Christmas and the holidays

Hi Guys,
How has it been with the festivities all around, the travels and the stress of driving on Nigerian roads. I hope everyone got to their destination safe, and for those planning to travel soon i wish you all safe trip. we have discussed earlier on this post- https://motosmartng.blogspot.com/2018/12/christmas-journey-checklist-for-your-car.html - your Christmas journey checklist.

please go through it again, stay safe and be Motosmart.

Be ready for a lot more content next year to help you enjoy using your vehicle and also help you reduce cost in maintenance.

Brake Fluids

How many of you know what brake fluid is? Or even knew that your brakes need fluid to keep them working properly? Brake fluid is probably the most underestimated fluid ever in cars. If you didn’t have proper working brakes, how do you think driving would feel? Horrible and terrifying!! Without brake fluid, we have no brakes, no brakes on a fast, beautiful car bring disaster. A wise man once said, “What is the point of driving a car that cannot be stopped when you want to???” That’s how important the brake system is…

What Is It brake fluid?

Brake fluid is what keeps your brakes working properly. It is as plain and simple as that. Brake fluid is part of a closed system - like your transmission; which means you shouldn’t have to refill or change it often. With that being said, checking your fluid is still needed. A good sign indicating it is time for new fluid (or more serious conditions like new brake pads and rotors), is when the brakes feel off. If they feel weak, as in mushy when you press down to brake, you need to check the fluid.

Three main brake fluids are used the most. Check with your owner’s manual to determine which is best for your car.The three most popular brake fluids are DOT3, DOT4, and DOT5. DOT3 and DOT4 are glycol-based fluids that absorb water. DOT5 is silicon based fluid that doesn’t absorb water. They all have a different viscosity and boiling points, so there is need to determine which is best for your vehicle and it's usually described in your vehicle's manual.If you don’t have one check the cap of the brake fluid reservoir. Take note of this so you won’t be adding the wrong fluid!

Checking, Changing, and Bleeding

You can help you brake line in two ways

·         Making sure the reservoir is full of fluid

·         Bleeding the line to remove air.

We will discuss both

To check your brake fluid, look for the reservoir usually located towards the driver side under the hood. It should be a clear container like the coolant reservoir, but positioned more towards the back around the driver’s side. Make sure your car engine is cold, open the cap for the reservoir and look inside. If the fluid is at the max line, then you are set. If the fluid is below the max line, then that would explain why your brakes feel off. You can refill to the max line if needed, but be careful and avoid spill.Avoid direct contact with the skin as it's quite harsh and a skin irritant.

The next time you take your car in for oil change, tell your mechanic you had to refill the fluid. They will want to check the brake line for a bigger issue like bad rotors or brake pads. Like I said before, the brake line is in a closed system which means it shouldn’t run low. If it does, that usually means the brake pads or rotors are worn and needs replacing. If you need to change the pads or rotors, so be it. You don’t need to change them often and proper working brakes equals safer vehicle.

Sometimes air enters your brake line which causes an anomaly in the fluid flow.Since we have already established that it is a closed system, air in it may not be able to escape so there is definitely a gap. The term “bleeding the brakes” means you are releasing the air bubbles from the line and for this task it may require two people. I would advise that your mechanic to bleed the brakes because some cars can be more tricky than others. But if you want to accomplish it yourself, you will need a couple of hands.

Checking and changing the fluid can vary on how you drive and how hard you brake. To be safe, I advice that brake fluid level be checked twice between oil changes. When determining whether the fluid needs replacing -the feel of the car and the color of the fluid are the first pointers. However, we can’t all rely on our intuition, so have the fluid changed every three to four years. Of course if you take your car to the workshop and your mechanic wants to change the brake fluid, please let them. But you can always ask them to explain why and also take a look at the fluid.

The color of most fluid is a light golden-brown, so if the fluid is dark brown (or close to), then you need a change. Know your facts and don’t be afraid to ask questions and tell your mechanic to show you what he/she means. After all it’s your car, your safety, and your money! Feel your car, understand brake fluid because you are MOTOSMART!

Qualities to look out for in a good technician/mechanic.

Whenever I talk with people here in Nigeria about their experiences with mechanics, I get a lot of different stories. Most are very funny and others are hurtful as the car owner spends so much money and the problems are not solved. For example, if as a car user you’re totally clueless about your car and the car develops a fault -you’re manna to an unethical mechanic because he would rip you to the last cash you have. A repair as simple as brake shimmer noise would cost you so much because you are disgusted with noise coming from your wheels whenever you drive, the mechanic would spend about 3 hours wasting your time just to be able to charge you a lot of money while in all honestly, that job can be done in less than 15 minutes! 

You don’t need so much understanding on the state of your car at all times but then you should try to have an idea of what the problem could be or a narrative of how the situation you’re in with your car came to being.

Today is not the day to learn about your car however there are things to look out for in order to be sure your mechanic knows what he is doing, I mean there is a pattern that a mechanic should follow in understanding the problem you have with your car in a bid to fixing the problem. if you are using this guy

 

this guy

 

or this guy

Here are some of the things to look out for in a good mechanic

1.    A skilled mechanic needs to have good "critical thinking" skills plus very good "problem solving" skills, ensure that you get reviews of his work, or be sure he was recommended to you by a satisfied customer.

