Prepare for long-distance driving

Planning a short driving trip to Malaysia during the holidays? Don't just book a hotel, pack your suitcase and take off. For safety's sake, ensure that your car is ready for the trip, and that you, the driver, are also ready for the drive ahead.

The car

Tyres

Check that the tyres are roadworthy. The tyre treads should have a minimum depth of 2mm to 3mm and the tread wear indicator should not be visible. Check the pressure of the tyres to ensure they are not under inflated. Don't forget to check the spare tyre in the boot too.

Under the hood

If the car hasn't been serviced for some time, it's a good idea to get that done before setting off. Alternatively, you can do the basic checks yourself to make sure that the level of oils, coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid, battery water and windscreen washer water are adequate.

Emergency equipment

Keep a reflective warning triangle in the boot in case of a breakdown. Other things to being along include a torchlight in case you need to search for things in the dark,

and a bottle of water and rags to clean dirty windows.

The driver

Rest well

Falling asleep behind the wheel is one of the greatest dangers of long-distance driving, especially if you're on a long straight road on a hot afternoon. Being well rested and alert is one of the most important factors in safe driving, so get a good night's rest before the journey.

Take frequent breaks

Driving non-stop may cause mental fatigue and muscle aches, so stop at a rest area if you need to. Never push on if you start to feel tired or sleepy while driving. If there is more than one driver, take turns behind the wheel. you can also drink something caffeinated like coffee or tea to help stay awake.

Pay attention

Keep your eyes on the road and avoid distractions like changing CDs, reading maps or eating. Anticipate mistakes other drivers may make. Be alert to potential danger spots and be ready to react to the situation.

Drive with care

Malaysia's North-South highway has only 2 lanes. Always stay on the left lane unless you're overtaking. To overtake, turn on your right indicator, check the rear-view mirror to ensure no vehicle is approaching, and also your blind spot before accelerating into the right lane. Turn on the indicator light and get back into the left lane when it's safe.

Source: The Straits Times Saturday, March 12 2011

Look out on the road!!

In 2010, there were more traffic accidents leading to injuries or deaths than in 2009 - with 8622 cases in 2010 compared with 8505 in the previous year. More people also died on the roads, with 195 deaths compared with 183 in 2009.

Although motor cars make up the biggest proportion of vehicles, drivers cannot assume they always have the right of way and expect motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians to give way to them. On the other hand, the latter groups must also play their part in keeping themselves safe.

Motorcyclists

Motorcyclists and pillion riders formed the largest number of deaths on the road, with 78 motorcyclists and 11 pillion riders killed. This is a slight improvement from the 83 motorcyclist and 9 pillion deaths in 2009.

Police investigations showed that the main causes of motorbike accidents are a loss of control of the bike and failure to keep a proper lookout.

A large number of fatal motorbikes accidents also happened on the expressways. One reason could be motorcyclists riding on the right and centre lanes of expressways, which are not the safest places for them.

Cyclists

As for cyclists, 17 died in accidents in 2009, compared with 22 in 2008. Figures for the whole of 2010 are not available yet.

A problem cyclists and motorcyclists face is competition for road space. The bicycle is considered a vehicle under the Road Traffic Act (bicycle rules) and must be ridden on the road and observe all traffic rules. As for motorists, they must keep a safe distance of at least 1.5m when passing cyclists according to the Highway Code. But maintaining this distance is not possible when all lanes are occupied in heavy traffic.

Jaywalkers

Accordingly to police statistics, 55 pedestrians were killed last year, up from 45 in 2009 Crossing without looking out for oncoming cars, and jaywalking, were the main causes of pedestrian deaths. A 2008 study by the University of Ohio found that the number of pedestrians who had to visit hospital emergency rooms because they tripped, fell or walked into something while using their mobile phones has been doubling every year since 2006. At least 2 American states are mulling over laws that ban the use of electronic devices while walking or jogging, citing the dangers that users pose to themselves and those around them.

The Traffic Police has no plans to introduce such laws here as enforcement would be difficult. But a spokesman from the Singapore Road Safety Council said there is "anecdotal evidence that motorists are concerned about the erratic behaviour of some pedestrians using sch device".

The elderly

Another area of concern is that senior citizens made up more than half of pedestrian fatalities that occurred. Among the 55 pedestrians who died last year, 29 were aged 60 and above. Of these, 24 died because they were jaywalking.

When asked by a newspaper why they did jaywalked despite the risks, some cited convenience while others said their legs hurt and they wanted to use the shortest route possible. But the worrying part was that most of them said nothing would happen to them if they were careful.

