Wednesday, September 24, 2014

What's that big exclamation point on my Dashboard?

I am seeing a lot of web searches coming in for "dashboard exclamation point", so I decided to update this classic post.

Now that the temperature is dropping, a lot of drivers are noticing a new symbol which might have appeared in their dashboard. It looks something like this...


That huge exclamation point certainly looks scary, But don't worry,  this symbol is actually and alert for your cars Tire Pressure Monitoring System, (TPMS) kicking in.

When is gets colder outside, air contracts and reduces your tires air pressure (PSI) slightly. Usually, the reduction is not enough to be dangerous, but certainly enough to trigger the sensor.

How do you fix this problem? First, don't waste your money going to a mechanic. Go check your tires recommended PSI, (usually inside driver-side door) fill it up, and wait for the sensor to eventually turn itself off when driving. Don't fill it to the max psi rating that's printed on the tire.


Friday, September 19, 2014

The war on acid-crapping birds

Every May is starts. The dread. That fearful anxiety of simply knowing that THEY are coming. They are ruthless, dirty and menacing. They have no regard for the rules of war. Their numbers are overwhelming, and like a fire or plague, they move through, consuming and ravaging everything in their path. I'm talking about the European Starling infestation that roosts in my neighborhood every summer and just shits all over everything.

I moved into my current house about three years ago. It has a nice little driveway where I can fit one car and another behind it if I block the sidewalk. Otherwise parking is on the street. The whole front of the house is shaded by a lumbering ancient oak tree that has been there since before the house was built. This is where they start to gather. In April, I usually start a gauntlet of defenses. Bells, red tail hawk sounds, fake owls, and many other countermeasures that eventually prove ineffective. A swarm of 3000 little birds just has no natural predator.

But lets get this out of the way up front. I love nature. I love animals, tress, and being outside. I actually like their dusk and dawn chorus of chatter.

Artists rendition of my front yard

 But they just crap everywhere. My driveway is white. I literally had to clean the roof of my house this weekend with a pressure washer,  bleach solution and then scrub it because of the inches-thick layer of bird feces that have accumulated over the last year.  My grass is dying under the toxins. My kids toys in the backyard are covered, and when it rains, the smell of bird poop is so overwhelming we have to close the windows.

But the worst part is the cars. Normally I wouldn't mind a little bird poop, I can just hose it off. But these bastards shit acid. Seriously, legit Sigourney-Weaver-in-a-power-loader-fighting-the-alien-queen-acid. If I dare let the sun dry spots on the car, they literally strip the Clearcoat off, leaving a ring or a blemish on the paint. I have tried scrubbing, detergents and clay bars, there is just no getting this stuff off. My only defense is to frequently wax it to provide some layer of protection. It helps, but its like building a sandcastle in front of a hurricane.

For four months out of the year, I can’t even use my driveway. My wife has to park across the street, and I park in front of our house. But it doesn’t matter, half of one car will still always get covered.

I wake up to this every single morning. This particular morning was actually lighter than others.

“Try calling the town” you might say.

Well, me and all of my neighbors have tried. Their stance is that it’s an endangered species, and they wont do anything. Never mind the fact it’s actually an invasive species, but hey, I’m sure the public works person has a much more robust understanding of ornithology than I do.

I got a little excited this year when I found a couple of dead birds in my yard. And then I found a few more, and then some more. Then I started to get worried, as I suspected West Nile. So I called up the Nassau County board of health for testing. This is how it went;

Me: “Hi, I have some dead birds in my yard, and I wanted to submit them for testing.
County worker: “I’m sorry, but if you found a dead bird, we no longer accept them for testing. Please wrap it in a double thick plastic bag and throw it in the garbage.”
Me: “I see. Well does it matter that I have 23 dead birds here? My backyard looks like the Heavens Gate Compound back here.”
County worker: “Well I’m sorry sir, but if you have a dead bird, we no longer accept it for testing.”
Me: “I don’t think you heard me right. Not A dead bird, 23 dead birds. This is like some biblical shit going on in my backyard. You really don’t think this warrants at least some consideration?”
County worker: “ I’m sorry, sir we do not. Please simply double-bag the bird and put it into the trash."


So this is not going to get solved anytime soon. Now I’m holding out for colder weather, when these 3000 chirping little bastards migrate south for the winter, or return to hell from whence they are spawned. I’ll try pruning the massive tree some more this year, and perhaps invest in some bottle rockets for next year.  The war will rage on. but in the meantime, I have a lot of really good tips for getting bird crap off of car paint. 

