Loading...
Times Advocate, 1994-04-20, Page 10Page 10 Times -Advocate, April 20, 1994 SPRING CAR CARF Accessories can make your next trip fun, easj_and safe You load the car, lock the house, find your sunglass- es, and unfold the road maps. Fait did you also "travel -proof' your vehi- cle? Running boards, trailer hitches, luggage racks, sun roofs, window tint, and auto alarms can improve safety, increase security, and add to the general comfort of travellers. • Running boards make it a lot easier for those thousands of people who climb in and out of your vehi- cle, or for those people who climb in and out a thousand times! Running boards add an extra measure of safety when carrying children, pets, packages, luggage or groceries. They also protect the lower part of a vehicle from wear and tear while enhancing its ap- pearance. • Trailer hitches should he sized to match the vehicle and what it's towing A Class 1 trailer hitch should be used for light towing such as a tent trailer. A Class 23 trailer hitch should he used to tow a small camper or boat, while a Class 3 trailer hitch is best to tow a large trailer or boat • Luggage racks add extra room to today's smaller cars. Rooftop or deck luggage racks hold items such as suitcases, bicycles, snow and water skis, paddleboards, surf- boards, windsurfing equipment, tents and camping gear. • Sun roofs provide ventilation during long rides so windows don't have to be rolled down. They also add light to the interior of a vehi- cle, enabling passengers to read and play games. Most people don't realize that 98 percent of all vehicles will accept an aftermarket sunroof. • Window tint provides comfort while driving. With window tint, the air conditioner cools the car off more quickly. It also helps keep harnrful ultra -violet rays from burning the driver' amts and shoul- ders. Safety benefits include decreased road glare and decreased reflec- tions from morning and afternoon sunshine, which reduces eyestrain and fatigue. Window tint also pro- tects infants in car seats from sun- burn and injury; if the windows are broken during an accident, the glass won't shatter on them. The correct way to wash and wax your car to avoid scratching Ask anyone the proper way to wash a car. You'll he surprised to hear the dif- ferent meth- ods. Most of us learned from watching our parents. Unfortunate- ly, we're usually not aware of thc damage we do from improper washing and waxing. Your car collects dirt just sitting outdoors. Rain makes it stick to naint like glue, 11 contains very fine particles of hard, gritty sand. If you wash improperly, that grit will cause thousands of hair-like scratches in the paint. They look Iikc spider wchs and are easily seen on darker colours such as red, blue, and black. It's worse on sunny days or under fluorescent light. If you dry your car with dusty towels, you'll cause even more scratching. Remember, every little scratch is a tiny groove where a lit- tle paint was removed. The more scratching you do, the quicker your shine will dull. Do you frequently use one of the common car waxes that clean and polish your car in one step? These formulations contain polishing abrasives that also remove a tiny hit of paint each time they're used. _Some can actually make paint dull- er! Most newer cars have a thin clear coat over the colour. If this gets worn away by improper care, the paint will never look new again. Proper care starts with correct washing procedures. Wait for a day with little or no wind. Always wash in shade and after the paint surface is cool to the touch. Use a hose and plenty of water. Start at the top. Wet the car down to loosen dirt. Use water to float dirt away. Soak the whole car. Wait two minutes and repeat. Now fill a bucket with mild ear wash diluted in lukewarm water. Fill a second bucket with clear warm water (no soap). Soak a clean sponge, towel or washing mitt in the soapy solution. Usc it on the roof. Move very lightly over the surface. Do not rub hard, as this causes scratches. Hose off all soap residue from thc roof. Before getting more soapy water, always clean your towel, sponge or wash mitt of grit by vigorously agi- tating it in the bucket of clear warm water. Much of the scratch-tausing dirt will sink to the bottom of the bucket. Now wash all the glass. Wash the hood and trunk. Hose off. Do the sides of the car last. Be careful near the car's bottom and wheels. These areas are usually the dirties( and very susceptible to scratching. Hose off the entire car. Be cautious when drying your car. Use only soft cotton towels that have just been machine washed and dried without a softener, or use a clean chamois skin. Never use drying materials that have been sit- ting around gathering dust. They'll scratch. You'll need al least four large towels. Usc one towel to re- move most of the water from the roof. Then completely dry the sur- face with a dry towel. Never allow water to evaporate. Dissolved min- erals will cause water spotting. If your car needs waxing, first de- termine if your wax contains any abrasive. Simply apply some with a white doth to a painted surface that is not clear coated. (A painted lawn mower or metal desk is fine for testing.) Rub firmly for 30 seconds. Look at the cloth. If you see the colour of paint, you can bet your wax contains abrasive. It may be all right to use, but don't wax often with this type product. If you really care for your finish, use a no -rub, easy to use, pure Car- nauba wax with no abrasive. Car- nauba is a scratch -hiding, hard veg- etable wax that gives an extremely high gloss compared to many of the commonly available man-made for- mulations. Apply every two to three months for'cars left outdoors (less if garaged). Use a separate fine polish to remove scratches and "dead" paint only when necessary - and only one or two times per year. • Auto alarms protect valuables in a car when traveling, giving you peace of mind in unfamiliar places. Ziebart alarms offer "perimeter pro- tection," a radar scan that chirps a warning when the space around the vehicle is invaded, so that a thief will think twice before breaking in. When traveling, the remote key- less entry system eliminates fum- bling for keys when your arms are full and allows you to access the car if you lock your keys in it. When you're relaxing in the beach and someone needs to get into the car, give them the remote