The Brussels Post, 1974-05-08, Page 14I keda
Japan's Thousands of
Inspection Required Every Two Years Means
Proper Maintenance is a Must
The average private car
runs about UN miles per
month, say, 11,000 miles per
year. Therefore little, troU-
ble should be expected dur-
ing the first two years of
ownership. New cars have
the advantage that if,.and
when, they give trouble, it
is only necessary to call for
the dealer's mobile service
unit, So, as a piece of gen-
eral advice to the mechan-
ically innocent — "Buy a
new car and have fewer
problems,"
There are strict regula-
tions in force concerning
the safety maintenance of
cars. As a condition of reg-
istration, all vehicles in
Japan must pass an inspec-
tion every two years (one
year fnr trucks)
To pass this test, every
car, even one which has
been driven only 20,000
miles in 2 years must be
ABOUT THE. AUTHOR
E.izo Ikeda, who contributes
this report from Japan, is
presently Moth. Vice President
of the Automobile Journalists
Association of
Japan and Di-
rector of the
Traffic Jour-
nalists Associa,
lion of his na-
tive country.
As one of
the leading test
drivers of new
ears, his re-
ports alppear
regularly in
Japanese and also English
language magazines.
Mr. Ikeda was horn in Tok-
yo in 1934- and was graduated
from Waseda University in
1957. He has owned and-driv-
en automobiles for 23 years.
serviced completely.
Thanks to this obligatory
system, vehicles in Japan
are kept in a reasonably
safe state. Suspension,
brakes, lighting, windshield
wipers and non-standard respect it is advisable for
modifications are checked the car owner to learn to
for safety, detect problems early and
It is advisable for owners turn his over to the
to get more frequent main- experts.
tenance for their cars, such
as taking them to the deal-
er's service facility periodi-
cally, However, if this is not
possible, the driver should
ask for a quick "check-
through" when he stops at
the gasoline 'station.
Service stations are capa-
ble of simple engine tuning
and, of course, they check
oil, water, tires and spark
plugs. •
Japan is a small country
and the average driving
distance is short. So the
private owner is unlikely to
wear his car out. Because
of this, he gets by on in-
frequent maintenance.
There are very few en-
thusiasts who service their
own cars. I was surprised to
find how few people even
washed and waxed their
cars themselves. In this
New Drivers Must Keep Cars Safe
By EIZO IKEDA
Japanese passenger car
ownership has increased
ten-fold during the past ten
years. More than half of the
enormously enlarged num-
ber of drivers are first time
car owners, short on ex-
perience, Compared to other
countries the background
of the average Japanese
car owner is unusual.
The older driver here,
also his fellows abroad, has
a deep mechanical knowl-
edge, gained from past ex-
perience. He knows how to
care for his car and keep
her running in a trouble
free manner.
For the inexperienced
driver, car maintenance
presents a problem. He has
to have someone keeping his
car in shape for him.
Inexperienced drivers
tend to buy new cars to
avoid mechanical problems.
car
HELP ! ! !
If your car should break
down on a busy highway,
the Ontario Traffic Safety
ministry suggests you take
the following actions to
summon help and create
the least possible hazard to
yourself and other motor-
ists: •
o Pull completely off
the road onto the shoulder.
• Use your four-way
emergency flashers.
o Lift up the hood of
your car and tie a white
handkerchief to the radio
antenna or door handle.
41" Use flares if you have
them.
Stopping for . . .
Pre-Vacation Car Check Major Step
No one would think of
mailing a valuable package
without making sure it was
wrapped carefully and com-
pletely protected. Yet if
statistics are correct, most
people aren't as, careful
when sending their most
precious possession on a
long journey.
Buying Some
New Tires?
When a person buys a
new dishwasher, he's going' •
to put it where he needs it
most — in the kitchen.
Safety experts saythe same
rule applies when buying
new tires. Unless the car
has front-wheel drive, tires
should go where they're
needed most —1 on the rear
wheels.
"When selecting a pair
of replacement tires in the
same size and construction
as already on the car, they
should be put on the rear
wheels for better traction
and handling," says Ross
R. Ormsby, Chairman of the
Tire Industry Safety Coun-
cil.
Many experts feel motor-
ists who develop tire prob-'
lems on the front axle,
because of skidding or dis-.
ablement, still have a cer-
tain degree of control over
the vehicle with the steering
wheel. However, when the
problem occurs on the rear
wheels most drivers have
no way to compensate for
skids or swerves before the
vehicle can be stopped.
Tire safety experts from)
the National Bureau of
Standards Office of Vehicle
Systems Research Institute
for Applied Technology sur-
veyed independent studies
conducted throughout the
country and involving thou-
sands of passenger cars.
There is strong evidence
that a significant number
of car owners place least
worn tires on the front
wheels, whereas available
accident experience indi-
cates the least worn tires
should be placed on the rear.
"Bald tires on the rear
appear to be more of a
safety hazard than on the
front; a finding at variance
with automotive folklore.
And bald tires on wet payee'
rnent make a particularly
hazardOus combination.
"Vehicles in accident8
have a larger number of
severely worn tires on the
rear than On the front, sug-
gesting that it is safer to
put newer or less Worn tires
on the rear," said the gov-
ernment survey.
If that invaluable cargo
is a family and the care-
lessly prepared container is
a car, then odds are almost
even that there is at least
one serious defect in that
vehicle. The odds are based
on reports from official ve-
hicle inspection agencies
showing approximately one'
out of every two cars cannot
pass simple safety checks.
To help make certain you
and your loved ones have
a safe and breakdown-free
trip, here's a list of items
to check with your favorite
service outlet before you
depart.
BRAKES, TIRES AND
WHEELS: Have brake lin-
ings inspected, check fluid
levels and seals and adjust
.brakes. Check tires for ex-
cessive wear or visible signs
of damage. If needed, ro-
tate the tires. Also, check
wheel alignment and bal-
Every Saturday at Bob's it's business as usua
Bob is a Texaco Farm
Distributor. Every Saturday
the boys drop into his place
to pick up some Maffak or
HavoliKe or just to chew the
fat.
Bob's is kind of a meet-
ing place.
But Bob doesn't mind
because most of his custom-
ers are his friends too. He's
helped these men keep their
farm equipment in good
shape with top quality pro-
ducts from Texaco.
There are Texaco Dis-
tributors just like Bob all
across the country. And like
Bob, most of them have
complete farm and home
delivery service. But on Sat-
urdays, the boys still drop in,
In some places it's almost a
tradition.
Robert Dinsmore
--SERVING '
PHONE 527.1224 CLINTON SEAFORTH MITCHELL
ance and make sure your
shock absorbers are not
worn out or damaged.
VISION: Check wind-
shield wipers, headlights,
turn signals, back-up and
brake lights to make sure
they are in good condition.
Make sure washer reservoirs
are filled and that all glass
and mirrors are clean. * * *
COOLING SYSTEM: Clean
out and flush the cooling
system and refill with new
coolant, and rust inhibitor
if needed. Check the ther-
mostat, fan. belt and water
pump. Inspect all belts and
hoses and condition of the
radiator cap.
* * *
LUBRICATION: If need-
ed, change the oil and oil
filter. As part of an overall
chassis lubrication, check
transmission and differen-
tial fluids, front wheel bear-
ings, locks and hinges.
* * *
CHECK YOUR AUTO
INSURANCE TODAY!
Let us provide the proper insurance to meet your
arriving needs. Feel free to call or see us at any
JOHN A. CARDNO
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14 — THE BRUSSELS row, MAY 8, 1974