Car care | Regular service prevents mechanical problems

Some car care can be done by every owner, such as weekly checks of the radiator coolant, engine oil, brake fluid, windscreen washer container levels, and checking tyre pressures using a reliable gauge. Routine servicing by qualified tradespeople should be carried out at least every 10,OOOkm or six months. In harsh operating conditions every 5,OOOkm or three months is not unreasonable. 

This is a minimum list of items needing routine attention:

1 Change engine oil and oil filter
2 Lubricate any parts of the vehicle as required by the manufacturer
3 Remove wheels and check condition of brake pads and linings adjust if needed
4 Check suspension and steering for damage or looseness
5 Check tyres for uneven wear and condition 

At every 20,OOOkm add the following items to the list:

Check or replace spark plugs, air filter, and fuel filter
Check or replace ignition points (if fitted) and reset timing

At every 30,OOOkm add these to the services performed:

1 Lubricate wheel bearings (front or rear -refer to handbook)
2 Service automatic transmission (refer to manufacturer's recommendations)
All services should be carried out in conjunction with a thorough safety
check on items like lights and windscreen wiper blades. New South Wales has Australia's most stringent regulations governing the repair industry , and is the only state in which motor vehicle repairers must be licensed and tradespeople certificated through the Motor Vehicle Repair Industry Council.
As long as motorists avoid backyard repairers and deal only with licensed MTA/MVRIC members they can be confident of getting honest work at the right price.

Tyre care saves money

Tyre care gives good returns We take our tyres for granted until something goes wrong. Most often that something" is caused by neglect or poor maintenance. Tyre neglect can include improper inflation, wheels out of balance, poor wheel alignment, and damage caused by contact with kerbs and other immovable objects. It's easy to reduce the useful life of the tyres on your vehicle by 50% through neglect. This costs you money, and can also place the life of you and your passengers at risk. You can even damage tyres by leaving them exposed to the elements for long periods of time without using them. Tyre manufacturers blend into their mix certain chemical ingredients which inhibit damage from ozone and ultraviolet light, the two main degradants of rubber.

Have you ever wondered why tyres are black? The tyre's colour is the result of adding carbon black to the ingredients that make up a tyre's casing. This protects tyres against damage from the sun's ultraviolet rays. Sidewalls of tyres that are exposed to the weather for extended periods can actually dry out and will eventually crack and split. This is a common problem with tyres on trailers. Waxes are used to protect tyres against ozone. When in use tyres flex which causes the protective waxes to migrate to the surface of the tyre where they form a physical barrier between atmospheric ozone and the tyre polymers. If a tyre is not used regularly, this flexing process can't take place and ozone begins to eat away the protective wax on the surface. 

Tyre pressure is critical

Tyre pressures are critical to a tyre's life expectancy. Purchase a good quality tyre gauge and use it regularly. Check to see that tyre pressures are maintained at the level specified by the manufacturer of your vehicle. Too little air in your tyres will cause excessive wear on the outside of the tread. Too much air pressure will cause undue wear on the middle part of the tread.
Tyre pressures increase while driving, so it's important to check tyre pressures when tyres are "cold". This enables a consistent reading rather than having temperature variations cause over or under inflation. Overloading your vehicle is another way to cause excessive tread wear and make the tyre prone to failure. When your brakes are stopping the wheels, it's really the tyres that stop the car. The control you have while braking is dependent upon the condition of your tyres.

Tyre tread an indication for your cars safety

The minimum safe tread depth for a passenger car tyre is 2 mm -about the depth of a match head inserted into the groove. When the road's dry the treads have little work to do. But when the road surface is covered with water those groove evacuate water from under the tread. Worn tyres are prone to 'aquaplaning', surfing along on a film of water the same as a water skier on the surface of a lake. The driver loses control of the car and it has a tendency to keep going in a straight line.

