# Sticky  Quick emergency fixes....



## Midnight Tech

If you have any quick fixes that can be used in a emergency please post them here!


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## Midnight Tech

courtesy of dai said:


> when you live in the bush you pick up little tricks to get you home
> soap jammed into a holed fuel tank
> pepper or a raw egg into the radiator for a leak
> panti hose for fan belt
> clothing rammed into a flat tyre


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## yustr

Never done it, but ViceGrip used to advertize that they had report of someone pinching off a broken brake line.

I do know someone who drove with a Vice Grip clamped to the steering wheel hub in place of the wheel that had broken.

I guess I should put one in my car. :grin:


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## kapwnage

ok this is if your car overheats lol this happened to my dad once " mountain dew saved the day" 

lol we were driving all day to florida and car just stopped and we opened up the engine and it had smoke coming off of it... no belt was broken just poor your cold drink on it and it will crank right over


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## MD_Willington

Vice grips will work as a battery clamp if your battery cable breaks, just make sure you don't short it to the chassis.


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## Rashiki

> ok this is if your car overheats lol this happened to my dad once " mountain dew saved the day"
> 
> lol we were driving all day to florida and car just stopped and we opened up the engine and it had smoke coming off of it... no belt was broken just poor your cold drink on it and it will crank right over


Never put something cold on a hot block, you run the risk of cracking the metal. My sister threw snow on an overheated engine and that's the last thing we saw a few days later was it being towed to the junkyard with a cracked block.


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## Mullet Man

Engine will not crank, but battery & connections are good.................Try hitting the starter a few times. It may be stuck, or going bad.

Engine cranks, but will not start......................Most modern cars have an electric fuel pump in the fuel tank. When turning on the key, you should hear the pump come on momentarily. If not, check the owner's manual for a fuse or "shut-off" switch. If those are ok, you can try whacking the fuel tank on the bottom with a piece of wood or non-sparking item. Sometimes that will make it work to get you home at least.

Key will not turn in ignition..................Sometimes when you shut off your vehicle with the wheel turned, the steering wheel will lock into position making it hard to turn the key. Pull the steering wheel one way or the other to release the lock.


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## zach1288

If you have a radiator leak throw alittle pepper in it. Yes the kind you use on food.


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## DeFcOn

My friend uses electrical tape on a hole in the oil pan.......i held for about 26 miles. i guess its a fix:laugh:


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## laidy_jay

zach1288 said:


> If you have a radiator leak throw alittle pepper in it. Yes the kind you use on food.


I have a coolant leak but I cant figure out where its leaking would this trick work for me?


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## bry623

Frozen locks?
If male, try urine. Otherwise, nuke some water and pour it on there. If not, heat the key with a lighter.

I had a hose clamp that went misisng once, good thing I had some duct tape.


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## Mullet Man

If you got a big truck with a large fuel tank that springs a pinhole leak in it, you can rub a bar of soap over the hole to get you to the shop.


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## DeFcOn

No more AC coolant.......roll down all the windows.....:laugh: :laugh:


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## Snoopdogie187

i started to love wd 40, sayed me a couple times, like if a light isnt working but the buld is good spray sum wb 40 on it and reconect it and it might work (depends on the problem) also good for things that just are rusty. also i am not sure but if i remember right it might work on frozen things, i might try that one some other time but nothing froozen to use it on, but wd 40 doesnt hurt most things, just hard to completely clean off of like glass and paint and all but wont hurt that stuff either


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## ClineTyme

WD -40 also takes crayon and grease of walls and other surfaces.....


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## tummypony86

Stuck on ice or snow,put your floor mats under the wheels for traction to get moving again.


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## herpfan

tummypony86 said:


> Stuck on ice or snow,put your floor mats under the wheels for traction to get moving again.


brilliant. don't get stuck much but thats a great idea!

Carry a cell phone (and have AAA)


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## Intrigue

*WD 40 to the rescue*

Ever had decals/glue stuck on your paint ...
Use WD 40 to remove. Works most of the time !


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## Rashiki

herpfan said:


> Stuck on ice or snow,put your floor mats under the wheels for traction to get moving again.


