HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2000-11-01, Page 21THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2000. PAGE 21.
Brake failure, number one fear of Canadian drivers
In survey after survey, Canadian
drivers rank brake failures as their
number one fear of mechanical fail
ure. Yet, only 20 per cent identified
brakes as a system that should be
checked regularly.
Car Care Canada believes people
don’t check their brakes because
they don’t understand them. But it’s
not so bad. It all depends on friction.
When you press down on the brake
pedal, that creates pressure in the
master cylinder. This is passed
through the brake lines to the brakes.
If you have power or power assisted
brakes, you don’t have to press as
hard on the pedal to get the same
braking effect. In a drum brake, the
brake shoes inside the drum press
outward against the brake lining to
create the stopping force. It’s an
enclosed unit that’s relatively inex
pensive to maintain.
Disc brakes are like bicycle brakes
- the calipers pinch the disc, or rotor,
to create the stopping force. Because
of their better heat rejection, disc
brakes offer up to three times more
stopping power than drums. That’s
why most cars have discs on the
front, where most of the stopping
work is done, and drums on the rear.
Because of the heat generated in
braking, pads used to be made with
asbestos. Newer metallic materials
have done away with asbestos and its
harmful dust.
The fluid in the master cylinder is
the medium that translates your
pedal pressure into brake pressure. It
absorbs water very easily, so if you
have to add fluid, use a fresh con
tainer.
And use only the approved brake
fluid described in your owner’s man
ual.
When’s it time for a brake job?
If your brakes squeal or make a
grinding noise, or if you feel a lot of
vibration or grabbing, it’s time for a
check up. If your brake pedal sinks
to the floor, or feels spongy, you may
be low on fluid or have a leak in the
system.
You should rotate your tires every
10,000 km. or so to make them last.
When the car is on the hoist and the
tires are off, that’s an ideal time to do
a a little preventative maintenance
and get your brakes checked. Brakes
can last 60,000 km. or more - or they
can need replacement after 10,000 -
15,000 km. Don’t let this simple
maintenance item slide, or the next
sound you hear could be the crunch
of a collision.
If you like paying for^brake jobs,
here’s how to ensure you’ll need fre
quent brake jobs:
1. Race up to stop signs and slam
on the brakes.
2. Ride your brakes - use your
right foot on the gas and rest your
left on the brake pedal while you
drive. This will also confuse the
drivers behind you, because your
brake lights will be on all the time
and they’ll have no warning when
you really want to stop.
3. Stay really close to the car in
front so you have to be on your
brakes a lot to match every little
change in speed.
4. Ignore those warning signs, like
chirping brakes or grinding noises.
Then a simple pad replacement
becomes a full replacement of
rotors and linings and costs hun
dreds more.
Economizing on brake jobs
Car Care Canada suggests a simple
five point program that could save
you hundreds of dollars over the life
of your car:
1. Preventive maintenance. Every
10,000 km or so, when you get your
tires rotated, have your brakes
inspected.
2. Don’t neglect your parking
brake. Using it regularly will keep
in more
inferior
Keep a
the cable from seizing up, and will
reduce your need for repairs.
3. Install quality parts and materi
als. Cheap stuff is a false economy
that you’ll pay more for
frequent brake jobs and
performance.
4. Driving techniques.
buffer space between you and the
car in front, and use it to slow down
on the engine so you don’t have to
use brakes as often. /
5. System flush. Once a year, have
a full brake inspection, including
all lines and hoses, and replace the
brake fluid with fresh fluid.
Get your car ready for winter
Most people think that if they win
terize their cars in the. fall, before it
gets really cold, they’ll make it
through the winter without problems.
And they’re mostly right. Others
think that if they haven’t had a prob
lem yet, they won’t have one for the
rest of the winter. (Now there’s a
recipe for trouble.)
Difficulty starting? A cold engine
is a stiff engine - it’s hard to get the
pistons moving, to draw in the fuel
and get started. So it needs more bat
tery power. In cold weather, your bat
tery may produce only 40 per cent of
the power it produces in warm
weather, so give it a break - use a
block heater. A block heater, with a
timer to turn it on a couple of hours
before you need your car, will make
starting much easier. Starting warm
can save you money on gas, too.
Take a look at your battery termi
nals. Is there any white deposit on
them? That corrosion can insulate the
terminals and prevent the battery
from giving your car its first boost of
power in the morning to get it going.
If your battery is getting a little eld
erly, you may not get a second
chance.
It can take up to 40,000 volts to zap
a spark into your cylinders. If the
ignition wires are worn or cracked,
some of that power may not make it,
and you could have starting troubles
- especially in damp weather.
Another tip - keep your gas tank at
least half full. That limits any con
densation in the tank, so you’re less
likely to get gas line freezing. Add a
little gas line antifreeze every second
time you fill up the gas tank just to be
sure.
One of the most important things to
watch is your cooling system. There
are two things to watch: the concen
tration of coolant, and the amount. In
most parts of Canada, a 50/50 mix of
coolant and water keeps the coolant
from freezing, lubricates the water
pump, and protects the cooling sys
tem from corrosion. In very cold
areas, it may be necessary to increase
the concentration of coolant - but
never more than 70 per cent coolant
to 30 per cent water.
But if you’re like most Canadians,
you’re more concerned about heating
than cooling at this time of year. The
only heat you get is from the engine,
which is why your heater blows cold
when you first start your vehicle
(before the engine warms up). If your
coolant is low, your heater is the first
thing to suffer, so keep your
antifreeze topped up.
You may also hear a squealing
noise (audible over your own teeth
chattering) from the heater fan. That
could indicate a worn bearing in the
fan motor, which will probably seize
up on you when you need it most.
If there’s a lot of moisture on your
windshield, and the defroster can’t
remove it, you could have a faulty
heater core. That’s a mini-radiator
that transfers heat into your passen
ger compartment. Don’t delay, get it
fixed - you need to be able to see
where you’re going
Winter additions to the usual emer
gency kit include good scraper and
snow brush, matches and candles,
can opener, traction mats, red cloth
(help signal) or “call police” sign,
blanket, hats and mittens, canned
fruit/nuts/survival ration, tin cup,
small shovel, jumper cables.
&
It's Time To
>4
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523-9023
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Scott Stevenson
"Spring and Fall
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George Carrie
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OLD MAN WINTER IS ON HIS
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