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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-10-21, Page 90Page 2 You should change your car's belts every four years Almost half of all motorists have never replaced the cooling system V -belts on their cars. Of those who have, the majority did so when the belts were at or near failure, which is normally in about five years. Based on these national survey results, and the fact that belt failure goes up sharply as the car approaches its fifth year, it is recommended that belts on four-year-old cars be replaced. First, the dramatic decline in the number of foil -service gas stations has resulted in. fewer mechanics to advise car owners when to change their belts. Second, there has been a significant change in the construction of modern automotive V -belts. Because of fewer full service gas stations and the increase of gas -only outlets, under - the -hood maintenance is being neglected. The company estimates that fewer than one in four car owners is changing his belts on a routine preventive maintenance basis. In the majority of cases. the major reason for replacement is because the belt is at or near failure. To avoid inconvenience on the highway or costly towing and repair charges, the corn- pany feels car owners must adopt new maintenance habits and change V -belts before they fail. The second reason for recommending regular replacement — modern bandless • belt construction has removed the tradi- tional wear indicator. When belts were made with the "banded" construction, they had a fabric cover that in- dicated wear and possible failure. Modern "handless'° belts don't have a fabric cover, however, so they don't readily show the ef- fects of higher r.p.m. engines, smaller and hotter engine compartments, and natural deterioration. Most car owners, and even professional mechanics, may not -be able to predict belt failure by appearance alone. Very often the belt appears to be in good shape just before it breaks. SUNOC�. HURON GAS AND VARIETY Steve Miners Proprietor 192 HURON ST., (Hwy. 8 West) CLINTON Variety Store Hobby Shop Hand Car Wash Full Service Gas Bar We specialize in keeping your car looking like new! WASH AND WAX !Clean Interior !Wash Exterior •Wax TOTAL CAR PACKAGE$4 1 Does not include interior shampoo. Extra charge to remove oil from vehicle CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT 48.2-3844 HOURS FOR WASH & WAX MONDAY TO FRIDAY 7 AM - 5 PM Make sure heating system is working With the cold winter months ahead, now is the time to make sure your heater is working properly. A car's heating system is much like the engine cooling system. In addition to the duct work, the basic elements of any car heating system are: 1) The heater core which is in essence a miniature radi- ator, and 2) two hoses, one of which transports hot coolant to the heater core in the passenger compartment, while the second hose returns this coolant to the engine. To help familiarize you with some pos- sible heating system problems, The Gates Rubber Company has developed this troubleshooting guide. When your car heater is not producing enough heat, any of the following may be the cause: I. The flow of air under the dash may be blocked. 2. Coolant level in the radiator may be low. 3. Heater hoses may be leaking. If a leak is the problem, the hose must be replaced. .4. Hoses may be bent, or kinked, there- by restricting the flow of coolant. 5. If the car's heater hoses have re- cently been removed, they may not have been properly reconnected. 6. Air may be trapped in the system. This also would restrict the coolant. The solution to this is to bleed the system. 7. The blower motor may not be prop- erly working. This could be Caused by. a blown fuse, a faulty blower resistor, a bad blower motor switch, a loose connection or a burned -out motor. 8. The cooling system thermostat may be stuck in the open position. When this happens, the coolant will not heat up properly. And, if the coolant is too cold, heat output will be insufficient. The ther- mostat should be removed, tested, and replaced if necessary. 9. Doors to the heater assembly may be stuck. 10. Heater core may be clogged. If this is the case, the core should be removed from the car and cleaned out. If the prob- lem still exists, the heater core should he replaced. 