Yea, in a pinch that works pretty well. Just make sure no one is standing near/behind the vehicle when you try, as the mats can come out from under the tires at a pretty good clip and hurt someone.

If you carry kitty litter for getting out of snow/ice, make sure it doesn't contain clay, as these types will just mush up and become more slippery, only worsening the situation.


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## scannerman28

*coolant loss*



laidy_jay said:


> I have a coolant leak but I cant figure out where its leaking would this trick work for me?


hi, you need the cooling system pressurizing to see where the leak is


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## Spektyr

*Stuck in Sand*

If you ever get stuck in dry sand there's an easy fix. (Note that this doesn't work well/at all with wet sand.)

Pile as much sand against the buried wheel as possible. Then jump up and down on the closest corner of the nearest bumper (or if that's not available, push down as much as possible on that corner of the car to bounce it).

Keep rocking the car like that, each time the suspension hits the top of its cycle a little sand seeps under the tire. Little by little you'll "jack" your way up onto level sand. You may have to repile sand several times.


I used to go four-wheelin' in a 2WD truck out in the loose, dry sand in Florida all the time. This little trick will get you out of stuff a winch won't.


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## redeye-racing

if you have an electric fuel pump in your car/truck and it ran the last time you shut it off, but the pump was dead when you tryed the next time... have someone crank the engine over while you hit the gas tank with a rubber mallet or hammer or pipe, what ever is handy..the sudden jarring will start the pump just like it does with a starter..the pump will run 'till the next time you shut it off, to get you home.


things you should always carry ...duct tape....vice grips....elec. tape...tie wraps..bailing wire.



if your ever stuck any one wheel is spinning to it's hearts desire, try putting the park brake 1/2 on. the drag can force the diff to transfer power to the other side.


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## jack92777

zach1288 said:


> If you have a radiator leak throw alittle pepper in it. Yes the kind you use on food.


AN EGG WORKS TOO


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## Torlake

honest to god it works! if your rad's leaking, crack an egg into the cap (not the overflow) and drive like heck. you'll probably need a new rad after but if it's that desperate of a situation, it's worth it


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## Lektrk

I've used rubber electrical tape to repair a leaky radiator hose, held for a couple months until I could afford a new one. (I was in the service then, they didn't pay much)

Also WD-40 will work as starting fluid in a pinch.


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## dai

to find water leaks put a bright food colouring into the water we used to use yellow that the fast food chains had in their yumbo rolls in the late 70's


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## daamon_vexion

if your truck vapor locks, wrap the coolant lines, vacume lines, and fuel lines in aluminum foli, it acts as a great heat shield


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## Guest

When I first got my diesel truck i didnt know about the engine warmer that you plug in and one day in winter my truck would not start, so i took many many many heating blankets and covered the entire engine and that worked great! Just dont forget to take them out afterwards


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## newnewbie

We _actualy_ did these things (at our own risk) a long ,long time ago when we were young and dumb, in order to limp vehicles home.

tied a string to the windshield wipers to pull them back and forth.
used self vulcanizeing splicing tape to patch a radiator hose.
used needle nose pliers to pull out the radiator fins and broke the cooling. tube where it leaked,then roll/crimp it shut with vise-grips.

used whatever liquids we could get for coolant.
wraped aluminum foil around a blown fuse.
used vise-grips for a window crank handle.
gravity fed gas to a carburator when the fuel pump quit.
used a finger nail file to clean up a set of ignition points and a match book cover to set the gap.
used a milk crate for a drivers seat
pinched off a rear brake line and re-filled the master cylinder with boones farm strawberry wine.

I still dont know how we survived our teen years.


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## TheAtheist

As shown on top gear - "Icelandic rocking trick" 

If stuck in snow or sand probably as well. Gently rock the car back and forward using the accelerator, then let it go, dont brake, repeat; each time it moves it shifts the snow and eventually gets you free.


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## jaggerwild

If you ever find you don't have brake's while driving and Really need to stop, use the parking brake. Slowly apply pressure to them and it will get you stopped.
I use this often while testing customers brake problems (warped rear drums).


