GM's OnStar said to consider free services, targeting Ford

DETROIT (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Co.'s OnStar in-car communications unit may offer some free services next year to rival Ford Motor Co.'s Sync music and information system, two people familiar with the plans said.



OnStar, a subscription service that provides accident alerts, directions and vehicle diagnostics, is scheduled to introduce an upgraded system this month that links vehicles to the social media site Facebook and translates voice messages to text, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the details aren't public.



In-car technology features attract tech-savvy consumers and allow carmakers to charge more for smaller, cheaper models, said Brandy Schaffels, an analyst at TrueCar.com. GM, the largest U.S. automaker, is adding features to keep pace with systems including Ford's Sync.



“When Ford came out with Sync, they met OnStar's services and upped the ante,” Schaffels, content manager at the California-based researcher, said in an interview. “Technological features are where GM and Ford are going to found their reputation with the next generation.”



OnStar may begin offering entertainment and information services that link to a user's smartphone without a subscription or fee, said one of the people. OnStar is now offered free in many models for the first year and then for $199 to $299 a year, depending on the features.



Jocelyn Allen, a spokeswoman for OnStar, declined to comment.



Voice-to-text



The voice-to-text system will be studied with a test audience while the company decides whether to offer it to all customers, the person said. The new version of OnStar will have enhanced services for emergency response, which alerts an OnStar operator when there is a vehicle crash, the person said.



OnStar will unveil a new advertising theme with the tagline “Live On,” while individual services will have their own themes, such as “Always On” to promote accident alerts, the people said.



The unit also is studying ways to use OnStar outside of the car, where immediate contact with an operator or access to other services such as safety or security might be useful, said the people, who declined to give specifics.



OnStar, available on more than 40 vehicles from GM's 2011 model year, has about 5.7 million subscribers, according to a GM regulatory filing. OnStar and Google Inc. said in June they would partner to offer eNav, a turn-by-turn navigation feature that allows drivers to send Google Maps destinations to their vehicle.



Ford Sync



Ford has been selling Sync, based on Microsoft Corp.'s in- car, voice-activated technology, since the 2008 model year, Alan Hall, a Ford spokesman, said in a telephone interview. The company added features such as touch-command controls and voice-activated climate control this year.



The technology, available as a $395 option on some models, helps make cars more profitable and is included standard on higher-end vehicles.



Ford said in January it plans to bring social networking, Web browsing and thumb controls similar to those on Apple Inc.'s iPod into 80 percent of its models by 2015.

Smoking Tires

Smoking Tires, originally uploaded by Kelly Bakker.

Aston Martin

Aston Martin, originally uploaded by Berliner Fotomanufaktur com.

Vibration after Replacement of new rotors

I recently purchased 2 new rotors for my suzuki grand vitara and had my tech install the new rotors, when I drove off… I had a shake in the steering wheel when applying the brakes and it felt like the brakes was slipping when pressing on the brakes. I took off the wheel to check for oil or dirt on the rotors and didnt see any oil/dirt on the rotors. I then took it back the tech and he install the old rotors back and didnt have the problem anymore. My tech informed me that the rotors wasnt a good set and where not balance and I needed to take them back to the store and get a replacement. Was this information correct that I was told?



Response:

This is accurate information. The new rotors you had put on were no good right out of the box, it happens form time to time.



The store should Brake Article

the rear brakes on this stratus and the right rear caliper will not release

I replace the rear brakes on this stratus and the right rear caliper will not release. There seems to be nothing wrong with the caliper itself. The pressure does not back off when you take your foot off the brake. I think it has anti-lock braking system. Any Ideas.



Response:

Is it only one side that will not release? How do you know that. Did you try squeezing the caliper back away from the pads?

1) Sounds like the rubber part of the line has collapsed,that line has a inner line that gets weak and when you press on the brake pedal it lets the fluid flow out to the caliper but when you let off and the fluid tries to return back the line collapses keeping pressure on caliper not letting it release...

