Virtual Mechanic

PURPOSE

Air bags are a later addition for driver and passenger safety.  Air bags are designed to reduce the risk of personal injury to the driver and passengers.  Air bags come at a price and an extra $3,000.00 to purchase a vehicle fitted with an air bag is well worth it as it’s another safety feature, designed to save lives and prevent personal injury.  Remember if fitting any additional bumper bar component, it may affect the air bag safety operation. 

THINGS TO LOOK FOR

Is it possible to see if an air bag is operating correctly to it’s design or when buying a second hand vehicle fitted with an air bag.?  The only way to check if the air bag is fitted is to take your vehicle to your mechanic and ask if they can access the fault codes on the air bag and this will show if it’s operating correctly.  Pay for this test procedure and get a receipt, with the fault code number, signed by the mechanic or the technician .  This way you have proof that the air bag is still there and is operating to its specification.

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?

Yes!.  Air bags are expensive but so is your life.  If your vehicle has been involved in an accident with an air bag going off or when buying a second hand vehicle, make sure it is operating to its design purpose to save lives.  The average air bag costs around $2,000-$3,000.00.

  
Buying a Second Hand Vehicle  

Are you buying your dream car or a financial nightmare?

Purchasing a vehicle can be a big investment.
If you purchase a vehicle that has money owing or has been recorded as stolen, you risk the vehicle being repossessed.

VicRoads VSR is designed to provide financial security to potential vehicle buyers and financial lenders.

For just $7.50 you can obtain a VSR certificate which provides legal protection against repossession by a financier.
The certificate will also indicate whether the vehicle has been stolen.
The VSR certificate is only valid if the vehicle is purchased within 24 hours of its issue.

What the VSR can tell you

When you make a VSR enquiry, you are able to check whether:

there is finance recorded against the vehicle; and
whether the vehicle has been reported stolen.
Which vehicles does the VSR include?

Cars
Motorcycles
Trucks & Buses
Trailers & Caravans
Agricultural Machinery & Implements
What information do I need to make a VSR enquiry

Before you make a VSR enquiry, you need to obtain all the following information from the vehicle:

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or chassis number if the vehicle is manufactured before 1989, and
registration rumber and state of registration; and
engine number
It is important that you sight these details from the vehicle and not from any documents that the seller might offer.
If you are having trouble finding these numbers on the vehicle ask at a service station or contact the vehicle manufacturer.

Before calling VSR you should confirm that these numbers match those on the vehicle’s registration certificate.

How do I make a VSR enquiry?

You can request a VSR certificate by –

Calling VicRoads on 13 1171
Visiting maxi on the Internet at www.maxi.com.au
Using a maxi Kiosk situated at various locations across Victoria.
Method of Payment

Payment can be made by using either your VISA Card, Master Card or Bank Card.
Alternatively you can send a cheque or money order made payable to

Vehicle Securities Register, PO Box 2446, KEW VIC 3101.

A VSR Certificate will be mailed to you within two working days.

For further information please telephone VicRoads on 13 11 71 between Monday and Saturday 8:30am to 5:00pm

For Interstate Callers Ring 1800 814 762
If you have any suspicions about the ownership of the car, it may be a good idea to check with the Stolen Vehicles Squad to make sure the car has
not been reported as stolen. The telephone number is (03) 9865 2462.

State Name Telephone No Information Required
Victroria Vehicles Securities Register 13 1171 Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or chassis number if the vehicle is manufactured before 1989, and
Registration rumber 
State of registration;
Engine number
 
NSW, ACT &NT Register of Encumbered Vehicles (02) 9600 0022 Registration number,
Engine number,
Chassis number
Make
Model number
 
QLD Register of Encumbered Vehicles (07) 3246 1599 Registration number,
Engine number
Chassis number
 
SA Vehicles Securities Register 131 084 Registration number,
Engine number
 
WA Register of Encumbered Vehicles (09) 222 0711 Registration number,
Engine number
Chassis number
 
TAS Transport Department Motor Registry (03) 62 335201 Registration number

Cooling System – Heater Core
 PURPOSE
The heater core is designed to dissipate heat providing driver and passenger comfort. Heater cores should last at least 5 years before they start to give trouble. They are like a smaller version of a radiator except it dissipates heat for driver and passenger comfort whereas the radiator dissipates heat for a normal operating temperature for the engine in all speeds and conditions. A heater core is usually made up of a copper core with steel tanks. The later type of heater core may be made up of aluminium making it a very expensive component.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR

