Motoring Hints and Tips
Advice on driving conditions, and general motoring
problems such as faulty lights, windshields, doors, and more.
Keeping awake when
driving. Want to keep awake and alert when driving,
drive in your bare feet, it will
help -- Sphere
Keep awake when driving #2. Never drive when sleepy; find a safe place to park up and snooze for half an hour. Set the alarm on your mobile if you have to. A quick nap can save your life -- Sharon Luther
Gas tank temporary repair If you ever get a leak from a cracked gas
tank on your vehicle, the temporary solution is to scrape a bar of soap
on the crack till it seals. Gas does not dissolve soap, but water will
definitely dissolve it! So like I said, this is only a temporary
solution!!! But it did get me home from a long trip on a dirt road! --
“Vince Cayouette”
Radiator
leaks. If your radiator springs a leak, stop in at McDonald's
(or
other restaurant) and pick up several little packets (5 or 6 packets or
about
one tablespoon) of black pepper. The pepper absorbs the water in the
radiator
and swells up. The pepper will then clog up the hole in the radiator.
This
repair will give you enough time to get to the garage. In one case that
I
know of, the pepper lasted for over 5 years. Joseph Fortunato -
Gasoline Fires. If you smell gas coming from beneath your car,
never check under it with an ordinary strobe light. If any gas falls on
the lightbulb, it could explode and cause a serious fire. Use a light
with a protective surface instead. (Such as a plastic transparent
cover).—“Adrian Mole”
Motorcycles. Paint on roadways as at intersection turn lanes
especially are slippery when stopping or starting. ~~ rosebuds02
Motorcycling Tip. If you use a battery charger when your bike is in
long term storage, don't forget to check the fluid level in it every 2
weeks or so. The water will evaporate very slowly, and it needs to be
replaced occasionally to keep the battery in top shape. -- Diesel Dan = Dan Jacobs
Can't
get rid of Dry White Polish in those small places around the bumper
& windows with a cloth? Then cut the bristles down on a new 1"
paint brush until they are just firm, now try it!. Also keep another
full 1" brush in the glove box for when your waiting to pick the wife
or kids up & dust the dash (or is it dash the dust?). -- Mike
Parry. Chester UK."Mike Parry"
Bugs Carry a bottle of Pledge polish with you on trips. Spray it on
all the parts of the car exposed to bug smashing. this wont' keep the
bugs off but it will make them easier to remove. -- (Bob Peckham)
Car
Cleaning Tip Here's my tip: Use WD40 to make black plastic
car bumpers black again. The WD40 also removes any traces of
car polish which may be on the bumpers. -- Uncle Angus "Angus Davidson"
Clean your Hands. After working on your car you can clean your hands
with a mixture of dishwashing liquid and sugar -- Simon Spicer
Clean your Hands. Use olive oil or other cooking oil to clean hands
dirtied by engine oil -- Jean Edmunds.
Don't Burn Your Hand. When topping up a car water level never
remove the radiator cap when the engine is hot. Never add cold water to
an overheated engine also, as you can crack the radiator. --
David Stokes
Radiators. If your radiator springs a leak, stick a
bit of chewed chewing gum over the hole to plug it up until you get to
the garage. - Anon.
Light Clusters. To make the rear light cluster on your old car look
like new rub down with "00" wet&dry then spray with clear
lacquer, they stand out if you are selling the car it could get you the
best price for a little investment -- jean watson
Lights. When I smashed my rear light, I found that
using some red plastic from a carrier bag covered it pretty well, until
I could get around to fixing it. -- Annie
Lights: If your lamp does not light properly this
is most likely due to either the bulb or fuse failing, so check them
both and then replace the faulty part. If the indicator light is
flashing irregularly this is most likely due to bulb failure or relay
failure. Check and replace. If the main/dip beam does not light this is
probably due to part failure of the unit. Check this out. --
Norton Hunters, USA
Indicator Light. If one of your indicator lights goes, a
good emergency replacement is your fog-light bulb. -- H R
Winterton, Florida.
Frozen Locks. There are a few ways that I've solved
this problem. Either heat up your key with a flame before trying the
lock several times. Be careful not to break the key though -
- J Forbes Smith, Canada.
Frozen Locks. Try using a hot water bottle if the lock is frozen
solid. My husband has been known to wipe the inside of the
windscreen with the hot water bottle inside a towel
-- essie2000
Windscreen wipers. If both windscreen wipers stop
working at the same time, this is most likely due to the fuse going.
Check the fuse box, and replace any faulty fuses. - Victor
Jobs
Before long journeys do all the usual checks and
make sure that you clean the windscreen very carefully. You
can reduce driver fatigue by a great deal simply by making sure that
you have good visibility -- Christian
Kauffman Berlin Germany
Icy windscreens can be scraped using a creditcard if no ice scraper is to hand. – Essy
Edmunds
A cup of vodka and a couple of drops of
washing up liquid in your car's water bottle can help prevent icing of
the windscreen in winter -- Simon Spicer Milton
Keynes England
Methylated Spirits (methyl alcohol) is good in your windscreen
wash bottle as well, and cheaper. Never use antifreeze in it, as it
damages the car paintwork. - - S Edmunds.
Regarding haze and general dirty windscreens. The
cheapest and quickest solution is to clean with toothpaste. To clear
the haze - or buff up the screen it may take a little longer and more
applications, but the results I can guarantee -- English Bob, Brighton, England
Only the winners decide what were war crimes. ~~ Gary Wills
