I realized this afternoon that my car’s batteries were already weak. I’ve been expecting this for quite some time because I’ve been noticing a degradation in headlamp strength when I operate other electronics (like the power windows). Good thing my driveway is sloping (and I park in reverse), so I didn’t have to push the car to get it started.

If you have a manual transmission auto, and you suddenly find yourself in the same situation, fear not. You can almost always push-start your car if you can’t get your ignition to work. Here’s a step by step tutorial from eHow.

1. Make sure that the problem is either the battery or the starter: If the engine cranks (”rrr-rrr-rrr”) when you turn the key, then the problem isn’t the starter or the battery.
2. Plan to have at least one person sitting in the driver’s seat and one person pushing. Mid-size and large cars require two or three people to push, depending on the strength of the people and whether or not the car is parked on an incline.
3. Turn off all accessories (radio, wipers, lamps).
4. Turn the key to the “on” position.
5. Depress the clutch pedal with your foot.
6. Put the transmission in first or second gear.
7. Release the hand brake and the foot brake.
8. Note that the people pushing need to get the car rolling as fast as they can. This works best down a hill or an incline.
9. Release the clutch pedal while giving the engine a little gas with the gas pedal once the car is moving about as fast as you can run. The engine should start.

Read the rest of this entry »

Written by J. Angelo Racoma on April 30, 2007 | 4 Comments

We use the engine to keep the car moving, and the brakes to slow down and stop the car. That’s the way it works, right?

Yes… but it isn’t quite that simple. You see, the key word here is “stopping.” Brakes are for stopping the car. Yes, they help slow the car down too, but your engine has more to do with that than you might think.

A couple of days ago, Angelo has discussed why coasting is bad. A commenter even noted that “you lose 80% of stopping power when you disengage gears.” I’m not entirely sure about the exact figures, but you can test the concept the next time you get in your vehicle.

How? Just take your foot off the accelerator.

Once you ease off the gas, the engine starts slowing down - and this reduction in speed transfers all the way down the transmission and to your tires. Basically, while you’re in gear and your foot is off the gas, your engine works to slow down your vehicle. In some cases, you can shift down one or two gears to slow down even further.

Why would you want to do this?

The most important reason is that you want your brakes to stop your car. By keeping your foot off your brakes, or by only pressing on them lightly, you prevent them from heating up. This prevents brake fade, making them more effective when you’re in a situation where you need to stop or slow down quickly.

Another reason, one related to this, is to keep your vehicle in control. If, for example, you were going downhill, your vehicle will accelerate as you move forward. By shifting down, you let your engine limit your acceleration - keeping your speed in check. Yes, you can also use your footbrake, but that brings us back to our first reason.

Basically, the point is this: use your engine to control your vehicle’s movement. The engine is for moving the car - both speeding it up and slowing it down. Your brakes are there to help slow it down, but their main purpose is for stopping.

Written by Luis on April 19, 2007 | 4 Comments

I believe Luis will be posting about engine braking sometime soon. It involves keeping the engine engaged (meaning engine is in gear, particularly for stick-shifts) even when not accelerating, or when slowing down. Let me do a quick post on coasting and its negative effects.

Some drivers I know coast along the road in neutral whenever they’re slowing down, or when going downhill. This is mostly done to conserve fuel. However, coasting may not necessarily be safe.

This term describes a vehicle travelling in neutral or with the clutch pressed down. Do not coast, whatever the driving conditions. It reduces driver control because

* engine braking is eliminated
* vehicle speed downhill will increase quickly
* increased use of the footbrake can reduce its effectiveness
* steering response will be affected particularly on bends and corners
* it may be more difficult to select the appropriate gear when needed.

- UK Highway Code

Some would argue that it’s cheaper to wear out your brake pads rather than wear out a clutch due to engine braking. Still, the cost of getting into accidents (to property, life, and limb) is definitely greater than whatever marginal savings in fuel costs and brake pads you will get from coasting.

Here’s what I recommend. If you’re not familiar with engine braking, just be sure to keep your clutch engaged when slowing down, sticking to the current gear you’re in, and applying the brakes when you need to stop already or decrease speed. Don’t worry, your engine will still have enough torque up to a certain speed, and you won’t stall. When you reach the minimum speed your gear can take (usually around 15 to 20 Kph in 4th/5th gear, in my experience), you can then disengage the clutch and/or go into neutral. If you find the need to accelerate again, then you can downshift (usually into 2nd gear, depending on your speed).

Written by J. Angelo Racoma on April 17, 2007 | 4 Comments

When your tires are not properly inflated, only certain parts of the tires’ treads make contact with the road. The obvious effect of this is that your vehicle gets less traction. Another is that your tires get uneven wear.

However, the inflation of your tires affects more than just your tires. Your brakes, suspension, and even your engine could benefit from a good tire pressure gauge and regular trips to the air pump.

According to the Rubber Association, under-inflation increases not only tire wear, but also fuel consumption.  Handling, acceleration, and braking also suffer - wearing down other parts of your vehicle.  In extreme cases, under-inflation can also cause tire failure.

The logical solution then would be to over-inflate tires, right?

Wrong.  Over-inflation causes its own share of problems.  Again, because of the smaller contact area, handling suffers.  On top of this, you get a harsher ride that increases wear on your suspension.

The only real solution is to keep your tires at the pressure recommended by your manufacturer.  If you have the stock tires installed, you can usually find this somewhere around the driver’s side door.

Written by Luis on April 10, 2007 | 3 Comments

It’s lenten season in the Philippines, and most families will be heading north or south for the great beaches of Zambales or Batangas, or cool off at the mountains of Baguio.

Before you hit the road, please consider the following reminders:

1. Check all fluid levels and ensure they are on the right level.
2. Ensure that your tires are inflated to the recommended pressure, including your spare tire.
3. Check your breaks.
4. Ensure that you have your emergency kit with you.
5. Flashlights are working and with full battery.
6. Cell phones are fully charged and you have a car charger with you.
7. Ensure that the copy of your car manual, insurance policy, car registration and the phone numbers of  public road assistance groups are with you.
8. Prepare yourself for heavy traffic.
9. And of course, dont forget what you and your passengers need for the long trip, i.e. bottled water, first aid kit, snacks etc.

Have a safe trip and Happy Easter!

Written by Sonnie on April 4, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Nope, this isn’t a post about always wearing your seat belt, but an introduction.

I’m Luis, another student of the road, and I’ll be joining Sonnie and Angelo here at Study Driving. This is the first time I’ll be writing about driving per se, so I’m buckling up and getting ready to go.

Of course, since we’ve already brought it up - always wear a seat belt. Why? We’ll discuss that in another post.

Written by Luis on April 1, 2007 | 1 Comment