Brake Warning Light

What does it mean when the Brake Warning Light is ON?. This light could be on due to several reasons, the most common reason is as a result of you driving the vehicle with the braking system not fully disengaged. There are two types of braking system for when the car is parked, there is the Hand Brake and then there is the Floor Parking Brake.

Hand Brake should be completely lowered

Floor Parking Brake needs to be OFF

If the brake warning light comes on when you are mashing the brakes, then  this could be a sign that you are loosing hydraulic pressure in the braking system

Engine Check Light

Engine Check Light

When driving your vehicle it is a good idea to scan your dashboard every so often, especially at a traffic light and when it is safe to do so. If you ever notice the - Engine Check Light come on, it either blinks or stays solid depending on the problem, either way, you need to have the vehicle checked by the mechanic. If the light is steady, it means that the problem is not an emergency, but it is a good idea to check your vehicle immediately.

Driving your car with your engine check light ON for an extended period of time, will cost you more in the long run. When the Engine Check light comes on, the car's E.F.I. goes into "LIMP" mode. LIMP mode means that the car becomes less dependent on input signals from sensors and runs off of pre-programmed parameters on the CPU which will help get you to the the nearest garage or destination without causing further damage to your vehicle.

Before you take your car to a mechanic to have the issue with the engine check light resolved, it is important to get confirmation that the mechanic has a diagnostic tool to perform the checks specific to  your vehicle. The mechanic will need to interface with the cars E.F.I. either through a hand held device or laptop / tablet. This will allow him to see exactly which codes are coming up so he can further analyze the data and get to the root cause of the problem.

There are five possible reasons why your engine check lights comes on, this should be used as a guide, only when the diagnostic is performed on the car's E.F.I. you can confirm.

1. Failing Oxygen Sensor - Measures the Air/Fuel ratio through the exhaust and maintains optimum combustion.
2. Bad Fuel - Water in fuel normally leads to something called  - Engine Knock or Engine pinging, this results from combustion taking place before the piston reaches Top Dead Center.
3. Failing Mass Air Flow Sensor - Measure the amount of air flow that enters the engine.
4. Damaged Spark Plugs or Wires - A damaged plug or wire can cause a leak in the electrical system that creates a ground fault.
5. Damaged Catalytic Converter - The catalytic converter converts the toxic gases from combustion into a more environmentally friendly discharge from the vehicles exhaust.

Changing a Flat Tyre

Many of us including myself, hate to have to change a flat tyre, even worse is when the tyre change is required in a very odd location, hopefully this blog will help provide some support in this much dreaded area of vehicle maintenance.

STEP 1 - Loosen the wheel bolts, this step of the process takes some effort since the wheel bolt would have been properly secured. It is most time advisable that you use your foot to assist in this process. You will need to ensure all wheel bolts are slack, but do not remove the nuts entirely.

STEP 2 - Raising the Car, in this step it is important that we understand at which part of the vehicle the jack is placed, it is normally on the undercarriage close to the wheel that you would need to change. This would require some manual labor to effect. 

STEP 3 - Removing tyre, firstly we need to ensure the surface is flat and solid enough to jack the car, install a chuck behind the wheel of the car, place the car in park and pull up on the hand brakes. In this step we remove all wheel nuts and take the entire wheel off of the car, there is no special order to remove the wheel nuts, but we want to keep them safe.

STEP 4 - Replacing the tyre, the spare tyre is normally found in the trunk of the vehicle. The spare tyre is installed in place of the tyre that was on the car previously, once the spare tyre is installed, we then need to replace the wheel nuts and catch all up by hand tightening.

STEP 5  - Lowering the car, the car is slowly lowered making sure your feet are out of harms way, the car is lowered all the way to ground until all the load is on the suspension of the car and no longer on the jack, once this is completed, the jack can be removed.

STEP 6  - Tighten the wheel, it is important when you tighten the wheel you follow a particular order - 4, 5 or 6 bolt. The purpose of following the wheel nut tightening order is to allow the wheel to be evenly secured thereby ensuring that there are no issues with misalignment of the wheel . 

Once completed you are DONE, Congratulations......

See the video for a summary of the 6 steps that have been shared 

Internal Car Care Tips

Your car is normally something that you take pride in, a clean vehicle is so much more inviting to drive. Many parents who have kids have all been faced with the challenges of keeping the car cleaned internally. 

With the recent advent of Covid-19, most people have resorted to cleaning the internals of their cars themselves in order to reduce to risk of cross contamination with the car wash agent.Cleaning of the inside of the car can be broken up into three main areas:

• Upholstery - Seats, floor mats and interior upholstery
• Vinyls - Dashboard, Door Panels, Center Console panels
• Glass - Front, Side and Rear

Cleaning Interior Upholstery

Vinyls - Dashboard, Door Panels, Center Console panels

Glass - Front, Side and Rear

Tyre Shelf Life

               

When purchasing tyres for a vehicle, it is important that you are aware of the manufacture date of  the tyre prior to purchasing. Most times we assume the tyre dealer is looking after our best interest......think again. 

