Qi Wireless Charging Technology

2014 Toyota Prius Supports Qi Wireless Charging Technology The next-gen Prius is coming with an optional next-gen feature that may excite gadget owners. The technology is known as Qi wireless charging, and you will be able to have a Qi pad put into your 2014 Prius at the time of ordering it. Not only will this feature make keeping your future devices topped up a snap, but it will reduce the overall clutter in your vehicle which is always a good thing. What is Qi Charging? Qi Wireless charging is a type of inductive charging that relies on a very small electromagnetic field to transfer energy. There are no wires involved with this charging process. Instead there is a simple pad, and there is a receiver in each device that you want to charge. The receiver will pick up on the energy that is being released by the pad, and slowly charge up your cellphone, without you having to worry about plugging a wire in. Why it is Beneficial? The Qi wireless charging standard is going to reduce the need to have a bunch of different chargers in your vehicle. Instead of needing a charger for your phone, your mp3 player, and the portable game systems that your children own, you just set them all on the same charging pad and they will charge up. This simplifies the charging process dramatically, and it will help cut down on the clutter in vehicles. How does it Work in the Prius? The 2014 Prius is going to have a Qi charging pad installed near the center of the vehicle in the middle console. This pad will hardly be noticeable, and you will be able to charge your devices simply by setting them in the center console. Most owners will probably get in the habit of setting their devices down in the center console when they get in the vehicle, and removing them again when they get back out to have their batteries charged up. This technology is only going to be installed in the new Priuses as an upgrade, but it is sure to be a technology that only grows in popularity as more devices become compatible with the Qi wireless charging system. If you choose to have the device installed into your vehicle, the installation will be handled by the dealership, and it will be ready to go in your vehicle before you drive it home for the first time. Compatible Devices Just to name a few of the devices that are already compatible with this system, there is the Samsung Galaxy S4, the HTC Droid DNA, and the Nokia Lumia 920. As new phones are released there is sure to be an increased list of devices that support the technology, and there is a large group of manufacturers who are now supporting the standard completely. Qi inductive technology is slowly becoming more popular, and eventually more Toyota vehicles are sure to offer this option as well, but for now the 2014 Prius is one of the first vehicles to offer a rather new feature that many technology enthusiasts will enjoy.

Used Car Inspection

Used cars can be much better deals than new cars in many cases. New cars depreciate much faster, and you lose out on money when you purchase one. Used cars on the other hand, have already depreciated a large amount, and will lose value much slower. However, the savings to your bank account is not going to do you any good if you buy a car that isn’t as reliable as it is made out to be. Learn how to inspect used vehicles to find out if they have problems and you can snatch those great deals without fear. 

Inspecting a Used Car

Park the Car on Level Ground

Start off by bringing the car somewhere level where you can inspect it. When you are on a level surface it is much easier to see if anything is sagging, or if there is an issue with one of the tires. 

Examine the Exterior

Take a very long look at the outside of the car before you even bother looking inside it. Examine all of the surfaces of the vehicle for any irregularities in the paint. If it looks thicker in some areas than others it probably has body filler on it. Place a magnet on the car in those spots to test that theory. A magnet should stick to the car body, while it will fall off filler. 

If you do find any spots that just don’t look natural make sure that you ask about them. There could be a mild reason for the filler, or it could have been crashed into a tree. 

Pop the Trunk

Open up the trunk and look in that secret compartment that holds the spare tire. If the trunk is in very bad shape there is a good chance the rest of the car is as well. Look for excessive wear and any rusting. 

Used Cars Reno

Pop the Hood

Lift up the hood and look around for any general issues that jump out at you. Look for rust spots under the hood, and look closely at the different hoses and belts. The hoses can’t be soft, and they shouldn’t be cracked either. 

Pull out the dipstick and look at the color of the oil on it. If it is black they probably don’t take care of the car very well. 

Make sure that you lift off the oil cap as well. Look under the cap to see if there are any oil chunks. Chunks of oil indicate sludge buildup and that means the oil is not changed nearly enough. You could also spot a white film which points to head gasket issues. 

Take a close look around the engine for any dark stains. Stains indicate fluid leaks that could be very bad problems potentially. You also want to look for any obvious changes that were made under the hood. If something doesn’t look right it is probably due to a repair made and you should ask about it. 

Before you drop the hood back into place pull out the transmission dipstick and take a close look at it. You want lighter colored fluids, and you definitely don’t want to smell a burnt smell. If you do, the transmission fluid has not been changed in a long time and you could have transmission problems. 

The Test Drive

The last stage of your inspection is the test drive.  Make sure that while you are driving the vehicle you get it up to a high speed. Although it may be difficult to get the car up to top speed in some areas of Reno Nevada, if you can get it up to at least 60 or 70 it will help you find out if there are any issues you didn’t notice before. Watch out for vibrations, or pulling in one direction or the other. 

Also make sure to step on the brakes in the vehicle quickly a few times. If it vibrates excessively during braking there may be a problem with the brake system that has to be addressed. 

When in Doubt Bring in an Expert

If you aren’t sure about a vehicle after inspecting it yourself, and you really want to give it a chance, ask if you can bring it to your mechanic so he can take a look. If they say no, then walk away from them without looking back. If they say yes, bring it into the shop and have your favorite mechanic take a look at it for you. He should be able to find most of the problems with the vehicle pretty quickly, and you will have a good idea if you are getting a good deal or not from him. 

The more thorough of an inspection you give any prospective vehicle, the better chance you are going to have at getting a good deal. There is nothing worse than buying a vehicle that fails less than a year later.