HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: hhtra@usho72.hou281.chevron.com (T.M.Haddock)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: GEICO's Laser Guns
Date: 12 Jan 93 19:56:31 GMT
Organization: Chevron

In article <0fIjNRG00iV3Q1pmNw@andrew.cmu.edu>, sr0o+@andrew.cmu.edu (Steven Ritter) writes:
|> hhtra@usho72.hou281.chevron.com (T.M.Haddock) writes:
|> 
|>> The payoff for GEICO, besides the stock deals, is that if a GEICO-insured
|>> motorist is caught, GEICO will hike that person's premiums.  The rate
|>> hikes vary but the scariest one is for doing more than 20mph over - 62%!
|>> That's right - SIXTY-TWO percent!  It sure won't take many of GEICO's
|>> 4 million policy holders getting caught to payback the cost of those laser
|>> guns.
|> 
|> I don't have any problem with GEICO donating laser guns to police. If
|> they think that this will reduce claims (and thus their costs), then
|> this is exactly what they should be doing. They do believe that speed
|> kills: they won't insure you if you admit to using a radar detector.
|> This is no different from giving discounts to people with air bags or
|> ABS (both of which they do).

 The article definitely left the impression that they were doing
 this purely to increase profits - one way or the other.

 I'm always reminded of what Roger Smith, former CEO of GM said:
 "We're not in business to make cars.  We're in business to make money."

 
|> However, I've got a big problem if GEICO is treating people caught by
|> laser gun differently from those caught by other methods.

 Not just caught by laser - just caught.  Since laser is the newest and
 deadliest, it makes sense to invest in it instead of more radar guns. 


|> First, how would they know? Do the police departments report directly
|> to GEICO?  I've got real problems with that.
 
 Police Depts do report directly to the insurance industry.  How do you
 think they know you've had accidents, or tickets, or DWI?  

 Did you also know that your doctor and hospital report to the credit
 bureaus about your health?  Did you also know that the credit bureaus
 do NOT have to show you those health reports like they do your credit 
 report?


|> Do cops normally ask for your insurance card?

 Yes, in Texas and other states, they do.  It's your proof that you have
 the minimum insurance coverage required by state law.
  
 
|> I've got GEICO. I'll give them a call and ask about this.
|> 
|> Steve

 Read the Car&Driver article too.


 Travis
Newsgroups: rec.autos,rec.autos.tech
From: mucit@cs.rochester.edu (Bulent Murtezaoglu)
Subject: Re: Braking techniques 
Organization: Computer Science Department, University of Rochester
Date: 5 Jan 93 03:10:51

In article <C0D4oy.A4A@news.cso.uiuc.edu> bsmg9810@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Bhaskar S.Manda) writes:
[stuff deleted]
>   1. Since engine braking has nothing to do with the tire/road
>      contact, 

Absolutely false.  The only place you're going to get the decelerating force
is the tire/road contact no matter how you're slowing down your wheels.

>      it should not cause skidding or loss of control.
>      True ? Counterexamples ?

False.  On a sufficently slippery road you could try downshifting from 5 to
2 with your foot off the accelerator to test this.  You're going to strain
your tranny if the road isn't slippery enough and risk body damage if it is
though.


> 2. Considering the magnitudes of the braking power
>    (constant/stopping distance) obtained by braking (brakes + engine/gearbox)
>    and by brakes (with ABS maybe), does anyone have any calculations
>    or tests about which is more effective ? Speculation ?
>    Sources of info ?

I've been able to lock my wheels at pretty much all speeds on my VW's.  This
is how I check my work after I fix the brakes.  Repeated high speed stops
would cause fading etc. and decrease the effectiveness for the brakes but
that hardly ever happens in normal driving. I think, given the 
brake system is in good health, the weak link is the tire/road contact.  
ABS attempts to maximize the decelerating force you can get by not allowing
the wheels to lock (since the coef. of static friction is higher than 
the dynamic one).

>   Thanks
>   Bhaskar(@orion.me.uiuc.edu)

Correct me if I'm wrong.

-M
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: huesmann@wam.umd.edu (Joseph Edward Huesmann)
Subject: Fixing Rear Defroster?
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Distribution: usa
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 00:20:31 GMT

Hey all,

Is it possible to fix lines on a rear defroster that are not working? I
have a few that don't work (the others do), and I assume that it's
because the lines have been scratched or something. Is there any way
to sort of patch a scratch (assuming that's what it is)? Thanks!

