Pinoy Driver

7 Reasons Why You Should Use Premium Gas

Posted on July 3, 2017

Most people are not clear on the type of gas to use and similarly, do not understand the

difference between regular and premium gas. Lack of knowledge on the right type of gas to use

reduces your car’s power thus causing damage. Undoubtedly, premium gas is the better option

and this is backed up by many auto experts. Other than the obvious reason that premium gas has

a higher octane level that is responsible for high engine performance and general efficiency,

there are several reasons as to why you should opt for premium gas.

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1. Car power optimization

In order to benefit from the highly advertised horsepower, fill your car engine with premium gas.

It allows for your engine design and calibrations to be quite more aggressive. Cars whose

engines use premium fuel have been reported to yield additional power especially if you are

towing massive weight or even driving in extreme heat.

 

2. More Additives

Even though the additives in gasoline are not talked about much, they actually matter and the

right additives help in maintaining your car engine as required. Premium gas has a higher

concentration of detergent additive and therefore improves the gas quality. The intake valves and

fuel injectors are well maintained as a very small amount is deposited.

 

3. Less knocking’

Uncontrolled combustion of fuel inside the gas cylinders severely cause damage which causes

knocking’. Premium gas causes less carbon deposits. Carbon deposits increase the combustion

ratio which consequently raises the engine’s octane rating. With this type of gas, even old cars

run much efficiently.

 

4. Improved mileage

Premium unleaded petrol increases the number of miles for your car before refilling. This is

because engines with higher power require less fuel refills. Auto experts recommend premium

gas even though your car uses regular gas as you need to refill less.

 

5. Lower fuel consumption

Lower fuel consumption is a huge save for most car owners and drivers as this saves on money.

The less the fuel consumed, the less the cost as well. With improved mileage comes less fuel

consumption. Even though the price of premium fuel might be a little higher, it is convenient to

use for long distance travels and also heavy-truck engines as well.

 

6. Reduced engine wear and tear

Whenever pressure and temperature are concerned, the engine tends to suffer a lot of damage.

Premium gas reduces the damage caused to your engine by reducing the risk of pre-ignition no

matter how hot and stressed your cylinder is.

 

7. Higher general performance

A car’s general and overall performance highly depends on the type of fuel used. If your car is

turbo or supercharged, or if you enjoy driving in open roads, it is best to increase your car’s

performance by filling your cylinders with Premium gasoline.

Before complaining about the price of premium gas being a few cents (per gallon) higher than

that of regular gas focus on the impeccable benefits of premium gas and evade any future

disappointments. It is after all one of the best life hacks when car talk is involved.

Posted in Advice, Car

Types of Emergency Vehicle Sirens and Who Are Allowed to Use One

Posted on May 14, 2017

Emergency vehicle requires sirens and lights for easy recognition by other vehicles that are hitting the same road. Philippines, just like any other country has designated specific sirens for ambulance cars, police cars and fire trucks. Sirens were basically built to be loud since hearing is considered to be a primary warning sense. A loud auditory signal may exert an immediate arousing effect to the driver’s ears resulting to alertness that there is a nearby emergency vehicle coming. An emergency siren usually have two or three tones, sometime more. It is a must for drivers to give way to emergency vehicles at all times once they hear the siren.

 

Types of siren pitch


There are three types of sirens being used and all three are alternately used depending on how urgent the emergency is.

  • Wail – prolonged high pitch
  • Yelp – a short but sharp pitch; sped up version of wail
  • Phaser – fastest pitch

 

Siren tones

 

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For Police car

Since Philippines has been a territory of America for quite some time, it also adopted the Western versions of siren tones. Just like in North America, we use the ‘wail’ setting which gives a long up and down variation, with an unbroken tone. In heavy traffic, it is preferred to use the ‘yelp’ setting.

 

For Ambulance car

Ambulance car also uses long up and down pitch together with a flashing light to indicate that there is an emergency on the way. The siren and light are always turned on during these two situations:

  • Ambulance is empty and going to receive a patient who is in need of emergency.
  • Ambulance is carrying a patient and going to the hospital.

 

For Fire truck

The honk of a fire truck siren was first produced before using a horn and some countries still use horns up to this day. But since technology is already here, fire truck now uses the same siren equipment of police and ambulance cars. It generally operates in wail and the siren wail tends to be longer, starting from a lower tone.

 

Are private cars allowed to use siren?

