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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1987-11-11, Page 25Times -Advocate, November 11, 1987 Page 9A A CARS ENGINE GENERATES ENOUGH HEFT 10 DESTROY ITSELF. THE COOLING SYSTEM PROTECTS AGAINST WAGE, KEEPING THE ENGINE OPERATING WITHIN THE CORRECT TEMPERATURE RANGE. REGULAR CHECKS AND MAINTENANCE HELP ASSURE LONG LIFE W VULNERABLE ENGINE FAIRS. If RES WHAWS INVOLVED IN PROPER 0000NG SYSTEM MAINTENANCE . CHECK CONDITION OF WATER PUMP. INSPECT RADIATOR FDR LEAKS, CORROSION. % SURE YOtJ HAIL PLENTY OF GO(1LANT. CAUTION NEMER OPEN OR REMOVE PRESSURE: GAP WHEN ENGINE !SHOT. WOK FOR LEAKING HOSES AND CONNECTIONS' TIGHTEN LOOSE CLAMPS. DICK CONDITION Of THE WDIATOR PRESSURE CAP" REPLACE IF RUBBER CASKET Is uAMAGED. IF THE ENGINE RUNS TOO COOL THE THERMOSTAT E PROBABLYSHOULD AT FAULT ANDREPLACED INSPECT CONDITION OF HOSES. CRACKED. MLJSIN OR OTHERWISE DETERIORATED iInS SHOULD BE REPLACED. HEATER HOSES DEMAND ATTENTION, T0O. WOK FOR LEAKS, CRACKS. ROTTED RUBBER. REPLACE FALJIJY CLAMPS. FORK WEAR AND TENSION REPLACE WHEN CRICKED OR FRAYED. USUAL UFE IS ABOUT 4 YEARS. 'NOTE: PRESSURE TESTING% RADIATOR AND PRESSURE CAP &SURE5 MOST Ai:U{WE TEST. HOST SERVICE SitUPS ARE EQUIPPED WITH THESE TESTERS Faulty exhaust is an automotive hazard While automobile engines are running cleaner and exhaust emissions have been reduced significantly, one unseen killer around every running engine is carbon monoxide, warns the Car Care Council. Often a driving danger that is easily overlooked, carbon monoxide is an odor- less, colorless gas that can kill an unsus- pecting motorist in an idling car or closed garage in a matter of minutes if the fumes aren't ventilated properly. Two recent accidents attributed to car- bon monoxide poisoning, one involving a father and son and the other a 19 year old youth, illustrate the importance of proper ventilation when an engine is running, particularly in a closed area. Tragic consequences The father and son spent the night in their stranded auto after it became stuck in a ditch. Periodically starting the car to stay warm, the pair died after exhaust fumes entered through holes in the floor. Police added that due to the calm night with no wind, the fumes couldn't disperse and stayed close to the car. Carbon monoxide poisoning was also blamed in the death of a 19 year old youth who was working in a closed garage with the motor running. Exhaust fumes became trapped in the garage after he closed the door because of cold weather. He died within five minutes. The Car Care Council advises motorists that a safety check-up should include an in- spection of the exhaust system for leaks and the floor for holes. If your exhaust sys- tem Teaks, replace it. If the floor has rusted through and there are holes, repair it. Fresh air supply essential An idling car can also be a killer. Never leave the car running in a closed area where the exhaust fumes can't escape. If you must sit in a parked car that is idling, always crack the window open to ensure a fresh air supply. ' Good driving habits will increase mileage Knight Rider may have a compu- terized car but most of us need a little human input. By simply changing a few driving habits, car owners can cut fuel con- sumption by 10 per ccnt. That could amount to a total saving of over a billion litres of gas and die- sel fuel annually in Ontario alone. A lot of myths have fallen by the wayside since fuel conservation has become part of the modern approach to driving. For example, drivers used to idle their cars to warm them up before moving, particularly in cold weather. Now motorists are finding that, even at -20 degrees C, most cars only require 15-30 sec- onds of idling before being driven off gently. On warmer days, cars need no idling at all. Another common belief was that leaving a car idling during short stops would use less fuel than turn- ing it off and starting it again when the stop was over. It is now widely recognized that 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine. 'Drivers are also finding that jack- rabbit starts are best avoided be- cause they increase fuel consump- tion. A smooth, steady acceleration uses less fuel and makes for a more comfortable ride. Like the accelerator, the brake pedal should be used slowly and evenly. Drivers can cut back on use of the brake by anticipating stops. Resting a foot on the brake pedal while driving is dangerous, increas- es fuel consumption and adds wear and tear to the brakes and transmis- sion. Dropping your speed slightly will have only a marginal effect on trav- el time but could put dollars in your gas tank. For example, a car travelling at 115 km/hr. uses 20 per cent more fuel than one going 90 km/hr. Another easy way to conserve fuel is to take those golf clubs out of the car, except of course when you are heading for the golf course. Car- rying any kind of unnecessary weight around either in the trunk or on the top of your car just makes it work harder and use more gas. if you do take your car to pick up a quart of milk (walking would eliminate gas consumption alto- gether), consider stopping by the dry cleaners and the bank in the same trip. Combining several short trips into one long one will reduce overall fuel consumption and save you time as well. Plan ahead. And remember, when you run in to do those short errands, turmthc car off. idling costs money. For more driving tips contact On- tario Ministry of Energy, GMS, Box 37, Queen's Park, Toronto, M7A 2B7. Is blue smoke arising? get your motor checked Do you think your car may be us- ing too much oil? One sign an en- gine is burning oil is blue smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. There' an be several reasons for this condition, says Car Care Coun- cil, the most common being worn valve guide seals. Here's -why: The valves in a typical engine may open and close as often as 100,000 times Der hour at highway speeds. The stem of the valve, sliding up and down in a guide, is