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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1996-04-24, Page 15Regent Model 14048 Ust $3,350 Sale Price $2,800 - Tires - Exhaust - Alignment - Safeties CARS 1995 Chev Lumina 1994 Buick Le Sabre LTD 1993 Pontiac Sunbird 1992 Buick Le Sabre LTD 1991 Cadillac Fleetwood 1991 Buick Park Ave Ultra 1990 Chev Lumina 1988 Chrysler New Yorker 1987 Olds Cutlass Cruiser Wagon VANS 1993 Chev Astro Ext. Van 1988 Ford Aerostar Van Brussels 887-9269 From the insurance bump to the quality of a Ferrari finish. We repair them all! We specialize in Collision and Refinishing Classic & Antique Car Repairs Antique & Classic Car Appraisals McNeil's Auto Body Brussels 887-6833 Res. 887-9216 FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM SERVICE • Inspect throttle body • Cleaning with Motorcraft fuel Injector cleaner CM1001 • Recommended every 20,000 km 'SHOCK ABSORBER SPECIAL Applies to most domestic cars • 2 Motorcraft Gas Charged Heavy Duty Shocks • Parts covered by Limited Lifetime Warranty (Does not include MacPherson strut suspension parts) Give Your Car or Light Truck Expert Care BRIDGE MOTORS LTD. Highway 86 Just East of Wingham 357-3460 SERVICE LEASING SALES V-Gad ",-aLs - - Cool blast of air adds to summer driving pleasure Ahh, summer. Warm days, drives in the countryside, picnics on the beach. And road construction. There you are, stuck in traffic and it's a sweltering 32°C. Fortunately, with your air conditioning on, it's a comfortable 24°C inside the car. For many people, air conditioning is a "must have" option. Air conditioning works on the principal that evaporating fluid takes heat out of the air. The refrigerant vapour is first compressed to liquefy it, then it evaporates. This chills and dehumidifies the air coming into the car. The refrigerant that has been used with great success over the years has been Freon, or R-12. However, R-12, as a chlorofluoro- carbon (CFC), has been partly responsible for depletion of the ozone layer. In the last couple of You're driving along in that economical little car, and it sounds like a fleet of gravel trucks. But it doesn't have to be that way. According to Car Care Canada, the main cause of falling mufflers is simply a broken clamp. These can usually be replaced for what amounts to small change, compared to the cost of a new exhaust system. One warning sign is a clunking noise when you start to drive away. Just as you start to roll, you'll hear a series of clunks — you probably need a clamp tightened or replaced. That sound is the exhaust system bouncing against the underside of your car, and it's a good idea to get it fixed before something breaks off. Every time you have your oil changed, make sure the technician checks the exhaust system too. It only takes a few seconds to give it a quick look and a wiggle to make sure everything is firm and tight. Have you ever seen a car driving along the highway trailing a stream of sparks? It looks (and sounds) like the rocket ship from an old Buck Rogers TV show, but it's no joke. If there is any leak in the gas tank, those sparks could make things really interesting for the driver and for other people nearby. Even if there is no leak, there's a chance that the pipe could catch something and turn into a spear, destroying the gas tank or parts of the suspension. Of course, most problems are less dramatic. Often, it's a mere Smog hogs Nearly two-thirds of total carbon monoxide, more than a quarter of the hydrocarbons and a third of the nitrogen oxides which pollute our atmosphere come from motor vehicles. Thankfully these figures will go down as new vehicles, with enhanced emission control systems, continue to replace old ones. Federal motor vehicle emissions standards were tightened substan- tially for the 1988 model year. Improved maintenance of existing vehicles also helps reduce the amount of harmful exhaust pumped into the atmosphere. Periodic checkups, along with necessary maintenance, can make a big difference. y,ars, car manufacturers have converted to R-134a, a hydro- fluorocarbon (HFC) that is much less harmful to the environment. If you have an older car, it may be possible to convert your air conditioning to R-134a. Ask your car service provider about conversion kits. If not, you should be aware that R-12 is no longer being manufactured. While stocks are available, their use is tightly controlled and a great deal of care is taken to prevent leaks and spills to protect the ozone layer. You should have your air conditioning system checked at least once a year to make sure it has no leaks, seals and belts are in good shape, and it's running efficiently. As it cools, the air conditioning system also takes moisture out of the air. The air conditioning is usually coupled with the windshield defrost so that it will pinhole in the system. This, too, can be a danger as carbon monoxide — colourless, odourless, and potentially fatal — can leak into the passenger compartment. Exhaust system manufacturers have made a lot of progress, using more stainless steel (which is corrosion resistant) and more integrated systems (so there are fewer parts to separate or break off) to eliminate this problem as much as possible, but corrosion is still a possibility. "One of the things that drivers can do to prolong the life of their exhaust system is to reduce the number of short trips they take. If you have several things to do, save ahem up and make one longer errand out of several smaller ones. That way, your car (and your exhaust system) will warm up, saving fuel, reducing tailpipe emissions, and eliminating the water in your exhaust that tends to clear the window more quickly. There is always a concern when you walk towards your car and see a pool of something underneath. In summer, don't panic — your air conditioner takes water out of the air, and it drains onto the ground. So if you have been driving with the air conditioning on, and then you park, you will probably see the water draining from the air conditioner as you walk away and a puddle under your car when you return. If the puddle doesn't look like water, then it's okay to panic. Some people are concerned about the fuel economy penalty of air conditioning. It's true that when you use the air conditioning at full blast in city driving, you pay a price — perhaps as much as a 15 - 20 per cent increase in your fuel consumption. cause corrosion from the inside out. What's in an exhaust system, anyway? It includes a muffler, which feeds the engine noise through a series of baffles to make it quieter, a catalytic converter, which reduces the tailpipe emissions, and piping that connects these elements to the engine. Some systems also contain a resonator, so your car sounds more like a mean muscle machine and less like a sewing machine. Catalytic converters do wear out. Sometimes, they can be destroyed — for example, long periods of idling may "cook the catalyst" because the temperature in the exhaust will rise without any compensating airflow to cool things off. So if you want to avoid a rumble, take good care of your exhaust system. Like so many other things, taking a little time to check can help you avoid big troubles and big expenses. When you look at it over the course of a year's driving, though, it's much less significant. The annual fuel consumption penalty is less than five per cent, probably more like two per cent. Most people consider that a small price to pay for being able to chill out in the summer. n Powerful 14hp OHV engine • Smooth shifting S-speed transmission • Free Floating'" 38" mower • Electric blade engagement II Accepts front and rear attachments NI Torsion bar suspension for superior traction and ride Simplicity Outdoor Power Equipment 'Ir. Interest et No merit 1:t1111 5eplember, 1991r. \-ailable 10 qualit icJ customer} with 15.5. duns. fitter 11;1 Itei tilt ( hag(' Imsed on I limb rep,iyitient terms at prine rate plus I 1", SIT. Minimum [wonky ( 11.10g, 511 Left( McGAVIN FARM EQUIPMENT Walton, Ont . (519) 887-6365 (519) 527-0245 Muffler maintenance made easy