The Huron Expositor, 1979-04-19, Page 29Describe car's symptoms
a doctor
By MIKE KURTA
There is a lotof talk these
days about the quality of au-
tomotive service, and the.
number of complaints
brought forth by the motor-
ing public. One of the reasons!'
could be agap in communica-
tion between the car owner
and his or her mechanic.
Often there is a lack ofun-
derstanding as to the basic
problem with the car and the
reason for asking for certain
service operations. This may,
be a result of a sketchy or
unclear description of the
trouble, ilaced with opinions
volunteered by friends and;
neighbors, and handed over
from owner to service writer,.
to foreman• to mechanic.,
Here are some tips on how„
to talk to your mechanic:,
First of all, if you. try, to
imagine.a patient taking his
ills toa medicaldoctor, you.
_will understand more clearly
'What your mechanic faces
when he looks under the
hood of your car. The differ-
ence is, your car can't tell
him where it hurts, so you
must be' your car's voice..
Keep records. That means,
any and all previous service-
receiptsshould be • kept in
folder in your glove com
partment.. They should bi '
ready for instant inspectiot
in the event of a warrant;
question on tires, . batteries
mufflers, etc., and it will giv
your mechanic a running his
tory of your car's: mainte
nance routine.'
Have these available whet
you arrive at the garage am
offer to produce them is
needed. Unnecessary . 'wori
can often be avoided b}
checking back to see whei
the last; job was 'done..
Write things down.Man:
'shops like a grocery list o-
items you want done, and i
also helps you to remembe,
things you might forget whei
you -bring your car in.
If you ; have•, a particula
problem, take time to writ
down the symptoms yoi'
have noticed. When did flu
problem begin? Have 'yot
had it before? Does it maki
noise? Does it happen whei
the engine is cold in the morn
ing? Is there an odor?
All descriptions are wel
come and any clueyou car.
provide your mechanic mal;
be the one he needs to wive"
at an accurate diagnosis; 01
your car's, problem.
It has often happened than
just one 'point of information
by, the .owner steers the'.
mechanic down ;the right
road to locate the trouble..
Stick to the facts. Try to
refrain from too much hear -
Get sit for those hot, swettir-
ing days ah.ad by letting us.
check ov r your ear's sit on.
ditioning system, replace lost
coolant, make sur• .isry
thing's right.
MIKE KURTA
GARAGE OWNER.
say and opinion which tends
to be misleading andmight
result in the wrong thing
being fixed.
',Don't be afraid to take time
and explain in careful,
thorough detail what you..:
want: You don't have to be,a
mechanic to describe that
cough, squeak; or, oil drip.
Plain language will do.
After all, who knows --your
car better than you?
If you have an interniittant
problem, one that is not pres-
ent all the time, such, as a
rough mining .engine or a
balky transmission, try to ar-
rive when the trouble is
there, so you can demon-
strate it.
There's nothing more frus-
tratingto; a mechanic than to.;
try to locate a, toothache that
has disappeared. If necds-
sary, offer to take him on .a
road test so he can see first
hand what the problem is.
, ' And be: sure to leave your.
telephone number in case he'
needs to call and consultyou
further about the symptoms.
One: dar owner even.
brought in a tape recording of
the noisethe car made, but
only at certain times. Silly as'
it seemed; this method led to'
the correct repairs being
made, and the. ;problem was
solved,
In short, be sure your
mechanic understands the
problem. Make a list of the
car's needs and, symptoms,
and convey these things to
him asclearly as possible.
CARE CARE SECTION — 5
Tire care reduces operating cost
Proper maintenance of
tires and wheel alignment can
reducevehicle operating.
costs. the Car Care Council
advises.
For example, tires under-
inflated by only eight pounds
can reduce gas mileage
by five percent and cut tire.
life by 25 percent or more.
Cost-conscious motorists,
the .Council` suggests„ will
check tire inflation fre-
quently with their own
-gauges, available in most au-
tomotive stores for less than.
two dollars,
Owners falso should check
tires for abnormal wear when•
vehicles are on liftsfor lubri-
cation or underframe ser-
vice.
Further reduction of fuel
consumption would be the
result of incorrect alignment.
which can result in at least a
two percent per -tankful
energy loss—as well as re-
ducing tire life.
Incorrect alignment accel-
erates tire, wear to an even
CARS ONLY: VANS AND
4-WHEEL.DRIVEVEHICLES
NOT INCLUDED '
PUS TAX
AT. PARTICIPATING SUNOCO DEALERS:.
OFFER EXPIRES MAY 31, 1979,
YOUR SPRING THAW PACKAGE, INCLUDES:
-1, Oil change
2. Lubrication.
3. Oil filter
4, Inspect air filter.,
5. Inspect P,C.V, valve
6. Inspect fan belts •
7. Inspect head.lidhts,all others
8. Inspect shock absorbers
9.. Inspect exhaust system
10. Inspect anti-freeze/coolant
11: Inspect radiator: system &hoses
(pressure' test)
12. Inspect universal joints
13. Inspect wiper blades
14:, Inspect tire pressure
I ; 15. Inspect fluid levels in brake
i.: system, transmission, differential
TOTAL $14.95 plus tax
Further checks and services you may, want to
request tat additional, cost]:
• Remove snow tires
• Rotate tires
• Check brakes
• Wheel alignment.
f s; _Bala'nce wheels .' °_.
ie s Sunoco
Seaforth'
, a little more
personal
r,a
greater degree,
The Council points out
there are two easy ways to
detect incorrect alignment of
tire balance, ,indicating the
need for cost-saving wheel or,
front end. service:
1. Looseness or excessive
play in; steering, or difficulty
in controlling the •vehicle
over bumps and around
curves are indications of
problems which need: eor=
resting:
2. Another is vibration or
the slightest shimmy,
When vehicles are on lu-
brication lifts, another pre-
ventive maintenance check
would be asking a qualified
mechanic to check the front
end and steering for loose-
ness, and shock absorbers..
for. leaks.
A good mechanic cande
termine the corrective mea-.
sures needed for Steering and,
suspension, systems. ...or
advise that ball joints, steer-•'
ing linkage and shock absorb-
ers still are dependable but
wearing to the ' point where
replacement would be advis-
able in the near future.
if parts replacement is rec-
ommended, the Council ad-
vises against economic short
cuts in quality of parts, ex
tent of service and cut-rate.
estimates. Insufficient ser-
vice to save a few dollars can
mean muchhigher, future re-
pair 'bills as a result of the
penny-wise philosophy.
Careful attention to steer-
ing, suspension and tires are
among the major considera-
tions to keep vehicle mainte
fiance.' costs. low.
Now is the time to save on this ;,
special offer. You'll save as much as 20c
.a gallon on current farm prices.
You know the high quality and.:
performance you. can expect from
our big names.. Havoline, Ursa,
Rando and Texaco TDH ... and
now you know you can .buy
them.at the best possible.price.
s
Equipment'.
NAME
ADDRESS
Wnie for our free brochure "Your Guide.
to the Care and Maintenance Of Farm
TEXACO DISTRIBUTORS
station ;° St. Seaforth
Phone 527-1117
Toll Free 1-800-265-4265
Serving, Exeter, Setalforth. Brussels
Offer expires June 15, 1979