Porsche’s six-stroke engine

Who loves a good internal combustion engine (ICE)?  Confession time would have me say that I still love the special characteristics of an ICE and the awesome soundtracks that they can make – none being more special than a sonorous and legendary V8 or even a fully vocal high-pitched straight six. 

Now there is news in the hood that Porsche has patented some new technology whereby the introduction of a six-stroke cycle for an ICE of theirs will be made.  The common four-stroke cycle that is already used by almost every auto manufacturer, including Porsche, has four strokes: intake, compression, ignition, and exhaust.  Porsche states that the six-stroke cycle will make considerable gains in power output while also lowering its levels of emissions.  This is great news for ICE fans.

How does it work and what’s the difference?  As the numbers suggest, the conventional four-stroke cycle makes a power stroke one in every four times that the piston moves on its vertical axis.  Thus, in a conventional four-stroke engine, each piston helps to drive the car about 25% of the time.  Porsche’s new six-stroke engine will provide a power stroke twice in its six-stroke cycle – that’s two power strokes out of every six that the piston moves on its vertical axis (or one in three).  This means that each piston is helping to power/drive the vehicle about 33% of the time it’s moving.  The six-stroke cycle works as follows: intake fuel and air, compress the fuel and air mix, ignition (power), intake more fuel and air, ignition (power), and exhaust. 

By allowing the piston to have a variation in its travel length inside its chamber via clever internal gearing and a special vent design, the six-stroke engine can produce more power strokes within its cycle.  For the first three strokes, the piston works like a normal four-stroke.  Then, on the fourth stroke, the special gearing allows the piston to drop lower in its chamber, presenting some more scavenging ports that allow more fuel and fresh air to enter the cylinder while the exhaust gases escape out the exhaust ports.  The fifth stroke ignites the fresh fuel mix, and then the sixth cycle gets rid of all burnt/spent gases.

Who wouldn’t want a great sounding faster and more efficient new Porsche sports car? However, this is not all that the clever team at Porsche have been up to.  Porsche has already worked towards creating a fuel that is considered to be a carbon-neutral synthetic fuel made from carbon dioxide (CO₂) that has been captured from the atmosphere.  That’s right, it is essentially using or recycling atmospheric carbon as fuel for their ICE vehicle.  

While still leading the charge for ICE fans, Porsche has not abandoned EVs.  It is also worth noting that Porsche is also going in all guns blazing with EV technology as well.  Most new models of Porsche have an EV in their line-up already, and the Taycan is a pure EV.

All the same, I’m fascinated by this new six-stroke technology and am looking forward to seeing it in whatever new offerings Porsche decides to serve up.

Engine Oil 101

Most of us are still driving vehicles with an internal combustion engine (ICE) as the main source of power for propelling our vehicle down the road.  In order for the ICE to run smoothly – in fact, to run at all – the engine needs oil to travel all around the engine’s working parts to lubricate them so that they can move freely within their confines without overheating from too much friction and to prevent the engine from imploding on itself, or exploding, whichever way you like to think of it. 

As well as lubricating the motor, oil helps to keep the ICE cool and retards any corrosion.  Most modern oils also contain a bit of detergent.  The detergent helps to flush any gunk that comes from wear and tear on the engine components and any older oil compounds that have formed through to the oil filter where these unwanted bits will be captured and removed altogether when the old oil filter is changed with a new one come next time the ICE oil gets changed as part of the vehicle’s regular servicing regime.

If you’re new to the world of car ownership, or new to changing your own oil rather than just taking down to the service centre and getting the friendly guys and gals to do it for you, you may be utterly bewildered by the wall of containers that confronts you at your nearest discount automotive supplies store.  What are all those different types and numbers?  Does it matter what sort of oil you get to put in your car? Yes, it does, so here’s what you need to know about the stuff. 

There are various types of ICE oil on the market as well as various brands of motor oil – as you probably noticed.  The various types of ICE oil have been designed for fulfilling a particular role or purpose, and they have also been designed for various ICE types.  It is important to know a bit about the oil additives used in the oil, the oil’s viscosity rating, and the oil’s classification code so that you can match the right oil for your particular vehicle’s ICE.

Oil additives

Oil additives help prevent corrosion of the metal parts inside the internal engine.  Oil additives also help cut down the friction of the moving parts and work to dissolve any impurities and sludge that may form over time.  The additives also prevent the oil from foaming up at high temperatures, as well as helping the oil pour better when the weather is colder and temperatures are lower. 

Consumer testing has reported no real difference in engine wear between vehicles that use synthetic oils and vehicles that use mineral oils.  The key is to change the oil according to the vehicle’s manufacture’s guidelines.  Some people even like to change the ICE oil before the guideline period.  If this is the case, there is no harm done to the engine at all; it’s just that servicing costs will be higher over time, but with the likely benefit of increasing the life of the ICE. 

