[NEWS] Short-circuits may have caused taxi fires: ComfortDel
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Any member who wish to sign up any vehicle .... it's best to sign up a vehicle under 3 years of age ....
Less haedaches .
Anything above 3 years old .... plenty of problems .
Esp taxis is concerned .
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My Bukit Panjang kaki his shift is 4pm to 4am .
4pm he wait for relief come back , engine never off engine one .
He tookover , whacked 350km .
4am he handover to relief ..... engine never off , tookover , whack another 350km .
U think the Sonata can tahan ?
No way .... my bukit panjang kaki and his relief , drove 7 days each one hor ....
Not a single day the engine is off unless makan time .
Thank god this 2 need to eat , or else the vehicle no chance to take a break man .
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Originally posted by Rbs70:
Other company no comment..........
But CDG workshop suppose to be ISO certify...........
To be fair also, mechanic life also not that fanastic la..........so far in CDG workshop haven't see any 骗� mechanic, minimum knowledge all have la............
Negligent and careless, I believe la.........imagine yesterday casino lost all his pay, where got mood to serve your taxi.........lol
dun say liao hor............ nowadays mercs side servicing getting frm
bad to worse............PHUi!!!!
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Originally posted by hammerhammer8888:
Engine still ok. It's the gearbox. Diesel engine have higher torque so gearbox easily have higher stress and fatique so lifespan also shorten. They shold use better gear box instead of using one that is the same as the petrol counterpart.
I was referring to fire hazards mainly but to reply yr comment I have this to say. Agree that higher torque will in turn create more stress n shorten lifespan of gearbox. That is why all those auto sportscars have higher maintenance bill, sequential gearbox will last longer but the industry is going for dual clutch which is an auto with two sets of gears.
Lets put it this way, use what type of gearbox will also Chui when it's in a taxi. Cos many cabbies juz whack without any remorse LOL. I'm driving a manual gearbox also change clutch within a yr, do u expect auto boxes to any fair better?
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Originally posted by Poolman:
My Bukit Panjang kaki his shift is 4pm to 4am .
4pm he wait for relief come back , engine never off engine one .
He tookover , whacked 350km .
4am he handover to relief ..... engine never off , tookover , whack another 350km .
U think the Sonata can tahan ?
No way .... my bukit panjang kaki and his relief , drove 7 days each one hor ....
Not a single day the engine is off unless makan time .
Thank god this 2 need to eat , or else the vehicle no chance to take a break man .
Is like this one lah, arbo, how to earn 7k
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Originally posted by Happybird95:
I was referring to fire hazards mainly but to reply yr comment I have this to say. Agree that higher torque will in turn create more stress n shorten lifespan of gearbox. That is why all those auto sportscars have higher maintenance bill, sequential gearbox will last longer but the industry is going for dual clutch which is an auto with two sets of gears.
Lets put it this way, use what type of gearbox will also Chui when it's in a taxi. Cos many cabbies juz whack without any remorse LOL. I'm driving a manual gearbox also change clutch within a yr, do u expect auto boxes to any fair better?
And is sonata a sport car??? no right, so why add a turbo with a single exhaust?? dun you think that will heat up the engine faster because of failure to let go exhaust faster? -
Originally posted by bowah:
And is sonata a sport car??? no right, so why add a turbo with a single exhaust?? dun you think that will heat up the engine faster because of failure to let go exhaust faster?
Turbo with single or dual exhaust has got no bearings to engine overheating. Dual exhaust imho is for esthetics not performance enhancement for many makes. It is the diameter of the pipe that matters, having dual pipes or an overly large exhaust may cause high back pressure that has a negative effect on engine efficiency resulting in decrease of power output that must be compensated by increasing fuel consumption. I'm pretty sure the designers have made calculations to have an optimal exhaust diameter. Anyway, i believe sonata is using light pressure turbo optimize for city driving. Sports make like WRX on the other hand needs a large bore exhaust as it has a T-Rex turbo charger :) The answer lies in components used in sonata, not the design that cause fire hazards. -
Sidetrack a bit.
I don't know why cars in Singapore and most car shops sell and recommend "coolant"
Most of the "coolant" sold actually contains glycol aka anti-freeze. Anti-freeze (Ethylene glycol) is useless in Singapore, we don't have freezing temp so we don't need anti-freeze.
