How To Resurface Headlights

Last time we covered some important tips for driving at night. Having clear and working headlights is essential in any low-light situation; one cannot rely on a car navigation system with an in dash navigation screen alone. Most modern headlights are made out of polycarbonate, which is great because it is durable and will not break easily in a minor fender-bender. The downside to polycarbonate is it oxidizes over time and turns cloudy and yellow. Hazy, yellowed headlights do not provide proper visibility – good news is you can easily resurface your existing headlights instead of having to replace them. Here is a quick guide for restoring your headlights.

 There are many kits out there for restoring your headlights, but they all have the same basic tools you can get from anywhere you like. The main choice you have is whether you want to polish them by hand, or use an electric drill. Using an electric drill makes the job go quicker and easier, but some people do not have this tool so it can be done by hand.

Start by masking off the area around your headlight. Use two layers of thick masking tape around the headlight itself.  Then thoroughly scrub and clean your headlights, making sure they are free from dirt or caked on tar and bugs. After they are scrubbed and dried, get them extra clean by wiping the surface with rubbing alcohol.

Most kits include several different grits of sandpaper or buffing wheels. They polish the surface of your headlight using polishing discs and compounds. You can also polish your headlights without a kit by wet-sanding. We will cover the wet-sanding method first. 

Buy wet/dry sandpaper in 1000, 1500, 2000, and 3000 grit increments. Soak the sandpaper in cold water for 10 minutes or so before you begin. Spray the surface of the headlight with water, and begin with the lowest grit sandpaper first,  sanding in one direction back and forth over the surface of the headlight. Make sure the surface remains wet – if it starts to get dry, spray it down again.

Next once the headlight sheds the yellow color but is cloudy from the sandpaper, switch to the next grit of sandpaper, working in the exact opposite direction of the first grit and keeping the surface wet.  Do this again with every grit, switching the direction, until you get a nice, polished surface. The last step with 3000 grit sandpaper will probably take quite a while without a buffing wheel, but will make your headlight look like new.

After resurfacing your headlight, wash them off thoroughly and wipe them dry. Then apply a UV Plastic sealant to the headlights so they don’t oxidize so quickly in the future. This should keep them looking nice and bright for years to come.

 Using a kit with an electric drill is much the same as sandpaper, just a bit quicker. One main difference is that you often do not need to wet the surface, and instead will use a polishing compound. Each kit has specific instructions so make sure to read them carefully to get the best results. Work with the drill on a low setting and use light to medium pressure – if you press too hard, you can heat the plastic and cause it to warp.  After you have finished with the last and finest polisher, your headlights should look like new. Make sure to clean the surface well, dry thoroughly, and apply a UV Sealant the same as you would if using sandpaper by hand.

The end result should be a shiny, brand new-looking headlight that is protected from UV and thus further oxidization. You can clean and re-apply the sealant at the intervals suggested on the product to retain your headlight’s clarity and shine. With clean and clear headlights, you’re free to enjoy night driving as much as you like.

10 Tips for Driving After Dark

Driving at night can be a soothing and enjoyable experience; there are less people on the road, it’s much quieter, and you can’t see much beyond what’s directly in front of you. Pop in some of your favorite music on your car stereo, forget any destinations on your car navigation system, and just drive.  Driving at night can be a great experience, but it can also be dangerous – here are some tips for driving after the sun goes down.

Aim Your Headlights – Many people are unaware that your headlights can be aimed a certain direction, much like your mirrors. Also like your mirrors, if they are not aimed correctly it can greatly affect their utility. Make sure your headlights are aimed properly so that they illuminate the road well but do not blind oncoming traffic. You can check your owner’s manual for instructions how to do this.

Also make sure that your headlights are free from haze and grime. Over the years the plastic surface of headlights can become yellowed and hazy, reducing the amount of light coming from your headlamps. If they are foggy or yellowed you can have them re-surfaced, polish them yourself, or replace them to regain proper visibility.  