Obviously synthetic oils have an even more controlled level of additives included in the oil’s make-up.  Some ICE designs are more prone to forming oil sludge over time, and there are those who like to use synthetic oils in order to ensure against any sludge building up inside their vehicle’s engine.  There are also some people who suggest that synthetic oils are better in cold climates because these oils don’t have as many waxy compounds to congest the oil when temperatures are cold.  An idea of viscosity helps us understand this better.

Viscosity

As soon as the ICE ignites into life, the engine’s parts are moving before the oil has the time to reach every single part of the internal working parts’ surfaces.  It’s when the engine is started cold that the most internal wear occurs.  Now, all ICE oil has a viscosity rating.  Viscosity determines the oil’s ability to flow in cold weather/temperatures and thus during cold starts.  The quicker the oil can get around the whole engine, the less wear and tear occurs.  In cold weather, oil thickens and becomes less able to flow through the engine.  It is also true that in hot weather, oil thins out.  Yes – when the weather is hot the oil thins out and pours quickly, it may become so thin that it can’t prevent friction.  It’s a bit of a Goldilocks situation – the oil can’t be too hot or too cold but just right.

There are two types of oil sold on the market.  One is known as single viscosity oil and the other multi-viscosity oil.  For many years now, almost every vehicle has been designed to run on multi-viscosity oil.  Vehicle manufacturers say what type of oil should be used for their vehicles, which is determined by the oil’s viscosity according to the temperature range that the vehicle is expected to function in the working period before the oil is changed (i.e., when the engine is due for its service).  The lower the number, the thinner the oil and more easily it flows.  An example of the numbers you’ll see on an oil container at your local automotive parts store is 10W-40.  The two numbers mean that it is a multi-viscosity oil that is effective over a range of temperatures.  The 10 refers to how the oil flows at low temperatures.  The 40 refers to how it flows at high temperatures.  The W means that the oil can be used in winter. 

The oil industry’s American Petroleum Institute (API) has an assigned symbol to certify that an oil meets the latest industry requirements, as well as a code for how well the oil protects the ICE against wear, corrosion, deposits, and oxidation.  The API symbol looks like a donut, and you should see this on any reputable brand’s oil container that you can buy from your local automotive parts store.  The donut symbol is used for both petrol and diesel ICEs and should be located on the outside of the oil container. 

The classification codes for vehicles with petrol engines started with SA in the early 1960s.  As the engines became more modern and demanding with their higher performance and fuel efficiency, the oil had also to get more refined and better able to lubricate at higher temperatures and within finer mechanical margins.  Thus, the codes progressed alphabetically from SB onwards.  At present, any oil coded SJ is no longer considered current, but you can use oils coded SM along with later codes in a vehicle of any age to make the engine run more smoothly and better overall.

So to recap: the lower the number after the W, the better the oil will work in cold weather; the higher the number after the W, the better the oil works in hot weather.  So 0W-20 oil will be great for a vehicle used in a place like Canada through its harsh winters, but it won’t be good for a vehicle located in central Outback Australia during the heat of summer.  A 30W-50 oil will be more suitable for hot Australian conditions. 

How To Change A Flat Tyre

Sometimes, it pays to go back to basics.  After all, everybody has to learn the basics some time! There is a common breakdown that you should be able to manage yourself: a puncture in the tyre. With a little bit of prior knowledge, this scenario (which is more common than you might think) can be tackled confidently.  If you have the original manual that came with your car when it was first bought from a dealer, then this booklet will have a set of instructions to follow so that you can familiarise yourself with the process of putting a spare tyre on.  However, here is the general procedure for changing a wheel.

First of all, let’s figure out how to jack up the vehicle safely.  Knowing how to properly jack up the car safely is useful for changing a flat tyre and also for doing simple inspections to wheel bearings and brakes.  Jacks are used to get a vehicle off the ground.  Now, a word of warning here would be that if you are going to get underneath the car and have a look while the car has been jacked up off the ground, then you must place jack stands in place to hold the weight of the vehicle.  This is because if the jack fails or the car is knocked off balance, then the stands will hold the vehicle up, and you won’t get squished.  I get claustrophobic enough going under a car even with the jack stands in place so the thought of doing it without is – bleught!

When you jack up the vehicle so that you can work or inspect underneath it, ensure that the vehicle’s handbrake is on, that the vehicle is in first gear (manual transmission) or in park (automatic transmission), that the wheels are chocked, and the jack stands are in place.  For changing a tyre, providing the vehicle is on level ground, the handbrake is on, and the car is placed in gear, the jack will take the weight for the duration of changing the wheel.  Just don’t go clambering underneath the car!

