Oil-filling a Fiesta

This is easier and quicker than it looks!

It should really be done with the car on a flat surface so that when 
measuring the oil that's in it using the dipstick it gives a true 
reading. But even on a slope it's worth doing as any measurement is 
better than none.

Lift the bonnet:

Inside the car, on the left-hand (passenger) side at about "shin-level" 
there is a bonnet-release lever in the form of a black "flap". Pull that 
outwards and you should see the bonnet pop up a couple of inches. At the 
front of the car a little tag will have appeared between the grille and 
the front of the bonnet. This has an outwards arrow on it. Pull it. 
The bonnet should now be free to be raised fully. There is a prop about 
a foot long on the driver's side and this should be used in the holes 
provided to hold the bonnet up.

Check the oil:

There is a yellow loop just behind the radiator and just in front of the 
engine components. This is the dipstick. Pull this upwards and out. Wipe 
it, put it back in and then pull out again. You should see the oil level 
near the bottom of the dipstick and the correct level lies between the 
two notches that are about an inch from the bottom of the dipstick. If 
the oil level is below the bottom notch, or not visible at all, then oil 
must be added.

Topping-up the oil:

Just left of centre of the whole engine area is the 
oil-filler cap - it may have an illustration to this effect on 
it. Lift this and there's a hole about 3cm across. Using a suitable oil 
(e.g. 15W-40, synthetic or semi-synthetic), pour in about half a litre. 
Then leave it for 5 to 10 minutes for the oil to trickle down into the 
sump, especially in cold weather. Re-check the oil level (including the 
wipe stage) and if the oil level is still low then add a further half 
litre. Repeat all of this until the oil level is between the notches. 
It's not worth hurrying this as there is a risk of over-filling and that 
will waste oil, clog up the innards of the engine and produce smokey 
exhaust.

It is worth checking the oil level every week and always before a long 
journey.

Car driving tips

Do you start up the car and then put your seat-belt on? I do it the other way round since reading this tip a few years ago. It's only a few seconds difference but these things add up. So the way to go is to clip yourself in and then start the car and drive away. Leaving it to idle for a while doesn't help.

Did you know that a car is most efficient when it's hot? That is, it uses least fuel when it is up to normal running temperature. This understanding can lead to a bit of fuel (i.e. money!) saving if we build it into our driving routine.

The routine is: do any manoeuvering such as reversing into a parking space at the end of the trip when the engine is hot, not at the beginning of a journey when the engine is cold. Personally, I find this easier for parking in the drive, too. When I'm in the road I can see when it's clear to reverse into the drive and can then drive out forwards. If I did it the other way round I'd be trying to reverse into a possible stream of traffic with the whole of the car behind me obstructing my view. Just my view...

Wheel Trims

Here's an interesting little tale and I think it has a fairly surprising outcome.

About 3 weeks ago I'd run an errand, leaving the car outside the house for a couple of hours. When I'd finished the task I drove back home and left the car in the street instead of in the drive – I'd normally park in the drive which I feel is a little “safer” as it's easier to see from indoors.

After a bite of lunch I went back out to the car and found that someone has pinched all 4 wheel trims. The car looked terrible. So drab, dull and a bit industrial looking! I decided that doing without wasn't an option.

Looking on eBay for Universal 15” wheel trims I found several sets costing in the teens of pounds. Just for comparison, I checked at the main agent's spares department and found the official branded product would cost about £15 each. Ouch.

Having selected one of the designs on eBay (to look most like the original) I was a little unsure whether the 5 fake nuts shown made any difference as my wheels, like most, have 4 nuts. So I sent a message via eBay to the dealer asking for clarification on that point. Several days later – no reply. A quick follow-up but still no reply.

Luckily, and whilst looking for something completely different, I was in Lidl and noticed rather attractive wheel trim sets for an excellent £9.99 which was way cheaper than any others I seen. Quickly checking that I did indeed need 15” wheel trims I made my purchase and fitted them easily as soon as I got home. The question about 5 fake nuts for a 4 real nuts car turned out to be a complete irrelevance. The wheel trim is held in place by a springy ring near the circumference. It has 3 positioning options to make sure it's nice and tight on the wheel just inside from where the tyre is. The instructions are nice and clear. I also put a couple of nylon cable ties on each wheel trim to make sure they stayed on (whilst in motion and against ne'er-do-wells!).

A recommendation there for Lidl – who'd have thought?