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Automobile Maintenance


Driving                                                                                                                                    

Nobody ever died simply by going too fast in a vehicle! Really. Not ever. What kills is the sudden deceleration following a collision!


When driving, 'regularly check how well your brakes are working in this situation, (weather, road-surface, congestion etc.). Remember, when driving, the 'kill zone' where drivers die is just ahead of you about where your headlights shine - from the front fender (bumper-bar) forwards (your safe stopping distance).


In town, this is usually about the distance between two street-lights (around 50 metres or yards): Twice what instructors teach? Why so long? Just because we mechanics are paranoid, that doesn't mean they (machines and people) are not out to get us! Did you know that more people died on USA roads in September 2001 than in the twin-towers attack in 9-11?


Fixing

Engines are massive get hot, may contain pressurized boiling water and have big batteries, all of which can cause severe burns. Never wear exposed metal badges or jewellery (remove any finger rings or be sure to wear gloves (recommended anyway) or cover them with sticky tape). That way, they can not short-circuit the battery and cause a spark nor snag in moving parts, OK? (Finger amputation is best done in sterile hospital by a medical team rather than by yourself inside a messy engine bay, honest!)


Vehicles are not only heavy, they are usually fitted with wheels. Always use mechanical wedges ( 'wooden chocks' ) to prevent the vehicle from rolling - do not trust the mechanical handbrake. Not ever! And if you use a mechanical or hydraulic lifting jack, invest in some substantial wooden blocks to take the weight and then remove the jack. Finally - from a safe position, try rocking the body - if it is going to collapse, probably it is better if you are alongside and not underneath, right?


Personal protective equipment

Overalls. Sharp screws and rivets may tear heavy denim or cotton clothing, but that is probably less painful than ripped skin. Nudity is distinctly hazardous when working on vehicles.

Steel-toe boots are a sound investment, and are now lighter, more comfortable and altogether more fashionable than those pictured above)

plastic goggles if you use power tools - as blindness is not conducive to driving or reparing.

protective skin cream and disposable rubber gloves are cheap and, if used before starting work, are much less irritating than washing off black oil with gorilla snot or abrasive hand-cleaner. Bleaching soiled skin with household products is not recommended, but is sometimes practised in extremis - always use hand-cream to preserve sensitivity at your fingertips and to minimize damage to your hands.

Lumber is not really PPE, but at least two triangular wedge chocks and several rectangular body support blocks of different sizes) are the safest support, because, unlike brick or stone which can crumble rapidly, wood tends to splinter gradually and noisily, giving you valuable seconds to escape or fix the problem.

Protective face masks are essential for some jobs involving smoke or paint a , but, above all,

Care and attention is always essential, as accidents mostly are caused by a heap of small errors - and we mechanics are not paid to make mistakes, now are we?