fitted with a special scal; designed to permit only a limited amount of oil to pass. (Some oil is necessary for lubrica- tion, but too much creates oil burn- ing problems). Eventually these seals will wear, harden or otherwise fail. That's when oil burning begins. Many of the conditions which cause an engine to burn oil prema- turely are caused by vehicle neglect. One example of this is worn piston rings which can wear out premature- ly because of failure to change oil and filter regularly. Once the rings become excessively worn, an expensive "ring job" is the only remedy. With proper mainte- nance, however, an engine normally should go well bc% and the 160,000 kilometre mark without needing new piston rings. Itis essential to,check the engines oil' regularly. if oil is over -full or smells like gasoline, it could mean it is becoming diluted with gaso- line. Thus, the oil becomes thin enough to work its way into the combus- tion chamber, eventually to burn and end up in the atmosphere as smoke. 1f you have to pump the accelera- tor to keep the engine from stalling, you may be pumping raw gasoline into the crank case. This situation can be avoided by keeping the en- gine in tune. Another factor in oil burning is a malfunctioning positive crank case ventilation (PCV) valve, whtcn is intended to route oil vapors through the combustion chamber rather than permitting them to escape into the atmosphere. pont hesitate • gity�ur vehicles into service bays right now Many motorists wait until the first cold snap to winterize their automo- biles. The result is usually a frantic phone call to their local service sta- tion mechanic, who by this time, is already deluged with time consum- ing road calls fo.• dead batteries, fro- zen radiators and various ignition ailments. Easy -to -perform tune-up To make sure your car will start when it's 10 below zero, an easy -to - perform winterizing tune-up for your car's cooling system will take care of the cause of many of these annoyances. 1) Check the following for evi- dence of coolant leakage; upper and lower radiator hoses, heater core and hoses, cylinder heads, water pump, radiator and all drain plugs. A quali- ty stop -leak solution may plug some of the minor holes in metal parts. }lose examination 2) Examine all hoses (coolant, heater, bypass, fuel line, power steering and air conditioning) for swelling, soft spots, cracks, a par- tially collapsed condition, cuts and general deterioration. Replace as ne- cessary. If hoses are more than four years old, replace them regardless of visual condition. 3) Tighten all hose clamps. Re- place those which can't be adequate- ly tightened, or that show .corro- sion. 4) Check all V -belts for wear on bottom.and sides. Pay particular at- tention to the alternator drive. Re- place or retension as necessary. If belts are more than four years old, replace them regardless of visual condition. 5) Check coolant for rust. Flush entire system if necessary. Drain and refill with fresh coolant of 50- 50 water and anti -freeze. If coolant is less than two years old and isn't going to be replaced, check it for strength, and add as ne- cessary for needed protection. 6) Inspect the condition of the radi- ator cap, gasket and spring. Check the radiator filler neck for nicks that could lead to a pressure loss. 7) Clean bugs, leaves, paper and other foreign matter off the front of the radiator. Remove by blowing out with high pressure air or water. 8) Check the condition of the radi- ator overfl w tube or hose, and make sure it has a good connection to the radiator. The final step After the cooling system has been inspected and serviced, remove the radiator cap and start the engine. If the coolant begins to circulate immediately, or if after you have re- installed the cap, the upper radiator docs not feel like it's conveying warm coolant, the thermostat will need replacing. TOTAL CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IS A DAILY PRIORITY AT HMP At a recent 1988 new car announcement in Toronto only seven dealerships from Ottawa, Toronto and London zones received recognition for oustanding customer satisfaction. Huron Motor Products of Exeter was one of those dealerships singled out by General Motors. The local company placed highest in their dealer group. GM co-ordinates customer satisfaction pro- grams to access our dealership's responsiveness. They surveyed our customers and determined the acceptability of Our level of service was ex- tremely high. At HMP we believe selling to customers once is no longer enough. We look at our customers as a life-long resource. In fact, we consider our past and present customers essential assets. Our committment to excellence has devel- oped around a single objective: increasing the level of satisfaction experienced by each individual who is in contact with our service department. It is this group of talented individuals work- ing ext'emely hard as a team that is respon- sible fcr HMP earning the respect of everyone who entrusts their vehicle to us. - Whether it's a first purchase or one of many, or whether you purchased somewhere els, we'!! do everything we can to convince you the right decision was made when you bring your vehicle to us. We know happy .:ustomers will tell others and we recognize this is the best foundation on which to build a successful business. Try us and see how cus- tomer mirided we are. Howard McDonald Mark Tuckey Ed,Neidinger Bob Oke Service Manager Service Technician Servi:e Technician Shop Foreman Doug Campbell Joe Stephens Service Technician Service Technician Gerry McCarter Service Technician Ruth Miller Parts Dept. Jerry Smith Service Advisor Rob Dickey Marg Austin Mike Ziler Parts Manager Computer Operator Reconditioning "The Attitude of our staff brings. our customers back year after year.". Guaranteed Service Guaranteed GM Parts Guaranteed Price HURON MOTOR PRODUCTS L rp. Serving Western Ontario for over 20`years Main Street South, Exeter * 235-0363. PONTIAC. BUICK GMC TRUCKS HMP