Times Advocate, 1993-10-27, Page 12Page 12 Times -Advocate, October 27,1,893
Car owners have repair rights
r1 he best way to keep your cars engine
T purring throughout the year is to find
L J and frequent a reputable garage.
Experts at Ontario's Ministry of Consumer and
Commercial Relations (MCCR) say there is no
substitute for regular auto maintenance at a gar-
age you know.
But many motorists don't have a regular gar-
age. And using a service station referred to you
by a friend may not give you much confidence if
you don't know a gasket from a generator.
If your car needs repair work, knowing about
Ontario's Motor Vehicle Repair Act (MVRA)
will help you get the service you need.
The MVRA can also help ensure the final bill
won't put a bigger dent in your budget than you
expected.
The MVRA requires repairers to provide full
information on how they calculate charges, writ-
ten estimates on request, and a 90 -day warranty
on new and reconditioned parts and associated
labour.
Consumers should be able to see one result of
the act soon as they walk through the door of a
garage.
A sign listing the repairers prices, and stating
whether. -they are based on an hourly rate or a
flat rate,'inusthe-posted.
The meaning of "hourly rate" is obvious, but
many people may not know the meaning of "flat
rate". That means the customer is charged for la-
bour according to the book listing of the average
time it takes to do most repair jobs.
Once a mechanic knows what your car's prob-
lem is garages using flat rates can normally tell
you exactly what the labour charge will be.
*This system has both advantages and disad-
vantages.
Some experts say consumers may be better off
dealing with a shop that charges by the hour, be-
cause a mechanic in a flat -rate shop may not
take extra time to correct a problem.
But regardless of the rate system use, a cus-
tomer must be provided with a cost estimate on
request.
And customers should ask for a cost estimate,
in writing, because by law, the repairer can
charge only 10 percent more than the price quot-
ed in the written estimate unless the customer
agrees to extra charges.
The estimate should include:
• name and address of both customer and re-
pairer
• make, model, VIN (identification number of
the individual auto) and licence number of the
vehicle
• description of work or repairs to be made
• parts to be installed and a statement about
whether they will be new, used or reconditioned
• price for parts to be installed
• total cost of labour and
• date the estimate is given and the date it ex-
pires
Repairers may charge, for estimates, but must
_tell the customer the cost in advance.
However much of the time needed to complete'
and estimate may also be necessary to complete
the job. For this reason, if a customer approved
the estimate without delay. the garage may not
charge for the estimate.
When the job is done, the customer should ask
for an itemized invoice. This will help the
MVRA protect the customer if problems arise
later, because it requires the garage to offer a
warranty on both new and reconditioned parts,
as well as associated labour, for 90 days or 5,000
.kms., whichever comes first.
The warranty only applies to work that is the
repairers responsibility, however. If you have
.tires installed and you drive over a nail the next
day, replacing the ruined tire is your problem.
If you have complaints or concerns about the
,cervices you've received from a motor vehicle
'pair shop, contact your local MCCR bureau. In
dais area that would be the London office (675-
7605).
- o receive a copy of the free brochure Car Re-
pair, Promise and Performance, including infor-
mation on the MVRA, write to.the -MCCR, Con-
sumer Information Centre,555 Yonge=St.,
Toronto, M7A 2116.
Rust quickly finds weak spots
ou've just bought a
yjnew. car.
So you won't need
toworry.about rust for a couple
of years yet, right?
Wrong..
A car may, on its outer metal
surfaces, show no visible signs
of rust for as many as three
years.
But rust is already beginning
its ugly task of destruction from
the inside out.
And these interior, hidden are-
as of the automobile are not pro-
tected by the manufacturers cor-
rosion warranties.
Although manufacturers have
made many design changes and
improvements in factory corro-
sion processes, rust will quickly
find a vehicle's weak spots.
Overlapping seams are the
most vulnerable to rust, and so
are dis-similar metals, spot
welds, severe bends and areas
that are exposed to moisture and
the elements.
One of the chief causes oT rust
is salt - the more than 11 million
tons that will be dumped on
roads in Canada and the United
States this winter, according to
a report by the Salt Institute.
Salt is one of the cheapest and
most abundant chemicals in the
world, but it also one of the
most corrosive.
In fact, even long after winter
snows are gone, dormant depos-
its of road salt on a vehicle re-
sume their corrosive effect
when hit by spring rains, or
even when water is splashed up
from a wet road.
Nor does a dry summer give
your car a break.
An even more powerful corro-
sive - calcium chloride - is com-
monly used to control dust on
dirt roads.
Andan increasingly worsen-
ing environment from year-
round salt -laden mist and high
humidity in coastal regions to
corrosive acid rain in industrial -
d area - also contributes to
the rust problem.
So what can you do to protect
your hard-eamed vehicle?
After-purr:hase, lust protection
can be the answer, but there is a
hitch: consumers need to know
what to look for.
Here are a few suggestions:
• find a direct -access, engi-
neered application system of
rust protection that provides
long-term assurance against cor-
rosion damage;
• make sure the system is be-
ing applied by certified.techni-
cians using high-pressure direct
spray tools and special state-of-
the-art sealant to penetrate to all
interior, rust -prone areas; and
• make sure you have a life-
time full -repair warranty with
yearly maintenance that covers
the entire car.
