Yesterday I saw a van broken down, blocking a very busy road. The queues of traffic behind were stretching back to the horizon and everyone on the road was silently cursing the poor van driver. Of course, breaking down is sometimes down to bad luck, but the traffic queue behind could have been cured by using an Honest John Website Top Tip (made up name)
By putting the car in first (or reverse) gear, feet off the pedals and turning the ignition key you can 'drive' the car slowly out of the way on the starter motor. Don't hold the key on for more than 20 seconds or you'll overheat the starter motor but it's a great way for getting a car out of a danger spot.
What are your top tips for motoring?
Gareth
p.s. the driveshaft CV joint had broken on the van so he didn't have any drive at all - it wouldn't have worked!
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Not generally a good idea if the cause of your problems is a broken cam belt!
But I have seen this done before to good effect by my dad - whilst towing a caravan as well!
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Chances are that if it's a broken cam belt it's already too late! Better to get the car off the road than risk further damage from passing traffic.
Gareth
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So I take it you helped with some others in the queue to push him to the side of the road?
Or maybe just towed him with your car?
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I offered to help him push it but he declined (it was a lwb Transit, about 2 tonnes or so?). No other drivers volunteered to help. I was on foot!
I'm not on about cancelling your whole weekend and offering to strip down the gearbox here ;-), just a simple hint that might help us in the future.
I'll go with another one which I had to use last year - if the car starts to overheat in traffic (faulty fan or thermo switch) you can just about get the engine cool by turning the heater and fan on full. If traffic is completely stationary then you can switch off the engine, but usually traffic moves dead slow, about 1 yard every minute or so.
Gareth
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What are your top tips for motoring?
There\'s already a \"\'Trade Secrets\' from HJ\'s Back Room\" thread where you can place top tips over in Technical Matters.
Volume one (which is read only) :-
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=7058
Volume two (current thread) :-
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=8381
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Nobody ever helps. Collapsed just off North Circular at A12 junction roundabout. (Broken fanbelt, car did well, but coming to a standstill was a disaster - 100 yards short of Redhill station carpark where I was planning on leaving it!)
One car offered to push it using his own Fiesta (some hope). After 20 minutes waiting for somebody to help, went to buy a tow rope. Even then, likely looking Discos etc. wouldn't stop (I suppose it was dark, but I looked pretty respectable (IMHO)).
Similar previous experience when a cambelt broke just as I reached a roundabout. (Not my car, not my fault. Bangernomical hire car, with AA cover that turned out not to work...) This completely blocked the traffic behind, and I got out, put the emergency lights on and looked helpless. Needless to say, nobody moved to help. Girl 5 cars behind got out to help (largely by saying to me, what a miserable bunch, and then batting her eyelashes at some likely lads).
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Personally, I 'always' try and help if I can, obviously got to be a little bit careful who you stop for these days. But it never ceases to amaze me that dozens of people will sit stuck behind a breakdown when it would be quicker to help push the vehicle out of the way and clear the road. Let's face it if you've got a dozen or so vehicles there then most breakdowns could be moved enough with the available manpower, obviously it's not going to work for a 38 tonner!
Cockle
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The Norf Curcler is Landon innit mate? No-one helps in Landon m8. Yer on yer Jack Jones pal. You'd be better off in France woon cha? Even if they carnt speak the Queen's.
Ah Oui. A Londres c'est chien mange chien. Je reste ma valise.
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Same old story isn't it. They all sit there swearing and cursing for ages. Whereas if 1/2 doz of those queuing were to help push the vehicle, everyone could have been on their way.
It's not restricted to the roads, I get exactly the same at work, people would sooner complain that things are taking to long, than actually contribute any effort to help ease the situation.
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Remember over in a France a few years ago, a caravan overturned about 20 cars in front of me blocking the Autoroute.
Police appeared, went up the line of cars getting the guys out them, they all gathered round the caravan, 1-2-3 lift, caravan on its wheels, pushed to the side and the traffic got on with its journey!
The same in Britian would probably involve 6 patrol cars, temp diversions, 2 hour tailbacks etc etc
And of course, all the cars caught in the tailback would be asked to produce their documents.....
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It's a good tip. Last year I was climbing in the Peaks and the fuel was a bit on the low side.
When I came to go home I couldn't start as the car was on a slope. So I used the starter motor to move the vehicle until it was level.
Big sigh of relief when it did start and straight to the nearest pumps!
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Your wrong Bobby
For a car - 2 P.C's - one at each end at the side holding something underneath. Push and pull until you get the vehicle bouncing and on an upward motion lift to side 6ins to a foot. That way you can bounce a vehicle clear of the road.
Not recommended if you have a badback.
DVD
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p.s. the driveshaft CV joint had broken on the van so he didn't have any drive at all - it wouldn't have worked!
Also doesn't work with Autoboxes! :-)
Chad.
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