The Early Warning Book

How You Can Sport Some Car problems Before They Costs Big Money

Article written by Russ Russo

I asked 150 drivers in the parking lot of a shopping center to
do all the car checks in this guide. Two out of three of them
found something that could have become a dangerous or
expensive problem if left alone. Things like worn out tires,
tattered belts, low motor oil. In fact, almost everyone in the
 test found something that needed attention. In fact, almost
everyone in the test found something that needed attention.

Are my brakes unsafe ?

You don't have to be a mechanic to make this simple check.
Push the pedal down. If it goes more than halfway to the floor,
that's too far. The pedal should feel like it's hitting something
hard. If it feels spongy you might have air bubble in the brake
lines. Next, push down hard and count to ten. If the pedal
keeps going down, you could have master cylinder troubles.)
For power brakes, the engine has to running during this check).
Check the parking brake this way. See it firmly. If the car moves
easily in "drive" or "first" your brake flunks. If you find anything
suspicious about the brakes, take it to an expert, pronto.

What do these driveway drip means ?

Maybe be nothing. Maybe a big problem. To check them out,
spread some paper under your car overnight. That'll make the
new drips stand out. Use the photograph art right to diagnose
what the drips are . Clear condensed water from the air-
conditioner is okay. But if anything else is dripping, it could
be that your car is trying to tell you something. If you have
trouble telling exactly what the problem is, ask an expert.

How do I learn under-the-hood-geography ?

One key to troubleshooting potential problems is just knowing
where to look. For example, if you mean to check your coolant
overflow tank, and check your windshield washer tank instead,
you might set yourself up for an overheated engine. So if you're
not an expert in under-the-hood geography, ask a friend who
knows about cars, (Warning: Make sure the engine is off for
the all under-the-hood-check).

Where is the world is the power steering pump ?

It's pretty hard to spot. So a lot of people just forget about
it. Bu it is important. The pump, with it's reservoir, is
usually on the driver's side with a drive belt connecting it
to the engine. Once you find it, wipe the dirt off the reservoir
cap and filler neck. Then take the cap off and check the level
with the built-in dipstick. Notice that it shows different levels
for hot and cold.
 

How much motor oil is enough  ?

Motor oil is the lifeblood of your engine. Not checking it
would be like a doctor's not taking your pulse at an physical
exam. Pull the dipstick out, wipe it clean, put it all the way
back in, then pull it out again. The oil level should be between
the "ADD" mark and the "Full" mark.

What's the fan belt rule of thumb ?

I learned this easy test years ago. To check tension, press you
thumb down on the middle of each belt the way I'm doing in
the picture are right. it shouldn't give more than about half an
inch. Look for fraying and cracks, too. Twist belts around
to inspect un d underneath. The fan, water pump, alternator,
power steering, air-conditioner, and emission-control air pump
all have belt to drive them.

Any early warnings from the battery ?

Many a road service bill might have been avoided with these
two simple checks. First, check the battery fluid level. Warning: Don't smoking during this check. Batteries can give off explosive hydrogen. Take the caps off and make sure the acid solution inside comes up to the bottom of the filler neck. When it's at the right level, the fluid touches the filler neck and "puckers" a little as shown below. if it's too low, add water. Next, check your battery cables, Make sure they're tight and aren't frayed. Light-colored powdery stuff on the
terminals is corrosion and should be cleaned off

Is it safe to check the radiator ?
 

Not always. The hot, pressurized coolant could gush out
and scald you. Don't remove the cap unless the engine is
cold. You can check the coolant level without removing
the cap if your car has a coolant overflow tank. Notice
that there are different levels for hot and cold engines.
If your car has no overflow tank, and the engine is cold,
go ahead and  remove the radiator cap. A level an inch
below the bottom of the filler neck is about right. Check
the top and bottom radiator hoses for cracks and bulges. Check for leaks at the connections. Do the same for
heater hoses sine they care engine coolant, too. Preven-
tative maintenance idea: Some car makers recommend changing your radiator and heater hoses every two ears.
I do too.

Checking tire pressure is a pain. Why bothers ?
 

Here's shy a tire that's only 25 percent low hardly enough
to see can lose one-fifth of its useful like. On top of that, underinflated tires waste gasoline. Checking pressure is
free. I do it about once a month. Radial tire owners: the "radial bulge" can sometimes disguise a tire that really
is underinflated. Don't rely on looks. Use a gauge.

Bald spots or "cupping" are usually caused by out-of-
balance wheels or weak shocks. Tread wear indicator
showing across two or more grooves means tire should
be replaced. It's the law in most states. If the center of
the tread wears faster than the edges, overinflation is
the cause. When the edges wear faster that the center.
it's probably due to underinflation or hard cornering.
Wheel misalignment can cause one edge of the tread
to wear faster.


When does a worn tire become a dangerous tire ?

Look for the tread wear indicators for the tread wear indicators that show up when your tread gets down to
the last 1/17 inch. When they show across two or more grooves that can be dangerous. When a tire of mine
gets that worn, I get rid of it.
 

Are my shocks absorbers doing their jobs ?

If you shocks are more than 15,000 miles old, do this
check. Bounce the car up and down hard at each wheel.
Once it's going good, let go and see how many times it bounces. Good healthy shocks will stop it after one.
Weak shocks that bounce twice or more will give you unnecessary tire wear and maybe even handling problems.
 

Won't most problems be obvious ?
 

No. You can overlook things that are practically under
your nose. There are several things to check right from
the driver's seat.

1. Do your dashboard warning lights work ? They should
    all light up when the engine is cranking and the parking
    brake is on. Common warning lights: alernator, brakes,
    temperature, oil pressure. Check your owner's manual
    if you're not sure which ones your car should have. 

2. Does your horn honk ? Easy to check. Bad to wait until
    you need it to make sure it works.

3. Windshield washers and wipers. Do they spray right ?
    Do they wipe clean ?

4. What about outside lights ? Get a helper to check
    headlights (high and low), emergency flashers, side
    markers, parking lights, license plate lights, taillights,
    brake lights, backup lights (shift to reverse), and turn
    signals. (Most cars need the key on the for the last two).  

 
Courtesy Of Shell Oil