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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-04-23, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23,1997 Spring Car Care 1997 Rack and pinion — not a wrestling move Most cars today use rack and pinion steering because it's light and gives precise steering control with good road feel. More and more cars also use power assist to make steering easier, which can lead to some bad habits. Without power assist, drivers learned that it is easier to turn the wheels while the car is moving, even if slowly. So that's what they did, even when wriggling into a small parking slot. With power, it's easy to turn the wheels while the car is motionless. But all the stress that you would have taken on yourself is now shouldered by the power steering assembly. That stress can lead to breakdowns. There are two things to keep an Fix fan belt before it breaks "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" That expression isn't always true. Some things you should fix before they break, because if they break, it can be very distressing. Take a vehicle's fan belt. Please. It's a simple thing, just a piece of rubber. But it runs the alternator, which provides electrical power and keeps the battery charged. Without that electrical power, your car will run for only as long as the battery lasts - maybe 10 minutes. If you're lucky, maybe 30 minutes. For many cars, other things run from belts, too. Power steering, water pump, air conditioning - with the exception of the water pump, these are things you can live without while you limp to a repair centre. Some cars have several belts, Products keep valves clean Continued from page 13 sell gasoline that has detergents and injector cleaners added to keep fuel injected cars operating cleanly and efficiently. However, if you take a lot of short trips, it's a good idea to help these cleaners along by adding some fuel system cleaners, available at all automotive stores. These products will keep the injectors and valves clean, eliminating stalling and hesitation, rough idling and engine knock. eye on - fluid and boots. Power steering fluid, the lifeblood of the steering system, takes the brunt of the pressure of everyday driving. When it works, it heats up. And when it heats up, it can break down. Your power steering fluid should be a pale amber colour, with a slight tinge of green. It should also be clear. If it looks dark, it may be contaminated or it may have taken too much heat (the darkness comes from carbon). That means you need to get your system checked, and have it flushed out and new fluid installed. There are rubber boots at each end of the steering assembly. Their purpose is to keep road dirt, salt and water out of the steering others a single, long belt that does everything. The belts today are mostly V-shaped. They have cogs on the underside to allow a better fit around the pulley and increased air circulation. The air circulation keeps them cooler, so they will last longer. When you inspect your belts, look for cracks in the rubber, frayed edges, missing cogs - anything to suggest it's getting brittle or worn. Replacing a belt when you're having an oil change is easy. Doing it by night at the side of the road is not. Hoses are equally important. Coolant is carried from the bottom of the radiator to the engine block, circulates through a water jacket, and then returns to the radiator via the upner hose. A thermostat in the FUEL INJECTOR i. hexagon fitting 2. fine mesh strainer (filter) c 3. valve body 1 2 3 4 Wheeler Auto Glass Div. of Wheeler Bus Lines Inc. New location 32 Water St., Wing ham Box 117 Wingham, Ont. NOG 2W0 FREE MOBILE SERVICE - (519) 357-1270 BRIDGE MOTORS LTD INSTALLER - JIM RIVETT, MANAGER - GERALD WHEELER SALES Highway 86 Just East of Wingham 357-3460 SERVICE LEASING assembly, and grease or permanent lubricants in. They do wear out, crack and tear, so they should be checked every time your car is upon a hoist. If your boots need changing, don't delay. A popular feature with some cars is speed-sensitive steering. The power assist is coupled with the speedometer, so you can get more power at low speeds, and less at high speeds. This means it's relatively easy to park the car, while at highway speeds you get a tight, precise steering feel for lane changes and cornering. This makes your power steering fluid work that much harder, so flushing the system and putting in new fluid once a year is really important. upper hose regulates the flow. Inspect the hoses every time you have the hood up. Run your fingers along the hose to feel for cracking. Squeeze the hoses to make sure they remain firm - a mushy spot is likely to give out at an inconvenience moment. Watch the level of your coolant. If it drops regularly, or if you see a puddle of greenish liquid under your car, you could have a leak. Any pinhole leak in a radiator hose could turn into Niagara Falls while you're driving on the highway, and nobody needs that kind of excitement. The hoses are held in place by clamps. It's a good idea to check the clamps every so often to make sure they haven't worked loose due to road vibration. How do you know if you have a steering problem? If you experience any of the following •.problems, it's time to get a checkup: • fluid leakage • loose or erratic steering • loss of power in steering system • road wander • loss of power steering during cold starts • any play in the steering system when the car is parked • steering vibration • unequal turning effort • excessive front end noise • uneven tire wear • poor steering returnability (coming back to centre when you release the wheel) Where there's power, there's hydraulic pressure. And where there's pressure, there's a pump. The power steering pump is driven by a belt connected to the engine. It may have its own belt, or it may be one of the accessories running off a long serpentine belt. If the belt slips, or breaks, there goes your power assist for the steering. You can still steer the car, but you no longer have help from the engine. Car Care Canada suggests the following steps to get the best from your power steering system: 1. Turn the wheels only when the car is moving, even when parking. 2. Check the fluid level once a month. 3. Flush the system and replace the fluid once a year. 4. Check for worn of cracked boots every time the car is on a hoist. - - -5. Check the power steering belt for wear at every oil change. Give Your Car or Light Truck Expert Care FUELf®'® INJECTION SYSTEM SERVICE ,._________.... • Cleaning with a .. x .. x.. —i Injector cleaner CM1001|f~ . ------ 20,000 km fill\ III® Inspect thrott e body ..TA. 7 Motorcraft fuel inlAr.trtr>.lP«nAr Recommended every 1995 Buick La Sabre, teal, loaded 1994 Chrysler Concord, black cherry, grey trim, loaded 1994 Olds Cutlass Supreme SL, garnet red, loaded 1992 Eagle Talon, 2 door, sport, automatic, white 1992 Pontiac Sunbird LE, red, good student's car 1991 Plymouth Acclaim, gold, low km 1990 Olds Cutlass Supreme SL, garnet red, loaded 1989 Cadillac DeVille, dark blue with silver, loaded 1988 Chrysler New Yorker, loaded, black cherry 1988 Mercury Grand Marquis, medium blue, loaded 1986 Pontiac Parisienne, silver, nice options options TRUCK? 1995 Ford F150 XLT, ext cab, top of the line, black 1992 Ford F150 XLT, red/grey, loaded 1985 Ford Bronco, 4x4, red, some Brussels (519)887*9269 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)