₦airaland Forum

I see people spend sums of money to acquire OBDII scanners as if that’s a fool proof alternative or substitute for quality technical care. Without a doubt, the D.I.Y (do it yourself) curve has been on a steady decline over the years, with this reality what do you think has been a quick ascent? Naturally, the need for expertise technical abilities to deal with a much slimmer range of cars is the order of the day. Gone are those days you easily could save a whole lot of money by being technically savvy. Personally, I don’t encourage D.I.Y practice for newer cars especially when it comes to unconventional/complex maintenance activities that might require replacements and special knowledge of a specific car.

On the other hand this is not to say that simple activities like tyre swapping or fuse replacement have become more complex and hence requiring specific expertise. That’s the more reason I came up with a list by comparing the honourable D.I.Y practice as it were in the past and the new limits imposed by the type of cars manufactured of recent.

Cars are generally more compact: Ford early this year released a 3cylinder, 1litre turbocharged engine which produces almost the same power as a 4cylinder 1.6 litre naturally aspirated engine and in some new commonly available sub-compact cars, removing the wiring harness from battery heads would require uncoupling quite a number of units to access the battery. The new order of the day is ‘lighter and greener’; hence, in most cases, only compact designs make it to factory floors for final production. This has led to unconventional placements of some car parts which can easily discourage a non-professional.

Electricals are more sensitive: Before now 12volts used to be the order of the day, but these days you have circuits with voltage ranges as low as 0.5volts equipped with relays and low resistance wires. The very solid presence of E.C.Us (electronic control units) has improved efficiency of cars generally and this isn’t without a little spike in the complexity of automobile electronics. Another fact worthy of mentioning is that these electrical/electronic components are now fused with areas of cars which were once wholly mechanical systems. What this means is that for you to start messing around with a bunch of wires you need to understand their relevance and how they enhance the role of the base mechanical system/component you might have been well familiar with.

Proper tools expensive to procure:[/b]Back in the day, one of the most sophisticated tools one needed for complex D.I.Y practice was may be timing lights (xenon) which weren’t that much expensive to come by. But these days, tools are more complex and expectedly more expensive; from an economic standpoint it doesn’t make much sense spending so much when you don’t intend using for professional practice which is supposed to yield income afterwards.

[b]Wrong interpretation/false assumption of OBDII codes: This happens to be the commonest reason you have to leave your car for the pros if you are not up for it. As it was clearly stated in a previously posted article, OBDII scanners are more of guiding tools as opposed to misconceptions surrounding the existence of these diagnostic tools as point-blank solutions to any car problem.
:source:http://www.autobaseafrica.com/things-that-can-go-wrong-in-modern-d-i-ydo-it-yourself-practice/

It might even seem fundamentally right to you; instead of changing the complete set of 4engine-mounts you go ahead and change just two and in some very weird cases, just one ;also in the case shock absorbers, typical car owners will rather swap the two worst affected shock-absorbers and leave the rest to be replaced on a later date. Some might proudly affirm that if it isn’t broke don’t fix it; but as a matter of fact, based on empirical findings and recommendations by car manufacturers, mechanical(mostly) car parts subjected to high stress, pressure and heat and that can equally wear and tear should be replaced in sets. The common reasons that make carrying out replacements in this manner are hinged on the need for absolute safety while driving, continually achieving uncompromising performance and balance.

Below are some pointers that elaborate on how necessary it is to painstakingly replace your crucial mechanical/some electrical spare-parts in sets where applicable.

Mechanics might be encouraging you to save: But the reality is that they encourage you to spend less at that time to guarantee a speedy revisit, because they are concretely sure that if you go with their suggestion, you will be right back in their workshop in no time. The outcome of this is spending more on labour, logistics and time.

Work load is transferred: Some car parts that require being swapped in sets are bearings, shock-absorbers, spark plugs, engine mounts, tyres, CV joints (constant velocity joints), etc. In each of these cases, whenever there are improperly functioning members in a set, the work load is automatically transferred. What happens when you don’t change all the members of the set (which were installed at the same time) is that the newly replaced member(s) bear all these extra carried over loads (forces in most cases) transferred by the retained members of the old set. It’s a very simple see-saw kind of situation where both parties are partly responsible for the positioning and directional movement of the mechanism.

You risk higher fuel consumption: In the case of spark-plugs, tyres, shock absorbers and engine/transmission mounts, this completely stands true. The all important aim of saving money is defeated when you choose to retain members of an old set of car spare-parts.
source:http://www.autobaseafrica.com/swapping-in-sets-vs-swapping-singly/

Nigerian mechanics can be so dramatic, according to Mr Tayo, an Insurance broker, one problem facing Nigerian car owners is not the fact that good mechanics price high, but the fact that even the ones pricing high and are supposed to be the ‘good mechanics’ barely know what they are doing. Without a doubt, I don’t disagree with him and to further hammer on this fact, here are some kinds of mechanics to avoid if you can. During pressing and dire financial times, we might be forced to reduce our personal standards and allow for certain things to happen; the question is for how long?