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

UPDATED: Top 10 Survival Tips for the LIRR Strike



Update: A deal was struck, and the strike is off for now...

The L-I-R-Rmageddon is upon us, and it’s going to be bad. For those NY’ers who don’t think this is going to affect you, think again; subways are going to be packed, and parking will be nonexistent. For us on Long Island, the traffic will be horrendous.  At this point, I guess about a 90% chance of this happening, unless some miracle talks happen at the midnight hour Saturday night.

Your preparations should have started already. However, if they have not, check out the below tips and resources to get a jump on planning.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

My Nightmare Commute vs. The Most Popular Traffic Apps


Who would have thought 10 years ago, we would be able to surf the web, text our significant others and get real time traffic data all at 80 mph while at an unsafe following distance?

With the rise of FM traffic data and crowdsourcing, a slew of apps are available to commuters looking to get a real-time handle on what lies ahead for their commute. I tested a few of these apps to see which ones work the best, but also offer an interface that doesn't distract and can be used without taking my hands off the wheel or eyes off the road. I used this test to supplement my default traffic Device, Victoria, who is a Garmin Nuvi with live traffic data (which is right maybe half the time). She has a really bad habit of telling me to pick a route, and then turning into a solid red line as I am already in a dead stop. Hence my need to use a traffic app. 
This is My GPS's very accurate prediction of traffic
incidents. Red Lines indicate traffic incidents.
 This photo was captured during a
five hour standstill on the Cross Bronx the other night. 

This test is being done on a brand spankin’ new Samsung Galaxy S4, with a Verizon 4G network. (it was being done on an older S4, but I… um…shattered that) I’m using each app for a full week of commuting, so all are used in the same locations. This minimizes the inconsistency between load and processing times.

I tested four of the most recommended traffic apps to see which one could best handle my commute through Long Island, 3 Metro NY boroughs and New Jersey. Bonus points were also awarded for the couple of family road trips in between.

First: Waze
Welcome-  you just became a “Wazer” is the cheerful way this program greets you upon its initial launch. It pushes hands-free operation and social networking, and a sense of community within the app. It starts me out as a “Baby Wazer”. Not sure how my ego feels about that. The avatar assigned to me of a small ghost-looking thing with a pacifier in its mouth.

Waze is by far the most popular traffic app used today. You see a lot of Wazers on the road as you drive, and I found myself frequently wondering which of my fellow commuters were the Wazers. On the way back from a recent client meeting in another state, members of my team were also Wazers, and we used the app to dodge cops and pick the best route from Pennsylvania.

Almost anywhere you go, you can see your
 fellow Wazers with the App, making this
 a more social experience.
Overall, this is the one traffic app I continuously find myself consulting, even after I have since deleted the others off of my phone. The data is crowd sourced, so you get a truly accurate picture of how traffic is moving ahead of you. FM traffic data can sometimes be spotty, but by using actual real time data from other motorists, you can easily tell exactly how long a delay is going to last, and how fast you will get through it.

But the best feature of Waze isn't actually the traffic data, it’s the Cop spotting feature. Whether responding to an incident or setting a speed trap, a police presence is clearly indicated on the map, and the driver is altered when approaching said officer. Sure, its only right about 60% the time, but it is extremely useful for long-distance car rides, and adds a sense of security a radar detector can't match.

The interface on WAZE makes it easy to quickly
 report  road hazards. If i were a cop setting a
speed trap, I would also be using this app to tell
when my position was compromised. 
Another interesting thing about Waze is the way it looks to socialize and gamify traffic data. Users are rewarded for driving miles and reporting incidents with points. These points level you up.  Besides a personal sense of accomplishment, there really isn't a benefit to leveling up, but I’m sure your fellow Wazers on the road think you look cool when your icon gets a sword in the further levels.

But there is no such thing as a perfect app. My one biggest complaint with this app was the amount of driver involvement that was required to effectively operate it. its worth noting that simply waving a hand in front of the screen activates a hands free mode on Waze, which is certainly helpful, but I still have to take my eyes off the road for a bit longer than other apps to get the info that I need.