11. Water pump belt may be worn and need replacing. If the punip belt has be- come loose due to wear, it will not drive the water pump efficiently. This, in turn, means that the cooling system will not operate efficiently. It's. a good idea to have your car's heating system checked out as partof the "winterizing" which should be per- formed before cold weather hits. Consci- entious preventive maintenance can help avoid heating problems which always seem to occur at the most inconvenient times. FOR THE HEATER 7'O OPERATE PROPERLY, the cooling system must hate the prIper mixture and amount of anti -freeze. This also is a convenient time to inspect and replace heater ant radiator hoses. Driving habits could be hard on car Knight Rider may have a computerized car but most of us need a little human input. By simply changing a few driving habits, car owners can cut fuel consumption by 10 per cent. That could amount to a total sav- ing of over a billion litres of gas and diesel fuel annually in Ontario alone. A lot of myths have fallen by the wayside since fuel conservation has become part of the modern approach to driving. For exam- ple, drivers used to. idle .their cars to warm them up before moving, particularly in cold weather. Now motorists are finding that, even at -20 degrees C, most cars only re- quire 15-30 seconds of idling before being driven off gently. On warmer days, cars need no idling at all. Another common belief was that leaving a car idling during short stops would use less fuel than turning it off and starting it again when the stop was over. It is now widely recognized that 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine. Drivers are also finding that jackrabbit starts are best avoided because they in- crease fuel consumption. A smooth, steady acceleration uses less fuel and makes for a more comfortable ride. Like the accelerator, the brake pedal should be used slowly and evenly. Drivers can cut back on use of the brake by an- ticipating stops. Resting a foot on the brake pedal while drivingis dangerous, increases fuel consumption and adds wear and tear to the brakes and transmission. Dropping your speed slightly will have on- ly a marginal effect on travel time but could put dollars in your gas tank. For example, a car travelling at 115 km/hr uses 20 per cent more fuel than one going 90 km/hr. Another easy way to conserve fuel is to take those golf clubs out of the car, except of course when you are heading for the golf course. Carrying any kind of unnecessary weight around either in the trunk or on the top of your car just makes it work harder and use more gas. If you do take your car to pick up a quart of milk (walking would eliminate gas con- sumption altogether), consider stopping by the dry cleaners and the bank in the same trip. Combining several short trips into one long one will reduce overall fuel consump- tion and save you time as well. Plan ahead. And remember, when you run in to do those short errands, turn the car off. Idling costs money. For more driving tips contact Ontario Ministry of Energy, GMS, Box 37, Queen's Park, Toronto, M7A 2B7. Tire problems costly in winter Sometimes it's easy to spot car problems such as an oil leak or a weak battery. However, tire problems are different. 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 today's tires, especially radials, often look as though they are under -inflated, when they are not. Improperly inflated tires can be hazar- dous because it is the air pressure in a tire that carries the load of the vehicle. To be sure the air pressure in your tires is correct, consult the car owner's manual and check the inflation every few weeks. We Fix Car Keep!" Dependable All 'Round Service and Workmanship you can trust! Check it out ... v CLASS A MECHANIC • REPAIRS TO ALL MAKES & MODELS • MOST UP-TO-DATE AND ACCURATE EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE Including: COMPUTERIZED WHEEL BALANCING and COMPUTERIZED ENGINE TUNE-UPS ,, PLUS ,,. PLUS LIFE -TIME GUARANTEE EXHAUST (Muffler Bay) BRAKES RADIATORS FREERINSPECTIONE�AND O 11TH IST SYSTEMS SALES HOURS: MON: THURS.: 13-9 FRI.: 8-6; SAT.: 8-5 COOLING SYSTEM SUPER SPECIAL* Wnterize now! We will flush cooling systems. clean and Inspect all hoses and fittings and Install 6 litres of quality anti -freeze. Some vehicles may require more or less anti -freeze. which will affect price. '28 9mcoar s OIL, LUBE 8 FILTER SUPER SPECIAL* For most Cars and Light Trucks! Includes 4 litres of 10W30 Motor Oil and Fram oil filter Our Reg. 523.95. $11 Pus Tax NO DRIP OIL UNDERCOATIPIG Economical Rust Protection ... Affordable for both New and Used Cars and Trucks. No more messy spots on your driveway or garage floor. No more twice a year oiling. Only 3 applications will do the lob. SPECIALS IN EFFECT TILL NOV. 14, 1987 SERVICE HOURS: MON: THURS.: 8-6 FRI.: 8.5 268 Bayfield Road Goderich 524-2131 WE GUARANTEE YOUR MUFFLER FOR AS LONG AS YOU OWN YOUR CAR •Free inspection •Competitive prices • Quality parts • Fast, courteous service NEED NEW TIRES? See Our Complete Stock Today Over 600 New Tires In Stock! •B.F. Goodrich *Goodyear *Brunswick •Michelin New & Used Radiators Have your rad checked now before winter leaves you stuck out in the cold. L.H. JENKINS AUTO WRECKERS 4