Tech Preview Of
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TECH PREVIEW OF THE 2OO8 DOMESTICS BY PAUL WEISSLER The buzzword for the new 2008 domestic offerings is infotainment, and its rapid integration into body electronics presents a number of challenges and questions for the independent repair shop. We’ll cover those, and tell you about the significant changes in engines as well. aving come a long way since the once self-contained radio/au- dio and navigation sys- tems, infotainment Hfeatures on the 2008 domes- tic vehicles have been pro- liferating at a dizzying pace. That means indepen- dent repair shops must be one their toes and gird for major challenges. With many cars already equipped with up to eight air bags, ABS and vehicle stability systems, brake assist and some degree of automatic braking (in conjunction with adap- tive cruise control), driver information is Photos: Wieck Media & Jupiter Images 30 November 2007 Chrysler Town & Country Ford Taurus Buick Enclave Chevy Malibu Saturn Astra November 2007 31 TECH PREVIEW OF THE 2008 DOMESTICS the focus of new safety-oriented greater fuel economy, so our annual changes. The addition of cameras only domestic nameplates report will look adds to the mix of informational safety at some of those, too. features, including drift-from-lane warnings and rear view and total blind General Motors spot detection warning systems. The The Cadillac CTS was a breakthrough array of communication and entertain- vehicle when it was introduced as a ment systems that are being marketed 2003 model, and the new edition makes is dazzling. an even more powerful statement. It’s Although infotainment features al- priced against the BMW 3 Series and most overshadow the cars themselves, competes against it in handling and per- we do have a lineup of new domestic formance, but it’s also very close to the nameplate vehicles, including Ford’s 5 Series in size. Focus and Taurus/Sable, Chrysler’s Its infotainment system includes a Town & Country/Dodge Caravan built-in 40-gig hard disk drive and minivans, GM’s Cadillac CTS, Chevy computer with iPod and MP3 player Malibu and Buick Enclave, plus the capability, plus a USB port connection Saturn Astra subcompact and VUE for updates. IfIf thethe chartchart and Outlook crossovers. However, styling and powertrain atat rightright isis missing,missing, pleaseplease circlecircle #40#40 onon thethe ProductProduct InformationInformation Photos: Paul Weissler Paul Photos: The amber indicator in the outside mirrors (driver and passenger side) of the new CardCard onon Buick Lucerne indicates a vehicle in the blind spot, detected by radar sensors. The expansion of data buses im- changes are the big story. The base proves the ability of vehicle electronics 2.8L V6 price leader engine is gone, pagepage 65.65. to share sensor readings, and computer replaced by the 3.6L V6, an engine algorithms put a premium on accurate rated at 263 hp/253 ft.-lbs. of torque. communication throughout the vehi- There’s also a direct-injection (DI) cle. And remember when those “U” version of this engine as an option, rat- codes for communication among com- ed at 304 hp/273 ft.-lbs. of torque. The puter modules were something you DI engine has an engine-driven high- just saw in some trouble code charts? pressure fuel pump that starts at about Today there are lots more of them, and 508 psi at idle and increases with de- they’re becoming a more important mand to a peak of 1740 psi. factor in diagnostic procedures. On models with either of two uplevel The industry also is continuing to suspensions (touring and sport), the DI make significant changes in engines, engine is equipped with a three-fan sys- for both better performance and tem—two pullers and one pusher, trig- 32 November 2007 TECH PREVIEW OF THE 2008 DOMESTICS gered through four relays. The standard is a two-fan/three-relay system. The application of the three-fan system to the DI engine and uplevel suspension was based on requirements for severe- service engine and transmission cool- ing and a/c performance. The DI engine also has an auxiliary electric water pump that’s triggered by the powertrain computer when there’s a near-overheat condition. There’s no service manual temperature spec for pump operation, so the trigger appar- ently is determined by a varying com- bination of factors, including HVAC operation (as the HVAC module is part of the circuit). Direct injection engines produce a diesel-like idle clatter, so the 3.6 DI is covered with silencing pads—not the In this photo, the dashboard display for the Ford/Microsoft Sync system in- super-thick padding you’ll see on dicates that the Bluetooth wireless is active and ready to communicate. diesels, but a new thin type offering enhanced performance. This padding similar to the GMC Acadia crossover Astra is a GM/Europe model, sold as also is used on