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## jaggerwild

PIN size hole in the radiator, use seasoning to fill the hole............:grin:


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## 89camaro

If you're ever stuck in snow you can get free usually by putting it in drive and going forward. before the car stops drop it to reverse. again before it stops put in drive again and rinse and repeat as necessary. it doesn't always work but it has saved me numerous times as i only drive camaros as of the last 5 years. currently on and 89 iroc.

if your car wont start(starter will not engage aka no crank) you can get it started easily albeit kinda hard depending on the car. you need a screwdriver(or any other metal object of appropriate length with an insulated grip. you need to jump the switch terminal on the starter with the battery terminal on the starter(note NOT THE BATTERY ITSELF as it could get dicey doing it there) the battery terminal is the largest terminal on the starter solenoid and the switch terminal is the small one with one wire on it. if you touch the battery terminal on the starter to the grounding post on the starter it will just spin the starter in itself and not connect to the flywheel(which actually spins the motor) i frequently have to do this on my car cause my solenoid is bad on mine and it wont start when hot.

the proper way to jump a car is the following: positive of the good battery to the cables first. than the positive of the bad battery. followed by connecting the cables to the negative terminal of the good battery(or chassis) and finally ground the negative cable for the bad battery to the engine or flame away from the bad battery. the point of this is to keep all sparks away from the battery. although in recent years the risk of a battery explosion has lessened due to sparks it is still always a possibility. when grounding to the engine you need to basically hear it spark a little to know you have a good ground. 

the best substitute for power steering fluid is transmission fluid. cheaper than brake fluid and power steering fluid as well.

duct tape is god

you don't really need your rear brakes even on a rear wheel drive car(unless your in snow or other slipper condition/this applies to rear wheel drive cars only) front brakes do about 70% or so of the stopping of the car. you will notice an increase in stopping distance and response but its better than having no brakes because of a rear line leak. simply crimp the **** outta the line so it holds pressure.

if your car is over heating turn on the interior heat to max. the coolant flows through the heater core and is blown into the car by the blower motor. its not a complete substitute for a lack of a cooling fan but wit will help a bit.

if you have a busted fuel line or tranny line you can patch it by cutting the effected section (this really requires a proper tube cutter since other methods tend to crimp the line which restricts the flow of the fluid) Cut an appropriate length of heater hose, place it over the cut in the hose and clamp both sides. this will work for quite a while but it is no substitute for metal lines since both gas and tranny fluid are petroleum products they do degrade rubber and cause it to crack.(note DO NOT do this on brake lines the pressure there will blow the rubber hose apart.

if you are in desperate need of a fuse you can cannibalize other fuses. good choices are the fuse for your accessories:like power locks,radio, interior lights and hazard light fuses assuming that the hazard circuit is separate from the turn signal circuit. power window fuses wont work as they are usually circuit breaker type fuses and are bigger than normal fuses.

if you have a stripped lug nut and access to sockets you can hammer on a socket that is slightly smaller onto the stripped lug and you will usually be able to remove the lug this way. i will say it is usually a ***** to get the lug outta the socket after that.this also applies to some locking lug nuts. i wont say all cause i haven't dealt with all types.

if you need to add fluids but don't have a funnel you can take a piece of paper and roll it into a cone and use that as a funnel.

if your tranny is slipping don't get the fluid changed. you can sometimes get more life outta a slipping tranny by adding lucas stop slip. i only say lucas cause their entire line is decent. another solution is to add a non friction modified fluid to the tranny. this fluid is more commonly known as Type F fluid. adding the wrong fluid to a tranny will usually void whatever warranty there may be9assuming they can detect you have done so) but if your tranny is slipping you prolly are way outta warranty anyway

lets see what else hehe

if your car will start but die immediately on GMs you can sometime unplug the IAC valve(idle air control valve) this is commonly a 2-3 prong connector located on the throttle body(the part that the gas pedal cable connects to) and is protruding off in one direction. this doesn't always work and your car will idle high or low or even fluctuate without it but it can get you going.

on a lot of cars with ac if you cooling fan isn't working if you turn on the ac not necessarily make it cold but select the ac on the HVAC controls this can force the fan to turn on as all cars are wired for the cooling fan to turn on when the ac is on. doesn't always work but usually.

