Monday, August 15, 2005
Brand Loyalty on the Upswing
Although brand loyalty among Class 8 truck buyers has mostly decreased in recent years, the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Heavy Duty Truck Consumer Satisfaction Study indicates it may be coming back. When it comes time to replace their current truck, 43 percent of respondents said they will definitely purchase the same brand. That number is up from the 39 percent reported in 2003, but below the 50 percent levels typical of the late 1990's. Kenworth ranked the highest in customer satisfaction among vocational trucks, followed by Peterbilt and International. International ranked the highest in dealer service, followed by Peterbilt, Kenworth and Mack.
Water Ingress Tip
According to Martin Williamson, Senior Technical Consultant, Noria UK Ltd., although water-removing type filters can remove small amounts of water from a gearbox, significant levels of water require addressing the root cause of the water ingress. "Too much water subjective, buy technically, if there is visible emulsified water (cloudiness of the oil), this is too much," says Williamson. "As such, there is an ingress source that needs attention. Typically water will be an issue dependent upon the unit location (indoors/outdoors), proximity to any process water, or any wash down activity that may take place near the gearbox. or any steam source in the vicinity. The use of a desiccating breather of expansion diaphragm-type sealed unit may also reduce the moisture ingress, as will deploy8ing better quality seals and education the personnel responsible for wash-down activity."
Power Sports Market Continues Growing
AMSOIL Formula 4-Stroke™ Power Sports Synthetic Motor Oil offers superior protection for power sports applications.
The ATV market has shown consistent growth in recent years, with sales increasing four percent in 2002, three percent in 2003 and 6.5 percent in 2004. Sales are expected to increase six percent overall in 2005, and they have increased a whopping 472 percent since 1990.
Recent years have also seen the growing momentum of utility vehicles and "side-by-sides." Physically less demanding to ride off-road and featuring additional seating and a cargo bed, side-by-sides have become popular alternatives to ATV's in recreational applications. Utility vehicles have become popular in work and recreational applications, especially among hunters and large estate and hobby farm owners.
New side-by-side vehicles are difficult to classify. While their bench or bucket seats with multiple passenger capability differentiate them from ATV's, they also feature light cargo bed capabilities, twice the ground clearance and more speed than traditional utility vehicles.
A survey performed by Powersports Business shows demand for sport quads, utility vehicles and side-by-sides is growing. "We're gaining speed on the sport side of things with the new models on the market, buy utility quads still account for probably 70 percent of our ATV sales here and, as far as vehicle sales go, Yamaha's Rhinos are sold before they even hit the floor," says Matt Isard, co-owner of Power Motor Sports in Fremont, Mich.
ATV parts and accessories are a big business and, according to Isard, sport enthusiasts come to his store in search of rims, tires, pipes, axles, handlebars and riding gear, while utility riders purchase soft bags (tank, fender and front and rear rack), plow blades, winch kits and windshields.
Owners of Yamaha's side-by-side Rhino model are also coming in for add-ons. "They've had them a few months, got a little use out of them, and now they're looking for cabs, plows, winches and a number of other things," says Isard.
According to Baron Horton of Central Yamaha in Plano, Texas, ATV sales at his dealership are split evenly between sport and utility. "People with utility quads are looking at big wheel kits - mostly from ITP - Quad Boss and Moose racks and bags," says Horton. "Sport riders are looking at pipes, jet kits, wheel and tire kits, sprockets, anything performance. People seem to be looking for gear for their Rhinos, too, using Yamaha's branded accessories - skid plates and big wheel kits mostly."
"Everybody in this area rides ATV's," says Dee Bitting of Turning Wheel Sport Center in Leesburg, Fla. "A lot of people who live around here have five to ten acres. Racing is big in this area but don't get me wrong, we deal a lot of the Kodiak, Grizzly and Bruins, too"
According to Bitting, FMF pipes, V-Force Delta reeds, ITP Holeshot wheel kits and Pro Design Cool Heads are all big sellers in the sport quad market. Orders for engine parts usually boosts their service department, with engine work accounting for 25 to 30 percent of total revenue.
According to Billy Benigno of Hanover Honda-Yamaha in Whippany, N.J., the Yamaha Rhino is one of his most popular vehicles. "As far as ATV's go, people seem to be looking for the biggest and the baddest," says Benigno. "Right now we're selling sport quads like crazy, but we've also had a lot of interest in the Yamaha Rhino."
