The Wingham Advance-Times, 1969-10-16, Page 17ian Cites Motor
Reports on Most Common Faults
r
Found In Mass Fe)tisle Checks
RevealNeed for Maintenance
.. �c ntenance
By STRUAN-14THESON
Inforatation Director, 'Canada Safety Council .
There's no getting away from it--- motorists are responsible
both morally and legally for the sate operating condition of
• their, vehicles. And whether or not there are compulsory spot
or universal annual car checks in their part of the country.
The driver himself. can detect the major dangers.
Car Lighting Systems Top the List
The most common fault spotted in mass vehicle checks both
in Canada and the United States is the lighting system, dan-
gerous defects which decrease the ability of the motorist to
ace and be seen.
Headlight.. alignment should be checked at least once a year.
But most faults detected were those even the most non-
mechanically minded drivers
should have detected them-
selves. worn or there's a leak in the
Just because lighting is the braking system.
most prevalent defect doesn't Another Warning Sign
rate it the most dangerous. ' Another warning sign it
As disastrous as a brake when the car. pulls constantly
failure, for example. Yet the to one side when stopping. This
driver himself can anticipate could mean the brake lining is
this dangerous and unnerving wearing unevenly or is oil
hazard. If the foot pedal sinks soaked on one side, both of
to the' floor under light foot which .are due to wheel cylin-
aressure, the brake liningsare der failure. It could also indi-
1969 -- Page 66
Moral Responsibilities
cate the wheel alignment is
oft. In either case, 'the defect
should be fixed to ensure safer
driving. •
If. the rear wheels lock on
light application of the brakes,
another defect in the braking
system is indicated - . that of
a leaking oil seal. '
Faulty steering is also ex-
ceptionally dangerous. Exces-
sive play in the steering lathe
tip -oft to this defect and can
indicate a fault in any part of
the steering train. •
Tires, the driver's only con-
tacts with the road, require
thorough if not doting care.
At the wheel, themotorist is
tipped off to tire 'hazards by
car vibrations at., 50-65 miles
an hour and' in bad cases -at
even • lower speeds. Another
possible indication of poor tire
inflation is the need to steer
constantlyto keep the car on
the road, although this could
also indicate faulty suspen-
Sion.
Cause of Trailer Sway
Bald tires are Unsafe because
they can't grip the road when
this is a must. 'They skid on
slippery surfaces and .Actually
water . ski in heavy rain be-
cause of 'water forcing its way
under the tire.
Applied to .trailers, under-
inflation of trailer tires causes
high-speed trailer sway, fish-
tailing and even jack-knifing.
Because of their size and load
carried, almost all trailer tires
require higher inflation than
car tires.
The exhaust system should
Help cure your carb
hard -starting ills!
Get our pre -winter tune-up!
Bring your car in for our pre -winter tune-up :. A new set
of Champion Spark Plugs plus cures for all the other ailments
your car may be suffering from. It's your best protection
for winter driving. See us now ... and have a thorough check-
up every 10,000 miles.
RELIABLE USED CARS
SEE THEM ON OUR LOT
CHRYCO
AND
GOODYEAR
TIRES
CRAWFORD MOTORS
CHRYSLER - DODGE - PLYMOUTH
WINGHAM ONTARIO
PHONE 3S7.3862
9
also be checked on a regular
basis. Theodorless, colorless
killer, carbon monoxide gas, is
emitted by faulty exhausts.
• • The motor, more, and MOre!,
complicated as the years go
by, ties in with safety in one
big way if it doesn't do what
you expect of it when you real-
ly need top perfdrmance you
can be in great danger. ,
Tick May Be
Demanding
Filter Change
One of these .mornings.when.
you start your car you may
hear a mysterious tick -tick -
tick from the engine for a few
seconds. Don't ignore it. The
sound can be a sign of impend-
ing engine troubles.
The tick -tick -tick you .hear
is' the sound of your car's tap -
lets tapping, a malady that
affects some engines .in cold
weather when the oil takes
longer to get to the valve
mechanism. Cold oil moves
slowly because it is thicker.
If the ticking -prevails for
more than a few seconds, your
problem. may be dirty oil and
a clogged oil Biter. One tiny
particle of dirt, carbon, a min-
-ute speck of metal or plain
old "dust from the air can be
enough to hinder the opera-
tion of the precision hydraulic
valve lifters that make modern
engines so quiet.
If you should hear ah' oniin-
ous tick -tick -tick, the first
thing to do is to take alook at •
the lube sticker on your door
jamb to see when you last had
the oil and filter changed. The
last, man to do the Job should
have, noted it there. If it has
been more than three months
since you had this service, you
may be inflicting considerable
damage to your engine.
The oil you buy for your car
has to lubricate to reduce' frac
tion and wear, of working
parts. It must protect metals
from acid and rusting. Its job
also includes sealing, cooling
and keeping the engine clean.
A regular change of oil filter
helps the oil do its job.
A clean air filter helps, too.
It helps keep• out damaging
abrasives' that can work . their
way into the engine •from the
air it breathes.
Air filters should be changed
(or cleaned, if yours is the
cleanable type) at least every
six months, or twice a year.
When to change oil and oil
filter? This depends more on
driving conditions than on
mileage. Short • distance, stop
and go driving, for example,
is harder on engines than long,
steady speeds. Winter weath-
er, too, presents problems.
A good rule of thumb is to
change oil about every three
thousand miles ... or every •
ninety days ... and to put in a
new oil filter at every other oil
change.
Some drivers change the fil-
ter every time they change the
oil, because clean oil running
through a clogged filter can
defeat the purpose.
WINTER HAZARDS GREATER
Roads present more hazards
to tires during winter months
than during waft -weather
months. Foreign obiects such
as nails and glass are retained
in the buildup of ice and snow.
For this reason, check winter
s carefully and frequently
or cuts or breaks. And be sure
you have a spare tire in your
car's trunk.
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