the base engine to sim- that was introduced last year. the Opel Astra, so aside from U.S. cali- plify assembly line operations. For 2008, the new Saturn Astra sub- bration changes, it’s a duplicate, even The engines are mated to a six- compact will be powered by a 1.8L, down to the nameplate. This car has speed manual or a six-speed automatic 140-hp engine, to compete with the electrohydraulic power steering, not a with what GM has been calling a Per- Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. The fully electric system. Its main advantage formance Shift Algorithm, a computer is power saved by running the pump strategy that holds a specific gear to only long enough to pressurize the sys- improve handling in turns. tem, rather than continuously via a belt The all-wheel-drive system has an drive off the engine. active torque transfer coupling capa- The Buick Lucerne sedan is basically ble of shifting up to 100% of the a carryover model, but it’s the first Gen- torque to the front of the basically eral Motors car that offers blind spot rear-drive car. There’s also a rear limit- detection, which GM calls Side Blind ed-slip differential available with the Zone Alert. It uses radar sensors on sport suspension. each side of the car (behind the rear The engine cradle is a direct mount fascia) to monitor a 150°-wide, 12-ft. to the chassis—no bushings. However, back area to detect other cars. If the the front control arms use hydraulic sensors find a vehicle entering the field, bushings for extra damping power. it lights an amber warning in the appro- The port-injected 3.6L V6 trans- priate outside mirror. verse engine has been a successful mill The system is not flawless because it in the Saturn Aura, and for 2008 it also doesn’t always cover 100% of the zones, goes into the Chevy Malibu, which is and will miss if there’s water or dirt on built on the same platform. The Mal- the sensor “eyes.” So an occasional ibu has the 2.4L Four as a base en- missed alert is possible even though gine, plus a mild hybrid version as in there may be nothing wrong. The sys- the Aura. However, the 3.5L pushrod tem does need attention when there’s a V6, used as a base engine in the Aura, “Service Side Blind Zone Alert System” is not used in the Malibu. Chrysler minivans offer a satellite or “Clean Side Blind Zone Alert Sys- The transverse 3.6 V6 also is offered video system that shows Disney and tem” on the driver information display. in two new Saturns—optional in the other children’s programming on ei- And if the driver inadvertently turns it compact VUE and standard in the mid- ther or both rear screens, and even off, that also produces a message. size Outlook crossover utility vehicles. the dashboard navigation system This system is combined with a lane The Outlook and Buick Enclave are screen when the vehicle is parked. departure warning system, which uses a November 2007 41 TECH PREVIEW OF THE 2008 DOMESTICS camera in the rear view mirror to pro- vide pictures to a computer, which ana- lyzes road markings. If the vehicle is drifting out of lane, a warning chime sounds. Add in a rear ultrasonic sensor- based parking obstacle warning, and you can see a lot of safety information is reaching the driver. The sensors for each system are different, so the diag- nostics and any parts replacements have to match the symptoms, even when there’s damage to the rear fascia from an accident. That lane departure system, inciden- tally, carries the acronym VDAAW (Ve- hicle Direction Alert Alarm Warning), whereas the parking obstacle system is called ROADS (Rear Object Alarm De- tection System). The optional direct-injection 3.6 V6 on the new Cadillac CTS uses engine cov- Chrysler Group ers to silence idle noise, not merely for appearance purposes. For assembly Look under the hood of the new Dodge line simplicity, they’re also used on the port-injection engine. Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans and you’re likely to see either swivel second-row seats, you might no- nels of child-oriented programming. the 3.3 or 3.8L pushrod V6. Ah, familiar tice that the overhead console has a But the minivan’s infotainment sys- stuff. But just maybe you’ll see a 4.0L screen—maybe even two. They aren’t tem is more than kidvid. A look at the single overhead-cam V6, and if you read self-contained DVD players. They’re in- interior data bus shows an “HFM” our 2007 domestic car report in the No- tegrated into the vehicle’s body elec- (hands-free module—Bluetooth) for vember 2006 issue, you’ll realize, Ah, tronics, and these screens (as well as the the voice recognition feature, along the new version of the old 3.5 V6 they dashboard navigation system screen) al- with a pair of VES (Vehicle Entertain- put into the Pacifica last year, with the so may be tied into the Sirius satellite ment System) modules, and PTS (Park- six-speed automatic.