Car-Based Vehicles with Lots of Trucklike Functionality Highlight This Year’S Offerings from the Domestic Car Manufacturers
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
2OO12OO1DomesticDomestic TechTech PreviewPreview Car-based vehicles with lots of trucklike functionality highlight this year’s offerings from the domestic car manufacturers. BY PAUL WEISSLER he Chrysler PT Cruiser, for the 2001 domestics, which is no big key engines. The new Chrysler an- Pontiac Aztek, Ford Es- surprise. As an example, GM is phasing tifreeze is basically a low-silicate “hy- cape and other car- in a 10,000-mile oil change on its 3.1- brid” European formula (with some or- based “crossover” vehi- and 3.8-liter V6 engines (beginning with ganic acid inhibitors)—very similar to cles are getting the lion’s Buick at Job One). But there’s one GM the yellow or blue-dye coolant Mer- share of the attention for engine with an interval even longer— cedes has been using. Ford reportedly 2001, because of their looks and “Swiss the Corvette V8 at 15,000 miles, al- will soon phase in a low-silicate an- TArmy knife” functionality of seats, pack- though it runs on synthetic oil. tifreeze, as well. We’ll have to sort out age shelf and interior or exterior gad- On the coolant front, Chrysler is this subject at another time. getry. But when the time comes to ser- changing over from the conventional For now, here are other highlights of vice many of these new models, you’ll green (3 years/52,500 miles) to an ex- what’s happening at the Big 3 for the find a lot of new technology under the tended-life antifreeze, with a 5- new model year. skin, so you won’t be able to work on year/100,000-mile service interval. It’s them with the usual assortment of orange in color, but nothing like GM General Motors hinge-out blades, screwdrivers, pliers, DexCool, as both Chrysler and Ford Pontiac Aztek. If you’ve heard that the wrenches and the like. have seen problems with DexCool’s no- Aztek is just a cleverly restyled GM Service intervals are being extended silicate purely “organic acid” formula on minivan, you’ve heard wrong. Although 24 November 2000 satrak, also will be going into the GM minivans shortly after its Aztek debut. Versatrak, a system designed by Steyr (the Austrian gearheads who did the Chrysler AWD minivans), seemingly is so simple when you see it. The front transaxle has a simple power take-off (not a transfer case), into which the pro- peller shaft fits. The propshaft transfers power from the transaxle to the Ver- satrak, which has a differential with a conventional ring and pinion gear. However, inside the differential also are separate gerotor pumps, pistons and clutch plate sets—one for each axle shaft. Here’s how the system works: If all Chrysler’s retro-look PT Cruiser wheels have the same traction, they spin at the same speed. So both the gerotor 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora control system, which includes a new pump housing (spun by the differential) Denso oxygen sensor with a large and the pump rotor (spun by the axle heater, controlled by a ground circuit to shaft) also spin at the same speed, as if the PCM. This setup enables the com- stationary. When the front-drive wheels puter to monitor operation closely lose traction, the propshaft spins faster, (there are four trouble codes that can as do both Versatrak gerotor pump be triggered for the heater alone). The housings, producing oil pressure in pro- Denso sensor is mounted upstream in portion to the speed increase. The oil the exhaust manifold; the one after the pressure then applies the piston to the cat is a Delphi type that’s grounded by clutch plates and transfers proportional its housing. This same O2 sensor setup torque to the rear wheels. If one of the is used on the 3.1-liter V6. two rear wheels then loses traction, its Aztek is built on a new GM platform, gerotor also spins faster, producing less oil pressure against the piston and its clutch pack, thereby transferring less torque than the other. Aztek’s independent rear suspension, incidentally, includes self-leveling air bladders with mono-tube shocks, which are very-high-pressure gas designs (320 psi). The pressure is applied to a small surface, so the actual amount of force is low. Result: You can compress the shocks by hand (although not easily). By the way, the entire rear suspension is on a removable member held by just four bolts—just disconnect the shock’s upper 2001 Ford Escape mounts, take out the four bolts and the whole thing drops down for service. the front-drive powertrain compart- although the MacStrut front suspension The AWD Aztek is a phase-in—only