Top performance and extended equipment life are essential to power sports vehicle owners. AMSOIL Formula 4-Stroke® Power Sports Synthetic Motor Oil (AFF) provides outstanding protection and performance in high performance, recreational and work/utility power sports vehicles. Its broad 0W-40 viscosity range and wax free formulation make it excellent for use in both hot and cold temperature extremes. AMSOIL Formula 4-Stroke® Power Sports is recommended for four-stroke engines and transmissions on two or four-stroke powered applications.
The ATV market has shown consistent growth in recent years, with sales increasing four percent in 2002, three percent in 2003 and 6.5 percent in 2004. Sales are expected to increase six percent overall in 2005, and they have increased a whopping 472 percent since 1990.
Recent years have also seen the growing momentum of utility vehicles and "side-by-sides." Physically less demanding to ride off-road and featuring additional seating and a cargo bed, side-by-sides have become popular alternatives to ATV's in recreational applications. Utility vehicles have become popular in work and recreational applications, especially among hunters and large estate and hobby farm owners.
New side-by-side vehicles are difficult to classify. While their bench or bucket seats with multiple passenger capability differentiate them from ATV's, they also feature light cargo bed capabilities, twice the ground clearance and more speed than traditional utility vehicles.
A survey performed by Powersports Business shows demand for sport quads, utility vehicles and side-by-sides is growing. "We're gaining speed on the sport side of things with the new models on the market, buy utility quads still account for probably 70 percent of our ATV sales here and, as far as vehicle sales go, Yamaha's Rhinos are sold before they even hit the floor," says Matt Isard, co-owner of Power Motor Sports in Fremont, Mich.
ATV parts and accessories are a big business and, according to Isard, sport enthusiasts come to his store in search of rims, tires, pipes, axles, handlebars and riding gear, while utility riders purchase soft bags (tank, fender and front and rear rack), plow blades, winch kits and windshields.
Owners of Yamaha's side-by-side Rhino model are also coming in for add-ons. "They've had them a few months, got a little use out of them, and now they're looking for cabs, plows, winches and a number of other things," says Isard.
According to Baron Horton of Central Yamaha in Plano, Texas, ATV sales at his dealership are split evenly between sport and utility. "People with utility quads are looking at big wheel kits - mostly from ITP - Quad Boss and Moose racks and bags," says Horton. "Sport riders are looking at pipes, jet kits, wheel and tire kits, sprockets, anything performance. People seem to be looking for gear for their Rhinos, too, using Yamaha's branded accessories - skid plates and big wheel kits mostly."
"Everybody in this area rides ATV's," says Dee Bitting of Turning Wheel Sport Center in Leesburg, Fla. "A lot of people who live around here have five to ten acres. Racing is big in this area but don't get me wrong, we deal a lot of the Kodiak, Grizzly and Bruins, too"
According to Bitting, FMF pipes, V-Force Delta reeds, ITP Holeshot wheel kits and Pro Design Cool Heads are all big sellers in the sport quad market. Orders for engine parts usually boosts their service department, with engine work accounting for 25 to 30 percent of total revenue.
According to Billy Benigno of Hanover Honda-Yamaha in Whippany, N.J., the Yamaha Rhino is one of his most popular vehicles. "As far as ATV's go, people seem to be looking for the biggest and the baddest," says Benigno. "Right now we're selling sport quads like crazy, but we've also had a lot of interest in the Yamaha Rhino."
Top performance and extended equipment life are essential to power sports vehicle owners. AMSOIL Formula 4-Stroke® Power Sports Synthetic Motor Oil (AFF) provides outstanding protection and performance in high performance, recreational and work/utility power sports vehicles. Its broad 0W-40 viscosity range and wax free formulation make it excellent for use in both hot and cold temperature extremes. AMSOIL Formula 4-Stroke® Power Sports is recommended for four-stroke engines and transmissions on two or four-stroke powered applications.
Hybrid Vehicle Market Continues Strong Growth
According to R.L. Polk & Co., nationwide hybrid vehicle registrations increased to 83,153 in 2004, an increase of 81 percent over 2003. The Toyota Prius and Honda Civic are the most popular hybrid models, with the Prius occupying 64 percent of the market and the Civic occupying 31 percent. The market has grown a staggering 960 percent since the introduction of hybrid vehicle in 2000.
"Expectations of continuing high gas prices, combined with the introduction of new models to the consumer market, have heightened interest in hybrid vehicles," says Lonnie Miller, director of Polk's Analytical Solutions. "Hybrids offer improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions while maintaining the functionality and convenience of gasoline-powered vehicles. Hybrid technology is also easy to produce and works within the existing transportation infrastructure."