Aside from the three government vehicles mentioned above, no one (even politicians) is allowed to use any kind of siren (or any loud, disturbing horn). Though some people tried to use it to avoid traffic, they got arrested and penalized afterwards. The use of siren for private cars is prohibited because it causes confusion to other drivers and disturbs the flow of traffic.  To avoid this unlawful act, our government has passed Presidential Decree No. 96, s. 1973 which states:

  • “That it shall be unlawful for the owner or possessor of any motor vehicle to use or attach to his vehicle any siren, bell, horn, whistle, or other similar gadgets that produce exceptionally loud or startling sound, including dome lights, blinkers and other similar signaling or flashing devices.
  • The gadgets or devices mentioned above may be attached to and use only on motor vehicles designated for official use by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Bureau of Investigation, Land Transportation Commission, Police Departments, Fire Departments, and hospital ambulances.”

 

The decree also states that anyone who will violate the law is  subject to device or gadget confiscation. If there will be subsequent offenses , the violator shall suffer six months imprisonment and/or pay for a fine. In addition, the official receipt and certificate of registration  (OR and CR) of the vehicle will be canceled or revoked.

 

Posted in Advice, Car, Truck

Gasoline Vs. Diesel Engine: What Should You Buy?

Posted on May 4, 2017

 

The common question that every first time car buyers  is to either get a gasoline or diesel engine type of cars. It’s always a tough job to choose just between the two, right? Let this article help you out in making the right decision in choosing your car.

 

Comparison

 

You may have heard a lot of different views about gas or diesel engine cars. To a lot of people, it is the expense that they consider to be the number one factor when purchasing a car. To some it is the acceleration, speed, and  power. While to others it could be the maintenance and resale value of the vehicle. Below are the common comparisons that may help you decide what to buy between the two types of car engine.

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CATEGORYGASOLINEDIESEL
Fuel costExpensive (average of Php 41.00/liter)Cheap (average of Php 35.00/liter)
Resale valueLow valueHigh value (costs 15% more than the price of gasoline cars)
Performance27% efficient35% efficient
EngineDoesn’t self-ignite when compressed.Compresses air in the cylinder.
Spark plugYesNo
Injection processApplies a more roundabout route.Use direct fuel injection
TorqueLess powerMore powerful (good for towing)
Engine noiseLess noise createdNoisier than gasoline  
CO2 productionProduces more CO2Produces less CO2
Value for moneyCheaper than diesel carsExpensive engine

Advantages and Disadvantages

 

Need more descriptions to identify which is better than the other? Let’s take it to the specifics then.  Anything that is man made (or even not) has it’s inevitable pros and cons.

 

Advantages of Gasoline cars

 

  • Any gasoline engine cars (small or big)  are cheaper compared to diesel cars. Let’s take for example the Toyota Innova costs around Php 832,000.00 while the diesel counterpart of it costs Php 887,000.00
  • The fuel that gasoline cars uses is cleaner in terms of carbon, thus making it more cheaper to maintain and repair
  • Gasoline engine is better to be used in small cars. So if you opt to buy a compact car that are famous nowadays, make sure it uses gas
  • Usually cheaper initial cost and runs with a quieter engine.

Disadvantages of Gasoline Cars

  • Less hauling power and lower fuel efficiency
  • Gasoline is way expensive than diesel
  • Shorter lifespan

Advantages of Diesel cars

  • Diesel engine cars are fuel efficient
  • In terms of fuel, diesel is 20% cheaper than any unleaded fuel
  • Produce less pollution with a diesel particulate filter
  • Uses common-rail and turbo charging giving it the power to tow

Disadvantages of Diesel Cars

  • Engine has a tendency to accumulate dirt from diesel that could damage the fuel system and cost you more money  if not properly maintained.
  • The engine is quite noisy compared to gasoline engine cars, though manufacturers through the years have been making efforts to silence it down.
  • Engines powered by diesel also requires special lubricants to maintain it’s great performance

 

With all the comparisons and specifications mentioned above, the choice of getting a car still depends on your preference, purpose and term of use. If you want to use the car in a long term basis, better go with a diesel engine car. Also, if you have plans of using it as a public utility vehicle, better go for it since it’s fuel is cheaper. If you want to drive your car with speed like of that in the movies, go for a gasoline engine car instead.

