Clinton News-Record, 1978-11-02, Page 40perm
/hen car talks,. listen!
By Robert Haro
(Special tv The Free Press)
You got your husband off
to work' in the usual hectic
rush, but there's no time to
relax. There's shopping to
be done, Johnny has a
morning dentist appoint-
ment, Suzy has a 1 o'clock
music lesson and the dog is
due at the vet's for a shot.
' You jump into your car,
anxious to get the day
started and then it hap
pens.
As you pull out of your
drive onto the street,
there's an unfamiliar, omi-
nous sound. We've all ex-
perienced it at one. time or
another. Sometimes it's a
clank, sometirhes a clunk,
and sometimes it goes
click, click,,click.
But whatever, you begin
to get that awful feeling
that this is going to be one
of those days. You visual-
ize your car going up in
smoke, or gadgets and
things falling from the en-
gine, or maybe that deadly
silence when a car stops
running and just sits there
like a stubborn mule, doing
nothing.
Well, ladies, take heart,
automotive engineers call
those clanks and clunks
"car talk" -- and theysay
that anyone can get to
know what Betsy is saying,
at least enough to deter-
mine just how serious its
illness may be. Under-
standing the groans and
moans of a sick auto, they
advise, will help you to
take better care of your car
and avoid troublesome
breakdowns.
To help out, Ford service
experts have prepared a
glossary of sounds if you're
interested in learning the
ABC's of car chatter,
Noises worth noting are:
Engine Cackles -- A
car's idle speed may need
adjustment if the engine
"cackles" or continues . to
run for a brief time after
the ignition is shut off.
Dieseling, as mechanics re-
fer to the problem, also
may occure after several
short shopping trips. En-
gine cackles after a' short
drive simply indicate that
an engine's emission con-
trol devices have not
warmed up sufficiently and
are•not cause for alarm.
Ignition Clicks -- If a
clicking sound occurs when
the ignition key is turned
on and the ear's engine re-
fuses to start, a corroded
battery cable may have cut
off electrical current to the
starting system. Less fre-
quently, the , "click" is
caused by a faulty starter
relay switch.
-The whiffing or spinning
noise of a small electrical
motor from under the hood,
oh the other hand, could
mean trouble in the starter
motor itself.
Tire Ticks -- A rhythmic
ticking sound at low speeds
often warns that a nail,
rock or piece of glass is
embedded in a tire. The
"tick" usually is blotted
out or muffled by other
noises at higher speeds,
and may lessen in time as
the object works its way
into the tread. A quick
check to remove the prob-
lem before re`a1 damage is
done can eliminate _the
need for a new tire or avert
a dangerous blow-out.
Speedometer Chatter —
A chattering or clicking
sound from the instrument
panel usually indicates the
need for speedometer ser-
vice. The noise may or may
not be accompanied, by a
flutter of the speedometer
needle. In most cases, a
kink has developed in the
speedometer cable or the
system may need lubrica-
tion.
Engine Pings -- Pings
and knocks from under the
hood (especially when you
accelerate) often are an
engine's way of asking for
higher octane fuel. If a dif-
ferent grade of gasoline
doesn't help, engine timing
may be at fault and a tune-
up could be the answer. If
the pings turn into a loud,
metallic bang, something
more serious is afoot and
immediate professional at-
tention is required.
Exhaust Pipe Pops -- Ac-
companied by a rough en-
gine idle, a soft popping or
drumming sound fromthe
exhaust pipe points to
fouled spark plugs or
faulty ignition wiring. The.
noise normally is audible
only when the car is idling.
Louder popping or rat-ta-
tat-tat noises that occur
during periods of accelera-
tion or deceleration are
signs of muffler wear.
Radio Whines -- Consis-
tent whines or high-pitched
buzzes from the car radio
most often result from a
poor or broken ground con-
nection, ,or a._short in the .
radio's filter circuit. The
noise shouldn't be confused
with brief periods of inter-
ference that may be caused
by' high tension wires or
power stations. A raspy or
ragged tone from the radio,
on The other hand, may be
caused by damage to the
speaker surface or water
leaks that have dampened
the speakers.
Belt Screech -- Shrill
screeches from the engine
compartment when you
step on the gas pedal indi-
cates a loose or faulty fan
belt. Intermittent chirps or
peeps can point to the same .
problem. If not repaired,
the belt may break or your
engine may overheat, and
that -could lead to more ex-
pensive repairs.
Tire Squeal — First
check your tires to see if
one or more need more air
pressure.
Worn brake linings also
can cause squeals or
squeaks when brake pres-
sure is applied' and should
be attended to immedi-
ately. Less frequently,, new:
brake linings' develop a ra-
zor -thin glaze on the lining
surface that may cause
similar noises,. A service
technician can eliminate
the problem by roughing
the lining surface with a
fine sandpaper.
In addition - to specific
squeaks and squeals, varia-
tions in normal sounds
should alert a car owner
that service assistance is
needed. For example, if a
car's engine begins to
sound louder or gradually
takes on a deeper tone, a
potentially dangerous leak
-may have developed in the
exhaust system.
Who Says "Getting There is Hall the run"?
WINNING BAJA ENTRY OF ingvar Lindqvist, in the two -wheel drive class, tackles a rocky section
in the recent "Baja 500" off-road race in Mexico. The course is noted for extreme driving condi-
tions of intense heat, gullies, craters, washes, sharp racks and boulders.
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