Virtual Mechanic

Are you a safe driver is your car safe or does your car make you feel safe.
As a sign of getting older I see more on the road, and the part that’s concerns me is the speedy drivers darting down the freeway from lane to lane tailgating everywhere

I can remember my first love, sorry I mean my first car at 18 years old, but I started a lot earlier at 13 years old but lets go to my first 12 months of driving.

At 18 years old I purchased a VW beetle, a red beetle running on 3 out of 4 cylinders this car had a nice smell to it, I was an apprentice motor mechanic at the time and I saw this little beauty just got traded in at the dealership where I was working.

I ask the owner of the ford dealership Mr Perter Durkin if I could buy this car and he was always a kind person and must of saw the excitement in my eye, I remember him saying in front of the service manager why would you be interested in this old bucket its runs on 3 cylinders, I said I can fix that, then Tom Geralt my boss said well its not that simple it’s a VW and what makes you so sure you can fix this problem, I remember it was a gamble, as the VW beetle did suffer from an over heating problem that can result in engine damage, but cocky little apprentice only saw the positive in this bug and took the risk. I purchased the car for $500 I remember it was a good buy at the time and Mr Durkin gave me some degree of favor, with the price.
So I got the little beauty into our workshop and adjust all the valves and then started up the engine, it run as smooth as a fine tuned engine should run. Of course Tom my service manager had to make a comment well young feller this time you were lucky.

This VW had McPherson strut front suspension this made the vehicle poor braking in the wet so anyone that drove a VW with McPherson strut suspension knew to be very careful in the wet or an accident was almost a given.

Getting back to original question about your vehicle and if it makes you feel safe because I would say many accidents occur when the car becomes unpredictable in the wet, because some drivers may not understand the concept of hydroplaning or cohesion, this bring me to my next point before you start to fall asleep.

Have you ever taken your vehicle to a defensive driving schools and therefore understood the limitations of driving in the wet or darting in and out of lanes at dangerous high speeds, don’t misunderstand me here I’m saying take a defensive course to learn how to speed quite the opposite the driving course will give you and understanding of limitations, and I haven’t even started on the tyres and the roadworthiness of the vehicle.

When you are driving your vehicle whether brand new or second hand there is a law of physics in play and as well as road surface conditions are playing a big part when or if you may find the need to brake suddenly.

So how can you understand the behavior of your motor vehicle in the wet
It’s a very quick test; we need to find a street without houses perhaps a new estate.

Travel at 20 Kms per hour in the wet and hit the brakes to understand the behavior of your car, the vehicle pulls up in a straight line this is good if it pulls to one side then we have a problem and will need to see our service centre to ascertain the cause of pulling to one side. If the vehicle will pull up straight then you may try at 40 if you feel comfortable.

At least this will give you some idea of what may occur when braking in the wet.
This has been written in the interests of driver safety
Written by Darren Gow-Brown, the Virtualmechanic.com.au

PURPOSE
A brake warning lamp may be a handbrake light, a master cylinder level indicator or a master cylinder losing excessive fluid which enables the switch to be activated.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
The most serious light indicator is a brake light staying on because the system is leaking excessive fluid.  The first step is to check the fluid reservoir.  If it’s exactly at the full mark while you have the cap off, push the level indicator down to see if the light goes out.  Also check the hand brake lever to see if the light fades or goes out if you manipulate the on and off on the handbrake.  If either works, disconnect the connection to the master cylinder.  If the light goes out have your mechanic inspect it before you drive it anywhere as the light connected to the master cylinder, the warning brake light, is a brake fluid loss indicator.  This is a serious problem.

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?
Costs may vary, depending on the source of the problem.

TEMPORARY REPAIR AND LONG TERM REPLACEMENT
Disconnecting the warning lamp to prevent the light from coming on is not the way to go as it’s designed to prevent the brakes from failing.

This article is found in the Virtual mechanic CD Rom
You can download it for the price of a latte, but you will learn not to buy a lemon
By Darren Gow-Brown, Melbourne Australia ©2009

PURPOSE
Brake lights are designed to let other drivers know when you’re braking.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
The problem with brake lights is that it’s hard for the driver to know if they are operating or not.  One way to check this is to reverse close to a wall at night and view the reflection of the brake lights in the rear vision mirror.  Also you can ask a friend to view the rear lights while you depress your brake pedal with the ignition on.

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?
Brake globes are cheap at under $2.00 each.  If you decide to fit a globe make sure  that the new globe has the same voltage and wattage as the old one as this will affect the brightness of the globe.

