HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1976-04-01, Page 28Another Car Care Quiz . . .
Whatyou should know
about cooling system
The higher cost of anti-freeze is giving motorists cause
for more than a casual thought to the care of their cars
cooling systems, To help answer a few common questions
(and some not so common) about this vital system of
the car, AutomotiVe Cooling System Institute asks a few,
See how you do on this true-false quiz. Answers are
on page X, Eight or more correct is excellent. Six is
passing and below that indicates you'd better bone up
on car care,
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Page 8 Times-Advocate, Second Section, April 1, 1976
imperative tune-up is
Summer Summer is coming and with
it the lure of the open road.
Generally, Canadians do
more driving in summer than
in winter — vacation tours,
weekend journeys to the cot-
tage, trips to beaches and
resort areas.
To be sure of carefree
transportation, your car must
be in tip-top condition. John
Dubee, fleet superintendent of
the Tilden Rent-a-car System
in Montreal, who keeps hun-
dreds of cars operating
perfectly on a year-round
basis, suggests that a Spring
tune-up is imperative.
It should include a check of
the ignition, points, spark
plugs, battery, alternator,
voltage regulator and all the
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Bring your
automobile
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Professional
Tune ups
Hunter Front
End Alignment
• Dynamic
Wheel balancing
on the car
• Brake repairs
• Lubrication
We enjoy giving
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16-81 Crescent, Grand Bend
238-2475
wiring,
The cooling system should
be flushed and cleaned to
reduce the chances , of the
engine overheating in traffic
jams and in start-and-stop
driving during hot weather.
The thermostat, fan belt and
water pump should be ex-
amined and all defects cor-
rected.
Oil should be changed to a
warm weather grade to en-
sure a smooth-running engine
and, as a safety measure,
windshield wipers, turn
signals, headlights, backup
lights and brake lights should
be checked.
When installing summer
tires, have them rotated so
the best ones are on the front
wheels. This does not mean
that any old tires will do on
rear wheels. Make sure all
tires have ample tread
because high speed summer
driving on sun-baked pave-
ment builds up a hazardous
degree of pressure.. If your
tires are worn thin, blow-outs
could occur.
Worn shocks
often sneaky
Unlike a tire that sud-
denly blows out with a
loud bang, worn shock ab-
sorbers can fail with little
advance warning. Yet
when shocks fail, the re-
sults can be just as _peri-
lous as a blow-out.
To avoid such a danger,
ask your service man to
check shocks every time
the car is on the hoist
for a lube job or similar
service.
This is particularly im-
portant if your present
shocks have more, than
20,000 miles of wear on
them.
Don't kill 'cat'
Sometimes it isn't "busi-
ness as usual" when serv-
icing a new model car
equipped with a catalytic
converter, Take the mat-
ter of using a carburetor
cleaner or other fuel addi-
tive. Unless these sub-
stances are used in a cer-
tain prescribed way, they
could cause damage to
the converter, rendering
it useless. Read and follow
the directions exactly.
Answers
Winter tires should be
stored in a cool place, such as
a basement, on a rdek if possi-
ble, and in an upright position.
They should be kept away
from oil and grease.
Dubee recommends that
wheels pe aligned and balanc-
ed when summer tires a-re in-
stalled. This lengthens the life
of the tires and ensures a
steadier ride. Also brake
linings and brake seals should
be checked for signs of ex-
cessive wear.
The winter's residue of salt
and abrasives should be wash-
ed thoroughly from the car
body. Use a detergent and
warm water, and then apply
wax to protect the finish from
the sun's rays. Steel wool can
be used to remove rust from
chrome. Rust mouldings on
the painted surface can be
removed by applying a soft
rubbing compound available
at most service stations.
Finally, flares, a first aid
kit, a flashlight and other
safety equipment should be
carried in the car all year
round.
It doesn't take long to
prepare your car for summer
driving, says Dubee. A few
dollars invested wisely now
will pay dividends in trouble-
free trips.
Correct answer is FALSE
in every case. Here's why.
• *
1) The radiator cap
seals the radiator to build
up and maintain pressure
in the system. Pressure
caps weaken with age
and should be checked
seasonally. "
* * *
2) Never put oil on
a drive belt. While belt
dressing or special lubri-
cant designed for this pur-
pose often will serve as a
temporary cure for a
squeaking belt, the noise
usually is due to a glazed
surface on the belt con-
tacting the pulley. If the
belt makes a Clicking
sound, look for a crack.
Play it safe and replace
noisy belts.
* *
3) Water boils at 212
degrees Fahrenheit (100°
Celsius) . Antifreeze in a
pressurized system, how-
ever, will not boil below
276 degrees F. if it is of
the correct proportion.
• * *
4) There are ten fluids
in most cars. You'll find
them in the engine crank-
case, transmission, rear
axle, brake system, power
steering system, cooling
system, battery, wind-
1. Only purpose of the
radiator cap is to keep
the anti-freeze front
spilling out. 0 (T) (F)
2. When the fan ;belt
starts chirping or
squealing it should be
greased.
(T) (F)
3. The cooling system
boils over at 212 de-
grees F. (100° C.)
(T) (F)
4.. You'll find up to 6
different types, of
fluids in most cars.
(T) (F)
5. Radiator hoses never
need replacement so
long as they show no
signs of leakage.
(T) (F)
shield washer reservoir, air
conditioner and (last but
far from least) the gas
tank. * *
5) False again! Don't
wait until a hose starts
leaking to replace it.
After about three years of
average driving hoses gen-
erally have deteriorated
to a point where they soon
could be spewing expensive
anti-freeze all over the
highway. Preventive re-
placement in time is the
answer.
* * *
6) Neither too cool nor
too hot an engine is effi-
cient. But without a tem-
perature gauge on the
instrument panel it's diffi-
cult to determine whether
or not your engine is run-
ning too cool. If your car
is losing power or burning
more gas than it used to,
it may be due at least, in
part to a faulty thermo-
stat that fails to keep the
system up to temperature.
Another clue: a heater
that's not putting out as
it should.
* *
7) Don't believe it. Anti-
freeze is a composition of
many chemicals, some of
which deteriorate with age
and use. Anti-freeze-cool-
ant should be replaced
6. A cool running engine
is more efficient than
one that runs hot.
(T) (I?)
7. You can keep using
the same anti-freeze
for years if you add
rust inhibitor every
spring and fall.
(T) (F)
ll. If your ear overheats,
stop at once, remove
the radiator cap and
add cold water.
(T) (F)
9. To prevent slipping,
drive belts should be
adjusted as tightly as
possible.
(T) (F)
10. Hose clamps should
be oiled when new
hoses are installed.
(T) (F)
seasonally as part of Com-
plete system maintenance.
* * *
8) Never try to remove
the radiator pressure cap
on an overheating engine.
You could be seriously
scalded. Instead, allow the
car to cool down, then
remove the cap slowly and
carefully using a large wad
of towels or other protec-
tive cloth, Wear leather
gloves for added protec-
tion if you have them
available.
24. * *
• 9) Too tight an adjust-
ment puts undue strain
not only on the belt but
also on the bearings of the.
accessories it drives. To
check for proper tension,
press flrmly half way
between the pulleys. The
belt should deflect no more
than a half inch.
* * *
10) Most seasoned me-
chanics recommend re-
placing clamps when hoses
are installed. Although
they sometimes can be re-
used, clamps generally lose
effectiveness through rust,
corrosion and weakening
of the metal. When invest-
ing in Cooling system ser-
vice, as with other car
maintenance, your best
buy is a job done properly.
Correct answers to Car "Cool" test with reasons