By waving your hand over the screen, Waze lets
you enter a hands free mode where you can command the app
Otherwise, the Graphical user interface (GUI) could use a little work. Its bright and contrasty, but I often times had a hard time distinguishing upcoming traffic. For example, I could see there was an ominous dark red line ahead of me, but I could not tell if it in my general direction or not. Also, it’s a huge battery suck. I start out my day with 100% battery, and I’m at 65% by the time I make it to work, which just isn't realistic.
Overall, this app is highly recommended, but I also recommend that you need to have your phone both mounted in a visible, easily accessible position and plugged in continuously if you plan to use it.
Summary
The GUI holds a lot of information, which can be
 difficult to discern what direction of travel the hazards are affecting.
·      
     Pros
o   Crowdsourced, most reliable data
o   Calls out cops
·         Cons
o   Interface / GUI need some work
o   Requires a lot of driver involvement, and it’s a ranking system, which I think makes people take their eyes off the road
o   The interface isn't the easiest to tell you which route to take. For example, when I approach the Cross Island or the Clearview from the Grand Central or Throgs Neck, I use traffic data to tell me which way to go and save a few minutes.
o   Huge battery suck. I can’t start my workday with a 65% battery.
o   The best way to use this app is mounted on a windshield, and plugged in
Second: Google Maps
Google maps is the by far the quickest and easiest to use. It’s got very straightforward controls, and has a turn by turn navigation feature built in which is also very helpful.  What Google lacks in features, it makes up for in its simplicity. The GUI is clean and straightforward, and tells you of incidents.

It’s interface is so straightforward though that it lacks some of the critical data. For example, since it does not have movement data, you can’t tell if the dark red line is stand-still traffic or just traffic moving under 20 MPH, which is par for the course for the Cross Bronx.

This app does although win when it comes to distractions. It loads very fast, and is super responsive. It can easily be operated with one hand so I don’t have to take the other hand off the wheel, and I typically don’t have to take my eyes off the road to wait for it to load data.
Google Maps traffic feature is very
 straightforward, and likely already on your phone.

The traffic data although is the same sourced FM traffic data and Travel time network info that the other apps use, so it lacks the real time updates of WAZE. Its usually pretty reliable though, but I cant wait until they start mining a crowdsourcing option for this app.
·        
      Pros:
o   Clean GUI is easy to use
o   Fastest response
o   Least battery drain
o   Navigation option
·         Cons
o   Doesn’t tell you about cops or road hazards
o   Same data as everyone else
o   Vague colors to indicate speed
o   Second highest data consumption
Third: Sigalert
Sig alert has a great desktop feature (sigalert.com) for sourcing traffic data, which I often check before I leave for work. I just wish the app were as good as the desktop website, as it tells me average MPH with a full view of all traffic cameras.

The same traffic cameras are at the heart of the Sigalert app, which pop up as icons on the map interface for the program. It's traffic camera database is the programs most useful feature.

the gradual color scheme in Sigalert makes it the easiest to
 pick a route at a glance, without ever confusing travel direction
But overall, the interface to this program is just way to slow to realistically use while driving. On a 4G network it crawls to keep up, and the traffic cam data refreshes slowly and has such a slow frame rate, it isn’t as useful as it could be. Zooming in and out is also very erratic, and typically doesn’t land on the view you want. But as a positive note,  unlike the other programs, this app uses gradual colors from green to red to indicate traffic, so there is never any confusion about which direction has congestion or is free-flowing.
The traffic camera database is huge, and clicking
 any one of those camera icons will bring up the feed.

You also have the option to create a free account with Sigalert, and input route data to customize the app.
·         
       Pros
o   Traffic cam database
o   Color scheme means you never get confused about the flow of traffic
·         Cons:
o   Clunky interface requires a bit too much attention to be functional
o   Slow response
·         Fourth: Inrix
Inrix's home screen makes it a bit difficult to tell
local conditions, while red dots indicate alerts
·         Finally there is Inrix. This app has high aspirations, and tried hard to be the best of all of the programs available. Unfortunately, the execution doesn’t really work all that well. Two main screens make up the interface. The default screen is all of the data around you, including a zoomed too-far-out local map, alerts and traffic cams. The secondary interface which you can access is an interactive map. By default it’s a 3D view which can be hard to read, so I opted for a less extreme angle which gives a nice view of traffic. But the map itself looks like a re-skinned version of Google maps, be it although less user friendly. With its latest version, the map interface is almost as fast as Google’s, and it has a nice “Follow me” feature to help ensure a perfect view.