Source: The Straits Times Saturday, March 19 2011

Wet weather driving

For a small island country, the weather in Singapore can be so unpredictable- you never know when it's going to rain, whatever the weatherman says. That's why it's good to know what to do if you're suddenly caught in a heavy downpour or worse, a flood.

Turn on your headlights

This helps you see the road ahead and lets other drivers see you better. However, don't turn on the high beam as it will only obscure your view, because the light will reflect off the water droplets in the air.

Stop driving

If it's raining so hard that you can't see the road or the car in front clearly, pull over and wait until visibility improves.

Increase stopping distance

Roads are slippery during downpour and your car requires a longer distance to come to a complete stop. The rule of thumb when driving in normal dry conditions is to keep a two-car length between you and the car in front of you. This distance has to be longer in wet weather to give you more room in case you need to make an emergency brake.

Brake gently

You can do this to decrease your speed gradually and to increase the stopping distance between you and the car in front of you. It also gives the driver behind you ample warning that you're slowing down.

Avoid large puddles

Try to avoid driving through large pools of water because there is no way to gauge how deep the water is. If you have no choice but to go through the water, proceed very slowly and cautiously.

Don't use cruise control

Using cruise control in a heavy downpour is discouraged because you may keep your feet away from the accelerator and brake pedals, which would decrease your reaction time should you need to brake suddenly.

Secondly, if your car starts to hydroplane, it can cause the car to automatically accelerate to pick up the slack and keep the car going at the established cruise control speed.

If it floods...

Never drive through moving water if you can't see the ground through it. It may be easier for you to decide if you're familiar with the area or able to use signposts or traffic lights to judge the water level. If the water is deeper than the bottom of your doors, try to turn around and find another route.

Manual cars should be engaged in first gear. Keep the engine running fast by releasing the clutch just enough to partially engage the gear and maintain the revs constantly high. In an automatic car, select the lowest gear and keep a steady pace. Keep your foot on the accelerator and use the brake to control your speed. The aim is to keep the exhaust gases moving to prevent water from entering the tailpipe.

Test your brakes as soon as you can after driving through the water. If the brakes don't work properly, drive very slowly and brake lightly at the same time to generate enough heat to dry out the brakes. If your vehicle stalls, wait to be towed and don't try to restart the engine.

Source: The Straits Times Saturday, March 26 2011

When night falls....

Most motorists, including experienced ones, find it more difficult to drive at night. This is because the lack of light not only limits vision, but also affects depth perception, colour recognition and peripheral vision.

Dangers of the night

A person's field of vision is reduced in the dark, and it's worse if he suffers from night blindness. Reduce vision can impair judgement and delay reflex actions. And after a hard day's work, fatigue and drowsiness compound the dangers of driving at night.

A familiar stretch of road will look different at night because certain landmarks may not be visible, and road signs are not so obvious. In dimmer areas, you have to look out for pedestrians, joggers and cyclists.

Older drivers have it worse. By age 60, our eyes can only absorb about one-third of he light compared with those of a 20 year old. This is due to physiological changes occurring within the eye; conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration also impair vision.

Staying safe on the road

You can take several precautions to minimise the dangers of night driving:

• Switch on your headlights

Being seen is as important as seeing, so switch on your headlights to make it easier for other drivers to see you   as soon as the sky darkens. This is particularly important if you have a dull-coloured car that does not stand out very well in the dark.

• Keep the windows clean

The windshield should be kept clean of grime as dirty windows increase the glare from oncoming vehicles' lights, making it more difficult for you to see your surroundings properly.

• Minimise glare

Being blinded by the high beam of another vehicle can temporarily affect your ability to see clearly. If an oncoming vehicle's headlights are on high beam, divert your eye to the left side of the road to avoid the glaring light. Use the edge of the road as a guide.

Most cars had a mirror that can be tilted to deflect glare. If the high beam is coming from a car behind you, reposition the rear view mirror or use the "night setting" to deflect the glare,

• Keep the interior dark

Turn off all interior lights in the car. Any source of light inside the car will appear extremely bright, making it more difficult for the driver to see clearly.

Source: The Straits Times Saturday, March 5 2011

What goes on in the engine?

My car has a six-litre, V12 engine. Like real.

The car that I actually drive is much smaller, but my point here is whether the jargon like "V12", "spark plug", "intake valve" and the like make sense to the layman, and whether most drivers really know what's going on under the hood.

If you're feeling totally lost at this point, welcome to the club. But fret not. Let's go through a quick overview of how engineers work, and you'll have a clearer picture at the end.

The basics

The main purpose of an engine is to convert the latent energy in fuel (such as petrol or diesel) into kinetic energy which propels your car. Based on current technology, the best way to translate fuel into motion is to burn it within the confines of an engine. A car engine is therefore an internal combustion engine.

