The Citizen, 1997-10-15, Page 21THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15,1997. PAGE 21.
Cruising — Fail 1997
Is your battery tough enough for winter?
No matter where you live,
Canada is a cold country in winter.
When the first severe cold wave
arrives you may discover that your
faithful old battery no longer has
the power to get your car started.
A battery's output decreases as
temperature drops, so a battery that
was doing its job during the warm
summer months, may only have
Winter hard on transmissions
By Walter Smith
(NC) - Most people use winter
grade engine oil and a block heater
to warm their engine, but their
transmission just sits there in the
cold. While you start your engine
and let it warm up briefly, the
transmission is still cold. When you
pull away, the transmission fluid -
which sat at -20°C or lower
overnight - must keep up with the
engine and quickly get to its 80°C
operating temperature.
Spinning tires on ice is also
tough on your transmission. Your
wheels spin, then catch. It's as
stressful as towing a trailer or
perhaps even worse because the
transmission fluid can get
extremely hot and oxidize.
half of its output when the
thermometer dips below freezing.
Meanwhile, your cold engine may
need twice the starting power.
If your car is hard to start
because of a weak battery, you
should consider replacing it before
it lets you down. When buying a
battery you'll be selecting from
among several within the size range
If you frequently find yourself
rocking your vehicle to get out of a
rut, be aware that you are cutting
your transmission fluid's life in
half, or worse.
For these reasons and as a normal
maintenance procedure, it's very
important to ensure that your
transmission fluid is checked
regularly, especially in the winter.
If drivers checked their fluid more
often, a lot of transmission failures
could be avoided. The Automatic
Transmission Rebuilders'
Association reports that the average
automatic transmission experiences
some sort of a failure at
approximately 70,000 km.
The message is to get your
transmission professionally flushed
that fits your car.
In addition to the price, there are
other factors which you should
consider when buying your battery:
cold cranking amps (explained
below), reserve capacity, and
length and type of warranty.
Cold cranking amps refers to the
engine starting (cranking) output at
-170°C for 30 seconds. A starter
may draw 400 amps, so at -170°C
and refilled. Your service centre
should have the special equipment
required to flush the entire system -
remind your mechanic that simply
removing the pan drains less than
half of the fluid. Unless it's flushed
properly, most of the dirt and
contaminated fluid remains in the
transmission cooler, torque
converter and transmission lines, so
when new fluid is introduced, it is
immediately contaminated.
This winter, keep your
transmission's well-being in mind.
It's a very inexpensive way to avoid
a costly repair bill.
Walter Smith is technical advisor
for Wynn's Canada. Call 1-800-
668-5626 toll-free for more
information.
it would not take long on a cold
Canadian winter morning to drain a
battery rated at 300 cold cranking
amps.
Reserve capacity refers to the
length of time the battery will hold
up without recharging. This usually
is expressed in amperes of output
per so many minutes. When
comparing battery specifications,
you should compare output and
reserve on the same amperage per
time basis.
Typically, the reserve capacity
rating will refer to the amount of
time a battery can produce 26 amps
at 270°C. (Headlights may draw
about 15 amps versus a tail light's
1.5 amps.)
When idling along in stop-and-go
traffic, with the heater, defroster.
'97 VENTIRE
VAN CLEAR-OUT
tape deck, and lights turned on, the
electrical system is carrying a
heavy load. It's comforting to know
there is a strong batter^ under the
hood. That security is well worth
the effort of evaluating the best
battery for your particular car.
Where can you get an automotive
battery? In addition to retail outlets
and department starts, you may also
want to go to your local automotive
parts wholesaler. Many of them
will also accept your old battery
and dispose of it properly.
And remember, replacing the
battery is no substitute for regularly
maintaining your vehicle. If an
engine is in borderline condition,
needs a valve job or tune-up, even a
strong battery may not get the car
started.
For the SERVICE you need
Now and in the Future
THE DIFFERENCE IS AS CLEAR AS
NIGHT and.DAY!
^"everyday value
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