This article will teach you how to recognize the manufacturer date of the tyres on your vehicle which will give you some form of assurance that the tyres are probably road worthy and should last you throughout the entire life cycle

Tyre indicating the manufacturer date of the 26th Week of 2013

Old tyres tend to crack and loose their ability to provide proper traction on the road surface. These potential issues can lead to accidents or in worse cases even death. Please do not risk your life and pay less for tyres with a overdue shelf life as opposed to buying a newly manufactured tyre.

You have the tools now....apply them to save your own life.

Electrical System

The electrical system in a car is one that is often neglected by the average car user. The electrical system in cars carry the power from your alternator to all the users in the car, including the battery, radio, lights and radiator fans

Electrical Schematic for a Car

When the driver gets behind that wheel and turns the ignition key to start the engine, the battery is engaged to start the cranking of the engine it also provides power to the rest of the electrical components that will be on during the cranking process. Once the car starts, the battery is disengaged and the car now runs of the electrical supply that is powered by the alternator.

The car's E.F.I. has a diagnostic feature that turns on the battery warning light on the dash when there are any issues associated with the alternator and charging system.

Battery Warning Light

The alternator plays a critical role in the charging and electrical system, within the alternator are several serviceable components that need to be replaced over a period of time, The most common parts that require servicing are:

• Roller Bearings ( Front and Rear ) - Carries the load of the Rotor, when going bad, the Alternator starts to sound very noisy and the area around the bearing become a lot dirtier than normal
• Rectifier - This component monitors and controls the process to charge the battery, it also ensures that power loads in the vehicle have sufficient energy to function. When this component start to go bad the Battery Check Light comes ON.
• Regulator - This component is used to convert current from Alternating Current (AC) to Direct Current (DC) during the charging process

Car Alternator

Exploded view of Car Alternator showing internal parts

Care for tools

Having our own tools, save us time and money when we need to perform any work on vehicles, but our tools are an investment and if we don't protect these investments, they can fail in their ability to perform the required work on our vehicles.

Tools require proper storage, if tools are not stored properly, they can cause a lot of frustration when you are trying to find a socket or spanner for a particular size nut. Modern tool kits come with sizes for both imperial and metric, so the capacity is doubled and can be quite confusing to sort if the use of proper storage is not adhered.

Cleanliness of tools is also critical in extending the life of these investments, when using tools they become soiled with grease, oil, fuel, and dirt - all of which if left unattended can lead to premature failure and corrosion issues with tools. When a tool has been used and is no longer required, before putting it in storage it is a good idea to use a bio-friendly greaser / water mixture, using a soft microfiber cloth, the tools should be cleaned, left to dry and then a slight coating of WD-40 placed on this, the WD-40 further displaces any water and therefore acts as a corrosion inhibitor.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

GPS ( Global Positioning System ) is currently used in the detection of  vehicle movement and tracking. There are a number of local vehicle tracking firms that use this technology to help ensure customers are aware of the whereabouts around their vehicles. This service is provided at a cost to the car owner for rental of the tracking device and in some cases the vehicle retrieval system.

Most modern GPS Tracking systems offer the user real time data on their phone with the access to the position of their vehicle. Some systems have the ability to shut down the car using an app with a mobile interface option, this can be quite useful in a car jacking scenario where one can ensure they are out of harms way, call for security or police backup and have the vehicle shutdown to limit the time it takes between engagement of the hijackers and police.

GPS Tracking can be quite useful to help track and monitor kids and spouses so you can track their movements for any strange activity that may pose a threat to either themselves or yourself.

Security Tips

Car theft and hijackings has been a major cause for concerns especially with your loved ones, but there are some guidelines that we can use as a car owner that will help make us less likely to be a target for the criminal elements.

Lock your Car 

It is important that we lock our car at all times when the vehicle is not in use. Some people have a fear of their keys being locked in their vehicle by accident, most modern cars have an integrated chip security system which allows the car to be able to detect when the key is in close proximity or not, this feature prevents accidental locking of the car doors. When walking away from your vehicle, you should ensure all doors are locked and windows are all rolled up, ensure that besides visual confirmation -flashing park lights, the audible feature of your alarm is enabled.

Take your keys

Whenever you walk away from your vehicle it is important that you lock your car and take your keys with you, statistics have shown where many car theft scenarios fall under the area of opportunity crime.

Leaving your keys in the ignition endangers not just your life, but the lives of your family members as well, we sometimes bunch our car keys with your house keys as well.

Hide your stuff

Leaving valuable items in vehicles creates the temptation for a person to want to enter your vehicle unlawfully. Valuable items should be either left at home in a safe, with you in your possession or in the trunk of your vehicle where it is out of sight from potential intruders.

