Collector's Item

I just got news that Nasim will not be importing in any more Peugeot 308 GT here in Malaysia. They have brought in 10 units, and apparently till date, about 6 is sold. This would mean that this car will be a collector's item here in Malaysia.

I've also checked that countries like Singapore and Australia does not have this model too. Its quite a rare car then, and I am pretty lucky to own one..

Directional Headlights

One of the few things that really amazes me is the Directional Headlights on the Xenon headlamps that comes standard on the 308 GT. Not only does the lights seem very bright, it will also move towards the direction that you turn on your steering wheel. If you turn left, the lights will turn left. If you turn a little, the lights will move a little also.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joP7NykzMd8

Here is a video that was taken by Andy 4 months ago that illustrates the technology of the directional headlights on the 308 GT

Advantages & Disadvantages of the Moonroof

There are many people who are interested in the new batch of 308 THP here in Malaysia which will come with the moonroof as illustrated in my picture here. However, there were debates about its advantages and disadvantages of having a moonroof.

Firstly, let me explain that the moonroof is just a window that cannot open, unlike the sunroof, which can be opened for air/wind to come into the cabin. The moonroof only has a  slider from the back to cover the glass and all the air conditioning is kept within the cabin of the car.

The moonroof is bigger than the sunroof. Since the sunroof has the option of it being able to open for air, there are a few disadvantage that the sunroof will face.

1) leaking, once the seals are worn out, sunroofs does face this problem.

2) if you forgot to close it, and it starts to rain or if birds decide to make POO, you will have lots of cleaning to do.

Since the Moonroof does not have the option of allowing the air to enter, especially in the Malaysian climate, you will still have good cabin air conditioning being circulated within. Moonroofs don't have the leaking problem. And, it makes the car feel more spacious once its opened.

These are the disadvantages that I felt applies by having a moonroof.

1) Feels hot if its opened during a hot day

2) Too glaring during mid day

3) got to pay extra to get the moonroof version

However, the advantages are as follows:-

1) I have it and you don't syndrome (Feels good)

2) Feels more spacious

3) Kids just love it!! They can see the aeroplanes flying above clearly.

4) Very romantic if you are dating at night

5) People in buses stare at you and your car at a traffic light

6) Its a WOW factor!

Well, heard you only got to pay less than RM 3000 for the moonroof version on the THP. I would say, its damn cheap as the entire moonroof system was rated to be at least RM 15,000 more.

Only the high end cars have this feature, and its definitely a great feeling to have it on your car!

So, come join me to be one of the few who has this in Malaysia...

Tire pressure sensors quoted from http://www.sensorsmag.com/sensors/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=444828

Powering Tire Pressure Sensors

In the interest of improved safety (and better gas mileage), tire pressure monitoring systems will soon be mandatory on cars. The challenge is how to power them.

A 1977 study at Indiana University estimated that 260,000 vehicle crashes occurred each year in the United States because of underinflated tires (out of a total 18 million crashes for all reasons). In November 2000, Congress enacted the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation Act (TREAD), in part due to the more than 250 fatalities linked to underinflation of Firestone tires on Ford Explorers. TREAD mandated tire pressure sensors (TPS) on all new passenger vehicles and light trucks; many new vehicles come equipped with these devices and all vehicles are required to have them by September 2007.

TPS warn drivers of underinflation, leaks, and the loss of air pressure that occurs naturally; tires typically lose about 1 psi each month due to natural permeation, losing more in warm weather. In an under-inflated tire the sidewalls will flex excessively creating high temperatures that degrade the tire and make failure more likely.

It is ironic that, with all the sophisticated technology in today's vehicles, tires are one of the last systems to be instrumented. For decades sensors have existed to measure parameters such as oil pressure, coolant temperature, and electrical output. More recently, sensors have been added for seat belts, environmental systems, road temperature, back-up indicators, GPS locators, and other functions. While all of these systems are important, most of them do not have the direct impact on safety that tire sensors do. A recent survey by the Car Care Council found that about half of all vehicles inspected had improperly inflated tires. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that TPS systems on all vehicles would prevent about 120 fatalities per year.