 

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Smoky Exhaust: Types, Causes and Fines

Posted on April 11, 2017

Smoky exhaust or popularly known as smoke belching in the Philippines is a type road violation. Smoke belching has always been scrutinized in the country not only because it causes air pollution (according to a study, almost 65% of pollution is coming from smoke belching), but also it now contributes to some road accidents. Also, emission of smoky exhaust causes a lot of health diseases mainly on respiratory system and later on can translate into cancer. This is why emission test is part of vehicle registration renewal; to determine if the vehicle is creating harmful level of smoky exhaust or not.  Another goal of emissions testing is to cut down smoke pollution that are harmful to all living things, with particular focus on improving air quality.

 

Emission test

 

Emissions testing checks the levels of hazardous materials that escape from a motor vehicle with a combustion engine.  The government has prescribed that gasoline-fueled vehicles should not emit more than 3.5 percent CO (by volume) and 600ppm (particles per minute) HC to be given a certificate of emissions compliance. Diesel-powered vehicles must not exceed 2.5K for natural aspirated engines and 3.5K for turbocharged diesel engines. Motorcycles must meet a 4.5 percent CO standard, while the HC limits have not been set.

 

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What does the color of your exhaust mean?

 

Passing the emission testing doesn’t really depends on how thin or thick you smoke is, instead it looks at how dangerously polluted the fumes are on the smoke. The typical color of vehicle smoke is white but there are other smoke colors that you should be aware of. You can also identify the problem in your car by just using the colors listed below.

 

Smoke ColorCauses
White and thick
  • Overheated engine
  • Blown head gasket
  • Cracked engine block
Black
  • Burnt engine
  • Clogged air filter
  • Fault in the sensors, fuel injectors, fuel pressure regulator
Gray
  • Bad turbo charger
  • Problem with transmission fluid
  • Faulty transmission vacuum modulator
Blue
  • Burning oil
  • Oil leak in the combustion chamber

Fines and penalties for smoke belching

There are a lot of cases in which a vehicle passes initial emission testing, but later on be arrested for smoke belching since smoke emission changes through out the use of the vehicle. If you will be unluckily accused of smoke belching on the road,  do not be scared right away. Before surrendering your plate to the traffic officer, an on the spot test will be done first. A device called opacimeter will be used to examine the vehicle’s exhaust.  If the vehicle fails the test, you need to surrender your license plate to the officer. All confiscated plates will be turned over to the Land Transportation Office (LTO). To get  your plate back,  you must first obtain an Emissions Clearance certificate (just like in the initial registration) from an LTO-accredited testing center. To do this, go to LTO and present the Emission Clearance certificate and then pay the appropriate fine for the violation. Fines are as follows:

  • First offense – Php 1,000.00
  • Second offense – Php 3,000.00
  • Third offense – Php 5,000 plus a seminar on pollution management

 

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Getting a Driving Instructor and Choosing a Driving School

Posted on March 12, 2017

Filipino young bloods who want to learn how to drive are usually taught by an elderly relative of the family. In most cases, people who has money to spend opt to go to a driving school and make advantage of a driving instructor. A driving instructor is a person who is hired by a person who is learning how to drive and wants improve his driving skills in order to get a driver’s license. They manage the driving theory lessons, teach the driving students about the right traffic rules, and inform student drivers about safety driving procedures. Driving lesson charges vary  depending on the type of instructor, car to be used, and the duration of driving lesson. But is it really worth it to get and pay for a driving instructor? Let this article help you decide what type of driving lesson and when to get a driving instructor.

 

Types of driving instructor

 

Below are three types of driving instructors

  • Employees – these are instructors that work for a driving school or any educational organization such as a college, tertiary institute, the military, etc.
  • Franchised or licensed instructors – these are instructors that were able to buy licensed franchise and has the right to have a company’s logo in their car to make their job legit even if they are not directly working for the company
  • Independent instructors – these instructors own more than one car. They could work as partners or even hire other instructors to work or franchise their business.

 

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The types mentioned above have different charges and may differ as well on the driving lesson packages that they offer. It would be better to directly contact the company or instructor to get quotes. Contact numbers are usually posted in their websites and social media accounts.

 

Factors affecting the price of driving lesson

 

Vehicle

If the car to be used for the lesson is an old model, expect the fee to be less expensive. But if it’s a newly released unit, of course the would be more expensive. Bear in mind that the current price of gasoline is also factored into consideration. If it’s high, the instructor may charge more to compensate the gasoline to be used during the entire duration of the lesson.

