Keep your vehicle in tip-top
shape
By David Radtke and Bob Lacivita
Antifreeze check
Click Image to enlarge.
Click Image to enlarge.
Test your coolant temperature every fall
and every spring to make sure it’ll protect your engine coolant from
freezing or boiling over during temperature extremes. Just find your reservoir
(make sure it’s the right vessel by referring to your manual) and draw a
sample of the antifreeze mixture into an antifreeze tester ($6 at an auto parts
store) by squeezing the rubber ball at the top like a turkey baster. The tester
will determine if your coolant is up to the task by indicating the temperature
at which it will freeze on one side (photo below) and boil over on the other.
Follow the directions on the container to mix water and antifreeze in the
correct proportions for your climate—usually one part water to one part
antifreeze.
Just when you thought some things never
change, think again! Not all antifreezes are the same. Your owner’s
manual will tell you which one to buy. You may have a red, blue or green
antifreeze solution. Never mix the colors together. Each type is specially
formulated for specific engine-corrosion protection. Some antifreezes are made
to last the life of the car and changing the solution could void your warranty.
If your reservoir is low, top it off only with a 50-50 mixture of water and a
compatible antifreeze.
Safely jump your car
Carrying a set of jumper cables can not
only help a fellow stranded motorist but also get you out of a rundown battery
hassle. Jump-starting a vehicle is usually pretty simple, but you’ve got
to do it right to do it safely. Every year people are seriously injured while
attempting to help their fellow motorists with a “jump.” Clip and
save this article and stick it in your glove box, then before you even connect
the cables, follow this guide:
-
Make sure both batteries are the same
voltage (most batteries are 12 volts) and the same polarity (both have a
negative ground). You can check this information in your owner’s manual
from your glove box.
-
Pull your cars close enough to each other
to connect the cables but never let the vehicles touch. This could cause a
short.
-
Shut off the ignition-switch lights and
accessories in both cars. Make sure the vehicles are in park or neutral and set
the parking brakes.
-
Don’t smoke. Sparks near a battery
can cause an explosion.
-
If the weak battery is frozen, don’t
try to jump it! It could explode. You can tell if it’s frozen by looking
at the water through the inspection cap or you may notice a bulge in the
battery case.
-
Make sure you can identify the positive
and negative terminals of both batteries. The positive terminal is most likely
connected to the car’s starting/charging system with a red cable and the
negative is connected to the body/frame of the vehicle.
Hooking up the cables
Click Image to enlarge.
-
Clamp the positive
(red or yellow) cable to the positive terminal of the weak battery. Make sure
the other end doesn’t touch any part of the car’s engine or body or
you could get a dangerous spark.
-
Clamp the other end
of the positive cable to the positive terminal of the good battery.
-
Clamp the negative
cable (black) to the negative terminal of the good battery.
-
Clamp the negative
cable to a clean metal part of the engine in the car with the weak battery like
a bolt head or bracket. Keep the clamp away from the battery or any moving
parts. Caution: Don’t attach the negative cable to the negative terminal
of the weak battery! The battery terminal could spark and ignite hydrogen gas
directly over the battery. Don’t take a chance! Even if you’ve
gotten away with it before, never do it again.
Now, start the car with
the good battery, let it charge the weak battery for 15 seconds, then try to
start the car with the weak battery. If it doesn’t start, shut off both
ignitions, make sure the cable clamps are making good contact and then try it
again. When the car with the weak battery starts, wait to remove the negative
cable (about 15 seconds or so) to make sure it doesn’t stall.
Disconnect the cables
in the reverse order: First remove the negative cable from the grounded metal
part; next remove the negative cable from the good battery. Then remove the
positive cable from the car with the good battery (don’t touch a metallic
part of either car with the clamp of the positive cable). Finally, remove the
positive cable from the car with the weak battery.
Tip
If you live in a very
cold climate, buy the thickest-gauge cables you can find, (the lower the number
the thicker the cable).
