CHECK YOUR CAR BATTERY
You may think that checking the car battery every now and again should be a given.
But unfortunately, you’d be surprised just how many people fail to do it until it is too late.
During winter month’s car battery corrosion is likely to build up. So take some time out to check your battery posts and cables to make sure you have no problems.
It’s a cold winter’s morning and your running late for work, you dash to the car to start it up only to find out – it won’t turn over.
Sound familiar?
Although the problem could be a number of things, from my experience a worn out/corroded car battery can be a culprit.
If you don’t like the idea of your day coming to a grinding halt, then checking your car battery for corrosion is a must.
Nothing should come between your car and a good battery connection. The problem is, it only takes getting a touch of that crusty residue on your battery posts to prevent your “baby” from firing up.
Lets be straight… I don’t mean to state the obvious, but your car battery is used to start the car – it’s the “get go” for every function/system your car uses, so the more white crusty corrosion you have around your battery posts, the weaker the connection between your car and the battery. Car battery corrosion therefore either needs to removed, or depending on the condition of your battery perhaps replaced altogether.
If you head down to your local Halfords, you will find stacks of products available to help you clean your car battery. But the fact still remains you need to get your car battery clean, and keep it clean.
REMOVING THE BATTERY TERMINALS
The first naturally natural step would be to remove your car battery terminals.
Just the same way you can’t vacuum your living room properly without moving the perhaps the sofa, you can’t clean a battery post correctly without removing the car battery terminals connected.
Depending on the type of car battery terminals, you will probably need to use one or two wrenches.
Take a look at the terminals, should find that they should either have a nut one side and a nut on the other, or a fixed large square on one side and a nut on the other. If it has a large fixed square, you’ll only need one wrench.
However if you have a car battery terminal that has two nuts, grab one nut with something like a universal plier on one end, and use an open ended wrench or a small crescent wrench on the other – ideally a tool that fits snug will work best.
Now be sure to remove the negative car cable first. Turn the outside nut counterclockwise until you have about 1/16-inch of unscrewed space on the bolt. At this point if you’re lucky, a slight twist will pull the car battery terminal connectors right off, but it might not be that simple.
STUCK
If your car battery connectors seem to be a touch stuck, take a flat head screwdriver and gently insert it into the gap above the bolt in an attempt to pry the car battery terminal open.
NB: It’s not a good idea to try prying the terminal connectors off the posts in an upward motion, because depending on how stuck they are – you could end up pulling the posts totally out of the car battery itself. Not good.
If they’re still being stubborn, add a little brute strength perhaps using some pliers and they should loosen up.
So now you should be looking at the car battery, with the connector terminals fully separated. Depending on your end goal, now time to either clean the car battery components up, or replace the car battery altogether which would be a similar procedure of how you took the old battery out – with a few additions.
CLEANING YOUR CAR BATTERY POSTS
There are always a number of ways to get a job done, and cleaning your car battery posts of corrosion is one of them.
Desert Island
Now if you were on a desert island with a can of Coca Cola and your car (goodness knows how), an old adage will tell you that if you pour Coke over you battery posts it should remove the nasty white crusty stuff.
Ok, this method may work, but… the fact remains we are not on a desert island, so I would suggest using something a touch more… clean and effective to do the job.
If you check out your local auto store, you will be stuck for choice with the number of anti corrosion fluids available to buy – but don’t get it twisted, they are pretty much all the same.
With your battery terminals off, squirt the anti corrosion solution onto the car battery posts and the terminals, take particular care to target the inside of the terminal’s connectors.
With a little brush (a toothbrush is great), start working the solution into the car battery posts and the terminals, especially those stubborn spots. You probably notice that foaming will start to occur – it’s ok, as it’s the anti corrosion solution doing its job and it’s good to leave it on for a few minutes.
Rinse the car battery solution off with a little water, install anti-corrosion discs if you’re using them (see next step), re-install the terminals, positive side first and you’re ready to rock and roll – job done!
NB: For those of you a touch cash strapped, these anti corrosion eating fluids are nothing but simple baking soda and water, so feel free to make your own!
BACK TO THE OLD SCHOOL
Method 2: The Wire Brush
As a rookie, I personally like to take it back to the old school by using the tried and tested method of cleaning car battery connections. I like to think of it as the authentic way to get your battery posts and terminals clean, involving a touch of the good ‘ole elbow grease and a wire brush.
Okay… so you will need to pick up I would say a medium stiffness wire brush and some eye protection. The rule of thumb is, if you can bend the bristles back and forth easily, that’s medium enough.
Put your eyewear on, and to be extra safe perhaps a dust mask– brushing corrosion can sometimes cause it to fly around.
With the terminals off the battery posts, put some elbow grease into brushing the car battery parts. In particular, pay attention to the inside of the car battery connector terminals, if you have a smaller sized wire brush this should help make it little easier for you.
Work up a sweat until the corrosion has been completely removed, and you’re left looking at clean metal, and once clean, install anti-corrosion discs if you’re using them (see next step), re-install the terminals, positive side first, and you’re ready to roll.
