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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1989-04-19, Page 27Times -Advocate, April 19, 1989 Page 27 SPRING CARCARE 40600 Get Quality Professional Service from These Experts Check tire pressures monthly The entire weight of your car is suspended on four hoops of rubber. They are also responsible for transmitting all yoilr acceleration, cornering and braking forces to the ground. As important as tires are, they are also one of the 1nost abused items on any car. Many motorists frequently drive with their tires underinflated and never realize it. Wayne Parkinson at Algoma Tire recommends drivers check tire pres- sures at least once a month. How- ever, one should not rely on the gas station pump as any standard of accuracy. "Go buy a good tire gauge," said Parkinson. The gauges with rotary dials are quite accurate and are Basi- . est to read. The pressures should be taken when the tires -are "cold" - driven for less than a kilometre, - and should be kept closely to the Maintain car's cooling system In today's busy, fast -paced envi- ronment, no one wants to be plagued by car troubles. But with the hot summer months ahead, your car may very well be put to the test. To help you prepare, there are very simple and fast preventive measures you can take to safeguard against vehicular woes. Maintain- ing' your car's cooling system is one of the most important preven- tive maintenance tasks you can do. Antifreeze/coolant level In cooling systems with anti- freeze/coolant recovery reservoirs, the radiators should be full of anti- freeze. Cars without recovery reser- voirs should have an antifreeze lev- el about one inch below the filler neck when the engine is cold. - Flush out harmful corro- sion Just because your coolant is pro- viding ample anti -boil protection docs not mean that the antifreeze is in the best working condition. For example, the rust -inhibitor package may have lost its effective- ness. When the protective chemi- cals no longer work, rust may ac- cumulate and clogging may. occur. As a rule, the entire cooling sys- tem should be flushed and refilled with fresh antifreeze each year to maintain optimum efficiency. Guaranteed results The makers of Prestone Ad- vanced Formula Anti Freeze/ Coolant have a program that actu- ally guarantees your radiator against any type of coolant -related damage for a period of one year. By flushing and refilling with spec- ified Prestone products, you quali- fy. Should a cooling systcm fail, the brand has a network of over 30,000 service centres waiting to repair any radiator damaged suffered. Preventive maintenance is the kcy to prolonging the life of your car. By following a few simple steps, you can ensure cooling sys- tem longevity, performance, and guaranteed protection. Get conditioner in top shape If your car. has an air conditioner, it makes good sense to make sure it is in top working order before summer's heat and humidity ar- • rives. Air conditioners operate by pumping pressurized frcon through a separate radiator. If this freon 4�,. al u.offieiency- of the systcm drops. Taking your car to a mechanic to check over the air conditioner in the spri,n _ • ' tt )ave Partridge, service manager at Miles Ford. • "It's a good thing to have done in the spring," -said Partridge. "It's like oil chapgcs- preventive main- tenance." --Agr430 to $40 a mechanic will check the system for Teaks, tighten the compressor's drive belt, and chock the overall pressure of the frcon.coolant. Most likely, a top up of frcon will be needed to boost • pressure to maximum cooling lev- els. To prevent compressor failure, the mechanic will also check its lu- brication. For the environmentally con- scious, an air conditioner that springs a leak means only one thing, more frcon released into the atmosphere to erode the ozone layer. Spring is here, so why not get your air conditioner checked out be- • fore it's too late? manufacturers recommendations marked on the door jamb. Properly inflated tires not only ride better, they wear less and im- prove gas mileage. Parkinson also strongly recom- mends rotating tires every 20,000 kilometres, or once a year at the least. "Especially with front -wheel drive," Parkinson .noted. Front driving cars have most of their weight up front, steer from the front, and use the front wheels for most of the braking. Naturally, most of the wear occurs up front. Tires that aren't aligned properly also wear faster, often unevenly. Front -wheel drive cars may require four-wheel alignments to keep everything on the straight and nar- row. Wheels that are out of balance can cause flat spots on tires, but so can weak or failing shock absor- bers. Given the price of new rub- ber these days, it pays to have these problems nipped in the bud. While premature tire wear is highest on people's minds, Parkin- son says belt separation can make an otherwise good tire fit for the scrap heap. "It starts off as a bit of a shake in your car," said Parkinson. Waver- ing or instability at slow speeds can tip the driver off to a belt fail- ure. Gravel roads are the worst of- fender causing belt separation. Stones can jam in the tread, "bruising" the casing. Again, it helps to keep tires prop- erly inflated. Fortunately, most tires carry pro -rated warranties, so the driver gets some money back on 'a damaged tire. Parkinson says motorists can hope for up to 60,000 kilometres from a new set of tires these days. If you do a lot of driving on gravel roads you won't be as lucky. But when the time docs come to replace your tires, Parkinson says you'll most likely end up with a set of all - season radials,. the best-selling rub- ber around. In fact, Parkinson says regular summer -only tires are be- coming a rarity. As with most things in life, spending the extra dollar isn't a waste of time 'when it comes to buying new tires. Better tires ride better, handle better, and last long- er. —If you're keeping your car, the most expensive tire is the cheapest one in the long run," explained Par- kinson. (:ARS T4)I)A1- are built differ ,itic than those of just fire tear' ago. Today's engine" are -smaller. re% higher and nen hotter than ever brfore. LOOKING FOR A DEAL THAT'LL STOP YOU COLD? COME SEE THE PREMIUM QUALITY MUFFLER EXTRA HEAVY DUTY SHOCK SPECIAL PER PAIR INSTALLED . ONLY 5 Class "A" Mechanic on Duty Thruway Mufflercentres are Canadian - owned by guys like me; guys that got together to form **largest chain of owner -operated muffler shops in the country. At Thruway eytufflercentrs you deal with the owner, and if you aren't more than pleased with the service, you can' go right to the boss. Things will be set right. !sir 11.. IM C;11 IP* 1� �) Ilnlll WI1EEL BRAKE SPECIAL Rear Only sr' t Cts// thruway Most cars FrOnt $84.95:, .or tan« AS SHOAII Ask about our WE'VE GOT THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS Hwy. 4 and b. Exeter 235-0466 Open Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Sat. 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. VISA QUESTOR ALL SEASON 70M NEW ELITE." PREMIUM ALL -SEASON . RADIAL • Affordable performance for °fTunt-°arnil=wheei- 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 • . • ptimum er ornlance on , Front or Rear Wheel Drive •72,000 km Limited Mileage Warranty (45,000 Miles) .• All -Season (M-S)Capability FuII 10/32 Skid Depth in shoulder grooves • Two Full -Width Steel Belts • Multi -Pitch Tread • Wide tread design for improved all -season traction 121Limpi......GOMa 18.88 - 1988 J GT QUALIFIER SR ALL SEASON • Premium Tire for Luxury Cars • Unique All -Season Traction Design • M/S (Mud & Snow) Designation 1.100,000 km• Limited Warranty (60,000 Miles) • 60 -SERIES - 70 SERIES • All -Season tread design (60 and 70 series) • Free Replacement Policy up to 50% Worn • Exclusive Low Rolling Resistance Tread Compound • White Wall "Elite" Signature CC. -4, • Two steel belts • Two Polyester Body Plies • Bold raised white letters and black sidewc 'I Algoma Tire (Exeteri Ltd. 235-0330 246 Main St. North Exeter Out of town 1-800-265-4247 1