Winter special: What to do if you ever become stranded in the snow

You never know when this could be you, a family holiday in wintery Scotland for example could turn into a nightmare scenario where there is no-one in sight and no-one near to help you. We have put together some helpful advice and tips of what to do if you ever find yourself in this situation.

·         Don’t leave your car unless you know exactly where you are, how far it is to possible help (i.e. garage or shop up ahead) and you are certain it will improve your situation.

·         If you have flares in the car with you, place one at each end of the car a safe distance away. If you don’t have any flares then use any kind of brightly coloured cloth and hang it from your antenna.

·         Protect yourself from frostbite and hypothermia by using woollen items, blankets and anything else you can cover yourself up with to keep warm. Share body heat with those in the car with you.

·         Avoid using the radio/cd player on the car – as this can drain the car battery. You can use the heater for approximately ten minutes every hour to keep warm.

·         Eat a hard boiled sweet to keep your mouth moist and make use of other food in the car to keep energy levels high.

·         Keep at least one window open slightly. Heavy snow, ice and low temperatures can seal a car shut.

·         Try and wear as many layers as possible. If you were going on holiday and have a suitcase full of extra clothes, put these on. Including putting extra pairs of socks on to avoid hypothermia and frostbite.

·         Thermal blankets will keep you protected from harsh weather conditions, if you have them.

·         Breathing in cold air for a prolonged period of time can trigger respiratory problems. If you have a passenger in the car with you that has asthma, heart problems, lung complaints or any other respiratory problems make sure they cover their mouths with a blanket often to breathe in warmer air.

Winter Special: Preparing your car for winter

·         Your car battery will lose power when the temperature drops in winter. Before you embark on your journey, check that your battery is working and also don’t forget to check the charging system and belts.

·         Check the cars cooling system to make sure it has not frozen, you can use an antifreeze but make sure you use the correct one for your vehicle. Also check for any leaks in the cooling system.

·         Make sure your car demister system is working – this can be severely dangerous if you are driving and your windscreen mists up, especially in winter conditions as it seriously restricts vision to the point where you may have to stop your vehicle.

·         And finally, check your windscreen wiper blades to make sure they are operating correctly. If they are not, purchase new ones, these can be a real life saver in extreme weather conditions.

A new, innovative use for car spares...now why didn't we think of that?

Look at what some very clever and artsy people from Russia created. We don't know why they did it, but it looks cool.

All of the designs are made from recycled car parts.

Can't get enough of these and want to see some more?

Visit the website (www.auttomotto.org) where we found these by clicking here.

A collection of Car Logos/Brands and their meanings

Here is a collection of a collection of car logos and a history of their brand. Here at Mondeo Spares, although we do specialize in Ford parts, we do also have a few other parts now and again, so come and take a look at our site, or give us a call.




Ford

Ford, one of the biggest American multinational automotive corporations, manufactures and distributes automobiles across six continents. It is currently the world’s fourth largest automaker, and is constantly making efforts to discover the best automotive ideas, designs and technologies. It has been into existence for more than 100 years now and successfully has over a million loyal customers who enjoy the experience of a vast range of affordable, reliable, vibrant and unique mainstream cars that offer a considerable value for their money.

The company was founded by the legendary Henry Ford along with the Dodge Brothers in 1903. Ford named its cars using 19 most used alphabets in English. Model T became a great hit and gave a huge popularity to the company. With the start of World War I it was producing nearly half of the cars sold in US and today is retaining its success.

Peugeot

Peugeot branded themselves with the 'mighty lion' logo. The lion is a symbol of the region of Franche-comté. Peugeot’s roots go back to 19th-century coffee mill and bicycle manufacturing. The company’s entry into the vehicle market was by means of crinoline dresses, which used steel rods, leading to umbrella frames, saw blades, wire wheels, and ultimately bicycles. The lion represents the excellence of their saws in three aspects: saw tooth is as enduring as lion’s tooth; saw blades is as elastic as lion’s backbone; the performance of the saw is as invincible as that of lion. In 1890, when the first Peugeot motor was out on the market, the company decided to carry on the “lion” trademark to signify its high quality.

Aston Martin

Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company’s founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire. The logo of Aston Martin is a flying roc with wings wide spread, on each of which writes ASTON and MARTIN, indicating that the company has the velocity and ambition of a roc.



Bentley

The brand and company Bentley was formed in January 18th 1919. The company was previously known for their range of rotary aero-engines in World War 1. Mr Walter Owen Bentley, the founder of the company, has used the logo - the famous 'wings' - since the first appearence of the first motor vehicle went on sale.


Lincoln

 Henry M. Leland, founder of the Lincoln brand in 1917 named the brand after his longtime hero, Abraham Lincoln. Ford Motor Company adopted the brand, Lincoln, in 1922 and became a luxury brand which is held in the highest prestige even today. Leland adopted a greyhound as their emblem, which was later replaced by the 'diamond' which is currently in use today.

