One basic thing about cars that some drivers fail to do is on how to handle cars that have suddenly overheated. Normally, cars would overheat due to:

1. Lack of Water
2. Damaged Water Hoses
3. Worn Out Belts (Alternator)
4. Lack of Ventilation
5. Engine Decompression
6. Busted Auxiliary Fans

Normally, a driver would stop the car for fear of breaking down somewhere unknown. But did you know that as much as possible, you should not turn off the engine (as long as it can) manually? If the engine would die normally, then that would be okay. But if you want to put water which is the normal impulse that people would think of, try not to fill up your radiator if you have just shut it down to avoid overheating.

Assuming you have replaced the hose or anything that needs to be fixed that are causes for overheating, try this out.

Cars normally come with a reserve water tank to which reserve water can be placed. If you happen to shut down your engine, it would be best to initially put water there. Once you do, try starting it. If it does, try out these things before turning that radiator cap:

1. Wet a piece of cloth with water and get lots of water.
2. Before you turn the radiator cap, pour water extensively on top of the cap and the radiator. This is to try and bring down the temperature as much as possible.
3. Get the wet cloth and try to place it on the cap first. Wait a couple of seconds and then try to put your weight on it, and slowly loosen the radiator cap. You are bound to feel the pressure from wanting to get out. Do not allow it to do so as extremely hot water is bound to spill all over you.
4. Once you have released the mounting pressure, open the cap and then put water while the engine is running.

Do not turn the engine off (unless you can wait for it to cool down) and place water. The sudden change in water temperature is bad for your engine and may force you to overhaul it if you are not careful.

Written by Marcel on September 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment

It is not hard to known when you encounter a flat tire. Normally you would notice a part of your car in a slanted position or perhaps would notice that your steering wheel is hard to maneuver. In some cases, you may even see that you can no longer drive at the usual pace you drive and chances are you have encountered a flat in one of your tires.

The first thing you have to do is to pull over. Assuming that you have the usual tire changing tools such as a tire wrench and the reliable car jack, it would be best to change your tires first before moving on to wherever you may be going.

Here are some tips to change you tire:

1. Prepare the tire changing tools:
a. Tire Wrench
b. Car Jack
c. Spare Tire
2. Take out you spare tire. Make sure you constantly have the tire pressure checked since even if they are not used, they are bound to lose some air while stocked.
3. Loosen the wheel bolts midway so that you will not have a hard time loosening them once you jack up your car.
4. Jack up the car at properly elevated levels. It would be wise to raise it a couple of inches higher than normal so it can be easier to install the spare tire. For safety reasons, it would be advisable to place your spare tire horizontally below the elevated portion of the car in cases where the jack may suddenly give way.
5. Proceed to completely loose the nuts and remove the tire.
6. Place the spare tire and try to tighten the bolts as much as you can. You don’t have tighten them that hard as you can do that once you put the car in its normal stance upon releasing the jack.
7. Tighten the bolts after you have taken out the jack.
8. Place your tire in place of where you got the spare tire and try to have it vulcanized immediately. You don’t want to run forever using that spare tire as it may give way also.

Written by Marcel on September 30, 2008 | 1 Comment

Normally, cars will have periodic oil changes. Some may follow a certain mileage while others do it monthly. Whatever the case may be, you should also change the air filter. The oil and the oil filter is normal but to ensure that you get the complete cleaning and maintenance for the said car maintenance, include the air filter element since the exhaust and intake are likewise important to make sure that your engine is given the proper care.

It is also wise to keep track as well on when you last changed your air filter element. Sometimes, depending on your engine, it may not need to be changed always. Normally, some have it cleaned through the use of pressured air since purely dust is present in these cases. But while this is a conservative and cost-saving practice, air filters can be used up to three times of cleaning only.

The exhaust of your car is important. It plays a key role as well as far as overall car performance and fuel consumption as well. Many people disregard air filter elements and no matter what car you may have, it doesn’t really cost that much to change them occasionally.

While others are focused on the oil and the proper tune up of car performance, this is the little thing you have to know about cars. They may not be checked regularly but as long as it is clean as you go, you can be assured of a smoother ride as well as better car life as well.

