Have you noted that things that don’t have moving parts last practically forever? No wonder automobiles experience such wear and tear!
As promised for this week, Brakes, please! is here with ten hot tips of possible retrofitting of your old vehicle with parts from more recent models. You will recall that we pointed out this sort of car upgrading is best applied to Japanese and other Asian vehicles. These makes tend to offer more models that share substantial engineering similarities from year to model year.
This means that the parts and components are often perfect fits or if not, will only require minimal to medium modification to mounts (bolting spots) and connecting systems. The areas we will review for retro- fitting, in the next few issues, include the following major automobile systems.
- Engine and exhaust system
- Brakes, Rims and tyres
- Electrical system
- Suspension system
- Interior – Seats, dash etc
- Functional Esthetics
The following components and parts are adaptable to your vehicle with varying degrees of retrofitting. Note that parts from a different model line or from another brand rarely make good replacements. Level of difficulty in retrofitting is indicated by the number of stars with three denoting highest.
«The Engine
No |
Part |
Disadvantage of old, obsolete part |
Advantage of later model |
Difficulty level |
1. |
Carburator |
Fuel inefficiency, flooding slow starts, fuel leaks, etc |
Quick starts, stronger acceleration, no fuel fumes |
« « |
2. |
Distributor |
Weak spark, stalling |
Quick, early morning starts, Healthier and longer life battery |
« |
3. |
Air Filter |
Dirty engine interior and clogged hoses, pipes, crab; noisy gasping engine |
Smooth running, well ventilated cylinders and cooling system |
« |
4. |
Radiator |
Overheating engine, risk of radiator rust circulation through engine, reduction in power |
Temp well regulated, cooler engine increases performance |
« « |
5 |
Spark Plugs and related units |
Rust in sockets reduces plug performance, therefore weak engine, stalls, exhaust bangs |
Lively starts, smooth acceleration and cleaner sounding engine |
« |
6 |
Valves |
Old valves wear and chip, reducing output per cylinder head |
Modified valves restore horsepower by up to 30% |
« « |
7. |
Regulator |
Irregular electrics, battery drains rapidly, slow to start, weak on-board systems |
Assured and regulated voltage, improved spark plug and distributor performance, bright lights, audio power |
« |
8. |
Fuel Pump |
Intermittent flow, easily clogged, jerky performance |
Assured flow of clean fuel, consumption is clear |
« « |
Weekly Traffic Update
Brakes, please! is pleased to announce that capital has obtained the valued co-operation of the Addis Ababa Traffic police Office (AATO) in its effort to bring readers the latest positive and/or negative developments on Addis roads. Capital will also endeavor to provide nation-wide traffic safety updates by contacting regional traffic authorities. We expect that regional traffic offices will be as forthcoming to co-operate as their Addis Ababa counterparts have been. Thank you again A.A.T.O.
So, how was Addis this last forth night in terms of traffic safety violations, accidents and losses sustained?
The report we receive from the A.A.T.O reveals the followings information twice monthly.
Accidents
No. |
Type of loss |
Comparison |
Difference |
July 8-15 |
July 16-23 |
Number change |
Percentile |
1. |
Death |
6 |
3 |
-3 |
-50% |
2. |
Severe Injuries |
17 |
12 |
-5 |
-29.4% |
3. |
Light Injuries |
19 |
14 |
-5 |
-26.3% |
4. |
Property Damage |
118 |
126 |
+8 |
+6.3% |
TOTAL |
16 |
155 |
-5 |
-3.1% |
Accidents by Sub city
Rank |
Sub City |
Number of Accidents |
1. |
Kirkos |
51 |
2. |
Bole |
36 |
3. |
Arada |
19 |
4. |
Addis AKetem |
15 |
5. |
Yeka |
14 |
6. |
Lideta |
12 |
7. |
Nifas-Silk-Lafto |
3 |
8. |
Kolfe |
2 |
9. |
Gulele |
2 |
10. |
Akaki |
1 |
|
TOTAL |
155 |
Accidents- Daily rate
Day |
Number of Accidents |
Monday |
16 |
Tuesday |
23 |
Wednesday |
21 |
Thursday |
24 |
Friday |
22 |
Saturday |
27 |
Sunday |
22 |
TOTAL |
155 |
|