When zoomed into the map feature,
 Inrix warns you of alerts with
an easy-to-navigate view
Apparently, the data in Inrix is also crowd sourced, as it usually tells me there are about 20,000 Inrix users around me at any given time. The only thing is, I don’t see the data from these people anywhere. The app gives the option to report issues, cops and other alerts, but I have never actually seen this data presented anywhere on the map. So while I don’t doubt it’s there somewhere, it’s buried too deep to be able to locate it while operating a motor vehicle.

But the cons to this program made its test a bit tedious. First, it destroyed my phones battery, taking me down to about 50 percent each day for my morning commute. It’s also a massive data hog, eating up nearly ten times the data of the others apps at about 65 MB worth. The only explanation for this I can think of is that the traffic cam data loading is very heavy.
the maps feature looks a lot like
 Google's, and is similarly responsive.

By swiping down, users can see more relevant
 information about hazards around them
Overall, despite its great all-around features, it falters in the fact that it just offers too much to be able to use effectively

·         Pros:
o   Best options for viewing – once you get out of the standard view into the map view is when it becomes really useful for route planning.The birds eye view is at an extreme enough angle so you can see what’s ahead and still navigate.
o   Has all the bells of whistles of the other apps, if you can manage to find them

·         Cons:
o   Traffic cams are easily accessible. This would work well, but the refresh is so slow, it doesn't apply to metro NY traffic, where cars can be bumper to bumper, but still moving at a good clip.
o   So I thought Google maps was a battery suck -  this took out half of my battery before I even got to work
o   No alerts for cops or accidents
o   Holy hell what a data hog -  for one round trip, Inrix used 62 MB of data.

Download: Google Play


Conclusion:
The bottom line is that traffic apps are helpful, and a must-have for any hardcore commuter. There are many options out there, but these four represent the most popular. I would suggest trying them all and using the customizable interface to see what works best for you particularly. But please remember to drive safe, and don’t be one of those people who causes an accident because they are browsing on their smartphone to try and find the accidents. I would also recommend investing in some sort of dash mount for a phone and a car charger if you plan to make one a part of your everyday commute.

After a fulls weeks usage, Inrix turned into
a huge data hog, with Google maps a distant second.


Monday, July 7, 2014

Chronicling the E46 Project Car - Part 1

She was a black 2002 BMW 325i. It was 5-speed, RWD, and she needed A LOT of work. She came to me neglected and abused, desperately in need of some love and attention. But she is still a beautiful sight to be seen - black on black leather, with 30% black tinted windows and perfect 17" stock wheels.

Then I took her out for a date. Late at night when there was no traffic, we looped around the Southern State, up the Bethpage State Parkway and through the switchbacks in Bethpage State Park. I forgot how good it felt to drive a manual transmission. The suspension was so stiff and the steering so responsive, yet I could kick out the rear end on my command. The interior was supple yet supportive black leather, bathed in an orange glow from the instrument cluster. Sure the shift knob disconnected in my hand during a couple of enthusiastic gear changes, and I had to slow by downshifting, lest any police officers behind me notice the failed brake lights due to the faulty electrical system. But it didn't matter.

It was at that moment I made a fatal mistake; the same error chronicled through history as a precursor to many bad decisions.  I fell in love.

So the story goes like this. This particular model was a prime example of the E46, arguably BMW's most desirable 3 series. It had all the bells and whistles and sport packages available for the 2002 model year, but had 140K on the clock. Mechanically, the 2.5 liter inline 6 motor sounded good, but the clutch was completely shot. So bad in fact that every time I depressed the clutch pedal fully, the engine would grind. I almost named the car "Quackers" because every time I ran through the gears it would sound like a duck at every shift. I ruled this out to be a faulty throw out bearing, which was on its way out, and taking the clutch and flywheel with it. that's a $2000 job. I also needed to put  new tire on it. The one on the rim was flat, and apparently the previous owners attempt at sealing it with tire gunk were unsuccessful. I wonder why.
For reasons unknown, tire gunk failed to fix this flat tire...
It also needed some body work, with many scratches and dings, and missing a corner lamp with a cracked remnant was held on by painters tape. The sunroof made a terrible grinding noise when you tried to operate it, but it didn't seem to be leaking yet. Since it was an Arizona car, the sun damage was also very apparent on it, with all of the black trim rendered a permanent light grey, while the headlights were fogged beyond functionality. I also had to park it in-gear on a flat surface, because the e-brake was shot. but still I saw potential. 