Dim Your Instrument Panel – The many bright lights on your dashboard can be distracting visually from the road. To make sure you can see the road clearly, make sure to dim your dash lights quite a bit when driving at night. Also, avoid leading interior lights on as most illuminate the entire cabin and can also be a distraction.

Wear Proper Eyewear – There are yellow-tinted “night driving glasses” sold that claim they help you see better at night. These claims are false. There is no evidence to substantiate that wearing any kind of tinted sunglasses will help your vision in low light situations. Save your money and skip the glasses; pay attention to the rest of these tips instead.

 Watch For Retinas – If you live anywhere with trees, there always seems to be woodland critters about waiting to jump into the road. Before you see them however, you can usually spot your headlights reflecting off of their retinas. Watch far ahead for two little balls of green or yellow light in the distance. If you see them ahead you can slow down to make sure you don’t hit them. If it seems like it’s too late and you see a deer in front of you, slow down as much as possible – if you try to swerve to avoid the deer they will often follow your headlights and you’ll end up hitting them anyway, just faster, and possibly swerve into oncoming traffic.

Don’t Stare at Oncoming Lights – It seems like a no-brainer, but in the quiet, dim hush of your car interior while driving at night, bright lights from oncoming traffic or bright street signs can be a distraction and you can be lulled into staring at them before you realize it. 

Keep Your Windshield Spotlessly Clean -  Windshields that appear clean in the day can reveal greasy streaks that cloud your vision at night. One trick to remove the streaks is to polish your windshield with newspaper to remove all of the residue. It’s mostly oil that’s the culprit so take care not to touch the inside of your windshield with your hands. In addition, do all you can to avoid getting interior dash conditioners on your windshield – they can be difficult to get off completely.

Bolt-On Fog Lights – Fog lights help drivers see in foggy conditions by directing light low and wide in front of the car. This illuminates a wide swath of road without reflecting the light off of the fog and visually blinding the driver.  Fog lights can be useful in clear conditions as well – the positioning of the fog lights casts large shadows over objects and potholes in the road.

 Add Auxiliary Lights – If you spend a lot of time driving on country roads at night with little other traffic, adding auxiliary lights may help you see the road properly. They must be exercised with caution however because they are so bright that turning them off requires your eyes to re-adjust, taking up to 30 seconds. A lot can happen in 30 seconds when you’re driving so it’s best to only add and use auxiliary lights when you absolutely need them.

Clean and Adjust Exterior Mirrors – If your mirrors are dirty they will reflect light from cars behind you in a wider, diffused manner that produces glare. Make sure they are clean and pointed slightly down so light doesn’t reflect directly in your eyes.

Keep Your Eyes Healthy - If your own vision is impaired, all of the proper lighting in the world won’t help you see the road clearly. If you wear corrective lenses, make sure your prescription is up to date and that your vision is crisp and clear. If you do not wear any type of corrective lenses, make sure to visit an eye doctor and take an eye exam to make sure you vision is still in top form, especially as you get older

Source: Popular Mechanics

Collision Avoidance Systems

Collision avoidance systems are the next development in vehicle safety. Since the legal requirement of seatbelts, most safety features have focused on protecting the passengers in the event of an accident. It's easy to get distracted talking or texting on a cell phone, going through menus on your car navigation system, or changing the track on your car CD changer. Looking away from the road for just a few seconds can cause a serious car accident. Moving forward, automakers are looking to avoid accidents altogether with new collision avoidance technology.

 Collision avoidance systems usually involve adaptive cruise control. This is like normal cruise control, but with radar sensors that can detect traffic ahead of you to maintain a certain distance away. They can also sound alarms or flash warnings on the windshield if the sensors detect you’re getting too close to the car in front of you too fast. If you don’t react in time, the system will automatically apply break pressure. If the computers and sensors determine that you are going to crash, they will tighten seatbelts, adjust headrests, and close power windows and the sunroof to make the car safer in the collision.