TEMPORARY REPAIR AND LONG TERM REPLACEMENT
If you find that the globe is out, give the assembly a light tap or remove the globe and refit it.  This may resecure the connections and the globe will become operational again.  A discoloured globe is a dead globe that needs to be replaced.  There is only one way to fit a globe.  It has offset mechanism.  This will be explained in the video.

This article is found in the Virtual mechanic CD Rom
You can download it for the price of a latte, but you will learn not to buy a lemon
By Darren Gow-Brown, Melbourne Australia ©2009

PURPOSE
Brake fluid is designed to operate under high temperatures therefore it contains additives that make it hydroscopic, this means its properties will become affected if it’s exposed to water.  Brake fluid is not designed to last forever as moisture may affect the boiling point.  For this reason brake fluid must be kept in a dry place and the rubber lid on the master cylinder must be sealed to prevent moisture and dirt from entering into this reservoir.  Brake fluid is best kept for 12 months, and after that, throw it away as it may contain moisture.

Things to look for
Brake fluid, depending on its demand, may become discoloured.  When this happens renew the brake fluid..  It is important to observe the brake fluid reservoir on a weekly basis as it may descend as the front disc callipers self adjust.  It should only descend slightly, measured in millimetres at a time.  If the reservoir descends completely in a month  then it’s leaking.  At this stage, don’t even drive the car to the garage.  Brake fade is also a sign to change the brake fluid.  Brake fade is when the pedal is still hard but there is no braking reaction

Is it expensive to repair?
Brake fluid is not expensive and if you decide to replace the brake fluid make sure your mechanic bleeds all the nipples and cleans the reservoir.  If this is completely flushed, it may cost around $45.00 including time.

Temporary repair and long term replacement
Brake fluid may descend slightly in the reservoir as the disc callipers self adjust.  At this stage it’s okay to top it up with new brake fluid to prevent the buoyant level indicator from switching the brake warning light on.

This article is found in the Virtual mechanic CD Rom
You can download it for the price of a latte, but you will learn not to buy a lemon
By Darren Gow-Brown, Melbourne Australia ©2009

THE EFFECT
This will give a high pitched squeal all the time, not just when braking and usually happens on disc brakes.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
You will need to remove the wheel from where you think the noise is coming from and have a look around the stone guard.  The stone guard is a guard to prevent stones from hitting the disc brake rotor.  What you should find is a stone.  These noises just come on out of no where and they usually come on when you have been travelling on an unsealed road.

COST
You can do it yourself or your local auto club can come out and look at it for you, or your local mechanic.  The cost is around $10.00 for an inspection..

 
This article is found in the Virtual mechanic CD Rom
You can download it for the price of a latte, but you will learn not to buy a lemon
By Darren Gow-Brown, Melbourne Australia ©2009

THE EFFECT
Everybody notices the squealing brakes.  It could be an indication of very low brakes or it just might be a simple rectification of the pad material.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
Squealing brakes certainly need to be checked if they are low.

COST
If the brakes are low then the cost to replace a set of disc or drum brakes is around $100.00-$200.00 depending on what is required at the time.  If the brakes are okay and they are not squealing it may cost around $45.00 to put anti squeal solution on and to prevent the squealing from occurring again.  This may need a repeat application as some squealing brakes are hard to rectify.

This article is found in the Virtual mechanic CD Rom
You can download it for the price of a latte, but you will learn not to buy a lemon
By Darren Gow-Brown, Melbourne Australia ©2009

Brake System – Brake Fluid
 PURPOSE
Brake fluid is designed to operate under high temperatures therefore it contains additives that make it hydroscopic, this means its properties will become affected if it’s exposed to water. Brake fluid is not designed to last forever as moisture may affect the boiling point. For this reason brake fluid must be kept in a dry place and the rubber lid on the master cylinder must be sealed to prevent moisture and dirt from entering into this reservoir. Brake fluid is best kept for 12 months, and after that, throw it away as it may contain moisture.

Things to look for

Brake fluid, depending on its demand, may become discoloured. When this happens renew the brake fluid.. It is important to observe the brake fluid reservoir on a weekly basis as it may descend as the front disc callipers self adjust. It should only descend slightly, measured in millimetres at a time. If the reservoir descends completely in a month then it’s leaking. At this stage, don’t even drive the car to the garage. Brake fade is also a sign to change the brake fluid. Brake fade is when the pedal is still hard but there is no braking reaction

Is it expensive to repair?

Brake fluid is not expensive and if you decide to replace the brake fluid make sure your mechanic bleeds all the nipples and cleans the reservoir. If this is completely flushed, it may cost around $45.00 including time.

Temporary repair and long term replacement

Brake fluid may descend slightly in the reservoir as the disc callipers self adjust. At this stage it’s okay to top it up with new brake fluid to prevent the buoyant level indicator from switching the brake warning light on.