E-Learning Courseware - My Town

Explore all the buildings in town!

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How To Perform Some Basic Car Maintenance Part 2

ELECTRICAL

DISCONNECTING AND RECONNECTING YOUR BATTERY

If you're going to do any work on your car involving the electrical system, disconnect the battery first. To do this, loosen the connector for the negative/ground terminal first, and wiggle the terminal cap off. Use a wire-tie or similar to tie the cable back out of the way. If you need to take the battery out, you can now take off the positive connector.

Why negative then positive? If you disconnect the positive side of the battery first, the negative side is still connected to the entire car. If you drop a tool and it lands on the positive battery terminal and touches anything else on the car, you'll have an electrical short. By disconnecting the negative first, you're cutting off the return path for the current. Now, if a tool drops on to either of the battery terminals, it doesn't matter if it touches part of the chassis or not - there's no continuous path for the electrical current.

Reconnecting your battery. Connect the positive terminal first, and the negative second - the reverse of removal, and for the same reasons. When you slip the negative connector on, there will be a spark as it gets close and makes contact with the negative battery terminal. Don't be afraid of this - it's nothing to worry about. Make sure the terminal caps are done up nice and tight.

CHECK YOUR BATTERY TERMINALS

Most modern cars run on a 12 volt negative ground electrical system. If your battery terminals or contacts aren't clean, you're making it more difficult for the current to pass around the electrical system. Remove the terminal caps as described above and clean each contact post with a wire brush to get a nice clean metal contact surface. Do the same to the terminal caps, then reattach them as described above.

LIGHTS

ONE INDICATOR OR BLINKER IS FLASHING FASTER THAN THE OTHER

When you indicate one way and the blinker flashes quicker than when you indicate the other way, it means one of the bulbs has blown. An auto parts store will be able to tell you what sort of bulb you need to replace it with and your manual should show you how to get at the indicator bulbs - they're different on every car.

DON'T TOUCH THE GLASS WHEN CHANGING HEADLIGHT BULBS

Most headlight bulbs now are filled with halogen and have special coatings on the outside of the glass. If you pick the bulb up by the glass with your fingers, you will leave trace amounts of oil and grease on the glass. When the bulb is used, that area of the glass will get hotter than the rest and it will eventually cause the bulb to crack. When changing headlight bulbs, only hold the metal bulb holder at the base, or make sure you're wearing rubber surgical / mechanic's gloves (clean ones) if you're touching the glass.

How To Perform Some Basic Car Maintenance Part 1

Basic car maintenance really isn't that hard. There are simple things that you can do on your own. 

TYRES

CLEAN BRAKE DUST OFF REGULARLY

Brake dust contains all sorts of nasty stuff. If you leave it too long, the combination of road grime, moisture and heat from your brakes will bake it on to your wheels. Brake dust normally clings to wheels with static electricity so a damp sponge and clean cold water is the best way to get it off.

CHECK YOUR TYRE PRESSURES

Check your tyre pressures regularly - once a week is ideal. Bad tyre pressures can affect fuel economy, handling and comfort. It's easy to do and there is no excuse not to.

CHECK YOUR TREAD DEPTH

Bald, slick tyres might be good for motor racing but they're no good on the road. Most tyres come with tread wear bars built into them now - find one, examine it and if your tread is too low, replace your tyres. Four new tyres might seem expensive but they're cheaper than a fine or an accident.

ENGINE

CHECK YOUR BELTS

At the front of your engine there will be a series of rubber drive belts that loop around various pulleys, driving everything from the alternator to the a/c compressor. Rubber perishes, more so in extreme conditions like those found in an operating engine bay. Get your timing belt and accessory drive belt checked every 25,000 miles, preferably replacing it every 50,000 miles.

  

FUEL ECONOMY

Check your tyre pressures regularly - once a week is ideal. Bad tyre pressures can affect fuel economy very noticeably. It's easy to do and there is no excuse not to.

CHECKING YOUR OIL LEVEL

This is something everyone can do - it's quick and easy and it'll tell you if your engine needs oil. If the oil is too high or too low, it can cause trouble for your engine. To check the oil, park on level ground and wait until the engine has cooled down after driving, then locate the dipstick. Pull it out and wipe it clean, then push it all the way back in until the top of it is seated properly in the dip tube again. Wait a moment then pull it out again. Check the level of the oil. If it's between the high and low marks, you're fine. (If it's too low, add a little.) The high and low marks can be denoted by two dots, an "H" and "L" or a shaded area on the dipstick. The photos below show a Honda dipstick which has the two dots. (Common Question: Why not just read the level first time around?) The first time you pull the dipstick out, it will have oil all over it and it will be difficult to tell where the level is. That's why you need to wipe it on a rag to get a clean dipstick, then dip it back into the oil to get a good reading.

  

Fix Your Own Car

Everyone should learn at least some basic car repair skills. The easy way to buy a cheap car, or a car that you couldn't otherwise afford. 


If you have the space, and working arms, there isn't much excuse in this day and age to not do basic car maintenance. 😉😉😉

Hot Air Balloons - The Mechanism

It is interesting to see how hot air balloons work. We know from our Standard 6 topic that a hot air balloon operates using a hot air burner. But now that we have grown a lot older, let's learn it in a more detailed explanation.


Here's the video for adults: The Real Physics of Hot Air Balloons

And here's a more kid-friendly version (or if you didn't understand Physics like me) :

STAY CURIOUS!

Hot Air Balloons - The History

Now that you know that hot air balloons are a type of transportation, let's dig in more. 

Did you know that the first people to fly were not the Wright brothers of the airplane history?

That's right! The first people who fly did so on the hot air balloon! 

It was invented on September 19, 1783 and was known back then with the name "Aerostat Rebellion".

The inventor of the hot air balloon, Pilatre De Rozier rode the balloon along with his passenger, a sheep, a duck and a rooster. 

The story was, Aerostat Rebellion flew for fifteen minutes before it crashes. 

Next attempts of flying were done with the basket tied to the ground.

Two months later, on 21st November of the same year, two men attempted to fly again. They were the French brothers Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier and they flew in Paris for 20 minutes. 

These two stories were the birth of human aviation. 

Two years later, a French balloonist (don't ask) and an American co-pilot, Jean Pierre Blanchard and John Jefferies become the first people to fly across the English Channel. 

Histories were made. Hot air balloons were used for transportation and entertainment of people. 

To maneuver and develop the hot air balloon, scientists had to master the concept of burners and how lift occurs when hot air rises in cooler air. They also need to master the law of gravity and how wind direction would affect predictable flight. 

The safety of hot air balloons was developed later. Many fail attempts had occurred, even taking the life of its inventor, Pilates De Rozier during his attempts to flew across the English Channel. His balloon exploded after 30mins it was launched. 

Hot Air Balloons!

WHAT IS A HOT AIR BALLOON?

Hello everyone. Once in a while we see that there are festivals celebrated using hot air balloons. 

But wait a minute? 

Those are recreational rides. Could it be considered as a medium of transport?

Of course it is! Back in the days, a hot air balloon was used as a major type of transportation too! 

Let's find out more about hot air balloons!