Car Components Accessories 

Working on the wiring system

Use a circuit tester to check if single wires are damaged. The wiring loom itself seldom goes wrong, but after other repairs have been made, a cable may be trapped and its insulation cut through, causing a short circuit. If this does not blow a fuse the wiring overheats and melts insulation, perhaps starting a fire. A similar result can come from fitting accessories incorrectly, or if power demand is too high for the size of the wire being used. After many years, insulation may become hard and brittle, particularly…

Read More
Car Components Modificaions 

Fitting vehicle deadlocks

The simplest type of deadlock, such as these Cosmic locks (A), has a swinging arm that fits through slots cut in the door and door pillar. Another design is the Banham lock (B), similar to those used for house doors. It consists of a bolt that moves out to fit through holes drilled in the door and door pillar. One of the main reasons why so many cars are stolen is that a thief, even if inexperienced, can force a standard car door lock in a matter of seconds, often…

Read More
Car Components Accessories 

Fitting a new speedometer cable

The speedometer cable is driven from the gearbox, and curves smoothly up through the engine compartment and the bulkhead to connect with the back of the speedometer. Speedometer failure is likely to be caused by a fault in the cable that runs from the gearbox to the back of the speedometer gauge. If the gauge needle does not move at all, the inner cable or drive may be broken; or the cable’s square ends may have become rounded with wear and fail to engage in the sockets. The fixings at…

Read More
Car Components Modificaions 

How to fit an oil radiator

The Serckspeed kit contains hoses (A), radiator (cooler) (B), radiator mounting brackets (C) with nuts and bolts (D), adapter (sandwich block) (E), in-line thermostat (F) and plastic ties for securina hoses (G). The oil in your engine needs to be kept at an optimum temperature so it can still carry heat away from the engine and lubricate the moving parts properly. If the temperature of the oil is allowed to rise, the oil will become too thin to lubricate properly and too hot to disperse heat, and there will be…

Read More
Car Components Advanced Driving 

How to make driving comfortable

Seat too upright, forcing you to bend your arms. Steering wheel to far away, making you bend your legs. Some cars seats can force you to slump too low down. The ideal position with legs and arms angled for maximum comfort. You often have to compromise on a seating position because of lack of full adjustability. Common problems are a fixed seat that is too upright, forcing you to bend your arms to allow your feet to reach the pedals; and a steering wheel that is too far away, forcing…

Read More
Car Components Modificaions 

How to add extra car speakers

Whether you are fitting four new speakers, or just adding an extra pair to your existing system, the choice is vast. Below are some old speakers and fader controls from Pioneer. A TS-VX700 is a surface-mounted wedge-type rear speaker. B TS-R800 mounts into the rear parcel shelf. C TS-X30 is a surface-mounted rear speaker. D TS-1612 flush-mounted speaker for use in front or rear locations. E AD-940 fader control. F UD-780A fader control. The standard twin-speaker car stereo system has one obvious drawback. If you mount the speakers on the…

Read More
Car Components Advanced Driving 

Overtaking with care

Always keep an eye out for drivers who try to pass cars one at a time if they are stuck in a long queue —they are dangerous. Sometimes the second or third driver in the queue may try to charge past all those in front of him in one go. If you are about to overtake a slow-moving vehicle in front of you and there is a tail of traffic behind you, check the rear view mirror even more carefully for queue jumpers. Hazards Many accidents occur when drivers overtake…

Read More
Modificaions Car Components 

Installing a turbocharger

At the heart of the turbocharger are the turbine and compressor which rotate together on the same shaft. The turbine is housed in and driven by the exhaust stream. It turns the compressor which pumps air into the engine. Critical attention is needed to the design of the centrally mounted bearing, because the turbine, compressor and shaft can rotate at speeds of up to 200,000rpm. There are two main ways to get more power from a car’s engine. The first (and until recently the most popular) is to increase the…

Read More
Car Components Advanced Driving 

Preparing for the summer

In winter, the fan will not have had much to do and may be inoperative without you realizing. Check that it does in fact come on with the engine hot – say at idle just after a run. Some fans run all the time. One of the good things about a modern car is the way it adapts automatically to climate changes. Come rain, snow, ice, or a scorching day in summer, cars cope with changes in temperature and environment. But although much of the time seasonal changes bring no…

Read More
Car Components Modificaions 

Fitting a towing socket

This Ring Automotive supplementary towing socket kit is typical of those you can buy in an accessory shop. This kit includes: A 12S socket Socket sealing grommet C Mounting bracket .7-core wiring Electrical connectors F Socket bolts The combination relay (G) for charging an auxiliary battery can be bought separately. A caravan or trailer must, by law, be fitted with certain warning lights. These are wired up to a standard plug socket called a 12N socket which provides a 12 volt supply to power the indicators, stop lights, tail-lights, number-plate…

Read More