Is Your Car Leaking Oil?
Having a car oil leak is a common problem with vehicles today, and it can be caused by a variety of reasons.
However, its important to deal with a car oil leak when it arises. Without sufficient amounts of oil in a car, you’ll find yourself waiting for an AA pick-up truck pretty soon. The good thing is, it’s easy to spot a leak with your car. Just have a look underneath your car to see if you can spot any oily black spots on the ground. If so, you have a leak.
While many cars with more than 100k+ of miles on the clock will burn through a little more oil and leave a small residue, it’s a source of concern if you find oil underneath your vehicle. So long as you keep your engine levels topped up you’ll be fine, but it’s always good to try and find the root of the problem and get it dealt with quickly.
Where is the Car oil leak?
car oil leak
Typically, the car oil leak can come from a few different places. The first thing that you will want to find out is the speed of the car oil leak, as this gives you an idea of just how bad the actual damage might be things first, start with the engine – it’s usually got something to do with the problem. Give your engine an absolutely spotless cleaning session, and you’ll be able to see the oil coming from the source, if the source is indeed the engine.
If you are finding the car oil leak is coming straight from the engine then it’ll be much easier to deal with.
If it’s travelling through the car and getting to somewhere else before leaking, it will be a lot thicker and gungier which is not nice to deal with at all. Starting with the engine, though, you should be looking for a few specific points at the top of the engine such as the valve cover casket. If your leak is higher up on in the engine, you will likely find the problem here.
Additionally, if your car comes with a PCV valve, you might find the same car oil leak issues here. Start to work your way down the engine slowly, and you should find a spot around about half way down that can be the main source of your typical oil leak – the head gasket.
Sat between the cylinder head and the engine block, the oil travels through passageways that connect each side of the gasket. You’ll usually find a fairly sizeable amount of car oil leak coming from here, so be prepared. Check your cooling system, which should be nearby the gasket, as this will be full of frothy brown liquid if it’s got a leak.
Check out the oil pan gasket as well, which is a common source of stress here. It’s at the very bottom of the engine, and even the smallest of failures can leave quite the mess.
To health and vehicle happiness
Your fearless Mechanic,
Phil.
In Car Gadgets For Staying Safe.
In this day and age in car gadgets for safety is a must.
As a new driver, finally embarking on your first time legally driving on the road can be quite an intimidating experience. However, the technological advancements made by car manufactures has seen a huge wave of new in car gadgets hit the market to make your driving experience as safe as possible.
Whether you’ve been on the roads for many years or this is an entirely new experience for you, picking up a couple of new in car gadgets can make all the difference to your safety on the road.
If you’re looking for some great in car gadgets to pick up, then be sure to consider some of these great ideas for ramping up your safety;
In car gadgets ?
‘Lifehammer’
Lifehammer is an incredibly powerful in car gadget tool, but it’s also very subtle. In fact, the majority of owners might never even use their Lifehammer installation. However, it could actually save your life in the rare occurrence that you do need to use it.
This is, in effect, a double-tipped hammer which is perfect for hammering through your windows. It’s also got a razor blade at the other end that can get through the seatbelt.
If you ever get stuck in your car, this can get you quick and safe access out of the vehicle in an emergency situation.
Camera Detectors
Camera detectors are a good in car gadgets solution that will help you avoid any unwanted speeding fines. The in car gadgets tool will allow you to pick up any black spot cameras that could catch you when you are over the limit. This is a very useful tool and although you should never be speeding anyway, it’s better to keep yourself covered.
Bluetooth Set
Bluetooth hands-free sets are incredibly useful in car gadgets tools for drivers. Driving while speaking on the mobile phone is illegal as it can use up valuable hand space, and outside of this you are putting others in danger. If you absolutely need to take a call, you can get a hands-free Bluetooth adapter that will let you answer your car while driving without impacting on your safety or anybody else’s.
Visibility Bulbs
Perhaps you may not think of these as a in car gadgets, but the headlights on your car should be extremely bright, and not only will this make sure that people see you coming from afar, but it will give you a longer visual range in front of you when driving as well, making you see like a bat in the dark, improving your confidence and safety when driving at night tenfold.
Make sure you consider changing your break lights, as well.