Here is the method to follow:

1. Secure the vehicle so that it won’t roll (check this rather than assuming – slopes can catch you out in odd places).
2. Jack up the vehicle.  For changing a wheel that has a punctured tyre, I suggest you jack up the vehicle after loosening the lug nuts a little bit with the wrench provided in the vehicle puncture repair kit.  Before loosening the nuts, you will need to remove the wheel cover or hubcap.  You can do this by using a screwdriver or the flat end of the wheel lug’s nut wrench to lever the cover or hubcap.  The reason for loosening the nuts now is because if it is the front wheel that needs replacing, it will spin freely once it loses contact with the ground as you apply torque to undo the lug nuts.  You loosen the lug nuts by turning them counterclockwise (the old lefty loosey–righty tighty rule).  The lug nuts will and should be fairly tight and will require plenty of torque to remove.  After just loosening the nuts, jack up the vehicle completely.
3. Now remove the lug nuts completely.  Remove the wheel with the punctured tyre. 
4. Put on the spare, repaired, or new tyre/wheel.  Torque up the lug nuts by hand till they are snug to the rim, then lower the car down till the tyre on the wheel makes solid contact with the ground.  Now you can tighten the lug nuts all the way without the wheel spinning.  Lower the car down completely.
5. Put the jack and tools away.
6. Drive away. 

Yes, it’s that simple. If your car comes with a space saver spare tyre, your drive should be to the nearest tyre centre to get a new full-size one to replace the punctured one. Otherwise, you’re good to go.  But make sure that you get a replacement for the punctured tyre.  After all, the worst thing when you need to change a punctured tyre is to find an old flat tyre in the compartment instead of a nice new one.

Are Electric Vehicles At Risk of Being Hacked?

As electric vehicles uptake increases across the world, and technology breaks new ground, concerns about cybersecurity have emerged. EVs, by their nature, are highly reliant on software and connectivity, making them potential targets for hacking.

The question of whether electric vehicles are at risk of hacking is not just theoretical because it has practical implications for the safety of drivers, the security of personal data, and the integrity of transportation infrastructure.

Are Electric Vehicles Exposed to Cyber Threats?

Electric vehicles are essentially computers on wheels. They are equipped with complex software systems that control everything from the engine and brakes, to navigation and entertainment. Many EVs are also connected to the internet, allowing for features such as over-the-air updates, remote diagnostics, and even autonomous driving capabilities.

This connectivity, while offering significant convenience and functionality, also opens up new avenues for cyberattacks. Hackers can potentially exploit vulnerabilities in the software to take control of the vehicle, access sensitive data, or cause disruptions to a vehicle’s operation.

Assessing the Risks

One of the primary risks associated with EV hacking is the potential for remote control of the vehicle. Hackers could theoretically take over critical functions such as steering, braking, or acceleration, putting the driver and passengers at serious risk.

In extreme cases, a hacker could disable a car entirely, leaving it stranded, or worse, use the vehicle to cause harm. Such scenarios, though currently rare, have been demonstrated in controlled environments by cybersecurity researchers, which goes some way towards highlighting the risks posed by EV systems that lack adequate security.

In addition to physical risks, there are also data security concerns. Electric vehicles collect vast amounts of data about their users, including location history, driving habits, and personal information linked to the vehicle’s infotainment system. If this data were to be accessed by malicious agents, it could lead to identity theft, privacy breaches, or targeted attacks.

The growing network of EV charging stations presents another potential vulnerability. These stations, especially those that are publicly accessible, can be targeted by hackers to disrupt the charging process, steal data, or even use the charging network as a gateway to attack the vehicles themselves. The interconnected nature of these networks means that a breach in one area could have cascading effects, potentially affecting large numbers of vehicles or users.

Should EV Buyers Worry?

Although such risks are concerning, it is important to note that the risk of hacking is not unique to electric vehicles. In fact, this issue applies to all new-age, connected cars. Traditional vehicles are also increasingly reliant on software and connectivity, making them vulnerable to similar threats.

To mitigate risks associated with hacking, EV manufacturers are investing heavily in cybersecurity measures. These include encryption, multi-factor authentication, regular software updates, and the use of advanced intrusion detection systems. Governments and industry bodies are also working to establish standards and regulations to ensure that EVs are built with robust cybersecurity protections from the ground up.

At the end of the day, EVs may be at risk of hacking given their reliance on software and connectivity, but the industry is aware of these challenges and is actively working to address them. For now, this risk should not deter prospective buyers from considering what is otherwise, the direction the auto industry is heading.