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.

TOP 5 ACCESSORIES YOUR CAR NEEDS RIGHT NOW…..

Yippee, congratulations on your new car or not so new car, anyways you just got a ride. Could be the ride of your dream or just a car to convey you around, here in Nigeria however car is prestige, no matter how we want to look at it, you’re better off the guy burning in the hot heat of the sun. how your car looks speaks a lot about you, and if you spend a lot of time in the car then there is a need to make it the best you can, you have to improve the look, the feel, the smell and the experience for everyone getting into your car the first time and even for you the owner.

Here are my top 5 suggestions for after purchase accessories to help you make your car feel like home all the time.

1.       Seat Covers: seat covers help protect your seats from wear and tear of usage, they also add to the beauty and interior feel of the car. The choice of seat cover depends on your pocket but because the goal is to enhance the look of your vehicle ensure to get one that is of premium quality, just like this

 or this

2.       Car Perfume: Have you gotten on someone car and it smells like an animal died inside? Well I have. Regardless of the age of the car, you need to invest in a nice smelling car perfume to keep the car smelling fresh always.

3.       Boot/Trunk Mat: this is not really something to be seen by everyone, but then, don’t you have that feeling of satisfaction when you see a place clean and tidy looking good? I do, so I think it’s a good investment to have a nice looking boo/trunk mat like this one.

4.       Car Floor Mat: this is actually a necessity for the vehicle it helps keep the floor of the car neat and easy to clean as all the places where the foot would be are covered, aside from it being necessary, it can also make the overall look of your car luxurious. Think about something like this

5.       Multi Storage Car Organizer: ok!! Here is one accessory that gets different reaction from different people. But I seem like a guy that carry a lot in the car, after buying all the top 4 listed items and my car is looking peng, I can’t have my other stuffs flying around here is where a nice car organizer comes to play, plus it’s a lifesaver, you won’t have to be looking for stuffs in the car if they are organized in one place.

Bonus

Car steering cover: your car steering cover helps for better grip of the steering wheel as well as giving a cool dude look to your car, you can choose based on your preference but remember to make it stand out.

So guys show you car some love and be MOTOSMART

What should I check on my car every morning

Most of the vehicles in Nigeria run on engines i.e internal combustion engines (I.C.E), I mean engines that use petrol/diesel and air to create energy for movement. To keep your vehicle running you have to do your own due diligence, in this post I would list some of the things you can do yourself and help you understand the overall effect on the well being of your car which will ultimately help you reduce overhaul repair cost as these are preventive measures to total failure of the major components of the car.

1.       Engine oil check – it is very very necessary to check your oil level every morning before you start the car, this is because engine oil is the blood your vehicle needs to survive, most vehicles have dipstick in the engine compartment while some use digital measurement on the dashboard to check oil level, whichever one you have make sure to check your vehicle manual or have an expert show you how to check. You don’t want to be out driving in a car that does not have oil.

2.    Ensure that coolant is available in your radiator, and if your vehicle is like most Nigerian vehicles and you use water, please be sure that the water in your radiator full every morning before you start the car. If you have a reservoir that is connected to the radiator, fill it to the specified level. Please check your manual or ask your mechanic for the location of your radiator today, I bet you don’t want to have an overheating issue on the high way.

3.       Brake fluid level should be checked also since your engine bay/bonnet is already opened. Ensure that the fluid is at the specified level. The beauty and fun of driving a car is when you can stop it at will using the brake pedal. 

Please be MOTOSMART and account balance would thank you for it..

Does you car stops, jerk and stall intermittently? here are some of the reasons

Have you ever had your car stall while driving? I know it happens to a lot of people and surprisingly enough, unless you are driving a manual car you really shouldn’t be having this problem. A car stalls for numerous reasons. Some more severe (and expensive) than others, so if you have a car that stalls intermittently, you need to keep reading and not be like this guy,

A stalling car is different from your engine completely shutting off. When your car stalls intermittently it is so irritating especially in a situation like this

you can normally fix it & continue driving; unless you have known the situation and let it go for too long & you’ve run into a serious problem.

So let’s get into reasons

You Run Out Of fuel- This one is kind of obvious, but the way it happens is that you car will stall or jerk & shut off if you run out of fuel.

You Have A Bad Battery– Whether you have an old battery or the connections are not on tight enough, if you have a full tank of gas, then this is the second most common reason your car stalls. You will have warning signs beforehand, like the car not starting as quickly, or your dashboard lights flashing on and off and you know our roads, you will fall in a pothole that would reduce the contacting part of a loose connection.

You Have An Electrical Issue– If your interior or even exterior lights stop working properly, or you notice something up electrically, you could have an electrical issue. It could be a bad fuse or shunted wire, or something more serious so take it in & have your mechanic or auto electrician diagnose it.

You Have A Bad Fuel Pump– I’ve seen this happen a lot, luckily for you changing your fuel pump isn’t extremely expensive. Your fuel pump really shouldn’t go bad unless you have over 80,000 kilometres on your car. Or if you don’t care for your car properly & put a lot of strain on the fuel pump by allowing your fuel go extremely low before refilling, the fuel is a form of coolant for the hard working pump, if fuel dries up the pump is stress trying to pump low fuel and also getting hot in temperature while at it, this wears the pump out very fast..

