While I was in my car

I might be driving a few people tomorrow to the Rite of Election for RCIA. So earlier today I did what I always do when there is a good chance I will be transporting people, I cleaned my car. I cleaned out the cup holders, vacuumed out the interior, and applied Formula 2001 to all the vinyl and plastic surfaces inside.

This brings me to some useful pieces of information about motor vehicles.

If you cannot turn the key to start the car
Sometimes you are able to put the key in the ignition but cannot turn it to start the car. In these cases when the key will not turn, the problem could be the steering wheel is turned too far to one side. To fix this, turn and hold the steering wheel to release the pressure. It will only slightly move, but that is all you need.

The most important step to using this technique is recalling it when needed. Last month I was in my brother's car and I could not turn the key. I had used this trick before, but I did not query my memory correctly so I did not know what to do. I felt stupid when my brother reached over and pulled the steering wheel a little and the engine started. In my defense, I have not had to use this in a long time. When I park my car I do not leave the wheels jammed to one side.

To recap: When the key in the ignition of a car does not turn, pull and hold the steering wheel to one side while turning the key.

Rear view mirror switch
On the rear view mirror, there is a switch. When the switch is thrown, the mirror changes its angle and reflects less light. This is designed for night driving when the full light of an approaching car's headlights can be blinding.

I had been driving for a couple of years before I learned about this. When I saw someone use it, I was bewildered, then shocked, and finally realized it made sense.

On the topic
While I am imparting automotive knowledge, I will say I hope everyone knows how to jump start their car and has jumper cables in said motor vehicle. If you are using a car, you need to know how to jump start it. I have had to jump start the cars of more clueless people than I ever thought I would have to. Also, be familiar with your specific car. Once I opened the hood of a BMW and . . . the person had to wait for AAA to arrive. I did not see anything to work with and the driver was clueless. I even ran into a girl who did not know how to open the hood of her Mercedes. She had the owner's manual, but that did not help her.

If someone learned something and uses it this post is a success.