HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-04-10, Page 15THE CITIZEN. THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2008. PAGE 15.Spring care more than a quick shampoo
Spring car care should involve
more than just a quick shampoo.
Canada’s long, harsh winters not
only add stress to our lives, but also
to the systems that keep our vehicles
safe and reliable and that means a
spring makeover should include
more than just cosmetics.
While your immediate focus will
likely be on restoring your car, van,
SUV or truck’s exterior and interior
to pristine condition, make sure you
also give its mechanical systems a
careful once-over to ensure they’re
ready to deal with the hot summer
weather ahead, particularly if its an
older or high mileage vehicle.
You can have your service
technician do this for you – and
many service shops offer spring
service special deals – but by
following some basic procedures you
can spot potential problem areas
yourself and then have them dealt
with if necessary by a pro.
You should have been keeping
your vehicle washed regularly to
help keep rust at bay, but if you
haven’t you need to do so before
checking it over as it will be easier to
spot damage or problems.
A do-it-yourself spring cleaning
process also allows you to flush out
salt and sand deposits from areas that
a quick run through the car wash
often misses. Don’t forget the
radiator, which may have become
partially clogged with debris. A fine
spray and a fairly soft brush with
long bristles can help here, but don’t
be too aggressive and damage the
thin fins. Visually check it for
corrosion or leaks.
With the engine stopped and cool
you can clean the compartment
with an engine specific spray
cleaner, followed by a rinse
(avoiding high pressure spray on
electrical parts). This will not only
make this area look good but often
reveal problems.
Hoses should feel firm, not mushy,
be free of obvious cracks and show
no evidence of leaking at
connections. Belts shouldn’t be
cracked, frayed, brittle or glazed
looking and should be firmly, but not
too tightly tensioned.
Make sure the engine is
completely cool before you check
coolant levels. This can usually be
done by looking at the reservoir
which is marked with maximum and
minimum levels. Never remove the
radiator cap of a hot engine. If your
coolant level is low you can add a
50/50 mixture of anti-freeze and
water, but make sure you check it
again in a few days and if it is down,
or you notice fluid under the vehicle,
you probably have a leak that will
require attention. Car Care Canada
recommends flushing your cooling
system and refilling with fresh
coolant every two years as the
beneficial chemicals in the coolant
break down with age.
A look around underneath your
vehicle - don’t actually get under
there unless you have the right
equipment and knowledge - might
reveal a muffler or a hidden part of
the body that has been damaged by
road debris.
Also look for fluid leaks,
particularly from the brakes, and
under the engine and transmission.
Now, after checking tire pressures,
take it for a short test drive. We tend
to compensate for developing
problems, so adopt an analytical
approach when you do this. The
brake pedal should feel firm and not
move more than a centimeter or two.
If travel is excessive, if you have to
pump the pedal, or if the car pulls to
one side have the vehicle inspected
immediately.
Simply driving in a straight line
while holding the wheel lightly can
alert you to alignment problems.
There shouldn’t be any side-to-side
wander, or pull under braking. If
steering response isn’t direct and
linear and if body roll and reaction to
bumps doesn’t feel controlled, or if
you hear any clunks or clonks,
components may be worn or have
been damaged by winter road
conditions.
There’s no sense in putting more
dry-road kilometers on those winter
tires that kept you safe than is
necessary, as this can rapidly reduce
their effectiveness. And you should
never use winter tires all-year round
as they won’t provide the same level
of traction as summer tires,
particularly if they are part worn. Hot
weather highway travel can cause
their coarser treads and soft
compounds to overheat possibly
leading to failure.
If you’re re-using last year’s
summer tires have the person
installing them check them carefully
for tread wear, damage and balance.
If you’ve kept your summer tires
mounted on your “good” alloy rims
and are installing them yourself
ensure they are inflated to the correct
pressure and lug nuts tightened to the
correct torque.
Check winter tires for damage
before storing them, preferably in
plastic bags and out of any direct
sunshine, so they won’t present you
with any surprises next fall.
If you didn’t replace your
windshield wipers last fall, a hard
winter will certainly have seriously
reduced their effectiveness. If you
replaced wipers with the winter type
you’ll want to switch back to the
summer variety.
If you’re not sure about any of the
things you may have discovered on
your spring inspection have them
checked out by a properly trained
service technician.
It’s a good time to go and see him
or her anyway, for that spring oil
change and tune-up, or just for the
peace of mind of having a pro check
to make sure you didn’t miss
anything that will cause problems
during the (hopefully) long hot
summer. And speaking of that, an
annual inspection of your air
conditioning system is also
recommended, certainly for older
vehicles.