Tyre blowouts what to do thinge to consider

If you think you have a flat tyre while driving it's important to come to a gradual stop in a safe location rather than immediately pulling over to the side of the road. It's better to ruin a tyre than risk an accident. Modern cars are designed in co-operation with a number of component makers including tyre manufacturers. Chances are that the tyres that came with your car when it was new were given careful consideration by the engineers who designed the vehicle's suspension. When the time comes to replace your tyres, always remember that there's a lot more than just your car riding on your tyres. Quality is more important than simply getting the cheapest product.

Preparing your vehicle for those winter months

The motor car reacts differently to lower temperatures and will benefit from some attention, especially before it's taken on a long drive. If your car has an air conditioner it should be run during winter to keep it ready for use next summer. Turn it on for at least five minutes once a month while driving.
Batteries feel the cold and cooler weather brings with it the potential for battery problems. If your car seems sluggish when starting, or if the battery seems to lose its power it's time to have it checked out. Don't forget to check your battery fluid level and make sure the terminals are clean and free of corrosion. If in doubt, ask an auto electrician to check your car's electrical system including the alternator and your engine's spark plug leads.
 

With shorter days you'll be using your headlights more in winter. It's not too bright to drive with any lights on your car that are dim or not working. A do-it-yourself check of headlights, taillights turn indicators and brake lights only takes a few minutes. Interior lights can also be very helpful when trying to read a map or street directory on a dark night.

Have your car serviced before you leave on any long trip, especially if a service will fall due while you're away. A well-tuned and serviced car will run smoother, pollute less, and use less petrol. A tune-up can also make starting easier on cold winter mornings.
 

If you frequently tow a trailer you'd better have your cooling system checked. Even in cooler weather your motor could overheat from the extra load at the back. A leak in the exhaust system is always dangerous, especially so when you're driving with all your windows rolled up to stay warm inside the car. Start your engine and walk around the car listening for the sound of leaks or rattles from the tailpipe. Better yet, ask your local garage to check the system.

When you fill up your petrol tank check all the other fluids too. The coolant in the radiator, water in the windscreen washer reservoir, the brake fluid, and engine oil all need to be at the right levels. If you're uncertain about the correct level, check your car owner's manual. A weekly check of all fluid levels is a sensible thing to do. Always take care when removing the radiator cap after your car's warmed . It might be cold outside but inside your radiator the coolant can be hotter than water's boiling temperature. There's a few little accessories that you should have in your car, like a torch with fresh batteries, a first aid kit, maps showing where you're going and how to get there, and a spare fan belt. A couple of small rugs or blankets can be useful for keeping warm during stops while motoring in winter. If you can't recall when your windscreen wiper blades were last replaced, have them changed. Rain can dramatically affect your ability to see the road ahead, especially at
night, and efficient windscreen wipers are a safety essential. Drive with care and take frequent rest breaks and you'll enjoy motoring this winter.

The components of your vehicles cooling system

The Thermostat

The thermostat when closed prevents coolant from leaving the engine and circulating through to the radiator until correct engine temperature is reached. Usually between 80'C (I80'F) and 95'C (200'F) for most engines. When optimum temperature is reached; the spring valve in the thermostat opens, allowing coolant to circulate through to the radiator, where it is cooled..

The engine should take 5 to 15 minutes to warm up, depending on weather conditions. If your engine takes longer to warm up, or if it operates hot, you might need to check the thermostat. Important note: An engine should operate at it's optimum temperature. A malfunctioning or incorrect value thermostat can lead to excessive engine wear and waste fuel. Check your thermostat at the start of summer and winter. A simple check: When the engine is cold, remove the radiator cap, start engine, within a few minutes, operating temp should be reached and the thermostat should open and you should see movement of coolant. Replace cap! If you see no movement, ask your mechanic to check/replace the thermostat.

