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Thursday, 30 August 2007 |
Vehicle basics for dummies
by ALLISON CASEY
Lifestyles Reporter
I drive a crappy car.
Once a shining example of Swedish ingenuity, my lovely silver 1982 Volvo Station wagon GL now makes noises no car should make.
I may just be the only one who can keep the thing on the road.
Driving
a car that stalls with no air conditioning, windows that don’t roll
down-except when they feel like it, breaks that squeak, a transmission
that leaks fluid, and a manual overdrive that doesn’t work has been a
character building experience for me.
And by a character building experience, I mean, “I now know how to fix some stuff.”
I’m by no means an expert.
If my car makes a noise, I assume it’s tied into the radio. When I turn it up, magically the noise goes away.
Still, I’ve garnered enough knowledge during my crappy car driving days
that I feel qualified to share a few interesting tidbits.
How to change a fuse
My windows have stopped working and my headlights have died because of
a blown fuse. Check the owner’s manual to find out where your fuse box
is located and be warned, newer cars are more complicated.
Make sure you keep them in your glove box, too. Make sure you use the right amperage, or you could start a fire.
After determining what fuse is located where, pop it in and replace it with a new one. The key here is being prepared.
How to put air in your tires
Read your tires, there should be a number followed by “PSI,” which
stands for pounds per square inch. The air pump might have a pressure
gauge attached to it.
If it doesn’t, ask the gas station attendant for one. Unscrew the
little black thing (the technical term, of course) and stick the gauge
to it.
Then pump the air until the number on the gauge matches the number on your tires.
It’s easy, takes two minutes, and could save your life.
How to fight a stalling car
Anyone who drives an older car will probably face this dilemma at some
point. I remember fondly the first time my car ever stalled.
I was in the K-Mart parking lot, a week after I bought my car driving
along when in the middle of the road, my car stopped working. The
breaks didn’t work and my steering wheel wouldn’t turn. I rolled into
a parking space and slammed the car into park.
When the car stalls, the entire electrical system shuts down. The best
thing to do is to pump the breaks, put the car into park as fast as you
can, and restart your car.
A frequently stalling car is often a sign that your car needs a new battery.
How to avoid a disaster
There are a few things I always carry in my backseat. It’s probably due
to paranoia, but I have an emergency kit including a flashlight, a
bottle of water, a first aid kit, jumper cables, a small heat saving
silver NASA technology blanket, flares and an orange reflector
triangle.
I may be paranoid, but when I drive the oldest car for miles around, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.
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