The underlying idea is: if you put a small amount of high-energy fuel in a small, enclosed space and ignite it, a great amount of energy is released in the form of rapidly expanding gas (or an explosion, in other words). And you can use the energy created by the explosion to move your vehicle.

This is what happens inside the cylinder of an engine, so let's proceed to take a more detailed look at this compartment.

The cylinder

The cylinder is the core of your car engine. It is a rather complex contraption consisting of a piston, valves, spark plug, crankshaft and other parts. In very simple terms, fuel goes into the cylinder, gets ignited, and the resulting explosion propels mechanical parts which eventually translate the energy into rotational motion.

Most cars nowadays use what is called a four-stroke internal combustion cycle consisting of an intake stroke, compression stroke, combustion stroke and exhaust stroke. How the cycle works is as follows:

1. Intake stroke

• At the beginning of the cycle, the piston is near the top of the cylinder.
• When the intake valve opens, the piston moves down to let air and fuel flow into the cylinder.

2. Compression stroke

• The piston moves up again to compress this fuel-air mixture. Compression makes the subsequent explosion more powerful.

3. Combustion stroke

• Once the piston reaches the top of its stroke, the spark plug emits a spark to ignite the fuel-air combination.
• An explosion then occurs, which forcefully drive the piston downwards.

4. Exhaust stroke

• Once the piston hits the bottom of its stroke, the exhaust valve opens and the exhaust leaves the cylinder, then exits the car through the tailpipe. Within the cylinder, the piston is connected to a part called a crankshaft, which translate the up-down motion of the piston into rotational motion. The rotational motion turns your wheels, and allows your vehicle to move.

Multiple cylinders

What I've described above are the mechanics of only on cylinder. Car engines have more than one; four, six and eight cylinders are common. Having multiple cylinders makes the engine run more smoothly and delivers a more comfortable ride.

Cylinders are usually arranged in one of the three ways, but a popular configuration nowadays is the V arrangement. In this configuration, cylinders are placed in a row, one after another, each slanting upwards roughly at a 45-degree angle. The cylinder immediately behind one will slant in the opposite direction from it predecessor, thus creating a "V".

So when you hear "V12", it means that the engine has 12 cylinders arranged in V configuration.

Source: The Straits Times Saturday, December 4 2010

Battery Basics

The humble battery is a low-profile "creature" that stays well hidden under the hood. And like most well-hidden things that stay out of sight, it is soon out of mind. Unfortunately, this animal has a critical role to play; when it gives up the ghost, you can't even get your car started. So pay attention to your car battery.

Lifespan

The normal lifespan of an angelfish is 10 years, and the normal lifespan of a blue whale is 80 years or thereabouts. What's the normal lifespan of a car battery, you ask? Good question!

Where vehicle maintenance is concerned, "normal", more often than not, exists only in theory. Many are wont to say that the average lifespan of a battery is four years, but this claim makes a number of assumptions. It assumes that the battery goes through full charging cycles, isn't subjected to extreme temperatures, is attached to a reliable and consistent charging system, isn't providing power for a slew of in-car accessories, and that your car doesn't frequently go on rough trips that send the whole chassis vibrating non-stop.

In real life, however, short trips (which are hardly effective for replenishing batteries) are a frequent occurrence, and an ever-increasing array of navigational devices, MP3 players and whatnot decks the dashboards of many cars. The "normal" battery, therefore, is somewhat like most other archetypes - it exists only in the abstract.

What you can do is to use the four-year threshold as a guide, and start keeping a lookout for battery problems from the third year onwards.

Signs of trouble

Here are some diagnostics to help you spot an ailing battery before it goes kaput:

• Monitor your car's performance. As your battery loses power, you may see your headlights looking dimmer over an extended duration, or dimming considerably when the engine is started.
• Look out for reduced airflow when you turn on the air-conditioner.
• When cranking the engine, it takes longer than usual to start the car, or you have to make several attempts before you succeed.
• Do physical checks. Open the hood, locate the battery and check for corrosion and stains.
• Look for material building up around the battery terminals.
• Smell the battery. If you detect an odour of rotten eggs, there's probably a crack and sulphuric acid is leaking out.

Maintenance

To ensure that your car battery maxes out its lifespan, you'll have to do regular checks and maintenance:

• Check that the terminals of the battery are free of dirt and corrosion. If necessary, clean the terminals with a wire brush until all the corrosion is gone. Then wipe the terminals clean with baking soda paste.
• For batteries that can be opened, make sure the water level in the battery reaches the filler neck. Add distilled water if you find the water level low.
• Test the charge of the battery routinely with a multimeter. This should be done as part of a vehicle-maintenance regime.