Written by Marcel on August 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment

One thing about studying driving, it is not only about getting behind the wheel and stepping on the gas pedals and shifting gears. There are basics such as the information you are well-versed on that is important. Though some people may not necessarily look at them as important, driving sensibly and logically still remains these days.

The Q & A of driving exams is quite simple. How can you drive if you don’t know what to do is certain driving situations. Questions such as knowing when to overtake and the distance to which you should be between cars are important. If you are not well-educated in these parts, chances are you will find yourself piling up driving tickets if not eventually land a revoked license problem eventually.

So how does one prepare for these driving exams. For one, you can read on books or ask the veteran drivers. Of the two, it seems the latter is the better option. Learning from the experience that driving road warriors is the best way to understand and digest what it really takes to drive out in the wild world of roads out there.

Rest assured there is no thing as a perfect driver. You may even use plain logic to answer these Q&A exams. But while you are at it, leave some room for errors. If there were perfect drivers these days then perhaps the rate of accidents these days would not be as alarming.

Written by Marcel on August 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment

If you notice a leak in one or more of your hoses, a few turns of electrical tape which can be in your toolbox, overlapped can get you enough time to get to a gas station. If you cannot get the problem solved due to lack of parts, you can drive say fro a couple of minutes, stop and let the engine cool and drive again till you can either get home or to the nearest mechanic. Towing would be the best option if you have access to it. For cars with an in-line engine (the engine is parallel with respect to the wheels) there might be a belt that has either slipped or disintegrated preventing the cooling fan from turning. A piece of rope or twine can become a temporary solution as long as you tie it down tightly allowing you to get to help(keep the engine revolutions to a minimal or you could send the temporary belt slamming into something which can make a bad situation worse).

These tips can be used to help you get to a safe place to get your engine fixed as soon as possible and are only meant to allow driving for such. Get the car fixed as soon as possible for this can be sure sign of a failure within the engine’s cooling system that can ultimately shorten it’s life sending it faster to the recycling center. This problem can be avoided with proper maintenance and inspection which can be done at each check-up, but as everybody knows it, the unexpected is what we all have to prepare for and engine overheating is one that just happens to occur when you are in the most unlikely places out of reach of the nearest garage or tow truck. Drive safe, buckle up.

Written by Marcel on February 10, 2008 | Leave a Comment

If you see steam from the engine compartment, you can turn off the engine and wait for it to cool down a bit before attempting to do anything under the hood. If there is no steam, you can open the hood and try to see if you can safely open the radiator cap. Only attempt to do this if you know how, for you can get seriously burned if there was steam or hot water under pressure to escape from a hastily removed radiator cap. Get a rag or disposable piece of clothing that would extend over the radiator cap and protect you from any rising steam or water. Twist the cap slowly paying attention to any steam which can indicate a dangerous pressure buildup in the system. If none is apparent, apply pressure on the cap while continuing to undo the cap slowly lifting the cap to release any pressure within the radiator. Once you get it opened, check to see if there is water or coolant in the radiator, adding accordingly if there is a lack thereof. Remember that you only add water to an overheating engine if it is still running, WHY?

If you turn the engine off, the engine’s various components begin to cool at different rates with the ones exposed to external air cooling quickly than those inside the engine. Killing the engine, stops the water pump from turning thus, preventing water from circulating through all the engine’s components equally to cool them properly. If you add water to the engine while it is off, the water cools the components it comes in contact first which can crack the engine block or other parts of the engine because of the different rates they are cooling. Hot metal expands, cool metals contract. Say the piston has cooled down due to less friction that occurred when you turned the engine off, the engine block which is more dense cools rapidly as you add water making it contract getting the piston stuck on the cylinder or bore resulting in a totally trashed engine.

Written by Marcel on February 7, 2008 | Leave a Comment

An overheating engine can be caused by many factors but is mostly concerned with the engine’s cooling system that begins with the radiator, the hoses, water pump, the drive belts and the blowers or fans that cools the radiator. There are also varying methods to deal with such problems and here are some tips that you can add to your bag of tricks when your car does suffer from and overheat.