The Challenges
The chief challenge to measuring tire pressure is the simple fact that the tire is rotating at high speeds and making a direct connection to a rotating tire is difficult. The tire is also exposed to unexpected hazards, water, and road chemicals and subjected to centrifugal forces that try to pull it off the wheel. All this in temperatures that can reach well over 100°F in summer and far below 0°F in winter. TPS systems must be designed to handle these harsh conditions and to meet four key requirements: They must secure the sensor in the tire or wheel, provide power to the sensor, extract data from the sensor, and display the information to the driver.

Securing the sensor in the tire or the wheel is the easiest condition to meet. Pressure sensors that can withstand the conditions in a tire are already available at reasonable cost. The real challenges are the next two—getting power to the sensor and extracting data from the sensor to the display. The most practical and cost-effective method of extracting the data from a rotating tire is to use a wireless signal and wireless communication has become the standard for TPS systems. In the complete package, the sensor measures the tire pressure and the circuit transmits it as a radio signal to the display for the driver. Power is typically supplied with a battery contained in the TPS package. A popular wheel-mounted TPS package is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Wheel-mounted TPS system manufactured by Siemens VDO Corp.

The small wireless transmitter in a TPS system is similar to that used in an auto key fob to lock your car. In the TPS system, it sends data from the rotating tire to the display reader. The antenna is located in the valve stem so that it is slightly outside of the wheel. This antenna design is an attempt to prevent the metal wheel from blocking too much of the signal.

TPS systems are designed to send a signal directly from the sensor on each wheel to a receiver and display the data for the driver. For cost reasons, a single receiver is preferred. This means that the signal from the TPS must be strong enough to overcome the attenuation and signal loss caused by the mass of the car. This requires a high-power circuit and larger battery. However, a large battery increases both size and cost and adds weight that must be balanced.

Battery life in TPS systems can be quite variable. Batteries can last for a reasonable time period when the transmitter is managed on a duty cycle and when everything goes right. However, batteries may not always last as long as expected. In many TPS systems, changing the battery requires replacing the entire sealed sensor package. Estimates of the cost to consumers for TPS maintenance run from a few hundred dollars to a thousand dollars over the life of the system.

Battery Alternatives
There is a great deal of interest in alternatives to batteries for TPS systems. One of the most attractive options is to capture energy from the moving tire with what are called "energy harvesters." A simple example of an energy harvester is the modern generator, or alternator, used in all vehicles. It is usually connected to the engine by a belt and as it turns it transforms some of the mechanical energy of the engine into electricity.

We believe that the best candidate for energy harvesting in TPS systems is the piezoelectric effect. Piezoelectric (PZ) materials can convert some of the vibration of the tire into electricity that is then stored in a capacitor and used to power the TPS system on the desired duty cycle. Potential advantages include:

• Longer life—an energy harvester could last as long as the vehicle
• Smaller size—a harvester could be smaller than a battery
• More rugged
• Lower cost—harvesters will be competitive with current batteries
• Less maintenance—harvesters will not normally need to be replaced
• No switch required for energy harvesters—batteries must be turned off when the vehicle is stationary and require a switch and motion sensor. PZ harvesters do not require this
• Lower environmental impact—harvesters are more environmentally benign when compared to the multiple batteries that would be required over the life of the vehicle

Unfortunately, energy harvesters also have one big disadvantage—they're difficult to manufacture. While PZ harvesters have been around in low-cost products, such as lighters, for a long time it is both difficult and costly to build a small, rugged system suitable for powering a TPS. Let's examine the anatomy of the device.

Anatomy of a Piezoelectric Energy Harvester
As shown in Figure 2, a TPS energy harvester is a beam of PZ material bonded to a metal conductor to form a bimorph. The bimorph is fixed at one end and free to vibrate along its length like a tuning fork. The electric current generated from the PZ material as the bimorph vibrates is captured by electrodes.

Figure 2: A basic piezoelectric bimorph

A piezoelectric energy harvester usually consists of five basic design elements: A PZ ceramic material, typically a lead-zirconia-titania compound called PZT; conductors to carry the current, typically silver, gold, or aluminum; an insulating mount to hold the bimorph firmly in place; an open space for the free end of the bimorph to vibrate (typically air); and a package, typically ceramic or metal, to protect and hold the device.

