Posts filed under ‘Automotive’
Warm Your Car Up Faster
My friend Todd told me about this secret many years ago. He has rebuilt more cars in his suburban home garage than anyone I know.
I met Todd at my first part time job, we used to work early weekend mornings during high school. I was too young to have a driver’s license, so my dedicated parents would always drive me.
That was before remote starters, so I would usually start the car a few minutes before leaving. Actually, that’s not true — my Dad was usually the one starting the car a few minutes before I was ready to leave, which was about 10 minutes after I told him I would be ready to leave.
It didn’t make much difference to the car — it was still cold for at least half the trip. On the rare occasion that I started the car, I would turn the heater to its hottest setting and turn the fan to full blast. That’s actually the slowest way to warm the car, so lets talk more about the fastest way. (more…)
Sarcastic Secret: The Left Lane is for Passing
This is another one of those things that shouldn’t be a secret, but every time I go on the highway it seems like nobody knows about it.
I assume all my readers are perfectly safe drivers, only driving in the left lane when they need to pass another car, or in gridlock when proper traffic flow isn’t possible anyway. But if you know someone who blocks the left lane then you can share this with them as a subtle hint. Oh, and if someone shared this with you, they probably think you hate left lane bandits just as much as them.
We are constantly reminded by highway signs that say, “slower traffic keep right.” But, it’s not just the law, it’s common courtesy — we all need to share the road.
Keeping the left lane clear is important. Not just because it’s the other driver’s right to pass you, but because it is safer. When everyone plays by the same road rules, then everything is more predictable, there are fewer surprises and fewer accidents — that’s why these laws exist, they’re not just for fun.
One of these laws, at least in North America, is to pass on the left. If everyone did this, you would never have a car approach you from behind on your right side. Which, isn’t a big deal if you’re going to make a planned lane change, if you didn’t notice the car approach then you would see them when you check your blind spot anyway. But, if you need to make an emergency maneuver, it’s nice to be able to count on the fact that nobody will be there and you’ve got a safe “Plan B.” (more…)
Roadway Marks Used For Speeding Tickets
Look at the two white marks highlighted in the photo below.
Radar is not always the best way to catch speeders, especially in open areas where the police can’t hide.
But, radar isn’t the only option, Police can also use these marks to measure how fast you’re going. This pair of marks will be followed by a second pair further down the highway. In the United States, they’re usually a quarter mile apart and in Canada, 500 meters.
An officer in an airplane or unmarked car will use a stopwatch to time your car between the two pairs of marks. The time it takes will give them your average speed between those two markers, and if it’s high enough then they can write you a ticket. In the case of aerial surveillance, the plane will notify police cars waiting on the ground.
Either way, I’d recommend a good radar detector (where legal of course).
BrokenSecrets.com
Sources: AOL, Nashville.gov, City of Ottawa
Photo: dougtone (creative commons)
Google Provides Free 411 Searches and Connections
Google has a lot of cool services that most people don’t know about. One of my favorite Google secrets is Google 411.
Just dial: 1-800-GOOG-411
It is just like your local telephone company’s 411 service, except it’s free and it automatically connects you to the number for free. It works from US or Canadian phones and can be used to find US and Canadian business listings.
It also has some cool features. When you find a listing, you can say “text message” and Google will instantly text you the phone number, address and a map link for the address that opens in Google maps on a capable phone.
There are even cordless phones available with a dedicated button for Google 411.
Remember goog-411 the next time you need to make dinner reservations or order takeout — it couldn’t be easier or cheaper.
BrokenSecrets.com [available on kindle]
Photo: morrowplanet (cc) | Source: Google 411
Colored Sunglass Lenses Can Improve Your Sight
Let me be clear, they don’t improve the focusing power of your eyes but they can change the way things look so you recognize them more easily. That’s important when reaction time is critical.
Yellow lenses are a popular option but it’s a myth that they make things brighter — they do not amplify light. But, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, they do enhance depth perception. This is because they block some of the blue light that can make objects look hazy and reduce sharpness.
For this reason, yellow lenses are popular with pilots, cyclists, shooters and boaters in low light. In daylight, blue lenses are good for pilots and skiers because they enhance the contrast between objects that are white (snow and clouds) and other objects. For boaters, red lens are good because they increase the contrast between water and objects that are in the water.
Although colored lenses can increase contrast in specific conditions, the downside with any colored lens is that they obviously distort color. Brown colored lenses are the happy-medium; they offer minimal color distortion while improving contrast, so they’re great for everyday use.
BrokenSecrets.com
Big thanks to Todd for sharing this secret with me!
How to Prevent a GPS From Falling Off the Windshield
You’re driving along, minding your own business, when your GPS unit suddenly annuls its marriage to the windshield. It crashes into the dashboard, slides into the door, high-fives your passenger and bounces on the floor. Your GPS is not broken; but, it will be the next time it startles, then attacks your passenger again.
In the winter, it’s especially tempting for the suction cups on your GPS or radar detector to take your electronics skydiving. The suction cup relies on a vacuum tight seal to maintain its grip on the windshield. Cold weather, or direct flow of air conditioning, can degrade that seal enough that it can’t support the weight of the device.
