28th
April
2008
Though there are lights on the dashboard to indicate any problems, it is much better to know a little bit about your car, and to keep an eye on the important fluids that are used to run the car. Everyone knows about putting enough gas in the car, but there are some simple steps that should be done about once a week. This is a very good thing to teach any teenager or other new car owner, especially one whose new car is over five years old.First of all, make a habit of checking your fluids. The older the car the more frequent the checks should be, but at least make them once every two weeks. Having a regular schedule will help in this, for example, the first and fifteenth of every month. In this way, you will have to remember if you have just forgotten to make the check or if you have just done it. Today let’s cover checking the oil.The oil level is one of the most important fluids to check regularly. There is a long thin metal piece, call the dipstick, that slides into a compartment adjacent to the engine. Most dipsticks ended in a small circular, plastic coated ring that you can use to pull it out of its tube. Make sure you see the small hole the dipstick goes into so that you can replace it there to check the oil level. First, make sure the car is parked on a level surface and has been sitting for several hours before checking the oil. This is because the oil is used to lubricate the engine, and takes a while to settle down back into the bottom of the engine. Remove the dipstick, and wipe any existing oil off it using an old rag. Reinsert the dipstick back into its small hole, all the way down so the top of the dipstick is in its normal position. Pull it out once again and notice the light or dark brown liquid that coats the bottom part of the stick. You will notice that there will be markings on the dipstick, indicating low and full levels for the oil. Depending on your car they may have the words “full” and “add”, or possibly just two notches or other notation. Generally the fluid should be somewhere near, or possibly slightly over, the full line on the dipstick (the one higher up on the stick). If not, oil should be added to the car. For most cars, the amount of oil between the bottom mark and the full mark is one quart of oil. So, for example, if you are oil comes half way between the bottom and top marks, then you should add approximately one half quart of oil. Add that much oil, wait for a few moments, and then measure it once again. If the oil level is significantly below the bottom mark, add as much as necessary to bring it up to the top mark, and then have a mechanic look at your car for oil leaks.In order to add oil to the car, there should be a small round cap that can be unscrewed, which hopefully has the word “oil” on it. If it is not clearly marked, ask a knowledgeable person where to add the oil in, for it is crucial to get the right opening. Simply unscrew the cap, add the oil (using an oil funnel if you wish to be neat), and then make sure you replace the cap securely.Other fluids to check weekly include coolant level, windshield washer fluid, power steering fluid (if applicable), and brake fluid. Also, make a periodic check of tire pressure. How to do these will be covered in other articles.
posted in Maintenance |
28th
April
2008
This Texan started his racing career on a small dirt track in the town of
Springfield,
Illinois in 1957. Though his career had him traveling over a large part of the world, the most exciting races were those in
America. He became the first four time winner of the
Indianapolis 500, on that famous motor speedway. He has competed in 35 Indy 500s as a driver, which is a record that probably will stay unchallenged.A.J. has driven in a number of different venues: NASCAR, midgets, sprints, and even
Le Mans. He won over 150 major races during his driving career, which has been over more than four decades. Not only is this man talented and versatile, but his long career has showed off two of his major character qualities: perseverance and toughness.Not only has A.J. instilled a love of cars and racing to his children, he himself received it from his father. His father was an auto mechanic that loved racing, and would tell A.J. stories of the auto racing of years gone by. They worked on cars together, as his father had them as a hobby as well as a business.He took one of the cars from his father and started out on the racing circuit in the years 1953 through 1957. Though he persevered, driving the tow vehicle to get the racer to the various tracks, success did not happen often. However, other race car owners noticed the young man, and made him offers to be a driver for more established teams.The year 1958 was his first year driving in the Indy 500. He got past the rookie weedout, and finished 16th in the race, actually earning several thousand dollars for the effort. This was a great encouragement for someone used to sleeping in the towing vehicle, or on an extra cot in someone’s house.The cars of that era did not have many safety features, and accidents often caused severe injury to the drivers. In 1965, an accident in
Riverside, California left him with a broken ankle, a broken back, and severe chest injuries. A doctor pronounced Foyt dead at the scene, but driver Parnelli Jones say some movement and revived him. Only ten weeks later, Foyt was back behind the wheel, winning five races that season.The next year his car hit the wall in
Wisconsin, causing the fuel tank to rupture, and burning A.J.’s hands and face. The rest of that season was a difficult one to finish, and his point ranking put him 13th in the list. Other people began talking about his retiring from the track. This caused A.J. to make 1967 a banner year, and he won the national title for the fifth time. This included his third win at
Indianapolis. The Indy 500 that year had a remarkable finish. A.J. was in front by nearly one lap, and as he was making the last lap, there was a large group of cars in front of him. All of a sudden, a number of cars were spinning, and bouncing off the walls. A.J. dropped his car into second gear, deciding he was going to win even if he had to push a few cars ahead of him across the finish line.Many more notable successes came, along with a number of other injuries, through the 1970s and 1980s. One of the worst happened in 1990, when his brakes failed and the car sailed off of the track at 190 mph and landed in a dirt wall. Though the injuries were not life threatening, both of his legs were shattered. The pain was intense, and required several surgeries. After another six months of therapy, he limped to his car to qualify second for the Indy 500. Though he did not complete this race due to a mechanical malfunction, the heart and determination of this great racer is exemplified by this victory over circumstance.
posted in Motocycles |