 

Competition

The law of demand and supply applies in every business and so in driving lessons. If the demand is high, the pay is also high and then vice versa. Also companies changes their rate to match the other competing companies. But there are cases that companies tend to file bankruptcy as well in this business because of the lack of students coming in.

 

Local demographics

If a large portion of population doesn’t have enough money to pay for a driving lesson, instructors automatically lower their fees to meet the needs of their market.

 

Skill and reputation

This is the most common qualifier for instructors. Instructors who have already set good reputation in the business can maintain their prices or even demand for more since they have a steady stream of students. On the other hand, if the instructor is just starting out, then they need to promote their business  further to get student learners to enroll.

 

Considerations for choosing a driving instructor

Every student driver wants to make sure they choose the best driving school and instructor while not neglecting their budget at the same time. But you really get what you pay for, and considering the hazards involved in driving, I suggest you don’t cheap out on your driving lessons. Below are qualities that you should consider.

  • Driving school has good reputation
  • Make sure the school have well maintained vehicles
  • Check if they have polite and patient instructors
  • Lastly see to it that they invest in training and learning to improve their service

 

Cheap driving schools in Manila

 

Listed below are the cheapest driving schools in Manila according to LTO. For list of prices, you can just check their website or social media accounts.

  • A1 Driving School
  • Polaris Driving School
  • Socialites Driving School
  • F1 Driving School
  • Smart Driving School
  • Honda driving School

 

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Brake fade: What are the risks and how does it develop

Posted on March 5, 2017

All car brakes at a certain time will experience overheating when in use which results in a degraded braking power. If not confronted properly this may leave you out in a hazardous situation that’s why it’s a good thing to know how it happens and what are the causes.

What is brake fade?

Brake fade or braking system fade is the degradation or complete loss in stopping power of vehicle’s braking system. This is due to sustained and repetitive application of the brakes which results into deterioration of both drum and disc brakes.

 

Brake fade is one of the leading cause of road crash here in the country especially with truck vehicles as they are more susceptible to have brake fades due to heavy the load they carry.

 

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How does it fade?

Braking system fade is the result of overheating brake pad. This means all vehicles that have brake pads rubbing against a brake rotor which transforms the vehicle’s kinetic energy into heat has the tendency to develop braking system fade.

 

Best practice to minimize brake fade

When Towing Another Vehicle

Imagine you are driving downhill while pulling a  500kg trailer(trailer is without brakes). If your vehicle weighs around a ton it only means that your braking system will have to shoulder about fifty percent more load. This results into excessive overheating of your brake pads that results into a faster braking system fade than usual.

 

Now an even worse case scenario is when you’re pulling another vehicle. This is a typical case in the Philippines where you see a regular vehicle towing another vehicle. Bear in mind that if that vehicles that are usually towed are the ones that had a break down so this means that it’s an unbraked trailer because it’s engine is off. Doing this will surely result in a faster fading of your brakes system.

 

When towing another vehicle make sure to keep the following in mind:

  • Make your brake system is in good condition. Proper scheduled maintenance will do that for you.
  • Drive in a slow pace of not more than 30kph
  • Refer to the loading limit of the towing vehicle that you plan to use

 

When driving downhill

Modern vehicle’s braking system are not particularly designed to withstand continuous applied brakes. So f you are driving downhill bear in mind the following to reduce brake fade:

  • Maintain a constant speed or reduce your speed
  • Don’t drive on neutral gear as you won’t be able to maintain constant speed without using your brakes frequently
  • For manual transmission vehicles you can put your gear between one to four. This would help you maintain constant speed when going downhill. Gear number five would too fast and dangerous when diving down even on a lengthy hill.

 

What should you do in case a brake fade happens?

Turn down your speed immediately as soon as you recognize a brake fade and switch down the gears to as low as you can without over-revving the engine. It is really necessary to get high revs as low the vehicle won’t slow down when it’s low. It’s actually alright to rev the engine up to the redline (maximum rpm) or even past the redline for a very brief time period. It’s not going to damage your engine because you are not applying petrol to rev the engine instead it’s running through the momentum force of the wheels. Anyhow, make sure to not damage the engine because that’s another story.

 

Pull the handbrake gently. Do this if your vehicle has a typical lever handbrake. If your have a hydraulic handbrake then it could put you in a more dangerous situation by causing your car to spin since the hydraulic handbrakes apply itself with entire force. For automatic cars, do not put it in reverse or park mode. If you have a manual car never put it in reverse as it will damage your gearbox when travelling forward.  

