The fuel filter of a car is one of the most critical components of a car’s fuel system. It has to ensure that the car’s engine is supplied with clean fuel, in order for it run optimally and deliver good performance and fuel efficiency. The fuel filter has to ensure that the dirt and contaminants present in the fuel or the fuel tank of the vehicle are separated from the fuel, before it is supplied to the engine for combustion.

The fuel filter of a car while working hard to ensure that the engine is supplied with clean fuel every time can get jammed or clogged due to the dirt and contaminants which it separates from the fuel. When this happens, it is time to replace the old fuel filter with a new one.

Replacing a car’s fuel filter is an easy to carry out operation, that is if you how to do it. Here’s how it should be done:

* First and foremost, the replacing of a car’s fuel filter should only be carried out when the car’s engine is cold.

* Place an old cloth underneath the fuel filter to trap fuel that may spill as you remove it.

* Release the clamps which hold the fuel filter in position with the help of pliers or a screwdriver

* Detach the fuel lines which connect the fuel filter to the fuel tank and the fuel pump.

* Safely discard the old fuel filter.

* Every fuel filter is marked with an arrow that shows the direction of fuel flow.  The arrow should be aligned with the direction in which the fuel flows from the fuel filter to the fuel pump.

* Re-attach the fuel lines back onto the fuel filter and secure it in its position by locking the clamps that hold it in place.

* Start the car’s engine and check to see whether there is any leak from the fuel filter or from the fuel lines. If there is a fuel leak, check the fuel lines and make sure that they have been properly connected to the fuel filter.

Source – Motorward

The battery is the heart of a car’s electrical system and proper care is essential in order to ensure that the battery is in good shape. A car’s battery has to perform two functions namely: supply the starter motor with enough electricity, so that it can start the car’s engine and supply current to electric accessories of the car such as the music system and lights, when the car’s engine isn’t running.

A car’s battery is inactive when its engine is running, since the alternator supplies the current required by the car’s electrical system. The alternator also replenishes the current lost by the battery in starting the car’s engine.

The main constituent of the insides of a car’s battery is the electrolyte of the battery, which is generally Sulphuric Acid. The electrolyte of the battery helps the battery to hold its charge. If a car’s engine fails to crank or cranks too sluggishly for the engine to be started, checking the strength of the battery’s electrolyte can help to ascertain whether the car’s battery has a problem or not.

All the cars these days are equipped with maintenance free batteries which enable one to know the specific gravity rating of the battery by just looking into the sight glass of the battery. The specific gravity is the measure of weight of an acid, when compared with weight of an equal volume of water. The ideal specific gravity range for a car battery’s electrolyte is 1.230 to 1.300. If a battery has a specific gravity rating which is below this range, it would not be able to store the current required for starting the car’s engine.

The strength of a battery’s electrolyte reduces as the battery gets old. When a battery shows a specific gravity reading of between 1.200 and 1.230, it may still have enough energy to help the starter motor crank the engine except during cold weather, when the starter motor would require more power than the battery would be able to supply. But, if a battery’s specific gravity rating falls to a value below 1.200, it will not have sufficient energy in it to start the car under any condition.

The sight glass of a maintenance free battery shows three different indications namely: a green dot inside a black border, black and clear or light yellow.

1. Green dot inside black border – Specific gravity of the battery is between 1.230 and 1.300 and the battery is in good shape.

2. Black – Specific gravity of the battery is between 1.200 and 1.230 and the battery could cause starting troubles in cold weather.

3. Clear or light yellow – Time to replace the battery with a new one.

If you are replacing your car’s old battery with a new one, replace it with a maintenance free battery as it eliminates the need to constantly keep inspecting the battery to check whether it is in proper shape or not.

To keep your battery terminals in good shape and to avoid corrosion of the terminals, it is a good idea to spread a light coating of petroleum jelly onto the battery terminals once in a while.

Source – Motor Ward

The basic repairs which every car owner should know thoroughly and be able to execute are:

1. How to replace a car’s battery.

2. How to add additional brake fluid.

3. How to change the engine oil.

4. How to change a flat tire.

5. How to replace worn out windshield wipers.

How to change a car’s battery

First disconnect  the negative terminal of the battery and then the positive terminal. Remove the frame which holds the battery securely in its position. Remove the old battery from its position. Place the new battery in position and fix it securely by attaching the frame, to lock it into position. Re-connect the terminals to the battery, first connect the positive terminal and then the negative terminal. Dispose of your old battery by exchanging your old battery for a new one with the battery dealer. Don’t throw used batteries into the environment.

