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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1969-05-15, Page 21The News -Record, May 15, 1969 — Car Care. Supplement — Page 9 Better Ways to Summer Driving Comfort Cited Hints on How To KeepYour Cool Offered Give a Thought to Your Car Air Conditioner For Best Results The pleasures derived from owning an auto air conditioner are many and varied. How- ever, as with any mechanical unit on your car, there are ways to increase satisfaction and improve performance. The Automotive Air Conditioning Association offers these sug- gestions on the cafe and serv- ice of your car air conditioner. Hot Weather Hints During hot summer days al- ways park in the shade — or leave your windows open. Your car will cool down much quicker if the interior doesn't become super -heated. Parked in the sun on a 90° day (with windows closed) , the temper- atures inside your car can soar to a tremendous :140° — the highest degree to which most people are ever subjected. Should the interior of your car become super -heated, turn your air conditioner on "high" and place the temperature control at its highest setting. Drive a few blocks with all windows rolled down. This quickly removes hot air and permits quicker cooling. Air • must circulate through the condenser coil before your unit will function at maximum efficiency, thus your car must be moving for it to cool prop- erly. When you park, remember to turn your air conditioner off, — this makes starting your car much easier. If unit doesn't cool, move temperature control to cold- est setting. If cooling doesn't occur then, turn unit off (to avoid possible damage) and see your service man for a check-up. . Sometimes on a long trip, frost may form on the cooling coil. This may be evident by a lack of cold air, since frost will prevent air circulation. To correct, move temperature control toward off position and turn fan control to high. This will melt ice and allow unit to again cool properly. Care, Service Hints, Don't be alarmed at water draining from under your parked car. This comes from thecondensate drain hoses and' .has been removed from the air inside your car by the dehumidifying action of the evaporator coil. DRIVING WITH DEDE Is This Any Way to Talk to a Lady? By DeDe Benson Robert Frost said it. "There is something that doesn't like a fence."- Now it's my turn. There is some- thing that doesn't like a woman, And that's an auto- mobile mechanic. That's at least if he's 6'1" in his old army boots, nas uncertain blue eyes and goes by the name of Hank. Now, I guess I know as much about cars as the next League of Women Voters Foreign Policy _Committee chairman. After all, it was I who spent three hours in the library looking up trade restrictions on automotive replacement parts. So, I'm not exactly a babe in the woods on the subject. But to talk to Hank, you'd think I was dumb. I say "Talk to Hank" advisedly. Every time I drive in, he mumbles something about test-driving a manifold and takes off in his car, leaving me standing there. You'd think we were married, the way he carries on. My last non -communica- tion with Hank happened just last week. I was late for a hair dresser's . appoint- ment, it was raining and my car wouldn't start. Naturally, I was frantic. If you miss an appointment with Mr. Gino he demotes you from Friday afternoon to Monday morning, And do I have to tell you what kind of mood Mr. Gino is in on Monday morning? So, I called Hank. My tears must have moved him because he was out in five minutes. Hank was unusually talk- ative when he came, He ac- tually said, "Hi." He got me started and I made it to Mr. Gino's with 27 seconds to spare. Which was fortunate since it meant I only had to wait 45 minutes before the maestro could take care of me. But wouldn't you know that as I tried to start my car again, nothing happen- ed. Nothing, that is, except my hairdo began to disin- tegrate in the downpour. So, I called Hank again. This time he took a half hour to come and didn't bother with a "Hi." Instead he pushed my car into the station, popped up the hood and left me to peruse his ample supply of automotive magazines. You'd think they'd publish a few articles Car Docs Ask, Like M.D. 