hmmm

on really old fords the fuel pump cut off switch is inside the car behind the rear a-pillars that support the rear window. hitting this area decently hard can jar the switch to allow current to flow to the pump. other places are in the trunk behind the trim panels and these are easy to get too and don't require a hit to reset they have a button.

for some really interesting fun you can get some square dollys and jack up each wheel and put one under each tire.(make sure the dollys have a stop for the tires so they cant roll off. after each is positioned you can roll the car around in circles like a ball its quite amusing to see a car spinning in place. but please make sure that the dollys can support the wight of the car. by dolly i mean in its simples form those things you might have raced across the gym floor in elementary pe class that are basically square with 4 casters one in each corner. 

if you have a leaking heater core(signified by coolant leaking into the inside of the car usually near the passenger floor board in the front of the car). you can "by pass" the heater core by taking the heater hoses off the inlet and outlet of the core(these hoses basically but up against the firewall leading to the inside of the car. the core has 2 tubes sticking into the engine bay that these hoses go on and clamp to) and connecting them together with some sort of "T" connector or other tubular construct that can fint into both hoses and join them and clamp said object to the hoses. "t" connectors are pretty cheap like 5 for 5 bucks or so.

duct tape is god hehe.

if your door latch clamp(the thing on the car not the door that slides into the door to shut it) somehow has the metal around it disintegrate but there is still some there you can get this hardening compound i cant remember the name my mom had to use it cause this happened to her, to secure the latch back onto the car itself thus allowing you to shut the door again. great stuff will also work for a little bit. great stuff is basically a hardening foam used to seal breaks in various household things.

if somehow not i really mean somehow as i have no idea it happens accidentally as i have had it happen to me. if somehow the latch clamps in the door itself get stuck in the closed position. meaning that the door thinks its closed and latched to the post on the car, and you are unable to shut the door meaning that you close it and it bounces right back into the open position. it can sometime be easily fixed by holding the external door handle in the open position then taking a screwdriver/other metal object/pen/or your finger can sometime work; you can move the latches so that they are back in the open position. the handle must be held in the open position.

also a braking trick is while driving(assuming you need to stop faster than your brakes can stop you) is to use your gear selector and drop the gear of the car. ex: OD(drive with a circle around it or simply d aka 4th unless more than 4 gears are present) drop from there to the next one down like D(no outline;may also be 2 or even 3) this will make the tranny on autos down shift outta OD and into the next lower gear causing the rpms to raise and the engine to slow the car called engine braking. this wont hurt the transmission as long as a few rules are observed. never drop all the way down to the lowest gear at speeds over 30 mph even than it is dangerous. never drop more than to the second selection unless under say 70 mph may be higher or lower on some cars. to find the limit for each selection drive in said gear and watch the tach(if one is present) and when it gets to just below the yellow line on the tach(some cars simply have a redline in that case to just below the start of the redline).
some general rules for gear selecting are 1st no more than 30-35
second no more than 60-65 although some cars can go to 80 in second my first camaro could and it was just under 4500 rpms.
3rd really no restrictions as this gear isn't really straining on a tranny when selected but that doesn't mean there isn't.
please don't hold me accountable for any damage. it is hard to explain this properly for me with out showing how to use the engine braking but it is especially useful in snow. as well as driving in second in snow as the increased rpm can give more traction.

please forgive the length and sloppiness of the typing

i'm sure i have more as i have done many fixes to just keep going ill add more as i can think of them if it would please the forum.

enjoy rednecking your car to keep it going!


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## 89camaro

i wanted to edit my post above to add a comment but the button seems to be missing. i already edited it a couple time to add stuff so if a mod could merge this with that id appreciate it.

i wanted to add that i drove my car with no brakes, no revers,overdrive, or second gear. meaning only gears 1 and 3 (the car will shift to 3rd at the very end of first gear) by using engine braking and the parking brake.
yes im really crazy


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## Snoopdogie187

To add, i mostly drove stick. For the most part i never used the brakes untill i was going slow enough and had to come to a complete stop. I would always downstift and keep doing that till in first gear about 1000 rpms. 

