Let's take a quick break from the election, the end of the world as we know it and etc., and have a little fun.
There's a new way to help improve the mileage of your car or truck, and some might even consider it fun (well, we did).
It's a program for the Apple iPhone (original and the new 3G models) and iPod Touch called Dynolicious, and its cost is a mere $12.99.
The program may soon be available for other hand-held devices (find out more at www.dynolicious.com or www.apple.com/itunes). Its name is a play on "dynamometer," a massive piece of hardware which you've probably seen when smog-checking a vehicle.
These days, everyone needs a friend who knows something about cars; not one who claims to know, but one who really knows. If you don't have one, go out and make one. He or she may come in handy, as you'll see.
Those of you who know a bit about motoring will, I predict, run out and buy an iPhone just to be able to play with Dynolicious (note to car nuts - the skidpad graphics alone are worth the price). (iPhone screen showing "time slip" acceleration results which can actually help anyone save gas and clean-up emissions - Remember to click on any photo to view them in a larger format).
This might sound surprising, but gasoline and diesel engines are very efficient; quite a high-percentage of the fuel pumped into a vehicle produces power; the unused bits of fuel come out the tailpipes as pollutants.
If an engine is made more efficient, it will burn up even more of its fuel, what it's supposed to do, and waste less, lowering emissions.
Among the easiest and least-expensive ways to increase engine efficiency and mileage are: Replace the engine's air filter with one that's removable, reusable and has a lifetime warranty; check the gasoline filter (your car may have one or as many as three and chances are they're at least somewhat clogged); check and, if necessary, replace the spark plugs and, if the car's more than a decade old, the ignition wires, too; and try different grades of gasoline.
"Add lightness" by cleaning-out your car's interior and, especially, the trunk. A lighter car is a happier, healthier car, same as for its driver.
Two costlier changes with which you'll need professional help include replacing the vehicle's exhaust with a less-restrictive system and changing or upgrading the computer chip which is the "brains" of the engine.
Also, consider using a synthetic engine oil, or a synthetic/conventional blend (my choice). Always replace the oil filter every time you change the oil, and never go more than 7,500 miles between oil changes and dispose of the used oil legally.
iPhones and iPod Touch models have built-in accelerometers, a small piece of hardware that measures movement. That's how the navigation system in those Apple products work, and it's also how the nav system which may already be in your car or truck works, too. (iPhone screen using the new Dynolicious app displays results of a "skidpad" testing session).
Dynolicious turns iPhone and iPod Touch into miniature, easy-to-use versions of the sophisticated and very expensive automotive testing equipment used by car enthusiast magazines, testing laboratories like Consumer Reports and the car-makers themselves.
After downloading the program (so simple even I did it right the first time), print-out and read the few pages of documentation. Then, find a safe area with no traffic where you can "test" your car. Admit it - It's starting to sound like fun now, isn't it?
Now it's time to play.
Following instructions, make several "test runs" and note the results, although Dynolicious will remember for you. These initial runs should reflect the way you really drive, and not impersonating Mario Andretti. These runs will give a "baseline" for comparative testing after trying one, some or even all of the engine modifications we recommended.
An improvement in acceleration, using just one of Dynolicious' myriad capabilities, is almost always accompanied by an improvement in fuel mileage. While Dynolicious can't directly test miles per gallon, it does measure acceleration from 0 to any miles per hour target, and also a vehicle's "elasticity," the time it takes for a vehicle to go from, for example, 35 to 55 miles per hour. And the skidpad testing can be a blast!
Today, we're all maintaining proper air pressure in our tires and staying away from the "go" pedal until the urge passes as if we're really used to gasoline costing so much. Personally, I pretend to be driving in Tokyo or London and marvel at how inexpensive gas is here in America, though everyone drives on the wrong side of the road.