transmit- ter to unlock and lock the doors, or to pop the trunk or hatch. It's a lot easier than worrying about the keys. For added safety, the system au- tomatically locks the doors when the ignition is turned on and auto- matically unlocks them when the ignition is turned off. • Nose guards will protect your vehicle against another record- setting year of hitting millions of bugs, especially on a long trip or vacation. Nose guards also help protect cars, trucks and vans against mud, stones, splashes, dents, and paint chips. Vehicles can be "travel -proofed" with a variety of car, truck and van accessories that make trips fun and easy. • Tips to reduce the chances of auto theft Taking the best care of your car helps ensure it will last as long as pos- - sible. How- ever, a basic car care technique is often overlooked. Auto theft is a major - and es- calating - crime problem. Thus, ensuring your car will "last" be- gins not just with special care, hut with protection. Following are 10 precautions you can take to reduce the chances of your care becoming another auto theft statistic: 1. Always close your win- dows, lock your doors and take your keys when leaving your car. 2. Never leave your car run- ning when it's unattended, even if only for a few minutes. 3. If you have an anti -theft de- vice, use it - even for quick stops. Most stolen cars either didn't have the device or simply didn't have it activated. 4. Have your vehicle identifi- cation number etched on your car's six major pieces of glass. Then a professional thief won't want your car, because it can't be easily sold on the "Black Market." 5. Don't leave valuables in your car. If you have no choice, make sure they're out of sight, and try to avoid having anyone see you put them away. 6. Although you must leave your insurance ID card in your car, don't leave your registration or house keys there, too, or a thief may also rob your house and/or impersonate you. 7. Always park in a well -lit area. 8. In urban areas, avoid park- ing on streets that are away from main roads. 9. Park with your wheels turned sharply to discourage towing. 10. If you have a garage, use it. Cars are often stolen from driveways and open spaces near residences - but seldom from garages. Tune up today, avoid trouble tomorrow Today's high- tech automo- biles can ac- cumulate tens of thousands of miles with very little evi- dence of wear. Despite the longevi- ty, cars still need to be inspected regularly to avoid costly repairs down the road. One area often overlooked is the ignition system. Battery connec- tions and spark plug wires are es- sential parts in every car that many times go unchecked too long. In most cases, that all -too - familiar sound of a grinding starter barely turning an engine over can be traced back to the battery. Batteries lose their charge over time, especially in cold weather, and cable connections can corrode. strength of a battery's charge. If there is any corrosion where the cables connect to the battery, they should be thoroughly cleaned. Batteries and corrosion go hand- in-hand. The terminals need to be cleaned and checked regularly. They are simple enough to check, and it could save time and money in the long run if there is a prob- lem. Another area often overlooked is the spark plug wires. A number of signs to look for when checking the wires include corroded and torn boots, and cracks and abrasions in the wires. The boots will corrode and tear from excessive vibrations, while heat may cause rubber insulation to crack. Abrasions can occur when a stretched wire comes in contact with another object. Also, a spark perform up to par. Warning signs of trouble include misfire during acceleration, hard starting and reduced gas mileage. Damaged wires can carry electri- cal current to the spark plugs, but the charge may not be as strong as it should be. Trouble with wires can lead to bigger trouble down the road, including towing charges and large repair bills. Just because your car starts every day doesn't mean the ignition sys- tem shouldn't be inspected on a regular basis. Preventive maintenance will help keep you on the road, especially when it comes to the ignition sys- tem. Nothing can ruin a vacation trip quicker than a mechanical breakdown on the highway, espe- cially one that costs a bundle to fix. GET MORE G0ING FOR You AT CANADIAN TIRE • Great service prices • High-tech equipment • Licensed, trained technicians • Nationwide guarantees • Parts that meet or exceed original -equipment performance requirements r 1 P�� OFF ANY INSTALLED AUTO SERVICEVVER $75 Give us a try and SAVE $20.00 on any installed auto service (excluding tires and batteries) at participating Canadian Tire Auto Centres. You get more going for you at Canadian Tire and now for a lot less. Hurry in and save today! Coupon has no cash value and must be presented at Canadian Tire store al the time of service. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer Limit: one coupon per service. valid 10 Saturday, May 7, 1994. By law, applicable taxes (GST/PST) must be applied to the price before coupon TO OUR ASSOCIATE DEALERS: For reimbursement, please send this coupon to: CANADIAN TIRE CORPORATION LTD . Automotive Marketing Department STORE # L w/o FRONT BRAKES Installed, up Most cars, Tight trucks and vans Here's what we'll do: Replace front brake pads with quality Motomaster brake pads with a Lifetime Guarantee. Includes semi-metallic pads where applicable Inspect caliper mounting and sliders Inspect brake hardware tie Top up brake fluid wr Inspect rotors for wear and/or damage l► Inspect hydraulic system for leaks Every brake job is different Most vehicles require either new rotors or resurfacing of existing rotors. Additional parts and labour aro often required at additional cost. A written estimate will be provided. J OUR BEST MUFFLER Installed, up Most cars, Tight trucks and vans Our best Motomaster muffler at a great price! Both muffler and its installation are guaranteed for as long as y2u own your vehicle. Patented ALUMIGUARD`B' construction provides maximum corrosion protection. PLUS we will honour most major muffler competitors' guarantees. Details in-store. 12-2000X For most imported and domestic cars and light trucks. Additional parts and installation extra and may be required on some applications. Canadian Tire, Exeter roll Phone 23&O160 11YetIfterANO SEW -453