ZZPerformance Sonic High Flow Air Intake

One of the in-house vehicles here at Hoagies Garage is a 2013 Chevrolet Sonic.  The car is an LTZ with the optional 1.4L turbo four cylinder.  This has little to no performance when compared to any other hot hatch or performance vehicle, but it isn't a slouch either.  ZZP is one of the few companies that offers aftermarket upgrades for the Sonic.  With all that being said, I thought a cold air intake would open up a little bit of hidden potential in the Sonic. 

ZZP offers a nice little kit that comes with everything you need to remove the factory setup and gain around 12hp.  So below you will find a full installation video along with some of my opinions on the intake.  I also filmed some before/after engine sounds, so you can easily tell the differences.  This is a great little kit that won't break the bank and at the same time give you a little more oomph with your right foot.

Below, you will find the video just showing the installation process.  If you are for sure you want this product and don't want to hear my take on everything, this is the video for you.  Thanks so much for watching, hope you like the ZZP Intake as much as I did!

Please visit ZZP for more information

http://www.zzperformance.com

Vgate iCar 3

Anytime something comes from overseas (China), I am always a little hesitant.  Mostly because the quality sometimes can be an issue and getting support on that product is very tough.  The guys at Vgate reached out and gave us the opportunity to try their OBD scanning tools.  These are small little modules that plug into your OBD port, then connect with your smartphone.  When opening the package though, I couldn't help but notice some similarities.... Just saying. 

Anyways, onto the testing and product review.  We were sent the Bluetooth version and also the Wifi version.  The product is meant to connect to your smartphone and read out anything and everything your OBD port can supply.  Pretty standard stuff in the aftermarket OBD world, if there is such a place.

First up was the Bluetooth, which looked identical to the Wifi piece besides the color.  I plugged the unit into the open OBD port, which in turn showed a couple flashes of some hidden lights behind the plastic.  Next move was to open up the Bluetooth settings on my iPhone 6.  Nothing showing up other than products already connected (Jambox, Fitbit, etc).  Next move was to start the car, instead of just relying on the keyed ignition being switched on... Still nothing.  Maybe I'll try my phone, that has to be the problem.  Reset Bluetooth, restart the phone - absolutely nothing.  So on that note, my test of the iCar Bluetooth ended.  Nothing to report other than it flat out didn't work. 

Next, the Wifi version.  Following the badly written instructions, I plug in the Wifi piece, lights flash, go to my iPhone Wifi settings, find the correct Vgate connection and bam.  Off to the races, we are connected.  Next move was to open the official app, if you'd call it that.  I had to search for it specifically, and it's called "Accurate" - don't ask me.  When opening the app though, you have a small set of icons for various activities.  OBD, Dash Board, Fuel, Gauges, Gyroscope, Diagnostic, Settings, etc.  Your basic array of useful tools within the app.  Some were kind of pointless like the Gyroscope.  It had nothing to do with the OBD device, and just relied on your phone, which is fine.  The gauges and diagnostic sections is what we were interested in. 

Gauges: When firing up the gauge area of the app, you are given rpms, speed and stuff that is normally on your dash.  In all honesty... I wasn't impressed.  Nothing shown was in "real time", as in it was laggy.  Also, pretty much everything in that dashboard section, is on my regular car dashboard.  Just a thought there.

Diagnostics: This is where I figured the iCar would bring out the big guns and prove to be useful.  The idea is the module will read your trouble codes, send them to your device, then you can read and also clear them.  Simulating some trouble codes, it read them fairly well.  The process was slow, but accurate.  Now the bad... When we went to clear the code, after it had been fixed, the app would run through its process saying codes cleared. The light was still on the dash though, saying Service Engine Soon.  After 3 tries to clear the codes and the app crashing, I pretty much gave up.  Pulling out my trusty, mild-professional scanner, the code was read and cleared in literally 30 seconds. 

So with all that being said, the Vgate iCar3 products are not something I could recommend.  I had my doubts, put them aside, then brought them back to the table when both products underwhelmed.  This is one of those situations that you get what you pay for.  I'm sure that many people have purchased these units and loved them.  They may work fine for you and that is perfectly fine.  For me though, during this test, the results weren't there and the fact that they aren't reliable ruins them for me.  On a side note, I tried to reach out to the guys who set this up and got no response when I told them all of this.  I'm hoping they are just out of the office on vacation or something.  If they contact us with a fix or a patch, we'll gladly retest, but right now... These are a no go for Hoagies Garage. 