All of the above elements need to be bonded into a strong package no larger than the batteries currently used in tire pressure sensors, which are somewhat smaller than a quarter coin but only about half as thick. This presents a challenge for conventional manufacturing techniques.

Manufacturing Methods
The design requirements of a PZ energy harvester could be met by using a layered manufacturing process, creating layers of both ceramic and metal simultaneously and leaving spaces where necessary. Approaches such as rapid prototyping can be used to create models of PZ harvesters, but not actual working parts. So far, successful assembly has relied on hand assembly and machining.

EoPlex has developed a relatively new process that is capable of manufacturing PZ harvesters. This high-volume technology builds parts in layers, but can produce thousands of parts simultaneously from many different materials. These parts include active elements (e.g., circuits, catalyst beds, mixing chambers, capacitors, and piezoelectric actuators) that are produced in one step.

The EoPlex method uses printing as a forming tool, with proprietary printing pastes or "inks" acting as the building blocks to create the 3D structure.

An EoPlex printing paste looks similar to a thick-film paste or a solder paste, and consists of engineered mixtures of inorganic powders, which create the final structure, and an organic portion, which acts as the liquid carrier, allowing the paste to be printed.

The inorganic portion of the paste is composed of a careful distribution of fine ceramics, glasses, metals, and modifiers that are sintered or fired together. Since these materials are all fired in the same part, the process is called cofiring. Not all material combinations can be cofired. For example, tungsten, a high-temperature metal that requires a firing temperature of 1500°C, cannot be used with tin, which melts at about 230°C. Other materials may not be candidates for cofiring due to mismatches in thermal expansion or other properties.

The organic compounds used are proprietary blends of binders, polymers, dispersants, viscosity and surface modifiers, and other additives. These organic materials allow EoPlex engineers to create printing pastes that cure quickly between layers, carry very high loadings of the inorganic powders, print to high accuracy, and sinter to very high density during the firing process.

For components with complex open areas we use special printing materials calledfugitive, negative, or sacrificial pastes that are designed to disappear at some point in the process. Fugitive pastes are printed like the other materials and are used to form complex structures within the part. During postprocessing, the fugitive structure is removed to leave a 3D structure of channels, chambers, and spaces. Good fugitive materials exhibit highly complex chemistry. Fugitive printing inks must do all of the following simultaneously:

• Print crisply and precisely
• Cure instantly to allow other layers to be printed without distortion or "smearing"
• Expand and contract with changes in temperature by an amount similar to the other materials in the structure
• Bond well with other materials, including conductors, ceramics, metals, and glasses
• Disappear cleanly, without leaving behind any residue, ash, or contaminants
• Be able to diffuse through the walls of the part without requiring a vent
• Not create any significant stresses during removal

The requirement to maintain low stress on the part during fugitive removal is critical. Any pressure generated by the fugitive will normally occur at a relatively low temperature before the ceramic and metal precursors have reacted. As a result, the structure will be weak and can be damaged by the pressure of the escaping fugitive, unless the process is carefully controlled.

Building an Energy Harvester
The process is a good match for the requirements of a PZ energy harvester. For this application it will use five different proprietary printing materials including a tough ceramic for the outer package, a PZT material to generate electricity, and a series of conductors and contacts to collect and carry the charge (Figure 3).

Figure 3. An EoPlex energy harvester design

This energy harvester has two piezoelectric layers that are bonded to three metal layers to provide power as the beam vibrates up and down. A mass has been built into the beam to tune the arm to the available vibrations in the tire and generate more energy. The assembly is housed in a ceramic package with electrical contacts built into the top.

To build this part, EoPlex starts with the CAD model, which is sliced into a set of layers according to specific design rules. These CAD slices are used to create print screens or masks, similar to those used in circuit board printing. Screens are produced for all positive images—which are printed with ceramic or metal paste—as well as all negative images, which are printed with fugitive paste. The number of screens and the variety of images per screen depends on the number of layers that the part is sliced into and the number of materials in each layer.

Parts are printed using commercial screen printers modified to deposit the proprietary inks. At the end of the process, we will have a full slab of parts consisting of hundreds of layers made up of different images and materials. A test panel of parts 18 by 18 in. is shown in Figure 4. A red dye has been added to the fugitive material in this panel for clarity.