The Water Pump

The water pump is a vital part of the cooling system, it has a rotating impeller (something like a fan) which moves the coolant through the bottom radiator hose, to the inlet at the bottom of the water pump. The coolant flows through the engine block to the outlet at the top of the engine, into the top radiator hose and top radiator tank. The flow then goes through the radiator tubes, to be cooled by air passing over / around the tubes then back to the bottom of the radiator ready to be pumped around again. Moving air is required to keep the radiator tubes functioning efficiently. Impeller type water pumps must turn rapidly to be efficient. So a worn or loose drive belt(s) can cause slippage (which may not be easily detected) and reduce coolant flow, this increases engine temperature above optimum.

Poor water quality, foreign particles or tired (passed expect life) coolant can also degrade the impeller, pitting its pumping surface and reducing efficiency, thus reducing flow and increasing temperature above optimum. The water pump should be check as per your vehicle's handbook or sooner if poor quality products or poor quality water have been used. The few dollars you save on cheaper radiator products can cost $IOO0s of dollars in replacement parts & labour later. So is the cheaper product really worth the saving? Some of the transport companies we now supply wished they had known about such problems. Some were destroying a water pump every 12-18 months per vehicle.

The Radiator Cap

The radiator cap is designed to hold the coolant at a predetermined amount of pressure in your radiator. If the coolant was not kept under pressure it would boil away. Demineralised water (the original 1900's coolant) boils at 100'C (212'F) but if the pressure is increased, the boiling temperature is also increased and the coolant can then be heated to above 100'C. The radiator cap can be checked with a cooling system pressure tester, to ensure that it is keeping the correct pressure .

The Heater

A small version of the radiator that is used to warm the interior of the vehicle. It is usually mounted under the dash board and placed in the vehicle's internal air-conditioning system. The heat from this heater comes from the coolant circulating in the engine's cooling system, it is not an electric heater. Although there are "some vehicles that do have electric air heaters but these are the norm. How does it work: Some of the coolant routed via heater hoses to the mini radiator (heater coil) in the dash.

The fan

You'll notice on your dash board an environmental control panel, it refers to the cabin environment. It is a series of heat (red) and cold (blue) sliders or buttons, with air flow indicators for fresh air or recirculated cabin air, to your feet, face, windscreen and a fan speed control. Their functions are quite obvious, fresh air (external air) opens a vent and as the car moves air flows into the cabin. Similarly recirculated air blocks the external vent and just pushes air in the cabin around with the fan. A feature I'm sure you've found useful when stuck behind a smoke or bad smell emitting vehicle, it is also useful on dirt tracks, pressurizing the cabin from dust contamination.. .Both air flows use the same internal air vents and can pass air over the heater coil. The air passing over the heater coil, cools the coolant by convection, thus heating the air. The fan or breeze blows that air into the cabin via the vents. Adjusting the slider or button between the hot and cold setting varies the amount of air that passes over the heater coil or the amount of coolant that flows through the coil.
As about 75% of fuel in a combustion engine is converted to heat, the coolant can get hot very quickly, a matter of minutes.

The radiator fan

Coolant is passed through a radiator to be cooled by means of convection with the air. As you drive air passes through the grill of the car and through the radiator core / fins. If there is not enough air flow a heat sensor detects the lack of heat dissipation and activates the radiators cooling fan. In some cars the fan i., operated directly off the engine, usually mounted on the water pump shaft, and is turned by the same ian belt that drives the water pump and the alternator. Which can prove to be inefficient in some city operations at low speeds and belt slippage problems apply... Some belt driven fans can be thermostatically controlled as mentioned above. This is basically a fan clutch, which reduce" drive torque when it isn't needed. There are many variations on this theme from flexible fan blades, variable angles of blades and different number of blades, all depending upon the design and needs of each cooling system, each has their own merit.
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Independently mounted fans are usually electrically driven and thermostatically operated. There are no fa belts to worry about, usually quieter, less power drain on the engine and therefore less heat generated, less to cool and it can keep cooling after the engine stops. Battery power is the only concern and electric batteries are quite efficient and robust now days, so it is not that much a worry as it once was.