Source: The Straits Times Saturday, November 27 2010

Changing a flat tyre

Last week, the writer went in tyre maintenance at length. If you do your due diligence, you greatly reduce the chances of running into problems while on the road. But sometimes, the unfortunate happens, and you find yourself stranded by the roadside with a punctured tyre. What do you do then?

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you out.

Safety First

You are driving along like you've done everyday, and suddenly you hear a loud bang followed by the dreaded flapping sound of a deflated tyre- your tyre has punctured.

Don't panic and jam on the brakes immediately or start yanking your steering wheel wildly. Your safety and that of other road users should be your foremost concern.Slow down and carefully pull over to the side of the road as soon as you're able to do so.

Park your car on a hard and level surface. Don't attempt to change the tyre if your car is on a slope or it is sitting on soil or dirt. Turn on the hazard lights and put the warning triangle sign. As an additional precaution, block the tyre diagonally opposite the flat by placing a heavy object against it. If, for example, the left-front tyre is punctured, place a heavy object behind the right-rear tyre. Blocking the opposite tyre makes the car less likely to move while you're raising it.

Procedure

Follow these steps to get your tyre changed:

1. Get ready

Locate the jack, tool kit and spare tyre. Make sure that your gear is engaged, or in "park" position if it is automatic. For good measure, engage your handbrake.

2. Jack up the car

The jack will have to be positioned under the chassis, at a specific position near the flat tyre. Consult your owner's manual if you're unsure (so make sure you keep it in your car at all times.) Once the jack is in place, slowly turn the handle until you shift some of he car's weight from the flat tyre.

3. Loosen the wheel nuts

Use the lug wrench to loosen the wheel lugs by turning it in an anti-clockwise direction. The lugs will almost certainly be very tight, so if your strength fails, position your wrench such that it is more or less horizontal to the ground, then step up onto the wrench and step down on it; that way, you can use your body weight to loosen the lugs.

At this point, you don't want to take out the lugs yet. Just loosen them.

4. Remove the tyre

Once you've loosened all the lugs, jack up the car further so that the tyre leaves the ground. Loosen the lugs all the way, then remove them from the wheel. Next, gently lift the tyre out.

5. Insert the spare tyre

Position the spare tyre over the wheel studs, then slot it in. Make sure the air valves are facing upwards. Tightening the wheel nuts lightly by hand. Don't tighten the nuts completely at this point because the car is unstable while still on jack.

6. Remove the jack

Unwind the jack slowly until the spare tyre bears the weight of the car, then remove it. The final step is to tighten the nuts completely.

Spare tyres aren't meant to be driven for long distances, so get the damaged tyre repaired or replaced as soon as you can.

Source: The Straits Times Saturday, November 20 2010

Tyre Maintenace

Tyre Rotation

This means swooping the rear tyres with those in front to tackle the problem of uneven erosion. In front-wheel-drive vehicles, for example, braking, steering and driving forces are concentrated on the front-axle tyres, with the result that the front tyres wear down more rapidly than those at the back.

Unless your car has unidirectional tyres (that is, those with treads designed to go in one direction only), a good way to do rotation is the cross or diagonal rotation method. This entails exchanging the front-right tyre with the rear-left one, and the front-left tyre with the rear-right one.

Vehicles with unidirectional tyres should only go for what is called straight rotation, which means swooping with the front-left tyre with the rear-left tyre and likewise for the right side.

Tyres should be rotated after every 5,000-8,000km travelled.

Air Pressure

Check your tyres regularly to ensure that they have the prescribed air pressure. Inadequate air pressure in tyres adversely affects driving stability, reduce fuel economy and may damage your car's suspension system. Over-inflated tyres, on the other hand, have less contact, which reduces their ability to absorb road shocks, and leads to a hard and bumpy ride.

Air pressure should be checked only when the tyres are cold. Tyres that have been driven for some time have built-up heat inside, and will give inflated readings. The optimum air pressure can be found in the vehicle manual or inside the car door.

Ideally, air pressure should be checked weekly.

Tyre Balancing

Tyre imbalance happens when there is uneven distribution of mass about the tyre's centre. Contrary to appearances, no tyre is completely symmetrical. Most will have "heavy spots" that cause imbalance in the wheel assembly. When your car moves, these heavy spots are pulled outwards by the centrifugal force generated by the movement of the wheels, which will then cause your vehicle to vibrate or your steering wheel to wobble.

Excessive vibration and instability of the steering wheel can be distracting, and a safety hazard, especially when you're driving over long distances.