Ethylene glycol actually has a specific heat capacity about one half that of water. Meaning is absorb 50% less heat. Only advantage of Glycol is it increase the boiling point.
That is why u see racing cars usually use just plain water, distilled water best cos no impurities. But racing cars overhaul engine after every race. Using tap water ok, but contains chlorine and other stuff which might, in the long term, damage cooling system.
For using just water in your car/taxi in long term also not good as it would cause corrosion on the cooling parts.
From experience, all the previous vehicle i own, even my old water cool gaming computer i, never use "coolant" that contains glycol. In gaming PC espcially i can see using Glycol base coolant slowly clog up the cooling system.
After my Wish radiator hose leak and send to workshop, they flush the radiator and mechanic just add plain water! I was happy!!!
Went and buy RedLine WaterWetter added to my radiator.
I recommend, RedLine WaterWetter or Purple Ice, both to add with plain water for automotive cooling system. Both are wetting agent and corrosion inhibitor with no glycol.
Purple Ice: http://royalpurpleconsumer.com/products/purple-ice-radiator-coolant-additive/
Water Wetter: http://www.redlineoil.com/Products.aspx?pcid=10
Both also available already premix with distilled water:
SuperCool with WaterWetter: http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=117&pcid=10
I can't find any link for Purple Ice premix, but i know they have it at Autobac.
WaterWetter $16+, SuperCool $38 i think, Purple Ice Premix $32 i think
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Originally posted by cyben764:
Link:
http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC121027-0000003/Short-circuits-may-have-caused-taxi-fires
SINGAPORE - After extensive investigations by engineers, taxi operator ComfortDelGro has found the likely cause of the recent fires involving its taxis, including two Hyundai Sonatas which caught fire three weeks apart.
In response to TODAY's queries, the land transport giant, which dominates the taxi industry with about 60 per cent of the approximately 28,000 taxis here, said engineers from the vehicle manufacturer were "flown in to carry out thorough investigations".
"They narrowed down the likely cause to electrical short-circuitry," said ComfortDelGro Group Corporate Communications Officer Tammy Tan.
Additional fleet-wide safety checks were carried out upon recommendation and the taxi operator has "continued with stringent maintenance checks" to minimise such incidents, added Ms Tan.
Hyundai has been providing the taxi operator with the 2.0 turbodiesel engine Sonatas - used exclusively here by ComfortDelGro - since 2006.
And in the wake of a spate of taxis catching fire on the roads earlier this year, ComfortDelGro said South Korea's biggest carmaker sent specialists to assist with investigations.
Last week, Member of Parliament (Ang Mo Kio) Ang Hin Kee filed a parliamentary question to get an update on the number of taxi fires and whether the cause had been established.
In his written reply, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew disclosed that 26 cases were reported to the Singapore Civil Defence Force between January last year and Sept 21 this year.
While one case was due to sparks from a road accident, electrical short-circuiting was the likely cause in four cases, and 21 of the cases were probably due to engine overheating.
Mr Ang also asked about the measures put in place to ensure the safety of drivers and passengers.
Mr Lui noted that taxis operators conduct "regular preventive and corrective maintenance" of their fleet "to keep them in roadworthy condition at all times", and the Land Transport Authority subjects all taxis to compulsory inspections every six months.
When contacted, an LTA spokesperson said that during the inspections, "automated equipment tests are carried out on the vehicles' systems and major components for brake efficiency, wheel alignment, headlamps, exhaust gas and noise emissions".
She said: "Visual inspections on the conditions of vehicle body, lightings, steering mechanism, tyres, undercarriage and exhaust system are also conducted."
Brand new taxis are also inspected to ensure compliance with the LTA's technical requirements, before they are registered for road use, she added.
According to the SCDF, there were 87 vehicle fires from January to June, compared to 100 vehicle fires for the same period last year.Good News. But comfort outsources maintenance to third party workshops. Does comfort really check on the maintenance standard of its workshops? If it did, none of its vehicles would be on fire.
Anyway they narrowed down the cause to Electrical short circuitary. Whose faulty is it? Manufacturer's defect or poor maintenance?
