hear the lyrics from inside my car with the windows rolled up and the a/c on high.
A friend of a friend owned a car stereo shop who did custom work. By word of mouth, people came from miles for him to install some HUGE systems. Most upgraded car sound systems have special speakers and a sub bass box in the trunk that only plays the low notes.
Some background:
It's usually stated the range of human hearing is 20 to 20,000 HZ (hertz or cycles per second) and there are many factors that affect those numbers. loud sounds for example. Industrial workers in high noise environments are required to use hearing protection. The guys at airports who direct jets into the gate wear noise reducing protection. Loud sounds without hearing protection will accentuate hearing loss. Ask any Heavy Metal musician if he's got hearing loss and their first response could be "Huh?"

SPL is the acronym for Sound Pressure Level and there are metering devices for measuring pressure. I've always heard sound pressure is measured in decibels for music loudness and for the purpose of this blog, any pressure musical or not, is considered the same. Sub-octave sounds below the threshold of human hearing are felt more than actually heard and can be described as pulsating air.

So what's the purpose of a 5,000 watt sound system in your SUV?
It doesn't follow logic, but in certain circles there is status for having 'more bass' much the same as someone on a Saturday night doing racing with the fastest car or the most horsepower.

The shootout is a competition event where vehicles are 100 yards (or more) from the judge who has a decibel meter. They play their best sound with hope of generating more SPL's at the greatest distance.



This style of competitive volume isn't limited to the United States, as many of the photos I've seen are from enthusiasts in European countries.

Because of the high power current draw, the vehicles have to be equipped with several alternators and batteries to generate sufficient wattage.

Like it or not, electric cars are here to stay. Every major manufacturer has at least one EV in their lineup. Do they sell? Yeah... kinda. Price incentives and options change all the time. More charging stations are being built and there is less fearmongering as there was a few years ago.
My memory says the same group of people who complained about 5G cellular technology are the ones who complained about electric vehicles. Battery fires, landfills of dead EV batteries and negative issues were regurgitated over and over.

I haven't personally witnessed an EV battery fire. I'm sure it's a spectacular explosion with zero time to escape. I have seen car fires of the gasoline version... That's a monthly event on highways. There was one in a residential community near me that scorched the tall trees along the roadway. It's been more than a year and the void in tree growth is still apparent.

I know a few people who are driving EV's and have no complaints about them.

A few weeks ago, I attended a swap meet for model aviation and one guy had a table with old lithium-polymer rechargeable batteries he was selling for a fraction of the price for new ones. As these batteries age, they become less efficient and gasses form inside the sealed jacket and they begin to swell, making it obvious the battery life has been shortened. I asked what he would do if they don't sell and he told me they would be dropped off at the recycling center.
Prior to this, we were told to drain the power to zero and leave the old batteries in a bucket of salt water as it will neutralize the volatile metals when exposed to air where they can be disposed of like normal garbage... probably in a landfill somewhere.
The guy told me advances have been made to reclaim the precious metals these batteries contain and the technology is improving all the time.

I did an internet search and found that EV batteries are being reprocessed and not ending up in landfills as originally feared.

Batteries that were originally mined and manufactured in China get recycled in America, the new batteries are now considered to be made in America. The plus side of that equation is we didn't have to strip mine land in America to make these products.

Yeah, I know the first thing that pops in your head when you hear that phrase: Once you go black. Summer in South Florida can be brutal. Over the years, I had one white car and usually the others were silver. The one I bought a year ago is a dark graphite color. Depending on the lighting metallic charcoal. In the middle of the day, it's as good as black because you cannot touch the exterior without burning your hands. Mazda didn't offer silver in my model. They did have white and that would have been my second choice, but the feature package (for what they had in inventory) was a step down and didn't have leather seats. I would have to wait 6 weeks to order one and the dealer made the right price for the one I bought.

A friend has a black Honda and it gets so burning hot you can grill steaks on the hood!

I'm already shopping for a new car and thinking of returning to Toyota. Last year, they had a wait as long as 4 to 6 months for cars, depending on the model and were taking non-refundable deposits to order one.

Things are returning to normal and deliveries of dealer orders are arriving weekly.

Do I need a new car? No
But the 2024 Prius is their 4th generation hybrid and I've seen a few videos about it being Toyota's best mechanics and technology they offer. The Prius was always designed as a hybrid, unlike a Camry or RAV4 where they added the hybrid features to and existing model. This information came from a few YouTube videos where mechanics who often post new car reviews all had the same opinion about the Prius.

My finger is on the trigger... doing research and comparisons.
It's a 2-liter engine and I'm currently enjoying the power of a 2.5-liter engine that has a longer wheelbase to ride like a larger car. I won't know if the ride of the Prius can compare without a test drive.
Silver being my preference... I'm thinking white could be the best choice.