External Car Care Tips

From time to time your car needs an extra TLC.... Please wash me. Not only is a dirty car unsightly, it is also bad for your paint job and upkeep of your prized possession. Whilst driving on the nations road ways, a lot of stuff gets collected on your vehicle, this includes, dirt, oil, salt and chemicals.

You may disagree with this statement.......

But the truth is that a dirty vehicle creates something called "drag" which account of up to in some cases a 10% increase in the fuel consumption of your vehicle versus a vehicle that is kept clean. A clean car gives you a greater sense of pride when driving, your car is one of your biggest investments, it is important that you do your bit to help preserve the exterior of the vehicle

When washing your vehicle, it is advised that you follow the following steps so that you minimize the effects of scratching the exterior coating of the vehicle. Always start from the top and work your way down so that the heavy dirt which normally accumulates at the base of the car would be the last set of grit you want removed.

In addition to washing your vehicle frequently, it is a good idea to protect the paint from the harsh elements of rain, sun and UV lights all of which impact on how glossy a car looks. It is always a good idea to use a high end hand polish on a monthly basis which prevents or hides the unsightly swirl marks which is often seen on cars after a year or two. There are lots of good products on the market that help address this area of exterior car care e.g. Meguiars, Autoglym, Mothers etc.

Swirl marks are not just unsightly, but if not addressed in the appropriate manner and time frame can potentially lead to the degradation of your paint job and overall market value of your hard earned investment.

Please do not make the mistake between the two - They are not for the same use.

Welcome

Welcome all, at DIY Car Care Tips we believe in the 3 Cs .... Customer, Comfort  and Care  for our clients. This blog is intended to help the car enthusiast, car owner and anyone who is interested in getting tips on helping them save time and money with their vehicle. During the recent pandemic a lot of us have neglected to pay attention to our regular car maintenance, but please do not believe because your vehicle is parked up - all is well

Given the diversity of the world we live in this blog will help the female car owners ensure they are educated around the basics of car maintenance and provide some tips that will help ensure the reliability and safety of their vehicles. Your car is a major investment and once maintained, you will, get the years of service from it.

Tools

All changes can be done at home, but would require some experience with auto mechanics and few specialized tools to ensure this is done without compromising your personal safety and safety of the environment.

Tools required to perform oil change

P.P.E or Personnel Protective Equipment protects your body from coming into contact with chemicals, oils or sharp edges. P.P.E. should be a standard part of your kit for home mechanics.

Hand PPE with tools

Use of mechanical aids such as jacks and jack stands should be part of your kit, when choosing these items, consideration must be given for the application and weight limitations of the device ( 2.5 - 3 ) Ton jacks should be used

3 Ton Hydraulic Jack and Jack-stand

Tyre replacements tools are usually found in the trunk of the car (rear) most cars come with the basic tools required to perform a tire change - Spare tire, jack and wheel spanner. It is important to perform regular checks on your tools and spare tire- especially before going on a long trip or after an extended period of time when your car is down.

Tyre replacement tools

Tune up tools consists of spanners, sockets, screw drivers, spark plugs, and feeler gauges. These tools are all used to gain access for the replacement and checking of spark plugs.

 

Tune-up tools

Cooling System

The cooling system is essential to prevent issues with overheating of your engine. The cooling system is a closed loop where cool water is circulated through your engine, this cool water dissipates the heat from your engine which is a by product of combustion.

Adding coolant to the cooling system

The Hot water is then cycled through the radiator of the car where a cooling fan induces a draft that causes the exchange of heat and allows the hot water to be cooled  via the cool air. The cool water returns to the engine to perform the cycle all over again.

Cooling System components

In tropical climates as ours, it is important to use an additive in our cooling system, normally know as "coolant". Coolant comes either in a concentrated form where the customer needs to mix with water, or it comes premixed, where you can just add to your cooling system.

Premix Coolant

It is important to regularly check your coolant level in your vehicle. This visual check can be done when the vehicle is cool or hot. If the level is low, the vehicle needs to be cool before any attempt is made to top up the levels

In checking the level the car must be:

1. On a flat even surface
2. The car must be cool, best time to check will be first thing in the morning
3. If you need to add coolant it should be already premixed and is compatible with the brand of coolant that is already within the vehicle

NOTE - DO NOT ATTEMPT TO OPEN ANY COMPONENT OF THE COOLING SYSTEM WHEN THE VEHICLE IS HOT.

There are markings on the side of the coolant reservoir bottle located under the bonnet. If the level is on F = FULL, then there is no need to add any coolant. If the level is on L=Low then you are required to top up the level. It is important not to over fill the coolant reservoir level, the vapor space above the liquid level allow for expansion and maintaining the boiling point of coolant.

Coolant Reservoir bottle showing level indicators