Collision avoidance also includes other technology like sensors to tell if you’ve drifted into another lane or to monitor your blind spots. These use cameras instead of radar to watch the road around the vehicle and alert the driver of any dangers.

 Having these systems in vehicles make cars smarter than drivers. It alerts sleepy drivers if they’re drifting around the highway and distracted drivers if they’re about to turn into someone in their blind spot. It also prevents serial tailgaters by forcing a safe distance between you and the vehicle ahead. These systems could save many lives as the computers react faster in crucial situations than we do.

There is a potential for the system to overreact, causing irritating warning lights to flash when there may not be present danger. Some argue this would be a small price to pay for the lives that could be saved by collision avoidance systems.

Today this technology is primarily available for luxury cars, like BMWs, Cadillacs, and Audis but it has begun to appear in mid-level cars as well, like the Ford Taurus and the Dodge Charger. It will only be a matter of time before these systems are widely available for even lower priced vehicles so everyone can benefit from the added safety collision avoidance systems provide.

Source: AOL Autos

Essential Vehicle Maintenance: Exterior Care

Aside from keeping your car running great, maintenance needs to be performed to keep your car looking great too. After you've repaired your worn out diesel injectors and diesel fuel pump, your exterior needs some TLC. Keeping your car clean and waxed will prolong the life of your paint job and make your car more fun to drive. Here are some tips to properly washing, waxing, and detailing your vehicle.

 Beyond the normal dirt and dust that collects on the surface of your car, there are other, harder to see contaminants that can damage your clear coat over time. Airborne pollutants, bugs, tree sap, and bird droppings can all degrade your paint so it’s important to scrub it all off frequently. 

Before washing and especially before waxing, make sure your car is parked in the shade if it is sunny outside. The sun can prematurely dry your car leading to water spots, or hamper your waxing efforts. If you plan on waxing your car you may even want to wash your car twice because dirt is difficult to see when the car is wet.

Make sure to use the right solvents for washing and detailing your car. Dishwashing soap is not good for your paint. Buy some kind of actual car wash, and make sure to buy a high quality wax like Turtle or Meguiar’s. Wash your vehicle thoroughly, using a soft sponge or towel, paying special attention to the front grill of your vehicle where bugs and debris often collect. Rinse and dry your car carefully, inspecting the paint for anything left behind. Make sure to go back and scrub spots that did not come clean – if you attempt to wax the paint with dirt or debris on it, you will scratch the clear coat of your car.

 In decades past it was agreed that the best wax to use was very-hard-to-apply carnauba wax – the “wax on, wax off” kind; nowadays technology has advanced enough to provide excellent, more easily applied waxes that are just as effective at protecting your clear coat. Some of the more advanced systems currently require just spray on application and spreading evenly over the paint, no buffing required. 

If you decide to use a more traditional paste wax or cream wax, use the applicator recommended or provided by the wax manufacturer. If they don’t have a recommendation, use a foam applicator pad to apply the wax. Work in small areas, rubbing a small amount of wax and spreading it to the surrounding areas. Apply the wax in a back and forth motion, not in circles, and make sure your applicator and buffer are clean before you begin. If the wax residue doesn’t buff off easily, switch to a very clean towel or cloth.

After you are done buffing, use a soft toothbrush or detailing brush to clean the wax out of the cracks and crevices of your car. After you’re done waxing, your car should have a smooth, glossy finish that looks almost wet. 

Paste wax systems require you to re-apply the wax every 30-90 days to protect your paint, depending on weather conditions. Newer synthetic systems can last up to 9 months without re-application, but some people say they don’t give off the same “three-dimensional” shine that carnauba wax provides, so you’ll have to make a judgment call on what is most important to you.  Either system will protect your paint and keep your car in excellent form for years.