Wheel Alignment

When you find your car continually pulling away from a straight path, veering slightly to one side, chances are that your wheels are out of alignment. Wheel alignment means adjusting the angles of the wheels, so that they are perpendicular to the ground and parallel to one another.

Wheel alignment should be done when fitting new tyres to your vehicle, and for every 10,000km thereafter.

Visual Inspection

Check tyre exteriors regularly for cuts, cracks, splits, uneven wear or bulges in the tread and sidewall areas. rims, valves, valve stems, valve caps and lug nuts should also be inspected. Remove any small stones or metal pieces stuck in the grooves.

If you notice a specific pattern of wear on the tyres, it may indicate a problem with the suspension. tyres should also be frequently examined for adequate tread depth: ensure that there is a minimum depth of 1.6mm.

Source: The Straits Times Saturday, November 13 2010

Keep your car shiny

Buying a car involves making many decisions, one of which is deciding on a colour for your vehicle. Colour gives your car character, and to a certain extent reflects your personality: black could mean that you're cool dude (or at least you want to be) and red alludes to sensuality and excitement.

But more often than not, after just a few years on the road, many cars lose their lustre and start to look dowdy. Don't lose heart. The good news is that with proper care and maintenance your four-wheeler can still look its best!

Protection from the environment

The exterior of your vehicle is subject to environmental erosion. To protect your paintwork from external wear and tear, you should go through a preventive maintenance regimen.

Exposure to ultraviolet rays over an extended period will eventually corrode the paint, so you'll have to use protective coatings and sealants to neutralise the effects of ultraviolet rays.

Another factor is the corrosion that results from air pollutants coming into contact with your car body. Chemicals in the air are sometimes converted into sulphuric or nitric acids, and these acids, when deposited onto your vehicle either in a wet or dry form, will gradually erode the paint. To protect against this kind of damage, frequent washing is needed.

While we're on the topic of acidic corrosion, let's not forget bird droppings. Faeces have very high acid levels, and it takes only a matter of cays before they affect your paint. Make it a point to wipe off bird droppings as soon as possible, and rinse the areas thoroughly with water.

Importance of regular washing

Nothing beats the rejuvenating effect of regular washing. When the car body is clean, moisture dries up quickly; but when it's dirty, moisture can gain a foothold in dirty spots and eventually cause corrosion.

Aim to wash your car at least once a month, or if possible, once every week. After washing, don't leave your car to dry on its own- water marks will be left all over. Instead, wipe it dry with a soft cotton towel.

Once every half a year or thereabouts, wax your car after giving it a thorough wash. A layer of wax gives your vehicle a shiny look, and helps to shield the paint.

Source: The Straits Times Saturday, November 6 2010

Off with those spots and stains!

If you're a cleanliness freak, this article probably won't be of any use to you. But sometimes, despite your best intentions, accidental spills and stains will happen in your car. Don't panic, though- you can do something about those "damned spots", unlike Lady Macbeth!

Wipe it out

As soon as you can, remove as much of a liquid spill as possible by blotting, not wiping, with paper towels or clean rags. Press the cloth down into the spill until all liquid is absorbed.

Leather seats are much easier to clean than fabric upholstery. After tackling a spill, follow up with a leather cleaner for a more thorough cleaning job as well as leather conditioner.

For fabric upholstery, your first line of defence should be prevention, by treating the car seats with a stain-repellent product.

General spills and stains

Dab the stain with a mild solution of soap or upholstery cleaner and water solution and scrub gently in a circular motion. Allow the foam to sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then wipe away. Rinse well with  a clean and damp cloth without over-saturating the upholstery. If that doesn't work, use a foam fabric or upholstery cleaner.

Crayons

Scrape off what you can of the crayon mark with a spatula or metal spoon. Next, spray the stained area with an upholstery cleaner or WD-40 and let it sit for a few minutes. Scrub gently with a stiff brush, then wipe away with paper towels. Re-spray with the cleaning agent and apply dishwashing liquid on the area. scrub the stain again gently, then wipe off with  a damp sponge.

Ink

Blot immediately with a clean rag or paper towel to remove excess ink. Never rub or scrub ink stains. spray a small amount of hairspray or rubbing alcohol on the stain and let it sit a few minutes. Use a clean, soft cloth to wipe the area. If you are worried about the hairspray or rubbing alcohol damaging your upholstery, test it on a less conspicuous part of the seat first.

Coloured drinks/coffee

You can make your own "home remedy" by mixing one litre of water, a tablespoon of white vinegar and half a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid, and applying it to the stain with a sponge or towel. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Wipe away with warm water.

Source: The Straits Times Saturday, October 30 2010