Official Vgate iCar Site

Elm 327 Wireless Vgate iCar3 Wifi Elm 327 Wifi Support All OBDII Protocols Cars iCar 3 Scan for Android/ IOS/PC,Supports all OBDII protocols (black) Buy on Amazon

Meguiar's Whole Car Air Re-Fresher

There is nothing exciting about air fresheners.  We hang them in our car, they work anywhere from 5 minutes to a few days, we throw them away.  Meguiar's has decided to take the concept of refreshing your interior to the next level.  We got our hands on their new Air Re-Fresher, a new approach to making your car smell better inside.  

This is a process though, unlike the pine tree you simply hook from your rear-view mirror.  First and foremost, clean your car.  You have to sweep, vacuum and get rid of the source of your smells.  Most times just dirt and grime on the carpets is what will cause some nastiness.  Meguiar's says to sweep it all out to start.  The Husky Liners in our Sonic made this super easy, since most of the debris came out with the floor liner.  Next move is getting setup to run the Re-Fresher.  The instructions state to have it in a central location, so we chose the cup holder in the center of the car.  Your HVAC settings need to be on high and circulating the air only inside, closing off outside intake.  Most cars have a separate button to push so this mode can be activated and Meguiar's includes a picture in the instructions of what your button should look like.  I set the system all up, pushed down the little tab and the mist starting pouring out. 

As you can see in the video, the car somewhat fills with this smokey gas.  The car needs to be running with all the HVAC stuff on high for the next 10-15 minutes.  I found that the can stops shooting out the misty stuff at around the two minute mark.  After your time is up, open up all the doors to air the car out.  I chose to change the HVAC to pull air from the outside and also put it on cold so fresh air would pump through.  Obviously at first smell, the system works.  This whole series of events had the benefits of clean carpets and also a fresh scent.  The concept is simple but also pretty clever and I am fully impressed.  Updates coming soon after a couple weeks, to see if the smell is still present. 

Meguiar's G16402 Whole Car Air Refresher Odor Eliminator - 2.5 oz. Buy on Amazon

Akron Clothing in this video provided by Buckeye Clothing Company

Buick Encore - Husky WeatherBeater Floor Liners

Husky has been a great company to work with.  They have a great line of products and also offer amazing customer service.  Recently, the company has invested in their X-Act Contour line of floor mats, which offer massive deep grooves to hold in any liquid you can throw at it.  This film explains them well - Click Here.

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We had the opportunity to give their Weather Beaters a run through on our Buick Encore this weekend.  Here in Akron, we have been getting pummeled with snow, sleet, rain, ice, and salt.  This lovely weather has really put a damper on our garage time the past month.  The garbage attaching to our boots and then entering the vehicle has been awful, mostly on our vehicles interior.  Without a floorliner style floor mat, the new Encore would already be needing an interior carpet shampooing. 

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Once again, Husky has constructed a perfectly fit, easy to install product.  You can tell that their liners are not universal, but vehicle specific.  The floor liner type of setup was usually reserved for trucks and SUVs, but Husky has branched out.  We have a set of these in our Sonic, and now in the crossover style Buick Encore.  You can't beat them - they just work and they work well.  When you look for floor liners, there are many options.  In all honesty though, if Husky carries something for your car, I would easily select them.  All of their products are designed and manufactured in the USA, with the company being based out of Kansas.  You can't get any more American than that! 

Next up from Husky, is their Husky Shield Paint Protection Film.  Once we get some nice weather here, I'll be doing a video walkthrough on the installation process and also a review on how it looks.  The clear paint protection systems are usually pretty clever.  I'm guessing that Husky won't disappoint. 