Taxi Vehicle is the money making machine for taxi drivers. Best taxi driver in singapore earns 7k. Already reported in the papers. What is not reported is what Taxi Companies earn and how much they spend for maintenance.
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Originally posted by Happybird95:
Turbo with single or dual exhaust has got no bearings to engine overheating. Dual exhaust imho is for esthetics not performance enhancement for many makes. It is the diameter of the pipe that matters, having dual pipes or an overly large exhaust may cause high back pressure that has a negative effect on engine efficiency resulting in decrease of power output that must be compensated by increasing fuel consumption. I'm pretty sure the designers have made calculations to have an optimal exhaust diameter. Anyway, i believe sonata is using light pressure turbo optimize for city driving. Sports make like WRX on the other hand needs a large bore exhaust as it has a T-Rex turbo charger :) The answer lies in components used in sonata, not the design that cause fire hazards.
A turbo is a turbo, light or strong belong to the air intake and turbo chargers, whatever goes in must remove fast, the designer had in a way no intention to put sonata into turbo, that is what I get from komoco engineers at alexandra, but comfort during trail insist on it, so that their cabs can pick up faster, therefore as customer specification and the willing to sell as much as possible, hyundai had to redesign their manufacture plant abit to suit comfort only, exhaust is still very much a normal one that pte car uses. The carbon residue form on the exhaust, especially from a diesel engine can also add to the narrowing of the diameter and irregular exhaustion.Epica is different, it is orginal designed with turbo purpose, even you buy pte epica, it is turbo with double exhaust. If exhaust air is not remove adequately, it will remain and form carbon waste on the engine, leading to seizure, heating and seals melting, some sonata taxis, will jerk when turbo check in, it is not so smooth, when such thing happen, that mean there is a timing problem and also blockage some where, its does have bearing on engine overheating, because it is part of the engine now.
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Waw piang...........all the mechanic and technician here............
Talents wasted..........
Frankly speaking..........I listen no ball.........lol
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Originally posted by bowah:
A turbo is a turbo, light or strong belong to the air intake and turbo chargers, whatever goes in must remove fast, the designer had in a way no intention to put sonata into turbo, that is what I get from komoco engineers at alexandra, but comfort during trail insist on it, so that their cabs can pick up faster, therefore as customer specification and the willing to sell as much as possible, hyundai had to redesign their manufacture plant abit to suit comfort only, exhaust is still very much a normal one that pte car uses. The carbon residue form on the exhaust, especially from a diesel engine can also add to the narrowing of the diameter and irregular exhaustion.Epica is different, it is orginal designed with turbo purpose, even you buy pte epica, it is turbo with double exhaust. If exhaust air is not remove adequately, it will remain and form carbon waste on the engine, leading to seizure, heating and seals melting, some sonata taxis, will jerk when turbo check in, it is not so smooth, when such thing happen, that mean there is a timing problem and also blockage some where, its does have bearing on engine overheating, because it is part of the engine now.
Ermmmmmm.... I think that Komoco guy is an engine near not an engineer n doing Hyundai a disservice by saying that. Ask him to explain Hyundai sonata CRDi sold in Australia n NZ since 2008? Mind you, these are huge market we are talking abt. Will Hyundai juz any o how redesign n move it to these mkts haphazardly? I sincerely believe it is built quality and maintenance which is the issue here, not design. Koreans are doing a great job designing stuffs from electronics to cars, my only gripe is built quality usually. -
Just now FT called me to tell me : " member , my sonata dun know when will die ?"
because his Sonata just overhauled , less than 1 week , engine became extremely noisy ! Machiam want to drop out like that ! Fuel consumption never near fuel saving ..... 9km/litre .
kan si lang makan diesel !
I dunno what happened , also dunno how noisy ....
What i know , usually after overhaul , engine super smooth one , but his Sonata , jiak lat , overhaul got worst , sent to let mechanic check , they also dunno what fault that caused the noise ?"
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I guessed it's time for them to seriously rethink their strategies ....
Cheap stuffs dun come good .
Good stuffs dun come cheap .
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They used Sonata , cos it's cheap , still can manage with high premium COE .
All because LTA and PAP want more money from COE ....
If not for the high COE , taxi companies can actually get a mid range Japanese , more reliable made .