2.   A skilled mechanic should be able to listen carefully without interrupting you as the customer while you make your complaints or narrate the situation with your car.

3.   A skilled mechanic don’t just pulls out tools after listening to you, he confirms your complaint to be sure what you said the challenge was is actually what it is, he checks for basic things that could lead to the problem or even take a test drive to validate your complaint.

4.   After confirming the problem, a skilled mechanic reviews the overall system, running an on-board diagnosis using a scan tool if necessary, listing whatever needs to be replaced and giving you the cost breakdown of the repairs.

5.   After agreement has been done, a skilled mechanic goes ahead with the repairs and keeps to time while keeping you updated on the progress of the work. If there would be any need to go beyond or below the agreed cost, you should be given a heads up.

6.   After all repair work is done, a skill mechanic will do a test drive to confirm that the complaint of the customer has been treated. Afterwards, he delivers the car to you – the customer.

We all deserve good services from our car technicians since we are not asking for free service, keep your eyes peeled for these qualities, be MOTOSMART!

Top 5 tech accessories for your car today

Ok guys! We talked about accessories that would give your car the best interior feel on this post https://t.co/J9tJxecr7Q Now we would be talking with folks that love tech and want to combine their love for tech with their cars.

Here is a list of 5 tech gadgets your car needs right now:

1.       Dash-Cam: Remember that time when something unbelievable was happening on the road while you were driving and there was no way you could grab your phone to record it? And recounting the experience to your friends would make you sound like a liar? Dash-Cam is what you need! It is a high definition video recording device that records your road activities continuously. Dash-cams are usually positioned on the windscreen behind or below the rear view mirror. They work by filming in segments, when the memory card is full, the oldest segment is recorded over, so the footage is looped and you never run out of memory.

2.       Mobile phone holder: You know the rules already- don’t text or operate your mobile device whilst driving it is for your own safety actually. A tech gadget that helps with a minimal use of the mobile phone in the car is a plastic holder attached either to the air conditioning vents, made to sit on the dash board or stuck to the windscreen. This way you get to see activities such as Google maps or change a playing music on the phone while still paying attention to the road.

3.       Car Key Tracker: I'm I the only one clumsy with keys? Definitely not! I always misplace them and I always end up with migraines trying to locate them and this is such a time waster. Guys, a car key tracker is our solution. It is a two way device that has an interface on a mobile phone, it uses Bluetooth connectivity to link the accessory attached to your keys to your phone. Next time the key gets missing just press the ring icon on the key tracker app on your phone and the key would be howling wherever it is.

4.       12VPortable Tyre Inflator with Gauge: Picture this scenario-You are on a road trip and you have a flat in the middle of nowhere, no problem you assure yourself, ‘I have a spare tyre. You check on the spare and then you find out its flat too! Questions like where do you start from especially here in Nigeria and how safe are you where you are keeps popping up in your head. That’s why you need to always have a portable tyre inflator in your car. It is powered by the 12 volt outlets; same used for car chargers and lightning cigarettes. It may not work at the speed of your regular vulcanizer (tyre inflator) but it would get you out of that place. Trust me, it is a life saver!

5.       Mobile phone charger: Ok I know almost everyone has this but again it cannot be over emphasized. You really don’t want to be in a situation where you would need to use your mobile phone to make a call or get directions using Google maps and the only thing keeping you in that bush is a low battery. If you don’t have one, get one now and if you have a bad one please replace it today!

Be techy, be safe and be MOTOSMART

Christmas journey checklist for your car!!!

Holla it’s the festive season, Christmas is upon us, even though it is a time for Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, it is usually counted as a holiday period for most people in Nigeria and a time when a lot of people travel back to their home town to be with extended families, some just want to relax from the hustle and bustle of the city in a more calm and relaxed environment.

Are you planning to be travel with your car like this guy??

Here on this post is a Nigerian checklist you should do and ensure its all ticked before you embark on your holiday trip, not for Christmas only this check list can be referenced for all long road trips. So let’s get started already

We would go from simple to complicated

1.      Check all lights are working (headlight alignments, head light beams, tail lights, indicator lights{trafficator} )

2.       Wiper and wiper fluid – ensure wipers clean the screen smoothly and the wiper fluid is in the reservoir.

3.       Check tire threads, swellings and pressure, change if not good enough; don’t forget the expiry date check on the tires except your ready for long talks with FRSC(road safety).

4.       Check on your vehicle documents to be sure they are complete and not expired, check for road worthiness certificate, vehicle license, insurance policy certificate, tint permit, police reports, change of ownership documents. Try to avoid police wahala.

5.       Check and ensure your spare tire is good and inflated; your jack should be working fine, wheel spanner, triangle and fire extinguisher should all be readily available.

6.       Take a drive with your mechanic to listen to the engine and also any strange noise on the wheels or on the car generally.

7.       Change the engine oil and oil filter, check coolant, brake fluid and all other fluids the car uses.

8.       Change air filter.

9.       Check transmission oil/gear oil for optimum gauge.

10.   Take you vehicle in for wheel balancing and alignment.

This are my top ten checklist for road trips, however you must remember not to drive beyond reasonable speed, obey all traffic rules, have your spare key with you, have a car charger and finally don’t drink while driving. Stay safe and be MOTOSMART and dont end up like this guy.