HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-04-10, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2008. PAGE 19.
How did we ever get along
without air conditioning in our cars?
It’s a feature we take for granted
until, suddenly, it’s blowing hot air.
In the past few years, many
owners have discovered that fixing
an inoperative air conditioner can
cost a few hundred dollars or more,
depending upon the make and model
of vehicle. The reason is that the old
standby R-12 refrigerant, trade
named DuPont Freon, has been
replaced by R-134a. Touted as being
environmentally safer than its
predecessor, R-134a has been
standard since ‘94.
If your older vehicle needs major
repairs to the air conditioning
system you can expect to replace
refrigerant and the oil in the
compressor in addition to the old
components. You also may need to
install a retrofit conversion.
Do not allow anyone to mix
refrigerants. They’re not inter-
changeable. You cannot add R-134a
to your older air conditioner without
first flushing the system. Further,
according to Car Care Canada, some
substitutes are volatile mixtures of
propane, butane and flammable
hydrocarbons. Keep in mind the fact
that if your vehicle is leaking
refrigerant, you’re damaging the
ozone layer.
An annual inspection of the
vehicle, including the air
conditioning system, may help
forestall costly repairs. Many
automotive service shops offer AC
inspection specials when warm
weather arrives. Otherwise, ask your
service centre to evaluate your
system before those hot and humid
days of summer.
That curb you bumped while
negotiating an icy corner last winter
might not appear to have done any
damage, but chances are your
vehicle is a candidate for an
alignment check.
If you hit it – or that frost-heave
or spring thaw pothole – hard
enough, you might notice your
vehicle no longer tracks straight and
tends to pull to one side,
particularly while braking. In a
severe case your steering wheel
might even be askew. But in most
cases wheel misalignment is more
subtle and often goes unnoticed
until it becomes obvious through
unusual tire wear patterns.
When a vehicle leaves the factory
its wheels are aligned in a
geometric relationship with the
actions of the suspension and
steering.
The main settings, known as
camber, caster and toe-in and ride
height, determine how it will react
during acceleration, braking,
turning, hitting bumps or just
rolling down the highway.
Tire tread wear patterns are a
clear visual clue to bad alignment
and are easy to detect, but only after
they’ve become established, by
which time you’ve usually ruined
an expensive set of tires.
A simple check can be conducted
using a coin to measure tread depth
on the inside, centre and outside of
the tire. If the tread is deeper on the
edges than the centre, the tire has
been running over-inflated. If the
tread is deeper in the centre than the
edges, it’s been running under-
inflated.
Simply inflating them to the
correct pressure can solve these
problems. If the tread is deeper on
one side than the other, however,
you have a camber problem.
Another check involves running
your hand over the tire. If you find
the surface is smooth in one
direction and jagged in the other,
you’ve likely discovered the saw-
tooth wear pattern related to a toe-in
problem.
In both cases professional
attention is required.
Car Care Canada recommends
having an annual alignment and
suspension components check-over.
It could save you the cost of
replacing prematurely worn tires,
and will ensure your vehicle
operates safely in an emergency.
Some cold facts about A/C refrigerant
Frost-heaves a recipe for misalignment
(MS) — This is the season for
planning and embarking on a
vacation. For many vacationers,
destinations are reached by plane,
train or bus.
However, many others choose to
make the journey as much a part of
the vacation as the final destination
and travel via RV.
RVs come in sizes and price
ranges to meet just about any budget.
Motorized ones are more expensive
and are generally a home on wheels.
Towable RVs can be folding or
conventional camping trailers that
are pulled by another vehicle.
When most people envision an RV,
they are usually thinking of the
motorized variety.
While RV owners come in all
types, according to a University of
Michigan study conducted in 2001,
the majority of owners are Baby
Boomers — the fastest-growing
segment of RV buyers.
They likely own their homes and
spend their disposable income on
traveling.
RVs provide a comfortable,
affordable and practical method of
vacationing, particularly in larger
motorized homes. They can also
foster a feeling of togetherness
among families who RV vacation
together. RVs provide one of the
most flexible ways to see the country
— on your own schedule. They can
also be used for non-traditional
purposes, such as tailgating,
shopping and more.
OOnn tthhee RRooaadd
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Chart an RV this season