's, 'Open Up and Say A-aah' In certain respects the auto- motive service man and the family doctor have much in common. One notable similar- ity is in the problem of inter- preting the patient's com- plaints. Often, it is not easy for a person to describe his body's ailments, or the -ail- ments of his car. In neither case is the pa- tient expected to do his own diagnosing, but in both cases it helps when the doctor or mechanic has some descrip- tive information with which to begin his symptomatic an- alysis. Independent Garage Own- ers of America offer some ad- vice for car owners regarding the portrayal and interpreta- tion of their car troubles. Most mechanical problems follow set behaviorial patterns, they say, and often it is easier for the owner to observe and rec- ognize these characteristics than it is for the mechanic. Some problems, for example, occur only in wet weather; others disappear in dampness. An elusive engine miss may come and go under certain specific conditions and a real tipoff to your mechanic may be the circumstances under which that miss occurs. Is it always on a heavy pull? Or when the car is first started in the morning? Or when it gets hot? The most critical clues to car troubles are: ROAD SURFACES . is the symptom more noticeable on asphalt or concrete? Wash-• board? High crowned road or flat? SPEED ... this has a bear- ing on most diagnoses. LOAD . . . is the trouble more pronounced with full passenger load? On a long grade? Downhill? GULF GOOD VALUES! 3 GREAT VALUES TO CHOOSE FROM — SELECT ONE WITH EVERY GASOLINE PURCHASE OF $3.00 OR MORE KLEENEX 200's GARBAGE BAGS LIGHT BULBS 26" x 36" 40-60-100 Watt GULF GOOD VALUE PRICE 2/33` with minimum purchase of $3.00 GULF GOOD VALUE PRICE 10/35' with minimum purchase of $3.00 GULF GOOD VALUE PRICE 2/294 with minimum purchase of $3.00 SAVE ON CAMPING SUPPLIES - SPECIAL SALE NOW ON CLAYT'S GULF Victoria St. (Hwy. 4 South) • S_ Gulf a gal could appreciate! Just as I was absorbed in a piece about "How. to Sell More Upholstery Shampoo," Hank aproached me. It was evident he was about to speak to me because his Ad- am's apple was quivering. "When's the last time you had your car tuned up," he challenged. By his serious look, I thought I'd humor him. "The last time the piano tuner came through town," I quipped. He managed to hide his amusement manfully as he didn't even crack a smile. "Miss Benson," he iden- tified, "You've got a cracked distributor cap and your spark plugs are fouled. No wonder you couldn't start." I bit my tongue before I could blurt out an indignant that's no way to talk to a lady. Instead I told him to fix it, which he did. I really can't be too mad at Hank. He even thanked me when I paid for two serv- ice calls and a complete tune-up. And he was polite enough not to mention that my Mr. Gino Special looked like a wet cocker spaniel. But one thing saved the day. I still have Friday af- ternoon's at Mr. Gino's. First Test Track Built in 1915 Proving grounds were intro- duced by the industry in 1924. But what probably was the first test track designed spe- cifically to test , and evaluate production vehicles was built by a Detroit auto maker back in 1915. A half -mile planked WHEN TO REPLACE... How often should spark plug cables be replaced? Ac- cording to ignition system ex- perts, the cables should be re- placed after every third spark plug change or at 30,000 miles — whichever comes first. CHECK LIST fortrouble-free summer driving! Let us check over all of the items on this list to put your car in top shape for summer motoring ... ❑ ENGINE TUNE-UP—This is the best way to bring your engine back to life for carefree summer driving. Our tune-up includes a new set of Champion spark plugs plus whatever basic tune- up items we find your car needs. We check points, condenser, rotor, distributor cap, compression, wiring and electrical connections, coil and air filter. ❑ BATTERY—We'll check it for full power, make sure terminals are tight and clean. ❑ VOLTAGE REGULATOR—Let us check it. Over or under charging can ruin battery. ❑ STARTER AND ALTERNATOR OR GENERA- TOR—We'll remove any corrosion and check brushes. ❑ AUTOMATIC CHOKE—We'll check idle adjustment. ❑ CARBURETOR—We'll check, remove and clean it if necessary. ❑ FAN AND PULLEY BELTS—We'll check ad- justments. If belts are badly worn they should be replaced. ❑ CRANKCASE—We'll change 'dirty oil—put in proper grade oil for summer driving. ❑ LIGHTS AND WIPERS—Summer storms can mean dark and dangerous driving. We'II make sure that headlights, parking lights, taillights, stop lights and directionals are all working properly. We'll also check wiper operation to see that blades wipe clean without streaking, fill windshield washer tank with cleaning solution. ❑ TIRES—We'll examine them carefully. Worn tires can spell trouble on crowded vacation high- ways. ❑ BRAKES—We'll check for proper adjustment— a slight pull to one side can slide you off the road. WE SELL AND INSTALL GENUINE DABLE CHAM PION PLUGS at SCRUTON '5 TIRE & AUTO SERVICE On the Farm — On The Road — In The Shop Vulcanizing — Retreading — Repairing Front End Alignment — Wheel Balancing, Complete Brake Service 238 Albert St. Tel. 482-7681 , Clinton