First, if you are driving and the temperature gauge begins to rise out of the normal, turn off the air conditioning to lower the strain on the engine and see if that remedies the problem. Get to a gas station to have it checked for it might be a sure sign of a deeper problem with respect to the engine’s cooling system. Driving on a blistering hot day in traffic with the air conditioner should not cause any concern for newer cars which still have new components but for older cars, that might be too much for the old-clunker to handle.

If that does not lower the temperature of the engine, drive to the nearest gas station for assistance. With some luck, they might have a mechanic on duty that can easily get you back on the road. If you just happen to have a back-up supply of water in the trunk, drive to the side of the road so you can safely diagnose the problem but “DO NOT TURN OFF THE ENGINE” if you intend to add water to the radiator. Any radiator fluid or water dripping from the hoses, engine or from any part of the cooling system can be a sure sign of a hose break or a leak in the many rubber plugs that covers unused hose ports on the engine.

Written by Marcel on February 4, 2008 | Leave a Comment

The brake system of your car is one of the most vital safety features that without which driving would be impossible. There are many things that can go wrong with your brakes and as preventive maintenance and regular inspection, it would be best to check on a few parts so you don’t get caught without brakes on the road.

Under the hood of any vehicle there is a container or reservoir as it is called that contains brake fluid and to most drivers, is the most known part of the brake system. Don’t keep this only topped off but make sure you use the right type of brake fluid (DOT 3 is the most common brake fluid grade used). The metal thing this reservoir sits on is called the Master cylinder which contains the pistons that forces the fluid from the reservoir into the brake lines (more on the other parts as we go on) to the wheel cylinders. Directly behind that is a metal drum like thing that is the brake booster which has a rubber gasket inside which multiplies the amount of force exerted by your foot on the pedal into immense pressures to stop your car. The brake fluid then goes through the brake lines to each wheel which are actually metal pipes with some rubber hoses in tight corners and moving areas to the wheel cylinders. The wheels all have individual cylinders or pistons that push the brake pads or drums to close and stop the vehicle. The parts the pads come in contact with are the rotors for disk brakes and drums for drum brakes.

More on the next post regarding maintenance and troubleshooting of the brake system.

Written by Marcel on January 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Overheating is one of the most common problem car drivers encounter along a trip. This is a regular thing you can see on hi-ways, main roads or narrow streets. Overheating significantly reduces engine performance and might seriously damage inner system of your engine. This why engines are designed to automatically halt when it reaches its temperature limit. Let me share you some ideas based on my own experience with my Toyota Corolla XL 4.

Causes of Overheating:

• No or not enough water: Water is the primal factor of controlling the thermal heatness of the engine. No water will surely make your engine to overheat.
  Solution: make sure you put enough water on you radiator before running your car.
• Improper water circulation: Sometimes, eventhough you are sure that you have enough water on your radiator, your car still overheats. It might probably be that the water is cannot circulate properly, which results to improper cooling process. There are several reasons for this which you can discover by yourself.
  1. To verify if the water circulates properly, start your engine without the radiator cap. If water circulation is good, you should notice that the water pops smoothly over the top but still retains the amount. Another way to check, detach one of the ends of your radiator hose from your radiator and see if water flows continously over.
  2. If water doesn’t circulates well, check the thermostat if it’s open. It should be open, meaning clean, and the water can pass through it.
  3. If thermostat is clean and still the water doesn’t circulate properly, then you have to check the water pump. That’s probably where the problem is. A little leak on the pump will cause improper flow of water through the radiator system.
• If you are sure that the problem is not about water circulation, another thing you can consider is check the engine oil. Very low amount of oil can cause greater friction of the mechanical system of your engine. If it’s not time to change oil yet, you can add over some amount of oil until advisable amount is reached.

While we can’t be always sure about our engine, especially if it’s not new, we should be prepared when it happens. Bringing extra gallon of water in your trunk will surely help.

Written by A. Cantos on October 27, 2007 | 2 Comments

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