Automania
by Keith Pate



Winter is here yet again

and your vehicle has to face all sorts.

Ice, wind, rain salty roads and maybe even snow.

Here are a few tips and reminders to help keep you on the road

and off the bus stop:

Check your oil and antifreeze weekly.

Always carry a litre of oil. (on most vehicles there are marks for 'mim' and 'max' on the dipstick. If you are the 'min' it will take 1 litre of oil to bring you up to the 'max' mark.)

Most modern vehicles run on neat antifreeze. It works as a coolant in summer as well as preventing freeze-ups in winter. If you water it down, it reduces the effectiveness of it, - so it will pay for you to always carry a litre bottle of antifreeze ready for top-ups.

A 'spare bulb and fuse' pack will be available from your local car accessory shop. Nothing is worse than a rainy night with no lights, and no replacement fuse or bulbs. You're going to to need them sooner or later, so get one in ready now.

Every couple of of weeks, wipe your windscreen wiper blades with neat screen wash, - this will keep them supple and extend their working life.

Give your car a good wash and wax at least once every three weeks.
The wax will help to protect the paint from fading, and in the case of stone chips, will stop rain and sleet from getting under the paint and – assisted by frost – causing paint bubbles.

Make sure you use the correct grade of oil in your engine.
(If your engine was designed to use 10W40 Multigrade, but you use 20W50, it'll need 30% more power from your battery to start it.

Check the condition of your fan-belt.
More breakdowns are caused by broken fan-belts than any other cause.

Air Conditioning.
Most of us don't use the air conditioning in the winter for obvious reasons. But if you switch it on for at least 20 minutes once a month, it'll help to keep the seals and compressor lubricated, and avoiding future troubles.

A few handy tips you may use in an emergency:

If your engine overheats, remove the thermostat. Barring really serious mechanical failure, this should enable you to get home.

A broken fan belt can often be replaced with a piece of thick string or a pair of tights for long enough to get you home.

Carry a can of 'FlatFixer' for emergency use, it'll get you home without having to replace a wheel.

Remember:

Check, check and check again. It doesn't cost anything to check, - but it could save you loads . . .