How to add additional brake fluid

To add additional brake fluid into the brake fluid reservoir of a vehicle, open the cap of the reservoir. Fill up the reservoir with the recommended grade of brake fluid, up to the line marked as full. Do not fill fluid beyond the full line. once the fluid has been filled into the reservoir, fix the cap of the reservoir securely and pump the brake pedal a few times to ensure the freshly filled fluid is supplied to the brake lines.

How to change the engine oil

Run the vehicle for a period of 5-10 minutes in order to let the engine oil heat up. Hot engine oil flows out easily when compared with colder engine oil, since it has a lower viscosity. Remove the engine oil filler cap, in order to enable the dirty engine to flow out more easily. Place an oil collection pan beneath the drain screw of the engine, to collect the dirty engine oil. Remove the drain screw, and let the old oil flow out completely into the oil collection pan. Once all the dirty oil has been collected, replace the drain screw. Now, remove and replace the old filter with a new one, before filling in fresh engine oil. Fill in fresh engine oil through the oil filler cap and secure the oil filler cap in its position securely.

How to change a flat tyre

Place the gear lever of the vehicle in Neutral and ensure that the parking brake of the vehicle is engaged. remove the spare tyre, jack and wheel nut wrench from the boot of the vehicle. Before jacking up the vehicle, loosen the wheel nuts of the wheel which is to be changed slightly. Jack up the vehicle and then completely loosen the wheel nuts of the tyre and in its place fix the spare tyre. Tighten the wheel nuts securely and then lower the vehicle from the jack. Never fully tighten the wheel nuts when the vehicle is lifted on the jack, beacuse it may cause the vehicle to lose its balance while on the jack and come crashing hard to the ground. When the vehicle has been lowered to the ground, tighten all the wheel nuts properly and with equal tightness. Get the flat tyre repaired as soon as possible.

How to replace worn out windshield wipers

A screeching wiper blade or a wiper blade with hard or worn out rubber is an indicator that the wiper blade has to be replaced. To replace wiper blades, lift up the arms of the two wipers and unscrew and remove the old wiper blades from the wiper arms. Put in the new wiper blades and fix them securely to the wiper arms. Once the new blades have been fixed, check the fitment by operating the windscreen wipers of the car. If the wipers are devoid of any noise and if they have a smooth cleaning movement, the fitment is correct. If there are any noises from the wipers or if there are streaks on the windscreen, then check the blades thoroughly, to see if they have been properly secured or not.

With reference from Associated Content

Image Credit – Arbor Auto Works

Update – The article largely has been sourced from Goa On Wheels‘s article on driving safely during rains.

Everyone enjoys driving their cars and riding their bikes, but when it comes to driving in the rains, it is a whole different ball game altogether. One needs to be very careful while driving or riding in the wet and no matter how good a driver or a rider is, the rain can change all that in an instant.

It is always a good practice to be well prepared and take it slow and steady while driving or riding in  the wet.

First and foremost, avoid driving or riding when its raining heavily. It is a good idea to plan a trip and leave early so that there isn’t a requirement for one to rush or hurry up, resulting in an accident in the wet.

Listed below are some of the other tips which one must keep in mind before the rains set in and while driving or riding in the wet:

* The wiper blades have to be checked in order to ensure that they are in good shape, if not then replace them.

* The tyres must have an adequate amount of tread depth left in them in order to dissipate water from the road surface and to be able to provide the vehicle grip in the wet.

* One must always drive slowly as the stopping distance of a vehicle increases drastically in the wet.

* One must avoid driving or riding at the edges of the road surface, as that is where all the rain water accumulates and becomes stagnant.

* One must maintain an increased distance to the vehicle in front, in order to avoid colliding with the vehicle in front in case it stops suddenly.

* Never pursue large vehicles such as trucks and buses too closely, as the water spray produced by them obscures one’s vision of the road ahead.

* Drive or Ride smoothly in the rain without sudden acceleration and braking.

* Turn on the headlights of your vehicle in order to increase your visibility and enable other road users to spot you on the road.

* Avoid driving through moving water which does not offer a view of the ground beneath it.It may cause damage to your vehicle or could cause you to get stuck or have an accident.

* When driving through puddles, keep your speed as low as possible, since you will not be knowing the depth of the puddle and what lies within it.

* Turn on the defogger and the air-con in order to remove fog and mist formed on the windshields and side windows due to the rain.

* After driving through the wet, dry out your vehicle’s brakes by pumping the brake pedal repeatedly in order to generate heat and remove water and moisture from the vehicle’s braking system.

* Watch out for pedestrians on the road and avoid splashing water on them by driving very carefully through water accumulated on the road surface.

* Never use the cruise control system of a vehicle while driving the wet. It can affect the control you have over the vehicle in the wet.

Is there something that we missed? Why not enter it in the comment box below?

