Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2014-10-22, Page 2210 2014 Fall Car Care Guide • Wednesday, October 22, 2014 Anchorvale Repair & Sales Used Car & Truck Sales AUTO & TRUCK REPAIR • REPAIRS TO ALL MAKES & MODELS AIR CONDITIONING REPAIRS HYDRAULIC LINES MADE TO YOUR SPECIFICATIONS DIESEL EMISSION TESTING HURONIA DEPOT & WELDING SUPPLIES 519-482-9272 RR#3 CLINTON, 77371 STIRLING'S LINE Keeping the roads safe Whenevera vehicle is re -sold or put back on the road, a safety certificate issued by a licensed inspector must accompany the required documentation in order to obtain a driving permit. The department of motor vehicles will deny you your permit based on the vehicle not meeting safety requirements if not accompanied by a signed certificate. If you are buying a used car, be sure to ask for a safety certificate. lfthe vehicle you plan to buy comes with one, check to seethat it is still valid. Ifthe date of issue is morethan 30 -days old, then the certificate is invalid. If the certificate has expired, another will need to be issued before a sales transaction can be processed. The safety certificate is an official document made available by the inspecting facility for the purpose of verifying and certifyingthatthevehicleissafetooperatewithintheminimum standards as set out in the highwaytraffic act; garages typically charge 1-2 hours of labour to issue a safety certificate. When a technician inspects a vehiclefor a certification, his or hertradelicenseisontheline.Allsafetyrelated itemssuchasthe horn, brakes, mirrors, tires, exhaust, gas lines, seat belts, wipers etc., must be checked for proper operation and condition before being passed as "safe': In certain cases, technicians have been brought before the courts for accountability of unsafe vehicles. As a purchaser, you have the right to have the car inspected at anotherfacility should you want a second opinion and set of eyes. In this case the sales transaction may be nullified if you can prove a deliberate cause of non -disclosure of information related to the sale of the vehicle. You may also notice a considerable difference in pricing when buying a certified automobile versus an uncertified one. Usually you can expect to pay as much as 10-20 percent more for a vehicle that has met safety certification requirements. Sellers should provide proof of the repair history of the vehicle to confirm the service done over the years. ■ Tire Sales and Service • Dripless Car Oiling • Electronic Wheel Alignment ® A/C Service ® Trailer Service Annual Truck and Trailer Safeties Tow Truck and Storage Area r7 Computerized Engine and Car Sp iern Diagnostics stics .rid Service Passenger Shuttle Licensed Technicians with Dealership Training and Experience LET US PRICE YOUR WINTER TIRES AND RIMS! 2II1oGESTOIIE 'piresrone �� unr & balance nce included in price of life& 411 Parsons Court, Goderich 519-524-8612 Don't blow smoke The repair procedure for an automobile that fails its emissions test dictates that the catalytic converter must be checked to verify that it is doing its job. Before we discuss the testing however, we need to understand how the catalytic converter does its job. The name alone should give you some indication of the role these devices play.The converter is most easily understood however, if it is looked upon as an after burner of sorts, and should be considered as the last line ofdefense in reducing smog -producing emissions from exiting our vehicles. For various reasons, our engines don't always completelyburnall ofthefuelthattheyarefed;ambient temperature,types offuel, payload, and internal engine wearall affecttheair-to-fuel ratiothatenterstheengine. The more complete this mixture is burned, the fewer emissions are produced. The catalytic converter's job is to finish the burning process and"scrub off"any compounds after the gases leave the engine. This is done by a bed of porous material within the converter that works at extremely high temperatures; engine exhaust gases must pass throughthismaterial,therebyfinishingthecombustion process before exiting into the environment. On vehicles that fail emissions testing, the catalytic converter is evaluated for efficiency and condemned when it fails to meet an overall reduction of unburned gases. Your"checkengine"lightwill also come on when this efficiency fails to meet factory specifications. A quick check involves measuring exhaust temperature at the catalytic converter. The exit temperature should exceed the entry temperature if the converter is working properly. The lifespan of the average converter is about 150,000 km; generally converters begin to lose their effectiveness after this time. The lifespan can be increased, however, if the engine is well maintained and tuned up regularly. Adversely, an engine that runs consistently rich will drastically reduce the life span of a catalytic converter.