2)And to prove this, get a c-clamp and push the piston back into the caliper. Remove the clamp and the piston should stay in the caliper. Start the car, push on the brake petal, turn the car off, and check to see if the piston stays in the out position. If so, replace the rubber hose. You will need to bleed the air out of the lines when that is done. Get some penetrating oil. I like Kroil, others on this list like PB Blaster. Spray the bleeders until you can loosen them. You will also need a friend to help with the bleeding.



3)

Do you know the the stratus has screw in rear calipers and not push in calipers???

Redesigned 2011 Dodge Durango has three rows of seats, new logo

New Dodge Durango

Dodge today released the first pictures of the 2011 Durango SUV.



The Durango will be built at Chrysler's Jefferson North assembly plant on the same platform as the Jeep Grand Cherokee. It will arrive in dealer showrooms in the fourth quarter this year.



The Durango comes with seven seats while the Grand Cherokee comes with five. The Durango will have 22 seating configurations, according to a statement by the company. Like the Grand Cherokee, the Durango will be available with two engine options: a standard 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 and an optional 5.7-liter HEMI V-8.



The new Durango will receive an all-new cabin as part of Chrysler's ongoing campaign to upgrade interiors across its entire lineup.



Chrysler stopped making the previous-generation Durango in 2008, when it shut down its Newark, Del., assembly plant. The new vehicle bears no resemblance to its predecessor. The old vehicle was a body-on-frame SUV derived from pickups. The new platform is a unibody-style structure with rear- or all-wheel-drive options.



Dodge is describing it as a “three-row performance vehicle.”



The Durango will be the first vehicle to sport the new Dodge logo, featuring a restyled, chrome-accented version of the crosshair grille that Dodge and Ram shared before Chrysler's new management separated the brands last year. The distinctive Ram's horns are gone, having stayed with Ram, which is now exclusively a truck brand.



The vehicle will make its first public appearance at the Dodge Rock ‘n' Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon presented by SunTrust in Virginia Beach, Va., over the Labor Day weekend.



Although Dodge no longer sells trucks, it's still the top-selling brand in the Chrysler Group stable. Dodge sold 35,364 vehicles in August, up 8 percent over the same month last year.

Supercopa Seat León. A las carreras con la abuela.

En este 2010 se está celebrando la novena edición de la Supercopa Seat León, una competición en la que todos los coches son de este modelo de la marca Seat. Gracias a que los premios son jugosos, las reglas técnicas y deportivas están bien pensadas y a que el Seat León es un coche que se presta a este tipo de cosas, esta competición monomarca es todo un lujo.

Madrid, Valencia, Portimao, Navarra, Andalucía o Barcelona serán escenario de las carreras. Si os apetece ir “por lo jeta” a disfrutar de las carreras no dejéis de visitar www.emocionsinlimite.com, donde podéis conseguir entradas a parte de tener toda la información sobre la competición.

También podéis disfrutar en Facebook de la Supercopa Seat León, además de informaros y comentar lo que queráis sobre las carreras, los pilotos, o qué haríais vosotros si os dejaran meter vuestro Seat León en el circuito. Pero bueno, por orden, para lo primero, algo más serio y oficial, está http://www.facebook.com/supercopaseatleon. Para lo segundo, para decir sandeces, colgar fotos gansas y hasta charlar con algunos tipos importantes está http://www.facebook.com/aaaesl, que es el FB de la Asociación de Abuelas Amantes de la Emoción Sin Límites.

El vídeo de arriba es el de este año, y es que no hay nada como llevarse a la abuela a las carreras. Eso sí, en plena carrera, a pesar de todo, no se podrá aguantar y dirá aquello de “hijo, que vas muy recio, levanta el pie”; así que mejor dejarla cuidando del coche y haciendo unos pañitos para los asientos, que siempre visten mucho.

El vídeo del año pasado tampoco está nada mal. Aquí os dejo el enlace: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQrVbg9xXLE. No os olvidéis de que por mucho Seat León que tengáis, a correr a los circuitos y con casco.