I decided to buy this car both to enjoy it for some time and to flip it. I knew I could do the majority of the work myself, and as long as I set realistic budgets, I could make a nice 1-2K profit from this car.

The transaction complete, I set out to work. I regulated it only to around town travel and short trips, and used it to only commute to the office on Fridays.  
Her first mugshot, it aint too pretty
The first step was to fix the cars electric, sunroof and cornering lamp to make it derivable. This is when I discovered the website Rockauto.com. apparently, car parts are stupid cheap if you know where to get them. I got a new corner light for under 20 bucks, and slapped it in with about 5 minutes of labor. 
New cornering lamp installed, but
 only a good amount of Goo-Gone
could get the painters tape
off of the paint.
The electric was almost as easy. It looks like the previous owner had actually forced in the wrong kind of bulb to the tail lights, which caused a short and melted some of the harnesses. A few bucks in parts later and some new bulbs, and the tail lights were good as new. The battery though was still on its way out and needed replacing, as it wouldn't start after a few cold nights. it turns out, that the cold actually wreaked more havoc than I thought on this car. 

If you drive stick, you know an e-brake, or parking brake is absolutely a necessity to keep the car from rolling when parked. I took apart the console housing, and milled some of the shattered pieces of the brake mechanism back together. I secured it with some clamps for reinforcement, and now it works just fine. I will have to be gentle with it, but it holds securely. 

Then came the sunroof. The car had developed a leak in the rain, where pools of water would form on the rear passenger floor. My immediate thought was that the sunroof was the culprit, so I started working on that. My first mistake here was that i didn't Google "E46 sunroof problem" before I bought the car. Now is when I also realized one more thing; I'm no stranger to turning wrenches on Japanese and American cars. I have a pretty good tool set, and I know my way around a motor. But this is like learning everything all over again. It's all backwards, not where it should be, and instead of screws, everything is held down with Torx bolts, which are seriously annoying. But back to the sunroof...

After some searching through the forums, there appeared to be a pretty major design flaw within the E46, with the sunroof. Apparently, the sun shade rides on a track that is made of plastic. These plastic pieces of course break prematurely, and get stuck in the drive mechanism for the sunroof. This then bends and distorts the sunroof's mechanicals, rendering it useless. The solution is to spend 300 bucks on a new sunroof cassette and then a weekend installing it. So I closed the sunroof and disconnected the switch. This also solved the problem. 
The view with the sunroof removed. the track on the left is completely fouled and needs replacement. 

A few days later, I went out to the car after a storm, only to find more water. After more time on the forums, I found BMW massive design flaw #2. Apparently, the doors all have a "vapor barrier" on them, which is a layer of foam between the door and the interior door panel. When it gets cold, the factory sealant becomes brittle and comes off, which makes the doors leak. A lot. So begins the very messy job of ripping off every single door, and putting them back together using a very tacky RTV silicone adhesive. This took my about a six pack to complete to get everything to dry. Now the car is dry as a bone.


Applying the RTV silicone sealant to the
vapor barrier to stop the leakage
The door exposed to reveal the vapor barrier
that had come loose

Now that it was getting warmer the next job to tackle was the body work. There was some paint and scratch repair, and a full compounding the entire body was needed for the oxidized paint. This was followed by a thorough waxing and interior detailing. 

If you like black cars as much as I do, you probably realize that it s a love hate relationship; they are impossible to keep clean, but no color looks better than black when its clean and waxed. For this I use a great product on all my cars called the Black Box by Turtle wax. The black wax itself doesn't last long, but I coat that with an additional layer of Mother's liquid carnuba wax on top of it to retain the shine for a few more months. Next, the black trim was weathered beyond salvage, or so I thought. I sanded it down to smooth it out, and then hit it with about 5 coats of Maguiar's ultimate black plastic restorer, which works miracles.  I took a day off of work to clean my cars, which was only a 5 beer job.
After a days work of body work, she is looking good. 

Then came the headlights. This car came with beautifully crafted HID projectors, but they were hiding behind a very thick fog of corrosion. After doing some research, I settled on another Maguiar's product, Their heavy duty headlight restoration kit. See the below pics for a testimonial, this stuff worked great, and they are still flawless.
Before and After of the headlight restoration. 

