Tips and Tricks
- Oil Oxidation
- Oil can go black from oxidation and produce sticky black carbon particles that coat the engine parts, blocking oil ducts and causing oil starvation to vital working parts of the engine. To help minimise this use a quality oil like Shell Helix. It contains special active ingredients that are designed to help neutralize oil oxidation.
- Engine Knock
- Abnormal combustion in your engine is often called "Engine Knock" or "Pinging". It can happen if you use a fuel that doesn't match the design of the engine, specifically the compression ratio. If your engine doesn't have active knock sensors you can lessen the problem by using a fuel with a higher octane like Shell V-Power.
- Fuel Temperature
- High Fuel temperature can be a source of power reduction especially if you're a diehard who's running an 'old' carbie set-up and not a modern fuel injection system. Try insulating the fuel line using a heat-reflective material. This should help keep the fuel cool and minimise the loss of power.
- Tyre Pressure
- Having the correct air pressure in your tyres means that your car's performance won't be compromised, plus you'll use less petrol and reduce tyre wear. Be sure to check the air pressure when the tyres are cold because friction between the road and tyre can increase the temperature of the air inside, leading to 'air expansion' which may result in a false pressure reading.
- Air Filters
- Obviously, most of us know what the filter does, but we can be guilty of not checking it and forgetting that over time it becomes clogged and needs replacing. If you don't your engine management system will use more fuel to keep the engine running smoothly so think about replacing your air filter every twelve months.
- Brake Fluid
- If you've ever experienced brake fade you know how hazardous it can be. One reason it may happen is when the brake fluid becomes so hot that the liquid turns into a gas making the brake pedal feel spongy. In severe cases the pedal can be against the floor but little or no pressure is being applied to the pads. So check and replace your brake fluid on a regular basis and make sure you get the fluid looked at by an expert who will check the amount of degradation that's occurred. You could also invest in high boiling point fluid and a set of stainless steel braided hoses to prevent any flexing and potential loss of pressure at the pad.
- Induction kit
- If you want to increase the air-flow into the engine you can add a short ram induction kit/performance filter. This will increase the air-flow into the engine, and also allow cooler air to enter the engine. Basically, the engine controller measures the air temperature and colder air requires less fuel. It may even help your fuel economy. And be sure to check with your supplier that the kit is suitable and will fit your model vehicle.
- Grounding kits
- Usually consisting of several heavy gauge wires used to assist in electrical conduction between engine components and the car's computers, a Grounding Kit is essential because in most cars the engine computer is continually receiving information from sensors and sending signals to make the right adjustments. It's critical that the computer receives clean signals to properly regulate timing and fuel delivery. A Grounding kit may not add extra horse power but should help give a smoother idle and allow the engine's computer to function more efficiently.
