On the subject of mechanical top tips, here are a few others that might be worth mentioning, plus some others that came to mind.
If replacing a timing belt, consider having the water pump replaced at the same time. A catastrophic water pump failure on a vauxhall could be fatal given its often driven by the belt.
Next time you take your car into the local garage for an oil change or any work that requires it to be raised on a ramp, take the opportunity to look underneath yourself. Early signs of fluid leaks, corrosion to the exhaust and loss of underseal can save major problems in the future.
When removing the battery connections and replacing, after cleaning the terminals apply a little petroleum jelly (vaseline) to reduce future corrosion.
Switch on your headlights during the day! Silly as it sounds it could save your life if it helps others spot you and it isn't going to increase your running costs significantly. Especially advisable during cloudy overcast weather and if you drive a black car!
Frequently check your rear brake lights and indicators by looking at the reflection of the rear of your car in a neighbours window or shop window when reversing.
When parking on a very steep hill facing downwards, always turn your front wheels into the kerb and put the transmission in reverse (manual) after applying the handbrake. If facing uphill, also turn front wheels into kerb but leave car in 1st gear.
Always press the handbrake ratchet release button in when pulling up the handbrake to avoid wear on the ratchet and overstretching the cables. Once you are used to it, the sound of others pulling up the brake on the ratchet will annoy you!
If you have a recirculation button on your car's ventillation system or aircon, use it to speed up heating the interior or cooling it during winter and summer. In cold weather the heating matrix will warm up the already warmer inside air rather than warm the colder outside air and similarly for the cooler inside air when in the summer.
To demist windscreen more quickly in damp weather, switch on the air conditioning. The air con will dehumidify the air and demisting will take place very fast.
When the rear seats are unoccupied, fasten both seatbelts where fitted. It prevents them from getting tangled in the doors!
S.
_____________________________________
SVPworld (incorporating PSRworld)
www.svpworld.com
|
DIY Cam Belt change.
Remove spark plugs to aid rotating engine by hand.
After removing cam belt covers, Carefully run a sharp blade right around the belt while rotating engine by hand, cutting belt into two halves.
Remove one half of the belt.
Rotate engine by hand and slide new belt halfway onto the cogs.
Cut away other half of old belt.
Slowly rotate engine by hand and assist new belt fully onto cogs, making sure your fingers don't get trapped.
Check tension of new belt by grabbing the belt halfway between the two furthest pulleys and twisting. you shouldn't be able to twist belt more than 90 degrees. Adjust if necessary.
Refit covers and plugs.
This method saves having to line up timing marks, and most of the time also saves having to retention the belt.
|
More excellent tips boys - keep 'em coming
Dynamic Dave - that's what I call a first class tip - will it work on any car with a cam belt ?
|
Dynamic Dave - that's what I call a first class tip - will it work on any car with a cam belt
I have managed it on both an 8 valve and 16 valve Vauxhall engine. However with the recent posts regarding tensioner pulleys also being replaced when changing the cam belt, I take no responsibility for any failed engines through people using my cambelt tip.
|
If your car won't start, and you run the battery flat trying, make sure you recharge it straight away. A car battery left discharged will die rapidly, adding another £40-£80 to the repair bill.
And never buy a French or Italian car with an electric sunroof.
Richard Hall
bangernomics.tripod.com
|
"And never buy a French or Italian car with an electric sunroof."
Why not? Or should it read "never buy an Italian car with anything electrical in it"??!!
PhilW
|
|
|
|
I'm sorry DD but this "cutting the timing belt in half" method is fraught with danger.
First it usually will be really difficult to get the new belt on without properly releasing the tensioner, there will be the temptation to lever/force it on possibly causing early failure.
Second (and as you hint) the tensioner is just as important as the belt with many cars and you can only properly check that with the belt completely removed. The same goes for additional idler pulleys and checking for a stiff water pump where it is driven by the belt.
Third there is a danger of nicking the new belt with the knife you use to cut off the second part of the old belt.
Third if you make a mistake and either cut right through the old belt or the new one slips off you may loose the timing relationship. If you have tried this method because you have neither the tools or skills to set the timing then how will you sort it without anything marked?
Forth this method assumes the timing was correct when you started the job. It isn't unknown during a timing belt change to find the thing was already one tooth out somewhere, you will never know if the makers positions aren't checked.
I have even seen this method advised with the engine running when the old belt is sliced in half. How bright is that?!
I don't think anyone who has ever had to face a customer with a bill for nearly £1000 when a £15 belt or £40 tensioner had failed would ever consider this tip.
David W
|
|
SWMBO gave me an old fashione look when I sugested she carried a cat litter bag in her new Mini.... seriously I would suggest an European Accident Statement of agreed facts, a pencil/pen combo a single use camera.
|
Pugugly,
what is an European Accident Statement and from where is one got?
|
|
|
|
David W,
Guess I was lucky, re cambelt change. Mind you the Vauxhalls I did it on were earlier ones with proper metal pulleys, not the flimsy plastic ones of today that need constant inspection.
You're right, I didn't have the proper tools. The 8 valve engine is easy to change the cambelt as once you've lined up the timing marks, they generally stay put when you remove the old belt. The 16 valve engine is more difficult as you need to lock the cam pulleys before removing the belt. I didn't have the proper tools for this, so it was easier to remove half the belt and slide the new one on (as I suggested above)
I'm now fortunate to own a 2.2 litre Vectra that has a timing chain, not a belt.
|
|
|
|
|
|
>When the rear seats are unoccupied, fasten both seatbelts where fitted. It prevents them from getting tangled in the doors!
Also, if you carry anything heavy in the boot (calor gas cylinders, large toolboxes etc) fastening the rear seatbelts might just stop the load from flattening the rear seats in a crash and maybe carrying on until it reaches YOU! Cross the seatbelts over as well, left belt into right buckle, right into left. Remember the Maestro rear seats that used to collapse in a crash under the weight of a week's shopping...?
|
|
|
|