Mr Alabi down the road:

This type of mechanic is very adamant and resistant to change; he is very comfortable with the fact that he has a workshop and steady influx of clients. He hates it when his customers/car owners try to suggest what might be wrong with their cars or point out things that might seem to question his technical skills in anyway. He constantly downplays the use of new electronic diagnostic equipments yet secretly craves to own one and master how to use it. People continually patronize him because of proximity reasons and the fact that he is quite dependable on certain aspects of car maintenance and repair.

Mr Expensive:

This type of mechanic owns a nice workshop, perfect reception, with a well equipped work-space not lacking sophisticated electronic gadgetry; but with maybe just one experienced technical personnel; the rest are just well dressed road side mechanics. Customer dissatisfaction crops up when the expected level or standard of service provided doesn’t quite match the high charges associated with repairs or maintenance. Also, when they have to wait for so long to get little things done.

Mr Scam:

Very experienced and skilled on the job, but however is always after vulnerable and rich clients he can easily rip off. He prefers ‘outside work’ and his poor managerial skills make it difficult for him to firmly establish and grow his business. He equally is very vindictive and literally punishes clients that give him tough time and don’t play along.

Mr ‘I will try’:

This is the most dangerous type of mechanic that is unapologetically after your money and has no shred of integrity. He uses his client’s cars as his own guinea pig and equally has quite a number of abandoned cars at his work space. The basis behind most of his repair/maintenance decisions are almost solely on his client’s suggestions. He never rejects jobs even he knows it’s beyond his technical abilities and on the other hand, he is too greedy to involve a more experienced party to assist in getting the job done.
source:http://www.autobaseafrica.com/4-kinds-of-mechanics-to-avoid/
So what do you think?Any more of these mechanics to avoid?

1. Average cost of running/maintenance vs. Your budget:
Before you make a grave decision, make sure these two parameters match up evenly. Different cars have different numbers which is quite expected, some car’s spare-parts are relatively more expensive but are not that durable. On the other hand, some really expensive spare parts are that way because of their durability and extended life span comparatively.

2. Reliability:

I personally love Peugeot cars for one thing; a very little defect can render these cars immobile, am very sure the designers of these cars put this in place for safety reasons. Some people might count this as Peugeot cars being unreliable; I guess this is where discretion has to kick in to back your findings.

3. Mechanic familiarity:

This might sound a bit cliché but it is safe to stick with brands and models you are absolutely sure you know good auto-mechanics (with substantial evidence) around that deal on them.In the course of owning a car you will get more informed. In the same light, if you want to opt for a much more unique and less common brand, be prepared to carry out a pre-purchase research on the best mechanics in town (that deal on that brand) and the one to stick with based on your personal assessment .

4. Automatic or stick?

For city driving its always advisable to go for an automatic transmission, another added reason people prefer this option is because recent designs are gradually dropping the torque converter to improve on fuel economy. But like any true car enthusiast will argue, you absolutely control the driving of the car with your manual gearbox laced on your chassis.

5. Initial cost:

A low initial cost of purchasing a car shouldn’t necessarily be attractive. Some cars are cheaper to buy because the market forces are just playing out in reaction to the high cost of maintaining these cars. Here in Nigeria, its ironic to find out that tokunbo (foreign used) car options of the same model with V6 or V8 engines are cheaper than their I4(Inline 4cylinders) counterparts, this is one clear example of the auto-market force in play.

6. Critical specifications:

These include factual specifications of a car that might or might not appeal to you, but will be practicable in your analysis based on your intended applications. These include the average suspension height of a typical vehicle when loaded, entertainment features, leg/head room, engine options offered, EPA ratings, crash test results, positioning of airbags, etc.

7. What most people are saying:

In most cases, people begin and end their research on cars at this level. At the end of the day they regret their actions and still fall back on factual findings. The truth is you might get to know about a car first from someone else, but that shouldn’t be the sole reason for you to go ahead and purchase the same car; simply carry out more research.

8. The Nigerian Factor:

These include accessing documented history of that particular car in mind via its V.I.N (vehicle identification number), the true mileage (odometer reading), the papers (clearing and Custom), mechanic’s opinion, and the likely problems to be fixed. In the case of buying from dealerships, track records help. Some dealerships here in Nigeria indulge in sharp practices, even some of the wholly authorized ones can’t be fully trusted, be sure you are paying for the value you are expecting.

9. Which insurance/tracking:

Different insurance companies have different pricing and competitive edges, hence before you stick with one be sure you are getting the best deal. I was involved in the purchase of an 8.7million naira Prado jeep barely a year ago, based on the referral I got from a marketer in the dealership I went with an Insurance firm that charged a premium(on comprehensive insurance) in the tune of N522, 000. Later on after researching, I found out I would have saved N218,000 if I went with another firm with a juicer deal, even on paying the insurance premium in the subsequent years. That’s just an instance for insurance, for tracking, some companies have better recovery records, some are just laid back and unconcerned after you pay and they install the transponder/transmitting device; the more reason to look before you leap.