Essential Vehicle Maintenance: Tires

If you want to upkeep anything in your vehicle, the objects that keep your car rolling, and off the ground, should be at the top of that list. Tires are often overlooked because a car with bald tires can still drive, and replacing all four tires can be expensive. When your fuel pump or fuel pump assembly goes out, you have no choice whether or not you want to replace it because your car will not drive - bald tires can get you down the street and back, and the dangers always occur when it's too late. Nevertheless, keeping track of the condition of your tires, and keeping them properly inflated, can mean literally life or death for the people in the vehicle. Here are a few tips to make sure your tires will keep you and your passengers safe on the road.

The main cause of tire failure (when your tire goes flat or blows out) is the friction caused from moving contact with the road. This causes the tread on the tires to wear away. When the tread becomes too shallow, the tire is worn out and should be replaced. Bald tires give you little traction on the road, especially when the road is wet or icy. This means the difference in you maintaining control of your vehicle, and not maintaining control, is dependent on proper tread on your tires. One trick to check if you have proper tire tread is to place a penny, with Lincoln’s head down, between the tread of your tires. If Lincoln’s head isn’t completely covered by the treads on your tires, they need to be replaced.

 

 Underinflation is very detrimental to your tires, and your fuel economy. Not having enough tire pressure causes excessive wear on the tires, and gives you less control of your vehicle on paved roads. You should check your tire pressure regularly. To check your tire pressure, make sure your tires are cool (so when the vehicle has been sitting for awhile.) If you need to go somewhere else to fill up your tires with air, check the tire pressure before you leave and fill up appropriately. You can find out the appropriate tire pressure for your vehicle by looking in your owner’s manual, the driver’s side door panel, the glove box door, or the fuel door.  Remove the cap from the valve on one tire. Firmly press the tire guage onto the valve. Add air to achieve the recommended tire pressure. If you overfill a tire, release air by pushing on the metal stem in the center of the valve with a fingernail or the tip of a pen. Recheck the tire pressure, and then replace the valve cap. Repeat for your other tires, including the spare.

 Another important factor in maintaining your tires is your vehicles alignment. When you are driving, does your car pull to one side, or shake? A bad jolt from hitting a curb or pothole can throw off your alignment. Have a tire dealer check your alignment regularly to make sure your vehicle is aligned properly. If the alignment is off it will cause your tire to wear irregularly, which can lead to tire blowouts.

You should also rotate your tires periodically, typically every 5,000 miles. Naturally your front and back, left and right tires wear differently on the road. By rotating your tires from front to back, left to right, you can ensure your tires wear evenly and lengthen the life of your tires.

I find inspecting the tires while filling up at the gas station is convenient. While the vehicle is filling up, you can check your tires for wear, visually check for proper inflation, and inspect for any debris that is caught in your tire tread and can damage your tires. This way you will always be on top of properly maintaining your tires.

Essential Vehicle Maintenance: Windshield + Accessories

Your windshield is an extremely important, but often overlooked, part of your vehicle. You can try and drive using your center console screen or car navigation system all you want, but you have to be able to clearly see through your windshield to practice any kind of safe driving. Run through a few checks to make sure your windshield, and the things that keep it clean, are in good shape.

 First of all, examine your windshield for any cracks or injuries in the glass itself. If you notice chips or cracks, have them repaired immediately. Trash, pebbles, and sand particles can fracture the glass and cause dings, which if left unattended, can turn into bigger cracks that affect your visibility. You can buy do-it-yourself products at home, but they are usually inferior to having a professional fix the ding for you, and having the work done professionally is  reasonably priced.

Avoid slamming your doors, as this causes the windshield to vibrate violently and any dings or cracks in your windshield can get worse. Also, try to park your car in the shade whenever possible, especially if it’s going to be sitting for a long time. Direct sunlight does damage the glass over time.

Next, inspect your windshield wipers closely. You can actually scratch the glass by using dirty or debris laden windshield wipers. If they are dirty, or if the rubber is cracked from the sun, it’s best to replace them.  To replace old windshield wipers, carefully lift the entire assembly away from the windshield – it will prop itself in the raised position. With one hand holding the wiper arm, use your other hand to push down on the small tab on the underside of the wiper where it meets the metal arm. With the tab held down you can slide the old wiper off of the metal arm. 

