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Dear Start My Car,
We now seem to be in the thick of winter as well as the midst of Lockdown level 3. We are getting back to “normal” but the number of cases around us continues to rise. Please make sure to keep to social distancing rules and avoid physical shopping where you can.
Start My Car is here for your motor spares needs. Pleas spend some time on the site and you will see that we have an extensive range that it is competitively priced. We are an excellent alternative to physical shopping.
As the country begins to open, there is some confusion around regulations. Please see the below article from Wheels24 which contains important information.
Please contact me if you think I might be of any assistance.
Be safe and healthy.
Be safe.
Baruch
Good news!
Your expired vehicle license now valid for an additional three months
• Licensing service centres to resume business from 1 June 2020
• Expired licenses valid for another three months (TCs apply)
• 50% of Western Cape facilities to open first week of June 2020
Is your vehicle licence due for a renewal? Or, has your driver's licence expired? Here's what you should know.
Wheels24's Janine Van der Post says: "My driver's licence card expired during lockdown, and my intention was to go and renew it before the required date. But then lockdown hit and I was a bit concerned. Luckily, I hardly drove anywhere, and doing an essential drive to the store is less than 2km down the road. I knew there would be an extension in place, but now I am a bit relieved knowing there's a grace period to have this renewed."
Here's what you should know
The Department of Transport and Public Works wishes to clear up confusion on two issues: 1) the date on which licensing service centres, registering authorities, and vehicle testing centres in the Western Cape will reopen; and 2) the validity of a variety of documents that expired since the lockdown began on 26 March 2020.
Licensing service centres, driving licence, testing centres, and vehicle testing stations were permitted to open from 1 June 2020. However, this was subject to meeting all the requirements of the national Covid-19 health and safety directives.
The Department notes the following:
• About half of the 77 registering authorities in the Western Cape will be ready to open this week.
• About one-third of the driving licence testing centres and public vehicle testing stations will be prepared to open this week.
• All the private vehicle testing stations will be ready to open this week. The remaining facilities will open when their premises have been made safe for staff and members of the public.
The public is encouraged to contact their closest service station to enquire whether or not it is open for business before venturing out.
Expired licenses are 'valid'
Government Notice 544, published by the National Department of Transport on 20 May 2020, provides that learner's licences, driving licences, motor vehicle licence discs, temporary permits, roadworthy certificates and professional driving permits that expired in the period from 26 March 2020 up to and including 31 May 2020 are deemed to be valid, and their validity period is extended by a further 90 days from 1 June 2020.
The same notice provides that motor trade number licences that expired in the period from 26 March 2020 up to and including 31 May 2020 are deemed to be valid and extended for six months from the date of publication of the notice (i.e., six months from 20 May 2020).
Government Notice 493 published by the National Department of Transport on 4 May 2020 provides that public transport operating licences and tourist transport service accreditation certificates that expired during the lockdown are deemed to be valid and holders have a grace period of 90 days to renew these documents from the date of publication of the notice (i.e. 90 days from 4 May 2020).
The public is advised that, with effect from 1 June 2020, the standard validity and renewal periods that apply to all the above mentioned documents will be in effect again.
ON SALE
SILLY SPARES
Workshop Wisdom
Now that’s cool!
Part 5: Cooling Systems
In previous articles, we have explored the different components that make up the vehicle cooling system. In this week’s edition, we wrap up our series on cooling system, with the last two components to be covered – the heater core and the various hoses.
2.10 Heater Core
The hot coolant is also used to provide heat to the interior of the vehicle when needed. This is a simple and straight forward system that includes a heater core (which looks like a small version of a radiator) that is connected to the cooling system with a pair of rubber hoses. One hose brings hot coolant from the water pump to the heater core and the other hose returns the coolant to the top of the engine.
There is usually a heater control valve in one of the hoses to block the flow of coolant into the heater core when maximum air conditioning is called for.