Now that she was looking proper, it was time to dive into the motor. One day, after a spirited ride, I notice a drip, drip, HISSSSSSSS of oil droplets hitting the manifold. This terrified me, and immediately thought head gasket. So I checked the coolant, smelled the exhaust and inspected the oil cap, and the HG seemed to be intact. But there was a pretty good size trail of oil oil running through the engine compartment, and by the looks of it, the slow leak had been for some time.  Back to the forums I went. 

This is when I found yet another design flaw, which is premature failure of the Valve Cover Gasket. The parts only cost me about 20 bucks, and required doing open heart surgery on the motor to rectify. After ripping apart the whole block, the hardest part was actually chipping out the brittle, cracked old gasket without getting any into the crankcase. While I was in there, I also took the time to inspect the plugs, crank and timing chains, and all looked to be in perfect condition. but I definitely found the oil leak, installed the new gasket, doused it in RTV, and put the motor back together. The whole process took about 3 beers to do, which ins't that bad. 

Inside the inline 6 cylnder is a wonderful example of German engineering and
precision. Note the bottom right, where the gasket failed and the oil leak originated.
   
The next project is going to be the big one, which is the clutch and flywheel. apparently BMW felt that is was necessary to use a heavier, super expensive and more prone to failure dual-mass flywheel in their transmission construction, which is super helpful. Right now I'm getting slippage in 1st and 3rd, so I know the clutch is on its final miles. Driving is now limited to 5th gear highway cruising and the bare minimum to keep the motor healthy until this gets taken care of.

Budget: (Target $2500 )
Car - $1500
Tags/ Title / Registration: $200
Corner lamp assembly: $19
Valve cover gasket set: $22
various chemicals for detailing: $25
Maguiar's Headlight kit: $25
AMS Auto RhinoPak Clutch kit: $190
Insurance: $200
Beer: $20
---------------------------------------------
Total so far: About $2200

So that's where we are. Overall, I want to thank my wife for her help on this. Well, rather her tolerance anyway. I kinda feel bad for her, because in the last few months, she has come to the realization the she married a car guy. Now I'm already hungry for my next flip project.

Stay tuned for part 2, which is going to be clutch installation and the actual flip of the car.




Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Why July 20th Should Matter to Everyone in Metro NY and Long Island – #LIRRmageddon!

Mark your Calendars for July 20th - if you aren't concerned about this date and you live in Long Island and Metro NY, you should be.  This might be the day when MTA workers for the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) are planning to walk off the job if contract negotiations fail. You heard it here first, I'm going to dub this “LIRRmageddon” (it sounds better when you say it aloud, trust me.) 

Some of us may recall the weeks after hurricane Sandy when the LIRR was off line, and the hours added to the average commute. When the LIRR is shut down, tens of thousands of daily riders will be on the road, further adding to already congested roads. The MTA is asking employers to ease restrictions on working from home, and suggesting people take vacation time during the strike. Regardless, we are all screwed if the strike goes through.

I personally work from NYC at least one day a week, and drive to NJ the rest of the week. Driving to the Manhattan will not be an option, as parking will be at a premium and the traffic in the Midtown Tunnel and other crossings will make the NJ Bridgegate look like the final lap of a Nascar race.

Through public announcements and leaflets handed out to riders, the MTA has outlined a contingency plan which calls for the following: (According to a Newsday article from today)
  • ·         Work from home or take vacation time
  • ·         Organize carpools
  • ·         Ask if employers will provide transportation or reimburse for hotels, or work off-peak hours
  • ·         Share housing with family and friends
  • ·         Park and ride lots will be set up at key points going into Manhattan including stadiums, where commuters can take a bus or a subway into the city
  • ·         Get ready to sit in a lot of traffic. (I added that one in)

Now my personal opinion from a communications professional’s standpoint: For a system that’s rife with corruption, disability fraud and nepotism, the general public has all but lost patience with the workers union, and they are having a hard time gaining public support for their cause. They were offered an 11% salary increase, but demand 17%, well over other state MTA workers. They are also fighting the pension contribution rise to 5.2%-which is surprising considering the pension and disability systems are huge black holes where public funding goes to die. These funds are passed on to the riders as fare increases, which already top $300 for a monthly ticket. As the public continues to see 401K’s collapse and fees increase, the idea of a full pension with minimal contribution is a pipe dream that many see should be reserved only for the cops and firefighters who put their lives on the line on a daily basis. Additionally, the abuse of overtime and an average salary of more than $83K yearly has the patience of many commuters running thin. The facts also show that until now, workers did not pay for healthcare coverage, which costs the average worker thousands of dollars a year. (Facts quoted from NY Post article Dated 6/8/14)

I give this strike about a 60% chance of happening, which is too high of a risk to not make the appropriate preparations now.