 Prevent the wiper arm from snapping back onto your windshield by carefully resting it against the windshield while you are getting your new wiper ready to install. You can seriously damage your windshield by letting the bare metal snap back onto the glass. Take your new windshield wiper out of the packaging and arrange it how it’s going to lay on your car. Looking at the side of the metal where it attaches to the metal arm, you’ll see that one end of the plastic clip is flat and the other has a curve across the top. Rotate the plastic clip until the curve is pointing toward the wiper blade. Now hold the wiper upside down next to the metal wiper arm, where you’ll see that the curve in the arm matches the curved top of the plastic clip.

Now that you’ve lined everything up, you can slide everything into place. Lower the wiper over the wiper arm, putting the arm between the sides of the wiper and with the open end of the hook facing the plastic clip. Move the hook over the plastic clip, then pull the wiper upward so that the clip’s rounded edge slides into the hook. Pull it tight so that the assembly clicks in place. Carefully lower the wiper back onto the windshield. Repeat the process on the other wiper blade, and you’re finished.

Maintaining your windshield is important not only for your visibility, but making sure your airbag deploys properly in a crash. Hopefully with these tips you’ll be able to maintain a clear, good looking, and safe windshield for years to come.

Essential Vehicle Maintenance: Batteries

The other day we discussed how to properly check all of the fluid levels in your vehicle. Keeping an eye on all of your fluids is extremely important in ensuring the proper functioning and longevity of your vehicle.  You don’t need to break down what an encoder motor  is, or exactly how diesel injection pumps work, but there are other maintenance tasks  that should not be overlooked. The first one we will talk about in this short series is the maintenance of your car battery.

Your car battery is usually located towards the front of your car. You will know if your car battery is critically low if your car is having trouble turning over. Checking the battery before problems occur is a good idea, but requires a trip to the local auto parts store, or a special piece of equipment – a handheld voltage meter. To check the battery life using a handheld voltage meter, touch the meter leads to the positive and negative battery terminals with the ignition key is OFF. A reading of 12.66 volts is a fully charged battery, 12.45 volts is 75% charged, 12.24 volts is 50% charged, and 12.06 volts is 25% charged. If you don’t own a voltage meter, you can always take your battery to a local auto parts store that sells batteries and ask them to test it for you. They can tell you how much charge your battery has left, and if you should change it. 

You should also check your battery for corrosion around the positive and negative terminals. If you have corrosive build up on your battery terminals, it’s important to clean them. To clean them you will need eye protection, gloves, a soft brush (like a toothbrush), distilled water, and baking soda. Keep in mind that adding baking soda to the acid build up on your battery terminals causes an exothermic reaction that produces heat – proceed slowly, adding the baking soda slowly and deliberately and do not get it anywhere but on the corrosion.

 Make sure to FIRST remove the battery cables from the battery terminals. Remove the negative one first, then the positive. If there is excess corrosion you may also need a pair of locking pliers to wiggle and lift upward until the clamp comes off the terminal post. Treat the corrosion like crystallized acid, because that’s what it is – don’t get it in your eyes or on your skin or clothing.

Examine the cables and clamps for excess wear or corrosion. If you find them severely eaten away, you should replace them. Secure the loose cables so they don’t accidentally flop over onto the terminals – you could get an electric shock. To remove the corrosion, pour baking soda directly onto the posts. Use a damp or wet toothbrush to scrub the baking soda into the terminal posts and cable clamps. If this isn’t doing much, use a battery terminal cleaner brush purchased at the auto parts store, or a plain wool pad. 

 Dry everything off with a clean rag. Apply grease or petroleum jelly onto the posts – this will slow down the formation of corrosive deposits. Replace the positive clamp and then the negative clamp. Use a proper sized wrench to tighten them down. Replace the rubber boot or plastic shield that covers the terminal. 