Fall is perfect tirne to renew
vehicles to that showroom shine
our car faces many
enemies during the
hot summer months.
Sun, birds, tar and tree sap can
cause car's beautiful finish to
fade. Fall is the perfect time to
renew the showroom shine and
protect it against winter enemies
such as slush, ice, road salt and
repeated winter car washings.
The first step in any fail car
care regimen should be a thor-
ough wax and polish of the car's
finish. Only thousandths of a
millimetre thick, a coating of
wax protects not only the car's
paint but its resale value, as
well.
Cutting was time in half
Until now, the job of washing
and waxing a car meant spend-
ing at least half of a beautiful
fall day hard at work applying
and removing wax. But now
there are a number of electric
automotive waxer/polishers on
the market which cut waxing
time in half. By using a random
orbital motion which duplicates
gentle handpolishing 2,500
times a minute, automatic wax-
er/polishers produce a show-
room shine without buming the
paint or wearing out your arm.
Choosing a waxer/polisher
Look for these features to en-
sure you are using a reliable,
well-built waxer/polisher:
• permanently lubricated,
heavy duty ball bearings for
longer life;
• a precision counterweight for
vibration -free operation;
• a direct -drive motor for
greater power and quiet opera-
tion;
• a light -touch pushbutton for
easy, one -hand operation
• a pad that resists wear and
corrosion from chemicals; and,
• a brand that comes complete
with all waxes, polishing solu-
tions andaccessories.
-Start with a good wax
Choosing a waxis often a
matter of choosing what's on
sale, since most waxes offer
similar shine and protection.
However, the method of appli-
cation varies, with some prod-
ucts sprayed on and others ap-
plied by hand in a liquid or
paste fonn.
Most car care specialists rec-
ommend liquid and paste wax-
es, since they last longer than
spray -on waxes. liquid and
paste waxes, however, do take a
little more time.
Eight steps
Following these easy steps,
the waxing/polishing process is
fast and simple:
1. Apply the wax to the wax-
er/polisher bonnet follgwing the
manufacturer's instructions.
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2. Apply the polishing solu-
tions over the wax, again fol-
lowing the instructions for prop-
er amounts.
3. Set the waxer on the car,
press the button and begin ap-
plying the wax. The waxer/
polisher will do all the work;
just slowly move it along the car
until about one- third of the ve-
hicle is covered. It takes just
seconds to get the feel of apply-
ing the wax and polish solution
properly.
4. After about a third of the
car is covered, reapply the wax
and polishing solution and con-
tinue the process until the car is
completely covered.
5. For hard -to -reach spots
such as around mirrors, apply
the wax by hand.
6. Allow the wax to dry.
7. Remove the original bonnet
from the waxer/polisher and re-
place with a Clean bonnet
8. Polish tot brilliant shine. In
contrast to all the elbow grease
needed to remove wax and to
polish cars by hand, removing
the wax and polishing solution
with an automatic unit takes lit-
tle effort (most waxer/polishers
can be operated with just one
hand) and you will be done in
less than an hour. Just set the
waxer on the -ear, press the but-
ton and watch your's car's show-
room finish retum.
Starting your fall car cafe vitt
a high-quality wax•and polish
will renew the showroom shine
that sumtner Nukes away'and
protect your car from the slush,
salt arid rain of winter.And us-
ing an automatic electric waxer/
polisher will give you more tithe
to enjoy the beautiful fall sea-
son.
Diagnosing engine conditions ,
If your engine is smoking out of the exhaust, if may mean:
• The fuel system is malfunctioning
• The engine control computer system is malfunctioning
• The engine may need to be overhauled due to worn piston rings
or valves
If an exhaust analyzer shows high carbon monoxide content, it
may mean:
• The air filter is dirty
• The PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) system is clogged
• The -cold start system is malfunctioning
•The -fuel system is operating too rich
• The ignition timing is incorrectly adjusted
�'Ihe t ennostatic air control is malfunctioning
• The:aitipjection system is malfunctioning
If an exhaust analyzer shows high hydrocarbon content, it may
mean:
• Fouled spark plugs
• Faulty spark plug wires-
• Faulty ignitio tap. rotor
• irlc0
• The -file ysteni istoo
• There's a vacuum leak
t
HAS YOUR AUTO
ACCIDENT
LEFT YOU WITH A
HEADACHE
WHEN IT'COMEii
HAVING YOUR AUTO -REPAIRED
The staff at England's Auto Body
can take the
headache out of your auto repair
* All insurance appraisals accepted
* Highest quality repairs and workmanship
* State of the art paint and cure chamber
* Pick-up or tow in your vehicle to our drive
in appraisal centre
* Insurance company approved
* Direct -repair program.
th'frry eyr -,ry) \
CALL TODAY
227-4432
England's
.-.._.,.4* Biu.
Compiete Cullision aria
Refinishing Centre
William Street, LUCAN, Ontprio
established since 1959
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