10. What you need the car for:

Let me cite a clear instance, if I intend travelling a whole lot and all I have is N400,000, I’ll rather go for a tokunbo Benz 190 or Audi 80 or Benz 230, and why is that? These old cars are more stable at high speeds and reliable than some newer cars within that price range. If in need of a nice city car with the same budget, I’d go for a neat Nigerian used corolla or Nissan sunny which are relatively lighter and pocket friendly when it comes to fuel consumption. Let your purchase options match your eventual day to day applications.
source:http://www.autobaseafrica.com/criteria-for-a-first-car-pick/

The advent of OBDII scanning ushered in ease, allowing auto-technicians to simply plug-in and run diagnosis to uncover identified problems in a short frame of time. As opposed to conventional trial and error techniques, this method of diagnosis doesn’t fully depend on experience and documentation of re-occurring car problems over the years. In this technological system, several types and grades of scanners directly communicate with the ECU (brain box) to retrieve trouble codes that represent problems in certain car areas. This ideally serves as a guide for mechanics on what to do, not necessarily giving specifics on how to solve a problem. So one can’t totally shove aside the role experience and prior basic technical training plays in how well these information are interpreted by auto-technicians. Also, the type of steps they subsequently take in a bid to curbing the problem.

On these grounds, one can safely point out the fact that OBDII scanners are not stand-alone problem solvers; a sophisticated scanning tool in the hands of an in-experienced or untrained technician is nothing but an expensive toy in the wrongs hands.

It’s also important to point out that these diagnostic machines are in grades, with different levels of versatility and adaptability. This is evident in the flexibility of machines over a wide range of car brands and also, the ability of these electronic diagnostic tools to uncover problems in more complex areas of a car by communicating better with more sub-systems via the CAN/LIN network linked to the ECU.

Having a better understanding of how a modern car systems works is primary to comprehending the true level of ease OBDII scanning offers because, many auto-mechanics today perceive the guiding tools as messiahs.

Just like your nose is connected to your brain, a typical ECU is connected to various sensors and actuators. In event of you perceiving an awful smell, you might voluntarily react by using your hand to block your nose from further taking in a likely poisonous gas or substance. In this simple case, your nose is the sensor whilst your hand is the actuator! A similar case applies to cars, because an ECU can’t record data about car areas it can’t sense, hence OBD scanners can’t detect problems in areas of a car without some level of electronics linked to the ECU by data buses.

The basic trick here is the infusion of electronics in some formerly fully mechanical systems or components, which enhance the role of that area in the general operation of the car. An example is the front brake-pad level sensor in recent Audi models which notify car owners when the brake pads are below specified permissible levels. This is only possible because sensors have been attached to the mechanical brake system. It’s interesting to note that these sensors in place allow for other closely related problem detection like excessive rotor wear.

So just to remind you once again; if there are no electronics, OBD scanners can’t retrieve trouble codes, because the ECU can only monitor areas it can sense or monitor.

The two hurdles that limit how much information one can get using an OBDII scanner are the sophistication of both the car and the machine. The best combo in achieving substantial maximization of this technological trend is using very sophisticated and versatile OBDII scanners with highly computerized cars. Anything other than this, mechanics have to augment the information gap by employing more traditional diagnostic methods to identify problems quicker.
source:http://www.autobaseafrica.com/more-facts-about-obdii-scanning/

A lot of negative tales surround the largely prevailing road-side mechanics. The common reasons behind these are their relatively low skill level also, their adamant resistance to the wind of change-which has created some technical complexities requiring more technical knowledge to deal with today’s sophisticated car systems.

But just like every other human related activity with imperfections, these mechanics have strengths one has to reckon with. If at any instance you’ve have dealt with these road-side mechanics, you won’t hesitate to concur with this. In this article we were able to draw up some of these strong-points which might not be too visible but are very much in play.

Ability to improvise

Typical road side mechanics here in Nigeria have numerous unconventional methods they employ to get things done. They can literally swap engines without having to hoist (with metal chains and stand) these very heavy motors; the same applies to even large-sized gearboxes. They might shorten the lives or even ruin the lower engine-mounts in the process but at the end of the day, the job is done and everyone is happy! Their improvising skills really stands them out and helps them keep their prices low with very fewer equipments, ease of mobility and basically, lower overhead(running cost) for their businesses.

Good costumer relationship

Just like any small business, these mechanics strike-up meaningful interaction with their customers which can turn out to be long-standing relationships especially when involved parties don’t abuse such overtime. Some mechanics can barely afford even half a car, but yet are entrusted with very expensive cars. While some car owners don’t even double-check prices of spare-parts or even inspect them before replacement. These are just a few examples of how deep these ties can get. From a business minded perspective, getting customer feed-back is very easy in this setting and the same applies to taking note of areas of customer dissatisfaction. Most road-side mechanics ride on this advantage without even being aware, the problem always lies in the likely abuse of this liberty and business advantage which ideally, should be leveraged upon.