The secret to getting a good seal: warm the windshield and suction cup(s) before getting them back together. You can warm the suction cup(s) with your hand or treat them like takeout food and warm them with your seat heaters. Using the defogger, blow hot air on the windshield for at least 10 minutes, then pull over in a safe place and apply the warm suction cup(s).
The idea is to create as much suction as possible inside the suction cups. Before you push it against the window, be sure the suction lever is all the way back, then push the suction mount HARD against the windshield, then push the suction lever forward. Because the windshield and suction cups are warm, you’ll get a better seal that should maintain enough suction to support your GPS unit or radar detector.
If you still don’t have any luck, try cleaning your windscreen and suction cups with glass cleaner wipes and repeat the steps above.
BrokenSecrets.com [Now available on Kindle]
Photo: redjar (cc)
Prevent Snow Buildup on Your Shovel
Snow can be wet and sticky. Shoveling that heavy snow is bad enough without extra snow buildup on the shovel. The secret is to lightly spray the inside of your dry shovel with WD-40.
“WD” stands for Water Displacement and it is the fortieth attempt at developing a substance to prevent rust and corrosion on the Atlas missile and rocket family. Basically, it was developed by rocket scientists. So, if you need to displace water (snow) then this is your answer.
There is a rumor that WD-40 is based on fish oil, but it is in fact a petroleum based product. The exact formula is such a big secret, it is not even patented, which means the ingredients are not publicly documented. Although, with some digging I found a Material Safety Data Sheet, which is required in some countries in case someone swallows it or gets it in their eyes. The two main ingredients are Aliphatic Hydrocarbon and the Petroleum Base Oil.
It also looks like they brought some of those rocket scientists back to develop a straw that is impossible to misplace (see photo).
Broken Secrets | By: Chad Upton
Locking the Gas Pump Trigger
UPDATE: It is illegal in some places to leave the gas pump while filling your tank. After doing some further research, it appears this is done for two reasons. 1. To prevent you from getting back in your vehicle, which can cause a static buildup that could cause a spark (and fire) when you touch the pump handle again. 2. To ensure you are nearby if the auto-stop fails and fuel begins to spill. So, even if your station provides a locking mechanism, the safest option is to hold the handle while filling.
If you’re like me then you like to lock the fuel pump trigger so you can clean all the garbage out of your car while the tank is filling.
Some gas stations remove the device that locks the trigger so you can’t walk away from the pump while it’s filling. But, there is a secret to locking the trigger without the built-in mechanism: stick your gas cap under the trigger.
That’s it. Now you can do other things while your tank is filling, like tidy your trunk or complain about gas prices with some sucker who is attached to their pump.
Keep an eye on your pump and use this tip at your own risk.
How Mechanics Keep Their Hands Clean
It’s pretty simple, they don’t get them dirty in the first place.
Imagine how dirty our feet would be if we walked around in bare feet. Socks and shoes keep our feet clean. Professionals who work with their hands wear gloves for the same reason. At the end of the day, take off the gloves and your hands are clean.
Work gloves in most homes consist of gardening and rubber cleaning gloves. But why stop there? Pickup a box of latex gloves, they’re great for all kinds of dirty jobs such as:
- Painting
- Automotive repairs
- Cleaning the garage
- Organizing the attic
- Caulking and other home maintenance
Latex gloves are extremely cheap, they’re disposable and they don’t reduce dexterity like thick rubber gloves.
If you’ve ever seen a race-car garage, they’re usually immaculate. So are the mechanic’s hands.
There are even specialized gloves for mechanics. Frankly, if you’ve been paying attention at your local hardware store, work gloves have become very advanced and extremely specialized. I’ve made a short list of some specific types of job specific gloves that are available, along with an amazon link if you want to check them out:
Some of the electrician’s gloves are made from Kevlar to prevent cuts from sharp wires. The carpenter’s gloves reduce splinters and vibration when hammering.
I have a good pair of work gloves and a box of latex gloves. I wear the work gloves when I’m working in my garage. They keep my hands clean and free of cuts when I’m doing manly stuff. I find the latex gloves really great for spray painting outdoor furniture and other items, since I always get spray paint on my index finger, which usually lasts for at least a week.
Depending on your needs, many of these gloves are even available in insulted, wind proof and water proof versions.
BrokenSecrets.com
Defog Your Bathroom Mirror In 30 Seconds
You’re running late, so you try to have a quick shower. Then you get out of the shower and the mirror is foggy. That means you can’t do your mirror activities (shaving, hair, makeup…etc). Forget wiping it with a towel, that leaves a lot of streaks and the mirror will still be a bit foggy.
The secret to defogging your mirror quickly, without any streaks: use a hairdryer. Set both the heat and blower on high and aim at the mirror directly in front of your face. In 30 seconds, the hot air will perfectly clear a big enough space to get you back on track.
If you’ve ever stayed in a fancy hotel, you may have noticed that part of the mirror never fogs up. These hotels have a mirror heater installed behind the mirror so it never fogs up.
There are some sites that claim wiping foam shaving cream on windows keeps them fog free, but I haven’t confirmed this. Please comment if you’ve tried it. You can also buy Rain-X anti-fog for your bathroom mirror or car windshield from amazon.
Broken Secrets
Written By: Chad Upton
[available on Kindle]
Photo: add1sun (Creative Commons)
Broken Secrets 