 

Try to look for exits as soon as possible. To minimize danger to other road users it’s best to try to get off the road as quickly as possible especially if you can’t stop to pick up speed. Try to run it off into fields or into a hilly location, or a bumpy road rather than running it toward a wall, or electrical post, or worst into another vehicle.

 

Check out the terrain. Bushes and shrubs will impede your speed; muddy terrains even more, however, be sure that the terrain you are treading wouldn’t hoist you into the air or even worst a hurl you tumbling down into a cliff.  

 

After stopping

If you manage to come into a halt your brakes will most likely be fiery hot. You’re going to have to let it cool for a while. However, don’t leave it in one position as it could contort the rotors due to excessive heat. To avoid this try to keep your wheels turning to prevent further damage to the vehicle and remember to keep it in 1st gear to minimize the speed.

 

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Parking guidelines

Posted on March 5, 2017

Driving requires a lot of skills. One of which is parking — be it parallel or not. But more importantly, a driver should know and be aware of where and when to park properly. This article will discuss common guidelines and whatnots about parking and its corresponding consequences or fines if not followed.

Driveway or public road parking

The rule of thumb is to always park one meter away from a vehicle entrance. Failure to do so makes it difficult for drivers in larger vehicles to get in and out of the driveway. It will also cause blocking emergency services. If this happens to you, you have the right to complain to a traffic officer or local council, who will also be the deciding body whether to issue a ticket to the driver and/or tow the vehicle.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority or MMDA is widely known as the Philippines’ traffic commission who is in charge for any traffic violators. In 2002, MMDA released a memorandum order under Resolution No. 02-33 that states,

“MMC Ordinance No. 78-03 as amended, authorizes the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to tow and impound illegally parked vehicles.”

As the memorandum clearly stated, no one is exempted in the towing so long as you did an illegal park. The memo also includes the two guidelines to when a vehicle could be towed. These are as follows:

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  • “Stalled Vehicle” means any motor vehicle and/or its attachments which for any cause is unable to proceed under its own motive power and is on a public road, street or thoroughfare and dilapidated/junked vehicles in Metro Manila.
  • “Illegally Parked Vehicle” refers to one which is parked in areas prohibited by existing law or ordinance for parking purposes or those designated by the Authority and or the local government units (LGUs) as NO PARKING areas or zones.

To further guide you on your next parking, below are other basic parking mishaps that you should avoid.

 

Pavement parking

This type of careless parking is when a vehicle is causing obstruction to pedestrians, having them step off the pavement and walking towards the highway which is absolutely dangerous. Pavement parking makes it difficult as well for people with disabilities (especially those on wheelchairs) to pass safely. If you own the pavement, then you will automatically be exempted to the rule.

 

Outside the line parking

Parking lines are created to ensure that each vehicle has enough space to get in and out of the vehicle. It is a must to ensure that you park your vehicle within the given area to avoid double parking (using two parking slots). This technically eats up space that lessens opportunity for others who badly need to park as well. To avoid making this mistake, make sure that all your wheels are within the parking line. As easy as that.

 

Yellow line parking

Ever wonder what’s the purpose of yellow lines in car parks? Yellow lines mainly indicates restrictions in parking areas depending on the location you are at.

There are two types of yellow line in car parks:

  • Single yellow line – restrictions on parking is only for a short period of time and these restriction periods are shown by a signpost.
  • Double yellow line – 24/7 restriction and signposts are not needed.

Yellow double lines are popularly used in Singapore, United Kingdom, and United States.

Parking on PWD (people with disability) slot

As respect and help to people with disabilities, all parking areas around the world are required to have a slot or bay for them. In the Philippines this is clearly defined in the IRR of BP 344 entitled “AN ACT TO ENHANCE THE MOBILITY OF DISABLED PERSONS

BY REQUIRING CERTAIN BUILDINGS, INSTITUTIONS, ESTABLISHMENTS AND PUBLIC UTILITIES TO INSTALL FACILITIES AND OTHER DEVICES.” This slot is easy to recognize since it has a drawing of a stick man that seems to sit on a wheelchair. Also, PWD slots are always located near the entrance of establishments. Even if the slot doesn’t have a vehicle parked on it, it doesn’t give you any permission to park there unless if you’re a person with a disability yourself. Always remember that good and responsible parking reflects a good driver after all.

If you’re someone who wants to know who gets to use the PWD parking then you can check-out this article.

 

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