The workers can be seen currently engaging in an unchecked communication plan of actively engaging readers in news article comments and picketing; which, without proper messaging will only yield negative perception for them in the long run. But that doesn't matter, as the public gets no say in this matter because this is now a federal issue.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Today I bypassed the Cross Bronx traffic with this one weird trick. You’ll never believe how….

Before reading any further, yes that headline is indeed a satirical play on the current crop of Buzzfeed headlines. But seriously, today I tried something new. On approach to the Throgs Neck, the Traffic Time sign told me the Cross Bronx / 95S (CBX) was going to be over an hour. The 278/87 route on the other hand was 20 minutes. I have never attempted this way before, because looking at my map it just did not make sense. It seemed to be miles out of the way, and dip into the Bronx. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I exited right before the wall of brake lights, and hoped for the best.


And wow, that was easy. The lesson learned today is that if the CBX sucks, hop on to the Bruckner/287 West, and take that a few miles to 87N/Major Deegan. The signs won’t say GWB at first, but just keep following them, and it will drop you off much faster than taking the Triborough bridge route. I have been driving the same route  for nearly 7 years, and was pleasantly surprised to finally find a viable CBX alternative.

Sure, its a couple miles out of the way, but taking the Bruckner/278W instead of the CBX can save you a lot of time

Monday, April 14, 2014

The Pulaski Skyway Closure and What That Means for Your Commute


The Pulaski Skyway is one of the main thoroughfares into Jersey City and Manhattan. It’s a bridge that carries traffic from Route 1 and 9, and also serves a large portion of traffic exiting 95 (NJ Turnpike) on their way to and from the city. Starting this week, it’s going to be closed for two years. Expect a lot of traffic on surface streets as well as alternate routes as commuters try and make their way into the Holland Tunnel.

The bridge opened in 1932, and is in the final phases on a one billion dollar restoration that has been going on since 2007, and is slated to be completed in 2016. On this first weekday of closure, traffic has been light. This is most likely due to the impending Jewish Holiday, as well as the majority of schools not in session for spring break.  Expect about 2-3 weeks to get into a groove if this is your route, as commuters will get used to the new route options and detours



The most impacted areas are going to be as follows:
  • i95 N around Newark airport
  •   i78 will likely serve as the main bypass for many travelers; its only a few miles out of the way, and is wide enough to handle a good amount of extra traffic.
  •  Another traffic choke point is going to the rt. 1/9 bypass, AKA, Lincoln Highway.
  •  Outbound from Manhattan, commuters can expect heavier loads leaving to and from the Lincoln Tunnel as it hooks up with 95.
  • Coming down from the north, Rt.3 and 495 will see a lot of extra volume as commuters use the Lincoln Tunnel and go downtown via Manhattan surface streets.
  •  This will also cause additional delays on the West Side highway between the 50’s and downtown. Buckle up, the west side is going to be a mess for a while.
  • On the bright side though, Holland Tunnel traffic inbound is likely going to be significantly lighter until the pattern works itself out.

My route picks:
·         As always, use your traffic apps and listen to AM 88/1010 Wins for the most updated traffic, as conditions change, accidents happen and traffic flow varies greatly with the times of day.
·         Don’t go near the Lincoln tunnel
·         If you are coming from the north, use the GWB, and shoot down the Westside highway for downtown Manhattan access. Expects a mess down by the 30’s. If you are really ambitious, go a little further, and hop down the FDR to head downtown.
·         You might be tempted to take the Verrazano/ Goethalls up the Gowanus (278) to make it into Manhattan. I wouldn't do that due to the Gowanus’ propensity to back up. The belt isn't much better. Use this route only for queens, SI, Brooklyn and LI travel
o   You can also take 95 to 278, and take rt. 440 N to hook back up to 78.
·         The best route for now is probably going to be i78 for most weekdays.

·         A lot of this also depends on the signage they have up and how it affects those who aren't familiar with the territory. For weekends and Fridays, the Rt.9 bypass is going to be a good alternative to the i78 traffic that most weekend travelers will likely be directed towards. 