Cities like Delhi and Mumbai are becoming more and more congested and that means you’ve got to drive for longer time to cover the same distance. The worst part is negotiating traffic as the level of driving difficulty increases. You become stressed, you are prone loose your temper and when you reach home, you have a grin on your face.

Here are a few tips which we thought would make the ride home marginally better -

1) Plan your route

I know a lot of people who don’t plan their journey and get stuck in traffic. There could be a hundred routes to your destination but you there are only few worth considering. Plan your journey in advance so that you have a clear mind and know where exactly you want to go. This method exposes you to lesser anxiety and confusion.

2) Listen to the radio for traffic updates

There are some radio stations which air traffic conditions in frequently used roads and intersections at certain times of the day. If you can get a tip, then you could switch to an alternate route or leave work late.

3) Position your mirrors

I know a lot of people who leave home and half way through the journey they reach out to the passenger’s mirror and adjust it. Once they reach a congested lane, they adjust their in-cabin mirror. This is a practice you should avoid. By adjusting your mirrors to the comfortable position, you get better visibility in traffic and avoid the risk of an accident.

4) Use your indicators

While changing lanes in congested roads it is a must to use the indicators. You don’t want to make sudden lane changes without warning. If a collision occurs, it is you who has to pay to get your car back in shape.

5) Pile up some good music

Use your car’s glove box to store your favorite sound tracks. If your car is equipped with USB hub, then you could carry a thumb drive with preferred music in your pocket. Relaxing while driving leads to lesser stress, and improves driving abilities.

6) Maintain the perfect temperature

If you have climate control, then you could precisely set the temperature inside your car. If you don’t then you’ve got to adjust the settings to provide you with a comfortable cabin temperature.

7) Use a car perfume

If the aroma inside your car is of industrial glue, then you are certain to get a headache very often. Purchase a bottle of car perfume and place it on to the dashboard. Pleasant smells will help you keep calm.

Research an alternate route

When you have the time, try using a completely different route to get to work. This will help you understand new roads and also new places. If you can learn a short-cut eventually, wouldn’t that save hours of driving in a week?

9) Start early, leave late

You could carry your breakfast in your car and have it once you’ve reached work. You could also eat dinner at a local restaurant once or twice a week and leave work much later.

Photo credit – Flickr

Tubed and Tubeless Tyres

In simple terms, tyres which have tube in it are called tubed tyres and the ones which don’t are called tubeless tyres.

But there is more to this than what has been just said as each type of tyre is made for a particular kind of usage. For example, a tubed tyre might not be suitable for high speeds as it generates more heat than the tubeless tyre. In case there is a sudden puncture they are more dangerous as the tyre could free itself from the rim. The tubeless tyre is more suitable for high speeds and in case of a puncture there are less chances of an accident as the tyre fits more tightly on to the rim than a tubed one.

Tubed tyres along with their spoked rims can also handle tough off road conditions better than alloy wheels. One of the advantages with tubeless tyres is that the puncture can be repaired very easily without actually taking off the tyre except in the case of a puncture on the side wall.

To decide which one suits your vehicle you need to have a look at the wheel rim of your vehicle. The rims with wire spokes that go right through the middle of the rim need tubed tyres while the tubeless tyres go well with the alloy rims that are cast as a single unit. Rims with spokes that attach to its side rather than the middle, can be used with or without tubes.

Material of the tyre: Hard and soft rubber compound:

While choosing a tyre you have to make a decision if you want better gas mileage or better grip on the road. Tyres made of soft rubber compound provide a better grip but as a result, their life is also short than a firmer or hard compound rubber.

The hard compound rubber tyres on the other hand provide better mileage but their grip on road is less than a soft rubber compound tyre. The extent of grip which a tyre would provide depends upon the length of rubber molecules interacting with the surface. In case of a hard compound tyre the length of rubber molecules interacting with the road is less due to the more number of cross links between the rubber molecules whereas in case of soft rubber compounds the length of the rubber molecules interacting with the surface is more due to the less number of cross-links and this is what provides better grip on the road.

What is the Tread of the Tyre:

The tread is the patterened part of the tyre which makes the contact with the road. The tread must be capable of handling all kind of stresses as this is the part which comes in the direct contact with the road. It should grip all kinds of surfaces with least wear and tear and without heating up significantly.

A deep tread is needed for better control of your vehicle. A deep tread facilitates the passage for the water, mud or sand to go when the tyre travels on an uneven or imperfect surface. If the tread has worn out and is not deep enough then the water, mud or sand would come in between the road and the tyre causing your motorcycle to loose the contact with the road and thereby resulting in loss of control.