Jaguar

Jaguar Cars Ltd, or as we know the brand today, Jaguar, was founded in 1922 by Sir William Lyons. He originally manufactured motorcycle sidecars before switching to passenger cars. The original name for the company was "Swallow Sidecar Company" but was changed after World War 2 because of the negative and unfavourable connotations of the SS initials. The Jaguar logo is of a Jaguar leaping across the company name. The leaping jaguar is possibly presented to represent speed, power and performance. The emblem can be found on the front of any Jaguar vehicle.

Chevrolet

The "Chevrolet" or "Chevy" logo may seem quite ordinary and perhaps one could argue, quite mundane, but the logo holds a huge significance in the corporate world. Boasting metallic colours in the form of a cross, Chevrolet represents the autmotive industry completely. The simple, yet elegant trademark is recognised in the car industry as quality, importance and prestige.

 Mazda

Mazda Motor Corporation based in Hiroshima, Japan, was founded by Jujiro Matsuda who was interested in spirituality. He chose to call the company 'Mazda' to honor both his family and Zoroastrianism. The word 'Mazda' means wisdom, intelligence & harmony and derives from Ahura Mazda, the Avestan language name for a divinity exalted by the ancient Iranian prophet, Zoroaster. The logo captures the spirit of Mazda, the 'M' evokes an image of wings in flight and could also symbolise Mazda's flight towards the future and the 21st century. The 'V' in the centre of the 'M' spreads out like a bird about to take flight, perhaps representing freedom, creativity, vitality, flexibility and the passion that symbolises Mazda. The sharp, metal, solid feel to the logo signifies power, security, safety and innovation.

Alfa Romeo

The Italian automotive company, Alfa Romeo, was founded on June 24th 1910 in Milan. The logo is split in half and contains the emblems of Alfa's hometown, Milan, and one of the great Milanese "Visconti" family. On the left is the read cross on a white background, this has no connection to patriotism in England, instead it signifies the days of the First Crusade, when many Milanese soldiers were amongst the Lombards who followed Giovanni of Rho to the Holy Land. The red cross was their symbol, whilst the white background symbolised the white shirts they were forced to wear under their armour to protect them from the fierce Palestinian sun. On the right of the badge are the arms of the Visconti family, which later became recognised as those of the City of Milan. Some say the serpent represents the snakes that the Lombards used to wear round their necks in a little case as a lucky charm, - or the dragon which, at the start of the fifth century, plagued Milan and was finally killed by Uberto, Squire of Angera, and founder of the Visconti family. It could also be the symbol of Ottone Visconti who fought a victorious duel with the saracen leader, Voluce, during the First Crusade. The city of Milan, however, claims that the serpent has nothing to do with hte Visconti family. 

Lamborghini

 Automobili Lamborghini S.P.A, or as it is more commonly referred to as - Lamborghini, was founded in 1963 by businessman and tractor factory owner, Ferruccio Lamborghini. The logo has a bull on the badge which is symbolic of the founder, Ferruccio Lamborghini's astrological star sign - Taurus. The Italian-born company has achieved great things since the 60's and has accomplished a brand identity reveered and respected across the world. Lamborghini cars are symbolic of respect, status, sleek, sensuality and wealth. It is said that Lamborghini and Ferrari have a long-standing rivalry and this is why there is no coincidence that Lamborghini's raging bull logo looks somewhat similar to Ferrari's black horse set upon a yellow background. Perhaps they were 'taking the bull by the horns' so to speak!     

Lexus

Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. The Lexus logo was developed by Molly Designs and Hunter Communications. The final design for the Lexus logo featured a stylized “L” within an oval, and according to Toyota, was rendered using a precise mathematical formula. The first teaser ads featuring the Lexus name and logo, designed by Team One, appeared at the Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York auto shows in 1988. 

 Click for source of information.

5 things every car owner should be able to do

1. Change a flat tyre
2. Jump a car
3. Change the air filter
4. Spark plugs
5. Check oil and transmission fluid

If you don't know how to do any of the above, we have created a list for you explaining how to do all of the above.

Change a flat tyre

You will be suprised how many people don't actually know how to do this. If you experience a wheel puncture while driving, slow right down to 5mph with your hazards (hazard lights) on if need be - expect other drivers to overtake you, at the very nearest opportunity, pull over somewhere safe (a lay-by or carpark would be ideal).  DO NOT attempt to change your tyre on a hard shoulder or any other busy road, it is too dangerous and the emergency services should be able to help you with this rather than you risking your own life or putting others in danger.

To change a tyre you will need:

• Spare wheel with inflated tyre
• Tyre jack
• Wheel brace
• Wheel chocks (or brick/large stone)
• Warning triangle

Once you are situated in a safe location, make sure all passengers are out of the car and that you are able to change the tyre safely. Apply the handbrake, make sure your hazard lights are on, turn off the engine and if you have a warning triangle, place it 30 metres away from your vehicle, facing the direction of the traffic.

(Make sure that the spare wheel is inflated before you put it on.)