ment (with the 3.4-liter V6) basically is actually is pretty much a pickup (includ- front-drive models will be available at the same as the GM minivans, the ing sway bar) from the Pontiac Grand Job One. On these 2WD models, the Aztek’s hoodline is significantly higher. Prix, which gives it a low entry height. rear axle is nothing more than a modi- That means there’s more room over the The rear suspension is independent, fied version of the unit in GM’s mini- top of the engine. You still have to pull and the neat AWD rear axle is so com- vans—conventional twist beam with the plugs in the rear bank from under- pact that Aztek has a flat floor all the coils. neath, however. way. This feature is something that’s im- High-Performance Corvette. The 3.4-liter V6 is a carryover from portant in a minivan, so the optional There’s a new high-performance ’Vette, last year, but has an upgraded emissions new all-wheel-drive system, called Ver- the ZO6, and it proves that the pushrod November 2000 25 2001 DOMESTIC TECH PREVIEW engine is very much alive: 385 horses the mufflers, inlet pipes and tailpipes from 5.7 liters—68 hp per liter, with made of ultra-lightweight titanium. GM gobs of Corvette torque. Peak engine didn’t have a retail price at press time, rpm is 6600. Compare this to the 350 but the parts don’t figure to be cheap horses (and peak rpm of 6200) on the come replacement time. The OE sup- base V8. plier is Arvin. The high-output engine has a new If you can’t find the PCV system on camshaft, which is primarily responsible the 385-hp engine, that’s because it’s for the horsepower increase. But there hidden in the valley, with the passages also were dozens of “detail changes” in built into the valley cover. That reduces the engine, including: the piping necessary and cuts oil con- •A high-efficiency gerotor oil pump sumption during high-speed driving. (less power draw). (Racing was what Chevy had in mind •A lighter (aluminum alloy) crank with the ZO6.) damper, which reduces rotating mass All 2001 Corvettes have GM’s first IfIf thethe chartchart and the power to overcome the inertia use of a “recombinant” battery—the for the damper to spin up to speed. battery electrolyte is absorbed into •Tighter main bearing clearances to fiberglass matting, which also causes the atat rightright isis missing,missing, pleaseplease circlecircle #24#24 onon thethe Photo: Paul Weissler Paul Photo: ProductProduct This label identifies the orange coolant as special in 2001 Chrysler products, but it doesn’t tell you it’s nothing like GM’s DexCool. The label may not last as a pro- duction-installed item, so be aware of the differences between the two coolants. InformationInformation reduce cold knock (something to keep hydrogen and oxygen produced to re- in mind if you ever have to service the combine into water and be held in the bottom end of this engine). matting. This almost eliminates elec- •Higher compression (up from trolyte gassing. If gases do escape from CardCard onon 10.1:1 to 10.5:1). the matting and internal pressures •Stiffer valve springs. build, a relief valve lets them out. This •Large “overtravel area” windows. battery does not have the familiar hy- pagepage 83.83. These are oval passages through each drometer “eye” on the top. bank of the block area under the cylin- The recombinant battery can be ders that prevent a buildup of crankcase charged with any tapering-rate charger pressure under a piston coming down and load-tested with a digital multime- on intake stroke, a power loss in other ter and most (but not all) load testers. If engines. The oval passages replace the you use one of those “smart” digital smaller, drilled passages in the base en- testers, you may not get an accurate gine. reading with the standard test method. •Higher-flow intake manifold and in- Call the tester manufacturer for a rec- jectors to match. ommended test procedure revision. •A large dual-exhaust system, with Saturn “Head Curtain.” The 2001 26 November 2000 2001 DOMESTIC TECH PREVIEW Saturn line—large and small—will have a side-impact “head curtain” air bag as an option. Full-line availability in the U.S. is a first for the head curtain, which is stored in the upper roof rail behind the headliner and trim. Saturn will be using this instead of conventional side air bags. The sensor for the system is in the middle of the B-pillar, behind the trim piece and under the shoulder belt anchor. The curtain offers some protec- tion for the area below the head (though not as much as a side air bag). The Saturn system is engineered so that the front air bags and head curtains will go off simultaneously only in certain an- gle crashes.