18 - Friday, December 28, 1990 ~— North Shore News

AUTOMOTIVES |

Government tests put
cars through their paces

ONE OF Canada’s best
kept automotive secrets is
the government Gf Canada’s
state-of-the-art motor vehi-
cle testing centre in Blain-
ville, Quebec, just outside
of Montreal.

The centre covers an area of
some 546 hectares, has two test
tracks, six buildings and millions
of dollars worth of testing cquip-
ment.

Built in 1979 at a cost of $25.7
million dollars, its primary pur-
pose is to check and develop vehi-
cle safety standards, as outlined in
the Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
Tests include everything from
crashing cars into concrete walls
to measuring a vehicle’s fuel
economy.

The most unique feature of the
testing centre is a 6.5 kilometre
high speed test track, the only one
of its kind in Canada. Its banked
curves make it possible for vehi-
cles to reach a maximum speed of
180 km/h.

The design of the curves was
calculated by a computer so that
at speeds up to 180 km/h, vehicles
can be driven around the curves
without holding the steering
wheel.

The primary function of the
high speed irack is to test the per-
formance and endurance of vehi-
cles as well as the behavior of
their components, such as tires
and suspensions.

The Blainville test centre also
has a second, slower track (max.
speed 120 km/h) skirting the high
speed track. This is used for runn-
ing-in mew cars before they are
tested for fuel economy or safety
tests.

An 11 km unpaved road with
natural obstacles such as rocks
and tree roots circumvents the
other two tracks. All-terrain vehi-
cles, 4X 4s, logging trucks and mil-

Check wipers

AS A_ neglected piece of equip-
ment, the humble windshield
wiper is rarely checked or changed
as part of a car’s regular
maintenance.

However, many experts recom-
mend that wipers be changed an-
nually.

“When it's raining, drivers
notice that they’re having a wiper
problem, right away, but unfor-
tunately they aren’t in a position
to change them. Then when the
rain stops, so does their concern,’
says Franz Buechele, design and
product) engineer, of Canada’s
largest. manufacturer of wiper
blades.

tnclude checking or changing
your wipers with one of the other
regular maintenance checks you
make on your car. Think about
your ‘wipers when...

*tuning-up your car for the
winter or spring season.

* getting a lube job. Many lube
centres also specialize in wiper
changes.

e filling up on antifreeze to
prepare for ithe winter. Check
wipers for wear and tear.

echanging to winter tires.
Remember to check the rubber
squeegee on your wiper blades as
well,

* setting out on a long trip for
the weekend or holidays. Include
your wipers when you prepare
your car.

And if you know someone
who's a do-it-yourselfer, consider
giving them wipers as stocking
stuffers or asa birthday present.

Greg
Wilson

AUTOMOTION

itary vehicles are tested here.

The centre also has a brake test
site and a ‘brake soak’ pit; a cir-
cular road filled with water to
check how brakes perform when
swamped. A large, flat paved area
is used for testing the
manoeuvrability and behavior of
moving vehicles and an inclined
braking ramp is used for testing
parking brakes and transmissions.

During winter, a large fat area
is designated as an ice test site for
testing winter performance.

Much of the testing at the cen-
tre is done indoors using
specialized equipment. In the col-
lision test area, vehicles can be
accelerated up to 80 km/h along a
100 metre acceleration track and
smashed into a 18! tonne concrete
block. Vehicles can also be driven
into one another, or rolled over.

Results are accurately recorded
by seven high speed cameras and
vehicle sensors, many of which are
installed in sophisticated passenger
dummies. Compliance with Cana-
dian safety regulations for collap-

Notlhshore

4-wheel drive, A.B.S. rear brakes,

2.6 litre fuel injected engine.
All-season radials, P/S, 5-spd.

AMIFM radio.
+ $595 PD! & Freight

700 Marine Drive,
North Vancouver

sible steering columns, safety
belts, windshield mountings, and
fuel tank and tuel tenes is checked.

Transport Canada tuch econamy
testis are performed on a
dynamometer, a device which
allows the car to stand moationtess
while the driving wheels of the car
spin on collers. Horsepower, tor-
gue and other measurements can
be taken while the car is sitting
inside a building, an important
advantage in the wintertime.

The dynamometer can also be
used to test exhaust emissions.
Pollutants can be measured under
a variety of artificially-controtled
running conditions.

Special testing equipment is also
used for testing bumper strength,
interior passenger protection, and
body strength. Bumper strength is
tested by swinging a large pen-
dulum back and = throwing it
against a bumper.

Interior passenger protection is
evaluated by throwing a
sophisticated dummy against a
dashboard. Door and roof
strength is tested by using a
hydraulic cylinder to squeeze the
vehicle.

Winter testing such as cold
starting, windshield defrosting,
cold-weather performance and
fuel consumption can be carried
out in one of two Cold Rooms
where temperatures can be drop-
ped to -45°. Combined with a
dynamometer, the Cold Rooms
are useful for testing the perfor-
mance of vehicles under tough
Canadian winter conditions.

The centre also has two special
vehicles, one for measuring noise
levels, and the other for measur-
ing tire adhesion and the friction
coefficient of different road sur-
faces. A fully-equipped rescue
vehicle is stationed permanently at
the test centre along with a four-
wheel-drive first-aid vehicle.

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Beat the GST and Beat the
rush during our Christmas
blow-out. Everything in the
warehouse

SELL!

Open Dec. 27, 28, 29, 30
Closed Dec. 31 & Jan. 1/91

4. BC.Cellular

NORTH SHORE'S +1
CELLULAR DEALER

Hours: —me
gion Sat VISA ~~ oe “

OGom-5. 30pm
Closed Sun 450 PEMBERTON AVE., NORTH VAN. 986-1174

Rob Sinclair
Sates Consuttent

BILL DENISON
Sates Manager

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