The popularity of hybrid vehicles has prompted manufacturers to offer an increasing number of choices. Most recently, hybrid versions of the Dodge Ram, Lexus RX 400h and Mercury Mariner have entered the market, and the 2006 model year will see hybrid versions of the Saturn VUE, Toyota Highlander and Nissan Altima. Almost a dozen new hybrid vehicle models are expected to be introduced within the next three years.
California leads the nation in new hybrid vehicle registrations, recording 25,021 in 2004. The top metropolitan areas for hybrid registrations were Los Angeles and San Francisco, with 10,399 and 9,051 respectively.
"Expectations of continuing high gas prices, combined with the introduction of new models to the consumer market, have heightened interest in hybrid vehicles," says Lonnie Miller, director of Polk's Analytical Solutions. "Hybrids offer improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions while maintaining the functionality and convenience of gasoline-powered vehicles. Hybrid technology is also easy to produce and works within the existing transportation infrastructure."
The popularity of hybrid vehicles has prompted manufacturers to offer an increasing number of choices. Most recently, hybrid versions of the Dodge Ram, Lexus RX 400h and Mercury Mariner have entered the market, and the 2006 model year will see hybrid versions of the Saturn VUE, Toyota Highlander and Nissan Altima. Almost a dozen new hybrid vehicle models are expected to be introduced within the next three years.
California leads the nation in new hybrid vehicle registrations, recording 25,021 in 2004. The top metropolitan areas for hybrid registrations were Los Angeles and San Francisco, with 10,399 and 9,051 respectively.
Motorcycle Problems Prevalent
The J.D. Power and Associates Motorcycle Competitive Information Study, a random survey of customers who purchased a new street or dual-sport motorcycle between September 2002 and May 2003, revealed 55.2 percent of owners experienced no problems with their bikes.
Of the 44.8 percent of survey respondents who reported problems, 26.9 percent reported one problem, 10.8 percent reported two, 4.9 percent reported three, 1.5 percent reported four and 0.69 percent reported five or more.
The problems reported included engine problems (17.8%), electrical problems (12.7%), transmission/drivetrain problems (11.4%), fit/finish problems (10.6%) and gauge/control problems (7.9%). Another 12.6 percent listed their problems as "other."
Despite 44.8 percent of survey participants reporting problems, 44.5 percent rated their bike's build quality as a "10" while 21.2 percent gave their bike a "9" and 15.3 percent rated their bike as an "8." Only 19 percent ranked their motorcycle as a "7" or less.
Among the survey participants, 49 percent indicated their bikes experienced fewer problems than they anticipated, 38.6 percent indicated problems were about what they expected and only 12.4 percent indicated their bikes had more problems than they expected.
Of the 44.8 percent of survey respondents who reported problems, 26.9 percent reported one problem, 10.8 percent reported two, 4.9 percent reported three, 1.5 percent reported four and 0.69 percent reported five or more.
The problems reported included engine problems (17.8%), electrical problems (12.7%), transmission/drivetrain problems (11.4%), fit/finish problems (10.6%) and gauge/control problems (7.9%). Another 12.6 percent listed their problems as "other."
Despite 44.8 percent of survey participants reporting problems, 44.5 percent rated their bike's build quality as a "10" while 21.2 percent gave their bike a "9" and 15.3 percent rated their bike as an "8." Only 19 percent ranked their motorcycle as a "7" or less.
Among the survey participants, 49 percent indicated their bikes experienced fewer problems than they anticipated, 38.6 percent indicated problems were about what they expected and only 12.4 percent indicated their bikes had more problems than they expected.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Extend Gearbox Life and Reduce Expenses
In order to eliminate contaminants, gearboxes are typically drained quarterly, semi-annually or annually. Following drainage, at least five percent of the old oil usually remains in the gearbox. For this reason, it is a good practice to drain oil shortly after shutdown to prevent the accumulation of sludge and contaminants in the bottom of the sump. Otherwise, when the gearbox is refilled with fresh lubricant and restarted, the contaminants become resuspended, defeating the purpose of the oil change.
Drew Troyer of Noria Corporation offers the following tips:
1) Drain the old lubricant within 15 minutes of shutdown and prefilter the fresh oil.
2) Rather than draining the oil to eliminate contaminants, periodically filter the oil with a portable filtration cart while the machine is in operation. Make use of oil analysis to determine when the oil requires changing. Employing this strategy reduces overall maintenance expenses, extends equipment life and requires little investment.
3) Install full time filtration on the gearbox and use oil analysis to determine when to change the oil. This strategy also reduces maintenance expenses and extends equipment life, but requires more upfront investment.