Also, to add more for stick... it is possible to not use the clutch. Not sure how bad it is, i have heard stories from my uncle, and i did try it a little. I do not suggest trying it unless you have a good idea of what you are doing. This can ruin the clutch/trains if done wrong. It also works for downsifting but it is harder. To do this, you basically have to match the speed of the trans to the engine. Once they are matched up, it will slip into gear. It does not require a lot of force, you are not really forcing it in either. I did it with a 94 Hyndaiu Scoupe (mostly drove this) and i could do it almost all the time with pratice. To downsift it is harder as you have to step on the gas to raise the rpms of the engine. I also did it with a 92 pathfinder. For that i mostly applied a little force wen sifting and it went in when it was ready, the 94 i had to do it a lot quicker and i worked off timing for it. 
Downside: do it wrong, it can grind the gears and do a lot of damage.

Also, hard to do, but if you have a car that stales when stopping, step on the clutch normally, and i fund it eaiser to just use my right foot to control the brake and step on the gas enough to keep the engine going, but do it carefully since the more you step on brake, he more likely you are to step harder on the gas too. Also, if you NEED to stop quickly, let it stall, just go for the brake and forget everyting else. 

I adivise you that if you are going to try any of this, do so in an area that is controlled, with no one else around. Just be smart and do not put your life in danger or anyone elses. Also, i am warning you, some of this can damage your car, as the person above me, i gave you a lot of warning, so please do not hold me accountable for anyting either. Some of this, is do so at your own risk.

Also, just courious, i never had a problem yet, but maybe some one else knows. When you stoped useing the tranny, and no brakes, there will be no brake lights even if they work. Is it possible for a cop to bother you about that?


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## 89camaro

my guess is no. i frequently sit at stop lights in neutral in my auto and have never been bothered. also i have stopped without brakes and never had problems its when you slow suddenly with no brakes that there could be a problem since a gradual stop is very easy for someone behind you to match.
also it should be noted that you do not have to apply the brakes to the point that they are stopping the car or slowing for your brake lights to be on. they will turn on with the lightest amount of pressure onthe pedal. its just how that witch is designed.


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## onewolf1952

I had some one cut my fuel line once long ago for reasons I will not go into but I used a bic pen barrel to put the two haves together works great.


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## ebackhus

Alot of transmission techs I know say that rocking a car by switching from drive to reverse is one of the worst things you can do with a car. When I was younger and growing up in Colorado we would spritz bleach (undiluted, right from the bottle) on the treads. Cheaper than chains and much quieter. If we got stuck a bag of large-granule kitty litter provided adequate traction to get virtually any vehicle unstuck.


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## easyas

need to remove a smashed windscreen?- simply sit in the front seat and push it out with your feet. Its really easy.
halogen downlights (as seen on expensive patios) will work using your cars 12v battery.
running your tyres 5psi over manufacturers recommendations will add 50% to their life and cut mileage about 5%.(I run 31x10.5R15's @ 50 psi, weighing in at 2650kgs without trailer)
YES, your diesel engine will run on kerosene. very happily.
cars float for a long time before sinking- nearly a minute. don't panic.
Put a cheap, clear in-line fuel filter before the expensive one. visible fuel inspection and longer 'real' filter life. (not suitable for pressurised injection systems!)


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## kcaternolo

if your over heating and turning the heater on doesnt completely help you can also try turning on your head lights it helped me get that extra 10 miles down to the shop


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## Eternalism

Ive had allot of busted brake lines in my day and I can say most brake line breaks/leaks even tho they effect braking so much you still should be able to travel 5-10 miles if you keep adding fluid and some vehicles have sperate front and back brake lines so if your front brakes go out your back still work or vise versa.


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## Marb750

If you drive through some deep water and it sputters, dies and won't restart?
First, check the air filter - if it's full of water, temporarily remove it, get as much water out of the air cleaner box and try to restart. 
Second, if it's an older car with a distributor, remove the cap and spray a bunch of WD40 in it if its wet inside. Wipe out the excess if possible and then try to start it.



Eternalism said:


> Make note: brake fluid and power steering fluid are the same so if your out of one you can use the other.


