Annotated Bibliography

Research Paper

2013 Scion FR-S D-4S Technology Explained. Prod. Scion. 2013 Scion FR-S D-4S Technology Explained. YouTube, 18 June 2012. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. This is a video that explains the inner workings behind the combination direct/port fuel injection in the engine of the Scion FR-S. The video describes the benefit of having both types of fuel injection and how each port and direct fuel injector works in synch to increase engine efficiency and reduce engine emissions. The author’s intended audience is Scion enthusiasts and potential buyers who are curious about the engine technology implemented in the vehicle. The video makes no assumption about the viewer, but their does seem to be a slight bias toward supporting the technology, because no downsides were listed as far as having both port and direct fuel injection within the engine.

ADPTraining. "GDI Injection Failures." YouTube. YouTube, 17 July 2012. Web. 03 Mar.

2014.  In this video, ADP Training describes the benefits of direct injection and how newly designed GDI engines suffer very little from carbon build up around the neck region of the intake valves. The video describes how carbon forms on the intake valves in a GDI engine and a possible solution to the problem, as well as the major automakers that have alleviated this issue. The author is targeting technicians and people who fix vehicles, and the video emphasizes the importance of finding a solution to the carbon build-up. The video assumes that the viewer is already aware of GDI technology and how a GDI engine works, and there doesn’t seem to be any bias in the video.

“Continued Growth Expected for Direct Fuel Injection Systems.” Internet Wire 19 July 2010.

            Business Insights: Essentials. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. The articles explains how direct fuel injection will be growing more popular in future vehicles, as well as how a GDI engine works. The author describes how heightened emissions standards have required automakers to implement GDI in their engine designs. The author wrote this article to inform potential buyers of what to expect from vehicles in the next few years and the reasons behind new vehicle technologies, such as GDI. The author of the article doesn’t make any assumptions and he/she emphasizes the cleaner emissions provided by GDI technology. There does seem to be a slight bias toward supporting direct fuel injection, as the author only mentions the benefits of GDI technology, and not the downsides. However, the main points made by the author are justified through the use of data that the author readily presents in the article.

"Edmunds.com Updates on Issues in Car Recall Process." Entertainment Close-up16 May 2012. Biography in Context. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. The article discusses how many used vehicles are still under recall and have not been repaired, despite numerous letters to owners of the affected vehicles. The article goes on to say that a new VIN tracking system would allow potential buyers to find out whether a certain used car has had recall work done to it. The author wrote the article to make used car buyers aware that many used vehicles are still under recall and the author emphasizes that used car buyers bring their vehicles into a dealer to find out whether they need recall work done. The author assumes that the reader knows how to register his/her used car with an automaker and the author uses sufficient evidence to back up his/her main points in the article.

Evarts, Eric. "EPA Finds Hyundai Exaggerated Fuel Economy Claims, Refunds Coming to

Customers." EPA Finds Hyundai Exaggerated Fuel Economy Claims, Refunds Coming

to Customers. Consumer Reports, 2 Nov. 2012. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. The article describes

how an error in the lab-test procedure led to unrealistic fuel economy estimates for a

number of Hyundai vehicles. As a result, Hyundai is refunding owners of these vehicles

for gas, plus 15 percent based on the number of miles driven by each individual owner.

The purpose of this article is to inform owners of Hyundai vehicles that they will be

 refunded for additional fuel costs associated with not achieving the promised fuel

economy estimates made by the company. The article emphasizes the error in the lab-test

 procedure and the author uses data from a nonprofit testing center to verify the lower

fuel economy estimates than what Hyundai initially promised to its customers.

Gaylord, Samuel. "Direct Fuel Injection Carbon Buildup." YouTube. YouTube, 11 Aug.

2013. Web. 03 Mar. 2014. In this video, I describe a possible method of cleaning the intake/exhaust valves by revving a GDI engine over 3,000 rpm for the course of 20 minutes. I also describe how I came about this possible solution through various forms of research. Lastly, I demonstrate the solution by driving a 2008 Volkswagen Passat 3.6 4motion, a vehicle that has direct-fuel injection and that suffers from carbon build-up, on the highway at 4,500 rpm. This helps demonstrate to viewers what the process is like in order to burn off carbon deposits on the necks of the valves in a GDI engine. This video is intended for viewers who already know about the problems associated with direct-fuel injection or who have GDI vehicles. The video emphasizes the method of revving an engine over 3,000 rpm to burn off carbon deposits on the intake valves and the author assumes that viewers have a general knowledge about the process of internal combustion. Lastly, the video seems to mention more problems with European vehicles, but this does not elicit bias toward finding a solution to the carbon build-up in a GDI engine. The video also backs up the proposed method of removing carbon deposits with numerous examples and pieces of evidence.

