Emergency Repairs, Car Break Down,
car breakdown cover, auto spare parts
When
your car breaks down and you don't have the necessary
spare parts, and how many of us ever do, it is handy
to know some alternatives that may get you out of
trouble, such as -
If the
ignition light comes on while you are driving this
indicates the generator is not charging the battery,
the reason may be a broken drive or fan belt.
Do not
be tempted to use string, nylon tights or cord, although
they are often recommended they do not work.
Modern fan belts work under greater pressure than
older models which means these substitutes break after
a few minutes resulting in debris which can cause
greater damage.
If calling
for help is not an option, it is possible to drive
for a few miles without the belt. First wait for about
thirty minutes to allow the engine to cool down.
Remove any debris from the broken belt whilst you
are waiting. Drive on, keeping the engine speed as
low as possible by getting into a high gear quickly.
ONLY DRIVE FOR 3 MILES
(5 KMS) MORE THAN THIS WILL CAUSE OVERHEATING AND
EXPENSIVE DAMAGE. If you need to continue
wait a further thirty minutes before repeating the
above. If you turn the heater on full whilst driving
this will draw the heat from the engine preventing
it from overheating so quickly. This journey
will be draining the battery so turn off as many of
the car's electrical systems as possible.
In many
modern cars the fan that cools the engine is driven
by an electric motor not a fan belt, and therefore
a red light in this instance would probably mean that
the belt which drives the alternator is broken.
If this is the case the engine will not overheat if
you drive without the belt, but it will drain the
battery. Remove belt debris, turn off unnecessary
electrical systems such as heater fan, radio etc.
to conserve the battery as much as possible.
Drive carefully to the nearest garage for help.
courtesy of http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/