Joe

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|  huesmann@wam.umd.edu     "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all   |
|  Joseph E. Huesmann        the world, she walks into mine!"                |
|                                              -- Rick Blaine, "Casablanca"  |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: chrz@tellabs.com (Peter Chrzanowski)
Subject: Re: Before Buying Japanese.
Organization: Tellabs, Inc.
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 18:38:32 GMT

In article <184797@pyramid.pyramid.com>, lstowell@pyrnova.mis.pyramid.com (Lon Stowell) writes:
> In article <64590106@hpl-opus.hpl.hp.com> knotts@hpl-opus.hpl.hp.com (Tom Knotts) writes:
> >
> >This is your own opinion. The Saturn is not a cheap car; it is extremely
> >well-engineered.  I'll put my Saturn SL up against any import in the
> >same price range (I paid $9200 out-the-door for a '92).
> >
>   What?  I can't hear you over the racket from that !@#$! engine!
> 
>   Its a "nice" car, but none of the most rabid pro-American auto
>   press attempts to pretend it can compete for "look and feel" with
>   the better Japanese and European imports in its price range.

Well I test-drove a 1993 Saturn SL1 and a 1993 Toyota Corolla (as you can
see I'm shopping for a new car) and I thought the Saturn had much more of
a quality look and feel to it.  The Corolla seemed like a good, cheap
car that happened to cost $12,000. (i.e., no longer cheap).

>   What?  I can't hear you over the racket from that !@#$! engine!
If "quality" means having to change the timing belt every 60,000 
miles then I guess I don't want it.

I haven't bought anything yet, I'm still looking, but Saturn sure looked
competitive to me.

Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: ratan@stationd.storage.tandem.com (Ratan Tipirneni)
Subject: Car dealers
Organization: Tandem Computers Inc, Cupertino CA
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 01:00:44 GMT

I went to the Toyota Dealership this weekend with my wife, with the
intention of buying a Corolla.  I had spent the last couple of weeks researching
what I needed and by the time I walked into the dealership, I knew exactly what
I wanted including the options and the color.  I also had accurate price
information from AAA's auto pricing service and had figured out the dealer markup
also.
	We spent about 10-15 minutes test driving the car and then went in to
negotiate the price.  The deal should have been very simple because I had 
pre-approved financing,  knew what I wanted and knew what the car costed.
We were in agreement over the price except for the additional cost of the
Advertising Cost of $300 which the dealer wanted me to pay.  I made the salesman
an offer and he said that it was very close but that I may need to raise it
a little bit.  He went out of the office and came back with his manager.
The manager was extremely rude and insisted that we pay a $300 fee for the
advertising tax which I refused.  As he continued to be rude and obnoxious
we just got up and were preparing to leave the dealership.  At this point the
manager said something very abusive to us and used foul language, which
really offended me and my wife.  
	I called the Toyota Corporate headquarters today.  They logged my complaint
but told me that the dealers are independant businesses and that they would
not be able to do much.   I would like to make a formal complaint to some
kind of a consumer affairs organisation and was wondering if anyone knew
what organisation that might be.  It seems like these people shouldn't be able
to get away with something like this. 
	For those of you who live in the Bay area and may be interested, the
dealership that I am reffering to is Steven's Creek Toyota.  The funny thing is
that 4 out of 5 friends to whom I narrated this incident to, complained of similar
problems with the SAME dealer.  I wonder how they are still  in Business?

Ratan Tipirneni
(ratan@storage.tandem.com)
From: HF.CRS@forsythe.stanford.edu (Craig Snarr)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Buying 2 cars Questions
Date: 12 Jan 1993 11:56:27 -0800
Organization: Stanford University
NNTP-Posting-Host: morrow.stanford.edu

Greetings!

  A friend of mine & I are thinking of getting new/used cars (but
not to used!) and i was told this is the group to get the scoop!
 We have made some MAJOR purchases that are in both are names (long
story) and are thinking that if we both go in, we could get a 'good
deal' for each of us.  Has this been tried, is it worth doing?  Also
i think i know the basics on what to expect, and that doing the
homework before hand is a must.  There seems to be some kind of
car guide thing that has been referred too, where and how do i find
that?  She has already been looking around, but after glancing
through this group, i'm surprised she hasn't had any bad experiences
here in the bay area!  I'm wondering if we should expand our
searching area?  I think she was looking at one of those new Mazdas,
i furget which.  So anyways, any tips or whatever would be thanked!
Opps, i have a Toyota truck that we will problay want to sell too,
its pretty beat up, but runs good, so i would think selling it
ourselves would be best too, right?
craig snarr
From: sosc1077@wc20.writer.yorku.ca (Rebecca Lock)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Honda ACCORD LX
Date: 4 Jan 93 18:15:34 GMT
Organization: York University

