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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1988-04-20, Page 9•72,000 km Limited Mileage Warranty I (45,000 Miles) • 88,000 km Limited Warranty (55,000 Miles)_ . Page 8 Tunes -Advocate, April 20, 1988 SPRING CAR CARS Get Quality Professional 4 Service from These Experts Talking to your mechanic Learn how to talk to the person who repairs your car, and you'll save a lot of time, money and frus- tration. The classic - and all too common - way of how not to talk to a me- chanic is to say: "It doesn't run. Fix it." When you bring in your car for repair, be as specific as possible about the problem. Here are some tips using the ex- ample of an overheating engine. First, take the time to write down the answers to such questions as: 1. When is the overheating most noticeable? When the weather is cold? When it's hot? At high speed? At stop lights? When pulling a load? 2. What symptoms are present? Steam from under the hood? Bub- bling or hissing sounds? Leaking coolant? 3. How long has this problem been occurring, and is it now worse? 4. Has overheating happened be- fore and been repaired? What was done,. and when? 4. Has overheating happened be - tore and been repaired'? what was done, and when? 5. If you tried to fix it yourself, what did you do and what parts were replace? 6. When was the last time the cooling system was serviced? Has the system ever been drained and flushed? 7. Have major components (hos- es, belts, thermostat, liquid coolant, radiator cap) been replaced in the past two to four years? Then give this information to the dealer service manager or mechanic, and give some thought to any addi- tional questions. Don't try to diagnose the problem yourself unless you know what you are talking about, and you are will- ing to pay for an unnecessary re- pair. Ask for a written estimate, and make sure the service order states that no major repairs are authorized until you've received the estimate. Finally, leave a phone number where's you can be reached so that the car won't sit half disassembled while they try to obtain your ap- proval for repairs. Spring is perfect time for preventive checkup Spring is here, and now is the perfect time to do a maintenance inspection of your car following winter's harsh driving conditions. The following checklist, can be performed by the do-it-yourselfer or a car dealer/service station mechan- ic in less than two hours. Under the hood 1) Check the level of coolant in the plastic overflow reservoir and the radiator. If necessary, add fluid so that it tests out to be a 50 -to mixture of ethylene glycol and wa- ter. If the coolant is rusty it should be replaced and, possibly, the sys- tem should be drained and flushed. 2) Hoses and belts are vital com- ponents of the cooling system if summer overheating is to be avoid- ed. A good hose will feel firm. If it is soft, or if cracks or cuts and abrasion are visible on the cover, it should be replaced. Drive belts should be inspected for proper tension, cracks on the underside and sidewall wear. Most mechanics will agree with the rec- ommendation that belts should be replaced, regardless of condition, if your car is four years old. 3) In addition to coolant, four other fluids should be checked and topped off. These are the engine oil, and the brake, power steering and transmission fluids. Your own- er's manual will show you the lo- cations of the dipsticks and the proper fluid to use for replenish- ment. 4) Your car engine has several filters, which, if they become par- tially blocked or clogged could cause the engine to stall, idle rough or lack power. The major filters are the fuel, oil and air cleaner elements. Some of the engine's filters can be cleaned and reused, but most 'must be re- placed. 5) Sophisticated and often com- plex electronic systems should be checked by a mechanic using mod- erntesting equipment. However, the car owner can check the exter- nal condition of the battery and all wiring for corrosion and loose or exposed cables. The belt on the alternator drive also should be inspected and re- placed at regular four-year inter- vals. Under the car 6) Modern radial tires generally will last at least 40,000 miles. But, they should be checked annu- ally for air pressure and especially for tread wear. Tread patterns can tip you off to other problems such as over or un- derinfiation `misalignment, im- proper wheel balance or a damaged suspension system. Replace a tire that has bulges or cuts, and remove stones and the for- eign material from between tread ribs. ' This also is a good time to check the brakes and wheel bearings, and to have the car lubricated. 7) Examine the muffler and the connecting pipes. They must be free of breaks, holes and rust. An emissions test will determine of the catalytic converter system is doing its job. 8 Although undercarriage mate- rials arc made of plastic, or alumi- num or metal with undercoating, this is a good time to spray away mud, salt and sand left over from the winter. Outside the car 9) Wash the car's exterior thor- oughly and wax it as well. Look for water leaks at the windshield and rear window and if necessary, apply a rubber -based sealer. If water is leaking into the trunk, check the condition of the gasket. 