Breakdown Kit
In car gadgets like Emergency kits, can be found in stores like Halfords or you can get them online. You can buy them from garages but expect the price to be significantly higher. They can easily be packed into a small essential kit that will give you everything from a tyre pump to a jump lead for getting started on those annoying days where nothing else will work.
Phone Charger
Again, using your mobile phone when driving is dangerous and irresponsible. However, one of the worthwhile in car gadgets to consider is a phone charger.
It makes sense to have a car charger installed to keep your phone alive in case of emergencies. Emergency chargers can be bought from petrol stations, gadget stores and online, and tend to fit just about any phone, plus you can change the adapter if it does not suit your phone.
Fire Extinguisher
This should be fairly self-explanatory. In car gadgets like fire extinguishers are cheap, light and incredibly effective. They can deal with a Type B fire if you buy the right brand, meaning you should be able to contain any fires that start while driving. This can literally save your life – so make sure you buy one.
To health and vehicle happiness,
Your fearless mechanic,
Buying a New Car? Consider New Car Maintenance Costs.
Okay… so you’ve decided to take the plunge and buy a new car!
What was it?
Did you like the idea that your “bum bum” would be the only rear end to ever leave an imprint on the driver’s seat? Or do you plan to keep the car for more than five years to make it a good investment? Maybe you just like the smell of a brand new car, it has a certain scent to it doesn’t it?
Regardless of your motivation, before you sign on the dotted line there are a few things worth considering when buying a new car.
Sure, you want to find a car that you think is “cool “(and “cool” will vary widely based on your personal definition of “cool”). You’ll need to decide what colour you want, how many extras you are going to add. These are all important considerations, but there are few other thing worth thinking about.
One of the key reasons why car owners tend to regret buying a brand new car is the cost of ownership after the car leaves the showroom. If lets say your monthly car payments are tight, what will you do if you end up with an additional £120 per month in car maintenance costs?
“Car maintenance costs…? What are you talking about the car has warranty”.
And this may be true. But be warned not all warranties are created equal, and to be frank most will not cover the standard car maintenance costs you will encounter.
To keep a vehicle on the road car maintenance costs can vary by make and model, and not just by a little. For the first five years of ownership some cars can be maintained for less than £1000. Others on the other hand, can cost triple that for a similar make of vehicle!
With this in mind, it’s important that you put car maintenance costs high on the consideration list when buying a new car.
These days’ new vehicles have very strict maintenance schedules that must be adhered to, or you risk voiding your warranty. Sorry but old-fashioned slap dash maintenance isn’t enough anymore. The good news is there are a number of carmakers that periodically offer full maintenance packages included in the cost of the vehicle. This can be of real value since not only will your maintenance be free, but you’ll be sure to actually get the job done right.
There are a number of websites out there that discuss new car maintenance cost and compare the cost to a vehicle when new. Personally I’ve found the most informative to be Consumer Reports. They regularly pull together repair and car maintenance costs data for scores of makes and models. The downside is you need to subscribe for the newest info, but if you’re thinking of spending £10,000+ on a new car believe you me, this is money well spent.
After a quick look at the Consumer Reports chart for the Top 10 best selling vehicles I was immediately surprised. Car maintenance costs for the number one seller the Toyota Camry, almost double in regular maintenance cost when compared to the number-two ranked car, the Honda Accord, which is very interesting, because it brings the actual price of these two cars a little closer together. There are similar comps for Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. It’s information like this that can turn a hard decision when buying a car, sway largely in one direction or another.
In addition to new car maintenance costs, most data crunchers will consider other costs of ownership like the average cost of repairs and depreciation. These are also important to think about because both can equate to real cash flowing out of your pocket.
car maintenance costs
Owning a new car can be pleasurable, but the long and short of it is, whether buying a new car or a used vehicle, car maintenance costs should be a serious consideration.
Okay… sure, you can change your own oil and maybe flush the car radiator yourself, but when you’re talking about maintaining a valid warranty, the manufacturers regular recommended service schedule must be adhered to.
The good news is that new car warranties are getting better, but be careful as it can turn into a smoke and mirrors game when the money you think you’re saving goes out the window in the form of high car maintenance costs and repairs.
Food for thought,
Your fearless mechanic,
Phil