Preface

In Part-VI of this 'series', I shared with you some of my thoughts and decades of experience about the problems one can come across while operating and maintaining one's Car - as the true 'ownership experience' of any make/model begins and ends here.

          With such info at the back of one's mind, let me share with you some more aspects of the same theme.

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1) Getting max life out of an exhaust line

Unavoidable situations arise when cars have a short run every time they are started. As a result, the exhaust line is unable to warm up fully to prevent the corrosive elements in the exhaust gases from condensing within and thus nibbling away the internals like a cancer.

If one wishes to have max life of the order of 3+ years from one's exhaust line, there's no choice but to run the car for atleast 5 kms non-stop once started. The after market replacements, being cheaper than the OE ones, naturally have a shorter life too.

'Alpha/Usha' are better known names in north India in the after mkt for exhausts. They can also be got custom made in stainless steel but it’d be very expensive.

Besides short runs, another major killer for exhaust line is adulterated fuel AND/OR 'Gasohol'. I believe in cow belt areas, Gasohol is blindly passed on as regular Gasoline where as per the Law, it should be clearly marked so at the dispensers and be cheaper accordingly. Otherwise why would any one buy it in the first place ?

2) Remedy for windscreen stains

You can try scrubbing with a damp cloth soaked in table vinegar and rinsing frequently with clean water.

If this doesn't work, then I'm afraid the marks are 'etched' on glass due to 'acid rain' and the next thing to try would be rubbing gently with 'diamond paste' - as used by watch repairers to 'clean' scratches from wrist watch glasses.

If this too doesn't help, I'm afraid you'll have to either live with it or replace the w/s.

3) On changing Coolant

Without knowing the make/model of a Car, it's difficult to tell as to which ‘formulation’ to go in for - other than that the old lot has to be ‘completely’ drained when the engine is cold and SLOWLY refilled with 1:2 mixture of fresh coolant and soft/drinking water.

During this process, the engine should be running with the radiator cap off. Once the radiator is full upto the neck, the engine should be continued to idle till the fan comes on and topping up in between as necessary.

Once this has been done, the radiator cap should be securely put on and the remaining mixture poured into the coolant reservoir upto its 'max' mark. Make a check the next day BEFORE starting the engine if the coolant level in the reservoir drops below min. mark. If it has, top it up to midway between min/max marks. Repeat this till the coolant level stabilises in the system and all sources of leaks, if any, have been fixed.

4) Petrol odours in a car

Petrol odours inside or for that matter, outside a car smell and spell danger !!

Given the fairly complex nature of fuel lines ‘plumbing’ in present day Cars, it's advisable to consult a reliable garage to identify the exact point/cause of the leakage – that may even be ‘sweating’. And for this exercise, it's a must that the Car be hoisted on a lift in a well-lit area and a skilled person goes about the entire plumbing route literally with a magnifying glass.

In old cars, say > 5 yrs, the leakage/sweating can originate from frayed rubber piping, loose couplers/joints, cracked plastics or for that matter, corroded metal piping - right from the filler neck down wards - incl the Main Tank itself.

A worn out Carb with or without a faulty 'float level' is relatively easier to identify, as it'll have tell-tale dark brown coloured dust turned into varnish of sorts can be easily seen sticking to it. It'll be the same look for other exposed leaky/sweaty parts of the plumbing.

5) Petrol in Diesel/vice versa