RT — 14 uto care By GREGG HOWARD Copley News Service Of all the hazards and perils of life that threaten your fortune and possessions, probably none is more constant nor greater than the chance of having an accident with your car, according to Nancy Gal- onka of the Insurance Information Institute of New York. “Motor vehicles maim, they Kill, they destroy houses, wipe out fami- lies and even disrupt businesses. Even the most innocent of trips can end in an accident that triggers hundreds of thousands of dollars in claims against you or your estate,” she said. Since driving is not a luxury, but a necessity, in many areas of the country, people have to determine how to make the risks associated with driving as minimal as possible. And the easiest and best way to do this is to have automobile insur- ance, Golonka said. According to the pamphlet Auto Insurance Basics, published by the institute, insurance basically covers six areas: — Bodily injury liability provides money to pay claims against you and the cost of your legal defense if your car injures or kills someone. — Property damage liability pro- vides money to pay claims and defense costs if your car damages the property of others. — Medical payments insurance pays medical expenses resulting from accidental injuries. It covers you and your family as well as other passengers in your car. — Uninsured motorists protection pays for injuries caused by an uninsured or a hit-and-run driver. — Collision insurance pays for damage to your car resulting from a collision or from overturning. — Comprehensive physical damage insurance pays for dam- ages when your car is stolen or damaged by fire, flooding, hail or other perils, but not when it is overturned. Before selecting an insurance policy, decide which coverages you need. Here are some points to consi- der: — Your financial responsibility. Every driver has a responsibility not only for driving in a safe manner, but also for injuries or damages he might cause. Most states have laws that make it important - or even necessary - to have insurance. — Your car. If you drive an older model, its value might seem low compared to the cost of collision coverage. In this case, you may decide not to buy collision insur- ance. — Your personal finance. Colli- sion and comprehensive coverages are available with a deductible. pay a specified amount - the first $50, $200 or $500 - of damage to his car in each loss and the insurance company agrees to pay the remain- der. By eliminating the cost of processing small claims, the com- pany can provide such coverage at a lower price. You must decide whether you prefer full coverage, a small deductible at a higher price or a higher deductible at a lower price. Once you’ve made these deci- sions, talk with several insurance representatives before selecting a policy. You might ask friends to recommend insurance agents or companies. Ask about financial responsibility laws and or minimum auto insur- ance requirements in your state. The insurance representatives will ask you some questions about your car, how much you drive and your driving record to determine what the cost of your auto insurance will be. Before settling on a policy price, ask about discounts. Many insur- ance companies offer discounts to drivers with good driving records, young drivers who have passed approved driver education courses, students who do well in school, non- smokers or motorists who insure one or more cars on the same policy. Some companies offer discounts to drivers who participate in car pools or who add anti-theft devices to their vehicles. Make a list of the companies you contact and note various price quo- tations and coverages. Consumers should compare costs, quality and coverages when choos- ing an insurance policy. As you are deciding which policy best suits your needs, ask questions about any portion of a policy you don’t under- stand, Golonka said. Are you insured? you can be doomed without it. By ERIC JUDE Copley News Service Today’s car drivers want to put tires on their cars that last longer and ride better, according to studies conducted by The Armstrong Rubber Co., a manufacturer of replacement, passenger automobile tires. Economy-minded consumers are looking for durability - once they make an investment, they want it to last. But drivers also are looking for fun in driving, and tires are playing a more important role than ever for consumers looking to achieve opti- mum handling and performance. Several manufacturers recently introduced new premium tire designs, and market share figures for premium tires have more than doubled ' in recent years. In 1981, premium tires accounted for 7 per- cent of the replacement tire market and 6 percent of the original equip- ment tire market. By 1983, the figures were 14 percent and 13 percent respectively, and they were expected to reach 18 percent and 15 percent respectively in 1985. When asked to rank those factors thought most important when pur- chasing a replacement tire, 59 per- cent of the consumers in the study rated durability as extremely important,” giving it the highest ranking. Handling was the next favorite choice, being rated extremely important by 35 percent of the respondents, followed by price, 29 percent; mileage war- ranty, 26 percent; fuel economy, 15 percent; and speed rating, 9 per- cent. Warranties also are becoming more important, according to the study, since they give consumers a measurable way to compare differ- ent tire brands and designs. Of the consumers questioned in the survey, 48 percent were ‘‘extremely inter- ested” in receiving a full replace- ment warranty. By KAREN CALDWELL Copley News Service Servicing the various filters in a car is a rewarding job for two reasons: The actual job of cleaning .or changing filters is really simple, and filter care is necessary to ensure a normal service life for a car’s mechanical components. Following the ‘how and why” of air and oil filters as described in Driver, a traffic safety magazine for the military driver. Qil filters are necessary because one of the oil’s primary functions is to clean internal engine surfaces. By using an oil filter, solid and chemical oil contaminants are trapped in the filter elements and do not go back into the engine. It’s a good idea to change the oil filter each time you change the oil. Other- wise, in less than 5 miles, the contaminated oil left in the unchanged filter will mix with the clean oil and you’ve compromised the purpose of the oil change. In order to change the oil filter, you’ll need an oil filter wrench and a five-or six-quart container for the oil you’ll be draining out. Even though some filters are accessible from the top of the car, the engine oil drain plug is always located under the car, so you may need some sort of vehicle lift. First, remove the oil drain plug located on the engine’s oil pan. For thorough draining the oil should be hot. A 15-minute drive prior to draining should work fine. Be care- ful, though, as driving will make all engine parts hot, including the oil pan and drain plug. After the oil has stopped flowing from the drain hole, the oil filter can be removed - simply slip the oil filter wrench around the filter canis- ter and apply pressure counter- clockwise. Lubricate the rubber gasket on the new filter with clean engine oil. 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