Unbridled Technical guts

This sometimes lands them in trouble and to get out, they might even fabricate stories implicating you the car-owner; this can be very annoying. But on the bright side, this noted technical gut to attempt unfamiliar technical activities is an innate engineering asset you can’t just buy-it’s simply priceless. When these mechanics push beyond their self/condition imposed limits and take calculated steps in attempting to solve car problems, it shows their dedication to the profession and willingness to learn. This isn’t a thumbs-up for mechanics that go around fiddling and almost rendering useless their customers’ cars because of their desperation for money; I am just pointing out what constitutes the underlying drive forsome of these hardworking mechanics.
source:http://www.autobaseafrica.com/the-strengths-of-road-side-mechanics/

We all know for a fact that where we park our vehicles is important, but on taking a closer look, we were able to uncover some factors we might not have been taking cognizance of in our choice of parking spaces. In some cases we have the full liberty to chose where to park our cars either at work or at home but in most cases-especially in densely populated cities like Lagos-, we just make do with the little space we can access.

So in very simple and clear terms, what factors are to be considered in choosing your parking space?

Risk of theft/vandalism:

Mr. Tolani, an insurance broker woke up one morning to find out that the E.C.U (electronic control unit a.k.a brain-box) of his company owned 2004 Toyota Corolla was burgled overnight on the same spot he used as his car parking space for way over 7years. In this case, it’s either he was totally unlucky or the security stance of his neighbourhood changed and he equally failed to adapt. This further stamps the need for car owners to stay vigilant and flexible because you never know who might be watching.

Tyre stress:

At times you find cars in very weird positions and in some very ridiculous cases, you find car front tyres tilted in very wide angles. The main reason behind the choice of 4 tyres as the conventional number of tyres passenger vehicles should have is because of the very important need for cars to be well balanced; any other condition that offsets this equilibrium causes at least one tyre to suffer for it. It’s hardly an issue when you oddly park your car for less than an hour to buy a meal at an eatery, where it becomes a problem is when you adopt the same parking pattern day after day. So be careful not to contribute in reducing the useful life-span of your tyres.

Animals around bins or under trees:

Imagine getting pigeon poop on your jacket just when you rushing to get to work; well that sounds trivial and minor but it is a clear instance. However, another instance I’ll like to bring to your notice is where rats can access wiring within your car and cause serious havoc. We might have an idea of the complex electrical/electronic architecture in most modern day cars and most of all, the cost of fixing them when something goes wrong. A precautionary measure is keeping your car interior clean and free from elements that might attract common domestic rats or other animals. Equally clean up your garage if you need to and keep your environment clean basically.

Sunlight penetration:

Sunlight is never our enemy, even when it gets real intense! One quick way to spot an old car is when the main dashboard fascia is cracked or oddly discoloured, this condition is very likely especially when it comes to extended parking; the simple cause is intense sunlight penetration into the car. But let’s not fool ourselves; can you possibly give up a nice and well secured open parking space because of intense sunlight? The other way around this is using wind-screen shields which can easily be clipped on the inside when you know that where you are parking is prone to intense sunlight.

How flood prone is your parking spot?

Here in Lagos, years back, this wasn’t quite an issue. But in line with very recent occurrences, this factor is worth mentioning and had to get on this list. Water entering your car can render it useless and hence, becoming scrap overnight. In this regards, you know your immediate environment best, the signs on the walls can give off a hint or two.

source:http://www.autobaseafrica.com/where-do-you-park-your-vehicle/

Rule1: Don’t inconvenience other road users by obstructing free flow of traffic. The world doesn’t revolve around you; by intentionally blocking the road, neither do you achieve drawing sympathy to your situation nor showcase the severity of your scuffle. It only simply shows how desperate you are, unless the level of impact totally renders your car immobile, be sensible and considerate enough to pull over and safely park your vehicle away from the road.

Rule2: Always have it in mind that it is your car that was hit; not you.

Rule3: Take charge of the situation and act as calmly as possible, even if you normally stammer while talking. However there might be cases where the incident would have been totally avoided and probably before the impact you issued several warnings. But no matter the build-up to the incident, always separate emotions. The key is to stay objective. In the process of attempting to take charge of the situation, you somehow easily convince the ailing party that he/she is at fault.

Rule4: The more tempers flaring, the more time spent to land on a concrete agreement. This rule is a follow up of the rule3; endeavour to rationalize your statements and don’t forget that you are trying to get enough money from the individual to fix your car! In an unreasonable height of fury, you might even miss a glaring chain effect owing to the impact and concentrate only on the obvious damage.

Rule5: Finally, be assertive and don’t sulk! The affected party isn’t doing you a favour by rightly paying for his/her mistake. Stay open and be reasonably agreeable. You can even suggest confirming prices of the affected body parts from sources suggested by both parties.
source:http://www.autobaseafrica.com/how-to-successfully-negotiate-when-your-car-is-bashed/

Long One: From my experience, the cheaper guys are often better skilled, I once took my car to a main dealer for a fault diagnosis and was quoted hundreds of pounds for a part plus their expensive labour.
After I fitted it, it still had the same fault, so I took it back to my normal mechanic and he diagnosed a completely different problem, hence I ended up buying a part the car didn’t really need.

