The Panic Mechanic Blog

Sometimes when I sit back and take stock of my life, I think to myself how very lucky I was to have grown up on a farm in South Africa. But of course back then I did not think that was the case having to shovel cows muck before school!

So what has this got to do with rust arches…well, one lesson I learned on the farm was that money was precious and possessions very valuable. My father was a gifted engineer and very strict about keeping our possessions in good order and making things go a long way.

I learned a lot from my dad and especially how to clean an engine and look after a vehicle. It wasn’t till I moved to Cyprus, where I met my wife I realised how bad salt air was to a car. But worse was to come when we moved to England and I saw the annual salt spray on the roads and the damage it caused not only with rust, but the pelting of salt crystals as you drove past a salt truck.

I think my father-in-law felt pleased when I arrived and became the mechanic in the family. With four daughters, old cars and dealing with dodgy mechanics, he had had enough. I would congratulate my wife and sister-in-laws when I saw them “wash” their cars which was rare but amazed how none of them ever washed their wheel arches. Having been in England for many years now I am still amazed at how many car lovers seem to forget the one place where rust is most likely, the wheel arch!

So the lesson here today is that if you want to avoid getting rusty arches, which starts off as bubbling under the paint, simply get a nice scrubbing brush and wash right under the arch and the lip around the edge.

When salt is sprayed on the roads the mud, salt, rain and everything else on the road is picked up on your wheels and sprays around the arch. If you don’t wash the arch then the salt remains in the arch and lip, even when there is wet weather. The salt is mixed in with the mud which is stuck to the arch and so the salt can only be removed if the mud is washed away.

If it’s too late and you have rust arches, the best thing to do is to keep the area clean to prevent further erosion, but as the rust has set in it will only spread. You should ask a trusted mechanic or a body repair shop to remove the rust and re-spray the arch.

If you are ready to buy a second hand car and don’t want to be taken to the cleaners, here are my 10 tops tips for what you can look out for:

1) Check the paper work. Make sure the V5 registration document is present and match the seller’s details. Also check the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the registration document and matche it to the VIN number printed on the VIN plate on the car, (normally located under the bonnet).

2) Look over the condition of the body work. The older the car the more dings and scratches you can expect. The condition of the body however can tell you a lot about how the car has been looked after. In the UK cars are prone to rust from the rear wheel arches due to the salt during our winter season. Check the condition of the rear arches for rust but more importantly a build-up of dirt that will hold the salt!!! Another rust prone area is the bottom of the doors so be sure to check these well.

3) Accident damage could be problem so look for ripples or a change in texture of the paint that may indicate a repair and the presence of body filler. This can be easily checked using a small magnet. The magnet will stick to the metal but not to the body filler. Also look under the bonnet along the front of the car for signs of welding and repair. Paint overspray and body panels that don’t line up properly can also be evidence of a crash.

4) Have a good look at the engine – if its really dirty it could be a sign that the car has been neglected and not serviced regularly. Before starting up check the colour and smell of the oil, if it is black and smells burnt this could suggest you may end up with some problems. Also if the engine is gleaming and spotless it could have had a steam clean to hide evidence of an oil leak.

5) While you are here check the fluid levels – Oil, water and brake fluid. If the car has power steering then that will also need fluid so check that to. The water should also have antifreeze in it and should not be a dirty brown colour!

6) To test the suspension, push down on each corner of the car individually. The car should return to its normal position but if it seems to bounce the shock absorbers are at the end of their life and will need to be replaced.

7) Tyres will also tell you a lot about the car and how it’s been looked after. Uneven tyre wear on the outside edges or centre of the tyre is normally a sign of incorrect inflation. These are crucial components that need to be in good condition not only for you safety but if you get stopped with tyres that don’t meet the minimum legal requirements you will get a fine!

8 ) Start up the car from cold and it should start easily and not make any knocking or pinking noises. This could suggest very costly repairs so If you hear any strange noises get a professional to have a look. Blip the accelerator and take note of any blue smoke coming from the exhaust that could indicate worn engine components. Listen to the exhaust. If its loud it could be leaking. If the car has a recent MOT check the emissions; if they are high the catalytic converter could be in need of replacement and these are very expensive!

9) During the road test make sure that the car tracks straight and doesn’t pull to the left or right. Any strange vibrations especially at speed could be wheel balancing and although not expensive to have done go back and check that there has been no damage done to the tyres. Also test the foot brake by pushing quite hard and listen – a grinding or scraping indicates the pads need to be changed whilst a vibration while braking suggests the disks are warped and will need to be replaced.

10) Above all else – use your instinct! If it feels wrong then don’t do it. You will always find another car!

A cheap version of car air con – use a cold water spray gun to spray a fine mist of water into the air flow of the cold air blower. When air is passed over cold water it cools, so you get an air conditioning effect. Just a little tip for those who don’t have a fancy air con system in their car. It’s been so hot lately even having the windows down is still hot. Why not try out my little tip!?

Looks like the government and those greedy oil companies are once again hiking their prices. Not content on making billions of dollars they have to make billions of billions of er…well, let’s just say, we are helping to line their pockets because we still rely on petrol for our cars! I heard about the electric car, I heard about it years ago, seems strange it has not yet become the family car, especially in this day and age of rapid technology. It must be our world leaders being too busy fighting over oil to want to help us save money and the environment too!

So in light of this our petrol blight, here are my 10 top tips to help you save a little petrol, or at least try to help it stretch further.

1. I am not meaning to sound like a cheat, but walking or riding a bicycle to work is the ultimate petrol saver! It may not help my business but it’s good for you and the environment. So for those car lovers, please read on!