Also LTA intervene too much ..... disallowing Singapore to use some Thailand made diesel Toyotas ....
In Malaysia , most drivers who drove a Toyota , they got those imported in from Thailand .
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I seriously do not understand why must insist in Japanese made Toyota when Thai made Toyota is cheaper ?
Because LTA intervene too much on Euro5 engines ... because of environment issue .
I just wanna tell LTA and PAP , dun laugh die people with your Environmental Philosophy .
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When i first drove a cab ..... those Toyota Crowns and Coronas was racking in those dollars for Comfort taxis before they merge with Delgro Engineering .
When they racked in those dollars , no headaches one .
Just smiling all the way to the bank ... Mechanic from Malaysia all eng eng cheng cheng ....
Now those work loads just too much until those Malaysian also run road now ...
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Originally posted by Happybird95:
Ermmmmmm.... I think that Komoco guy is an engine near not an engineer n doing Hyundai a disservice by saying that. Ask him to explain Hyundai sonata CRDi sold in Australia n NZ since 2008? Mind you, these are huge market we are talking abt. Will Hyundai juz any o how redesign n move it to these mkts haphazardly? I sincerely believe it is built quality and maintenance which is the issue here, not design. Koreans are doing a great job designing stuffs from electronics to cars, my only gripe is built quality usually.
Whether near or far away from engine I dunno, but at least he is working near it than those sitting in office and call themselve engineers.Australia and NZ use alot of diesel operating vehicle, for them, with their kind of temperature, no problem for their cooling system, in fact they have to heat up the vehicle with heater during winter or cold weather, as for tropical car, the design is different, the cooling bore and space must be bigger, now you know why toyota, honda and nissan assemble in thailand, so that they can test run on a hot weather, but sonata is make in korea,
And when they arrive into singapore, the engineer have to replace the cooling bore bigger in diameter, increase the timimg and flow.
In country like singapore, flashing of cooling system once a while is a must, otherwise once heated up, your vehicle will not be the same again, why? because at high temperature, many parts goes out of alignment/expanded/melted and many other irregularities. So, even if you are able to address and fix or renew the burnt parts, many other parts already affected, leading to less hp, more intake of fuel to move and noises.
It just like a body, if you do not take care, drink water, get very sick, go into operation, you are not the same anymore.
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Korean unlike jap, jap makes lighter car to compensate it fuel consumption, korea got lots of metal, they built car much heavier, but thicker in metal, those altis you press can sunk in easily, for that matter, it had a higher consumption of fuel than the jap, stability wise, it is better due to it heavy, thereby stable.
They like to copies german make car than alter a bit here and there, it engine is robust, but it cooling system need to improve with more cooling channel within the engine, it electrical system I should said, lost to the jap, their light bulbs like to blow off easily, this show an erractic current surge at times, and when electrical current is not stable, thing burnt.
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So much theories and speculation. Engine overheating won't cause fire.
Mostly electrical faults like wire melt, short circuiting etcc....and residue fuel besides the electrical sparks that cause fire.
Turbo charger , exhaust pipes bla bla bla too will not cause fire.
It's all due to "Cheap Replacement Parts"!!!!
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Originally posted by RotaryEngine:
So much theories and speculation. Engine overheating won't cause fire.
Mostly electrical faults like wire melt, short circuiting etcc....and residue fuel besides the electrical sparks that cause fire.
Turbo charger , exhaust pipes bla bla bla too will not cause fire.
It's all due to "Cheap Replacement Parts"!!!!
I also last time think engine overheating won't cause fire. So far for petrol engine, i think it overheat most likely piston sieze first then before any fire can start.
Then i read somewhere regarding diesel engine fire, diesel engine slightly different. Engine still can remain running even when radiator dry.
It will in turn overheat the engine oil, which then would spew out of the engine oil dip stick and even the engine oil pour hole. That is the part that cause the fire.
I read it from some fire investigation report.
Diesel fuel on its own very difficult to burn, i try before during army time. Soak at rag with diesel, put lighter, super long then burn. Burn when burn liao burn long time.
That is why diesel engine high compression and use glow plug instead or sprak plug. The compression part cause the combustion actually.
Video of diesel engine, i cut short to important part (2min 28sec onwards):
http://youtu.be/ZSq50G27J_o?t=2m28s