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Times Advocate, 1994-04-20, Page 12Page 12 Tithes -Advocate, April 20, 1994 SPR[IVG_CAR CARF Spring has arrived - think about your vehicle's tires. ', It's Spring al- ready and it brings with it. many season- al chores to do. But, they are the kinds of chores we do with pleasure, because... it's Spring. Be- cause it's fun to rediscover the green grass, the bare sidewalks, the white lines on the pavement... and the wonderful allure, long since for- gotten, of the "car". And it is whis- tling while you work at the ritual of the family car's spring clean-up. This task may be fun, but it is also a good occasion to carry -out a close inspection of the car. It is time to check the headlights, the rear and brake lights, the shock ab- sorbers. A little grease, a touch of oil and it's ready... well, almost. Let's look at the tires, a very seri- ous matter. "The problem with tires is that they are so dependable and so relia- ble that we tend to take them for granted; they don't cause any trou- ble so we disregard them," accord- ing to specialists at Michelin. We don't keep them properly in- flated and underinflation is a prob- lem we have all heard about. According to surveys conducted by Transport Canada, as many as 85% of the cars of the 2,000 motor- ists surveyed had at least one un- derintlated tire. Talking about tire inflation, the spring clean-up of the family car is the perfect time for new resolu- tions: buy the best available pres- sure gauge, with the fine commit- ment to check all five tires on your car, every month. Tires are loyal friends if you treat there with respect; they are essen- tial to the safety of your passen- gers. They require a basic mini- mum of attention. "Don't rely just on eyeballing the tires because the look of radial tires can be deceptive. Bulging sidewalls do not necessarily indicate a prob- lem. Nothing can replace an accu- rate tire gauge" says a Michelin tire specialist. Excessive wear Incorrect tire inflation is the main cause of excessive tread wear. For- tunately, excessive wear is relative- ly easy to spot by visual inspection: wearing in the centre of the tread can ii,dicate a tire which is consis- tently overinflated; too much wear on the shoulders can mean underin- flation. Another problem to look for is uneven wear caused by improper adjustment of the camber angle of the front wheels (the inward or out- ward tilt of the wheel): if there is too much positive (outward) cam- ber, the tires will wear on the out- side; if there is negative (inward) camber, the wear will occur on the inside. Excessive toe -in or toe -out in the front wheel alignment can result in a type of wear called "feathering" and it can be detected by running your hand across the tire. If you pass your hand across the tread from the outside towards the centre of the tire and feel sharp edges of rubber on the tread grooves, there is not enough toe -in. If you feel sharp edges while moving your hand outwards, there's too much toe -in. In both cases, have misa- lignment corrected by a specialist. An examination of your tires can provide much information about their condition. It is good to keep in mind that modern tires are de - Know your antifreeze IQ before your car overheats Despite ef- forts to edu- cate people about the im- portance of properly maintaining their cooling systems by changing their antifreeze annually, it comes as a surprise to find that many have never had their cooling systems ser- viced at all. And some people think antifreeze is only important for winter driving. It's no wonder that cooling system failure continues to be the No.1 engine -related cause of roadside breakdowns in this coun- try. By taking an active interest in your car's- cooling system and learning more about proper mainte- nance procedures, many of these breakdowns can be avoided. The first step in this process is to get your Antifreeze I.Q. To do this, ask these simple questions: Question l: Have you check or changed your antifreeze in the past year? Question 2: Does your current antifreeze meet your car manufac- turer's required freeze-up and boil - over protection standards, which are listed in your owner's manual? Question 3: Does your current antifreeze provide protection against rust and corrosion in your vehicle's cooling system? If you answered no to any of these questions, it's time to change your antifreeze to one that will properly work with your cooling system. Antifreeze is one of the most im- portant fluids used in your car's en- gine. Not only does it protect the engine from boiling over in hot summer weather and freezing in winter, it also prevents damaging rust and corrosion buildup in the cooling system. To keep your cool- ing system running, it's important to have your antifreeze changed an- - nually. In fact, it's easy to do your- self: Drain - When draining your cool- ing system, collect the used anti- freeze in a sealable container in- stead of allowing it to drain onto the street or ground. Take the sealed container to a municipal drop-off site for used antifreeze or to a service station for recycling. Flush - Flush the entire cooling system with a product to remove rust deposits, grease, dirt, oily resi- due and used coolant that can con- taminate new antifreeze and make it lesseffecttVe."