2. Think before you buy. If you are looking to save money, then you will need to think more about your location and not the latest fashion accessory. If you are a city dweller, then you need a car economical for driving at low speed, short distances. Maybe look into the new hybrid cars. The car works as an eclectic car until it reaches a certain speed and then the fuel engine kicks in. If you are in the country and drive fast, long distances, maybe a diesel would help. The diesel is more expensive, but the car will go further. Although, some people still love the sound of petrol engine, so if you’re one of them, keep reading on.

3. Car sharing. I was fortunate early on in my career to be working with a colleague that lived near me. We cut our petrol costs in half and certainly helped my friend to justify why he needed his 4×4 land cruiser!

4. Some say that driving with your windows down will cost you more in petrol. I am not sure if it has been proven, but the theory is true. Having your windows down creates “drag” or more wind resistance. That means more resistance in the forward motion so the car works harder and uses more fuel.

5. If you want accept tip number 2 then you will probably use your air con (if you have it), to help keep you cool in summer. Well this definitely uses more fuel as it needs to run an air conditioning compressor. That uses power from the engine, which again, makes the engine work harder and uses more fuel. If it’s really hot I would try a combination. If you are driving slowly around town, open your windows. You get cool and there is less drag on the car. If you are on a motorway, use your blow fan on the cool setting.

6. Correctly inflate tyres. If you have ever had a bicycle and tried to ride it on a flat or under inflated tyre you’ll know how much harder your legs have to work. Same sort of principle with a car.

7. Make sure your car is regularly serviced. A good serviced car will mean it runs at optimum performance and not work harder with, for example, a clogged air filter.

8. Try to drive as smoothly as possible. If you are a bit of a “boy racer” you will probably use up more fuel and create more wear on your breaks, clutch and tyres. Try to change gear smoothly and stay constant on your accelerator. This is more efficient and means the car is not working harder.

9. Similar to the previous tip, try to observe your speed limit a little more. The faster you drive the more fuel you use. I did hear about the speed of 56mph being the most economical speed to drive. But with the range of cars out there, I can’t say that it is necessarily true.

10. Keep your car clean! How much stuff is in your boot> By reducing the extra weight in the car will help keep the vehicle light. Ever notice how slow you car feels just after you have put a full tank of petrol in? Just an example, and I am not saying don’t fill up to a fuel tank, just check you are not carrying any additional weight.

Some people may laugh when they read this, and to those people I say, keep reading. But for many others, changing a flat tyre on the roadside can seem quite daunting.

If you are stuck on the side of the road, your priority is your own safety and for that you should always keep a roadside rescue phone number in the car. But maybe you are not a member of a vehicle rescue company; maybe you couldn’t afford the extra cost to your insurance policy, or simply just didn’t think to join. What will you do when you get a flat tyre far from home or in the middle of nowhere? Do you know how to change a tyre, probably yes, but would you prefer someone else do it for you, probably yes. This is a simple case of confidence. It’s not rocket science, but it’s just not that nice to be alone in a situation you’re not comfortable with.

Here I am going to tell you how you could avoid this predicament and give you 10 steps to get out of it if you are caught unprepared. The next time you leave home on your own, you should feel a little more confident that you can get yourself back home if you suddenly get a flat tyre! Oh, and to those people who are laughing…I am sure you wouldn’t be laughing if a relative or close friend was stuck on the side of the road and you knew they were not confident. You should have told them about this blog post or even shown them how to do it instead of waiting untill they got stranded.

Flat Tyre Prevention

1 - Periodically check the condition of your tyres. The legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm. This webpage describes tyre law nicely and shows you a video of how to check tyre tread. http://www.kwik-fit.com/uk-tyre-law.asp

2 - Periodically check your tyres are inflated correctly. Tyre pressure values are sometimes shown on the inside of the driver’s door, or under your bonnet. But you should check your operator’s manual. Over or under inflated tyres can drastically reduce the life span of your tyres and create dangerous driving conditions.

3 - Check your spare tyre is inflated to the correct pressure and is in good condition.

4 - For simplicity, you can purchase a can of “tyre weld” from your local garage. If you have this handy in the car and you suddenly get a flat, this can help you avoid the 10 step procedure below. This little can has a tube that fits onto your air valve and re-inflates your tyre and at the same time the gas works its way towards the puncture and seals it. This is a temporary fix until you get yourself home and can change your tyre there. This won’t work for large holes or side tyre wall damage.

10 Step Tyre Change

1 - So you’ve got a flat tyre, the first thing is safety. If you have a warning triangle in your boot, put it out to warn oncoming traffic and turn on your hazard lights.

2 - Remove Spare tyre, wheel spanner and jack. The wheel spanner and jack are normally together and should be with the spare tyre, if not; check other car compartments, (in the boot or in the engine bay).

3 - If you are able to “chock” the wheel, which means something to place in front of one of your wheels to prevent the car rolling after you have jacked it up.

4 - Using your wheel spanner, “crack” the wheel nuts. This means, plug the end of the wheel spanner onto the wheels nuts and push anti-clockwise hard, only half a turn. If one of your wheels nuts looks different from the rest, it’s probably a “locking nut” to prevent your alloys getting pinched. You need to find your locking nut key to put on the wheel spanner, (it might be in the glove box).

5 - Locate the jacking point under your car. This point is normally 6-8 inches from the wheel arches. If you can’t find it, just look for a strong flat area that won’t damage your car.

6 - Place the jack under your jacking point making sure it is balanced and wind the jack up until you raise your car off the ground, enough so that you raise the flat wheel off the ground.

7 - Using the wheel spanner remove the wheel nuts and remove the flat tyre. It can sometimes be a little tight when pulling a tyre off the car, so don’t worry.

8 - Place the spare wheel on and screw on the wheel nuts, just with your hands.

9 - Lower the jack and remove it.

10 - Tighten the wheel nuts with the wheel spanner. JOB DONE!