Factors which you should keep in mind before buying a tyre:

One major factor which comes into play while you purchase a tyre is its date of manufacture. As the time goes by the rubber of the tyre tends to harden and this causes the loss of grip. Due to this fact even if a tyre has not been used for a single time but is a few years old, it is better not to put it in use. A good estimation would be not to use a tyre which is more than 5 years old. It is better to buy fresher tyres after checking their date of manufacture.

Apart from checking the date of manufacture below are some of the points which one should keep in mind while going for a particular tyre:

• Will the tyre fit to the particular rim of your motorcycle?
• Is the width of the tyre within the limit to fit into the frame of your motorcycle?
• What is the maximum speed rating and load carrying capacity of the tyre?
• Recommended air pressure of the tyre
• Type of rubber compound the tyre is made of i.e. hard or soft rubber compound

There may be lots of different classification and aspects relating to tyres and what I have written above should be the minimum one needs to look for while buying them.

If you have information on tires to share, why not use the comment box below and help future readers?

• Rule number 1- You will not drink and drive. You endanger your own life, leave alone the life of others.

Apart from this rule, here are certain things that will help while driving at night.

• The headlights, taillights, indicators and windows have to be cleaned thoroughly before the journey. If your lights are not working, get them fixed since they are the only ways of identifying your presence in the dark

• Align your headlights to a comfortable setting. In modern everyday cars, there is a provision given on the dashboard which can help you hit the right setting.

• Usage of high beam can blind oncoming drivers and send them into panic mode. High beams can blind drivers coming at you. Similarly, non-functioning high-beam and low-beam switches have to be fixed before something ugly happens.

• Keep your cigarettes in your pack while driving. Nicotine and Carbon monoxide, which you intake during smoking, affect your eyesight. Smoking while driving can be fatal in a car equipped with an airbag. If an airbag deploys and you have a cigarette in your mouth, you won’t be coming back to Indian Autos Blog ever again.

• Driving at night required you to increase your trailing distance. Judging a vehicle’s speed in front of you when it is dark is a tougher task. So keep a larger distance at night.

• Take breaks and perform simple exercises to keep yourself awake and attentive. If you feel drowsy, pull over, get some sleep and then hit the road again. Do not push the envelope and try something funny. This is a fatal experiment.

• Twilight is the hardest time to drive as the eyes try and adapt to the surrounding light. Additional care and attention is essential when driving at this time of the day.

• If oncoming vehicles persistently use high beam, keep the edge of the road as a mark at all times so that it will prove as a boundary for you during a emergency.

• If your car breaks down in the night, pull off the road and switch on the hazard lamps. Call right away for help and remain off the road.

Is there something I have missed out? Why not use the comment box to add your own points?

Listed here are six important points you ought to remember while driving your car on city roads or rural areas. Listening to your favorite music tracks over the mp3 player is fine, but letting your mind slip into dreamland is suicidal. Remember that road safety stands in front of everything else.

Ambulance vans and Fire Brigades are not drag race contestants.

There might be someone in that ambulance who needs help desperately. To him, a minute’s time is vital. Move out of the way if you see the Ambulance with its sirens on in your wing mirrors.

To prevent troubling additional ambulances, use your indicators and move cautiously to the side of the road without harming other motorists. Pull out of the way safely and accelerate back to normal speed once you are clear of the van. The same goes for fire brigades as well.

High beam usage is at times dangerous.

Why use high beam in the city roads at night? How irritated are you when someone in the opposite lane comes flashing with bright light? This is the exact same thing other drivers go through if you switch into high beam. Use it wisely.

Overtaking on two-lane roads is a different ball game

Overtaking maneuvers in narrow lanes is the last thing I want to do in my car. If it is an empty stretch of road, I use my horn and flasher once and go for it. But if it is a busy patch, it needs a more careful approach. Don’t try and play chicken and end up as flesh. You drive sensibly and go home.

Obey rules and laws to be our hero

Common sense is the catch word for this topic. The traffic signs are put in place to keep you safe on the roads. If you don’t know what they are, ask the traffic police about it. Once an accident is caused, things cannot be reversed. Advise friends and family to take traffic lights and signs seriously. This is the best possible way forward.

Talking over the phone while driving is a lump’s act and highly uncool

How many times have you read this? Using your mobile phone while driving is dangerous. You might look cool with your brand new pda or blackberry behind the steering wheel, but again, it’s disobeying the rules. Magnitude of punishments and penalties differ across the globe, some are very serious. If you do receive a phone call and cannot avoid it, pull over safely away from the road and answer to the phone.

We’ve not touched all the points, so if you have an advise or two of your own, why not share it with us? Sushil, Edward, Fasi, Riqwan, Dean and Kiran- we’re waiting for your comments!