Driving with your windows down can cut gas mileage by as much as 5 miles per gallon.
Here's a gas station scam that still happens occasionally: When the service station attendant checks your oil, he pulls out the dipstick and wipes it off as he is supposed to do. Then, he pushes it only part way back into the engine, so that it will indicate that the oil level is low. You, of course, purchase of a quart of oil. This brings extra money to the owner of the station, and perhaps a commission to the attendant. If you are lucky, the attendant only pretends to put more oil in your engine, using an already empty can. Otherwise, too much oil may end up in your engine, causing damage to internal rubber seals and possibly contributing to clogged oil passages.
Eight thousand times a year, a car battery explodes in America because someone didn't observe safe procedure when jump starting a car. The battery releases hydrogen gas, especially when a heavy load is demanded, such as trying to start the car. The trick is to avoid setting the invisible cloud of hydrogen on fire. Since the electrical system negative side (except on some older cars) is grounded to the whole car, connect a jumper cable to the positive terminals first. Then connect the negative cable, not to the battery terminals, but to a substantial piece of metal on each engine away from the batteries. The spark of closing the circuit will happen away from the hydrogen. Wear safety goggles. The car which has a healthy battery should not be running. The change in load can damage its charging system.
Speaking of batteries, here's a hint that can save you cost and trouble if your battery goes dead, and almost all motorists have this problem at one time or another.
There are really only two reasons batteries fail. Either the battery is shot, or there is something wrong elsewhere in the electrical system. To find out if it is simply a bad battery, and therefore save yourself the cost of professional diagnosis, do this: Take the caps off the battery. Most 'sealed' batteries actually have removable caps. Take the center wire off the distributor so the car won't start. Have someone hold the key in the start position for 15 seconds while you look into the top of the battery (wearing safety goggles). If you see bubbles forming in only one cell of the battery, that cell is bad and the battery must be replaced. If no bubbles form, or all cells form equal amounts of bubbles, the problem is elsewhere. Check for corrosion on the battery connections.
Please remember that battery acid can cause skin and eye irritation and destroy clothing.