Husky Liners 98271 WeatherBeater Black Front and 2nd Seat Floor Liner

Husky Liners

Buy on Amazon

The Bluestar

Onstar really is a neat service.  Anytime I drive a GM vehicle, I always find myself pushing the blue button to ask for directions.  Also knowing that if an emergency occurs, I can press the red button and help is on the way.  To get the full package though, you will be shelling out about $30 per month to Onstar if you decide to pay month to month.  I fully understand all of the benefits of this great service, but personally I do not have it activated in my Trailblazer.  One of the other unique features of the TBSS is the fact that if I use Onstar for directions, Chevrolet didn't setup a connection between that and the factory navigation system.  So basically, I could run two navigation systems in tandem...  Weird I know. 

Either way though, the hardware that is installed from the factory for Onstar is very nice.  Solid microphones, buttons on the mirror and it is all neatly and seamlessly installed.  So why let that go to waste?  Costar Technologies has come to the rescue with their Bluestar.  This unique product takes full advantage of the factory installed Onstar system, but ends up being totally free.  Here is how it works in a few simple steps:

1. Locate your vehicles Onstar module - On the Trailblazer I found it to be under the passenger side rear seat.
2. Unplug the OEM Onstar module, rendering Onstar useless and unavailable.  Keep in mind, this will eliminate ALL of your Onstar features including automatic crash response. 
3. Plug in the Bluestar, which is pre-wired and setup to accept the OEM plugs.  No cutting or splicing needed whatsoever.
4. Pair your phone via Bluetooth to the Bluestar and then follow the directions on how your mirror buttons will now work.

Sounds too good to be true and way too easy right?  Well I thought the same thing before the Bluestar arrived in the garage.  This thing actually works though!  My Trailblazer now has a fully installed, hands free phone system with no ugly wires or lame aftermarket items hanging from the 12 volt outlet. 

Finding out if you can or would use this neat little product is something I would consider before dropping the near $300 bill to Costar.  First off, if your vehicle has factory Bluetooth, you don't need it.  My Trailblazer does not have Bluetooth, so eliminate that from the equation.  Second, your vehicle must have Onstar.  For example if you have a C5 Corvette, this would not work for you as nothing is factory installed like he microphones or mirror controls.  Finally, you have to not be using Onstar anymore.  Like I said before, this will TOTALLY DISABLE all Onstar features and functions.  No hands free minutes, no crash alerts and no red button functionality if you have a major emergency.  For some that could make you nervous, but then again, I would gamble to say most of you don't have your Onstar activated right now...

The system is pretty basic unless you start messing with the mirror buttons, which do different things now that the Bluestar is hooked up.  When I start the car up, my phone links up and the green light on the mirror is solid.  This means we are good to go.  I can use voice activation, which isn't too bad.  The main way I've been using the Bluestar though is I use my phone to find the number I need, hit call, and it will automatically bounce over to the speakers and microphone built into the vehicle.  This mutes the radio and you are now hearing your call ringing through.  The iPhone allows you to change audio sources back to itself if you don't want to use speakerphone.  When calling people, they rate my audio quality at around a 7/10 - They could tell I was using a speakerphone, but at the same time didn't complain of not being able to hear me.  Think of a factory system that has hands free and Bluetooth already installed - I get the same comments when I call people doing normal vehicle road testing. 

This product is tough to rate and also tell somebody to go buy right away.  There is  a pretty specific market of people out there who can use this, but at the same time if you explain what the Bluestar can do, they would almost certainly want one.  The $279 price tag is the one hurdle when I bring this up with people.  You have to break it down and decide if you will really use your phone that much in a hands free way.  Some people are seriously on their phone every single time they drive.  For a person like that I would highly recommend the Bluestar and expect them to wear it out (which isn't really possible).  For somebody who just drives, doesn't talk while driving, or just doesn't have a lot of people they call - it would be a stretch.  Based solely on the product, quality, ease of use, and practicality - I would highly recommend this.  Costar has something that is super clever and makes use of something in the vehicle that is otherwise wasted if you are like me not paying for Onstar.  It isn't the neatest looking product, but it does exactly what you expect it to. 

Below is a quick video on how I installed the Bluestar on our 2007 Trailblazer SS.  Each vehicle will be slightly different when it comes to locating your Onstar Unit, but hooking up the Bluestar will be very similar. 

For more information, please Visit Costar Technologies - http://www.costartech.com 

To Purchase, click the link below

Costar Bluestar Hands Free Bluetooth Kit for GM Vehicles

$279.00

Costar Technologies

Buy on Amazon