Man, I was pissed, as my mechanic could have done it, but I stubbornly opted for the main dealer option, as I did not want to spend on a part I didn’t need and thought they couldn’t be wrong. Penny wise, pound-foolish.

Very true,there are quite some exceptions in that regards. Subscribing to the services of dealerships has its little perks like high pricing,but the odds are quite minimal.If the services of dealership doesn't quite go well with your financial budget,then I'll suggest you take out time and get a good mechanic experienced with your vehicle brand and level of sophistication.

A bad habit is something we might not necessarily be proud of, but somehow we still find ourselves in the same loop over and over. In this article, some of these wrong motoring practices will be highlighted. Also accounted for are the root causes behind a wide range of petty actions that might easily go un-noticed. So as you count down to the worst car habit, feel free to pick up a lesson or two.

5,Washing improperly and never waxing:
How frequently do you wash your car? Well, everyone has some sort of routine but the real issue is whether or not you wash your car the right way and if you wax your car body at all. Car manufacturers in recent times have brilliantly solved the issue of rust formation underneath the car (especially around the tyre housing) in new car designs, but for now, there is no solution for accumulated mud and dirt on car surfaces.This is where washing (not with detergents) and waxing with the right reagents can really help in safeguarding your car exterior/paint job, thereby making it look ‘tokunbo new’.


4,Procrastinating:
‘I’ll get my papers complete tomorrow’; ‘I will strap my seatbelt before the next bus-stop’, show me a vehicle owner that never procrastinates and I bet you have a wholly perfect being. In an imperfect world like ours, we tend to procrastinate and it’s only natural for humans to extend this to the use automobiles. Our cars might be wobbling, discomforting, scary to behold, smoky and so on, but once we have encountered practical instances where such anomalies didn’t stop us from getting around with our cars, it becomes really difficult not to procrastinate. I have good news (which you might however take badly): every moment you spend not fixing or correcting an anomaly is directly proportional to the likelihood of chain problems developing.


3,Impatience:
I love newer Peugeot cars for this, you start your car engine and there is an ‘oil ok’ indication that gives you the go ahead to accelerate or move the vehicle. Engine oil circulation after you start your vehicle (especially in the morning) is very necessary because wearing of inner engine components is highest during these moments. So back to the root cause in focus here, ‘impatience’; a bad habit that can make you do things like climbing pedestrian walkways and plying road shoulders during tight traffic, unnecessary changing of lanes(also using wrong lanes), reckless driving and generally breaking traffic laws. Driving overconfidently as if you have all the likely odds completely under your control is never a wise move. To adequately counter this habit, you need better planning!


2,Making calls while driving:
Driving a flashy car these days is barely enough as you also need a flashy/trendy mobile device to compliment the show-off! Funny enough, the more expensive cars are best equipped for wireless making and receiving of phone calls, but who cares? Making and receiving phone calls with either of your hands whilst driving is wrong as it can lead to an accident. Also it is plain illegal; in the American state of North Carolina, it’s illegal to make and receive phone calls even with hands-free devices.


1,Over-managing:
I wanted to merge this with an earlier discussed habit (procrastination) but, along the line I had a change of mind because not all cases of trying to manage certain car conditions can be closely linked with procrastination. Most of the time, car owners know the right thing to do, but chose not to because they feel they might be saving money. Equally, they might even know of the right mechanic to go but still go ahead to chose the guy down the street because his services are relatively cheaper, so I guess instances like these create the distinction! The list is endless, the underlying problem always seems to be the wrong perception that cars are assets as opposed to the reality of cars being liabilities, hence requiring more spending.

source:http://www.autobaseafrica.com/top-5-ugly-car-habits/

They say the best ideas come from the wildest thoughts and also, dire times stamp the need for proactive solutions. It is on this premise that this likely temporal solution
will be thrown open for real scrutiny and some measure of consideration. The
geometric rise in the population of Lagos and the continuous surge of business will result in the current traffic situation depreciating further. According to LAMATA(2005),'200,000 vehicles are registered annually in Lagos and there are 11 vehicles to every kilometre of road nationwide, whereas in Lagos there are 222 vehicles to every kilometre’.
Currently, the Lagos state road network can only boost of 860km of accessible roads (combined figure of both state owned and federal roads). With this reality and a large chunk of State funds allocated to the rehabilitation and maintenance/expansion of existing roads, other measures must be employed to possibly curb the ever worsening
traffic situation.
A primary factor to be considered is time! Time is needed for execution of mega-projects like underground railways, massive road expansions or even projects similar to the on-going Lagos-Badagry rail/road project, which can indeed abate road traffic by making other transportation options very feasible.
So the question here is: knowing well the way things work in Nigeria, do we wait for more projects of even larger magnitudes to be executed and suffer even more? The pain Lagosians are bound to go through during the execution of landmark projects of this nature –if they are executed- is unbearable; if still in doubt, why not carry out investigations into the daily travails of an average hard working Nigerian that lives in Okokomaiko but works in Victoria-Island.
The well known cause of traffic under normal conditions is the existence of highly uniform peak movement periods across the entire state. This can be relatively linked with the various timing most people leave for work and return home after work. With this in mind, what solution are we hitting at? A simple distortion of this regular uniform
peak nature of traffic by government, by enforcing flexible working time/shifts in companies. What will be achieved if this happens? At least, one thing is for sure, the managerial board of tons of Lagos-domiciled companies might not like this, but on the long run, this will even things out and ideally eliminate peak traffic periods.
Like I said before, it’s just a crazy thought; what do you think?
source:http:[url]//www.autobaseafrica.com/solution-to-lagos-traffic/[/url]

