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