Your Chariot

Unless you're preparing to put your thumb into action (i.e. hitchhiking), then perhaps the most important part of a road trip is the car. It is the very means by which you negotiate the road. If it breaks down you are stuck. This could leave you stranded in very problematic situations, for example in the rain, in the middle of the night, far from civilisation, or while being attacked by zombies.  So obviously it stands to reason that before you embark on any kind of journey you have to get you car checked out and fixed up, or you might just find yourself on an episode of Kyknet’s “Die Kranse het Oë”.

Now just because you had a guy tinker away at your vehicle does not mean it has become impervious to future break downs. Yet many of us are part of the generation that can figure out anything with a screen in minutes, yet stare for half an hour at a popped hood, scratching their heads while trying to look like they know what’s going on. I will admit that I knew absolutely nothing about engines. Knowing that there would be a good chance that I would have to fix, or at least get my car started in an adverse circumstance, when I took my car in for its service, I asked the mechanic to teach me the basics of how to figure out and fix the basic problems I may face on the road.

I would like to thank Steven for all his help and assistance. I would recommend him to anyone in the Port Elizabeth area. If you have any issues with your car, or are tired of getting screwed round by mechanics you don’t think are trust worthy (hey, it happens), then is the guy to all. His number is 0763048169.

I would like to share with you some of the basic things he taught me as I am certain they could be useful to you too. First off, I was show what’s potting on a B3 engine, which you find in the Mazda sting, Ford Laser and that group of lookalikes.

An internal combustion engine needs three things to start, Compression, Fuel and Spark. If one of the three is missing, the car will not start. Now the question is, how would you figure out which one it is. 

Compression

This is the easiest to eliminate. The reason there would be no compression (the valves of the engine don’t go up and down) is because the cam is not turning.  This is either because the cam has broken (very unlikely), the engine has ceased (you're screwed) or the cam belt has snapped. If the cam belt has snapped then you would hear a high pitched screeching sound coming from you engine. Unless you have a spare cam belt just lying around you will need to get a tow to the nearest garage.

Spark

You get spark from your battery that used to ignite the fuel. No spark, no combustion, no movement. If there is a problem with spark, or in any way electrical there is a way to troubleshoot it so you can pinpoint the problem and then fix it, if possible. If you turn the key and it makes no sound, or just a click sound, then the engine is not turning. This means that either the battery is completely dead or the starter motor is not working.  If you head lights go on and your horn works, it’s not the battery. Now you can hotwire it by connecting the positive terminal on the battery to the ignition part of the starter motor. If you don’t know where that is then a simple push start should get the car going. If a push start does not work; then, well you're kinda screwed mate, 'cause you engine might just have seized.
If your car is going “hung-ung-ung-ung-ung” when you turn the key then it’s not the starter motor. It could be a lack of fuel or the spark plugs aren’t pulling their weight. Either the ignition coil is busted, or coil wire is not sending spark to the distributer, or the distributer’s resistor has fused or the spark plug cables are buggered, or the spark plugs themselves are screwed.  I’m not going to go into detail on how to check of that, but if you want me to, drop me a comment and I will tackle the subject in another article.

Fuel
If your fuel has been depleted but you’re not too sure, an easy way to check is in your fuel filter. If it’s empty, then you know what you need to do. The fuel pump may have packed up. To check you can remove the return pip (which is the thinner of the tubes) and if nothing comes out of it then it’s most likely that is giving you problems.

If your engine dies when idling then the idling solenoid in you carburettor could be the problem.

 Well, that’s all I am going to put down for now, I am sure the rest you can find out by Google-ing it. If I have gotten anything wrong please don’t hesitate to correct me in the comment section below.

I would like to leave you with one piece of advice. When going to a mechanic don’t just take his word for something and sit in the waiting room while he fiddles around on your car. Make sure he/she shows you the problems and explains it to you so that you understand what he is doing and why he is doing it. A car is one of the most expensive things a person owns; hence it stands to reason that you can’t just let someone push you around and treat you like an idiot. Also, don’t be afraid to get a second opinion, it is your right and one you should exercise.