The heater core, over time, can become clogged. When you turn the heaters on and the temperature is only just warm this could indicate a blocked heater core or that the water is not reaching the correct temperature. A thermostat incorrectly fitted or removed may also affect the temperature of the heater core. The most common problem is a clogged or leaking heating core. A leaking heater core is when green water or a puddle of water is leaking onto the driver’s or the front passenger’s floor. Another sign is the windscreen fogging up when the car is warm. These problems need to be rectified ASAP. The heater core is connected to the cooling system which operates under pressure and further driving may drain the cooling system. This can lead to an overheated motor or a seized motor or a head gasket problem.

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?

Heater cores because they are situated underneath the dash or inside the dash panel assembly can cost anywhere from $150.00-$500.00 depending on the make and model. If you find that this is too expensive heater coolers can be bypassed. The cooling system does not require a heater core to operate except as a roadworthy item but this is a short term option only.

TEMPORARY REPAIR AND LONG TERM REPLACEMENT

A temporary repair to the heater core is simply bypassing the two pipes that go into the heater core and connecting those up, bypassing the heater core eliminating the heater core from leaking any further.

Charging System – Battery Light Coming On
 THE EFFECT
During daylight it is minimal. Vehicles can still drive during the day depending on the effect of the battery light and why the battery light is coming on. The battery light might be coming on because the fan belt is broken and you will see the temperature gauge going up because the same belt might be driving two pulleys.

CHECK

Check the pulleys, fan belts and the alternator to make sure it hasn’t seized. You also need a multimeter to check that the battery is receiving charge. A battery light coming on and off requires a check of the charge rate. The charge rate must be checked when the battery comes on especially if you’re about to do a night drive. Any battery light, even during the day, may still cut the motor out after a period of driving. Even during the day, the battery is being consumed of power by the electronic ignition, the fuel pump, the radio, the heaters, the air conditioning. All these things require power and if the battery isn’t receiving the charge from the alternator then the battery will become so low that the ignition system won’t operate. The charge rate should be on the battery poles between 13.8-14.2. Most batteries do not receive this type of charge. They receive something like 13.5-14.2. If it receives 12 volts at idle, this is a problem. If you raise the idle and it is still 12, this is still a low charging alternator. It will affect the battery and it needs to be rectified.
The problem is in the charging system. also make sure the battery is holding charge without the engine running, with a multimeter check that the battery holds atleast 12 volts, if not charge the battery making sure that the battery is holding 12 volts.
Note a faulty battery may sometimes make you believe the alternator is at fault.
 
  
 More information On Basic Car Maintenance CD Rom

Breakdown – Low On Petrol
 THE EFFECT
If it’s an EFI vehicle the engine may start and then cut out. If the vehicle is on an angle it might not even start at all!

CHECK

If the vehicle is on low but the light hasn’t come on yet (don’t rely upon those lights as sometimes they don’t come on), check the angle of the car. A vehicle on a flat level should be okay, provided the pick up pipe in the tank is correctly fitted. If the pick up pipe is slightly higher in your vehicle, then being low on petrol may cause the engine to start and then cut out or operate erratically. It is not good to run low on petrol in any vehicle as it can cause damage to the fuel pump, the fuel filter and also the injectors and/or the carburettor depending on whether it’s a carburettor or EFI vehicle.
 
 
 More information On Basic Car Maintenance CD Rom

Breakdown – At night
 The emphasis here is to realise the importance of decreasing your chances of breaking down at night. If you do breakdown at night you really want to have all these other points checked first. If you notice the battery light, the alternator light, or the check engine light from the EFI, come on during the day, don’t ignore these signs because breaking down at night is not a fun thing. It can be dangerous. Even performing a tyre change at night can be dangerous. If you do breakdown try to manoeuvre your vehicle into a safe environment. For example, if you have a flat tyre and it isn’t completely flat, it would be better to drive on that flat tyre to a service station and use their lights to change the tyre. Even if you didn’t want to change the tyre yourself, it’s still better to drive the car to a safe environment and call the auto club from there. If you can’t drive the vehicle and have access to a mobile phone, ring a friend to come and stay with you until the road service provider comes out. This way, you’re safe and if there are two of you there’s less chance of the wrong person knocking on your window. You don’t know who is going to help and who is not!
 