myke20: Thanksfor this post.I want to buy this coolant stuff but don't seem to know where to buy it in benin.I went to total but the one dey have is green anf toyota camry uses red.so I did nt buy again.and moreso where do I add the coolant.is it the radiator or the coolant reserovir cos I'm confused.currently I use water for both o and d car works perfect sha and how do I know if it is mixed already

The colour of the mixture will definitely change and if you are using mere water, ideally its supposed to be transparent but that is hardly the case especially if you have used it that way for an extended period of time. Like it was stated in the post, it will keep working fine,but overtime the damage ensues.

The type of coolant for different cars vary,that's why you need to exercise caution in choosing which one to use.The safe thing to do is use a coolant type with a similar composition to what your car manual specified.
These days some cars don't even have radiator pressurised caps and for cars with caps its not advisable to frequently open your radiators directly;make good use of expansion tanks.

Most small scale businesses within Nigeria’s automotive industry from the onset are driven by ideas and sheer determination of one principal individual. But to sustain a company, you just can’t get enough from one individual because long-lasting companies are built by collaborative efforts of several people under the right mentorship and leadership.

After having gone through the stages of developing the business from scratch, it’s only natural for bosses to feel even smarter because, truth be told; you just have to be smart and flexible to groom a business especially here in Nigeria with all the overwhelming constraints. However, from my observation of quite a number of businesses,-mostly small scale- it gets to an extent where these bosses’ self-acclaimed smartness and perceived prowess in every facet of the business stifles real significant growth; a condition contrary to what any business leader would hope for or intentionally have a hand in.

So exactly how does being a smart boss especially in the transitional phase of a business-from a sole proprietorship to a company-impair growth? Below are just a few ways bosses being overly smart might be a dumb move.

True delegation almost impossible

Most of these smart bosses pride themselves as the alpha and omega of their businesses; nothing happens without his knowledge and their wits is perceived as being a scale above others. With this kind of mentality in play, it becomes very difficult for them to hands off core operational activities and face key managerial roles. In an unsuccessful bid to do both, they end up not achieving much and thereby, rarely involving subordinates to handle some highly relevant business activities. What separates companies from sole-proprietorships is the existence of functioning laid out structures. Wise bosses know the smart thing to do is always to effectively delegate and take advantage of the smartness of a handful of employees.

Harnessing ideas from workers less likely

When staff are made to believe that their bosses are the smartest, they know for a fact that the safe thing to do-knowing fully well the difficulties in securing a job- is never to give the slightest impression of them out-smarting their bosses. For bosses in full supply of ego, that’s even an outright taboo. Another issue in play here is the fact that workers feel less as being a part of the company, so even with the brightest ideas, they just might keep it to themselves till they probably get to work under new bosses or start a similar business. Besides, when they don’t take up certain key roles they hardly have encounters that are most likely to generate ideas that can change companies.

Staff motivation low

This final observation isn’t far-fetched; most of these so called smart bosses tend to ‘use’ their workers and hardly pay well. Take home pay on this side of the globe is a crucial ingredient in formulating any practicable motivational plan for workers. When this is taken out of the equation, workers only pretend to be happy because they need the job.

Asides monetary factors, other factors like roles they play, rewards (non-cash) and perception actively come into play when staff motivation is concerned.
source:http://www.autobaseafrica.com/smart-boss-impaired-business-growth/[color=#000099][/color]

It’s quite common to find most car radiators on the road today filled with just water as most motorist don’t deem it necessary to use coolants. This pattern has a little history behind it which unfortunately, is traceable to stereotypic Nigerian mechanic practices over the years. Most claim addition of these coolants to radiators is a mere waste and a huge aberration when taking account of the basic needs of a car here in Nigeria. This mistaken ideology is rooted to faulty practices like attempting to reverse engine overheating by adding this coolant and when the desired result isn’t achieved most mechanics further bolster their wrongly upheld perception about coolants
Before we go any further to disprove this, let’s delve a bit into a little chemistry and basic understanding of what a radiator coolant actually is; also, why it has to be mixed proportionately with distilled water- not just water-in the first place. Every brand new car comes with a coolant/water solution, it’s either orange or green in colour and you mostly would find it in a transparent white coloured reservoir with an expansion hose which is connected to the radiator.