"Alternative No. 1 helps, but alternatives No. 2 and No. 3 are the best," says Troyer. "Most scheduled oil changes can be eliminated with the one-two punch of filtration and oil analysis. This strategy reduces lubricant and labor costs - and the fact that your gearboxes will last longer is a major bonus. Plus, the maintenance of the fluid can typically be performance during run-time, shrinking the task list during scheduled outages."
Drew Troyer of Noria Corporation offers the following tips:
1) Drain the old lubricant within 15 minutes of shutdown and prefilter the fresh oil.
2) Rather than draining the oil to eliminate contaminants, periodically filter the oil with a portable filtration cart while the machine is in operation. Make use of oil analysis to determine when the oil requires changing. Employing this strategy reduces overall maintenance expenses, extends equipment life and requires little investment.
3) Install full time filtration on the gearbox and use oil analysis to determine when to change the oil. This strategy also reduces maintenance expenses and extends equipment life, but requires more upfront investment.
"Alternative No. 1 helps, but alternatives No. 2 and No. 3 are the best," says Troyer. "Most scheduled oil changes can be eliminated with the one-two punch of filtration and oil analysis. This strategy reduces lubricant and labor costs - and the fact that your gearboxes will last longer is a major bonus. Plus, the maintenance of the fluid can typically be performance during run-time, shrinking the task list during scheduled outages."
Transmission Preventive Maintenance
Automatic transmission fluid plays a key role in extending transmission life.
Just a few decades ago, many European and Asian import vehicles incorporated variations of the mechanically controlled Borg-Warner automatic transmission. Today, imported vehicles use a full range of diverse computer-controlled automatic transmissions. A simple count of the pan gasket configurations on a transmission filter application chart gives a clear idea of the market's diversity. The manual transmission market has grown in much the same way. When it comes to automatic and manual transmission service, most shops today choose to focus on fluid maintenance and external adjustments, leaving internal repairs and rebuilds to transmission specialists.
Import transmissions have a reputation for being very reliable, complicating the task of developing a failure profile analysis. For all but the high volume shops specializing in a particular nameplate, it's almost impossible to develop the experience necessary to diagnose, estimate and repair specific transmission failures.
Due to increased transmission reliability, customers and service writers often ignore transmission service. However, transmissions still wear out and break, and the repairs can be quite expensive. As a result, preventive maintenance is an important issue.
The condition of the automatic transmission fluid plays an important role in extending transmission life. The fluid's color, odor and opacity provide clues to whether the fluid, or fluid and filter, requires changing. Although a color change from red to straw color can usually be attributed to normal aging, a brown color indicates oxidation or particulate contamination from worn clutches and bands. Black or heavily oxidized fluid indicates slippage of another transmission failure.
Opacity is the clearness of the fluid. Use the fingerprint test to determine the cleanliness of used automatic transmission fluid. Simply place a drop of fluid on a fingertip. If the fingerprint is not visible through the fluid, it should be changed. Water contamination has a large effect on fluid viscosity and opacity, with the fluid becoming more viscous and opaque as contamination increases.
Some Fluid has a burned smell, but this odor is relevant only if the fluid is opaque, brown or blackened.
Manual transmissions still comprise a sizeable portion of the import market. An early sign of failure is a loss in shift quality. Gear engagement may become more difficult, or the transmission may grind during gear changes. Other failures involve excessive noise from worn bearings, low fluid level and worn or mis-matched gear teeth.
The first step to diagnosing the problem is clutch evaluation. Whether cold or hot, it should engage smoothly and release cleanly. Engaging the reverse gear when the clutch pedal is depressed shows whether the clutch release is clean and complete. If reverse gear grinds, the clutch mechanical or cable linkage may require adjustment. For a hydraulic clutch linkage, the master and slave cylinders may require bleeding or replacement.
If shifting a manual transmission is difficult in cold weather conditions, the wrong transmission fluid may be installed. If gear clash arises during downshifting, it is likely due to worn gear synchronizers. If the gearshift binds between gears, it is likely the internal shift forks came loose from the shifting rods of rails. If transmission noise gets worse as oil temperature rises, it may be caused by rough transmission bearings.
If an automatic transmission is equipped with a magnetic particulate trap, evaluate the quality and quantity of the debris. Large collections of iron particles may indicate worn internal gear parts. Most manual import transmissions feature magnetic check and drain plugs, and they should be examined for excessive steel and iron particles. Small amounts are a normal part of the gear break-in or wearing process.
AMSOIL Synthetic Universal Automatic Transmission Fluid is a premium quality ATF formulated to exceed the performance requirements of domestic and foreign automatic transmission fluids, providing smooth shifting, superior wear protection and outstanding performance for extended drain intervals.