10) Be sure to touch up any scratches, dents of nicks with a matchingpaint to prevent corrosion and rust. Before choosing a paint colour, look for the vchicic identifi- cation numbcr in your owner's manual or on a plate in the engine compartment. A car dealer can read the code and sell you the original paint colour. This maintenance inspection should take you or your mechanic less than two, hours to perform. But, it may save you from spend- ing days without a car or in a place you don't want to be, this summer. Tune up! Now more than ever before, it pays to keep the car in tune. AVOID THE TEMPTATION - of overloading your car when packing for the family trip. Car Care Council warns that today's lighter, more fuel effi- cient cars are not equipped to handle the same large Toads as older, heavy cars are. Trim load for travel Newcomers to the down -sized car scene packing for vacation travel may be pleasantly surprised by the cargo space available. It's a temptation to overload, says Car Care Council, which points out that, while the new, gas -efficient vehicle may be lighter by a thou- sand pounds or more, the weight of the load it may be expected to carry may stay about the same. So, while the driver of the 4,000 - pound car of yesteryear might notice little change in handling with a 600 -pound load, this same 600 pounds can make a noticeable differ- ence in a 3,000 -pound car. "Bottoming out" The relatively greater increase in weight can affect handling and can cause the car to "bottom out" on bumps. It also can cause headlights to blind oncoming drivers because of the lowered rear end of the car. Trimming important To be sure the new, lighter car is travel -ready, try to trim as much weight as possible from your vaca- tion gear. If you still believe your cargo is overweight, consider installing overload shock absorbers to main- tain level ride. Check your owner's manual for maximum permissible load for your make and model car. Good preventive maintenance practices are especially important before taking the car on a trip, says the Council. Be sure lubrication, oil and filter changes have been taken care of. Take a good look at the cooling system and check the condition of your tires, including inflation pres- sure, before starting off. An important consideration is en- gine performance, says Car Care Council. A spark plug that might have misfired intermittently in your old car with its big engine may have been barely perceptible, even under heavy load. However, you are more like to notice the difference in a smaller engine which generally will have fewer and smaller cylin- ders. Spotting tire problems Sometimes it's easy to spot car problems such as an oil leak or a weak battery. However tire problems are differ- ent. These days you can't kick a tire to see if the air pressure is right, and it's impossible to check inflation just by looking at a tire. The reason for this, is because to - day's tires, especially radials, often look as though they are under- inflated when thev -c ,iot. Improperly inflated tires can be hazardous because it is the air pres- sure in a tire that carries the load of the vehicle. To be sure the air pressure in your tires is correct, consult the car own- er's manual and check the inflation every few weeks. Tips on beating the heat Cars, like people, are at their best when the temperature is about 72 degrees. But, this winter's cold wave and last summer's heat waves have been tough on man and machined. Dog days of August By mid-August we may have set an all time record for hot weather car trouble. To help assure that your care is not one of those stalled a- long the side of the road, practice these suggestions offered by Car Care Council. 1. 13e sure your cooling system is in good condition. You may have made it this far, but the advent of more hot weather could bring about the failure of a hose, belt or other components. How long has it been since you checked your anti -freeze/ coolant. 2. How about the condition of your tires? Heavy loads at high speed on hot 'surfaces is hard on tires. To avoid failure make sure they have plenty of tread and are properly inflated. Check them in the morning, when they are cool. 3. How's your oil? Oil is not only a lubricant, it is a coolant as well. And clean, well filtered oil will help your engine survive the heat. 4. Check your transmission. This is especially vital if you arc towing a trailer. Most automatic transmis- sions share their cooling system with the engine. Trailer helper If you are towing a trailer, you should consider adding a transmis- sion cooler, an inexpensive device you can have installed at most ser- vice outlets. 5. Pay special attention to your battery. Be sure it is properly filled, fully charged. Extreme heat can cut your battery's performance. 6. Avoid sitting in stalled traffic for long periods of time with your air conditioner running. A hot idea Unpleasant a thought as this might be, you should open your windows and turn on the heater. Speed up your engine occasionally to keep the air flowing through the radiator, as the fan speed may be in- sufficient at idle in extreme heat. The air conditioner puts an extra load on the engine and can add to the overheating, whereas the heater provides extra circulation of coolant from the radiator. Equally harmful, of course, is al- lowing the car to be parked with the engine and air conditioner running while you run an errand. 7. If you drive a late model car equipped with a catalytic converter in the exhaust system, avoid park- ing on a dry, grassy arca. Fire hazard On a very hot day the converter (which can get quite hot under even normal conditions) can build up enough heat to set tall grass on fire. FROM THIS TO THIS &Ate god CUSTOM PIPE BENDING We also do agriculture machinery custom pipe bending ROB at P (11 ARAGF 30 Queen St. Hensell 262-301.4 i NEW! ELITE'ow QUESTOR cArsia._.• - ALL -SEASON AriP".44*42! STEEL BELTED RADIAL ALL SEASON c() 1888 —1988 GT QUALIFIER SR Affordable performance for front and rear,wheel drive 56,000 km limited warranty (35,000 miles) • Two full width steel belts for strength and stability • Two -polyester body plies for smooth ride • Sensational Radial Performance For Everyday Driving Optimum Performance on' Front or Rear Wheel Drive All -Season (M -S) Capability • Free Replacement Policy up to I 1 • Premium Tire for Luxury Cars • Unique All -Season Traction Design • M/S (Mud & Snow) Designation 80 SERIES 70 SERIES • S speed rating • All -Season tread design (60 and 70 series) 50% Wear* Two Full -Width Steel Belts Multi -Pitch Tread • Wide tread design for improved all -season traction ��omA IRE • Free Replacement Policy cup to 50% Worn Exclusive Low Rolling Resistance Tread Compound • White Wall "Elite" Signature • Two steel belts • Two Polyester Body Plies • Bold raised white letters and black sidewall Algoma Tire (Exeter) Ltd. 235-0330 246 Main St. North Exeter Out of town 1-800-265-4247