Eugene Miya wrote:
> In article ,
> J. Clarke wrote:
>> So what, exactly, does a temperature of 112F do to the gas tank? And
>
> Some experience vapor lock.
Gas tanks? Sorry, but vapor lock happens in fuel lines and the float
bowls of carburetors, not in gas tanks. Nearly all cars sold today have
fuel pumps in the tank that pressurize the fuel lines and have fuel
injection, not carburetors, so this is not something one needs to worry
about with a rental car. In any case there's nothing you can do with a
rental car to prevent it, and nothing that you can monitor other than
the temperature gage to reduce the chance of it happening. If it
happens you stop and wait for it to go away.
>> what does one do to the tires while driving through?
>
> I posted that in another note on the fact that somewhat high passes
> surround the Valley. The air temp isn't the problem. Don't expect to
> have cold air traction with the tires on these roads. The surface
> temps common exceed 160f on the roads. At least 2 other posters
> thought these surrounding roads were flat. Far from it. I've also
> driven in via Darwin (scorpions! kewl!).
In general the traction provided by tires improves with increasing
temperature right up to the point that they start coming apart. This is
why drag racers do a "burnout" immediately before the race, to heat the
tires and increase traction. And they get the tires hot enough to
smoke. Track racing drivers have to take it easy for a lap or so after
a tire change for the same reason, and experienced motorcyclists take it
easy for the first ten miles or so of a ride until the tires warm up.
Now if the tire is real crap it might throw the tread, but I can't see
any rental company operating in the area continuing to put such tires on
their cars and thus continuing to incur needless recurring costs. In
any case there's nothing that the OP can _do_ about it and if it does
happen then you just stop, change the tire, and they go very slowly to
the next rental office and swap it out for a car with a different brand
of tire.
Regardless, the OP doesn't seem to be planning on racing, he's planning
a sedate drive with the kids, which any modern car should be able to
handle with no trouble at all.
I'm sorry, but you seem to be worrying about nonproblems.
--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
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