HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-05-18, Page 25THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 1988. PAGE 23.
Tips on maintaining outboard motors
Among the many outboard maintenance tasks which boaters can
perform for themselves is Inspecting and replacing spark plugs.
•Service the fuel filters, guided
again by your owner’s manual.
Replace filters that appear to be
contaminated. Then prime the fuel
system and check for fuel leaks.
•Once a year in fresh water pull
the prop and lubricate the prop
shaft. Inspect the prop and replace
it if you have badly bent blades or
pieces broken off. Reinstall the
prop and tab washer and tighten
the prop nut.
•Inspect your outboard’s trim
tab if it has one. Replace it if more
than half of it has eroded away.
Don ’ t paint a sacrificial trim tab, by
theway. It’s made to corrode; paint
simply interferes with its primary
function.
•Touchupscratched external
surfaces with the primer recom
mended with its primary function.
•Touch up scratched external
surfaces with the primer recom
mended by your outboard’s manu
facturer.
•Wash down your outboard
completely with soap and water.
Locally’owned and operated
190 MITCHELL AVE. S.
Boaterswill little mechanical
aptitude are often intimidated by
their outboard motor, thinking it so
complex that they must keep their
hands off it.
Not so, advise the Mercury
Outboards service people. You
should have problems taken care of
by an authorized dealer, of course,
and you should follow the owner’s
guide for scheduled maintenance
by a dealer.
Butthere are some things you
can do yourself that are easy, take
little time, and will keep your
machine in top operating condi
tion.
Use only oil recommended by
the outboard’s manufacturer.
Don’t stint. Saving a few pennies
by buying cheaper oil is a poor
economy if your five or six-thou
sand dollar outboard is inade
quately lubricated.
Periodically you should:
•Checkfor damaged, loose or
missing parts; tighten or replace as
required.
•Add lubricant as needed to your
gear housing as outlined in your
owner’s guide. Be careful not to
overfill.
•Check spark plug leads and
electrical leads for damage. Then
remove the plugs themselves for
inspection; if they are badly fouled
or worn, replace them.
Make sure the gaskets are in
place and put the specified new
plugs in. Thread the plugs in by
hand until they’re finger tight,
then tighten an additional quarter
turn with a wrench.
Anti-lock braking
a true advance
No autmotive development in
recent years has won such drama
tic acceptance as anti-lock braking
systems.
Experts and consumers alike can
be divided on such features as
electronic dashboards and multi
valve engines, but ABS, as it’s
known in the industry,
converts effortlessly.
wins
buck
whichthendecides whether the
wheel is close to lock-up and
adjusts the hydraulic controls to
deliver optimum brake pressure to
each wheel.
It all happens in an instant. The
driver can push as hard as
necessary to stop the car and feel
the ABS working by a pulsating
sensation through the brake pedal
as the computer modulates the
pressure.
Some tests have found that ABS
doesn’t necessarily stop cars in
shorter distances on dry pave
ment, perhaps because conditions
are ideal and a driver can bear
down harder on the pedal without
risk of lockup.
ABS also can’t promise to
prevent an icy slide from turning
into a collision if the initial speed
was too high and the driver began
braking too late. ABS can’t
overcome the laws of physics.
It will, however, take the
conditions while driving at sens
ible speeds and in situations which
call for the driver to brake hard and
After all, who could
something that takes the panic out
of panic stops?,
The system sounds too good to
be true, but a short demonstration
on an icy or rain-slicked road is
usually enough to convince skep
tics.
Drivers get into trouble when
they hit the brakes too hard and
lock up one or more of the wheels,
sometimes sending the car into a
skid. A car with its wheels locked is
out of control, even if it’s going
straight. It can’t be steered around
an obstacle, and on a slippery
surface it becomes a projectile.
In a nutshell, ABS replaces the
driver’s frantic brake pumping, turn sharply at the same time.