-: Refill - To provide boil -over pro- tection to 265 degrees F and freeze protection to -34 degrees F, refill your cooling system with a mini- mum 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water. For even better protection, use a mixture of no more than 70 percent antifreeze/30 percent water. Knowing your antifreeze I.Q., and selecting the right antifreeze will help ensure trouble-free driv- ing all summer and year long. Not all antlfreeze/coolants can offer your car the type of pro- tection needed to cope with hot summer weather. Tune u or Spring up p g Tune up Specials in effect until May 30, 1994 Includes free spark plugs 4 cyl. * $49.95 6 cyl. * $69.95 8 cyl. * $79.95 replace spark plugs, filters, inspect wires, cap, rotor, check timing, compression and clean throttle body * additional parts other than spark plugs extra* ALSO INCLUDES FREE BRAKE & EXHAUST/STEERING AND UNDERCARRIAGE INSPECTION Rob Dale Motors Hwy. #4, Centralia 228-6810 Bring this ed into our automotive repair centre to take advantage of our spring specials. Free pick up and delivery within a 10 mile radius �♦. signed to let you know when they need replacing. They tell you them- selves with built-in treadwear indi- cators that appear as a bald strip running across the tire tread. When you see this, it's time to go shop- ping. Your nearest Michelin dealer will be happy to answer all your questions on what type of tire to buy. Your only points of contact Tires are the only point of con- tact between your car and the road. They are the key to providing suita- ble steering, traction, braking and compatibility with suspension sys- tems while also supporting the ve- hicle. Needless to say, tires are im- portant. the pothole season. Repeated ‘im- , You should check the extent of wear on your tires. Excessive wear is easily spotted by visual inspec- tion. If the tires show uneven or ir- regular wear, or if you can feel vi- brations of experience steering responses that seem improper, ask the specialist at your Uniroyal Tire dealer to check for and correct any misalignment, imbalance or other mechanical problem. Have you checked your tires late- ly? The pothole season has arrived The nation is approaching an an- nual event that tries the soul of even the most hardened motorist - pacts with potholes can seriously damage your tires especially if they , are underinflated. "Tires are most vulnerable when they are underinflated," according to specialists at BPGoodrich Tires. "When you drive over a pothole there is excessive force applied at the point of impact. If your tires are not inflated properly the sidewalls can more easily be pinched be- tween the road and the wheel, re- sulting in broken cables in the cas- ing. If the damage is too extensive, the tire will fail on the spot. XH4 A revolutionary 4 -season tire. Travel the globe 3 times with the Michelin XH4 The MICHELIN all-seastlbn XH4 Guaranteed 130,000 km HAUGH TIRE INC. 265 Thames Rd. Hwy. #83 East EXETER Call 235-3752, 262-2926 Emergency calls Toll free 1-551-1860 MIC ELIN. BECAUSE SO MUCH IS RIDING ON YOUR TIRES i.T •E PUS WD COMO. rtCwS SE waaquar CERif CATE ',):703 t03f rEP TREADWEM LACED w4RR4lr<' Guaranteed 130,000 km. means maximum value. 211 This price includes quality GM parts. Not the kind you've never heard of, GOODWRENCH EXHAUST SYSTEM $119.95 NUUOES • Wdfla • Ted Pipe • Clamps • Lebo/ • NI done by os y Gm -trained service mots MUFFLER GUARANTEED FOR AS LONG AS YOU OWN YOUR VEHICLE 'Suggested Om rc 'tour km 19e7l9 (weer mid Simard RgdeL Apvkuble 18113 oft Demise ^r/ d kr ler LUBE, OIL FILTER IN MINUTES OR THE NEXT ONE'S FREE* • Applies to most GM cars and light trucks. See participating dealer for details. GOODWRENCH LUBE, OIL & FILTER $23.95 Includes: - OIL CHANGE with 5 litres of high quality motor oil, complete chassis lube and NC filter. - FREE 15 -point inspection - FREE fluid top up lafGoodwrench Service AUTO WWI Our mission is to offer a pleasant and convenient service experience Huron Motor Products • PONTIAC • BUICK • CADILLAC • GMC TRUCKS Main St. S., Exeter 235-0363