Not always; I'd like to add: It may be a geographical difference, but different countries may use different compositions for fluids. In the US, auto trans fluid and PS fluid are usually interchangeable, but brake fluid has a different base composition and I wouldn't recommend swapping brake fluid for power steering fluid (or vice versa) unless *absolutely *necessary. In an emergency, just about any fluid can be substituted, but you run the risk of completely destroying certain components with even temporary use. These _are _*emergency fixes,* btw


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## geraldabey

To lady_jay's query, these tips are for emergencies only. You need to find the coolant leak otherwise you may cause expensive damage to your engine. External leaks usually show signs of water corrosion or antifreeze staining - you will need a powerful torch and a small mirror for awkward spots. For anything except a visual inspection wait until the engine cools to avoid burns. If the loss of colant is minor you can drive home without the radiator pressure cap (on the radiator itself, not the expansion tank) -reduced pressure will reduce leakage but keep a close eye on the temperature gauge and stop frequently to top up with water. Not recommended for long journeys because of 'hotspots' and possibility of leak increasing. Gerald


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## 2strokedetroit

gas
starting fluid in the air box
heated blankets round motor 
build up a ton of snow around the bottem of the car and stick a heater under there
coal or small fire under block (use extreme caution and do not leave unattended) also if its extremly cold dont do it u can ruin your block
diesels
if you have an older diesel turn your key to run a few times 
so that the fuel pump cycles and sends fuel to the motor then spray the starting fluid in the intake! if u dont cycle your key to run a few times to run u can ruin your engine possibley even blow it up! you can do it on newer diesels in a really tight bind how ever many have been ruined from it so do it at your own risk
heated blankets round motor
small fire or coals under block again use extreme caution!!!!!!!
or again build up snow around it and stick a heater under the block


gas and diesels
get a trans heater and block heater installed it really truelly will be so much eaiser on your engine they work great and can be realativley cheap! especially if your a do it your selfer! or u can get a pan heater its magnetic and sticks to your oil pan heats your oil for easier cranks!


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## markster57

hey , i was out in the woods cutting fire wood and my battery went died , i was 10 miles from any road , so i pulled the chain off my chain saw and pulled the alt belt off and put the belt from my saw and to the alt , and turned key on and ran the saw for 10 mins , put it back together ,started engine


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## markster57

i have used horse s##t before for a hole in my rad , when i was hunting


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## peter portugal

I have had a broken pulley belt, you know the one that drives the radiator fan,generator and perhaps AC etc. got to be the Vee Belt type. A pair of ladies Tights (Stockings) looped around and tied carefully will keep you running and at least the battery charging until you are safely home. If you borrow them from a friend you will need to replace with a new pair as they will get the odd ladder during the trip. Peter:


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## octaneman

Eternalism said:


> Make note: brake fluid and power steering fluid are the same so if your out of one you can use the other.




Power steering and brake fluids are NOT the same, it is foolish and setting a dangerous precedent. The major fundamental differences are that power steering fluid has high boiling point, low freezing point. Brake fluid has very low compressibility, and a high boiling point. If P/S fluid is added to the master cylinder it is corrosive and all the o-rings and seals swell very quickly creating a dangerous situation on the road. 

Do not under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES add anything to braking systems other then what manufacturer recommends.


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## Ryan_H

zach1288 said:


> If you have a radiator leak throw alittle pepper in it. Yes the kind you use on food.


Pepper? How does that work?


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## Ryan_H

markster57 said:


> i have used horse s##t before for a hole in my rad , when i was hunting


......really?


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## dai

when it hits the leak the air set it rock solid
when we used to live up country we carried
pepper
pantyhose
soap
for emergency repairs


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## vortec1100

I have used duct tape to temp fix a broke u joint


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## SABL

vortec1100 said:


> I have used duct tape to temp fix a broke u joint


We have another Red Green fan!!..:grin:

YouTube - RED GREEN'S DUCT TAPE FOREVER "TRAILER"

Had to pause and let it load before playing... could be my connection.


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## 97'sonoma

laidy_jay said:


> I have a coolant leak but I cant figure out where its leaking would this trick work for me?


yes just for a while though puting table mastard will work well too. also dont just sprinkle a little pepper in just dump it in the radiator.


