The Claw

“Snowbirds,” car traders and collectors and auto show enthusiasts make up a significant portion of car transport service’s customer base. Those who have never used a car transport company before often have questions about how such businesses operate.

After all, an automobile is a significant investment. Owners want to feel assured that their vehicles will make it from one place to another intact and damage-free.

These are seven of the most frequently asked questions regarding nationwide car transport services. You may be able to find answers to your own questions here. You’ll also be able to ask more pointed and intelligent questions when it comes to choosing the right car transport company for your private vehicle.

1) How does car transport work? Shipping an automobile is a bit like shipping a package, but on a much larger scale. Your car transport company will pick up your vehicle from your house (or other specified location). You don’t need to deliver it to a lot or depot yourself. (Don’t go with a company that doesn’t offer door-to-door service.)

Your vehicle will be loaded onto a double-decker carrier, just like the ones that deliver automobiles to dealerships. It will be securely fastened using bungee cords and locking mechanisms to prevent shifting during transport. It is then delivered to its destination.

Alternately, some customers (especially classic, race and luxury car owners) prefer an enclosed carriage. In this case, you should select a shipper that offers enclosed carriage services. Your vehicle will be shipped inside a closed car, securely fastened, and protected from weather and other potential casualties.

2) What kind of insurance is available for shipping my vehicle? Owners are responsible to provide their own insurance coverage. In some cases your existing policy will suffice.

However, it’s important that you contact your own insurance provider before shipping. Policies vary, so it’s up to you to make sure that your vehicle is covered in the event of a collision during shipping. Your vehicle will not be loaded without proof of valid, current insurance.

3) What about the contents of my vehicle? It’s recommended that you not leave anything of a personal nature inside your vehicle during car transport. A car transport service cannot reimburse you for missing items.

If you choose to leave personal items in your car, or have items of value that can’t be removed (like a stereo or computer system) you’ll need extra insurance. Again, contact your own insurance company for this.

4) How long will it take for my vehicle to be delivered to its destination? This depends upon how far it has to travel and its destination location. Your car transport provider will probably be able to give you an estimated time frame for delivery. It usually doesn’t take more than a couple of weeks.

If you’re under a crunch for time, choose a shipper that offers an expedited shipping option. It costs more, but it will get your vehicle to its destination faster, sometimes as quickly as a couple of days.

5) What if my vehicle is oversized or non-standard in length, width and/or height? Choose a car transport provider that offers oversize vehicle delivery. It may cost you a bit more than shipping a standard size vehicle. However, a company that’s experienced at oversize vehicle shipping will get it to its destination safely.

6) What if I have more than one vehicle to ship? Find a service that offers bulk discounts. As long as all of the vehicles you’re shipping are standard-sized, you may be able to save a significant amount of money.

7) Who can sign for delivery of my vehicle at its destination? Choose a car transport company that allows you to designate anyone you name to sign for your vehicle upon delivery. This way you need not be there yourself to accept delivery.

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For gas powered carts, the cables need only be of sufficient size to operate the starter motor, which is only for a few seconds at a time. So that answer is no, the originally installed cables are plenty sufficient in size. For those of us who have the more plentiful, battery powered carts, the answer is somewhat more complicated. The short answer for us is, yes and no, depending upon what we expect from the cart or if modifications to the motor or controller have been made.

If the cart is absolutely bone stock (all original with no upgrades) and is used primarily as originally intended around the local course, the standard 6 AWG (aka 6 gauge or #6) cables are perfectly fine. Wire (cable) size is measured by a standard called American Wire Gauge or AWG and relates to the diameter or cross sectional area of the copper conductor itself. The smaller the AWG number, the larger the diameter, and hence, larger current carrying capacity. For example, a 2 AWG cable is larger than a 4 AWG which is larger than a 6 AWG. Most cart manufacturers use 6 AWG cables. The finest cables we have found so far are made by MaxiLink.com, which are super flexible and made for extreme duty electric vehicle use.

Ok, now for you guys that want better performance, we’ll get a little more technical. The maximum current that will ever go through your cables is when the cart is at rest and you mash the gas pedal to the floor. At that point in time, the controller puts out the max power it is capable of, and the motor experiences what is called “locked rotor” current draw, which can be hundreds of amperes. When the motor is in a stalled state, it requires tremendous energy to get it spinning to the rated RPM. If the motor were to stay in the stalled state (if there was some mechanical restraint that would not allow it to turn) the high current would continue to be absorbed by the motor until it actually burned up the windings. Typically though, the motor begins to spin immediately, and the current drops down to 20 or so amperes within a few milliseconds (on a stock cart). There are four things that limit that maximum current; the resistance of the internal windings of the motor, the current capacity of the battery pack, the controller capacity and the resistance of the battery cables. The Battery Pack and Motor windings are pretty much fixed values. Keep these in mind because we will come back to them.

