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Home My WebLink AboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-10-21, Page 91Chemicals and salt used to melt ice and snow can destory your car Winter is just around the corner. Driv- ing will be hazardous. Your local highway department is readying its snow removal equipment, and stockpiling mountains of salt and calcium chloride. These ice and snow melting chemicals mix with sand and dirt and accumulate in hidden areas of your car: Fender wells, door and vehicle frames, moldings, and all sorts of nooks and crannies. The damp mixture rapidly attacks metal areas where paint or undercoatings have chipped or worn away. Oxidation begins and shows up as ugly rust. The process continues eating away at your car as long as the caked -up masses of dirt stay moist. During dry weather, the rusting stops,but, as soon as it snows or rains, it,starts again and will continue this way until it consumes all metal to which it is exposed. Car makers constantly are trying new metal coatings to prevent rust from start- ing. But, once chipped or scratched away, the bare metal will start rusting at the first sign of moisture. There are steps you can take to stop this vicious destruction of both the un- derside and the painted areas of your car. Next time your car is in the shop for repairs, have your service man put it on a lift. Use his work light or take your own powerful flashlight. Make a note of all the pockets of accumulated mud and dirt. Use a stiff brush or tool to remove it, or try blasting it off with a high pressure water hose when you get home. Open the doors and wash out the dirty areas that house the hinges and door mechanisms. Wash the wheel wells and v Oil -Lube -Filter *14 Point Check *4.5 litres Oil, Filter, included * Quaker State Oil * Fram Filter All For $i90 !IL GARD CAR CARE •`WHAT' s lAt'a1NG All. THAT RUST?" squirt the hose at the point where trim and moldings meet the paint. Open the hood and trunk, and clean the narrow rain channels. Although normally neglected in win- ter, frequent washing is a must. Wait for a day when the temperature is above 32 degrees. Use a good detergent soap and wash the entire exterior of the car. For best winter protection, seal the paint with a coat of high grade abrasive -free carnauba wax. Real carnauba waxes are imported and rather expensive. You may have trouble finding one that contains no abrasives, cleaners or anything that will scratch paint. Make sure your car starts promptly Keeping your automobile in good shape makes good motoring sense. It can also help ensure that you won't have to pull out your battery booster cables this winter. For prompt starting Here are some basic maintenance tips that will help you make sure your car starts promptly: 1) Keep the gas tank full. This prevents condensation of moisture in the tank which leads to fuel line freeze-up. 2) Use the correct grade of winter motor oil for your area of the country. This often makes the difference between starting and not starting. 3) Regular tune-ups, including points, plugs and ignition wire checks, are of special importance in the winter. Wet or cold winter weather increases deficiencies in ignition components, and worn spark plugs easily require twice the electricity as new ones. 4) Check battery for electrolyte level and Lne condition, tightness and cleanliness of the cables. A battery at zero degrees fahrenheit produces less than 50 percent of the power it has at 80 degrees fahrenheit, and requires 21/2 times as much power to crank the engine. 5) Rust, seeping anti -freeze and just plain old crud in the cooling system can cause Slow warmup can harm engine If your car has been slow to warm up during these cold mornings, your engine may need a new thermostat. This is a temperature -actuated valve that controls the flow of cool water from the radiator w the engine. Its main function: To hold the engine temperature within specified limits, not only for maximum efficiency but also for passenger comfort. Replacing this part is a relatively mi- nor expense that could pay for itself in short order, says Car Care Council. A thermostat that's stuck in the open posi- tion will allow the engine to run too cold, accelerating wear on critical parts. Cold operation can create condensation water H G TOWING & Fi(iTO REPfilitS/ 299 Cypress St. Goderich Days .324-620.5 Nights 524-2856 24 HOUR TOWING HURON POWER EQUIPMENT 86 KING ST. CLINTON 462®9600 SPECIAL 10 off •Chain Saw Oil •Chains *Files 1 in the crankcase, causing the oil to form sludge, too. Further, a cold engine may burn 10 to 20 percent more gas than it should. A thermostat that sticks in the closed posi- tion, on the other hand, will restrict coolant flow, causing overheating and possible damage to the engine. Another valve in the cooling system is the radiator pressure cap. This keeps the cooling system under pressure, thereby increasing the boiling point of the cool- ant. When the pressure cap fails the car may overheat and coolant will be lost to the overflow tank your engine to crank sluggishly or not at all. Flush out the system and,,at the same time, check all hoses and the thermostat. 6) Auxiliary heaters such as oil heaters, coolant heaters and battery heaters have become a necessity in many northern states, and can often be useful elsewhere. The most effective is the battery heater. V-belt'chteck 7) Check all V-helts, especially the alter- nator drive. The alternator should carry most, of the electrical load, thereby reserv- ing battery power for starting the engine and operating emergency accessories. If the car is four years old, the belts should be replaced. Rotate tires To optimize tire mileage on front -wheel - drive vehicles, it may be necessary to rotate tires before the generally recommended 6,000 mile initial rotation time. In fact, the engineers say that all -season, mud and snow -type tires used on front wheel positions of any automobile or light truck may develop irregular wear at early mileage due to the side slip that occurs dur- ing steering. This is especially true on front -wheel - drive vehicles because of the heavier load and its effect on the stopping and steering torques. The best rotation pattern for radial tires is front to rear and rear to front, keping the tires on the same side of the vehicle. Because Volvo's exhaust parts and complete'kits are now specially priced. A lot of other Volvo parts are priced competitively, too, What's more, using Volvo parts is now sweat. Getting them is easy. We usually have the parts you need immediately. Installing them is easy. Each part is designed to fit perfectly right out of the box. (Advice comes easily, too. Just call Don, our Parts Manager.) Best of all, every part carries Volvo's free replacement limited warranty: 12 months, unlimited mileage (see us for details.) It's no wonder Volvo owners over- whelmingly prefer genuine Volvo parts. Don't exhaust yourself looking for better values. Call us today! It's easy. GENUINE VOLVO PARTS A genuine commitment to you! Canada's Oldest Volvo Dealer! 184 EAST ST., GODERICH 524-2113 Sales, Service, Parts, Leasing tnnfloinn TIRE STOP WINTER COLD NKII ALL SEASON TIRE 031501X SAVE $20. to $35. XGS SNOW TIRE 021508X SAVE $15. to $24. NKIr ALL SEASON 031601X XGS SNOW TIRE 021508X ELIMINATOR BATTERY Guaranteed for Life. SAVE 530. Reg. s109.99 8999 tti 35 -POINT PRE -WINTER INSPECTION � 9 95 Our 35 -point inspection includes all this & more •Battery/starter test •Exhaust system inspection *Antifreeze check •Block Heater operation check •Heater, defroster inspection •Transmission Fluid Check *Wiper, Washer & Blade check •Inspection of Suspension •Brake inspection •Charging system check •6 Service Bays ®Nationwide guarantees •Same-day service in most cases 233 HURON ROAD i OSE i I x .. ................. Claf1R611111 TIRO