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## 97'sonoma

Eternalism said:


> Ive had allot of busted brake lines in my day and I can say most brake line breaks/leaks even tho they effect braking so much you still should be able to travel 5-10 miles if you keep adding fluid and some vehicles have sperate front and back brake lines so if your front brakes go out your back still work or vise versa.


use vise grips to crimp off the line so no more fluid leaks out and keep air out of the line then you should be alright for a while


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## kendallt

Mostly for offroading, but they work on-road too.

There are two good quick fixes for a broken brake line, the best and fastest way is to carry a wrench and some small brass flat head nails. Remove the fitting, insert the nail into the tube, then reinstall the fitting.
The brass nail is soft, so it conforms to the fitting and seals the line until you can get home and fix it correctly.

It's a trail fix, and not intended for -any- long term use. It entirely shuts off the brakes to that end of the car. With -real- 4 wheel drive,( manual t-case and lockouts) it's a solid connection through the T-case, so stopping even one wheel will stop the others

A big pair of vise grips clamped on a broken drive shaft on a front wheel drive car will direct all power to the unbroken side allowing you to get home. simply clamp the axle, rest the vise grip on a part of the car in expected direction it will turn, and tape it down, tape just keeps it in place, doesn't take any stress.
on my offroader I cut access ports above all the 'critical' spots, junction block for rear brake line, fuel tank sending unit/pump cover etc so in an emergency I can block -just- the broken line, and even change the in tank fuel pump without dropping the tank. Install sheet metal covers over them

If you change tire size, and want to determine the effect on your speedometer, get on the highway, and drive at 60mph (or KPH) while keeping an eye on your odometer and the mile marker posts. 
If it works out as 1:1, you're good. 10 miles on ODO means 10 miles on the road, or, 60=60
If the odo reads that you go .9 miles between markers, then your speedo reads low by 10%, 10 miles on ODO means 11 miles on the road, or 60=66
if it reads 1.1 miles then it is reading high: 10 miles on ODO means 9 miles down the road, or 60=54
60 MPH or KPH or even feet per hour doesn't matter, 60 is just used for easy math to match it up with time. Either do the mental calculations to correct the speed, or change the speedo drive gear (most new cars have electrical connections to the speedo, but still have a gear to drive a small 'generator' that provides the signal)
Just remember corrections are in percentages, the speedo will be off by that amount for every ten mph it it reads (10=11, 20=22,30=33 etc), it's not a simple case of add/subtract 10 mph from whatever the speedo reads


Ken.


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## wolfen1086

dai said:


> when it hits the leak the air set it rock solid
> when we used to live up country we carried
> pepper
> pantyhose
> soap
> for emergency repairs


Ok I'm from the country too, and I understand the 
pepper ( used it) 
pantyhose ( used it,had to explain it to a GF once too,
I've even used duct tape on hoses and believe it or not I patched a tire with it once, went through hell getting that 235 back on the rim.
For brakes I always carry a flare kit tubing cutter and a spare piece of line with me when ever I go into the woods, but then my emergency camp shovel is permanently mounted to the Jeep too.

but soap? I gotta ask...........what fer?


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## 97'sonoma

we use soap on belts when a pulley locks up it keeps from melting the belt to get you some where safe. but i just carry the shorter beltto omit p/s and a/c but if the alt. locks up you probably shoulda seen that one coming. as fare as interchanging fluids NEVERuse anything ina transmission but the recommended fluid. plus you should be carrying this stuff in your car any ways (1 quart oil,1quart trans fluid,1quart gear oil,1 pint brake fluid,1 quart power steering fluid and 1 spare belt, box of fuses,jumper cable ,emergency road makers or flares and a few misc. tools and good music just in case you're screwed, in snowy icy conditions salt wood chips and fix a flat hand warmers and some of those food warmer gel things from walmart.)