Aftermarket “high torque” or “high speed” motors installed to increase the carts performance are commonplace these days. Unfortunately, that additional performance requires additional power. The motor is only there to convert electrical energy into kinetic energy (not very efficiently either). High power motors have a lower internal resistance than stock, which in turn draws more current. If you remember from science class, power (in watts) is voltage (E) multiplied by the current (I). Since the voltage cannot go any higher than the battery’s 48volts (or 36volts), the current increases in order to satisfy the power demand of the motor. Unfortunately, this is where the resistance of the battery cables come into play. As the current increases in a conductor, power is lost in the form of heat at a rate of I2R, where R is the cable resistance. In an ideal cable and to transfer max power, the cable resistance (R) should be zero ohms. Unfortunately all cables have some resistance. The cable resistance causes the voltage to drop (E=IR) and results in lost power to the motor. The solution; increase the size of the battery cables (the larger the cable the less the resistance). Of course, the cable diameter can only be increased within reasonable mechanical size limitations, but that is what is required to reap the full benefits of a high power aftermarket motor. Our example used the locked rotor current to explain the worst case effects. They are less drastic at partial throttle, where the current draw is significantly less. If you want to do the drag racing, burnouts, wheelies and such with your cart though, you will need the bigger cables to supply the required massive inrush of current to the motor. Although the resistance of the cables seems tiny (#6 = 0.00047ohms/ft vs. #2 = 0.00015 ohms/ft), the voltage drop is significant when large currents are present, which will reduce performance. So for the high power motor users out there, use large diameter cables and keep them as short as possible. Size will matter to you. Look for other articles by Randy Wade and check out www.digitaloverdrivesystems.com regularly for news, tips and performance products including the new Maxilink Extreme Duty EV cables.

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Tags: Cars // Add Comment »

Unless you live in a city with easily accessible mass transit, you rely on your car for your day to day life. Whether you drive into town from the outskirts on a daily basis or just enjoy visiting friends in neighboring towns, your car must be in tip-top shape or you’ll be stuck in the middle of nowhere. By making sure to keep your car tuned up, you also ensure your own safety and avoid a lot of frustration. These mandatory auto maintenance tips are the most important things you should do for your car in order to keep it running smoothly for years to come.

Oil change: You should be getting an oil change every 3,000 miles or 3 months in order to keep your car up and running. If you have experience changing oil, you can do this at home and save some money on the cost of labor that a mechanic would typically charge.

Spark plugs: Typically, you’ll have conventional spark plugs in your car, which should be changed every 30,000 miles. However, if you know your car has double platinum spark plugs, they should be changed every 50,000 miles.

Transmission filter and fluid: Your car’s transmission filter should be changed at 30,000, 90,000, and 150,000 miles. The transmission fluid should be changed at 60,000, 120,000, and 180,000 miles.
Fuel filter: Unless your car’s fuel filter is in the fuel tank, you should be changing it every 35,000 to 40,000 miles. However, if your tank is ever dropped, you should change the fuel filter immediately.
Coolant flush: You should have your mechanic do a coolant flush every 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Tire rotation: One of the most important maintenance tips is tire rotation. Every 5,000 to 8,000 miles, you should have your car’s tires rotated. If left untouched, the car’s tires will wear down at an unbalanced rate because the weight in your car can be distributed unevenly. Your back left tire may be worn down way less than your front right tire, which will cause balance issues.

Tire alignment: Going hand in hand with tire rotation is getting the alignment checked out every 15,000 to 20,000 miles. This can go unchecked for some time as long as your car is still driving straight.

Brake fluid and power steering fluid flushes: These fluids should be flushed every two years or when they look dirty, whichever comes first.

Professional fuel injection: Your car needs a fuel injection done by a professional mechanic every 40,000 miles to keep it running smoothly.

Throttle bore plate: The throttle bore plate must be cleaned every 20,000 miles.

Air induction: This service should be performed every 20,000 miles as well.

Air filter, cabin air filter, PCV valve: These three items should be replaced as needed.

Taking your car in for these tune-ups is easy enough, but the most important car care tip is to have reliable auto insurance. For more information on auto insurance and getting the best bang for your buck, read about auto insurance savings tips.

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