CRAMPED QUARTERS
Engines on many newer
cars are packed in so tight under the hood that there may be no room around the
battery to hook up a jumper cable. Many times, manufacturers provide a jumper
block, usually enclosed by a red plastic cover and marked with a big + or POS,
to connect the positive cable hookup to. If your car doesn't have this jumper
block, don't fret. Your local auto parts store carries a side-terminal hotshot
battery adapter. These thin metal brackets are a few inches long, have a slot
down the middle and slide over the positive cable hold-down bolt, providing a
place to connect a jumper cable. If you're unsure about where to connect the
cable, refer to your service manual.
Changing your serpentine belt
What’s a serpentine belt?
They’ve replaced what we used to call fan belts, or
“V-belts,” in most vehicles. The old V-belts (some cars still use
them) primarily drove a fan and water pump to keep the engine cool. Multiple
V-belts drive other accessories like power steering and air conditioning.
Serpentine belts now drive all of these accessories (the fan is now often
driven by a separate electric motor) with just one continuous belt that snakes
its way around all the pulleys. How often should you change it? That of course
depends on how much you drive, how you drive and the type of vehicle you have,
but most experts suggest every 50,000 miles. Here are some other clues that you
may need a replacement belt:
-
Listen for a high-pitched whine or chirp,
especially when you start the vehicle.
-
Look for excessive cracks or belt
separation (photo, right).
-
If you’ve had a coolant or oil leak,
you could have a contaminated belt that slips (fix the leaks when you replace
the belt).
-
Check the tension indicator (refer to your manual) to see if
there’s excessive stretch in the belt. If the tension indicator shows a
loose condition, replace the belt.
On most vehicles, this job will take you about 15 minutes, but
for cars with cramped, under-the-hood quarters, it can take longer. In fact,
some vehicles are not do-it-yourself friendly when it comes to this project. If
you can’t get at the tensioner pulley, I’d recommend a trip to the
dealer for tough-to-get-at belts.
1 Locate belt tensioner
2 Remove old belt
3 Route new belt
Follow these instructions
Click Image to enlarge.
Worn out serpentine belt
-
Turn off the engine and let it cool.
-
Locate the routing diagram and study it.
If there is no diagram or it’s unreadable, draw a picture of how the belt
is routed around the pulleys, or take a picture with a Polaroid camera.
-
Locate the tensioner—usually
identified as a small wheel (3 to 4 in. dia.) that doesn’t appear to
drive anything.
-
Use a wrench (a heavy-duty long-handled
type, if available) to rotate the tensioner (usually counterclockwise) to
loosen the tension. The wrench doesn’t actually loosen the nut; it just
pivots the tensioner. Be careful! There’s a lot of force on the
tensioner. You may need an assistant to help you remove the belt while you hold
the tension on the wrench. Don’t let the tensioner slap back quickly or
you could damage it. Check the new belt against the old one to make sure
they’re a match.
-
Remove the belt and gently release the tensioner
pulley.
-
Spin the tensioner wheel a few times with
the belt off. If it growls a bit or doesn’t rotate smoothly (has a
gravelly feel as you rotate it) you may need to replace it. This is a job
reserved for those with some mechanics experience, so if you’re not up to
it, make an appointment with a mechanic.
-
Carefully position the belt around the
pulleys in the correct sequence. You can slip the belt over one of the small
pulleys (like the alternator) when you relieve the tension on the tensioner
with your wrench. Make sure the belt is on all the pulleys and sits in the
pulley grooves, then slowly release the tension.
-
Remove all the tools from the engine
compartment and test the vehicle by starting it. Turn on all the accessories
and turn your steering wheel to check the power steering.
-
Turn off the engine and make one final
inspection. If all is well, congratulations on a job well done.
Fog-gone
It doesn’t happen often, but when
it does, it can be like driving in heavy fog. Your car’s windows can fog
up unexpectedly in cold weather, heavy rainstorms or just from too many bodies
in the car. And while your defroster will eventually clear your windshield, the
other windows will remain fogged. You can prevent this with an anti-fog spray.
Spray it on the interior of your windshield and other windows you want to keep
clear. Wipe the entire surface and it’s immediately ready to keep your
windshield clear. One application can last for weeks depending on how often you
wash your window glass. Repeat the application when its protection starts to
fade. Several companies make this safety product. Look for it at your local
auto parts store.
Photography: BILL ZUEHLKE