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## dai

when you put soap on a holed petrol tank it sets like cement


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## wolfen1086

Here we go guys, women's hair scrunchies, believe it or not they make great gas pedal return springs


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## brasshopper

kcaternolo said:


> if your over heating and turning the heater on doesnt completely help you can also try turning on your head lights it helped me get that extra 10 miles down to the shop


I thought about this. How could it possibly work? You are working the engine slightly harder with the headlights on than off...then I guessed that by bleeding power from the electrical system, it changed the range the overheating light ran in, rather than allowing the engine to run cooler.

I used to throw any parts I replaced into my carry-around toolbox. Back in the days of points, I had cheap replacement points fall apart while I was on the road, and got going by re-installing the old ones.

I stopped because my secretary could not start her car one day. It was leaking engine fumes into the distributor and everything was covered with oil. I got her going by cleaning the points with a business card.


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## Trebor66

Had the end of gas peddle cable break off. Used vise grips to pull cable under dash to get home.Was not easy ,but beats walking.


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## marca203

Mullet Man said:


> If you got a big truck with a large fuel tank that springs a pinhole leak in it, you can rub a bar of soap over the hole to get you to the shop.


this only works with diesel as the fuel will gell


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## marca203

tummypony86 said:


> Stuck on ice or snow,put your floor mats under the wheels for traction to get moving again.


use laundry bleach to melt the ice to get you going.
pour some rubbing alcohol in you washer fluid so it will not freeze on your wind sheild


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## Ooudestomp

Any kind of VW/VAG car that has a problem with a turbo, i.e, "limp mode", Unplugging the air mass will allow you to drive somewhat normally to a garage. Random tip


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## sirtokesalot

yustr said:


> Never done it, but ViceGrip used to advertize that they had report of someone pinching off a broken brake line.
> 
> I do know someone who drove with a Vice Grip clamped to the steering wheel hub in place of the wheel that had broken.
> 
> I guess I should put one in my car. :grin:


 lol yes it does work. ive done this on an oldsmobile once brake line blew for the rear drivers brake cut the brake like crushed it down with vice grips folded it crush again fold and crush again. leak stopped drove home on 3 working brakes.


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## BOBBY1976

If you have a busted or leaking brake line, take the brake line loose, not from the caliper but the other end and slide a small nail in the end of line then reconnect. This will stop fluid from leaking.


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## sirtokesalot

yustr said:


> Never done it, but ViceGrip used to advertize that they had report of someone pinching off a broken brake line.
> 
> I do know someone who drove with a Vice Grip clamped to the steering wheel hub in place of the wheel that had broken.
> 
> I guess I should put one in my car. :grin:



i have done the brake line pinch with vice grips it does work.


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## wolfen1086

I don't know if the brake fixes work or not, but as a person who has worked on every kind of brake system there is up to 2015 I don't recommend going very far with the quick fixes. Unless your my ex wifes kin folk that threaten me every now and then, in that event I recommend cutting all brake lines draining all fluid out and driving through et rocky mountains at 100 mph


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## kendallt

Old thread and not my fix, But once bought an old truck for parts.
Drove it home and used it around the property for a while hauling firewood etc. Then started pulling parts off to go on my good truck and found a 1/2 and 9/16 double box wrench installed in place of the transfer case shift linkage. 

The nail in the brake line works great, I've been keeping small brass nails in my offroad trucks for 30 years or more. 

Once blew a U-joint 40 miles from home in the middle of nowhere at 11pm. Ended up pounding out the rest of the joint and using two bolts and nuts/washers to bolt it together, then wrapped tape and wire on it to keep it centered and made it all the way home, then to town to get a new one in the morning.


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## Corday

kendallt said:


> Old thread and not my fix, But once bought an old truck for parts.
> Drove it home and used it around the property for a while hauling firewood etc. Then started pulling parts off to go on my good truck and found a 1/2 and 9/16 double box wrench installed in place of the transfer case shift linkage.


Must have been a Snap-On :smile:


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## Sabazios

ok this is if your car overheats lol this happened to my dad once " mountain dew saved the day"


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## wolfen1086

I can say this on those new throttle bodies with the weak springs, a teen age girls hair scrunchies work pretty good to get you of fthe road, the oly reason I knwo is I had to but my wife a replacement one for her 05 malibu whan we had it because when I asked her if she wanted it back I got " the look"


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