When driving during holidays, your car might occasionally act up. Staying calm and using small everyday items wisely can sometimes solve major problems.
Fuel tank leak? Chewing gum to the rescue
During the three-day Qingming holiday, when highways were toll-free, Mr. Chen from Hangzhou drove his car and went on a self-drive trip to Qiandao Lake with three or four other families. The next morning after arriving at their destination, Mr. Chen unexpectedly found a large oil stain in the parking spot. After an inspection, he discovered that the car’s fuel tank was leaking. This worried Mr. Chen a lot. Among his travel companions was a seasoned driver with nearly 20 years of experience. Together, they carefully searched for the source of the leak and recalled hearing about a folk remedy—chewing gum might help. Though skeptical, Mr. Chen applied chewed gum residue over the leaking area of the fuel tank, and miraculously, the fuel stopped leaking.
The clever use of chewing gum wasn’t invented by Mr. Chen’s friend; in fact, it’s a last-resort trick used by many veteran drivers.
Not only can a leaking fuel tank be temporarily fixed this way, but air conditioning pipe leaks where refrigerant escapes can also be patched using chewing gum. Beyond this “all-purpose” item, common household things like soap, plastic bags, and tape—items that seem completely unrelated to car repair—can actually come in handy for minor emergency fixes during road trips. Of course, these are only temporary solutions; finding a professional for proper repairs as soon as possible is most important.
Veteran Drivers Share Emergency Tips
1. Fuel Tank Damage: If you find the fuel tank leaking, clean the area and apply soap or chewing gum to temporarily block the leak. For a better fix, use epoxy resin adhesive.
2. Fuel Pipe Rupture: When a fuel pipe ruptures, clean the broken area and apply soap. Wrap it with cloth strips or duct tape, secure tightly with wire, and then apply another layer of soap.
3. Fuel Pipe Breakage: If a fuel pipe breaks, find a rubber or plastic tube close in diameter to the pipe and fit it over the break. If the fit isn’t tight enough, secure both ends with wire.
4. Fuel Pipe Joint Leak: If there's a leak at the engine fuel pipe joint, wrap cotton yarn around the lower edge of the “flare” and then tighten the fuel pipe nut and joint securely.
5. Sudden Radiator Leak: You can use soap and 502 glue to patch it. Specifically, soften the soap in water, knead it into putty-like consistency, press it into the leaking area of the radiator, and fill around the cooling fins to temporarily stop the leak.
6. Inlet Pipe Rupture: If there’s a crack at the radiator inlet hose connection causing a leak, cut off the damaged part with scissors, reinsert the hose into the radiator inlet fitting, and secure it tightly with a clamp or wire. If the crack is in the middle of the hose, wrap tape around the leak. If no tape is available, wrap plastic wrap over the crack first, then wrap it with strips of old cloth.
7. Fan Belt Breakage: If the belt is cracked, wrap it tightly with cloth strips or similar materials. If the belt is completely broken, charging will immediately stop and the charging warning light will come on. Stop the vehicle immediately, wrap the crankshaft, water pump, and generator pulleys with cloth strips, pull tightly, and tie a secure knot. Make sure to trim any excess cloth.
8. Valve Spring Breakage: Remove the broken spring and reinstall the two broken pieces in reverse—they’ll still work. If the spring is broken into several pieces, remove the intake and exhaust valve adjustment screws for that cylinder to keep the valves closed and stop the cylinder from working.
9. Sediment Cup Cracking: Use rubber or plastic tubing to sleeve over the inlet and outlet oil pipes of the sediment cup, allowing the oil to bypass the cup directly.