The Fan Belt

Fan Belts also called V-Belts are essential to many parts of your engine. You should check their condition periodically, look for cracking or fraying usually when their is a seasonal change from cold to hot or hot to cold weather. The howling you sometimes hear from your engine can be the belt slipping, reasons being an adjustment is needed of associated pulleys, usually general wear and tear on the parts. The belt is contaminated with road grime or wear or age. You should follow the vehicle manufacturer's handbook and specifications on belt properties. To loose it slips, meaning inefficient function of systems and too tight places excessive strain & wear on the associated pulleys and bearings. Generally it is also wise to replace fan belts every three years, even if they appear ok.

Anti howling hint

Some people use "vaseline" on the belt to stop them howling, this works because to creates slip, something we just explained above that creates other problems later .Not recommended a quick fix. 

Temperature Sensor

This is a sensor on the engine block in the cooling system coolant flow, it is connected to either a small red light on the side, or a small needle meter at the bottom of your dash instrument panel. Where your speedometer and other vehicle vital indicators are. Digital display vehicles actually have a temperature value, impressive!. Red light indicators: are not as informative as the needle meter. Once the light is on you should stop as soon as practicable or you run the risk of seizing the engine. Not nice if you're a long way from help.

The temperature sensor is used to determine the temperature of the coolant in your engine. As the coolant heats up, the temperature sensor sends this information to the temperature gauge on the dashboard. Which in turn displays that to you in some form. If the temperature sensor is not working properly, you will never know if your engine is running too hot. Your mechanic or service specialist will know the best way to test the sensor.

The Hoses

Hoses from radiator to engine and from engine to cabin heater and back again are very special. if not maintained correctly vital coolant can be lost and cooling system efficiency compromised. Radiator to engine hoses are metal coil reinforced hoses, designed to carry very hot liquids at high pressures. Poor coolant quality can accelerate the electrolysis of metal components , eating away the metal coil of the hose and weakening it. Resulting in burst hoses or inefficient flow of coolant around the system. The bottom hose usually has coolant being sucked out by the water pump to the engine, while the top hose is pressurized. So a failure of the reinforcement coil would see the bottom hose collapse and the top hose expand sideways. Engine to cabin heater hoses are narrower, thick walled hoses designed to carry hot liquids to the heater coil in the cabin's dash board and out again. If not properly maintained can crack and leak coolant. Hose clamps, these little things hold the hose onto the neck of the components they attach to and over time, by heating and cooling and vibration can become loose, slowly leaking coolant and eventually releasing the hose, usually under pressure and while your driving. These should be checked at every service period.

The Radiator

Is the centre of the cool ing system, without it your automobile wouldn't go very far and without the rest of the cooling system the radiator is next to useless. There is a whole industry just for radiator constructions, it must be one of the most interesting, if somewhat confusing to be in. Basically the radiator is two tanks, a top and a bottom tank, interconnected to each other by tubes. These tubes are located in the core of the radiator and have fins arranged in a way to gain maximum exposure to the air and dissipate heat from coolant passing along the tubes. Using simple convection, transferring heat absorbed by the radiator metal from the coolant to the air. Radiators are made out of several different metals to increase the efficiency of cooling and lighter construction. The tank  may be made out of one type of metal, the tubes another, the fins something else and so on. It is the different metals used that leads to other problems, usually electrolysis, the electrical difference between metals. Remember the science classes or TV shows about atoms, their electrons etc. that is the basis of electrolysis. It is also why metals are different from each other . Aluminium, Copper, Tin, Nickel,  steel, Cast iron, and other alloy metals can be found in the cooling system. All are required for some special function, taking advantage of the metal's special properties for engine cooling or fuel efficiency. Electrolysis is the major problem that all cooling systems must deal with.