SPRINGTIME DRIVING
Post- winter dos and don’ts
As we drop our car windows for some plus- zero sunshine, we enter the automotive Eden of spring driving on Canadian roads. But there are more than a few traffic thorns among the budding roses of winter’s death.
Some of these spring driving myths and hacks were told by instructing parents, some by armchair Andrettis at the water cooler, and some came from out behind the bleachers. Here are the straight goods on whether or not some of those tales from the traveller actually hold water ( or slush or ice or washer fluid).
Full steam ahead on potholes, never hit the brakes!
As with many pieces of driving advice, this one’s partially right; if you’re heading for a deep pothole you can’t avoid, standing on the brakes when your front wheels head down into it will likely result in more tire, rim, suspension, steering damage than if you hadn’t braked. But damning the torpedoes with a full- throttle offence won’t provide a guardian tire angel to sail you over troubled waters, either.
Every time you drive through a pothole rather than around it, you’re rolling the dice. You’re wagering some sizable repair dollars that the suspension of the wheel that’s entering the pothole will miraculously react at just the right speed to avoid a strong lateral impact to the face of the tire tread from the leading edge of the hole. The faster you’re travelling, the less time your suspension has to react and the greater the impact force will be.
With the proliferation of lowprofile tires, exceedingly light alloy wheel rims and suspension components, it doesn’t take much of an impact to cause some expensive damage. Add to this the bettor’s window handicap of water hiding the size and depth of many potholes — and even their very existence — and you can understand that the only way to reduce damage is to slow down, keep your eye on surrounding traffic, and avoid potholes altogether whenever possible.
Don’t worry about that puddle; as long as it’s not over your wheels, you’re OK!
With spring melting in many parts, waterlogged roads and Olympic- sized puddles are common. Drive through one that’s too deep and you’re in for the most expensive auto repair bill of your life. If enough water is ingested into an engine’s air intake, it will destroy pistons, connecting rods, and crankshafts in one or two revolutions of the motor. If water comes up to the bottom of your vehicle’s doors, or halfway up the wheels, your engine is at risk.
Just because the driver ahead made it through is no guarantee your car will survive. Waves and wakes can raise the water level to the point where it can get into the intake.
What’s that musty smell coming out of the heater vents? Time to make a shop appointment?
It might be hard to believe, but we’ll soon be turning on our vehicle’s air conditioners. Musty odours caused by mould and mildew forming on the HVAC system heater cores and AC evaporator cores are a common complaint when the weather gets warmer. Before taking your vehicle into the shop, try driving for a few days with the heater set to its highest temperature setting and the windows cracked a bit so you don’t melt. The dry heat will quickly and permanently reduce the smells and you can enjoy the scents of a fresh warm day.
Running out of fuel? Try a swerve or two.
You’re forgiven if the return of sunshine and windows- down driving has left you a little distracted. But that low fuel warning light and the ominous chugging of an engine running dry has brought you back to reality. If you’re a block or less away from the gas station, a slight, gentle and safe side to side swerve while driving can slosh enough fuel at the bottom of the tank into the delivery line pickup to get you an extra few hundred metres. Beats pushing, right? Sliced onion wiper hack. The trick of smearing the cut side of a large onion on your windshield in a wiper failure emergency does hold some water. Plain ordinary Spanish, white, or red onions do have a unique oil that is transparent and easy to apply in a non-distorting layer. About the only thing your traveller didn’t mention is that your vehicle speed has to be high enough to allow the water to bead off the glass fast enough to let you see clearly. For most autos driving at any speed below 60- 70 km/ h without the wipers working, no amount of onion secretion or professional water- beading treatment will keep the view clear. Seatbelt saver trick. This hack’s not necessarily just for spring, but it’s useful 12 months of the year. Many of us have experienced the grief of a seat belt that’s lost the buckle- insert retaining button that keeps the insert from sliding down to the bottom of the shoulder strap when the belt’s not in use. Most automakers offer replacement buttons, but some are north of $ 30. If you want a cheaper yet equally effective option, head to a sewing supply store and pick up a DIY snap kit. Install a larger- sized snap ( the portion that inserts into the snap’s cap) in place of the original button and your seatbelt insert will stay in place when it’s not in use. If anyone in your household is a fabric crafter, you may even have supplies right at home.