by Connor C, and Ben N

 

 

3 Car Procedures That Could Save Your Life

Cars, one of America’s most important tools. If something goes wrong, it could leave you facing a fatal situation. Luckily, there are a couple things that if you practice, you could save your life or others. The most important car repairs are how to jump start another car, how to change your tire, and how to tow another vehicle.

Jump Starting

However your battery dies, whether it is because you left something plugged in, or you left the interior lights on, it can be revived. Before you start, you need jumper cables. Some cars will come with them, most will not.

1. With a second car, position the engines close to each other.
2. Make sure both cars are turned off.
3. Pull a lever usually located at the bottom right of your steering wheel. It will pop your hood.
4. Don’t be fooled because it is not completely open yet. There is still a latch that is holding the hood down. Stick your hand in the gap of the grill and hood, and search for any sort of level, button, or anything that would open the hood completely. If you can’t find anything, refer to your manual located in your glove box compartment.
5. If it doesn’t stand up on its own, there is a kickstand-like bar that you must place under the hood.
6. Locate the battery. Again, if you’re not sure, check the manual.
7. Using your jumper cables, attach the red jumper to the red marked on the dead car, then the working car.
8. Attach the black jumper to the working car and the other end to anything unpainted.
9. Start the engine of the working car and wait a minute or two.
10. Remove the jumper cables in reverse order.

If the dead car never started then the battery is damaged. If it started, then ensure you understand why it died in the first place so it doesn’t die again.

Changing a Flat Tire

It happens to everyone eventually; your tires goes flat. Most cars have all the materials to change your tire.

1. Using your manual, locate your carjack, spare tire, and carjack along with its counterparts. Ensure you understand how your jack works by finding it in the manual.
2. Most of the time, there is a bar underneath the car designed to fit a jack. Use your jack as directed in your manual. Never have any body part between the wheel and the ground and ensure the vehicle is level.
3. Once the wheel is raised, use the lug wrench to remove the lug nuts.
4. Simply slide the wheel off, put the new one on, and screw the lug nuts back in tightly.
5. Lower the car and stow everything away.

Spare tires are not meant for long distances so get it replaced with an actual tire as soon as possible.

Tow Another Vehicle

Here in Minnesota, the winters can leave many cars stuck. Towing is a superb method of being a good samaritan and tugging someone out of a ditch. To do this you need a suitable car that is capable of towing another car and a strong type of rope. For the towing car,

1. Attach the rope to either a tow hitch, or a strong, supported bar underneath the car. The stuck car must have the rope attached to a bar underneath as well. Make sure it’s not attached to the fender or the bumper as they will get torn off if put under the pressure of a tow.
2. With both cars manned, slowly creep forward to get the rope tight before pulling.
3. Tow smoothly, not in a jerk manner..

These three emergency procedures are vital to operating a car. They can save lives so it is important it is not forgotten. Teach it to whoever you can and help whoever you can.