Figure 4. An 18 by 18 in. panel of EoPlex parts. The red material is the dyed fugitive compound

When the fugitive material is removed and the parts sintered, the parts emerge separately and no cutting is required. In Figure 5, four different demonstration parts are shown with the dyed fugitive material still present (left) and with the fugitive material removed and the full parts revealed (right).

Figure 5. The demo parts on the left show the dyed fugitive material still present while those on the right show the parts after the fugitive material has been removed

EoPlex currently develops energy harvesters for tire pressure sensors and other applications. The company also uses these same techniques for fuel cell components, microreactors, thermal management systems, and advanced circuits.

We are pleased to see that tire safety, fuel economy and the risks of underinflation are being aggressively addressed. This technology, unheard of 30 years ago when the 1977 Indiana study was done, has evolved to accommodate the development of TPS systems. We're delighted to help advance that technology even further.

Penang 15th May 2009

Klang to Penang- Toll to Toll

Left Klang NKVE toll this morning at 4:27am.

Passed Tapah R&R at 5:17am (50 mins)

Passed Gua Tempurung at 5:27am (1 hour)

Reached Ipoh Toll at 5:37am (1 hour 10 mins)

Reached Sg Perak R&R and rested 10 mins for toilet break at 5:50am (1hour 23 mins)

Left Sg Perak at 5:58am

Started raining in Taiping area, slowed down.

Reached Juru Toll 6:44am

Reach Penang Bride Toll at 6:55am (2 hours 28 mins from Klang NKVE toll)

Petrol used 3/4 tank. Top speed 220km/h. Average cruising (no rain) 180km/h-200km/h. Average cruising (rain) 130km/h. 

Pictures by Mr Kevin Han

Kevin Han is one of Malaysia's most remarkable photographer. These are pictures that he took during our session in Putrajaya. 

Playing around in Putrajaya 10 May 2009

Here are some pictures taken by my colleague of the 308GT around Putrajaya.

However, another set of pictures by Mr Kevin Han will be posted up here in probably a few weeks time.

Do enjoy the pics as we did enjoy taking them.
We parked the car in the middle of the road, there were traffic but very little cars passing. In fact, we parked the car at the wrong direction of the traffic. Risky, but... since there were not many cars moving... we were quick to get the shots we wanted.

How does twin scroll turbocharger work?

Twin scroll turbine housing. The TST housing derives its name from the geometry of the exhaust gas inlet into the turbine. Two different-sized scrolls are generally used, a primary and a secondary. Typically, the primary is open for low-speed operation, and both for high-speed use. This creates the ability of the TST to be a small A/R housing at low speeds and a large A/R at higher speeds.

TST designs are of merit in that they offer a better combination of low-speed response and high-end power. It would be difficult to configure the unit to control boost by effectively varying A/R. A wastegate is therefore still necessary to control boost pressure. Simplicity of the twin scroll turbine housing is its big selling point.

[Source- "Maximum Boost" by Corky Bell]

1 tank of Fuel trip from Klang to Kepala Batas, Penang and BACK!!

Today is one of the most interesting day with the 308 GT. I was trying to achieve to drive from Taman Bayu Perdana, Klang (which is near Pandamaran), all the way to Kepala Batas in Penang... and BACK...., with just ONE tank full of petrol!! Woah!! The Petrol attendant said its NOT possible....

So, this was a challenge... and there were four of us in the car when we set off at 9am in the morning.

We had to swivel in the Klang jam for a while before hitting NKVE. When I hit NKVE, I set the cruise control at 110km/h and we cruised all the way up to Ipoh, when one of us, had to take a leak... so, we all followed. 

By the time we reached Kepala Batas at around 1pm, the car was just about half tank of fuel, clocking 404.6 km. That moment, I was confident that we could reach back Klang with 1 tank of fuel. I went for my meeting, and by the time we wanted to head back, it was already 6pm. I kept to my composure of not wanting to accelerate hard to save the fuel and achieve what I have never achieved before. Believe me, its hard when you have the urge to just want to accelerate and feel the power. I drove slowly and kept to my discipline and with four of us again... we drove back also keeping to the 110km/h speed limit which I set on my cruise control.

On the way back, we decided to stop by Ipoh to have the Bean Spout and chicken rice. I was thinking whether its possible to meet our goal if we detour into Ipoh, which we will move into slow traffic and lots of traffic lights. However, we had nice chicken rice in Ipoh City.