Optional: The Anti-Corrosion Disc
I’m guessing that you would prefer your battery posts and terminals to stay clean for as long as possible.
That being the case, anti corrosion terminal protectors are specifically made for keeping corrosion away on car battery posts.
To my surprise, I’ve had a flutter with them and they kind of work – well to some extent. However with cars prone to car battery corrosion they didn’t work so great, so the choice is yours.
Using the discs is pretty self-explanatory. With the terminals removed; put the discs over the post, placing the red disc on the positive post and the green on the negative. Connect your battery terminals, positive first, negative after and you’re good to go.
I hope that helps.
But if you’re still not too sure, or would like a touch of assistance, feel free to get in touch – we’d be happy to help.
To health and vehicle happiness,
Your fearless car mechanic
Phil.
HOW TO FLUSH A CAR RADIATOR
Did you know that the coolant in your car radiator doesn’t last forever? Basically your car radiator cooling system needs to be kept clean to be cool.
In fact, unless your car radiator coolant is replenished, it’s natural for it to produce deposits that can clog the cooling system. These deposits will break down and begin to corrode the car radiator from the inside, which will naturally lead to cooling problems and you got it… car radiator repair.
A great, cheap way to prevent this from happening and to reduce the cost of maintenance is by flushing your car radiator out once a year.
PREPARATION IS KEY
A car radiator flush is easy and inexpensive procedure that will help keep your cooling system tiptop – but preparation is crucial.
So before you start, make sure you have everything you need to carry out the task effectively. The last thing you want while draining the car radiator, is to find yourself having to catch a lift downtown to the local automobile store because you forgot something.
HEADS UP… A WARNING!
Just so that you know, car radiator coolant actually tastes rather sweet to pets/animals. But it can, if digested have a fatal reaction. Yes radiator coolant is very dangerous to pets, so for safety please make sure not to leave any coolant around where any pets or animals can drink it.
KIT YOURSELF OUT
To perform a car radiator flush you will need:
Car Radiator Flush solution
Coolant
Funnel
Owner’s manual
Old Rag
Phillips head screwdriver/wrench or whatever your radiator drain requires
Coolant receptacle
NB: Just in case you forget, make sure to let your engine cool down completely, before you loosen or remove the car radiator cap, and yes… I did say completely. Believe you me; hot coolant on your skin is no fun!
DRAIN THE CAR RADIATOR
Okay first up… we need to look at draining the old coolant from the car radiator.
If you’re not too clued up with the process, this may be a good time to get your owner’s manual out. What you’re looking for is to try and locate the car radiator drain plug. It’s generally positioned anywhere along the bottom of the car radiator, and will either be a screw plug, bolt plug or a petcock (drain valve).
Once you have located it, place the coolant receptacle underneath the drain plug before you start to open it up.
With everything in place, unscrew the drain plug slowly and allow the coolant to drain into the receptacle completely.
For those of you that have a screw or bolt type car radiator drain plug, make sure to remove it totally, but if your car radiator has a petcock, open it all the way.
With the coolant fully drained from the car radiator, replace the drain plug and remove the car radiator cap.
ADD THE FLUSH
Open the car radiator flush, and begin to add all the flush solution into the car radiator. Once the flush solution is empty, fill the rest of car radiator to the top with water.
Now replace the car radiator cap and screw it tight.
Start your vehicle up, and leave it to run until it gets to its optimal operating temperature, you know, the position that the temp gauge normally sits at.
Switch your car heater on, and turn the temperature control to maximum heat and allow the car to run for about 10 minutes.
Turn the car off, and simply allow the car engine to cool down.
BIG HEADS UP!
NB: Do not attempt whatsoever; to loosen or remove the car radiator cap while the engine is hot, this may leave you with a serious injury and a trip down to the local A&E.
Naturally, if you find that the car radiator cap or metal radiator too hot to touch, it’s not the right time to unscrew your car radiator cap.
DRAIN THE CAR RADIATOR CONTENTS
Okay… you’re almost there!
Once you’re sure the engine has cooled down, find the plug drain, position an empty receptacle underneath and empty it out.
If your cooling system is quite large, there is a chance you may require a second container to drain the car radiator contents into. Whatever you do, never, ever pour the coolant on the ground!
REFILL THE RADIATOR – JOB DONE!
With the car radiator and cooling system now flushed, all you need to do is refill the car radiator with fresh coolant. Easy.
Okay… so replace the car radiator drain plug or fully close the petcock.
Using a funnel (to reduce the chance of any coolant spills), fill the car radiator with a fresh 50/50 mix of coolant and water. A great way to make sure you get the 50/50 mix balance right is by simply purchasing some pre-mixed coolant.
With the car radiator filled, your next step would be to also fill the plastic coolant reservoir (if your car has separate openings), with the 50/50 coolant mix.
Check all the caps are nice and tight… and you’re done, ready to roll!