Ethylene glycol/polyethylene glycol is the basic chemical composition of this compound alongside other additives to boost its properties which allows it serve other purposes like corrosion inhibition, lubrication and useful alteration of the basic property of water by making it reasonably resistant to freezing and boiling.
Ideally water and coolant solution is continuously circulated through engine jackets to trap as much heat as possible from the engine which is subsequently introduced into the radiator for this trapped heat to be swiftly exchanged with the environment. The radiator cools off this solution which is sent back to the engine for another round of heat trapping and re-circulation.

From this little scientific exposition you would agree with me that this compound is not merely an anti-freeze as it serves other purposes pertinent to extended engine life, cooling efficiency and resistance to overheating. When you use mere water alone to achieve cooling, it boils off easily that is why you keep refilling your expansion tank in between engine servicing and in no time you get this brownish water discolouration which is a clear evidence of gradual engine block degradation. This obviously, is as a result of the traditional behaviour of water around metals in the presence of the littlest amount of air. So now is it too late for you to remedy your car’s situation? I can’t answer that, but here are simple tips that will be sure helpful:

First check your radiator water level and condition.
Before introducing any coolant it’s most ideal to flush your radiator, especially if you haven’t done this for more than a year. Insist on a thorough reverse flush from underneath the radiator.
Depending on the condition of the water in the radiator,you might want to totally flush the engine block as well.
Buy the recommended coolant for your car which is to be mixed with distilled water; don’t guess! You would have to do a little research if you don’t have a manual. For some cars it’s in the ratio of 70%-30%, while for most cars its 50%-50%. The volume of radiators vary so be sure you have the right information for your specific type of car. Like we would always say, employ the services of the right technician.
Good luck![color=#000099][/color]
source:http://www.autobaseafrica.com/truth-about-radiator-coolants/

In addition, when you don't have an option but to wade through pools of water,know this:
1)Maintain a steady accelerator pedal thrust whilst driving through.Taking your foot off the pedal might allow water to get in through the exhaust pipes;you sure don't want that!
2)Ever heard of brake fade?Its happens a lot during these moments, especially when (in less technical terms) the rotor is fatigued. But I read a tip years back,haven't quite tried it personally:maintain your emergency/parking brake in the middle to keep the rotor busy.Hope this helps...happy driving!

@basildon1,try use ur head,sabi as you dey talk.its just unfortunate I can't remember point blank d name of the track;but its on his boiz r nt smiling album.I don't blame Moddy cos from the little I can deduce she don dey f up tay tay and her cup juss full dat time.Mode9 went personal and it can't just be as a result of one careless remark,besides for her to have had half the guts to say wat she said,imagine crazier stuffs or maybe annoying expressions the judges must have had to bear with.
As for muna.....I admire her rap style,I even might juss be a fan but she messed up biggy on dis and its just hard to conceive knowing fully well she went through all the etiquette training before and after her reign as Mbgn........all these point to the fact that she just went way too personal with mode9.

I think I know where dis coming from;in one of terry d rapman's songs he dissed muna and suggested she sleeps around shamelessly.So maybe she is just using dis opportunity to lash out on one of em swat root boyz......u knw gals and beef nah;its even worse when a typical gal is immature like I think in her case.

No one really interested?

Serious buyers with interest can reach me on 07035010529,am in Ikeja,Lagos.

A fairly used launch C reader V is up for quick grabs.It is very neat and its a cost effective solution for your basic scanning needs.I can personally attest to that; this device is even much more than an average DIY tool and has been quite helpful,but I have to upgrade.

Its really funny how people turn very plain details into weapons of tribalism and unnecessary comparison.Whether or not it sounds good to your hearing,Akwa-ibom state is on the rise, its very funny some people served(nysc) there and ripped benefits of which I don't have time to discuss about, then come here and spit garbage.The state is blessed and they have a governor that is taking full advantage of what the state offers to better the state; I don't see how that should inspire any level of provocation.Go and read more details about the sea-port in view, the very functional airport(which is still improved upon) and how you don't put the cart before the horse when planning.Akwa-ibom is bound to witness a great population surge and you are here saying the good roads in place are leading to no where?Am not picking on anyone here,just using the available angles to make a clear cut points that Goodswill is working and am glad for the state.