AMSOIL Synthetic Manual Transmission and Transaxle Gear Lube is designed to provide superior protection for synchronized manual transmissions and transaxles. Formulated with extreme pressure additives and advanced synchromesh qualities, Synthetic Manual Transmission and Transaxle Gear Lube provides smooth shifts while protecting gears, bearing and seals.
AMSOIL Synthetic Synchromesh Transmission Fluid is specifically designed to provide superior protection for manual transmissions and transaxles with synchromesh systems. Formulated with advanced additive technology, Synthetic Synchromesh Transmission Fluid Provides proper friction characteristics for smooth shifting without grinding or bump shifting.
Just a few decades ago, many European and Asian import vehicles incorporated variations of the mechanically controlled Borg-Warner automatic transmission. Today, imported vehicles use a full range of diverse computer-controlled automatic transmissions. A simple count of the pan gasket configurations on a transmission filter application chart gives a clear idea of the market's diversity. The manual transmission market has grown in much the same way. When it comes to automatic and manual transmission service, most shops today choose to focus on fluid maintenance and external adjustments, leaving internal repairs and rebuilds to transmission specialists.
Import transmissions have a reputation for being very reliable, complicating the task of developing a failure profile analysis. For all but the high volume shops specializing in a particular nameplate, it's almost impossible to develop the experience necessary to diagnose, estimate and repair specific transmission failures.
Due to increased transmission reliability, customers and service writers often ignore transmission service. However, transmissions still wear out and break, and the repairs can be quite expensive. As a result, preventive maintenance is an important issue.
The condition of the automatic transmission fluid plays an important role in extending transmission life. The fluid's color, odor and opacity provide clues to whether the fluid, or fluid and filter, requires changing. Although a color change from red to straw color can usually be attributed to normal aging, a brown color indicates oxidation or particulate contamination from worn clutches and bands. Black or heavily oxidized fluid indicates slippage of another transmission failure.
Opacity is the clearness of the fluid. Use the fingerprint test to determine the cleanliness of used automatic transmission fluid. Simply place a drop of fluid on a fingertip. If the fingerprint is not visible through the fluid, it should be changed. Water contamination has a large effect on fluid viscosity and opacity, with the fluid becoming more viscous and opaque as contamination increases.
Some Fluid has a burned smell, but this odor is relevant only if the fluid is opaque, brown or blackened.
Manual transmissions still comprise a sizeable portion of the import market. An early sign of failure is a loss in shift quality. Gear engagement may become more difficult, or the transmission may grind during gear changes. Other failures involve excessive noise from worn bearings, low fluid level and worn or mis-matched gear teeth.
The first step to diagnosing the problem is clutch evaluation. Whether cold or hot, it should engage smoothly and release cleanly. Engaging the reverse gear when the clutch pedal is depressed shows whether the clutch release is clean and complete. If reverse gear grinds, the clutch mechanical or cable linkage may require adjustment. For a hydraulic clutch linkage, the master and slave cylinders may require bleeding or replacement.
If shifting a manual transmission is difficult in cold weather conditions, the wrong transmission fluid may be installed. If gear clash arises during downshifting, it is likely due to worn gear synchronizers. If the gearshift binds between gears, it is likely the internal shift forks came loose from the shifting rods of rails. If transmission noise gets worse as oil temperature rises, it may be caused by rough transmission bearings.
If an automatic transmission is equipped with a magnetic particulate trap, evaluate the quality and quantity of the debris. Large collections of iron particles may indicate worn internal gear parts. Most manual import transmissions feature magnetic check and drain plugs, and they should be examined for excessive steel and iron particles. Small amounts are a normal part of the gear break-in or wearing process.
AMSOIL Synthetic Universal Automatic Transmission Fluid is a premium quality ATF formulated to exceed the performance requirements of domestic and foreign automatic transmission fluids, providing smooth shifting, superior wear protection and outstanding performance for extended drain intervals.
AMSOIL Synthetic Manual Transmission and Transaxle Gear Lube is designed to provide superior protection for synchronized manual transmissions and transaxles. Formulated with extreme pressure additives and advanced synchromesh qualities, Synthetic Manual Transmission and Transaxle Gear Lube provides smooth shifts while protecting gears, bearing and seals.
AMSOIL Synthetic Synchromesh Transmission Fluid is specifically designed to provide superior protection for manual transmissions and transaxles with synchromesh systems. Formulated with advanced additive technology, Synthetic Synchromesh Transmission Fluid Provides proper friction characteristics for smooth shifting without grinding or bump shifting.
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