With your battery checked and cleaned, it should last several years and keep your vehicle turning over quickly, your headlights bright, and have you singing along to your favorite tunes on the radio.

The Dirty Little Secret about Electric Vehicles

Electric Vehicles have gotten a lot of media attention over the last few years. The United States, with the rest of the developed world, have made a push to reduce emissions and improve air quality in our cities. We use things like O2 sensors and Air Fuel Ratio sensors, along with catalytic converters, in order to reduce the impact that gasoline engines have on the environment. Recently, companies have been exploring ways to abandon gasoline consumption all together and produce “zero emissions” vehicles in the form of electric vehicles, like the Nissan Leaf. Although people have thoughtfully explored the impact of producing the electricity needed to charge the battery, all of the green-enthusiasts are conveniently looking away from the real issue: the lithium ion battery itself.

Nissan Leaf

 Lithium is a soft, silver-white alkali metal with the symbol Li on the periodic table. It does not occur freely in nature; it only appears in compounds that are usually ionic. Lithium salts are extracted from the water of mineral springs, brine pools, and brine deposits. The metal is then produced via electrolysis from a mixture of fused lithium chloride and potassium chloride.

The brine is usually pumped to large pools to let the sun evaporate the salts to a high enough concentration. Then this potent solution is pumped onto trucks and driven to processing facilities. Currently, 61% of the world’s lithium production occurs in Chile. Worldwide reserves of lithium are estimated at about 13 million tonnes. Using the battery efficiency figure of 400 g of lithium per kWh, this gives a total maximum lithium battery capacity of 52 billion kWh which, assuming it’s used exclusively for car batteries, is enough for 2 billion cars with the same size battery as a Nissan Leaf.

Lithium brine pools

 Problem is, only 25% of the world’s lithium goes into the manufacture of batteries (and that includes batteries for laptops and cell phones).  Lithium is used for processing silica to make glass, as a major component in high temperature grease, in air purification systems, in nuclear weapons, and even in pharmaceutical drugs to treat bi-polar disorder. The world’s supply of lithium would be exhausted relatively quickly if we tried to run most of the world’s vehicles on lithium-ion batteries.

In response to this claim, many bring up the fact that Lithium batteries can be recycled, and thus diminishing the problem of depleting this rare metal. The problem with this is that lithium is rather volatile at room temperature, so the entire battery has to be cooled down to -345°F before it can be dismantled and recycled. Cooling batteries down to such extreme temperatures uses a tremendous amount of energy, reducing the favorable environmental impact lithium ion batteries are supposed to have.

In reality, with a rapidly expanding population and ballooning consumption of energy worldwide, there is no magic solution to solve our emissions problems and save the world. Continuing current habits of every individual driving and using inefficient means of transportation, along with the host of other issues with consumer culture, leaves little doubt that our current style of living is unsustainable. Save for the unlikely invention of cold fusion, we are going to have to re-evaluate the way in which we travel.

DIY Vehicle Fluid Checks

There are many different fluids in your car that keep it running smoothly and accurately. The most commonly known are of course the engine oil and radiator fluid, but there are still other fluids that need to be properly checked and maintained to ensure the proper functioning and longevity of your vehicle. Many people don't know that there is oil in your AC Compressor and A / C Compressor - though you do not need to check it as part of regular vehicle maintenance.

 Your owner’s manual can help you locate all of the dipsticks for checking fluids in your car, the necessary fluid changes to keep your warranty, and the proper levels of fluid that should be in your car. Keep your owner’s manual handy for reference if you’re having trouble locating one of the fluid dipsticks or reservoirs in your vehicle.

First step is to park your car on a flat, level surface and set the emergency brake. Then, make sure you have a clean paper towel or shop towel handy – white ones are easier to use as they show the color of the fluids better. Open the hood, and use the stand to keep it open.  