You Have Low Oil Pressure- You will actually notice this the most if you stall when your car is on an incline. This is from not having enough oil in your car, or even having bad oil. If you don’t have enough oil in your car, you either need an oil change or you have a leak somewhere.

You Need To Check Your Coolant Reservoir- Without your coolant, your car will overheat. If you haven’t checked & changed your coolant reservoir in a while this might be the time to do so. Fix it now before your engine overheats and you have a bigger problem than just your car stalling.

You Might Need New Spark Plugs- Lastly, if you’ve checked everything above and your car is still stalling, you might need to clean or change out your spark plugs.

Unless you drive a manual car that will stall if you don’t release the clutch properly, you shouldn’t have any issues with an automatic vehicle stalling. If your car stalls intermittently, something is not right. Fix it soon before you have an engine or transmission failure! Trust me, your account balance will thank you. Be MOTOSMART

what my exhaust fume looks like

Whenever you start your car especially early in the morning, you should take time to note the kind of fume/smoke coming from your tailpipe/exhaust pipe, the colour of this smoke can speak a lot about the condition of your engine, there are basically 3 kinds of smokes to consider

1. Bluish grey smoke- this means your engine is burning oil, the intensity of the smoke now tells you the level of damage.

2. Whitish grey smoke- this means your engine is burning coolant/water. Also the intensity and length of visibility would tell how serious the case is.

3. Blackish grey smoke- this is as a result of your engine burning excessive fuel. The thickness of the smoke would make you know for sure, and determine how quick your engine needs to be checked.

it is not appropriate at anytime for your exhaust to produce any smoke except for a clear moist discharge of CO2,. if its smoking, its calling for an expert check.

Why is my car blinking "D" on the dashboard.

You're driving an automatic transmission and you observe that each time you shift your gear to drive, the D sign on the dashboard(especially Honda users), or around the gear stick starts blinking, here are some of the causes,

1. Overdue transmission oil,2. Clogged transmission filter,3. Defective shift solenoid4. Low fluid pressure,

Have a good technician run a diagnostic scan, examine the transmission and save yourself large repair cost today.

What to know about the harmattan season and your car in Nigeria

We are in that season again, that season of the year when all is dry and dusty, folk its Harmattan  in Nigeria again.

During this season, our nose feels dry and breathing is a little tougher because of the composition of dust in the air it will shock you to know that our cars also face similar issues through its nose too, the air intake channel!!!, but fortunately vehicle manufacturers designed the car in a way that would not allow this dust get through the nose by putting a changeable mask to trap the dust while allowing clean air go through into the engine, this mask are the Air filter.

The engine is not the only one that enjoys this mask, the cabin(inside the car) also enjoys a similar mask, the cabin air filter. During harmattan, there is so much dust in the air that the engine air filter get dirty easily and clogged up with this dirt thereby reducing the amount of air that gets into the engine. The cabin air filter also gets clogged with dust reducing the performance of the HVAC(heating,ventilation, air conditioning) system of the vehicle.

It is therefore necessary to check the condition of these filters as we start the season, change it if its already clogged or dirty. Go to your mechanic today and check. 

Just the way there is a tendency for human to suffocate with very little or no air, blocked,clogged and dirty air filters can suffocate the engine of enough air reducing engine performance and increasing fuel consumption..  

Amalgamation genius for Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi arrested

Carlos Ghosn 64, who presently sit as the chairman of the alliance of three heavy duties in the automotive industry has been arrested, Ghosn was the brain behind the collaboration between Nissan, Mitsubishi and Renault, reviving the dying companies and putting them on the map as major giants in the industry. As at 2018 1 in every 9 vehicles bought in the world is within the alliance. News of his arrest broke after Japanese authorities held him in custody claiming the action was warranted after they received a whistle blower report of significant act of financial misconduct. Ghosn is rubbing muscles with Musk in the quest to be the leader in electronic vehicles EV and autonomous driving which is the future in the industry, this news is a shock to the alliance causing fear of the alliance being broken, but as of now every party is still committed to the alliance. France a country that has 15% stake in Renault is also worried with this development. As it stands now, no matter the outcome of the investigation there is a high probability that Ghosn may not remain the chairman of these companies. Where do they go from here???
This rich people sef.......

what is motosmart

Motosmart is the brand that was born out of the need to have a smarter way in understanding vehicles. Day in day out, there is the need to maintain our cars, and yes these mechanics can be a pain in the neck for car owners who really want to keep their vehicles in top shape, by the way guys, vehicle maintenance is not cheap ooooo, don't even think it is, but if properly planned and managed it can be within budget, so Motosmart is that blog that would always give you all the Nigerian made tip to keep your vehicle in prime shape at all times. remember though the place of bro jimoh, musa, sule the mechanic cannot be moved, but Motosmart would be your guider(not mmm oh) in improving your dealings with local mechanic.