i
-
" i you’ve put off buying a new car
* the past several years, you've
chosen the same road as a lot of
other Americans.
Today, automobiles in the United
States have an average age of seven
years or more. Not since World War
II, when automobile production was
sharply curtailed because of mate-
rial shortages, have Americans kept
their cars for so long.
This change in buying habits has
resulted in higher per auto costs for
maintenance and repair. In 1982,
Americans spent a total of $86.4
billion or an average of 8.7 cents a
mile, not including gasoline, to keep
their cars in working condition. In
1981, the average was 7.3 cents per
mile.
Advice to Consumers
several years, experts at ACF’s
Carter Automotive Division urge
you to start taking care of it early.
Have it serviced regularly and pay
attention to your owner’s manual
for guidelines on oil changes, tune-
ups and seasonal check-ups.
Proper maintenance will extend
your car’s useful life. Even so, a car
eventually will require major
repairs. Such repairs should be done
promptly, since a delay can hasten
the car’s deterioration and make it
angerous to operate.
Plan ahead. Locate a reputable
mechanic or repair shop before you
need one. The best mechanics take
pride in their work and build busi-
ness on the basis of satisfied cus-
tomers. The bright orange and
white emblem of the National Insti-
tute of Automotive Service Excel-
lence (NIASE) signifies that the
mechanic has been certified by the
proven skills needed to maintain
today’s complex automobiles.
Save Money on Major Repairs
When you bring your car to be
serviced, give the mechanic com-
plete details as to what’s wrong
with the car and make sure he puts
the information in writing.
Obtain a full, written description
of the vehicle’s problems and the
corrective work required along with
cost estimates. Ask to be consulted
before any additional work is per-
formed.
Replacing major components such
as carburetors, water pumps,
generators, alternators, distributors
and starters can be expensive. How-
ever, because such components are
modular and can be installed
quickly, the saving in labor can
offset the higher cost for parts and
even save you money on the entire
repair job.
One way of reducing costs for
such repairs is to use remanufac-
tured engine components. Auto
parts are one of the few segments of
American business in which recy-
cling has succeeded on a major
scale. Remanufacturered compo-
nents marketed by reputable com-
panies such as Carter are thor-
oughly tested during the precision
remanufacturing process and meet
auto makers’ performance stan-
dards. Carter remanufacturing
components have a full warranty in
addition to a significantly lower
price tag.
Ask your mechanics about guar-
antees of parts and workmanship. If
he’s reputable, he’ll stand behind
his work.
Summer driving season is rapidly
approaching “as another icy winter
melts into the past. In order to
enjoy our scenic highways and
byways to their fullest, you should
make sure your car is in tip-top
shape.
First, it’s smart to prepare your
car's cooling system for a long, hot
summer. Fighting summer hea-
twaves on the vacation highways
ystem. And, running your car’s air
loads like boat trailers and luggage
racks puts even greater loads on the
system.
Changes in automobile engines in
recent years have increased their
operating temperatures. Today’s
smaller engines run hotter and
create more work for the cooling
system. In heavy driving, for exam-
ple, an engine could theoretically
produce enough heat to melt an
average 200-pound engine block in
20 minutes.
To assure a full cooling capacity,
a 44 to 55 percent cncentration of
ethyleneglycol coolant is necessary.
The coolant aids in preventing boil-
over by removing heat from the
engine. It also .cools the automatic
transmission system and other
extras.
To ensure that the cooling system
will function properly, experts
advise flushing out the old solution
and refilling the system with a fresh
50-50 mixture of coolant and water.
This should be done once a year: and
will protect the engine from a low
mperature of minus 34 F to a high
os 265 F with a 15-pound standard
pressure cap.
Installing coolant can be a do-it-
yourself procedure. Usually, how-
ever, drivers just drain the radiator
and refill it with anti-freeze-coolant.
Unfortunately, just draining the
radiator leaves 60 to 75 percent of
the old mixture in the engine and
heater. This old mixture contains
harmful rust deposits that can
cause your radiator to deteriorate
and malfunction.
Flushing your cooling system
helps prevent rust accumulation,
clogged engine passages and gen-
eral engine deterioration. It is a
simple process with the Prestone II
Flush N Fill Kit. The kit aids in
removing harmful rust and sedi-
ment and allows you to reverse-
flush your cooling system with a
garden hose in about five minutes.
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If you have waited more than a
year to change, check your coolant
now for signs of corrosion. Take a
sediment, a rusty-brown color and
loss of natural color of your coolant.
Check for deposits around the inside
of the radiator filler neck. These are
all indications that you have not
changed your coolant frequently
enough and that corrosion is
already at work in your cooling
system.
For safety’s sake, when checking
coolant level or preparing to flush
the system, rotate the radiator cap
a quarter of a turn to let off the
pressure first and then remove the
cap. Keep your face away or use
some kind of facial protection.
Avoid working near the front of a
running engine, especially near the
fan:
—Here are some other tips to help
you keep your car’s cooling system
in order.
—Check the hoses for leaks and
cracks, then squeeze them to see if
they’re too soft or too hard. Replace
all hoses that seem to be in poor
condition.
—Check fan belts for proper ten-
sion and replace any that are
cracked or frayed.
—Have the thermostat tested if
the engine indicates it constantly
runs hot or cold.
—While you're cleaning out and
refilling your car’s cooling system,
you might want to check the condi-
tion of your radiator cap. If it’s
more than two years old, chances
are it has already lost its ability to
hold pressure. That means your
coolant’s boiling point will be low-
ered - the result could be boilover.
