GARAGE
A couple of quick
fixes you can apply
all on your own
T
he biggest hurdle in convincing someone they can handle
car repair is the fear factor,
but here’s the thing; It’s actually
pretty hard to permanently screw
up a car. You might break something temporarily, or a fix might not
work in the long run, but you probably won’t set yourself or your car
on fire just because you banged
too hard on a valve. Cars are resilient machines and regardless of
the year or make, there are plenty
of repairs even the clumsiest and
technically challenged can handle
provided they have the confidence
to push through.
Problem: Battery has gone dead
ix: First check the battery
charge with a tester. You have 2
options- either go and buy a charger and hook it up to the mains or
try a jump start. For the latter, get
some jump leads and find a friend
with a ‘donor’ car. Hook up the jump
cables to the battery (these are
F
OFF
usually color coded), positive to
positive, negative to a metal earth
point on the car (not the battery!).
Start the donor car. After a minute,
start the other car and leave it running to charge. Remove the cables
and off you go.
Problem: Spark plugs are faulty
ix: Very easy, and takes about
10 minutes. Locate the spark
plugs and take off the covers, then
unscrew them. Clean off the general area a bit, and then put in some
new ones. Put the covers back
on. Start your engine to test that
they’re working correctly.
F
Problem: Oil levels are too low
ix: This one is a pretty easy fix
that anyone can do. Locate your
dipstick and do the usual release,
wipe, dip and release to gauge just
how low your levels are. Go to a
fueling station and buy the proper
motor oil for your engine. Locate
the oil filler cap and pour it in. Start
your engine to get the oil moving
F
around the system and that’s that.
Problem: Tire is flat
ix: Everyone hates flat tires.
You have two options – call a
tow service and have them come
and help out, or roll up your sleeves
and change it manually. First, loosen the lug nuts with the tire on the
ground. Do NOT remove completely. Jack up the car using the car’s
jacking points and finish unscrewing the wheel lugs. Remove the old
wheel and put the new wheel on.
Tighten the lugs by hand until tight
Lower the car down slowly, and
torque the lugs to recommended
specs using a torque wrench. Now
that’s a successful pit stop.
ottom line is, if you feel confident enough, it’s possible to
fix a range of different car problems quickly and easily at home.
MotorHub always urges you to
visit a mechanic if you aren’t 100%
sure or capable of fixing an issue,
or it looks to be serious.
F
B
Q. When I brake I feel a vibrating/
pulsating sensation through the
brake pedal. Is there something
wrong?
A. If your car has ABS then no.
ABS will produce such a sensation
when braking hard. If your car has
no ABS then be concerned it could
be that your brake discs are damaged.
Q. When pressing down on the
CONFUSED ?
…ask the EXPERTS
[Car Pedal Problems]
MotorHub Magazine
brake pedal it feels less solid and
more springy than it used to. Is
there a problem?
A. Yes. It is likely that air has got
into the brake system. To fix the
problem your brakes will need to
be bled.
system and needs to be bled.
Q. When I accelerate the revs
increase but the car doesn’t
speed up. What’s happening?
Q. When accelerating I can hear a A. Your clutch has slipped and will
squealing noise. What is this?
need to be mended by a mechanic.
A. The likely cause is a loose alter- Q. When I engage the clutch pedal
nator belt. Such a problem needs it feels springy & when I try and
fixing quickly as it can lead to an engage first gear I hear a grating
engine overheating or a flat bat- noise. What’s wrong?
tery.
A. Air has got into the hydraulic
19
February 2015 Issue