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Relationship Troubles

I know an automotive blog isn't really the place to vent, but recently, me and missus haven’t been getting along. I understand it was a long, cold and hard winter, and she tried her best to tough it out with a smile. Alas, all of the potholes, salt and bitter cold really took a toll on her this year. Admittedly, I have been a bit rough on her, but the mood swings are incredible; some days she is happy to be given a vigorous workout, and some days she groans, bitches at me, and phones it in for the day. A few times I even considered leaving her for a younger, newer model, but I have way too much invested with her to simply cut out. After all, we have been together for more than 100,00 miles.

It started in December, right before the holidays, which is typically a stressful time for couples. She wouldn't go more than 30 miles per hour without hiccupping, and sputtering as her ignition cut out and the revs dropped. In an effort to diagnose, I ripped out the ABS controller, and it brought back the acceleration, but at a cost; she took away all of my gauges, safety and slip systems. My dash lit up light a Christmas tree with every idiot light imaginable. This was mildly distracting while driving, but my attention daily was more focused on slipping and sliding my way through the worst Long Island Winter in memory. Seriously, you have no idea how hard it is to navigate a 300 BHP car with no limited slip differential, ABS, traction control or other systems through multiple icy blizzards. Because of this, I wound up intentionally avoiding her and taking the train to work in the city for much of January.
That's a lot of warning lights....

I think she started to get suspicious when I was up all night surfing the web. I’m not gonna lie, I was in some pretty deep stuff, late at night in the deepest bowel of the interwebs. I found myself viewing hardcore DIY YouTube videos on hydraulic braking systems and Nissan electrical components, I scanned some dealer technical bulletin and service guides that had been obtained by illicit means, and finally, under an anonymous name I plotted ways to manipulate her with other forum members in chatrooms. All this research led me to believe I had a faulty ABS wheel speed sensor, and all I had to do was go to the dealership to get it checked out on their diagnostic machine to figure out which one was bad.  

So I bought her to the dealership in Massapequa, which basically looks like a day spa for cars. Its white walls, glassed off, and way to clean. They made us part ways at the front to prepare her for a day of pampering, while I went in to go talk to a service adviser. I explained what was wrong, what diagnostic scan she needed. They didn't understand a word of it, and insisted she was more high maintenance than I thought. 400 dollars worth of testing later, they came back to me and told me they had found the problem. The entire rear end needed replacing, including all wheel hubs and sensors, to the tune of $3000. I said no, and left, and then found out they never reconnected my e-brake. So I went home, ripped the wheel off, put in a new ABS sensor for 20 bucks, and she worked fine. Except the disconnected e-brake is a constant reminder of the infidelity suffered at the hands of the stealership.

Then came the bitter January cold, which made her plastic bits brittle, and she was feeling kind of fragile. We lost the lower engine cover to  a pothole,  and her entire inner fender well was literally shattered by a chunk of ice. 16 bucks on rockauto.com and a few zip ties later, she was good as new. The cold did although kill the battery in one of my TPMS sensors, and now it just blinks at me. Blink. Blink. Blink. A constant nagging reminder that I need to buy new shoes soon, or I’ll continue to hear about it.

For a little while there, we were doing good. She was looking good and feeling good, and she knew it. A renewed spring was in her step, and I was once again feeling good about our relationship. Then she started nagging me again. At this point, my dad, my brother and my friends all told me I should leave her, but I didn't want to listen to them, I was committed to making it work. 

The shrill crying rattle came from the rear, and I didn't know why - did I forget her oil change? Not give her premium fuel? I deduced it was the anti-rattle pin, which was actually, ironically, rattling. The only way to stop it was to quickly pull the parking brake while driving. Fast. My first attempt to fix this was not successful, as I lacked the tools to take off the rotors. Then my son and I went to Autozone to purchase a breaker bar, which is not as fun as it sounds.

Saturday night, 10 pm, I settled down for a couples therapy session. She bought her bad attitude, and lots of blame. I bought a 4-pack of Guinness and my Dewalt cordless impact driver.


It was a long night, but after a while, I think we finally found the root of our problem. I have the rotor off, and I found this: Suffice to say I now know what was causing the rattle.
Think we found the problem... Hint-  pins are supposed to be straight
 I put her back together, and apologized profusely for hurting her feelings and the ordeal she had to go through. A week has since passed, and I think we are fine. For now, that is, until she finds out about the fling I have been having on the side with a cute little German number.