Put the Chocks (or brick/stone) behind the wheel that is diagonally opposite the flat tyre, even if you are on a level surface it is better to be safe than sorry, last thing you want is your car rolling down hill while you're trying to change it! Remove the hubcap or plastic covering on the wheel, you might need to use a screw driver to prize this off, this will then reveal the wheel nuts. Next use the wheel brace to loosen the nut (turn the nut half way) by turning in an anti-clockwise direction. This might be a tricky part as the wheel nuts can often be very tight, try to use your body weight to loosen the nuts.

Loosen all the nuts on the tyres. Check your car manual to see where to place the car jack, if you make a mistake here you could make the whole car collapse so it is always better to check first. Start to jack up the car, you can put the spare wheel under the jack for extra leverage should the jack buckle. Once you have the desired height with the jack (it should be high enough to get the spare wheel on it), finish removing all of the nuts and put them in a safe place. The flat tyre should be hanging from the threaded studs now. Put the flat tyre under the car where the spare tyre was previously for extra support.

Lift the spare wheel onto the studs, if you're not sure if you have the wheel the right way round, the air valve should be facing outwards. Now replace the nuts, replacing them in the same way that you took them off.

Remove the old tyre from under the body of the car and slowly release the jack. Make sure all of the nuts on the new wheel are tight - turning clockwise. Replace the hubcap or wheel cover. Voila!!!!!

Jump a car

You will need:

Jump Leads (x2)

A friend/neighbours working car

Open each car's hood and locate the battery on each. Identify the negative and positive terminals:

+ Positive (red cable)

- Negative (black cable)

Park the car that works (friend/neighbours car) as close as you can possibly get to the dead car, make sure they are not touching however. Turn off all electrics in both cars - engine, radio, air con, lights etc.

If you have them, make sure you wear safety gloves and goggles to keep you protected. Before attaching any cables, make sure that the dead battery does not have any leaks, cracks or damage, if so there is nothing you can do and you will need to either replace the battery or call a tow truck to pick you up.

You may need to clean both car's cables and terminal with a wire brush to remove any erosion.

The jumper wires will have heavy duty clamps attached to either end, black on one end and red on the other. Once connected to the car, the red and black ends should never touch as this could cause dangerous shocks or could damage both cars. This is how to set it up:

Connect the red clamp (+ - Positive) to the positive terminal of the dead battery. (dead car)

Connect the red clamp (+ - Positive) to the positive terminal of the good battery. (working car)

Connect the black clamp (- Negative) to the negative terminal of the good battery.

Connect the remaining black clamp to something that is grounded metal in the dead car. Look for shiny metal (not oily or painted) that is attached to the engine. This could be a nut, bolt or other protruding shiny metal. It is normal if you see a small spark when you connect to good ground. Connecting the negative ( - black) cable to the negative terminal of the dead battery is risky because it can mean that hydrogen gas that comes off the battery could ignite, so this should only be attempted as a last resort and if you can't find any other shiny metal. Make sure that no cables are dangling into the engine compartment where they could be at risk from moving parts.

Now start the working car and let the engine run for a few minutes. Rev the engine very slightly above idle for 30 to 60 seconds. You can do this to charge the battery in the dead car - because the starter in the dead car will draw most of the required current (well in excess of 100amps) from that battery not through the cables. No set of jumper cables is built to pass the current required. Charging the dead battery is a must. If 30 seconds doesn't do  it, try charging for the full 60 seconds by keeping the engine at high idle. A good clean connection between the battery cables and the battery terminals is essential.

Try to start the dead car. If it does not start, shut the engine off and slightly twist or wiggle each of the four clamps to help ensure the electrical connection is complete. Restart the working car again. Allow 5 minutes for charging before attempting to start the disabled vehicle. If this doesn't work after a few attempts, you may have to just bite the bullet and replace the battery or get your car towed.

If the dead car starts, remove the jumper cables in reverse order in which they were attached, making sure that none of the cables or clamps touch each other or dangle into the engine compartment.

Disconnect the black clamp from grounded metal on the dead car.

Disconnect the black clamp from the negative (-) terminal of the good battery.

Disconnect the red clamp from the positive (+) terminal of the good battery.

Disconnect the red clamp from the positive (+) terminal of the dead battery.

Replace any positive (+) red post protective covers if applicable.(You have had to remove or open these in the beginning) These covers help prevent accidental short circuiting the battery.

Keep the recently-disabled car's engine running. Run the car above idle (slightly revved up with your foot on the gas) for 5 minutes and then on or above idle for 20 minutes before turning it off. This should give the battery enough charge to start the car again. If it does not, you probably have a dead battery or a dying alternator.

Change the air filter

Please see the video from youtube.com below to show how to change your air filter.

Spark Plug

We have found a video to help you establish whether or not the spark plug in your car is faulty, and we also found one of how to change it afterwards!

And a video explaining how to change/replace your spark plugs:

Check the oil and transmission fluid

 For oil, pull out the dipstick then wipe it off with an old rag. You'll see minimum and maximum lines, and you want to see the level right at the maximum line. A little over is OK, but if you have too much there will be too much pressure and you can blow a gasket. For the transmission fluid, keep the car running. Find the dipstick (often yellow or red), pull it out and wipe it off. You'll see hot and cold lines. If your car has been running and is below the cold line, your fluid is low.