 More information On Basic Car Maintenance CD Rom

Noise – Ring gear slipping
 THE EFFECT
The whole neighborhood gets to hear it! It’s a high pitched metallic noise that when cranking the pinion gear from the starter motor is trying to turn the ring gear that has no teeth left.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR

Basically what you will find is that with every second crank, every fifth, fifteenth or hundredth crank, you will hear this noise.. If the noises become more common, eg. every second or third or tenth crank, it’s time to get the ring gear fixed and also the starter motor pinion will have to be examined to see if it’s worn. It may be causing the ring gear to wear.

COST

Cost of a ring gear or fly wheel and the starter motor pinion may cost around $600.00 for the complete job. A temporary repair is, with a set of gloves, to try to move the harmonic balancer. That way you are moving the location of those sets of teeth and of the ring gear, and the car might start if you are stranded in a remote location.
 Note this noise is on the CD Rom

Noise – Loose Timing Belt 

 THE EFFECT
A loose timing belt will rub up against the plastic housing surrounding the belt. It also can cause a distributor drive to chatter at idle. A loose fan belt may slip causing the timing to go out which can give poor performance or cause a potential misfire.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR

If you feel you have a suspect timing belt you may have to remove some of the housing to get to it to feel the belt to see if it is loose. Otherwise take the belt to your local mechanic to rectify.

COST

The cost to adjust a loose timing belt is around $30.00 but remember, this timing belt lasts somewhere between 60,000-80,000Kms. If it is around about that time, it might be a good idea to get the timing belt replaced as a timing belt replaced before it snaps is by far the cheapest repair or service on any fan belt.
 More information On Basic Car Maintenance CD Rom

The Noise – Loose Fan Belt
 THE EFFECT
A loose fan belt is a fan belt screaming out for help. Also a loose fan belt may perish or deteriorate rapidly depending on whether it’s a polyrib belt or a ‘V’ belt. A loose fan belt will also affect the charge rate and the cooling system if the water pump pulley is connected to that fan belt. Any fan belt that is loose will affect what it’s driving.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR

Check the belts for tension. If they feel loose, tighten them up.

COST
Nothing; if you do it yourself! When you check the fan belt make sure there is no oil around the fan belt and it isn’t cracked. An oily or cracked fan belt is a fan belt that is no longer useable. With an oily fan belt you will have to get the oil leak fixed ASAP as it will affect the belt until it is repaired. Also the oil leaks onto the road and that can become a safety hazard. Fan belts cost between $5.00-$65.00 depending on the make and model. Some fan belts are difficult to changeover, so it might be a good idea to get your mechanic to fit a new fan belt. When checking one belt, check all of them, as they all seem to go at the same time. 
 More information On Basic Car Maintenance CD Rom

ROAD TEST – Checking for warning lamps
 PURPOSE
Warning lamps are designed to let the driver know of possible major problems before they occur. The main lights are brake, oil, charge and temperature as well as seat belt lights. Gauges will warn if a problem is starting or getting worse. All warning lights are designed to turn on with the ignition and off when the engine starts. Most gauges are designed to start with the reference points and gradually move to another reference point as the value will change eg. a fuel gauge, it starts at low and ends up at the true fuel level.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR

Warning lamps and gauges are not to be ignored as they are there to save you time and money and hopefully from breaking down. A light must turn on with the ignition. If it doesn’t turn on, then the connection or sender or wiring is faulty and needs to be attended to. A warning light staying on requires attention A.S.A.P. A gauge staying on in one position requires attention as it will not show the correct value when required. Any light or gauge must be taken on face value and the problem attended to A.S.A.P. That does not mean when you get home, eg. when travelling at night and the battery light comes on , pull over somewhere safe and inspect the problem as it could cause the engine to stop at any place at anytime.

Overheating is another signal to stop there and then.. Driving with an overheated engine may cause hundreds of dollars of damage further down the track. Two main causes for vehicles breaking down are the cooling systems overheating and the charging systems not operating 100%. If you take notice of the warning signals, 50% of these breakdowns are avoidable. Breaking down on a freeway or a busy road or anywhere at night is considered to be dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?

Some sender units and engagers are expensive costing from $50.00 – $300.00. Going to the wreckers is another option.