The South African Motoring News in Brief......

You've got to love South Africa and the times we live in.  No two days are the same and each week serves to highlight the glaring gaps in almost all aspects of our colorful country.  For instance,  why do you think traffic on N1 (highway between Johannesburg and Pretoria) was affected when the  ANC Youth League walked all the way to Pretoria recently? The answer is simply because we do not have sidewalks or pavements.   Surely if we had pavements the economic freedom fighters a.k.a marchers could have shared the road with all other economic freedom fighters a.k.a. motorists as we collectively we went about fighting for our financial emancipation? 

On a serious note though,  I hope all those who walked wore good shoes because the lesson therein for motorists is in ensuring your car's tyres are well maintained.  It wouldn't be surprising to learn that the protestors developed bungeons, and  similar to bubbles on your tyre they are unsightly, and could lead to bigger problems and whilst bung eons might become a life sentence to unflattering health shoes, a bubble in a tyre might well just end your life.  Check your tyres, particularly after a drive on an even road, or after hitting a pothole and have the tyre replaced immediately.  Think of it this way, the car's tyre is equivalent to the shoes we wear on our feet.  If your shoes are worn, the likely hood of slipping and falling is high, and could have embarrassing consequences, but if your tyres are worn, the consequences are more severe and could be life threatening.  When the sole / heel of our shoes need replacement, we logically take both shoes, so that they are even when we wear them.  Similarly, when replacing worn tyres, the minimum number of tyres we should replace at any one time is 2, the difference being that the 2 tyres on each axis should be changed at the same time, meaning : either the top front tyres or the two back tyres and NEVER the two on either left or right hand side; that would be like tying your ankles together then expecting to be able to walk.  

In other colorful news, our President recently pulled the car mat from under the well heeled feet of our police commissioner, BC, otherwise known as Bheki Cele when he suspended him from duty,  (suspended ala Oxford Dictionary not 'allegedly').   After months of spluttering like a car with faulty spark plugs each time Thuli Madonsela revved her findings,  BC must have felt like a flat car battery; in urgent need of jumper cables.    Speaking of which, as we approach the holidays, now would be a good time to ensure your car's battery won't let you down.    An easy way to check the battery is to do a visual check of the battery terminals. With the car engine switched off,  inspect the battery's terminals, which should be clean,  and without corrosion buildup. If the terminals have some corrosion, a simple way to clean them is to use a steal brush and a can of Coke.  Make sure that the car is turned off and that the battery is disconnected first.  Simply poor some of the Coke on the terminals and let it settle for a few seconds; then take the steal brush and start scrubbing. This will remove the corrosion and increase the electricity flow - meaning you’ll get a good cranking voltage.

In the weather report, the summer rains are finally upon us, and the only sound louder than a taxi driver's horn is the welcome sound of thunder.  Now would be a good time to check the effectiveness of your car's wiper blades.  They should make full contact with the windscreen at all times, and dispense with the rain water as effortlessly as the happy looking housewives advertising multi surface cleaner in television commercials.  The  only time it is acceptable to use the word streaky is when ordering bacon and if your wipers are doing a streaky job, be like Elton Jantjies and give them the boot. 

Whilst on the subject of sports,  congratulations goes out to the Golden Lions for their victory over Nemo, previously known as the Sharks.  John Mitchell's boys epitomised a well oil machine which in motoring terms could be likened to checking your car’s engine oil, which is one of the simplest and most important maintenance activities.    Running an engine without oil will cause the engine to seize then you won't be going anywhere.    Identifying an oil problem before it damages your engine can save you thousands of Rands in repair costs.  The best time to check your engine’s oil is when the engine is warm to the touch. To check the oil, locate the dipstick; (not your boss or husband) labeled as “oil.” Pull the stick out and wipe the oil residue off the end. Replace the stick and pull it out again; this time look at the end of the stick that was in the engine. Make sure the oil level is at the “full” line, (or on the 3rd / 4th notch on the dipstick).  If however, the oil level is significantly below the line, take your car to your nearest petrol station for a top up.  Make sure the oil is clear and fluid, not black and jelly-like. If it is black and jelly-like get to a mechanic immediately to check the engine.