OOnn tthhee RRooaadd
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519-291-1300
190 MITCHELL RD. S.
CALL NO CHARGE 1-800-663-5130
Windshield Repair
Safety Glass
(for heavy duty equip., etc.)
House Glass & Mirrors
(Small frames & screens)
Sun Roofs
Auto Upholstery (seat repair)
Convertible Tops (boat tops)
Vinyl Tops
Truck Accessories
Car Stereos
Window Tinting
Truck Caps & Hardcovers
Trailer Hitches
Detailing
Rustproofing
Auto Trader photo ad centre
Open Saturdays 8 am - 12 noon
Society’s growing obsession with
younger looking faces evidenced by
the Botox craze, is inspiring car
owners to prolong the appearance of
their automobiles as well.
Four billion dollars were spent last
year in the United States on
enhancements to keep the interior
and exterior of vehicles looking like
new, according to the Car Care
Council in the United States.
Hundreds of millions were spent in
Canada.
“As consumers spend more time in
their vehicles and drive more
kilometres each year, they are
placing more importance on
comfort, luxury and appearance,”
says Car Care Canada’s Marc
Brazeau.
Many consumers don’t realize that
just as they can buy new carpet for
their home or refinish and repair
furniture, they can also rejuvenate
their second largest investment, the
automobile. Automotive upholstery
and interior repair shops, known as
trim shops, can fix a drooping
headliner, replace worn carpeting,
repair torn upholstery and replace a
weathered convertible top.
“Home owners don’t sell their
house because someone put a hole in
the wall. But too often vehicle
owners will trade in a vehicle that is
paid off just to get a new ‘look’.
Repair and restoration is a very cost-
effective alternative to buying a new
car and taking on a new car
payment,” says Brazeau.
While leather is still the most
popular upscale option for a
vehicle’s interior, where age shows
first, innovative fabrics offer many
more customization, repair and
restoration options for the average
car owner. Today’s modern trim shop
can replace original materials like
seat or door panels to an
imperceptible condition.
The council advises that, if you
want to preserve the new look and
feel of your faithful car, truck, SUV
or minivan, search for trim and
upholstery shops in the phone book
or on the internet, which specialize
in repairing and enhancing interior
as well as exterior features of
automobiles.
2001 FORD WINDSTAR SPORT
Blue, V6, auto, loaded,
180,000 kms.
$5,49
5
.
$6,99
5
.
1997 Chev
Maroon/Silver, 5.7 L, auto, loaded,
buckets/console, 3 door, 180,000 kms.
1998 Pontiac Grand Am -green, V6, auto, loaded, 180,000 kms.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,995.
1998 Chrysler Concord -blue, loaded, V6, auto, 140,000 kms.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,495.
1997 Chrysler Intrepid -green, 3.5 L, V6, loaded, 140,000 kms.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,695.
1997 Dodge Grand Caravan -blue, V6, auto, 7 passenger, 199,000 kms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,995.
2000 Dodge Caravan -blue, V6,auto, 7 passenger, 220,000 kms.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,995.
1984 Rampage -neon green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000.
1998 GMC Sierra -red, V8, auto, 289,752 kms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,995.
1995 Ford F 150 -white, 4.9 L, 6 cyl, auto, 103,000 kms.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,995.
1996 Ford F 150 -maroon/silver, 5.0 L, auto, overdrive, A/C, tilt, cruise, 180,000 kms.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,995.
1996 Ford 1500 -green, 5.0 L, V8, auto, ext. cab, short box, 190,000 kms.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,495.
2000 Ford F 150 -white, 4.6 L, auto, A/C, cruise, tilt, ext. cab, short box, 250,000 kms.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,995.
2000 Dodge Dakota -white/grey, 3.9L, V6, auto, ext. cab, short box, highway kms.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,995.
2001 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT -maroon/silver, 4x4, ext. cab, short box, 360, V8, auto, quad cab, loaded, 180,000 kms.. . . $6,495.
2001 Dodge Ram 1500 -white, 4x4, ext. cab, short box, 318, V8, auto, quad cab, 250,000 kms. . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,995.
1999 Dodge Ram 1500-white/grey, 318, V8, auto, 4x4, reg. cab, long box, 240,000 kms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6,495.
1995 Izuzu Rodeo -black, 4x4, V6, auto, loaded, leather, 220,00 kms.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,495.
1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport -blue, 4x4, 4.0 L, 6 cyl, auto, 210,000 kms.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,495.
1991 Jeep Cherokee Sport -white, 6 cyl., auto, 290,000 kms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,495.
1996 Plow Truck Suzuki X90 - black, 4 cyl, 5 speed, 4x4, 200,000 kms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,995.
519-524-9878
After hours 519-529-3339
Service
all makes
&
models
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