I think it’s easier to check your transmission fluid first, as the car has to be warmed up and running in order to check it properly. After your car is warmed up, leave it in park with the emergency brake on, but running. Locate the transmission fluid dipstick, hook your finger in the loop (and release any clips, if applicable) and pull it out completely. Wipe it off with a clean rag, put it back into its opening, and push it all the way down until it stops. Remove it completely and look at the fluid on the dipstick. There will be indicators on the dipstick if the fluid is within the proper parameters. Wipe this fluid off on your clean, white paper towel or shop towel – it should be a clear, reddish color. If the transmission fluid is very grey or black, it hasn’t been changed in a long time. You’ll need to schedule a mechanic to drop the pan and change your transmission fluid.

The next and most important fluid to check is your engine oil. Your car needs to be cool in order to properly measure engine oil, so turn off the car and let it sit for awhile; the car needs time for all the oil in your car to drain down into the oil pan. There will be an oil dipstick – hook your finger in the loop of the dipstick and pull it all the way out. Use a clean rag and wipe it clean, then place it back into its opening and push it all the way down until it stops. Take it out again, this time looking carefully at the level of oil on the dipstick.

The dipstick has markings indicating an acceptable oil level range –if the level is down by the indicator for “low,” you need to add more oil. If the oil is around the opposite end by “full” or within the properly marked acceptable range, you’re fine.

Take the oil dipstick and wipe it on your clean, white paper towel or shop towel. Pay close attention to the color of the oil. Clean engine oil is clear, and golden. Dirty engine oil is dark brown or black.  Aside from engine oil color, your owner’s manual should indicate how many miles you should go between oil changes – it’s best to heed this advice and change the oil at the proper mileage, and not when it looks particularly dirty.

 The rest of the fluids can be checked by looking at their respective reservoirs. Most of these fluid reservoirs are plastic, and you can see the fluid level through the plastic itself. On the plastic housing there will be fluid indicator lines, much like the dipstick, that read low or full. If you are having trouble seeing the fluid line on the reservoir, jiggle it a little so you can see it more clearly.

Find the brake fluid reservoir using your owner’s manual. Look at the fluid level in the reservoir and see if it falls within the indicator limits on the reservoir itself. Your car should not consume brake fluid – therefore it should not be low. If it is low, it means you have a leak somewhere along your brake lines. Have your car checked by a licensed mechanic to see what is going on.

Next find your power steering fluid reservoir. Look at the fluid level, and see if it falls within the lines indicated on the reservoir, same as the brake fluid. With power steering fluid there may be two sets of indicator lines – one for a hot engine, and one for cold. Make sure to read the level of your car’s current state.

Brake Fluid Reservoir

Now check the car’s coolant. VERY IMPORTANT – make sure the engine is completely cool before checking the coolant. Opening the coolant reservoir when the engine is hot can cause searing hot coolant to come spraying out, burning you. You do not want this to happen. Make sure the engine is cool before continuing. The coolant will most likely be in a reservoir up front, by the radiator. Check the fluid and the indicator lines to make sure you have enough coolant. If not, you’ll need to top it off.

Cars are designed to operate with antifreeze as coolant, not water. Antifreeze is a mixture that has a lower freezing and boiling point than water so it can handle more extreme weather conditions. Many people will tell you to just top off your coolant with water – it is much better to heed the advice of your owner’s manual and buy the correct fluid for your vehicle. Keeping your engine properly cool is essential. Read the label on the antifreeze you buy – some require to be mixed half and half with water, some go directly in.

Lastly, check your windshield washer fluid. It won’t affect the performance of your car, and there are no indicator levels for it, but it is nice to have fluid in the reservoir so you can clean your windshield while driving. Washer fluid that is formulated to clean off bugs and road grime is cheap and works significantly better than water, but you can use water as well. If winter is coming, make sure you use a washer fluid that has a lower freezing point than water – it will be indicated on the washer fluid bottle itself.

Hope this guide helps you maintain your vehicle and address any problems you might be having early.