Is anyone familiar with the 85-last year......Honda Accord LX 4 doors
AIR, good condition, Auto. 
If you want to know more information, please contact the following tel.  
no.: (416) 731-6683 (Simon)
This is a good choice for you, please contact me as soon as possible.
From: bense@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Ron Bense)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: warm up a car in winter again: anyone can tell me where i can read something regarding this? my wife is stubborn!!! (women!!!!!!)
Date: 8 Jan 93 16:17:09 GMT
Reply-To: bense@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Ronald Bense)
Distribution: na
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

In rec.autos, hhd0@newshost.gte.com (Horace Dediu) writes:
>In article <C0Hy96.K5M@news.iastate.edu>, rdu@iastate.edu (Runqing Du) writes:

Excessive idling only wears your engine unecessarily. and pollutes the
environment. Initial "warm-up" should only be long enough to allow your
oil pressure to reach the low end of the normal operating range. About 
20 seconds for cars with oil coolers and turbos, less for others. (This 
assumes that you use the correct grade oil for temperature conditions, 
of course.) Then you should drive it gently until the temp gauge starts
to move (or the heater pumps out heat in cars with only idiot lights),
meaning no high revving of the engine. If you live in very cold areas, 
an engine heater pad that you plug in 30 minutes before starting the 
car is much better than any "warm-up" cycle you would use to heat the 
car up before you get in it.

Ron
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: dclayton@bnr.ca (Don Clayton)
Subject: Eagle Talon Clutch Noise
Reply-To: dclayton@bnr.ca (Don Clayton)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 14:04:46 GMT

Hi,

  My Eagle Talon (135hp '92) makes a grinding noise when shifting from 1st to
2nd.  It only does this the first few times when used, and only when cold.  As
soon as it warms up it doesn't happen anymore.  Have any other Talon owners
experienced this? 

  Also, does that 10 minute shut off timer for the rear window defrost piss anyone
else off?  My rear window defrosts, the defroster shuts off, I forget, and when
I look back again my window is frosted again.  My last car (Isuzu Impulse) didn't
have a shut of timer so I just left it on all the time and had no problems (someone
said it would burn out if I left it on, but nothing ever happened - it's cold
enough up here in Ottawa to justify leaving it on).

Thanks in advance.

Don Clayton
a.k.a. Admiral Maverick, DM of the Drow
My brain, my thoughts, my words.
"I'm all lost in the Supermarket.  I can no longer shop happily.
 I came in here for the special offer, guaranteed personality."
From: rjmathia@novell.com (Robert Mathias)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: LH: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Date: 7 Jan 93 17:50:43 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Novell Inc., San Jose, Califonia

In article <1993Jan5.061704.24335@vpnet.chi.il.us> hammen@vpnet.chi.il.us (Robert Hammen) writes:
>
>So what's holding me back from leasing one to replace my current
>company car (a 1991 Pontiac Grand Prix SE sedan)? A niggling fear
>of Chrysler products. Yes, I know this is a new breed of car. Yet,
>I find it hard to trust a company that put out such crap as the
>Omni, the Dynasty, and the Spirit (I've not had a lot of luck with
>Chrysler rental cars). After all, this is the first year of a
>brand new car line.

I bought the fully loaded Eagle Vision TSI and have been quite pleased with
it.  I have had it just over a month and I am amazed with its quality.  I
haven't found anything wrong (not even any nit-picking type of problem).  In
the past, I always have had to return a new car to the dealer for some type
of repair (normally minor type stuff).  I think this is quite an accomplishment
for an American automobile company.  Or atleast it is for me, for like you
I was worried about Chrysler's reputation (actually for me any US Car maker's).

I can't say how it will handle in snow since I don't live in snow country but
I can tell you it handles great in the mountains.  It has the power for the
hills and handles well into curves.  



Bob Mathias
rjmathia@Novell.com
CSERV: 70340,165
From: bhmd1464@altair.selu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: FINDERS FEE FOR FIERO!
Date: 8 Jan 93 15:42:31 -0600
Organization: Southeastern Louisiana University

I am looking for a 1986 or newer Fiero GT with a 5 speed.
I need help in locating one.  I have looked all over every
local publication for a while and I still can't come across
one locally.  I would be willing to pay a finders fee.