The obvious question is: Why
don’t all new cars have ABS?
slowing the car in the shortest
distance by applying the brakes
just short of lock-up. It also allows
the driver to retain control under
hard braking and pilot the car
around an obstruction.
Thank the microchip revolution
for the anti-lock braking system.
ABS ties the brakes on all four
wheels to sensors connected to a
central computer. The sensors
watch for sudden changes in wheel
speed.
Signals are sent to the computer,
Costs still limit the system
mainly to luxury models and
big-dollar sports cars. But like
every new technology, the price
will drop as volume increases and
shortcuts in production are found.
A form of ABS is already
showing up on General Motors
pickup trucks. Pickups have al
ways been prone to lock-up when
travelling unloaded.
Mazda Celebrates “20 Years in Canada
with
SIX WAYS TO SAVE
ON MAZDA CARS & TRUCKS
FROM M-W MOTORS
FREE AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
ON ALL
323 MODELS
FREE AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
ON ALL
929 MODELS
$7940MAZDA 323
3 Door Standard Model '
4 Speed
M.S R.P *8640 NOW ONLY _ ___ _
323 WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NOW ONLY *8640
FREE AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
ON ALL
626 MODELS
FREE AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
ON ALL
RX-7 MODELS
FREE AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
ON ALL
MX-6 MODELS
SEE M-W MOTORS AND PICK UP A GREAT DEAL TODAY!
@$750 MINIMUM
DISCOUNT ON
MAZDA TRUCKS
•(OFF MSRP) NOT APPLICABLE SE-5
MAZDA B22
PICK-UP
NOW ONLY
Plus Freight, PDI, Tax. Licence
2 NEW ’87’s AT CONSIDERABLE SAVINGS ...
MAZDA 323 DX
wagon. Michelin tires, intermittent wipers, reclining seats,
velour interior No 706
MAZDA 323
5 door, 5 speed, intermittent wipers, Michelin tires, tinted glass,
5 year/100,000 km. warranty No. 731
LEASE
FROM .
$19900 PER
MONTH
48 MONTH LEASE/O.A.C.
LEASE
FROM..... MB Wb month
1986 MAZDA RX7 GXL
5 speed, leather interior, p windows, p. sunroof, p mirrors,
cruise control, alloy wheels, electronic stereo • only 22,000 km
(never winter driven) No 798
QUALITY USED MAZDAS...
1985 MAZDA 626
Sporty 2 dr coupe. 5 speed, p.s., p b , AM/FM stereo cassette,
trunk release, tilt steering, well maintained
$9,900.
1985 MAZDA 626 TOURING SEDAN
Special model, fully equipped, p windows, p door locks, p
sunroof, digital dash, cruise, alloy wheels, digital AM/FM stereo
cassette, only 57,000 km $12 500
1984 MAZDA 626
Deluxe 4 dr. automatic, p s.pb, tilt steering, velour interior,
trunk release, low mileage COMING SOON
1983 MAZDA B2000
Long box deluxe pickup, 5 speed, rear step bumper, AM/FM
stereo, fibreglass topper, only 70.000 km $5,695.
$19,900.
1986 MAZDA 323 LX
Top line model. 4 dr. sedan, automatic, sunroof, p.s., p b . alloy
wheels, luxury interior, trunk release, electronic stereo, only
43,000 km
$10,950.
1986 323 DX
3 dr, 5 speed, velour interior, digital clock, intermittent wipers.
Ziebart rust protection, only 34,000 km
BACKED BY THE BEST WARRANTY IN THE
BUSINESS •36 months/80,000 km complete "bumper to bumper" coverage
•5 years/100,000 km power train plus all major components »no deductible
•transferable at no extra cost
$7,900.
M-W MOTORS LTD.
184 EAST ST., GODERICH 524-2113
Sales, Service, Parts. Leasing
HL1D«»v'EXTENDED _
UNTIL JWE 3,2?
DON’T MISSJTI
1988