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Top Five Significant Knowledge for Drivers

Cars have become a daily necessity for urban lifestyle. Unlike earlier cars are now being driven by youngsters who have a very little knowledge about car driving and safety. They should be aware of every minor detail about car ranging from safety to maintenance. Most of the information is reinforced through owner’s manual which guides to manage a car in an extremely simple and step by step manner.

Grasping the total in and out of a car takes some time for a young car driver. However, there are few things that all drivers should know before taking the car out for the first ride. This really makes one handle minor glitches in the initial stage thereby decreasing the dependency on mechanic every time. Some of these are never taught at driving schools, but these elementary things ensure a hassle-free and smooth driving experience.

Browse through the top five tips on car maintenance that help during initial stage as well as in long run:

How to Change a Tyre?

Driving on Indian roads is a tedious job. The potholed roads, chaotic traffic, frequent speed breakers make driving difficult for a beginner. As Indian roads are no Autobahn and maintenance is low, getting a flat tyre is common. Earlier, tyres used to burst, but thankfully now they tear or get punctured. They sometimes suddenly burst pulling the car to roadside or a corner. In such a situation, park it in a well lit place and put on the hazard lights on, so that other road users can notice the vehicle. The parking brake should be enabled and the gear shift should be in normal mode. If the car has automatic transmission, make sure that the gear knob is brought to park position.

Then take out the spare tyre, a wrench, and a jack. Using the jack, raise the car to a pre-defined point so that the wheel is no more in contact with earth. If there is wheel cap, remove it so that the wheel screws can be visible. Use the wrench, take the screws off and disengage the tyre from the wheel assembly. Put the spare tyre in place of the old one and tighten the screws on the wheels. Make sure they are tightened completely so that it does not loosen while driving on rough roads. Put the wheel cap back in its place, lower the car and put the equipments back in place. Its time to hit the roads again! All this procedure would take no more than 15 minutes. Imagine waiting hours for a mechanic to do this simple job for you.

How to Jump Start a Car?

Jump starting a car means bringing the car back to life after its battery get discharged. The batteries need to be jump started when it has low electrolyte levels, battery is cracked or is frozen. Most drivers complain about batteries problems during long drives. If the lights are bright and the motor churns out its usual hum, it indicates that the battery is working fine. Ideally, when going for a long drive, cars should be equipped with jumper cables of the best quality. They should be colour coded so that they can be differentiated during an emergency.

In case of a discharged battery, park the car with the bum battery and the jump car in a dry place. Attach the clamps to the positive terminal on the discharged battery. Be careful while attaching the black clamp, as it is already live. Then connect the other side of clamps to the positive terminal on the jump car’s battery. Start the car with the good battery and then start the car with the dead battery. Remove the cables in reverse order. Close the hoods and operate the two cars as usual. The battery will usually charge in 15 minutes, if the drained battery is otherwise okay. Usually in manual transmission, a car can be jump started by pushing the vehicle, but this needs manual labour to push the vehicle. Vehicles with automatic transmission use Hydraulic torque converter in the transmission and this will not allow the engine to be driven by the wheels. Proper jump start measures are also mentioned in the owner’s manual.

How to Check Tyre Pressure?

The car is driven on its wheels. Wheels accelerate the performance and power generated by the vehicle. Therefore, it is important to properly inflate the tyres. Nowadays, some fancy cars feature tyre pressure monitoring system. Indians normally check the tyre pressure at petrol filling stations. All tyre pressure gauges work in similar fashion. To monitor the tyre pressure, remove the valve stem cap and press the gauge flat against it. The gauge will read the pressure. A hissing sound indicates inaccurate reading. The correct pressure levels are usually listed in the owner’s manual. Avoid pressure levels higher than those mentioned in the owner’s manual. If the pressure level is very high, the car gives a bumpy ride.

Deflate the tyres to a standard pressure level. It is now ready to be drive. Car tyres usually develop high pressure from additional heat after a full day run. Hence, it is best to check the pressure during morning. Tyre pressure should be check at least once in a month.

Checking Oil

Oils help lubricate the car’s engine that further enhances the performance of the car. The appropriate level of oil in the car can be checked using an oil dipstick that is placed alongside the engine. It can be quickly distinguished by its bright colour. Start the engine and ensure the oil has warmed up to the normal operating temperature. Choose a flat surface to park the vehicle. Take the long stick and wipe with a clean cloth to get the accurate reading. Insert the stick into the engine. Repeat the process more than twice to get the correct reading. The lower end of the stick will have markings that denote the normal oil levels. If there is oil on those markings, that mean there is enough oil. If there is no oil on the stick at all, the engine could develop problems. Add the motor oil mentioned by the car manufacturer in good quantity so that it reaches the normal level. Too much of oil is also not good for the engine.

How to Unstuck Wheels?

During rainy weather or in snowy weather conditions, vehicles generally get stuck in the mud and show making driving difficult. If the wheels are slightly immersed then it can be retrieved with the application of hard acceleration. But if it is stuck deep into the muck, try to remove some mud surrounding the vehicle. Find some gravel or stones and push them near the wheels. This will help the wheel get a grip on the store and ride away. A car floor mat can also be used to remove the mud. If the situation seems impossible, try to get help from passerby.

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