NB: I always suggest leaving it a day or so for the coolant to settle down. This will help you to check that the coolant level is correct. Doing so allows enough time for any air bubbles to work their way out of the system, and for you to top up the coolant levels if necessary.
I hope that helps. But if you’re still not too sure, or would like a touch of assistance, feel free to get in touch – we’d be happy to help.
To health and vehicle happiness,
Your fearless car mechanic
Phil.
Your Car Mechanic Vs. Your Dentist
Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Mark.
Mark runs one of the top estate agencies here in West London. He works Monday to Saturday and drives all the way from Surrey to his office.
Mark’s most valuable resources are his time and his car, and a couple weeks ago Mark noticed that something wasn’t quite right with his Aston Martin – one of the warning lights had flashed up red on the dash.
Acknowledging the warning light, Mark lets out a sigh, wonders about the cost, and decides to just carry on like nothing has happened.
You see… the thought of Mark, visiting the car mechanic was not something he looked forward to, in fact he dreaded it, and understandably so because when something goes wrong on a car like an Aston martin, they are seldom cheap to fix.
MARKS SHOES
Perhaps you’ve been in in Mark’s shoes before.
You know when… the days and weeks go past, hoping that every time you jump in the car, that maybe just maybe, the car has fixed itself and the warning light won’t flash up.
Then one Friday, Mark is all set to drive home early to avoid the rush hour traffic, when all of a sudden – going over Battersea Bridge he starts to hear “dark noises in the shadows,” the type of noises you’re even more attuned to because you’ve seen that warning light every time you got into the car.
He stares intently at the warning light which he’s become so accustomed to seeing flash up –with the dreaded fear that it’s going to go horribly wrong.
Continuing to make the unusual noise, Mark’s car shuts down in the middle of the road. And Mark is left embarrassed, sat in one of the best looking non-functional pieces of automobile.
Unfortunately these things tend to happen at the worst times.
THE LOOK…
People start hitting their horns giving him the eye; in fact no one even offers to help. So Mark starts assertively searching Google on his mobile for the nearest car mechanic.
He calls, the phone rings, “Hello Xavier Auto Clinic, how can we help you today?”
Mark explains the urgent situation/location and before he has a chance to finish he hears a reassuring, “We’re on our way sir, we’ll have a car mechanic with you shortly.”
Moments later, Mark is met by the car mechanic with an emergency breakdown vehicle, which pulls his car onto the back of the trailer, clearing the road jam and transporting Mark’s car to Xavier Auto Clinic.
As soon as Mark arrives, I greet Mark and tell him that his beloved Aston Martin is in good hands and the car mechanic crew gets to sorting out the problem.
I invite Mark to take a seat in the office, offer him a cup of English tea to relax him and simply start chatting about football, work etc. you know, to get his mind off things. I give Mark access to our internet and before you know it, he’s all engrossed on his laptop,
Stepping away, I go and check on the boys and they’ve managed to swiftly find the fault and are well on the way to fixing the problem.
One hour later – Aston Martin fixed… job done!
I go back in to the office and explain to Mark in simple terms exactly what was wrong with his car. I go easy on the price, and decide not to charge him for the transfer cost, because for me, what really mattered wasn’t just fixing the car, but in Mark remembering us for a fast, friendly and genuine service.
No hard sell, no extra car mechanic expense (just because he drives an Aston), no dodgy work to ensure he’ll be back in a month’s time with the same type of problem – just a friendly, Xavier car mechanic service.
I tell Mark: “Don’t forget to take one of our cards, and please give us a call us if you need any advice or help with your car in the future.”
BIG GRIN…
Bewildered… Mark stood there staring at me with a big grin on face but completely confused.
And then he said “You know what? Going to the car mechanic always felt like going to the dentist for me, there was no way on earth I could possibly enjoy somebody drilling into my teeth and that’s exactly how it felt every single time I would visit the mechanic, but this time it felt more like I was visiting an old friend for a drink on a Friday night. Thank you!”
TIPS ON MAKING YOUR CAR MECHANIC EXPERIENCE FEEL LESS LIKE A DENTIST
Time for a change…?
If visiting your car mechanic resonates with you visiting your dentist, then perhaps it’s time to change your mechanic!
There are a lot of mechanics out there that love their job, enjoy servicing their customer’s vehicles, will truly appreciate your business, and treat you with warmth.
If you snooze you loose
If you have a warning light flash up on you dashboard, don’t snooze and leave it for days, weeks, or even months hoping that car will sort itself out. Do yourself a favour, pick up the phone and give us a call so that we can have a look at it – we’re always happy to help.
Schedule your car check-up in advance.
Whenever you like, please feel free to pop by and say hi.
But as much as we love to help all of our customers, if you haven’t scheduled your check-up/service in advance, and another customer has, naturally we’ll have to prioritise their service over yours.
By scheduling your check-up a couple days in advance, it will not only help us to make sure that we have the time required set aside for you personally, but will give us the time to attend to your car mechanic needs carefully every single time!
To health and vehicle happiness
Your fearless car mechanic
Phil.
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