Brian Acosta
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: parr@acs.ucalgary.ca (Charles Parr)
Subject: Tire  recc. for ford Ranger
Date: Wed, 06 Jan 93 18:34:47 GMT
Organization: The University of Calgary, Alberta

It's getting time to start shopping for four new tires for my
92 Ford Ranger light truck.

It's not 4wd, but does get driven in some pretty shitty weather,
ice, snow, heavy rain, gravel...The stock firestones are okay,
but I'm looking for something a little more durable, and a little
cheaper.

I'm a fairly aggresive driver, and do a lot of cruising in the
80-90mph range for hours at a time.

I'd appreciate any brand-specific reccomendations I can get.

Thanks, Charles

Almost forgot: Please email, most of the net won't give a damn;-)
	
-- 
Within the span of the last few weeks I have heard elements of
separate threads which, in that they have been conjoined in time,
struck together to form a new chord within my hollow and echoing
gourd. --Unknown net.person
From: knotts@hpl-opus.hpl.hp.com (Tom Knotts)
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 20:50:29 GMT
Subject: Re: Saturn's Allegedly "Noisy" Engine
Organization: HP Labs, High Speed Electronics Dept., Palo Alto, CA
Newsgroups: rec.autos


> 2) [Transmission]: The gears are a little heavy and sticky. Maybe I
> should try another SL2 elsewhere but that was what I felt when I drove
> it. May be someone can explain to me. Could there be a major difference
> between Japanese transmission and that of American technology?
> 
> 

My SL was hard to shift at first. But it eased up after a few hundred
miles. I'm quite happy with its feel now.

Tom

Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: issa@cwis.unomaha.edu (Issa El-Hazin)
Subject: Re: Get a car heated in winter: How long is appropriate?
Keywords: Heating
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 04:08:59 GMT

sharen@iscnvx.lmsc.lockheed.com (Sharen A. Rund) writes:

>In article <C0G89q.Dox@news.iastate.edu> rdu@iastate.edu (Runqing Du) writes:

>warmed up without overheating and freezing up - also, if you can wait till 
>11pm to do the job, its a bit better, the coldest part of the evening
>hasn't come yet, and, if you don't leave the house till late you may want
>to consider running it again in the morning, especially if the temp gets
>lowered even more so by the wind chill
                             ----------

Cars never feel wind chill. Only living things (i.e. people) do.
or Am I wrong?

>good luck


>-- 
>________________       __        ________________   "They that can give up
>\_________      \     /_ \      /      _________/  essential liberty to 
> \_________      \_____/  \____/      _________/  obtain temporary safety
>  \___________________      __________________/  deserve neither liberty 
>                     /______\                   nor safety."  
>ALL disclaimers apply ....                           --Benjamin Franklin
>	  

issa
From: lstowell@pyrnova.mis.pyramid.com (Lon Stowell)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Bill Gates 959 for sale? the rumor continues..
Date: 13 Jan 93 02:41:39 GMT
Reply-To: lstowell@pyrnova.pyramid.com.pyramid.com (Lon Stowell)
Organization: Pyramid Technology Corporation

In article <C0rJF2.7E5@news.udel.edu> hiester@brahms.udel.edu (Jason Grego Hiester) writes:
>If I'm ever fooled by a VW Beetle disguised as a 959, let me be dragged
>out into the street and shot!

   If you're ever near Torrance CA, better wear a bullet proof vest.
   Vasek Polak and Team Ralt hang out in that area.....one sells all
   sortsa exotic cars, the other makes Formula V engines.

   Of course if you are ever in Southern Calif, you just might be
   dragged out into the street and shot anyway.....but that's an
   entirely different manner.  >:-)

   At least the DMV has finally made it a traffic offense to use
   a .45 in a .38 zone.
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: buck@granite.ma30.bull.com (Ken Buck)
Subject: Re: Taurus #1 in US
Organization: Bull HN Informations Systems Inc.
Date:  7 Jan 93 14:52:47 GMT

dbernard@clesun.Central.Sun.COM (Dave Bernard) writes:
>According to last year's sales figures, Taurus edged out the Accord as 
>the US's top-selling car model, and Ford wasted no time in giving itself
>bouquets.  Honda, which had enjoyed the spot for the last 3 or so years,
>sour-grapedly replied that Ford sells lots of Tauri to fleets, and Honda
>does not, thereby accounting for the higher figures.