A fan, called a blower, draws air through the heater core and directs it through the heater ducts to the interior of the car. Temperature of the heat is regulated by a blend door that mixes cool outside air, or sometimes air-conditioned air with the heated air coming through the heater core. This blend door allows you to control the temperature of the air coming into the interior.
Other doors allow you to direct the warm air through the ducts on the floor, the defroster ducts at the base of the windshield, and the air conditioning ducts located in the instrument panel.
2.11 Hoses
There are several rubber hoses that make up the plumbing to connect the components of the cooling system. The main hoses are called the upper and lower radiator hoses. These two hoses are approximately 50mm in diameter and direct coolant between the engine and the radiator.
Two additional hoses, called heater hoses, supply hot coolant from the engine to the heater core. These hoses are approximately 25mm in diameter.
One of these hoses may have a heater control valve mounted in-line to block the hot coolant from entering the heater core when the air conditioner is set to max-cool.
A fifth hose, called the bypass hose, is used to circulate the coolant through the engine, bypassing the radiator, when the thermostat is closed. Some engines do not use a rubber hose. Instead, they might use a metal tube or have a built-in passage in the front housing.
These hoses are designed to withstand the pressure inside the cooling system. Because of this, they are subject to wear and tear and eventually may require replacing as part of routine maintenance. If the rubber is beginning to look dry and cracked, or becomes soft and spongy, or you notice some ballooning at the ends, it is time to replace them.
The main radiator hoses are usually moulded to a shape that is designed to route the hose around obstacles without kinking. When purchasing replacements, make sure that they are designed to fit the vehicle.
There is a small rubber hose that runs from the radiator neck to the reserve bottle. This allows coolant that is released by the pressure cap to be sent to the reserve tank. This rubber hose is about a quarter inch in diameter and is normally not part of the pressurized system. Once the engine is cool, the coolant is drawn back to the radiator by the same hose.
Start My Car has an extensive range of D.O.E hoses. Be sure to have a look for all your hose needs
Your car produces a great deal of heat when it is running, and must be cooled down continuously to avoid overheating and engine damage. To understand your car’s cooling system, it is important to understand all of the basic cooling system components. The main components of the cooling system and their functions are summarised below:
Coolant
An equal combination of distilled water and coolant provides both the cooling properties of water and the corrosion resistance and lubrication of the coolant
Thermostat
The thermostat regulates the flow of coolant through the cooling system by opening and closing depending on the temperature of the coolant.
Water Pump
The water pump is responsible for moving the coolant through the system. It is typically driven by the engine drive belt, timing-belt, or timing chain.
Radiator
The radiator is designed to dissipate the heat from the cooling system. When the coolant is inside the radiator, its’ heat is transferred to the surrounding air through the metal fins of the radiator.
Radiator Cooling Fans
The Radiator cooling fan is designed to push or pull air through the radiator cooling fins. This assists in the dissipation of heat when the vehicle is not moving fast enough to provide sufficient air-flow over the radiator.
Cooling System Pressure Cap
The cooling system pressure cap is typically located on the radiator or on the coolant reservoir tank. The cap holds pressure on the cooling system, allowing the coolant and water mixture to reach a higher boiling point which makes it more efficient.
Hoses
Hoses are designed to be flexible connections that carry coolant (antifreeze) between the engine and other temperature sensitive components on the car. Radiator hoses are the largest, most well-known. They attach the radiator to the engine. They route coolant to the radiator to be cooled and then return it back into the engine, so it can keep a certain temperature and run at peak efficiency. Heater hoses direct coolant into the car’s heating unit. Other smaller hoses bring coolant into other components, like a throttle body or pump, or intake.
With this, we wrap up our series of the individual parts of the cooling system. In coming articles we will address the maintenance aspect of each component, how to test if it is failing, what are the tell-tale signs and symptoms of a component going west.
Til’ next week. Keep well and Keep Safe, and if you’re an engine, Keep Cool.