Finally, our stretch back to Klang was again set at 110km/h all the way. By the time I reached back Klang town, the fuel warning light started to beep. I clocked 783.0km with 1 tank of fuel and yet, I had another 110km to go with the balance of fuel in the tank. Looking at the trip computer, I have done a 6.5l/100km which is equvalent to 15.38km/l with 4 people in the car and aircon all the way and back.

This is indeed a great fuel consumption on the 1.6 turbo engine running constantly (95% of the time) at 110km/h.

Trying to attempt - Port Klang to Penang and back WITH ONE TANK OF FUEL!!

Tomorrow, will be an interesting trip for me to Penang. I will try to drive from Port Klang, along NKVE, all the way to Kepala Batas, which I will have a meeting... and back with 1 full tank of fuel only. Estimated distance is 850km.

Do you think its possible on the 308GT?? 

Touch Screen Pioneer Player for the Peugeot 308

I stumbled in Youtube this interesting player that is fixed in a Peugeot 308.

I wonder if it can be done here in Malaysia.

CLICK HERE

VIDEO - GT compared to THP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvrGS7n_1a8

ok.. the above video is done in the morning when I just woke up so... excuse my scruffy look.

The remaining things that I didn't mention in the video are:-

1) Directional headlamps - the move left and right according to where you turn

2) Headlamp washers

3) Front parking Sensors

Pulling to the LEFT problem..

I've been always getting the pulling to the left problem with the Peugeot 308. Its a right hand drive and people from Nasim even told me that the problem is normal as the car is built for left hand drive and there is a bushing issue where these cars are built to be slightly pulling to the left as the roads are tilting towards the right, on the right lane.

However, because we are driving on the left hand side of the road, plus the roads here are tilting to the left, plus the car is built to pull a little to the left, we end up having a 308, pulling to the left issue in Malaysia.

I spoke to Raymond, who owns a 308 THP during our last TT session and he told me that the Pirelli guys in Glenmarie solved his pulling to the left issue. I was determined to solve my problem too, so I took a stroll there today and spoke to the nice people there.

They told me that many 308 came and had the same problem. So, they started working on my car.

First, they took a test drive around the block. Confirmed, the car is pulling to the left.

Second, they did the alignment. 

Third, they rotated the tires. As my car just hit its 10,000km, it was time for a rotate anyway.

They also did wheel balancing.

Finally, they delivered the car and told me it was a  camber issue, so they toe in a little and the car will be even better as time goes. I really don't know what that means.

However, I took the car for a drive and I was really amazed that the car is moving straight when I let go of the steering wheel.

I am glad that its straight now. The damage? RM 32 for wheel balancing and RM 45 for alignment.  For RM 77.00 I think it was worth it...

I would recommend those with this problem to pay them a visit. The Pirelli shop is located at the corner right in front of the entrance to Nasim Glenmarie. Its called Goh Swee Hin (KL) Sdn Bhd.

Good Luck and cheers! 

11th April Peugeot TT session

We ended up in Puchong, ABC Mamak as the Awan Besar R&R was packed and it was raining as well.

The PCM committee had a small discussion about the activities that we are going to organise for 2008.

It was a great turnout as we had more than 28 people who attended the TT session.

Peugeot Club Malaysia AGM - 29th March 2009

An eventful meeting was held on the 29th March 2009 at the Naza Boardroom in Jalan 51A/221, Petaling Jaya with 25 members attending. 

An election was done and AbangK and Pumbaah was reelected as President and Vice President for another term. Paramjit was also reelected as the treasurer. Black Dolphin (Andrew) is now the new Secretary while EPang (Eugene) is the Vice Secretary. I can't remember who were the other committee members but Andy and myself were elected in.

This year, we hope to have a better team of committee to spice up more activities for the Peugeot owners here in Malaysia. Another committee meeting will be called to address the issues and activities for the coming year.

Some of the activities discussed were Track Day in Sepang, A Day at the beach (Family Day), More TT sessions, Kuala Kelawang challenge, A trip to Gurun (Naza Factory), Bowling Day etc but nothing is confirmed until our next meeting.

We do hope to see more new members join in the club, especially the 308 and 407 owners.