on the other hand, i don't suppose Ford cares HOW they sold them
as long as they sold them...

all this stuff about "who sold the most" is kind of irrelevant anyway.
more importantly, what's the company's bottom line?  it doesn't matter
how much you sell if you're losing money hand-over-fist.  (and as the
recent Time (tm) magazine article pointed out, Japanese mfgrs. are
not doing that well these days either, so it seems like everybody's
in a similar boat...)
From: jmh@Turing.ORG (Jeffrey M. Hoffmeister)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: the club and airbags
Date: 4 Jan 93 12:19:53 GMT
Organization: The Turing Project, Public Access Internet Host

In article <XaJqwB1w165w@west.darkside.com> clone@west.darkside.com (Clone) writes:
>has anyone heard of or seen what an airbag will do if the car owner has a 
>club anti-theft device on the wheel? Just wonderin...Jason.

With the increase in car thefts I have looked into "The Club" as a
cheap alternative to alarm systems.  I have a '92 Accord so I also have
the airbag question to consider.  While looking at the Clubs I noticed
they suggested a different mounting position for cars with air bags,
they mount it accross the top of the steering wheel as opposed to 
across the wheel.  I'm not all to sure how effective it will be in this
position, but at least it won't dammage the cover of the airbag.


Jeff

-------

jmh@turing.org
From: eliot@stalfos.engr.washington.edu (eliot)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Why is US engine technology so retrograde?
Date: 8 Jan 1993 20:46:07 GMT
Organization: clearer than blir
NNTP-Posting-Host: stalfos.engr.washington.edu

In article <lkrmbvINNjb0@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> tut@cairo.Eng.Sun.COM (Bill "Bill" Tuthill) writes:
>>it is starting to become
>> unfashionable to have "only" 2 valves per cylinder, never mind
>> that it offers better low end than a 4 valve.

>Do you mean by "low end" that 2 VPC offers more torque at low RPMs
>than 4 VPC?  Why would this be?

something along the lines of higher velocities of the incoming gases
entering the combustion chamber.  with a narrower valve opening,
getting the mixture to swirl around and fill the combustion chamber is
easier and this is the key to better combustion.  

at high rpms, 2 valves generally lose because they are not able to
supply enough mixture through the narrower opening and also because
the bigger valve springs cannot keep up with the speed.

there are of course the 4 valve engines that have "variable" inlet
tracts or multiple, switchable ones, all attempts at raising gas
velocities at low rpms.  unless one goes into radical measures like
variable valve timing, 2 valves generally have the low rpm advantage.

i'll still have to go dig up the article where i read that a lot
of the motivation for 4 valves today is not for hot rodding, but
for better emissions.  

>> Large displacement, push rod engines produce more torque
>> at low speeds and a much wider powerband. 

>Do the push rods have anything to do with this, or is it simply the
>large displacement?

nothing to do with the push rods.  push rods are cheaper to
manufacture but don't have good high-rpm performance.  given that most
people don't drive at high revs, i just think that it is a fashion
thing about SOHC and DOHC.  of course if you have a sporty car and
like to rev just for the fun of it, you'd want DOHC and 4 valves/cyl.
it is quite silly to criticise family sedans for not being DOHC 4V,
however.  a big lazy pushrod V6 is the ideal engine for trips with the
kids and dog to the grocery store and gramma's.

> Are there any disadvantages
>of the DOHC design?

very expensive compared to push rod. but since customers demand it and
are willing to pay for it, they are quite common, if somewhat
unnecessary except for the high rpm screamers.


eliot


Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: glosson@convex.com (Allen Glosson)
Subject: Re: Geo Prizm vs. Honda Civic
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 14:58:14 GMT
Organization: Engineering, CONVEX Computer Corp., Richardson, Tx., USA
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.


I beg to disagree with your assessment based on height.  I am 6'3" and I 
couldn't even sit in an SL to test drive it.  Even with the seat all the
way down and leaned back slightly, I had less than 1/4" of headroom.  This
might have been ok, if I hadn't been looking straight through the top of the
windshield, where the wipers don't clean.  Bzzzz!  Granted my height is
all above the waist, but we warned.  Just because you are tall, doesn't
necessarily mean you won't fit.  (Yes, I tried the model without the sunroof,
and yes the SC was worse -- I had to tilt my head to the side.)

Allen Glosson
--
Allen Glosson				|   Government of the minority,
Software Development Engineer		|   for the minority,
glosson@convex.com			|   to the rest of us.