Howlett, Bob. "Direct-Injection Issues & Carbon Deposits." Underhood Service. Business Insights: Essentials, Dec. 2013. Web. 03 Mar. 2014. In this article, Howlett describes his experience with removing carbon from an engine using a walnut shell blaster. He has been using the device ever since carbon began plaguing Saabs in the 1980s and he finds it to be a relatively inexpensive, effective way of cleaning an engine of deposits. He also explains the methods of diagnosing engine problems related to camshaft followers and the high-pressure fuel pump in Audi and VW 2.0L turbocharged FSI engines. The intended audience of the article are people who desire to learn more about engine design and who are not complete experts in the field of automotive technology. The article emphasizes the use of a walnut blaster to remove carbon deposits on intake valves and how direct injection is major problem in new vehicles. The author makes no assumptions about the article’s topic or the audience, and there seems to be a slight bias in that the author discusses how complicated and problematic the engines have been with Volkswagen and Audi vehicles without mentioning other vehicle manufacturers. Lastly, the article’s evidence clearly supports the author’s main points.

Huffman, John Pearley. "Double Take: Fun-Loving Twins Separated at Birth." New York

            Times 18 Nov. 2012: 1(L). Biography in Context. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. The article

describes a first drive involving the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S sports coupes, which feature both direct and port fuel injection in their engine designs. During the initial drive Huffman talks about how the car handles, it’s fuel economy, and the power of the vehicle’s engine, to name just a few of his points of discussion. The purpose of this article is to inform potential buyers of how a highly anticipated car drives and if it is worth your money. The article focuses on how the car handles and how much fun it is to drive and the author makes no assumptions about the topic or audience. There doesn’t seem to be any bias in the article and there’s plenty of technical data to support the author’s main points about the two cars he’s driving.

Progress Report for the Spark Ignition Direct Injection R&D Program. Rep. Washington, DC:

            U.S. Department of Energy - Office of Transportation Technologies, 2002. Progress

            Report for the Spark Ignition Direct Injection R&D Program. U.S. Department of Energy

 - Office of Transportation Technologies, Mar. 2002. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. This progress

 report discusses the current state of the development of direct fuel injection, the

problems it’s posing, and the expected benefits and downsides to implementing the

technology. The purpose of this report is to inform officials who don’t extensive car

knowledge about the new technology, how it works, and why it could have a             significant impact on the automotive industry. The report makes no assumptions

about direct fuel injection or about the reader of the report, there doesn’t seem to be

any bias in the report, and there’s plenty of evidence to support the main points

about GDI technology that are made.

Spiegel, Leo, Günter Sōhlke, and Gerrit Suck. "Patent US6866031 - Direct Injection Internal Combustion Engine - Google Patents." Google Books. N.p., 15 Mar. 2005. Web. 03 Mar. 2014. This is a patent filed by three engineers at Volkswagen Auto Group who invented a catalytic surface for a direct-fuel injection engine. The surface is designed so that carbon deposits would not be able to form on the valves and injectors in a direct-fuel injection engine. In addition, the patent describes the negative effects of carbon deposits on engine valves and the other methods of reducing or eliminating carbon from a gasoline direct-fuel injection motor. This patent is directed towards vehicle manufacturers and automotive product companies seeking to find new solutions to reducing carbon deposits in GDI engines. The patent emphasizes the negative effects of carbon build-up on the intake valves of GDI engines and how a new catalytic surface would reduce carbon deposits on the intake valves and the direct injectors. The patent makes the assumption that the audience doesn’t have extensive knowledge on direct-fuel injection technology and there doesn’t appear to be any bias portrayed within the patent or patent description. Lastly, the patent lists many pieces of evidence that support the inventors’ main points stated within the patent description.

United States. Cong. House. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. By Ron

            Stroman, Michael McCarthy, Carla Hultberg, and Larry Brady. 111th Cong., 2nd sess. H.

            Rept. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Gale Biography in Context. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. This Congress

            hearing is lengthy, but the important takeaway is that Toyota was found to be minimizing

the complaints pertaining to sudden acceleration, while purposely avoiding expensive NHTSA investigations into the reason behind the incidents. The purpose of this congress hearing was to bring light to the fact that many automakers to do not openly communicate to consumers about design problems in vehicles, especially when it could cause the automaker to lose a large amount of money. The intended audience for the congress hearing is lawmakers and government/automotive officials, and the hearing often emphasizes the fact that Toyota attempted to cover up sudden, unintended acceleration incidents in order to save money and not initiate a recall. There is some bias in the hearing, since it is a written record of all of the words said by the people who attended, but there is plenty of evidence to support each person’s claims and main points that were made throughout the hearing.

“Why ‘Modern Family’ still drives Toyota; Product-placement deal struck well before automaker’s massive recall.” Advertising Age 8 Mar. 2010: 1. Business Insights: Essentials. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. This article describes how despite the large number of recalls on Toyota vehicles, the automotive company continues to be a sponsor on a hit television series. The main purpose of this article to inform viewers of the TV series and potential new car owners that Toyota vehicles are safe and that the company is taking care of all recall repairs as quickly as possible. The article emphasizes that Toyota is trying to build its image back up by using the series to promote its vehicles and the author also assumes that the reader knows about the extensive Toyota recalls that tarnished the brand. There’s a little bias in the article, in that the author has a distasteful view of Toyota following all of the recalls, but the evidence presented does support the author’s main points in the article.