Did you ever wonder how the mechanical voltage regulator — that big black box wired up to the generator on a car from the ’60s or before — worked? [Jonelsonster] has some answers. For most people in 2026 an old car perhaps means one from the 20th century, now that vehicles from the 1990s and […]
Ford does sell an electric pickup, but not very many of them. We can’t say for sure, but it’s possible that if the F150 Lightning had the classic cool of [ScottenMotors] 1977 F150 SuperCab conversion they’d have better numbers. The battery box sits where a V8 used to choke on well-meaning emissions controls. On Reddit, […]
There’s a well-known movie trope in which a hacker takes control of the traffic lights in a city, causing general mayhem or creating a clear getaway path. Unlike many Hollywood representations of hacking, this is actually possible in principle; many cities install Emergency Vehicle Preemption (EVP) systems in their traffic signals to turn them green […]
Automotive airbags are key safety devices that aim to reduce injuries and mortality in the event of motor vehicle accidents. These rapidly-inflating cushions act to soften the blow of an impact, catching occupants of the vehicle and preventing them from hitting hard parts of the vehicle’s interior. Airbags are rigorously tested to perform as faultlessly […]
It’s no real secret that modern-day cars are basically a collection of computers on wheels, which also means that we get all the joys of debugging complex computer systems and software with cars these days. Rather than a quick poke under the hood to rebuild a carburetor and adjust the engine timing by hand, you’ll […]
There was a time when wise older people warned you to check your tire pressure regularly. We never did, and would eventually wind up with a flat or, worse, a blowout. These days, your car will probably warn you when your tires are low. That’s because of a class of devices known as tire pressure […]
Once upon a time, a car phone was a great way to signal to the world that you were better than everybody else. It was a clear sign that you had money to burn, and implied that other people might actually consider it valuable to talk to you from time to time. There was, however, a way […]
There’s no accounting for taste, but it’s hard to argue with The Autopian when they declare that this Nixie tube dash by [David Forbes] is “the coolest speedometer of all time” — well, except to quibble that it’s also the coolest tachometer, temperature gauge, oil pressure indicator, and voltmeter. Yeah, the whole instrument cluster is […]
Headlights. Indicators. Trunk releases. Seatbelts. Airbags. Just about any part of a car you can think of is governed by a long and complicated government regulation. It’s all about safety, ensuring that the car-buying public can trust that their vehicles won’t unduly injure or maim them in regular operation, or in the event of accident. […]
We’ve all owned something where one tiny detail drives us nuts: a blinding power LED, buttons in the wrong order, or a beep that could wake the dead. This beautifully documented project fixes exactly that kind of annoyance, only this time it’s the climate-controlled seats in a 2020 Ram 1500. [projectsinmotion] wasn’t satisfied with adjusting […]