E}RIE| Tech Talk The following tips have been selected for reprint from the Oakville Starter Alternator Ltd. newsletter Tech Talk, courtesy of Mike Athay, president. Shocking Tires This tip comes via the iATN. The customer complained about getting a shock when exiting the vehicle and touching the door. This, of course, is a problem almost everyone has experi- enced at one time or another. Although the technician suggested that maybe a drag strap be installed, an alternate solution was found via the Internet. The problem was occurring on a 1998 Mercedes C320 and apparently Mercedes has a TSB (SJ) regarding the problem. The static charge is built up by the rotating rubber tires on the ground. Adefect in the tires causes an excessive static charge to build up. This problem is apparently not related to a specific brand or style of tire but is due to the way the materials line up during the molding process. All four tires were changed under warranty and the prob- lem was solved. How many techs would have diagnosed defective tires. Not So Far Out The electric car has been in the fore-front of technology fora long time, but has not really taken off because of the limitations in battery technology which created severe limitations in ve- hicle design. Back in 1994, Alex Trotman, the CEO of Ford described the situation like this, “An electric car today is like having a compact car with a three gallon gas tank,” and he was right! Electric cars were no more than “golf carts on steroids.” Since then, there have been some significant de- velopments in technology. Battery technology has improved by leaps and bounds but still has some distance to go. Development of the fuel cell has also revised the thinking of most car manufacturers. Canada is in the lead with this technology, with Ballard In- dustries in B.C. having to cope with the problem of having car manufactur- ers worldwide throwing money at them to make this technology work. The electric car is all but here. Every major manufacturer has working prototypes and some have vehicles in production in other countries. This will be a sig- nificant change in our industry. JANUARY, 2001 Page 1 of 1