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TELLTALE LEAKS
MAY SPELL TROUBLE
WITH HALF A DOZEN FLUIDS
AFFECTING THE SAFETY AND
DEPENDABILITY. OF YOUR CAR,
A LEAK CAN MEAN TROUBLE.
WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO FIND
OUT IF AN OMINOUS DRIP IS
SERIOUS? SLIDE A NEWSPAPER
UNDER THE AREA OF THE CAR
WHERE YOU'VE DISCOVERED
THE LEAK AND LEAVE IT
THERE OVERNIGHT.
TAKE THE PAPER TO YOUR
MECHANIC. AFTER EXAMINING
THE FLUID, HE PROBABLY CAN
TELL YOU IF THE LEAK IS COMING
FROM THE TRANSMISSION,
ENGINE, RADIATOR, BRAKES,
POWER STEERING, REAR AXLE
OR GAS TANK.
GGC-
No, it has nothing to do with
stocks, bonds, even tax shelters. But
it does concern a major consumer
investment - your car, which for
most is the second largest invest-
ment next to the purchase of a
home.
No matter whether your auto’s a
used heap or top-of-the-line model,
it’s best to apply some preventive
medicine before damage occurs,
damage such as rust - an insidious
element that can destroy your auto
or recreational vehicle way before
its time.
James O’Connor, director of tech-
nical services for Rust-Oleum Cor-
poration, has a few before and after
pointers in dealing with rust:
—Apply rust-inhibitive primers
and topcoats to the most suscepti-
ble-to-rust spots: inside doors, the
floor, under doors and fenders,
areas around holes in the body -
which means latches, antennas,
rear view mirrors and lights.
—The real danger zones, accord-
ing to O’Connor, are the chassis and
underside of your vehicle. That's
where grime, weathering road salt,
dirt and abrasion get together to
form the worst rusting conditions.
Dead Mufflers
Pose Danger
“Ma...how much longer till we get
there?” ‘Gosh, Dad...I'm hungry
again.” You've probably heard
these and other comments from
your children on a trip.
The trick: Keep the kids busy and
trip. Get them interested in the old
count-down game.
In some areas they might count
cows, for example. But people are
traveling country roads less often
these days, and the sight of animals
on the sides of super-highways is a
rarity.
There’s a new game, though, that
can keep youngsters occupied: it’s
called “Muffler Watch.” Mufflers
fall off cars and litter the road. For
example, the Car Care Council
observed up to 19 mufflers on one
20-mile stretch of Interstate 94 in
the Detroit area.
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—Finally, should rust get there
before you do, prepare the surface,
following the paint manufacturer’s
directions, and prime, prime, prime
with an automotive primer that’s
compatible with most automotive
finishes. How to test its compatibil-
ity? First, try it on an unexposed
area, prime and then touch up with
a coating that matches the factory
finish.
Need more help? Consult Rust-
Oleum’s how-to brochure No. 8201,
free by writing to Rust-Oleum Cor-
poration, 11 Hawthorn Parkway,
Dept. SC-1, Vernon Hills, IL 60061.
AUTO PART
* MONROE SHOCK ABSORBERS
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* REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR
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Sparks Fly From
A Faulty Muffler
A Detroit police car’s flashing blue lights signaled a car to the curb
during a recent cold wave. The family of four was hurriedly pulled from
the vehicle as an officer announced: ‘“You’ve got a bonfire under the gas
tank!”
The car’s dangling muffler, dragging against the pavement, had
created so much friction it was glowing red and throwing sparks.
Later the alert policeman drove the family to a relative’s home rather
than gamble further with the disabled car.
Like so many other automotive troubles, this one is more prevalent in
cold weather when condensation and salt speed the rusting and
weakening of exhaust system parts, says Car Care Council.
The danger of a gas tank fire is not the only concern. Anyone who has
run into a fallen muffler at highway speeds knows this too, is a very real
hazard.
The most common threat comes from poisonous carbon monoxide
-fumes, which ean enter a car from a leaking exhaust system.
Car Care Council urges motorists to check their vehicle’s exhaust
systems frequently. The safest way is with an inspection from
underneath. Short of that, a good tug on the tail pipe can tell you if you
are in danger of losing your muffler.
Heed Warnings
Turning up your car radio is no way to cure a loud muffler. But
listening for unusual sounds coming from underneath your vehicle can
help prevent serious and expensive repairs.
Rusty, corroded muffler connections usually start as small perfora-
tions and develop into large holes until the connection simply breaks off.
That moment is easily identified when you hear a loud, roaring noise.
Exhaust systems also become clogged due to internal parts in the
muffler breaking loose and restricting the flow of exhaust gases. A
pinched or bent pipe can also cause restrictions which can lead to engine
overheating and power loss.
Due to extreme heat, mufflers and tailpipes can deteriorate quickly
and are usually replaced at the same time by repair shops.
An efficient exhaust system not only keeps your car quiet, but is also
safer and can save money in the long run. A restricted exhaust can
cause poor performance and sacrifice fuel efficiency. A noisy exhaust
system not only is a public nuisance but can allow poisonous fumes to
seep into your car.
Listen to your car’s exhaust..
New Oil Can Helpful
You may be among a growing
army of motorists who do some of
their own routine car maintenance.
A boon to do-it-yourselfers is a
handy new lightweight user-friendly
.it may be trying to tell you something.
packaging for automotive fluids.
Industry surveys indicate that 57
percent of motorists now at least
add motor oil themselyes and 43
percent change oil themselves.
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560 PIERCE ST., KINGSTON
Across The River from the Courthouse