THE NIGERIAN MOTORING TRADITION
Even with the soaring oil prices globally, the American motoring tradition still sticks around. Last year alone, and even according to February 2012 sales statistics, the highest selling vehicles in the US were Ford’s F-series trucks. Ford overtook Toyota in sales last year-due to the distortion in Toyota’s supply chain as a result of the Japanese disaster-so, if Americans weren’t who they were, ideally, things should reverse back to normal. In my humble opinion I think the Tsunami incident gave Americans an opportunity to re-access and firmly embrace what they really love, which is: roomy and large vehicles that can readily serve families. Many circumstances have prompted the need for radical changes in vehicle development and manufacture, but the fact still remains that car producers globally, play around regional or country based motoring traditions and expectations of the motoring populace that make up a target geographical location.
Europeans are recognized as largely conservative and relatively more economically minded in comparison with Americans. This attribute amongst others, are well reflected in the kinds of designs specified for Europeans. Like in Italy, because of their mostly narrow streets, they lay high preference on smaller cars which can get them around more easily and gain better access to tight parking spaces. This over the years has groomed the evident motoring trend in most Italian cities; the same goes for Germans who hold to high esteem their craving for close to perfect cars with unflinching dynamic stability and high performance. Typical Germans are less concerned about the initial cost of cars or whether it’s ‘green or black’ from an environmentalist perspective; they expect their cars to be durable and highly dependable. Also, the ‘German pride’ with regards to their perceived engineering prowess isn’t a factor to shove aside in accounting for what grooms their adopted motoring tradition.
In the midst of all these, what can we say about the Nigerian adopted motoring tradition? A tough question to answer partly because the Nigerian driving populace are not necessarily considered in most design decisions globally; the reason behind this has to be the fact that most cars on our roads were not purchased brand new and the level of patronage of brand new cars is low. Since we are not a high priority market in this light, we mostly don’t have much of a choice but to do away with several imports that come our way. No hard feelings here, as this is strictly business for the car manufacturers that produce cars to suit favourable markets.
Nevertheless, I can boldly say Nigerian motorist have certain traditions; we might still be in the grooming stages of creating a firm one, but there are clear pointers to what really drives a typical Nigerian motorist with regards to a perceived upheld tradition. I just documented a few in this article which I will be discussing further.
RUMOURS THAT STICK
It’s all about the gist that surrounds a particular car, we Nigerians know how best to keep our ears to the ground. Funny enough, we trust so much of our regular road side mechanics’ beliefs-the same ones we go behind their backs and water down-and even base purchasing decisions on such. Because of how quickly rumours and assertions spread, most Nigerians would rather stick to cars with track records they have tested personally or witnessed being proven.
This stands out to be the reason why certain quality brands are not given a real chance because, some of these rumours even deter people from purchasing brand new cars. Until enough people are willing to take the risk on a newly introduced brand, most Nigerians don’t get to trust such cars. This weird Nigerian motoring tradition also has gone a long way in instituting a queer value system and reverse pricing model where trusted cars are priced relatively higher year in year out, even as the models age further with 6-figure odometer readings. One annoying example is the 1999 Toyota Corolla pinned at a price close to what will get a brand new Hyundai Getz or Kia Picanto for years in a stretch now.
INITIAL COST
The ‘low price strategy’ is the surest way to get people to take certain risks and even purchase an unpopular brand. As for why most Nigerians will spend so much to purchase a tokunbo (used) car, it’s simply because of their affordability and the fact that these cars are clearly cheaper versions of the largely accepted brands.
Be it a craving for bigmanism or a genuine need to get around with what you have, most Nigerians lay a terribly high preference on the cost of cars, a very little number care about empirical data about specific cars, even within the range of a popular brand.
With that been said, the search is still on for the true Nigerian motoring tradition which overtime, will groom the kinds of imports we get or the type of cars produced on the Nigerian soil for Nigerians.

http://ogadriver./2012/01/29/hello-world/

There Is something here we all are missing out:the dude is a'media entrepreneur'.This might just be some media strategy to build unnecessary hype.Don't know the details of the project and honestly, am totally uninterested

The issue of attempting to attain certain standards at cheap rates don't mate.High level investments yields quality,hence the issue of affordability has to take a back seat in a standard case.On this note there are 2things to work on,one of which is our value system-education wise-and structures government try to put in place to ensure poor people can access funding; a cue can be taken from developed nations.As for the value system,we Nigerians have to sort that out ourselves-not without government help though-because one can pay so much for what is not valued.

Privatising government schools,especially tertiary instituitions won't solve anything!What should be given ears to is the actual incentive to learn. Why should an engineering student subject himself to any level actual training to be a good engineer?And what really is in place to keep such aspiring engineer motivated?This throws a lot of challenge back to the society.Private schools are quite expensive but trust me,are not any better than most government schools because both remain in the same society!So my simple argument here is government should give real incentive to entreprenuers and also lay down infrastructure to promote industrialization,the rest would kick in.

It hasn't been quite easy,the price range you stated is the exact range am working with and am still searching here locally.If you know someone here i can get across to,that would be great,thanks by the way.

Still waiting,please kindly drop your contact for immediate transaction.

I simply need a compression tester for a moderately sized engine with plug diameter of about 10mm.I reside in lagos and would apprieciate direct transaction,thank you.

i feel the problem is associated with improper fuel delivery.so my guess is your vehicle has alraedy limped in(check engine light illuminated), what you are probably dealing with is a malfunctioning MAP sensor which can cause the ECU to calculate the fuel needed for the engine wrongly.If the engine runs normally when during this smoking,i'll strongly suggest you check this or better still subject your car to electronic diagnosis to be sure.