Green Car Maintenance

It is well known and written about, that I have a particular pet hate for cars, but I know this has to be accepted, the fact is they are here to stay. You can't fight the inevitable every increasing swarm of cars that are filling the roads, choking the air and ruining the environment. The only option left is to try and work alongside cars trying to make then more efficient, green and environmentally friendly in their running and maintenance.

Over the last three years I have owned a Lada and picked up some useful tips locally in Bulgaria where I live. These tips are given here to help out if for some reason there is a problem with not just Lada cars but any car.

A Bulgarian Lada dealer told me this one. If your car battery is dead, no hills to bump start and you are stuck. Even if you have flagged someone down to give your battery a boost with jump-leads and it still won't turn over, this is not the end. No matter how run down your battery is it is never completely dead. If you open a can or bottle of fizzy drink and pour it on the corroded areas of your battery terminals, the acid from the drink will wash away the corrosion on your contacts and improve the connection. There will be a new lease of life there and the jump-starting system should now work.

I have actually used this tip and it works a treat. In case of emergency a pair of stockings or tights can easily replace a broken fan belt. This will last for miles more than enough to get you home or to a garage where a new fan belt can be fitted. The beauty is you don't need any tools to fit the stockings or tights in. Make sure you have some tights in the glove compartment, they will always come in useful for your fan belt or female partner who may need then one day.

If your car radiator decides to spring a leak just place some chewed chewing gum over the leaking hole to plug it up until you get home or to a garage where it can be repaired or replaced. There are products for sale that recommend sealing the radiator by mixing commercial chemicals in the radiator water. Firstly, the use of chemical is not a good idea, secondly it will clog up other parts of the radiator and make it less efficient. Thirdly, these are quite expensive considering you are just going to drain the whole system prior to repairs.

Icy windscreens can be scraped using a phonecard or a credit card if no ice scraper is to hand. Never use the spray-on de-icer on to your windscreen. These chemicals will corrode right through the rubbers on your window seals through time causing your windows to leak. On top of this you will then have a smeared window which will need washing later on and disposing of the spray can afterwards is a liability Simply use lukewarm water! You will save money as well.

It's all about avoiding the use of chemicals and unnecessary waste, therefore saving money and reducing pollution. If you have a car, it's all about just trying to be a bit more responsible with your driving and maintenance, every bit helps.